GOD'S ARRAIGNMENT OF HYPOCRITES: WITH AN ENLARGEMENT concerning God's decree in ordering sin. AS LIKEWISE A DEFENCE of Mr. CALVINE against BELLARMINE; and of M. PERKINS against ARMINIUS. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Cernit Deus omnia vindex: GEN. 18.13. Shall not the judge of all the world do right? PRINTED BY CANTRELL LEG, Printer to the University of Cambridge. 1615. ❧ TO THE RIGHT Worsh. Sir WILLIAM AYLOFE, Knight Baronet, and chief justice of the liberties of HAVERING upon the Bower: Grace and peace from the Father, Prince, and Spirit of Peace, AMEN. TRUTH speaks with plainness, and modesty bears with patience; the plainness of the one, might disturb the patience of the other; but truth keeps modesty from blushing, and modesty preserves truth from shaming: No shame for plainness, whose plainness is the truth; nor blushing for modesty, whose forbearance is patience; which is hardly angered, but soon reconciled; easily injured, but seldom offending; sparing much, but stirring little: these two are so privileged, that they may keep their court where they please, without controlment of the proudest. But alas, the fashion of this world is changed, and all is become complement; he is no complete Gentleman, that cannot be as humble as the toe; as plain, as if he meant to open all his heart; and as modest, as though he had learned a whole year to compose his gesture: but nature forced, is always most unruly; and the face that hath most flushings of heat, hath the coldest heart; and burnings without, are coolers within. Masks once served for sporting, but I fear them now to be used in good earnest: painting was but a circumstance, but now it's the best substance: yet let me tell this disordered age, that painting is meeter for ragged walls, then fine marble; for an unruly jezebel, than a chaste matron: in a word, all strange compliments, they are no better then court holy water, or a Pope's blessing; and I am sure, where he blesseth, God curseth. The earth is full of fair words, but they pay no debts, neither is any man the richer for them. And I would to God the fashion had rested in the body; but woe is me, it is crept into the soul, and makes all learning but a flourish: Therefore I thought it (right Worsh.) very good to abstain from the fashion, because in all kinds, we may find them by experience to he but a days wearing: The tailors care is over, if he hit the cut; the Shoemaker, if his shoe hold the pulling on: and every tradesman thinks his shop then best furnished, when his wares will serve the time: but for my part, I know not how to cut out the truth, better than by plainness; to pluck it on, then by modesty; and make it serve the time, then by patience. I care for no more, if so be I may but be a friend of the bridegroom, to woo his spouse; or as one of his eunuchs to trim her for himself: neither ever did I intend to entreat for welcome by flattery, which is always entertained as long as self-love is at home: and to what purpose should I be more curious? I am sure that the painting of windows stops the light, and that plainer glass, would permit the sun a clearer entrance: a black ground best beseems a white counterfeit; and a fair countenance needs no varnish: where the wine is neat, there needeth no ivy-bush; neither the right coral any colouring: So where the truth itself bringeth credit, the man with his gloss, winneth small commendation: where the matter is of sufficient excellency, there is more show of a pregnant wit, then perfect wisdom to use superfluous eloquence: the naked tale most sets forth the naked truth, and the plainest style, is the soon understood. I do not condemn eloquence or human learning in divine mysteries; it is lawful, I confess, for the Israelites to take jewels, gold, silver, and other precious ornaments; but let them take heed how they use them, lest they make a calf, and then they lose their beauty, having lost their true service. Neither would I be so curious in trimming up of the truth, as though my greatest care should be for the habit of words: for I know that skilful Apelles, coveting to mend the nose, marred the cheek; and often the foolish dyer, is not content with the die of his cloth, until he have burned it. I know the word of God hath been sufficiently tried to my hands, and the holy Ghost hath given it a sufficient tincture of beauty. Indeed, in nature there is no tree, but hath some blast; no countenance, but hath some blemish; the fairest leopard is not without his spots; the finest cloth is made with his list, and the smoothest shoe with his last: But the word of God is a tree of life that is never blasted, a glass that doth never show us a blemished countenance, a storehouse of all garments to be worn without list or seam; and as strong as a leopard, without any spot or blemish; a gospel of peace, prepared without any wooden last of human eloquence, and yet sits as close to the feet of the soul, as heart can wish. Neither do I speak this to excuse myself; for I might well learn wisdom from the Ostrich, that though she taketh greatest pride in her feathers, yet is content to pick some of the worst out, and burn them: so might I pick out many things and purge them in the fire. Alexander laid his singer on his cheek, lest Apelles should paint his scar: but it is my mind to hold my finger off my scars, lest some skilful Apelles paint the finger, not covering but pointing at the scar; and so lay open as much hypocrisy in the writer, as blemishes in the writing. Therefore (right Worsh.) seeing I am to undergo censure, and be brought before every man's judgement seat, I have great cause to seek out my advocate and patron: judicem aditurus? patronum quare; must you before a judge? seek out your patron. In duty and love I could seek none beside yourself, & my confidence of your acceptation is so strong, that I fear not the least denial: you gave me the first entertainment that ever I had abroad, and therefore in reason I could not but present you with the first fruits of my labours. I doubt not but that yourself doth both see and bewail the misery of these wretched times, in which Atheism, and Policy (falsely so called, being indeed little better than plain villainy) and Tomporizing, have like a canker, fretted out the very heart of piety. Few there are that seek for established hearts, and to know precisely whether God or Baal be the true God: and for resolution, they resolve that the best course is to halt between two opinions, that so all times might serve their turns. But you have not so learned Christ: for this can I testify of your pain & diligence, that you labour for nothing more, than the gaining of advised resolution. If I should say all that I know, the world would censure me of flattery: and if I knew that self-love were at home with yourself, than should I never fear want of entertainment in learning to dissemble: but both the world, and yourself must pardon my boldness; for I speak not to blaze abroad your praise, but to entreat that kindness, that men would admit of your example, as a pattern for imitation. Three things constrain me to utter my mind: First, that continual care which you have for resolution of many difficulties in divinity: the means which you have used are but practised of few: one is, that you have not been content to take your resolution of divine truth from translations; but have taken that pains, that you are able to fetch it from the original, and drink of the purest fountain: A second means is, that of the Philosopher, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to make question of matters of religion, whensoever you have seen just opportunity, and fit persons to resolve; neither have you been content to admit of superficial answers, but have pressed argument upon them to see the true trial; and often your own resolutions have been more agreeable with the truth and context of Scriptures, then that which others have said: let this teach men of your place, besides their continual employments, to set some time apart, for this excellent knowledge of the originals of the Bible, and knowledge of that art. A second good example is, your continual care that the legs of justice may not lie broken in the streets, and no man to raise it up: A happy thing when men of place count their dignities to be conferred, as a common good for Church and Commonwealth. Thirdly, for all manner of election, this you only have not affirmed by word, but performed by action, that the place, more than the person, might have cause to rejoice. For myself, I confess I had no cause to be enticed from you, as the Levite was from Micah, judg. 17. to become a Priest unto a Tribe or family in Israel: but least through ignorance I should as soon serve in the ministry of Idols, as the true God, I desired to be a little longer trained up in the schools of the Prophets. For my love unto your family, whereof once I was a member, it is this, that all of them might know the God of their fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart, & a willing mind. For your virtuous Lady, whom God hath made as a fruitful vine on the sides of your house, that she might likewise grow into the true Vine, Christ jesus; and be fruitful unto her own salvation. For all your children, that they might be as the Olive plants of God round about your table. For your eldest son Benjamin; (I hope in name and nature the son of your right hand) the Lord make him the strength and crown of your age, the excellency of your dignity, and the excellency of your power. But I fear I have already offended; your desire is brevity: therefore to conclude, I commend and commit this small labour to your patronage: the text I am sure is excellent for these days: but for my manner of handling it, I leave it to the censure of God's Church: However it be, I do more than hope, that you will kindly accept it from me, and entertain it as a testimony of my love; and not only so, but use it for your comfort. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant; make you perfect in all good works, to do his will, working in you that which is pleasant in his sight: to whom be praise for ever, and ever. Amen. Yours in all good affection, JOHN YATES. To the Christian Reader. IT is a common saying, that an Exorcist may sooner conjure up a logion of devils, then adjure one of them out of his habitation: And as it is with bodily possession, so is it with the obsession of the soul: for although the devil cannot penetrate the soul's dimensions, yet he will sit so near it, that whosoever admits him the least good fellowship, he shall not be freed of his company, when he is weary, and with all his heart would shake hands with him. The Papists challenge all our Churches as false, because we can cast out no devils; but the whole world knows that they can do it to the admiration of thousands: but for my part, I know not how they conjure the devil from the body; yet this I dare boldly affirm, that where they have gotten one devil out of men's bodies, they have admitted a thousand into men's souls: and surely, the devil were a fool, if he would not change his room for a better lodging: I am sure, that there was never any church that hath conjured up more heresies than they have done; and as yet I know not one that they have adjured, and sent packing into hell. No marvel that they have need of strange exorcisms, for otherwise how should men be confirmed in their strange doctrines? these questionless have been strong delusions to make them believe lies. But if they please to admit of the holy Scriptures, we shall at the first resolve them of a double means: Math. 17.20.21. the first is miraculous, and for a time: the second ordinary, and so remains in the Church: the one is in the 20. v. the other in the 21. and this second means we have: I am sure the Church of God may pray and fast, to deliver both body and soul from the devil. But perhaps they will say, show us whom you have dispossessed? I answer, Prayer & fasting are of the same nature that preaching and administering the sacraments: they being conscionably used, work where and whensoever God pleaseth. I doubt not but by the preaching of the word, thousands have been converted unto the faith: and where men get the devil out of the soul, he will have small hope or comfort, either to enter or stay in the body: and so, no marvel the devil holds them so strongly, and takes such good liking of them, that he will be at their command, to leave the body, and ascend into an higher room: for he is proud enough to entertain such a motion. And though I deny not but we have had some possessed among us, yet I dare boldly say, the most have been of their own making: Let them take the credit of their art, for questionless, a black art best beseems a religion of darkness, blindness, and ignorance. But to apply our saviours rule unto our purpose: Fasting and prayer are admirable means in the Church of God; not only to cast out devils and unclean spirits; but also to fill the soul with the spirit of grace, and goodness. And here I tremble to speak, and charge mine own heart with exceeding great negligence, as often as I call to remembrance, the extraordinary fasting and prayer of Arminius; especially whensoever he entered this mystery of mysteries, Gods eternal predestination: A point that hath troubled the Church of God, more than ever the devil vexed that young man in the Gospel. This hath made many no better than lunatic, cast others into the fire of contention, and drowned numbers in the waters of everlasting perdition. Now alas, what good soul would not down on his knees, cry with all his heart, Lord jesus take pity on this distressed world, restore them to their senses, deliver them from these fierce fires, and pull them out of these dangerous waters: often hath it been in the hands of thy Pastors, but as yet they could not heal up these brawls: surely it is, because we are a faithless and crooked generation: Long hast thou been with us, and we have had a large time of thy patience, and it could not be but that thou would have brought it to pass long before this, except our unbelief had hindered it. Arminius hath taken in hand to work this cure, but I fear he hath raised up more spirits, then can easily be laid again. Questionless, as our Saviour Christ spoke of that kind of possession, that it could not come out but by prayer and fasting: so no more can these dangerous spirits of error be quieted and laid to sleep, but by the prayers and fastings of Gods faithful people. Isa. 58.3. condemns all fasting to seek our own wills, and require our own debts: it cannot be good to fast for strife, and to smite with the hand of wickedness. Surely I have heard, that when Arminius was entreated to defend the received opinion of Predestination in the reformed Churches, did so distaste it, that he broached in his readings the clean contrary, whereupon strange rumours were raised, that he was become a main heretic. It was Bezas judgement of him, when he was a young man, that he would either prove an admirable minister of God, or a dangerous enemy to God's truth: These reports are not to be passed over without consideration; for though he seem to cry down the former rumours in a book now extant: yet both the book, and the rumours together, demonstrate that he sought an opposite will to the reformed Churches. We deny not but that Gods true Church may err, and so his will might not be against God's will: yet for my part, I esteem so reverently of my ancients, and the truth admitted, defended, and propagated by them, that I dare not otherwise judge, then that Arminius in fasting and prayer, sought his own will: and therefore no marvel if he have laboured to strive with that worthy man M. Perkins. In the beginning of his book, he professeth nothing but brotherly love: yet I entreat you, observe but the whole carriage of his book, and see how he scans every word, exults & triumphs over him, as though he meant to censure him for a blasphemous heretic against God. The man is dead, his book is now his memorial: and to my reading savours of nothing more, but that he meant to smite this worthy man, if not with the fist of wickedness, yet of hard censure and judgement. This likewise may appear in his followers, who bear a most deadly hatred to all that profess M. Calvin, and his best followers; and most shamefully rail on them: the Papists shall find more love at their hands, than a Caluinist. Alas, my brethren; is this the fast that the Lord hath chosen? No, no: the Lord would have us loose the bands of wickedness, take off the heavy burdens of sin, and heresy, deal the bread of life to the hungry, bring the poor that wander into God's house, & not hide ourselves from our own flesh: If we would consider this, than would the Lord make our light break forth as the morning, our health grow speedily, righteousness go before us, and the whole glory of the Lord embrace us. The want of this, makes the Papists rejoice, and triumph to see us, their professed enemies, to quarrel and strike at one another. Oh that I had a body to fast night and day! and a heart to pray that the Lord would reconcile us, and make his glorious truth shine among us, to expel that darkness that makes the division! When my book was in the press, I intended nothing but the mere explaining of Gods ordering of sin, and so make use of it: but I could not in my mind be at rest, until I had attempted some thing, in this main controversy. I acknowledge it might have been much better achieved by some of the Lords great Worthies, unto the least degree of whose strength, I have not attained: But being as yet neglected by them, I thought it better, notwithstanding my great weakness, to say something in the love of the truth, then to pass it over with silence. I hope it will put others in mind who are of greater ability, what they ought to do: and I would to God my labours might serve as foils, to show the greater glory of their surpassing excellencies: or as courser wares, to make their finer stuffs more saleable and commendable. For mine own part, I am so resolute, that I put it in my creed, as an error that I will never believe; and I hope in God it is now at his height. Christian Reader, be not offended with my young years, to make thee distaste my timely writing. I hope I have kept me to God's truth; esteem that, and then judge me as thou pleasest. Consider what is said, and the Lord give us understanding in all things. Thine in the Lord, JOHN YATES. ¶ To every godly, zealous, and sincere Professor of God's true Religion; the wishes of the Author. THis vacant white, I could not pass away, Perchance the black is worse, thou wilt say: The worst is said, and better is my creed, That thou in this my love wilt ever read. To give and take is neither more or less, But love is more, then can our gifts express. The former terms as relates, thine and mine, Let's pass proud terms, and then the gift is thine. Thine as his own, if better were his own, Love is the best, hence let the rest be known. As purest wine runs from the homely press, So plainest love gives comfort in dissresse. Perfumes have sweetest smell, which fire find, And love the greatest grace, which zeal can mind. The rose in still is sweeter than on stalk, Distill thy love, and sweet shall be thy talk. My good to God is none, to thee is all, Yet both to God must for a blessing call. The silly be sucks honey from the weeds, But flowers seen, full soon on fairest feeds. Make some thing of the worst, but gain the best, That after death thou may have happy rest. The press hath stamped these lines, for thee to press A deeper stamp than can my lines express. Press not my skill, for art presume my heart As thine, that loves no further for to start. The gift is thine by due, the debt is mine, God grant thee joy in reading of each line. Amen. The general heads of the Controversy concerning God's decreeing of sin. 1. Objections: from the Text. 47. answered. ibid. from attributes. 48. answered. ibid. from subject 49. answered. ibid. 2. Arguments proving: from the end. 50. from method. 52. from God, first and last. 54 3. Of sins entrance: his causes principal, instrumental, and accidental. 55. how God purposed this entrance. 56. how the law works sin. 58. positions of the manner. 59 4. Of sins progress and consequents. 63. what is God's work therein. 64 5. Obiectiions that God is the author of sin: from Scripture. 66 answered. ibid. from Bellarmine. 68 Caluins' judgement. ibid. from reason. 73. answered. 74. from orthodox writers concerning Gods will, decree, man's will, and his reprobation. 78 6. Answered. 88 how God wills sin to be. 89. Arminius sophistry. 91. determination no cause of necessity. 96. when a thing is, how necessary. 97. of God's concourse. 98. of God's irresistible will. 106. the nature of God's decree. 107. freedom of man's will. 121. reprobation no punishment. 123 7. Collation of M. Perkins and Arminius. 127. in 10. principles to. 139. for the definition of predestination. 139. how counsel 139. of the subject and his degrees. 140. to 152. lastly of the end and subordination of means. 152. to 160. PSALM. 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue: therefore thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thee: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee. CHAP. I. Of the general Analysis. IN the world we have three sorts of people: All men in th●● world are either Atheists, Hypocrites, or Saint●. First Atheists, that care for no religion: secondly Hypocrites, that care for formal religion: thirdly Saints, that care for true religion. Atheists discover themselves, and therefore the word of God is not large in ripping up their sins. Hypocrites make a fair show, and therefore the word of God is very copious in revealing their sin, and threatening judgement against them: it tells them plainly they are all for the ceremony, nothing for the truth; they lay hold on the shadow, but lose the substance: these men's sacrifices are no better than abomination unto the Lord, he hath no ear to hear them withal, he hath no eyes to look upon their sacrifices, no smell to savour a sweet savour of rest in them; but his soul is displeased with them, and his heart doth rise against them, that he must needs spew them out of his mouth: he hath no taste to say that the sacrifices they have prepared, are any savoury meat unto his palate, and yet the Lord is no dainty taster, for he would say it were well, if there were but a willing mind. jacob and Esan a true type of God's militant Church, which is, cum●●ani●. Indeed Izaac the father of jacob and Esau, might be deceived in his sons, and in their venison: but surely he was not deceived in their garments; for when he had kissed jacob, he smelled the favour of his garments, and blessed him, and said most truly, behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, God is not dim-sighted to judge betwixt the ta●es & wheat. which the Lord hath blessed; but the Lord is not as man that he should any way be deceived: jacob should never have gotten the blessing from Esau by having his brother's hands in show, except the Lord had brought that to pass which long before he had decreed, jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated: So stands the case betwixt all hypocrites and true professors, they may have the hands of 〈◊〉, but their voice will be the voice of jacob: or morally, their hands may be the hands of jacob, but their voice will be the voice of Esau: the world might be deceived by the works of their hands, but if they listen to their words, they shall find them relish of Esau's heart: but the Lord knows their works that they are not only covered with goats skins, but that they themselves are goats indeed, and so shall one day appear, when the Lord shall go through the flocks, and separate from all the sheep the little spotted, the great spotted, and the black spotted, not to be the wages of jacob, but the inheritance of the denil: and therefore blessed are all they that shall be found in the garments of Christ jesus, that so not Izaac, but the God of Abraham, Izaac, and jacob may bless them with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, plenty of wheat and wine, that all the world may be their servants, and all their mother's children honour them: and therefore cursed be he that curseth them, ●●pocrites fi●al be rewarded. and blessed be he that blesseth them: let the hypocrites complain, we have done thus and thus, and yet thou regardest not: we have been thy eldest sons in casting out devils, working miracles, preaching, fasting, sacrificing, giving of alms, and what have we left undone for thy name's sake? hast thou not therefore one blessing in store (ò father) to bless us withal? Well, it may be they will imitate Esau in his passion, lift up their voices and weep, and surely God will say of them as he did of Ahab, Seest thou not how Ahab plays the hypocrite? yet because he humbles himself in show, I will bestow a blessing in show upon him, I will spare him for a time: so because ye have wept with Esau for a blessing, behold the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling place, by your swords and cruelty to my Saints shall you live, Cruelty of hypocrites. I have made you your brethren's servants, but it shall come to pass when you shall get the mastery, that you shall break their yokes from your necks, and assoon as the days of your mourning are come and gone, you will slay your brethren, for that hath been the thought of your mind: God will surely bless th●●g ●ly and curse the wicked. yet let me tell you my mind, them have I blessed, and they shall be blessed; but for you hypocrites which would seem to have the little spots among my sheep, I tell you, Civil hypocrites. Gross hypocrites. Mere Athei●● Little spo●. great spots. black upon. that I have separated you for the day of slaughter; and again you hypocrites, which are not of the number of these civil professors, but gross hypocrites, with great spots in my congregation, and yet defy my servants which tell you of your damnation, I tell you, that you are in the self same predicament of my decree of reprobation. And lastly, all you Atheists, which have the black spots upon you, which will acknowledge no more than bruit beasts, I tell you, that you and all the rest, are the goats that I must set on my left hand, and pronounce this sentence against you, Go you cursed into hell fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for ever. This Psalm is as I may term it, an Assize or session holden of the Lord: unto whose judgement seat are called his holy ones, such as fear him in sincerity of heart; and hypocrites, such as fear him in show, whose lips call upon him, but their hearts are far estranged from him: therefore that we may profitably behave ourselves in this matter, & set ourselves to the true consideration of the form & manner of proceeding, let us give the sum of the whole Psalm in a plain & orderly analysis of the whole matter: and the rather I take it in hand, because that if I shall understand the Church of God to reap benefit by it, I shall proceed in the rest of my purposes tending this way: for this I have purposed to do by the grace of God, and the assistance of his spirit. First, to show the changeable estate of God's Church, in outward things. Secondly, to discover the lights of Prophecy, which have made these divers colours apparent, least through our corruption we should ascribe all to fortune. Thirdly, Due performance of his promises, in making all things work together for the good of his Church and children: whereby all doubts that might spring out of the two former, are fully resolved, and God proved most wise in disposing of all things, and most true in foretelling of all future accidents. Fourthly, Because the most lively colour of God's Church in this world, is affliction, to lay down a discourse of that, whereby every faithful soul may see, what damage it is to the profession of Christ. Fiftly, Because affliction is the worst estate of God's Church, I will show that it is a more happy estate, than the best estate in the world. Sixtly, To draw men from the confidence of the world, and from that vain conceit of religion, as the discontentedst life in the world, I will plainly show, that the world and all the excellency of it, can not give a man content in all his wants, joy in all his sorrows, neither to reach unto eternity: and therefore men shall find the issue thereof, nothing but vanity, and vexation of spirit: and that their only happiness consists in the fear of God, and keeping of his commandments. Seventhly, To take away all balam's wishes, and the persuasion of hypocrites, we will show what the Lord requires for the attaining of true happiness. Eightly, We will lay down the true trial of our estates, lest with hypocrites we build the spider's house, and so be swept down with the bosom of God's wrath, & with hypocrites thrown down into hell. Ninthly, We will lay down God's admonition to all whose case is not desperate, that they look to themselves, whilst the gracious call of the day of the Lords visitation is upon them, that they be reclaimed. Lastly, we will show the comfortable invitation of the Lord, to every one that is hungry and thirsty for the bread and water of life. Wherewith we will join Gods awaking of every sleeper to stand up from the dead, that Christ may give him light. And because many deceive themselves, this shall be the conclusion, that after the light hath appeared, how they ought to walk until the day star of righteousness hath guided them to the place of all bliss and happiness. These things have so inflamed my heart, that I would feign have the fire break out: and yet my years make me with Elihu, to say, I am young in years, and many about me are ancient: Therefore hitherto have I doubted, and still am afraid to show mine opinion: for it beseems youth to say, the days shall speak, and the multitude of years shall teach wisdom: neither (blessed be God) need I to speak, because I have waited till the ancient have spoken, and yet perceive that they have found out no matter to comfort good Christians, and condemn the world, for the world is full of their learned writings, and they have brought sufficient testimonies to prove all truths, convince all errors, establish the godly, and throw down the wicked and profane: yet seeing God will have line upon line, and precept upon precept, I have been bold to do something, for the building up of God's sanctuary. Surely, there is a spirit in man, but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding. Therefore renouncing my own spirit, and desiring wisdom from the true fountain, I trust in God I shall not speak out of my turn, nor show mine opinion in an unseasonable time: for I confess God hath made me full of matter, and the spirit within me compelleth me, behold my belly is as the wine which hath no vent, and like the new bottles that braced, therefore will I speak that I may take breath, I will open my lips, that so I may be cased of my travel. And God grant that when I have delivered my hearts desire, I may rejoice that God thereby is glorified, his Church edified, poor Christians comforted, and my own soul saved; when I shall come to give up my accounts to my God, that bestowed his talents upon me, to trade withal unto his coming: and therefore in confidence that God will accept of my poor desire, and that it shall not be in vain, I offer this as a pledge of the rest. But to return again to our former subject, the parts of this Psalm are in number two: The coming of the judge, and his order of proceeding: the coming of the judge to the seventh verse; his proceeding in judgement in the rest. V 1 The coming of the judge, lays down his excellency and power: his excellency in the two first verses. His excellency consists in his authority and majesty: his authority in the first verse, a great commander, for he is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords. And the manner of his commanding is forcible, for it is but speaking and calling, and at his word heaven and earth obey. 2. The extent is exceeding large, for it is from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof: and therefore when the Lord shall come to judge both quick and dead, he shall not extend his authority beyond his commission. V 2 The Majesty of this judge, is described in the 2. verse: first, from the subject place, Zion, which greatly magnifies the judge: for Zion is the perfection of beauty, and therefore the very appearance of the judge shall dazzle the eyes of all beholders. 2. From his effect, in these words, hath God shined: therefore shall Zion rejoice for this honour, and all that dwell in Zion shall lift up their heads, for the day of their deliverance draws near: but the wicked which are strangers in Zion, and Alliants from the common wealth of Israel, without God, and without Covenant, shall be taken at unawares to their everlasting confusion: and this is the judges excellency, his power follows. V 3 The power of the Lord is declared: 2. proved: declared verse the third, by two effects, first God shall come; it is no rumour, or flying tale, invented to terrify the world withal, but it is most certain as though it were already done: secondly, God shall not keep silence, or wink at some men's faults, because he dare not speak: he will neither drown his words, nor eat them for the proudest. Secondly, his power is proved, first by his messengers, 2. by his faithful witnesses: By his messengers, vers. 3. most excellently set out unto us: 1. by their names, declaring their nature, fire and tempest, and therefore who shall be able to stand before him: if they miss the fire, the tempest shall meet with them, so that there shall be no escape out of the hands of this judge. 2. By their effects, devouring and moving, therefore judgement and swift execution. 3. From their attendance, they shall go before him, and round about him, therefore way shall be made before him, and room shall be gotten round about him. 4. By the adjunct, a mighty tempest, therefore shall it overturn all the bulwarks of the wicked. V 4 His faithful witnesses 4, 5, 6. verses: called, v. 4. executing: 5, 6. called, first by name, heaven and earth; therefore shall just evidence be given in against every offender: the earth shall cover no offences, for the heavens shall reveal it; neither shall any bill be left unread, for all offences are written either in heaven or earth; neither can there be any dropping, for heaven and earth will gather up all. 2. They shall have their charge from God, for God shall call them, and therefore they shall deal faithfully. 3. The end of their calling is appointed, and that is to judge his people, & therefore in God's Court there shall be no plea for ignorance: for he that manifests the end, will discover all means that shall bring unto the end. V 5 Execution is either the convention of the people, or the proclamation of the judge: convention of the people. v. 5. First there must be a gathering, for all men are abroad at their works until this judge come, and therefore woe unto them, that are gathered with their sins: but happy shall every soul be that is found well-doing, when the Lord shall send to gather him. 2. This gathering shall be of his Saints, and all those that make a covenant with him with sacrifice: and therefore the hypocrites shall be too blame, that have cried, we have fasted, prayed, sacrificed, and yet thou regardest not: let this assure them that God regardeth. 3. It must be before God, alas, before him at whose presence the Angels cover their faces, and holy Prophets have cried out most lamentably, we die, because we have seen the Lord of hosts: what then shall become of odious hypocrites? 4. Both must come together: but how shall that be, Psalm. 1 5. seeing the wicked shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous? yea they shall stand, even as they have made the godly to stand in their assemblies, to the perishing of them in regard of their wrath: so shall they stand in the assembly of the godly before the Lord, to the perishing both of body and soul. 5. Circumstance in the convention, is the worship of an hypocrite, and that is, a covenant with sacrifice, and therefore let the wicked know, that their righteousness shall not be hid with the Lord, but they shall have their trial according to their own righteousness: therefore let all proud pharisees thank God, they are not as poor publicans, they have fasted twice a week, they have given tithes of all that ever they possessed, they are no extortioners, unjust, adulterer, etc. well when they are tried with all their righteousness, if they fall for lack of just payment, let them thank themselves, for that they thought they had paid all, and that they were in debt to no body. V 6 The last thing in the execution, is the proclamation of the judge. v. 6. Wherein we have, first the crier, the heavens: 2. The voice; which is, first the declaration of righteousness: 2. of the cause of this righteousness, which is God, who will not post of the judgement to others, for God is judge himself. And thus much of the first part, the judges coming: his proceeding follows. V 7 Gods proceeding gins in the 7. v. and continues unto the end: the parts whereof are two in regard of a double object, his Saints and hypocrites: his proceeding with his Saints, is from the 7. verse to the 16. his proceeding with hypocrites, from the 16. to the end: The first is done by way of reformation, the second by way of condemnation: the reformation of his Saints is necessary, for although they desire sincerely to worship God in the ceremony and the substance, in sacrifices and the truth of the sacrifices, according to law and Gospel, yet often times divers things are amiss, which the Lord must have redressed, or else all shall not go well with his Saints. Mark therefore how the Lord proceeds with his Saints by way of reformation, which is double: first, correction of their error. 2. direction of them in the truth. Correction of error to the 14. v. direction in the truth, 14, 15. In the correction of their error, there is a most exquisite method observed by the Lord, which may be a pattern for all Christians to imitate: and that is this, first to manifest his love, v. 7. 2. to manifest their error, v. 8. which must needs be very seasonable after the former: 3. to take away the occasion of their error, which must needs be profitable to overturn the second: 4. And to give reasons of the removal, which must needs take away all cavil and fond oppositions of our untoward natures, v. 10, 11, 12, 13. Let us look upon them all: first the manifestation of his love, v. 7. First, a kind compellation, and loving invitation to attention, in this word (hear:) if a man were sick in his body, he would be very desirous that the Physician would never make an end of speaking, and therefore if we had the same wisdom for our souls, how attentive should we be when so excellent a Physician as the Lord shall speak. 2. From the relation that is betwixt God and them: a graceless child that will not hear his father before all men in the world; O my people, oh Israel: every word an argument, (people) therefore if all people shall bow down, and worship the Lord, then is it their duty not to exclude themselves. 2. A note of peculiarity, (my people) chosen out of all nations. 3. They are (Israel,) so called of jaacob their father, because he prevailed with God, and therefore assuredly he should prevail with Esau, and all wicked men. Israel therefore is a strong bond, first because it points out unto them the covenant that was made with Abraham Isaac and jaacob: 2. the power they should have with God, and from God, to prevail with all power even of hell, death, and damnation: 4. God's vehement affection to his people, in doubling his exclamation, (O my people, oh Israel.) 3. Reason to persuade, is drawn from the best testimony in the world; I will speak, I will testify; and therefore shall not God's people hear, when the Lord of hosts shall speak? and shall they not believe, when the most faithful witness shall testify unto them? surely it were intolerable, if God should not have the hearing with all reverence. 4. Reason is drawn from the right of creation, preservation, and in a word from the only fountain of our happiness: for I am God, therefore, as able to do what I will, either for the saving, or destroying of my creature; so also most willing and ready to do both, when it shall stand for my glory: therefore must I be heard because I am God, and have good right to command it: 5. and lastly, an argument of arguments to persuade to this duty, (for I am God, even thy God:) it is much that I said I am God, this argument have I often used to persuade in many weighty matters, but when I shall add further, God even thy God, what heart shall not be moved with all fear and reverence to take notice of that which now I will deliver unto thee. V 8 Consider of my love, and then my reproof shall not be grievous unto your souls: my reproof is this, v. 8. a misconceiving of my worship, to think that I stand so much upon sacrifices; I renounce that opinion, because I see that the world is ready enough to embrace it: first, in that I have no cause to find fault with you for sacrifices, since they have been continually before me: secondly, I have no mind to reprove for such matters, for they are not the things that I respect: thirdly, because I have these by multitudes, sacrifices and offerings, I will not stand to number them: yet in a word, in that indefinite number, think with thyself that I have judged them too many: four, in that they have been before me more than thyself, when indeed I have always desired that in them thou shouldst set thyself before me; I would rather see thee on the altar, sacrificing thy sins, and offering up thyself upon my altar Christ jesus, as a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice, than all these dead sacrifices. V 9 The removal of the occasion of their error, is v. 9 First, the taking away of the matter; no bullocks, nor goats: an excellent way to dispatch error is, even the removal of the matter, though in itself it be lawful, and as here commanded of God. Secondly, to put away the cost and charges that we are at in providing of such matter; I will not have them out of thine house, nor out of thy folds: so that thereby they shall not complain they have sustained any great loss by his worship, or that he had any need of their goods. Thirdly, they are to take notice, that after they have been at all this cost and charges, that God will not esteem of it: for he says he will not take it at their hands. V 10 Now lest the Lord should be found a changeling, n playing fast and lose with them, to say and unsay, to command and again forbidden, he will clear the point by four most excellent reasons. The first is drawn from the right of possession, v. 10. proving that all is his own, and therefore, that he is nothing enriched by them: and his argument is drawn from an induction sufficient, bringing all into his Syllogism by an absolute ennumeration: for if all the beasts of the forest be his, and the beasts on a thousand mountains, then cannot man bring God a present out of any country which is not his own de proprio, and therefore we should but steal for him in one place to enrich him in another. This is the first reason. V 11 The second reason is drawn from the right of election, v. 11. the Lord hath the best skill to choose for himself: first, because he hath the most exact knowledge of all his creatures, & therefore able to please himself best in his choice: secondly, his knowledge is most general, because he knows all the fowls on the mountains, and all the wild beasts, very hard to be known of man, for he can neither take them, nor count them: thirdly, the Lord's election is most free: for he may take where he will, and yet enter into no man's possession, for all is his own. V 12 The third argument is drawn from the right of provision, v. 12. the Lord he needs no stewards or marke-officer for his own use: for first, he will make his wants known unto no man: secondly, no man can know when the Lord is hungry after these things: thirdly, because all the world cannot satisfy him, nor all that is therein: therefore justly may he put off all the provision of man, because it will not serve his turn, or be able to give him contentment. V 13 The fourth argument is drawn from the vanity of the end, v. 13. first, because the Lord can neither eat nor drink: secondly, God hath no appetite unto such things; Will I eat, will I drink? no I will not taste these things: thirdly, though I would eat and drink, yet never should my meat be the flesh of bulls, or the blood of goats; but my whole relish is in the sacrifices of the heart, a contrite and a broken spirit I will never refuse; I have ears to hear of such provision, eyes to look upon it, a smell to savour the sweet savour of rest in it, a taste to please my palate, and a touch of lively feeling, to do them good that shall thus worship me in spirit and truth: but all other sacrifices are abomination unto me, against them I will close up all my senses. V 14 Now follows God's direction in the truth, which is twofold: first, of the parts of his worship: secondly, of the end of his worship. The parts of his worship, are prayer and praise; praise in the 14. ver. described, first by his parts, to offer and pay: the first shows the willingness of the mind; the second that it is a debt, and therefore we are to perform it. Secondly, from the object on which it must be fixed, and that is the Lord, and the most High: therefore the first looks for fear, because a Lord, and the other looks for magnanimity, because most high: and therefore Christians must be no base minded persons, taken up with the world, and things here below, but they must up on high to God that dwells in the heaven of heavens, who only hath immortality, and dwelleth in the light, that none can attain unto, whom never man saw, neither can see: and therefore an high estimation beseemeth the Saints in praising of God, that hath abased himself to behold miserable man, and accept at his hands the offering of thanksgiving. Four things notable for Christian practice; 1. purpose, 2. promise, 3. vows, 4. oaths. Thirdly, the extent of our praise, which must reach as high as vows: for there be four excellent helps in the practice of all Christian duties, which carefully being observed, will strengthen all our actions. The first is, when we go about any good duty, to deal thus with our souls: surely by the grace of God I purpose to set myself about this action. 2. That my purposes be not vain, I enter covenant with the Lord, and promise that that which I have purposed, I will perform unto him. 3. That I may be no covenant-breaker, I vow unto the Lord my obedience. 4. That I may not be rash in my vows, I proceed further, and say with David, I have sworn that I will keep thy righteous statutes. Now when the Devil, my corrupt flesh, the world, or any worker of iniquity, shall set upon me, thus will I answer; Why would you have me break my purposes, and be inconstant in my resolutions, seeing the world despiseth all inconstancy: again, though I might change my purpose, yet my promise I will not alter; for infidelity is hated of all: but if you will say, you may put off the performance of your promise, because you bear men in hand with dispensations of future obedience, yet I have a third thing that binds me more straightly, and that is a holy vow unto the Lord, which being lawfully made. I must not break for a world of wealth: yet if you will be instant upon me, and say, I was too rash in my hasty vowing, than I pray you consider, that I have sworn unto the Lord; and therefore to have God to count me for a perjured person, would sting me at the heart, and suffer my conscience never to be at peace with me: therefore putting all these together, purpose, promise, vow, and oath, how should I do this great thing you require, and sin against my God: these things being practised, I dare boldly say every Christian shall find daily increase of grace, and more readiness to serve God. V 15 The second part required, is prayer, v. 15. which is discovered unto us, First by his work to call, showing great necessity: and therefore the neglect of it must needs bring extraordinary loss unto the soul. 2. By the proper object, upon me the Lord, the best succour in the time of need. 3. By the adjunct of time, in the day of trouble: and therefore great occasion is given to every Christian soul to call upon his God. 4. The promise is annexed, as an excellent motive to so excellent a duty; so will I deliver thee: and therefore happy is every Christian, that he may know assuredly in every day of trouble, he hath hope of the day of deliverance. And these are the parts of the true worship of God, praise in prosperity, prayer in adversity: the end of both follows in the same ver. And thou shalt glorify me: therefore not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name, for all thy mercies be ascribed all honour and glory. V 16 The second part of Gods proceeding, is with the profane hypocrites, from the sixteenth verse to the end: the parts whereof are three, conviction to the 21. v. sentence of judgement in the 21. v. and application in the 22.23. v. The conviction is of two sorts of crimes, first, against God, the breach of the first table: the second against his neighbour, the breach of the second table: the first which is against God, is in the sixteenth and seventeenth v. and that is a form of Religion in the sixteenth v. but a denial of the power in the 17. v. The show of religion is set forth by his effects, declaring and speaking. 2. By the object, ordinances, and covenants: 3. From the injury they offer unto God, what hast thou to do? 4. From a testimony of God himself witnessing against him, but unto the wicked said God. Therefore the religion of all hypocrites is formal in the fruit, and in the object, to the injury of God himself, and the provoking of a sharp witness against themselves. V 17 The power of Religion is wholly denied v. 17. First, in affection: they hate reformation. 2. Of instruction in actions, they will endure no reformation. 3. By obstinacy, in casting Gods words behind them. They direct degrees of sin: first, to enter the affections by battered of good, and love of evil. 2. To proceed to action without all reformation. 3. To continue in practice by obstinate rebellion, and casting off God's yoke. V 18 The second order of crimes, is the breach of charity unto his neighbour, 18, 19, 20. v. which are of two sorts; of actions, and speeches: of Actions v. 18. First, laid forth in their kinds: thievery and adultery. 2. By their forms, running with thieves, partaking with adulterers: where the consent unto these sins, is taxed with the practice. 3. From the motive cause, in these words, when thou seest; showing how the desire of wicked men is inflamed with the beholding of the sins of others, to make them run with them in inward consent, and be partakers in the very heart. V 19 The second kind of crimes, are of speeches: first of things, secondly of persons: of things, v. 19 wherein we have, first the kinds, evil and deceit: evil in the form, deceit in the end. 2. From the instruments, the mouth and the tongue, abused of wicked men to the hurt of others, and the destruction of themselves. 3. From their willing practice, in these words, thou givest thy mouth: as though they would sell themselves to commit iniquity: thou forgedst, as though they were always in the fire of mischief. V 20 Of persons, first the preparing of themselves, in that word, thou sittest. 2. The manifestation of their malice, thou speakest and slaunderest. 3. The aggravation of their sin, in regard of a double object; thy brother, more generally: thy mother's son, more specially: showing how unnatural they are, even to their own flesh, and the very bowels of their mother. V 21 And thus much of the conviction: the sentence of judgement followeth in the 21. vers. Wherein we have the two parts of all God's sentences, truth and holiness: for it is requisite that every sentence of God be true and holy: the truth in these words, these things hast thou done: the holiness in the rest. The truth is most exact, consisting of all requisites: Truth. first knowledge without all error: 2. integrity without all partiality: 3. equity without all contradiction. The first is clear, in that the Lord enters upon the very particular sins of an hypocrite, (these things) and therefore can no way be deceived; for he that sees things in general, and these things in special, leaves nothing untouched. The second is also most evident, for the Lord respects neither the person, nor the sin of the person: but says plainly, thou, and these things. And the third is apparent to every eye, for the Lord handles no matters either upon suspicion or malice: for he is most certain of the fact: neither doth he complain of any thing but the fault, hast thou done: and therefore what shall an hypocrite plead for himself, when he shall see his doings plainly detected? The holiness of the Lord hath two parts, Holiness. both which are contained in the second part of this sentence, and they are mercy and justice: for a holy God must be a merciful God, and a just God: his mercy in these words, I held my tongue, and thou thoughtest that I was like thee: his justice in the rest. Mercy. God's mercy is described by four things: First, by his adjunct or quality, silence. 2. By the subject about which it is conversant, and that is the doings of the wicked. 3. By his accidental effect, and that is the thoughts of the wicked. 4. By the form and manner of these thoughts, and that is to make God like themselves, or measure God by themselves. The second part of God's holiness is his justice, justice. described by power and comely order: by power in these words, I will reprove thee: where we have four things to manifest the power: First, the efficient cause, the Lord, and therefore most powerful justice. Secondly, the form, reproof, justice vindicative or punishing, not remunarative or rewarding; and therefore so much the stronger: the touch of his little finger is able to do much, and therefore what shall be the power of his whole hand, and the strength of his arm? his breath which in man is nothing, yet in himself makes smoking coals, and flames of fire issue out of his mouth to the destruction of all sinners. 3. From the object, sin, which all the justice of man is not able to find out: yet shall this justice search it to the quick, and ransack it to the bottom. 4. Because of the person which is an hypocrite, who for the most part deceives the whole world, yea and his own soul too, yet now woe unto him, for he hath fallen into his hands that can not be deceived. The comely order in these words; And set them in order before thee. First, giving us to understand, that sin is confusion and disorder: and all sinners are confused and disordered persons. 2. That there is an order to be taken with all sin and sinners. 3. That when God shall have taken order with them, than the conscience shall take horrible notice of their sin, and the punishment thereof, to their everlasting shame and confusion in plagues, and punishments, that never would see any disorder in sin and wickedness. V 22 The application followeth in the 22.23. v. and it is twofold. First, to the wicked, an earnest admonition. Secondly, to the godly, a serious instruction: the earnest admonition to the wicked is in the 22. ver. amplified first from due consideration, Oh consider this, make good use of my judgements, let them not be idle speculations, but profitable instructions to your souls: Secondly, from the forlorn negligence of all wicked men, which is to forget God, even in the time of judgement: Thirdly, from the imminent danger; and that is tearing in pieces of the Lord: Fourthly, from the inevitablenesse of it, and the vain confidence of help, in these words, And there be none that can deliver you. V 23 In the conclusion of all, which is the application to the godly, use is made of the whole Psalm, for the glorious coming of the Almighty, his merciful proceeding with his Saints, and the fearfulness of his judgements with the wicked, aught to be a threefold cord to draw them to true obedience, and learn the instruction of their God. See therefore the use of the first part of Gods proceeding, He that offereth praise shall glorify me: would you know my mind, O my loving Saints? Why this it is in brief, and take it for your conclusion, The best sacrifices are praise, for they alone shall glorify me, and give me full contentment. For the second, the use that you ought to make of my conviction of an hypocrite, is this in brief; that seeing he hateth to be reform, and casteth my words behind his back, and therefore must needs be condemned, (though he have made a fair show in preaching of my ordinances, and talking of my covenants) see you therefore unto it: for I promise faithfully to every one that disposeth his way aright, shall be showed the salvation of God: and therefore God grant that every one of us may have more of the power of religion in the heart, than a show in outward profession. CHAP. II. Of the particular explication of the words. ANd thus have I unfolded the whole Psalm, which if I shall perceive to be a profitable way for the instruction of God's Church, I shall proceed in the rest: but if it shall be disproved, I will trouble the world with no more discourses: for we have already books enough, which make us waste our times unprofitably: but I trust in God, seeing that I am not guilty unto myself of any private motion, that it is the work of the Lord; and therefore, as already it is approved of some, so I doubt not, but they that love the Lord will bear the like affection. And therefore I pray with the Apostle, that both I and they may consider what is said; and the Lord give us understanding in all things. I. Part. Of the arraignment, day, and persons. The general discourse of the Psalm is already cleared, only I have selected this one verse for the ground of all my future proceed. I call it God's arraignment of hypocrites: first, because the Lord himself brings in the evidence against them, Evidence. These things hast thou done. Patience in trial. Secondly, because the Lord hath made long trial of their repentance, I held my tongue. Thirdly, Abuse of God's patience. because they had fulfulled the measure of their sin, by making God an idle judge of them, thou thoughtest that I was like thee. Fourthly, because God upon good evidence, long experience, and the full measure of impiety, could contain no longer from the sentence of condemnation, Sentence of judgement. I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee: the chief justice must handle the cause even in the court of conscience; because no reproof will serve the turn, but that which arraings him before himself, and makes his conscience his own executioner. I might well term it the Critical day of an hypocrite. D●●●indicances, 〈…〉. Physicians observe two kind of days in the sickness of their patients: first, the indicative days, and then the critical days: the indicative days go before, and show what hopes are approaching of death or life: these days I may well say went before, from the 16. verse, to this 21. ver. every day prognosticating nothing but some horrible accident, to befall on the critical day: first, he will no ways be reform in his life, and for counsel he casts all God's words behind him: he no sooner sees the way of death, but he runs into it; and for any unclean behaviour he will become a partaker with the worst; his mouth is as black as though the fire of hell were within him; and his tongue is so scorched, that it can forge nothing but deceit; nature is so far spent within, that he speaks against his brother; and the bowels of pity and compassion, are so eaten up, that he slandereth his own mother's son: therefore it cannot be but that the critical day should be most dangerous. That I lie not, 1 judgement. 2 Day. 3 Symptoms. 4 Cure. see the sentence of the Lord most plainly unfolding it, v. 21. in the judgement, in the day, in the Symptoms, in the cure. The judgement, these things hast thou done: the day, I held my tongue: the Symptoms, thou thoughtest I was like thee: the cure, I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee. The crisis or judgement is most exact; first in the cause of his disease, these things, profanation, adultery, thievery, evil speaking, slander, deceit, causes sufficient to destroy the soundest temper. Secondly, in the subject, thou: God is not deceived of the principal part and member, that suffers actionem laesam, it is an hypocrite, even poisoned at the very heart. The third crisis is in the effect done, a perfect concoction of the disease, and therefore presently to be purged. As the crisis is very manifest: Da● so the day is not the seventh day since the disease took him, but seven twice told, nay I dare be bold to say, seventy times seven times: Matth. 18.22. for he that taught Peter Matth. 18.22. not to forgive seven times, but unto scutcheon times seven times, hath practised the same; and therefore doubtless the hypocrite hath often been visited of the Lord in hope of amendment. These things hast thou done, was no false judgement: and I held my tongue, was no few days of trial. Now for the third, the Symptoms of his disease, Symptoms, what can more sensibly be perceived? First, his pulse shows the temper of his heart, thou thoughtest: a weak pulse showing the decay of the spirits, neither reason nor grace, but a mere dream of his weak fantasy. Let us handle his pulse, and we shall find in it all mortal and deadly signs: Pulsus intermittens. First, it intermits, showing his soul to be so burdened with sin, that it cannot strike one good stroke: suppose there were a motion to goodness, as to declare God's ordinances, & take his covenant into his mouth; yet his ungodly heart, and profane life, strike all dead. The next pulse to this, Caprizan●. is a skipping or capering pulse; a plain sign that his heart is unequal, by reason of the smoky excrements of vanity and pleasure, Date ●uam verbo. which push his heart this way and that way: and therefore as he intermits all good, so he is skipping and capering in his impiety: for what a proud thought is gotten into him, that he is like God. But a third pulse follows this, Vndosus. and that is swelling, full of waves and surges, Vermiculans. tossing him to this vanity and that vanity: but alas, all is but as the rolling of a worm, not able to get up the head, but still sticking it in the ground, until God tread on them by his judgement, and then would they feign lift up the head to heaven, Formicaus. call upon God, offer sacrifice, etc. but alas, all this creeping is so soft and dainty, as though their spirits were a company of ants, creeping under the hand of their confidence; and may be, makes them smart a little with the feeling of the venom of their sin, but as yet they have not learned the thing that God requireth, Micah. 6.8. Surely to do justly, and love mercy, and to humble themselves to walk with their God. Hence follows a sixth pulse, which they call minute, Myurus. so small that it can scarce be felt, not able to extend to the outward props of their confidence, but they sink down as ready to give up the ghost, for fear of God's vengeance. And then comes the last pulse, which we call trembling, Tremulus. always expecting when death will give the heart his deadly blow. And these be the symptoms of his heart, which God alone was able to feel and discover, and therefore tells him, thou thoughtest. The second principal Symptom is, Actio laesa. actio laesa, the action annoyed; in these words, to make God like himself: a strange imagination that hath so besotted his senses, that nothing can please him, but mere idolatry, a wrong sense of God, and a wandering motion from God: therefore as in the body, the loss of the action is either of animal or natural forces; natural, as the loss of stomach, hurt of the liver, obstruction of the veins, oppression of the heart, swelling of the splen, convulsion of the sinews, consumption of the lungs, etc. animal actions are sense and motion, the hurt whereof is either privation, diminution, or depravation: as in the eye, 〈…〉. blindness is the privation, dullness of sight the diminution, and wrong apprehension the depravation: in the hearing, deafness the privation, difficulty in hearing, or hardness of hearing the diminution, the glowing of the ears the depravation: so in feeling, tasting, smelling, etc. This may most fitly be applied: First, Application ● the similion●●. he is shroudly wounded in his very natural actions; he suffers the dart to strike through his liver by his adultery, his heart by his consent unto thievery, he hath lost his breath by running with them, his taste by participation, his mouth hath suffered a strange convulsion, all the sinews have drawn it awry, the lips are the doors of evil, the tongue the forge of deceit, both of them are set to speak against his brother, and slander his mother's son: all the passages of goodness are filled up with obstructions, there is no way to the hands for the works of charity, to the feet to run in the paths of righteousness; every member is decayed, and wholly put out of joint: if he eat, he is given to gluttony; if he drink, to surfeit with drunkenness; if he sleep, to become a sluggard, etc. for his spiritual senses, he hath no eye to see withal, no care to hear withal, he savours not the things of the spirit, he hath no feeling of his sin, nor the love of God, he can taste none of the means of his salvation, his fantasy is possessed with dreams of peace and welfare, his understanding is taken with a spiritual madness, and his memory with a forgetful Lethargy, even of his own name, that he took in his baptism; for he never remembers what was therein promised unto God: and for motion he is stark dead, can neither move hand nor foot: nay alas his sickness is surely unto death, for the disease hath so wounded him, that he cannot perceive any thing amiss; his fancy works so strongly, that God only must be imagined to be like him, and therefore the action is a plain Symptom, that all is not well with him: and surely there needs no further inspection, his water is cast already, and the prescript is a fearful receipt, worse than pills of hierapicra, or any extreme purgation, it is, Take him, bind him hand and foot, and cast him into hell fire, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for ever. Yet let us see the cure that the Lord prescribes in this place: and first, How God meets 〈…〉. if any make the question, whether curatio debetur Symptomati? I answer, No: for it is a rule, that the physic must be applied to the cause, & not to the effect; yet with the Lord judgement is as sure in the effect, as the cause: for he cannot be deceived: he brings us to the knowledge of the disease by the Symptoms, but he himself first sees the cause, and therefore he discovers the hypocrite from the very fountain, thou thoughtest: and also tells us the action of his thought, to make God like himself. Yet if God should ask his patient, whether he felt this thought in himself or no, I am persuaded he would most impudently deny it; yet if he had any eye but to look on his practice, he should soon conceive his thought to be no better. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Wicked men 〈◊〉 so senseless 〈◊〉 nothing will make them feel 〈…〉. But the disease is desperate, & therefore what remedies will the Lord use? the Apothecary's shop can afoard him none; therefore questionless that course is to be taken, that men use to take with gangrenes, to cauterize and burn them to the quick: even so the Lord must deal with all hypocrites, for they have suffered the disease to run so long, that nothing can help it but a hot iron. And for this purpose the Lord hath two: First, he will reprove him; this iron shall try and search him to the quick; but alas if God will handle this iron, even to sift out one that is rotten at the heart, when shall the iron cease burning, all must be burnt away; and if that were so, then happy were the hypocrite, for than should he be without all sense and feeling: but alas, better had he been if he had never been born, then that the Lord should take a second iron into his hand, and that is after the searching of the sore, should burn them in the very consciences, by setting their sins in order before the eye of the soul, Conscience most apprehensive. which is most quick in sense and feeling. But let us descend from the title, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. to consider who this Thou is, that the Lord will thus handle. He is plainly described from the 16. verse, to my text: First and principally, he is such an one as will become a public teacher of his law and covenant: but because this description may well agree to any professor unreformed, I will understand it of all unreformed professors, that will needs make a show of godliness, but hate to be reform, by denying the power thereof in their life and conversation: and therefore my text will tax many an one. Yet before I come to the special explication of the words, I cannot but a little show myaffection to our distressed congregations, that are full of these ministers, that will have to do with God's ordinances, and talk of his covenants, and yet hate all reformation: often have our ignorant, scandalous, and negligent ministers been warned to beware of their callings, and know what they meddle withal: God is not mocked, neither ever will he suffer the malice of the devil to rage's in these persons against his little ones: for alas, what have they done? I know not what arrow might more deeply perice them, than this fearful sentence of the Lord, which never ceaseth cutting and wounding until it come at the very conscience. The best shast that God's archers may use for the battles of the Lord, is always to be drawn out of God's armory, framed by the hands and skill of himself, and his own workmen, fit to make the manof God absolute and perfect, 2. Timoth 3.17. unto all good works, and blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them. I know no arrow that is able to dart and enter through, even unto the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, Hebr. 4.12. of the joints and marrow, and lay open the very thoughts, and the intents of the heart, as the arrows of God's quiver: and therefore the word of God deals most roundly with hppocrites in this place, sparing neither sin nor person, these things, and thou, even thou that takest upon thee to declare my ordinances, and will have my covenant in thy mouth, I tell thee, this shall never cloak thy sin, seeing thou hatest to be reform. It is a case lamentable, These things, first caxe all un 〈◊〉 mi●isters. deserving the bowels of all Christian pity and compassion, and able to cause the tears of sorrow to gush out, and stream down the face of a man, who is not frozen too hard in security, and uncharitable carelessness, when he shall but lift up his eyes, and see the wastes and desolations of so many distressed souls, pined and consumed to the bone, for lack of God's sustenance, the bread of life, the word of God, the only preservative of the soul: The cause of all this is, because the very trash and rif-raf of our nation, have laid their sacrilegious hands on the Lord's ark unreverently, entered with shoes and all into his temple, taken his undefiled testimonies into their defiled mouth, disgraced, defaced, and defamed the glory and majesty of divine rites and mysteries. Alas, is the Church of God so destitute of labourers? must Christ needs for their sakes call again from the net, the receipt of custom, and other trades, such men as after a night's sleep, or an hours trance, are made able to turn the book of God, declare his ordinances, and manage the keys of heaven? 〈◊〉 13 5. but my friend be not deceived, awake out of sleep, and dream no more; confess, I am no Prophet, I am no husbandman; for man taught me to be an herdman from my youth up: If any man ask thee, what are these wounds in thine hands? answer willingly, thus was I wounded in the house of my friends: do it quickly, lest the Lord wound thee in thy conscience, when he shall tell thee, these things hast thou done, and these things will I set before thine eyes. If God hath said, Arise, o sword upon my shepherd, and him that is my fellow, what then will he do unto thee? smite thee deadly, that his sheep be no more scattered, and that he may turn his hand from his little ones: for alas, what have they done? O therefore get with speed from the Lords house, if thou be a cleaver, to thy wedge and axe; if a husbandman, to the plough and share, horse and harrow. But in vain do I complain, for hard hearted men have so flinted their foreheads, seared and sealed up their minds and consciences in all impiety, as they have made a league, and bound themselves to forget Christ and his flock, who are as great and dear unto him as the price they cost him: they cannot stagger, but run like hungry dogs with an eye only to the flesh-pots, and sell both themselves and their people, for a morsel of bread and a mess of pottage to the devil: and have sworn like sons of the earth, to possess the earth for ever, and leave heaven, and the heirs thereof to God himself. Alas poor souls, feign would they have somewhat to keep life and soul within them, and therefore as famished and starved creatures, which have for a space been pownded up, and pinfolded in a ground of barrenness, debarred from all succour and relief, will suffer any thing to go down the throat, be it as bitter as gall, as deadly as poison: they swallow bitterness as sugar, and lick up death as sweet honey. These things (God knows) are too common among us; and for these how many threats and warnings from heaven, from earth, from God, from men, from foes abroad, and friends at home: jerem 9 ●. Shall not I visit for these things, saith the Lord? or shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? I will assuredly prove myself to be Lord of hosts, muster up the clouds, call forth the winds, cause the fire to devour before me, Psal 50 3. and a mighty tempest to be round about me: all powers in heaven and earth shall be shaken, and I will take the four corners of the world, and shake out this offscouring: I will raise up the standard, blow the trumpet, bring destruction upon destruction, death upon death, plague upon famine, sword upon both. Another sort there be that declare my ordinances, against which I have many things: such are like the Ostrich, job. 39 which have wings & feathers, not like the doves, to fly unto God's ark, to bring the faithful news of the abating of the waters of God's wrath: they have no olive leaves in their mouth, no Gospel of peace unto the heirs of righteousness, received into the ark of God's covenant: but when the time is, that is, when they have gotten themselves the wings of honour, they mount on high, mock the horse and his rider: they leave their eggs in the earth, & small thanks unto them: if they be made hot in the dust, it is not their own heat, but the heat of an other sun, which perhaps the Lord makes to shine unto them: but in the mean time they forget, that the fool might scatter them, or the wild beasts might break them. Alas, how many in their pride tread the godly underfeete; & what store of wild beasts, break into the Lord's vineyard: therefore it cannot be but that they show themselves cruel unto their young ones, as they were not theirs, and are without fear as if they travailed in vain. But let me tell them, for all their learning and wisdom, yet while they forsake God's heritage, they are deprived of all wisdom, neither hath God given them any part of his understanding. Oh therefore, for the love of God, and comfort of your own souls, recall yourselves before this sentence come out against you: God hath a long time holden his tongue, it cannot be for ever; for it is most certain, that he will reprove for these things, and set them in order: re-enter therefore and recover your forsaken charges, languishing and worn away for want of pasture, stretching on the ground for faintness, fetching their groans deep, and their pants thick, as ready to give over, and yield up the ghost; if they die, it must needs be laid to your charge, Ier 5.3. and for these things, God will have you arraigned hereafter. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? yes assuredly, and therefore the harmless sheep that drop away by famine of the word, hath raised a louder cry and clamour in thine cares, than any man is able to make by his just complaint in the ears of men: yet, O God, if any place for mercy, (and why should we doubt of mercy with thee, who art the God of mercy) look not upon this dross and filth, but sweep them out, and open the rock of stone again, let again (sweet jesus) the waters, even the living waters of the word flow out, and let the saving rivers of thy Gospel run in all the dry places of our land. We see the fruitful weeds and thorns of profaneness and inquiry, oh give thine husbandmen hearts to root them out: we see the woeful ruins of virtue & piety, oh let the builders be ready to repair them, that so to thee, who art the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, we may render an account at the dreadful day of thine Ecumenical visitation. In the mean time, thou, oh God, which instructest the husbandman to have discretion, Esay. 28. and dost teach him to cast in wheat, and by measure every grain; teach thy servants how to plough up the fallow ground of men's hearts, and keep them from sowing among thorns. Again, Secondly, 〈◊〉 tax all v●●e form professors. as the words are specially directed against such ministers, as would declare God's ordinances, and yet hate all reformation: so likewise may they be applied to every professor that would make a show of godliness, yet wholly denies the power thereof; and therefore the sentence is very large: neither can we come to make any use of it, until we have cleared it by the rules of God's wisdom, which is better than man's. The wit of man hath many strange inventions, God's wisdom our direction, first seen by analysis, then imitated by genesis and therefore seeing I have been so large upon one small verse, it may rather be thought to be mine invention, beside the nature of the text, then that which Gods wisdom will any ways afford; I will not therefore think it grievous to express the way of mine invention. All wisdom looks unto God as the author, analysis. genesis. and will acknowledge no more in man then observation, and after that to follow God by way of imitation: for the wisdom of God is as the Sun, ours as the beams; no beams where the sun hath not gone before: his wisdom as the real and substantial face, ours as the reflection or image in the glass; no image or reflection without the presence of the body: God's wisdom is as the seal, ours as the stamp; no stamp but by the seal: his wisdom is the fountain, ours the streams; no streams where the fountain is not open, and sending forth his water. Let jacobs' well be stopped, and he will presently complain for want of water: therefore no work of the creature is primary, Imitation by observation. but an imitation of God's work. The husbandman could never have pianted trees, except he had first observed Gods plantation in the world: Apelles could never have painted any exquisite colours, unless he had taken notice of Gods most beautiful colours in nature. Let it therefore be our wisdom, to follow God's footsteps, & sobriety to stay ourselves where he hath left no impression, else shall we lose the sweet inspiration that issueth out of the flowers of God's wisdom: neither must we breathe upon it any of our unsavoury notions, for then the sweet influence will retire into the flower, & the smell that we have breathed out of ourselves will return, not to recreate the spirits of grace and goodness, but to puff up in us a spirit of pride and self-conceit; which is nothing, but like a blown bladder, evacuated with the least prick of sound knowledge. For as extreme windy stomachs, do not only hinder digestion, by interposition with the wholesome meat, and relaxation of the mouth of the stomach, which ought to shut itself so close about the meat, that not so much as the least vacuity may be left, but also either by ill digestion, fills the bodies with crudities, obstructions, and consequently putrefactions; or else because wind is so stirring, makes ejaculation, and a sudden regurgitation of all that is received: so in like manner, windy knowledge above wholesome sobriety, makes such an interposition, and relaxation of the mind, that it can digest no wholesome doctrine, but fills itself with all manner of raw humours, and unstable opinions, which breed such obstructions in the mind, that presently it falls into divers sicknesses, and can keep nothing that is good, but presently being received, by the pride and self-conceit it hath in itself, casts it up again; and so by a continual casting breeds that weakness, that so much leaven of evil doctrine is soaked into the very films (as I may say) of the mind, that it breeds that disease which is termed of Physicians, corruptio ad aciditatem, corcorruption into sourness, which sets such an eager and sharp appetite in the mind, that it hungers continually to be fed with new opinions; and so at the length, rottenness and putrefaction is bred therein, and then consequently death and destruction: therefore if we mean to prevent these sicknesses, we must look to God our pattern. But alas you will say, how can that be done? seeing he dwells in a light unapproachable, 1. Tim. 1.16 and therefore is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, incomprehensible by our Logic or reason, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unnamable, by our grammar & speech: but here let us wonder, that God being one most simple being, and therefore to be apprehended as one, which he himself alone is able to do, hath made himself many in his attributes, that so by many attributes we might come to apprehend this one God. Now these attributes are according to our measure and manner: the measure of our reason, and manner of our speech: a vessel can hold no more than his measure, neither is there any ways how it may be filled, but by the mouth: so our souls hold the wisdom of God according to their measure, and are to be filled with it according to their manner. Now the Lord is said to speak mouth to mouth, both in himself, and by his ministers: so than the wisdom of God teacheth us, that the words of every text are to be explained for the manner of our apprehension, and then the arguments and reasons for the measure of our knowledge. Therefore in the fear of his majesty, and the love of his wisdom, let us eye his work before us, and write upon it, nil ultra, here is my stay, I will range no further: if this flower do inspire wisdom, than God give me the taste of it, and keep my appetite and desire from that imbecility and strange weakness, that nothing will content it but new inventions, and unaccustomed devices of men: my desire is to handle nothing, but that which hath logical ground in it. But first let us clear the words, for they are the engraven characters of the mind, and therefore must we know them, that we receive no false reports by them: the one serves for communication, the other for information; therefore the rules of speech and reason being observed, we doubt not but to communicate our text to the information of the weakest. II. Part. Of the clearing of God's evidence, These things hast thou done. These] This word points out their special sins, and is to limit a more general to his specials; which are these, thievery, adultery, evil speaking, deceit, false witness, slander, & profanation. Things] This is an ambiguous word; first, it signifies the being of any thing: secondly, it signifies any quality in that being: thirdly, any action proceeding either from the being or quality of any creature: four, it signifies any sin, either in the qualities, as vicious habits, or actions, as transgressions, in thought, word, or deed: fifthly, misery: it is here taken in the fourth signification for sins; because as actions proceed from the being and qualities of every creature, so the being or quality being infected, the action proves bad and sinful. But here ariseth a great difficulty, whether the action be the subject of sin, or the effect? It seems to be the subject: for a sinful action is expounded, sin in the action, & so the subject, an action; which is a thing should be put for sin, his adjunct, which properly is nothing. But under the correction of the learned, I judge no action to be the subject of sin properly: ●●tions no subject of sin. my reasons are these, which I bring most willingly, because in my apprehension it notably clears God, in working in sinful actions. Reason. 1. from punishment in … d. That which is properly the subject of sin, may be punished: but actions cannot be punished: for sinful actions a man is punished: therefore it is the man that is the subject, and his sinful action is the meritorious cause: therefore when God is said to punish sin with sin, it is to be understood, sinful action with sinful action: therefore to conclude that God is the author of sin, is a fallation of composition and division: for it is one thing to be the cause of sin, and an other the cause of a sinful action: for the sin is not in the action, but in the agent, and therefore in man alone, but the action is common to both: as for example, I cast a glass against the stone wall, the stone wall breaks the glass, so doth the hand that sast it: but the one is a blamable cause, the other unblamable: so man sinning, casts himself by his own free will against the law of God, which being stronger than man, breaks him in pieces: Here the law and will of God wrought in this sinful action; God and his law most justly, man by his own free will most unjustly: the action therefore from both; but the sin only did stick in the nature of man, and so made him for his part in the action culpable and guilty of God's wrath: & therefore the action having no sin inherent in it properly, may be handled of God without sin. Reason. 2. from the obligation of the law. That which is bound to the law, is properly the subject of the breach of the law: now men and angels are only bound to God's law, & therefore men and angels may only be termed the subject; their actions therefore only as belonging unto them are sinful, that is, flowing from sinners, and so are their works: so that man's nature worketh, and sin, and God: man's nature worketh, and hath God working in it, and so the action is good: again, God beside his general influence & concourse with his creature, hath a special work in the action which concerns himself; and that is likewise good, yea, and very good; for it is the last end of the creature: but the other cause which is sin, cleaving so fast unto our nature, qualifies our nature to do sinfully. The sunbeams coming through a red glass shines on the opposite wall, with the tincture of the colour of the glass; now the question is, whether the red colour be only in the glass, or likewise in the shining? surely, it seems that the whole colour remains still in the glass, and rather dims the shining, then infects it: so the beams of God's wisdom, shining through our corrupt souls, seems to be an action tainted with sin; but surely the corruption sticks in our souls, and only hindered the bright beams of God's glory, from appearing in our actions. Reason. 3. from the sole nature of an effect. That which is only an effect, can never be a subject: now the motion is only an effect, and can no otherwise be considered: and therefore is always joined with his cause: as a sinful action, is in sense and reason, the action of a sinful man, that is, whereof sinful man is the cause. Hence being an effect, it must needs exist or stand out by many causes, and therefore according to every cause hath his special affection: so a sinful action hath one reference unto man, an other unto God, and yet may stand out of both. Christ's death had many causes, and all subordinate causes were according to God's determinate counsel; the action was sinful, yet the sin did inhere in Pilate, Herod, and the accursed jews. Reason 4. from the nature of goodness. That which is simply good, cannot be the subject of sin: now actions are of this nature; the reason is, because causes give being unto things, and therefore are absolute, as causes: now motion having no other being, but that which it receives from causes, Causa cuius vi res est. This vis must needs be Gods. and causes producing that by a motive force in themselves, which force is from God, cannot any ways leave in the effect an evil inherent, but only in themselves, which wanted true force whereof the effect should have existed: hence we call sin rather a deficient cause, than an efficient cause. Rom 6.12. Rom. 7.5. Indeed sin in us is said to reign, and have force in our members, and so sin with his subject, is exceeding powerful: but it is by turning Gods created force the wrong way, even as a wheel set a running wrong way, is carried with as great force, as when it run the clean contrary: so man's nature set a rebelling against God, turns Gods created forces against himself: that the force is put into the action, it is Gods, but that it was put in by the hand of a rebel, it became sinful, yet God will acknowledge his own force in the action, and turn the fault and crime to the proper owners. That the jews and Pilate laid hands on Christ, it was Gods created force in them, but the abuse of it is their own, and takes up a proper habitation in their miserable souls: then causation being a created force, and motion only acknowledging the same, well may the motion be Gods, and yet no cause at all of sin. Reason. 5. from privation. Sins are properly the privation or want of action: and therefore though they may be both in one subject, yet never can the one be the subject of the other: for so should deadly enemies become loving friends, and the worst kind of opposites be reconciled: for I am sure that privation, though he be no being, yet he denies a being in the self same subject which is capable of it. Blindness is a worse not being, than not seeing; for not seeing may be in a stone, which is never the worse for it: but blindness can be no where but where sight may be, and therefore the eye is much worse for it: if then sin be the privation of an action, it can never be in an action, but always against an action. Reason 6. from action and passion, which seem to differ but in respect of the agent and patiented; and therefore the patient should sin more than the agent, seeing the action wherein lies the sin, is most properly in the patiented, but from the agent. The action from the worker, is a passion in the receiver; and therefore if sin were in the action, it should go along with it to the patiented; yea rather should it be in the patiented then the agent, seeing the action rests most in the patiented. Hence murder should rather be the sin of the patiented, than the agent, seeing the action of murder as it is from the agent, so most properly is in the party slain: and therefore the murderer should be the murdered, which is against reason. It is plain than that sin abides in the murderer, & the action is good: let this therefore be observed that God may be justified, even in sinful actions, yet no cause of sin, because sin alone rests in the bosom of fools, and will not stir one jot out of that subject: it is therefore dangerous to defend, that an action is the material cause of sin, for so should sin not only be said to be in the action, but of the action, and then I know not how God should work the action, and be freed from sin, for causa causae est causa causati. The words than are thus to be expounded, Things, are here put for actions, by a metanomie of the cause for the effect, for actions proceed from things; then actions for the sins which are committed by sinful things; and so the action is an effect of the sinful man, and is put for his cause, which be sins in the things. Neither is this any new opinion, Motus, modus actionis. for all agree that the motion is good, only the manner of doing is evil. Now examine the point well, and we shall always find the manner in the doer, and not in the thing done: and therefore the evil is properly in the doer, and not in the thing done; only it is said to be in it, in that regard that an evil cause wrought it; and so the motion is both Gods and man's, yet not both of one manner of working. Man's fall was an action; therefore Gods and man's, but man wrought it one manner of way, and God another: now all learned men know that the manner of any thing, makes it not many, as one cause may beget & preserve, be alone and with others, work by itself and by accident: and therefore no need to multiply the action. Effectuum relationes omnes sunt ad causas suas; separatas, concurrentes, concausas, & simul ac similiter agentes: that is, the relations and respect of all effects, are to their causes, whether they be separate, concurring, concausing, or together and in like manner working: if to separated causes, than the effects obtain their names from the manner of the cause, by which these effects exist: if necessarily they come forth, then of necessary causes they are called necessary effects. And here by the way observe, that the decree of God, and man's free will in his fall are rather separate, then concurring causes: and therefore, if you please, God's decree may be called, a necessary cause of his own effect: but man's free will was another manner of cause, and therefore being a contingent cause, his fall was contingent: observe this against we come to the difficulties that arise out of Gods ordering of sin. So then in separate causes, if necessary, then necessary effects; if contingent, then contingent effects: but if many causes concur to produce one effect, than this one effect can never be said to be contingent and necessary: for so one nature should be contradictory to itself, & therefore if the principal cause of man's sin be contingent, as who dare deny it, seeing it came from man's (though free) yet mutable will: & therefore that God's decree should either necessitate the cause, or the effect, is impossible: for so a contingent cause should become a necessary cause; and a necessary effect, should be the same with a contingent effect: so than God's decree though it make his own effect necessary, yet concurring with man's fall, works in sustaining, ordering, limiting whatsoever shall be done, but without all violence or coaction of his nature. For the third, concauses which are absolute in their working, and neither will, nor can be frustrated, always produce a necessary effect; as the first cause, and the second, not only concurring, but concausing, each of them for their full power and freedom that which they work, cannot but produce that which they intended: therefore God the first cause, concausing in man's fall, his own good pleasure; and man for his freedom in the self same effect, concausing his own will, could do no other but produce unto himself a miserable effect; but unto God, who made this serve his own will, a glorious consequent, to manifest a greater good, then otherwise the world should ever have conceived: and therefore give every effect his right in his cause, but wrong no cause for the effect, because that which you may charge one cause with all, was proper to another. Thou] This word hath relation to 16. ver. but to the wicked said God: thou whose heart is full of hypocrisy, worship ungodliness, conversation unrighteous, and every action an impudent lying before God and man. Done] Doing is to be limited: for generally it signifies to do well or evil; but the second is meant, done amiss; whether in omitting true reformation, or committing vile abominations against the sacred laws of God; both are judged of God in this place: God's law is cast at the back, and therefore all good duties omitted; the contrary performed in profanation, adultery, the every, deceit, slander, etc. Held] When it is taken for holding to work, Ploughing. Meditation. Labouring. it properly signifies ploughing, hence meditating, and thirdly any kind of labouring: the second signification is a metaphor: hence Sampsons' proverb, they ploughed with my heifer: the third is a Synecdoche. A second head of significations is to hold from work: and then it signifies, either to omit, Omit. Remit. Cease. wholly to pass it over, or else to remit, to hold back some of the whole: thirdly wholly to cease; which all of them may be applied: First, I omitted wholly from calling of thee to an account, and therefore thou thoughtest that all reckonings were made up betwixt thee and me. Secondly, I remitted thee many offences, for which thou never was thankful unto me. Thirdly, a long time have I ceased from my anger, and therefore as in my mercies thou scantedst me as a niggardly, and pinching giver, so now in thy sins thou hast been exceeding liberal, and large, taken my hands, and arms as bound up in a cloth, and cannot be pulled out to strike thee withal. Tongue] The word being given to reasonable creatures, First, signifies as dumb: Thou thoughtest that I was tonguetied, alas, didst thou never hear me in my word? Secondly, deaf, thou thoughtest I could not here thy mouth given unto evil, thy tongue to forgery, deceit, cursed speaking, slander, etc. Thirdly, blind, that I had no eyes to see thy secret hypocrisy. Qui tacet consentire videtur. Fourthly, silent, as one consenting with thee. Fiftly, overseeing, as one winking at thy sins. Sixtly, sparing, as never meaning to call thee to account. But there is one signification more, and that is to think a secret; and therefore O hypocrite, it might be that God all this time was thinking a secret against thee. To hold the tongue is put for silence, which is a Metanomy of the cause for the effect: now the Lord can properly be said neither to hold the tongue, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. or keep silence: therefore a third thing is meant, by a metaphor drawn from men keeping silence, to wit, clemency, gentleness, patience, forbearing, long suffering, bountifulness, and a large time to repent. The justice of God as it burns more remissly against sin, is called anger; as more sharply, wrath; in sentencing, judgement; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. What is mercy in executing, revenge: now in all these God useth mercy, which is a compassion toward his creature offending: and this is double, either gentleness, or bountifulness: gentleness, gentleness, whereby in his justice he remembreth mercy, and this appears in his patience, patience, and longanimity: patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners, & deferreth his punishment: longanimity whereby he expecteth long time repentance: longanimity, his bountifulness, bountifulness. whereby he is rich in goodness, pouring forth his good gifts upon his sinful creatures, notwithstanding their sins: and in all these appears this which the Prophet hath said, I held my tongue. III. Part. The explication of wickedmens' conceits. Thoughtest] 1. 1. Consent. It signifies to consent unto a thing, and that is nothing else but the fitting of natures together, either in their causes, as like causes will have like effects, and so on the contrary, like effects like causes: or of subjects with their adjuncts, as this is a fit subject for such a quality, or this is a quality for such a subject. Let us then apply, thou thoughtest, that is, consentedst: but alas how fitly doth God's silence and their thoughts agree? fire and water, good and evil, may as well be reconciled. In deed God's silence, might have wrought better effects in the mind of these wicked men, but they have so hardened themselves, Rom. 2.4. and brought impenitency upon their hearts, that they are become subjects unfit to be wrought upon; neither have they that wisdom, as to turn themselves unto such a subject as God's silence, to ponder seriously thereon: so that neither can it work upon them, nor they upon it: and therefore what consention betwixt God and their thoughts. 2. Acception, is to conform; the fruit of agreement, 2. Conformities by a metanomie of the effect for the cause: for conformity is the effect of consention: neither will this stand in any good sense, thou conformedst: for it is the only thing that God complains of in this place, R●u. 2.21. that he did not conform himself unto the large time that God gave him to repent: for how can there be any peace, as long as the whoordomes of jezabel are in such multtiudes: peace is where men agree together, but where they are up in arms, all is in an uproar, and the tumult is so great that they will be brought unto no order. The men of Ephesus when they were troubled about their goddess, made the whole city full of confusion, Act. 19 one crying one thing, another the clean contrary, all out of order: and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together: the Town Clarke, for all his wisdom, can hardly bring them unto any conformity: so as long as the tumult of sin disturbs all within us, it is impossible that God should have audience, especially when for his silence he would be heard of us. Let a son of thunder cry at a door, where all are fight and quarreling, and they will outcry him: but if he should stand silent at the door, it were impossible that they should hear him when they were at the best: therefore God may stand at the door, and knock by his silence as long as he will, and he shall never be heard: therefore thou thoughtest, was no conformity with God's silence. 3. Signification is assimulation, 3. Assimulation. either to assimilate himself unto the thing, or the thing unto himself: if it had been of himself unto the thing, them had his thought without all question been lawful and honest; but it is of the thing unto himself, and therefore let the thing be what it will, it must be made to serve his turn. And this signification is very emphatical, and serving for our purpose, and is thus much in sense; as if the Lord should have said, As a wicked man thinks of me, so must I be indeed, he will frame me according to his own conceit, and not his conceit according to that which I would have him think of me, and my silence toward him; and this is the first beginning of his thought: now assimulation is never without a conceived image, Imagination. coming betwixt the two things that make themselves like. Hence a fourth signification, to imagine; and that is a second degree unto this thought: first, by turning God's silence unto his own will; he saw no great difference, but that there was proportion and similitude enough: then in the second place he imagined, that he saw God well pleased with him. Resolution. Now a third degree is to be added, and that is from the imagination a direct resolution; that I may think it, and acknowledge it for the truth. The reason of the phrase is this; because when any thing approaches toward the mind of man, than the mind turns itself unto it, sees how it likes it, imagines what contentment may be drawn out of it, and then thinks on it: if the thing be good, and the mind frame itself according to the same, than the thought that riseth from that thinking is good: If on the contrary it be bad, and the mind will impress his image, than the thought is bad: silence and mercy from God in this place were exceeding comfortable, they enter the mind of this wicked hypocrite, but they are not entertained in their own name, neither will he part with so much as a cup of cold water for his sake that sent them, but he will be refreshed by them according to his own liking. Amos 4 5. The people will bring sacrifices, yea betimes in the morning, tithes after three years, a thanksgiving of leaven, free offerings, etc. but according to whose liking? even their own: and therefore God counts of it as to transgress at Bethel, Esa. 58. and multiply transgressions at Gilgal: Esay 58. they fasted, punished themselves, but it was to seek their own wills, and require all their own debts; they care not to have a good glass to look in, but they must needs breathe in it; and therefore the inward corruption of the heart, sends out such smoky fumes, that the true image is dimmed, and so they see nothing but themselves. The flowers that God sent them all the time of his long silence, were exceeding sweet; but the mind being corrupt in itself, and also in his breathing, infects, or rather drives back the pleasant smell; and so most truly scents itself, yea takes the deeper poison, because a sweet flower poisoned, is more lovingly embraced of the senses, and so the poison doth creep in with the pleasant smell, and strikes with the spirits presently to the heart: so often they poison the good graces of God's spirit, which willingly would be embraced, but the poison creeps in too, into the soul, and strikes all dead at the very heart: the glass that is coloured, casts about all the beams of the sun with the appearance of his colour; so the glass of our mind being coloured, and deep died withal impiety, makes every beam of God's goodness shine according to his own mind; intus apparens prohibet alienum, was an old axiom of Aristotle, but well may it be brought into divinity: sin that only appears within, hinders all grace and goodness: for alas they come but as strangers unto us, and therefore they find very mean entertainment. As Christ was dealt withal when he came unto the inn, all inward rooms were taken up, and only the stable is left for him: so do we deal with his grace and mercy; all the chief roomet in our souls, are taken up with greater personages than Christ and his grace: there is either lord covetousness, or lord pride, or ambition, or pleasure, or revenge, etc. and therefore must Christ and his grace into the stable; for we will not have these men to rule over us: and therefore if his grace will become our servant, we will give it entertainment, but to be Lord over us, is too much, we will not have it take so much upon it: and for our service, we have no other place for grace, but the stable; and therefore no marvel if all goodness disdain once to come near the houses of these wicked men. That this may the better appear, consider three kind of thoughts: the first is a direct thought, and thinks itself: the second an indirect thought, that thinks first the thing, and then itself: the third is a corrupt thought, that thinks itself out of itself: the first is only proper unto God, that knows himself first, and in himself all things: God looks not out of himself to know any thing, for all things are in him: and therefore he knows himself directly, the creatures indirectly: this thought is above the thoughts of men and Angels, Esay 55 9 as far as heaven is higher than the earth. The second belongs to men and Angels in their best estate: for they must first think the thing, and then out of the thing themselves: and this we call, a reflexed thought; as for example, a man looks his natural face in a glass, he sees first the image of his face, and then by that he knows the complexion of his real face: so a man sees God's wisdom in his creation, which being as a glass, 〈…〉 scit s● s●●●e. casts upon man the knowledge of himself. So that man must look himself out of himself: and to know himself in himself, is to labour to be like God. The third thought, is of corruption, when a man will needs look through his own medium: now be that looks through his own corruption, can see nothing but corruption; as a man that looks through a red glass, sees nothing but redness: so he that will see himself through himself, can see nothing but himself. And herein we see that corruption would become a God, desires to know nothing but itself, and love nothing better than itself: And this is that thought which is to be conceived in this place. God's silence must be tempered according to his appetite; and their taste is so dainty, that they can taste nothing but that which they themselves have prepared; nothing is savoury which comes out of God's kitchen, dressed by his own cooks: but they will have their own provision, and so like unskilful dames, they put death into the pot: and when they are sick, they will physic themselves, until they have brought themselves past all cure: and then it shall be too late, to cry father Abraham, have mercy upon us, we are grievously tormented. And suppose God should then yield them a cup of cold water, it should not refresh them: for as upon earth, they counted the kingdom of grace and goodness a hell unto them, so questionless if God should let them feel the least joy in heaven, it would be a torment unto them. Their taste is always an aguish taste, justice and mercy can not relish with them, and therefore they swallow down all things unsavourily. And this is the meaning, thou thoughtest; that is, turned all to thine own conceit. Yet one thing more is to be added, to wit, that this is not the express thought of hypocrites; for they will soon reply, Lord, when thought we so of thee? Oh, be content, job 9 4. Amos. 4.13. God is wise in heart, and able to declare unto man what is his thought: the Lord is no false expositor, he judgeth thy thoughts by thy practice: in tantum scimus, in quantum operamur; for if thou didst not think thus much, thou wouldst never have practised it: Psal. 139.17. if thou hadst always with David, cried, Lord, how dear are thy thoughts unto me, how great is the sum of them, indeed I cannot count them: but when I awake, I am still with thee: then assuredly God would never have censured thee so deeply: but alas, thou art asleep, and thou dreamest all is well; but when the Lord shall awake thy conscience, and set thy sins before it, then shalt thou cry, Just and righteous art thou, O Lord, but I am sinful: therefore thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and thy life shall testify sufficiently what thou thinkest. Like thee] A strange wonder: when all the nations of the world in respect of God are nothing: say they were counted as a drop of a bucket, which is but a small thing to all the water contained therein, yet let them come with God upon the balance, & this drop of water shall be turned into the dust of the earth; and if he take away the very Isles as a little dust, what shall become of this drop of water, when it is spilled upon the earth? shall it not be counted less than nothing, even vanity itself? how then should we hear this voice of an hypocrite, God is like me? If reason will excuse him, we will plead for him. Being in any creature is li●er God which i● the first being, then that which is no being. First therefore, every creature of God, may say he is like God, because he hath being: therefore liker God, that is being, then that which is no being. For God that is the first being, will acknowledge the rest as from himself; for the first being must needs give all beings: therefore the grass in the field proves his creator, and his creator approves of him: for the cause and the effect do well agree: but alas, God never made an hypocrite, for he is the work of his own hands: therefore we dare not do so much for him, as for the least spire of grass that groweth out of the earth. Again, 2 Man God's image by creation. man is the image of God, and therefore very like God, not for being, but holiness and righteousness of being: but alas, when I look upon man, and ask whose image and superscription doth he bear? and find that it is adam's, then needs must I say, give unto Adam, that which is adam's, but unto God that which is Gods. Now I find no stamp in an hypocrite, but the stamp of Adam; and though he hath covered himself with fig leaves, yet God hath found him out; therefore I dare not in charity cover him. Wherefore I enter a third consideration, 3. of redemption. for love would cover a multitude of sins: and find the Lord saying in the Scriptures, be ye holy as I am holy. If any thing will serve the turn, here is matter to justify him: for who is able with the hypocrite, to thank God, that he is not as other men, an extortioner, unjust, an adulterer; but a faster twice a week, a giver of alms, even the tithe of all he possesseth. Who dare now speak against him? if the Lord had been silent, I should have been amazed once to have opened my mouth in dislike of him: but he is no Saint, for all this glistering show: he is not purged from his sin, still is he in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity: and yet the thought of his heart is not forgiven him: therefore his prayer of thanksgiving is an abomination unto the Lord; for as yet he hath made no petition for the remission of his sin, as yet he hath not learned the first step to Christianity: therefore now I will show what we are to think of him. He may make all the world to admire at him in this place, for strange impudency, and horrible blasphemy against God: for in these two words [like thee] is a gradation of three steps, every one rising a step above an other. First, to compare God with him in any similitude of quality is sinful, In quality. because he hath no quality that answereth any thing in God: but it were well, if he would have rested in the quality: for things like, are also dislike: In essence. but the original in this place telleth us plainly, that he passeth all the bounds of logical comparison, and extends it to the very being of God: for so the words are to be expounded out of the Original, In being, to be like: that is, according to our English phrase, altogether like thee: strange impudency, and void of very reason itself, to make things compared as like, any further to argue then their qualities: but wickedness in the bosom of fools is restless: for he riseth one degree higher, In immortality of being. and brings in an eternity of being altogether like God: for the verb is in the future tense, and signifieth thus much, not only in being to be, but also in being shall be: therefore wicked men promise unto themselves an eternal fellowship with God. Let us therefore consider what things are here compared: Wicked men's innention is 〈◊〉 of comparisons and that with the best. 2. in what quality they are compared. 3. what truths or falsehoods they make. 4. what be the discourses of wicked men's hearts: for all these are contained in this thought of a wicked man. For the first, the things compared, Terms: sin, silence, God, man. are God and his silence; a wicked man and his thoughts: the proportion stands thus; as wicked men's thoughts are, so shall God's silence be, and consequently as wicked men are, Quality from condition to substance, and so to eternity. so shall God himself be. The quality wherein they are compared, is threefold: 1. of condition, God must be like minded unto them: 2. of substance and being, for they frame God's Image according to their own image: 3. for the quality of time, God must be an everlasting Patron, and favourer of all their causes. For the third, what truths shall we expect out of this strange invention of wicked men? surely none that will agree with the nature of Truth: for they have abused the truth, and God himself, who is the author of truth: therefore three horrible falsehoods are contained in these words. First, The falsehoods of wicked men: Gods thoughts as man's. that God's thoughts are as man's thoughts, and Gods ways as man's ways, directly against the truth of God: Isa. 55.8, 9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord: for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts. The second falsehood that God is as man, 2. He makes God no better the a himself. against that place, God is not as man that he should lie, neither as the son of man that he should be deceived: therefore may he well expostulate the matter with these hypocrites (worse than idolaters, for they make themselves the Idol, therefore deny all gods) as he doth with his people, Isa. 40.18. To whom will ye liken me, or what similitude will ye set up unto me? (or rather set up yourselves cheek by jowl with me) know ye nothing? have ye not heard it? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood it by the foundation of the earth? how that I the Lord sit upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants are as grasshoppers: how I stretch out the heavens as a curtain, and spread them as a tent to dwell in? O hypocrites, are you better than Princes, and judges of the world? see, I pray you, how I bring Princes to nothing, and make the judges of the earth as vanity; as though they were not planted, as though they were not sown, as though their stock took no root in the earth: for I did but blow upon them, and they withered, and the whirlwind hath taken them away as stubble: therefore I counsel you lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created all things, and bringeth out their armies by number, and calleth them all by their names: by the greatness of my power and mighty strength nothing faileth: Why sayest thou then (O wicked man,) and speakest (O hypocrite) the Lord is as man, and the mighty God of heaven, as the silly worm that crawleth upon the earth? Thirdly, 3. God shall dwell with him for ever. that their estate shall be as unchangeable as God himself, for they say God shall be with them for ever: wherefore let them hear the word of the Lord that say thus in their hearts, We have made a Covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement, though a scourge run over, and pass through, it shall not come at us; for we have made falsehood our refuge, and under vanity are we hid: therefore thus saith the Lord, judgement will I lay to the rule, and righteousness to the balance, and the hail shall sweep away thy vain confidence, and the waters shall overflow thy secret place, and your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand, when a scourge shall run over and pass through, then shall ye be trodden down by it: thus will I make your bed strait, that it cannot suffice for your rest in my wrath: and your coverings so narrow, that you cannot wrap yourselves from my rods. Go too then, O hypocrite, thou saidst, I shall be a Lady for ever, like the Lord of heaven, whose days have no end; I am, Re● 18.7 and none else, I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall know the loss of children: therefore hear thou that art given to pleasures, & dwellest careless, that dost not set thy mind to righteousness, neither dost remember the latter end of thy sin, how that these two things shall come to the suddenly, the loss of children, and widowhood; they shall come upon thee in their perfection: for thou hast trusted in wickedness, and hast said, none seethe me●: thy wisdom and thy knowledge have caused thee to rebel; therefore shall evil come upon thee, and thou shalt not know the morning thereof; destruction shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to put away: And this shall be the end of all them that falsify the truth of God. The fourth thing, is the discourse of wicked men, Wicken mens discourses. that riseth out of these apparent truths: First, I sin, and God is silent; therefore he either seethe not, or if he see, yet he regards not my sin; or if he regard my sin, yet his silence makes me trust that he consents with me; or if he do not consent, Quitacet consentire videtur; yet he will spare me for a time; or howsoever, I will hold mine own conclusions, whatsoever the Lord shall do unto me. FOUR Part. Of God's reproof, and order in sin. reprove] This word signifieth four things: First, to argue or reason upon any matter: secondly, by reasoning to prove or disprove any cause: thirdly, by proving or disproving, to absolve or condemn any person: four, after condemnation to punish or execute: This fourth signification is specially meant in this place; for he had his conviction before, therefore to reprove in this place is as much as to plague; for the reason following makes it plain, Oh consider this, lest I tear you in pieces: showing plainly what his reproof was, nothing but vengeance. Set] This word presupposeth things out of place: secondly, the placing of them again in their ranks and orders, showing us the nature of sin. First, that sin is gotten out of his own place; for never a creature of God by his creation did acknowledge him, and God himself did always abhor him: therefore before the fall of men and angels, God's erration a deadly ●uemie to sin. sin was like unto that which we call in nature vacuum, which is so abhorred of nature, that the very fire will descend, and the very water ascend, before they will yield him the least corner in the world: so sin, by God's creation was wholly excluded, and God giveth his testimony, that every thing that he made was good, and very good: therefore that sin should obtain that in nature, as to get him a place in the best of God's creatures, was never the placing of the Lord; therefore the Lord cannot be said to set sin in this manner. The way of Gods placing Cane. The second setting is here understood, to wit, bringing that into his proper place, which hitherto hath been out of his place: and is done two manner of ways; First, by bringing it unto himself, and the rule of his wisdom; and so sin is set in the decree of God, and ordered by his wisdom: for that of the Philosopher is true, Veritas judex sui & obliqui; but what need we the testimony of the Philosopher, seeing that we have the Apostle Paul, Rom. 7.7. I knew not sin but by the law, and without the law sin is dead: now the rule is always before the breach of the rule, & therefore must needs determine of every fault. Secondly, sin is set in order, when it is brought unto man by making him feel what his sin was by the punishment of it. Orders] Includeth three things, Confusion, di●ontion, i●●●u●ination. first confusion: secondly, comely disposition: thirdly, plain revelation: as in the creation of the world, God's order is set forth unto us in the confusion of the first matter, wherein all things were buried, as in a dark dungeon. Secondly, how the Lord proceeded to bring out of this, the heavens in their rank, with all the host thereof, the firmament in his place, the water and all therein in his place, the earth and all thereupon in their place: and thus was the work of the Lord comely and full of beauty. Thirdly, the Lord brought forth a light, to separate from the darkness, and so was there a plain revelation of his works: so in this place, here is sin, a greater confusion in m●n, then ever was in that first chaos. Secondly, as the Lord brought all things out of that into their place; so will he bring all the sins of man unto a comely order: so that plainly in the third place every man shall see what he hath done to the dishonour of his creator. This order is threefold, according to a threefold book: the first is the book of decrees; 3. Books, Gods decks, Law, Cons●ence. the second is the book of God's law, the third the books of conscience: and these three books do most plainly order sin. The first book being secret, ordereth sin secretly, yet most justly, because most wisely: for if the wisdom of God should not be seen in sin, than should not God have his glory out of sin; therefore to answer all objections that may arise out of this ordering of sin, & the proving of the truth of this point; I will in a few words take in hand the clearing of these two things; first the removal of that which may obscure the truth: secondly, I will bring reasons for the confirming of this difficulty. Answer. The first objection may be out of the words of the Psalm, I will set them in order before thee: therefore the order that is taken for sin, is after that sin is committed. For first God saith, These things hast thou done: 2. these things will I order: 3. before thee: all which plainly prove, that this order followeth sin. Answer. To which I answer, that in this place we are to understand, that the third book, which is the book of the conscience, is here to be understood; not excluding the former as though they were not, but only showing that the books of conscience for the condemnation of a wicked man are sufficient, and the only cause of the execution of God's plagues upon him: as appeareth plainly, Revel. 20.12. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the books according to their works. Here is mention of two books, the book of God's decree, and the book of the Conscience; Why the Lord terms the book of conscience books. called books, because of the manifold bills and indictments that are written in the leans of the conscience, which are sufficient for the judgement of the wicked: therefore as often as we hear of God's executions in punishing, we hear nothing of the book of his decree, because to what purpose should God bring in his decree to convince a wicked man, when his conscience giveth in evidence sufficient against him: it might rather cause cavil, then true conviction. But in the execution of his mercy, we hear of the book of life, because therein lieth a principal cause of our salvation. Therefore I take it in this place, Death only from fin; and therefore hath no ●●gher cause, & further than the cause, no inqui●●e. that the Lord speaking of books and of a book, would have us take notice that for judgement we need to look no further than the books of conscience: therefore I take it that the Scripture never speaketh of a book of death. Again, when we look upon our salvation, we must eye the book of life, that so we may ascribe all the praise of our salvation unto the Lord. So in this place the Lord is about his execution upon the wicked, God in himself works out of all time in the are ●ure in due time. therefore he pulls not out the book of his decree, but appeals unto their own consciences: so that order which was before the Lord from all eternity, is now before the eyes of the hypocrite. For the Lord says not, before me, but before thee: for the Lord never gins his work in himself, therefore in himself he did this from all eternity; but now he will manifest his ordering of sin, which he always doth by the book of his law: but because this was cast at his back, and set at his heels, which ought to have lain at his heart, the Lord will open the third book, which shall prick him to the quick, and make him most fearfully to look about him. Object 2 The second objection is drawn from his attributes, Attributes simgle, conditional some of them not following the nature of the creature; as omnipotency, power, goodness, immensity, eternity, and the like: but others have no work in the creature, until the creature have had his work; as no mercy can be wrought upon the creature, until his misery be presupposed; and no justice executed upon the creature, until he have been sinful. For mercy cannot be where there is no misery; neither justice where there is no sin: for that ius dominij, is an abuse of God's wisdom, for there is no rule for it: and for the Lord to do any thing in punishing as dominus, and not as judex, is to make him unjust. Indeed by the law of creation, as he made man of nothing, so may he annihilate him, and bring him again to nothing; but to let him live, and punish him standing in his innocency, is to do against the law of his justice. Sol. The answer to this point, it this in brief: The distinction is not good; for God's attributes in himself are equally absolute, eternal, infinite; but being manifested in his creatures, become conditional, and to have respect unto the creatures: therefore creation makes manifestation of power, goodness, wisdom, eternity, and the like, as well as man's fall of mercy and justice: therefore mercy and justice were equally first in God with the rest: for God was in himself both just and merciful, before man was either sinful or miserable: for the execution of justice or mercy I confess to be in regard of sin and misery, but there is one reason of the execution, another of the decree; the just cause of the one is his will, the just cause of the other is man's sin. God's decree must have a subject, Object 3 The subject of God's decree. therefore either being or no being; no being can undergo no decree, for it can have no end, and therefore it must be a being; therefore either the first being, or that being which is from the first being: not the first being, for he can have no end nor beginning, and therefore no decree can pass of him: so that only remains the other being which is from God, therefore created: therefore man created is required for a subject of God's decree: now the end of creation, can not be reprobation; for the end of creation, is man's happiness with his Creator: therefore a second estate of man must be considered, and that is the fall of man, in which estate a just ground is given of Rejection and Election. The answer. It is granted, that Man is the Subject; Sol. The subject and his manner of consideration. yet we distinguish of man, and answer that in every subject two things are required; res considerata, & modus considerandi: the thing considered is always one, but the manner of considering maketh divers special subjects in this one subject. As for example; being from God is the subject of all Gods revealed wisdom, yet this one subject hath divers manner of considerations, according to divers acts and operations that lie in him. As for example; Reason is a particular act, and therefore becometh a particular subject of God's wisdom, to wit, the Art of Logic: so the will, a particular work in God's creatures, becomes the subject of Divinity: so speech, a particular work, becomes the subject of Rhetoric and Grammar. Now that general Subject, is before all these particular subjects, and the foundation of all the rest; and in them the thing considered as common to them all: but the manner of considering it, is proper and special to every one. So man is the thing considered in God's decree, therefore the most general, going before all particular considerations of creation, fall, redemption, salvation, damnation: for all these are but particular considerations of man, therefore keep their order appointed of the Lord for the obtaining of his own end, which is the glorifying of himself in his justice and Mercy: therefore as man is the Subject of God's decree, so creation, the fall, redemption, salvation, and damnation, are but the means for the accomplishment of his will. Again, every one of these particular actions, have their special ends, not opposing, but concurring to the general end of the whole subject; so that the end of creation is happiness with the Creator, and no misery at all; but this is the special end, and therefore no opposite of the general. Again, the special end of man's fall, is misery of body and soul in the first and second death; yet no opposite of glorifying God in the demonstration of his mercy. Thirdly, the special end of man's Redemption, is salvation to all that are in Christ, and damnation to all that are out of Christ: therefore all these ends being special, must needs aim at the general: for so goes the Rule of all true reason, that subordinata non opponuntur: 2. that fines intermedij sunt pro subordinatione finium ad ultimum finem. And this shall suffice for the opposition: now I come to the confirmation. Arguments proving the decree of sin: first drawn from ends. The first Argument: That which hath any end, is decreed; but sin hath an end; therefore is decreed. The first proposition is proved from the true distinction of ends, laid down by the Philosopher in the first book of his Ethics, and the first Chapter; where the Philosopher disputes most excellently for the subordination of arts, and so consequently of beings, by an argument drawn from the distinction of ends; to wit, that all ends are either the last end, or ends tending unto the last: now the last end, gives goodness and amability to all other ends, and doth virtually contain them all in himself, therefore must they needs be appointed for him. This ground is a most enident proof that sin is decreed: for the end of sin must either be the last end, or tending to the last end: now it cannot be the last end, for that alone is challenged of the first being: therefore an end tending unto this last end. And who dare deny, but that all ends unto the last end are decreed: for they make for the manifestation of his glory. Object. Sin is evil, and therefore hath no end, seeing ends & goodness are the same. But it will be objected, sin is evil, and therefore hath no end: for finis and bonum convertuntur. Unto this I answer, that sin is not in itself, but by accident good, and serving for God's glory: but the Lord which can bring light ort of darkness, good out of evil, is able to dispose of the evil of sin by accident, and of the goodness (which is his own work) by itself, to make for his glory. True it is, that God in his work goes no further than the good of the evil, and that he decrees the other, is said very improperly; for evil in his abstract nature, is neither being, nor the cause of any being; and therefore no good in the true approbation of goodness: being not good, it hath no end, and therefore is referred to God's decree, as it is said to belong to a being, and the goodness of a being, and this is accidental, therefore accidentally decreed; Sin accidentally decreed, yet impossible to be undecreed. but yet it cannot be undecreed; because the thing in him decreed, could not have been without him, for that good that comes out of sin, could not have been, except sin had been; and sin could not have been, except goodness had been: and therefore being in Gods created goodness and also God bringing from him, his own goodness to his own glory, he cannot escape God's decree, because both the other are of necessity (all men confessing) under God's decree directly. And therefore if God would have sin to be in his good creatures, and also goodness from sin in them, then must sin stand to God's determination, because the other two cannot but presuppose sin because a goodness from him. Now that God is no author of sin in all this, it is plain, because the two former have God for their author, & bring in the other as a hangby, and unwelcome guest, yet such a one as they could not throw off at their pleasure. Diseaseslie in nature, and sometimes do good to nature, yet nature will never acknowledge the kindness, because he knew the intent was his subversion. jason had an impostume in his body, An evil thing may do good by accident. the enemy thrusts his sword into it, & heals him of his impostume, which the Physicians could never accomplish; but no thank to jasons enemy which sought his life: and therefore if sin do any good either for God, or to man, it is no thanks to sin, seeing that sin would dishonour God, and destroy man. Again, one may appoint the journey lawfully, but an other may walk it unlawfully: God appoints every man his race, but he himself runs it: the horse carries a man to his journeys end, and knows not that he doth so much for man's good; yet man knows it well enough, and guides him all the way; yet for all this the horse undergoes the travel, and would be feeding by the way, and if he eat his own poison, or lame himself by a fall, it is the horses fault; yet must he to his end, if the man have power to effect it: so the Lord hath laid upon man his decree, he carrieth it with him all the days of his life, he knows not to what end, yet the Lord knows it well enough, and doth always dispose of him, until he come at his journeys end: Now in his way man feeds on the poison of sin, falls and stumbles in his way, yet the Lord will have him go on, for he is able to do it; and he shall never rest, until he have accomplished the will of the almighty. And therefore if this be just in men, in the rule and dominion over their beasts, shall it not be as just in the Lord? I am sure that the Lord hath as much authority over us, as we have over our beasts: therefore let us not be too bold in disputing with our creator, but give him the praise & glory of all ends. Argum. 2 Whatsoever is ordered, that is decreed, but sin is ordered, therefore decreed. That sin is ordered, my text is plain for it. But you will answer, that sin is ordered in the books of conscience, and not in the book of God's decree. This is but a shift: for grant the last book, and you shall grant both the former, which I prove thus: If no books of conscience, without the book of the law; and no book of the law, without the book of God's decree; then the third being granted, the two former are concluded. For if we would make these three books one complete book, Three books one complete book. we must of necessity divide them in this order and method: the first part is God's decree, the second is Gods revealed law, and the third is the testimony of the conscience. Now method tells me plainly, that the first may be without the second, for God's secret will may be without his revealed will; but his revealed can not be without his secret will. And again, the law may be without this book of conscience, but this book of conscience can not be without the law; for no accusation or excusation but by the law of God. Therefore grant the third, and you grant the two former by inevitable consequence. Now this third book can not be denied, because my text proves it; and no man of reason contradicts it. Again, every schoolboy can tell me that the breaking of Priscian's head, must be healed by Priscian himself; the writing or speaking of false latin either against the first or second part of Grammar, The rule before the fault. must be ordered by the rule of Grammar itself: now the rule was before the false latin, therefore determines what false latin was, long before the school boy practised it. So the Law of God tells me what sin is when I have committed it, but it determined what sin was, and to what end, long before either I, or my father Adam committed it: therefore the determination was not to follow after, though indeed the conviction followed after the commission. Therefore orthodoxal is the distinction of God's decree, and the execution of his decree: of God's determination, and the accomplishment thereof: of God's definitive sentence, and the manifestation of it: of his reprobation of a man, and the conviction of a sinner: all the former I may term the premises, and the latter God's conclusion in the premises. Again, there is the first proposition, which is God's truth and sole wisdom; the second (which we call the minor) is the special application of it unto man in his good time. Gen. 15. Israel must serve 400. years; but Exod. 12. 400 are complete; therefore must Israel out of Egypt that very self same day. There is a day in which God will judge the world; Atheists may deny it, 2. Pet. 3. but when the decree shall be assumed, now is the day, I dare boldly conclude, that those persons shall perish. So in like manner all men are decreed of the Lord to manifest his justice and mercy, in all that either God himself doth, or man can do: but I am one of these all, and therefore must I manifest either his justice or mercy: if that, then either I must be saved, or damned: but alas, that is a harsh conclusion both in regard of God, and in regard of myself: well consider, that it is one thing to determine of thy sin, and another thing to punish thee: assure thyself that this is good reason, that every law of God must determine before thou do any thing, else were the rule no wisdom of God; but also take this with thee, that thou shalt never take any hurt by the law, until thou thyself have done some hurt unto it: the Law will not sting, until thou have stung thyself, and then take heed of poison unto death. And therefore seeing God's wisdom runs along in this order to determine all matters, not casually, but certainly, long before they come to pass; we should yield it, and not deny it, because of the execution which follows after, which hath other just causes than God's decree, but none to exclude it. Argum. 3 God is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, therefore nothing before him, neither any thing after him: therefore he closeth all things in these two terms: therefore every thing must have something to do with this first and last, as from him, and to him: therefore must they be decreed, else should they not be from him, and to him. Hence sin coming within the limits of this circle, that encloseth all things, must needs some way come from God, and be for God, and therefore decreed. How sin may be from God, and to God, is hard to explain; yet in my poor judgement, under the correction of my betters, I judge this the most true and safest, that the good the Lord will have out of evil, is from God, and to God; all the rest that remains, is nothing at all for God's purpose, and therefore he hath no hand in it; he will have the gold by his own fining, but the dross he will leave to the first inventors, that digged unto themselves such kind of pits, that would hold no water for the Lord of hosts, but such as he drew out by his prerogative royal, over all his creatures and their actions. Therefore thus is sin decreed, and the Lord had his hand in it. For the other consideration of sin as sin, it is a by-respect in itself, nothing tending to God's purpose; but only as the Lord drew his own goodness out of him. And this makes us speak so of sin, that he is decreed, meaning the goodness out of sin, which the Lord hath appointed for himself. II. Part in the ordering of sin, concerning his entrance and progress. This point would a little more be insisted upon, for the slanders that Bellarmine hath laid upon Calvin, Luther, Martyr, and sundry other of the greatest Divines of the Reformed Churches, making them to defend, That God by reason of his decree, is made the cause of sin. Of this sinful, wicked, and lying report, we are sure God is not the author, but the devil. For the clearing of this point, two things offer themselves to our consideration: the first, entrance of sin; Entrance, progress, cause● of sins entrance principal, instrumental, accidental. and secondly his progress. For his first entrance, sin had two causes; one blamable, the other holy and good. The blamable cause, is either principal, or instrumental: principal the devil and man. The devils being Apostates and rebels, through their pride against God, and malice against man, became liars and murderers of man, by bringing him into his fall: man by his free receiving of the tentation, and hearkening thereunto, contrary to the commandment of God, when he might have resisted the same. The instrumental causes, were the serpent, and the woman: the serpent abused by the devil, was used as an instrument of seducing Evah; the woman deceived by the devil and the serpent, became an instrument to deceive man. The unblamable cause was God and his law; for as his law did it, so he himself did it: and if there had been no law, there had been no transgression: yet the law of itself, savoured nothing but life unto life, which through man's default, became the savour of death unto death. But how could this be, seeing man's will was created good? How man's will being good, could produce evil. I answer; First, it was created mutably good: secondly, though there was no imperfection for kind of being, yet his being was defective and imperfect, in regard of absolute being; therefore man compared to God was defective, and imperfect, and so might come short of his created perfection, and fall away from that wherein he was created: Hence man might fall, but how should this power come into act? here divines lay down a substraction of grace, which they affirm to be double: first of that without which man could not but fall, and without which he could not continue in his integrity; if God had denied man this grace, it could not be imagined but that God should have been the author of sin: 〈…〉. this was debitum naturae, due to his nature, & this God gave him, and would have continued, with the supply of actual grace to have lived for ever, if he had once pleased God. A second substraction, or rather withholding of grace, was that without which God saw he would not continue, though both in duty he ought, 〈◊〉 posse si ve●●●t. sed non veil 〈…〉. and in respect of ability, he might if he would; God gave him not a would to his might, yet a might if he would: neither was God bound unto this by law of creation: for it was expedient, giving him freedom of will to try him how he would exercise it, yet most certain he would abuse it: no man denies, but that God might have given grace to Adam, in such degree, measure, and kind, as might have preserved him from all possibility of falling, and have holden him inseparably to himself for ever: which while he denied, he gave way unto the fall of man. Thus than we conceive of the entrance of sin. First, God purposed eternally to make man a rational and intellectual creature, endued with knowledge of all things, Understanding. and faculty and power to make choice of what he would. Secondly, man could not be thus made, and be naturally free, Election. from possibility and danger of making an evil choice, disposing himself amiss, and offending against the laws of his righteous Creator. Thirdly, Means. God wanted not gracious means whereby to hold him inseparably to himself, and to preserve him infallibly from falling away, though he were not, nor could be, Fall contingent naturally free from possibility of falling. Fourthly, God knew man being so left, would sinfully departed from him, not necessarily, but contingently, yet most certainly, not by any constraint, but by his own created free will. Fiftly, God saw this to be the best for the manifestation of his glory, and of that good, which otherwise the world could never have known. Sixtly, God seeing man this way to determine his will, Mans● determination. made the determination thereof, a just way for his own glory. God decreed man's fall, and he also decreed that he himself would not be the cause, but that man himself should only cause his own ruin. Thus than God did absolutely decree, but not absolutely determine man's will, for that was left unto man himself; Determination no impulsion. yet the determination of that determination was absolute, and that without impulsion, or coaction of man's will: for determination is always of things unto their ends; therefore is called absolute in regard of the end: but coaction is only of an efficient, which is not necessary for an absolute end. All Gods ends are absolute and necessary, yet the means, that God useth are of all kinds, contingent, necessary, dependent, independent. Suppose God had decreed to have given man actual grace, as already the angels have it in heaven, had it therefore been necessary, that man could not have fallen? or that God should have constrained his will to have embraced this grace? no assuredly; therefore on the contrary God decreed not to give man this actual grace of standing, is therefore his aversion necessary and constrained? no, but God by this means gave way unto the sin of aversion, and permissively, yet willingly did suffer it for to enter, (for otherwise it could not have entered) and by a positive decree resolved, that averting himself from the fountain of all goodness, and the rule of all righteousness, he should run into innumerable dangerous evils, and grievous sins, both of commission and omission. Omission is always the first sin; Omission a privation. for a man falleth first from the love of God, before he can love or desire any other thing: now this sin being a neglect, hath no positive cause, itself being a privation; neither need we seek any higher spring of it, Non 〈…〉. than the will of such a creature as is defective; and therefore doth not always necessarily attend to the rule, it should conform itself unto: and thus of the first sin, we can find no cause in God, because he is no ways defective. The second sin is commission, which is a positive act, and therefore hath a positive cause: now God that never ceaseth to do his work of moving, but always carrieth forward all things with restless motions, cannot but cause the very substance of a sin of commission: 〈…〉 of the Sch●olman. neither here am I of the opinion of the Schoolmen, that defend the very deformity of this sin, to be nothing but the act and very substance of it: for an act is a general term, and hath special limitations added unto it; therefore it is said to be well done, when it keeps his rule; evil, when it misseth his rule: now the Lord in no action goeth against the rule of his wisdom, therefore he can work no deformed act, only man that is defective may go against the rule, and so causeth the deformity. A cunning artificer makes a clock, but he suffers his apprentice to help to join it together, the deformity of the motion is none of the artificers, but only from the unskilful apprentice; yet will the skilful artificer have his praise in correcting of that aberration, and turn the motion to his own end. The causes then why sin entered as efficient, are properly the devil and man; as determined to an end, properly Gods; who might well so determine of man, seeing he created him mutable. But to come more nearly, How Gods law works sin. we may express this most familiarly in a comparison taken from an earthen pitcher, dashed by the hand of a man against a stone wall; that the wall breaketh it, that is no fault of the walls, but rather the commendation of it, working according to his own nature; but the fault is in the party that dashed it against the wall: so man being dashed by the devil, and himself, and the serpent, and the woman upon the law of God, (too hard to be overwrastled of man) was broken in pieces: yet the law was without all fault; only the fault was in the devil, Adam, and the woman: the law therefore a most just, and holy cause of man's fall: as the law caused man's sin, so I dare boldly say that God caused it, yet most holily and justly. Hence it followeth most plainly, that God was no bare permitting cause, or a forsaking cause; but a working cause, even in the fall of man: now as God did it, so he was able to do it, and so to decree it to his own glory, according as it seemed best unto his own wisdom; and so might it be willed as absolutely good and just, and therefore no sin. God made them the beginners of their own actions, being endued with free will; by well doing they might deserve both praise and prize; and by ill doing might deserve both dispraise and punishment. But you will object, than God might both will it, and not will it. Very true, as God willed it, it had respect of good, and was just, and therefore to be willed; but as they willed it, it was evil, and so God hated it, and his law forbade it. The son may desire the death of his father, and so may God too; but in so doing the son sins against God, yet God is free from sin: the judge desires that a malefactor should die, so doth the hangman, yet may be the hangman is guilty of murder, when the judge is a true executioner of justice. Observe then for the entrance of sin these positions: Positions for sins entrance First that to sin, is directly beside the scope, intent, and purpose of the law; and therefore if the law cause sin, it is by accident; as to the law, so to Gods will, which can neither intend, purpose, or will any impiety; and therefore sin is accidental and external in regard of God: now an accidental principle, is either in regard of necessity or fortune: How a cause by accident may be given unto God. now for necessity to sin, that cannot be given unto God, for he can suffer of no causing principle; and fortune is too strange a term to stand with God's providence, where then is this external principle? I answer, if we soberly conceive of the nature of a cause by fortune, we shall not much serve, if we say sin was chance in regard of Gods will: for chance and fortune according to true reason, is nothing but the accident or event of any thing beside his end and scope: now only good is the end and scope of God's will, and therefore sin which is not good is beside God's scope and end; therefore it is accidental in God's scope and end. But you will say, than God was ignorant of man's sin: I answer, no; because sin is not only accidental to a good end, but also an aberration from the true rule of wisdom, and must stand to the judgement and sentence thereof; which cannot be done except wisdom take notice of it, and most truly God understands the aberation: & from hence it followeth, that he conceived it could never touch that goodness which was well pleasing unto himself: fortune and chance to men, is both in the scope and aberration to the intended scope: the ignorance never lies in the scope, but in the aberration: for a man that misseth his scope, intent, and purpose, knows that it is so; but yet he conceives not the means that brought that thing to pass; and so he is ignorant, not for the scope and end that hath happened, but he knows not how he came to that end: therefore sin being beside God's scope is accidental, and never intended of God: yet God cannot be ignorant of it, in so much as his eyes did see the aberration, & how it was the direct way to frustrate man of his good end with himself. Position. 2 Secondly, sin is against God's law, therefore in reason sin were no sin except there were a law: there could be no blindness, except there were an eye: this makes contrariety, hence enmity, betwixt the law and sin; and from enmity contention, therefore the law must plead for it self, and be earnest in his own defence, so will sin on the contrary part: Gen. 3. Sin pleads, Hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree? no it is not so, the law is your hindrance; God knows when ye shall eat, that ye shall be like God himself. Hence riseth an irritation or provocation of the law, when man expounds him, as a bridle to his liberty, therefore he labours to pull his ne●ke from such a yoke: now a work of contrariety comes from their natures; and here the law works by his own force: for as often as we conceive the law to be our enemy, it will wrestle with us, and before we are aware the law gives us the fall; and this is called fight against God, when men will be more wise and strong than God; therefore job 9.4. he is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath been fierce against him, and hath prospered? and in this regard no strange accident befell the devils and men, when they would become disputers with the law of their maker. The Smith that hath his hammer often beating against the inward parts of his hands, hath them hardened even by that mutual opposition: so the heart of man often beating against the hammer of God's law, is hardened and made senseless, until God mollify it by his saving grace. Position. 3 Thirdly, in opposites, when the one is being, and the other no being, that which is being is always to be conceived for the knowledge of the other: I could not tell what darkness were but for the light: so sin being a privation, can no otherwise be known but by his contrary, and that is the law; except it had been for the law, there would have been no knowledge of sin: again, being is before not being; therefore the law being before sin, detemins of sin long before he be, in his nature, in his use, or in his end: and why should we deny unto God the determination of sin, long before he had any existence? God must needs know man's fall long before it was, and determine of it. Position. 4 Fourthly, where there is contrariety, there is action and passion, therefore betwixt the law and sin, must there needs be action and passion, the weaker must always suffer: and good reason that sin should suffer of the law, yea and oftentimes punish itself with itself: but this is not for the first entrance of sin, for man was holy until his first sin, which could not punish a former sin: yet for action and passion, it is true in the first sin, for in that sin man did fight against God: hence no marvel if the law, struck him out at the first brunt. A man that will fight with the stone wall, may have his fingers easily stricken out of joint: & so man being compassed about with God's law, as a wall of defence, might most cafily break himself in pieces, when he laboured either to leap against it, or else skip over it. Position. 5 Fiftly, in opposites, the stronger cannot be resisted, and the law of God being the stronger, will have his work, neither can it any ways be resisted of men: Rom. 9.22. what and if God would to show his wrath, & to make his power known, suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepated to destruction? who hath resisted his will? Now if the question be, whether the law was determined to resist man before he fell, it is easily answered: The law was not to prepare for man, when man took the battle in hand: he is an unprovident General that hath all to do, when his enemies are in the field up in arms against him: but the wise God of heaven and earth could not be out of readiness, when the rebellious angeli, and mankind meant to wage war with him and his law, he had prepared irons, and harrows, saws and gybets to bring all his enemies under them, and after to imprison them in hell for ever. Rom. 9.23. Yet what and if he would declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared unto glory, long before they need any redemption? And this is a fift way for the entrance of sin, even the manifestation of his power. Sixtly, 6. Position. opposites being laid together, make things more eleare and evident; and one opposite stirs up another, and they never cease quarreling, until one have gotten the victory, and so leads his enemy in fingular triumph. Pharaoh stirs up God, and God stirs up Pharaoh; now if the question be, whether had the first purpose to the battle; the Scripture says it for God, Rom. 9.17. yea and to Pharaoh too, that God may give him the challenge; and why should the war be continued so long, but even for this same purpose, that God might she we his power in Pharaoh, and that his name might be declared through all the earth: neither is God in any fault, for he intended that Pharaoh alone should fight for the kingdom of darkness; but God would fight for the clean contrary, for his own name: and what is his name? surely his glorious attributes. Exod. 34.6.7. and what are his attributes? all his virtues: therefore God opposed Pharaoh for virtue; and the manifestation of his virtues was his glory: but Pharaoh opposed God for vice, and therefore for his shame and confusion. Contraries can do no better than fight, but always for a diverse end & purpose: therefore, O man, Rom. 9.20. who art thou which pleadest against God? will thou needs make the opposition worse? consider that thou art the thing form, and therefore say not to him that form thee, why hast thou made me thus? thou art the clay in the potter's hand, the lump is one, therefore be content to serve thy maker as a vessel of honour or dishonour. Seventhly contraries, 7. Position. though they can never agree to the same thing, according to the same part, or in the same respect, or in one and the self same time: yet they must both of them be about the same thing, or else the opposition ceaseth. If I should say, a man is blind and not blind, it were no contradiction, if I understand his blindness of two divers subjects, to wit, he is not blind in his body, but blind in his soul; therefore the law and man's sin, Gods will and man's will, are not opposed, except we conceive it to be about one & the self same thing: therefore though sin be against God's decree, will, and law, yet may both sin, man's will, God's decree, will, and law, all be about one thing, and that is God's glory: and so for God's glory, sin may be decreed, willed, and approved by the law, yet for all this have no agreement at all with sin: and thus much for the entrance of sin. The progress of sin, is to be considered in the effects, sins progress. and consequents of the first sin; for out of that did spring the whole misery of man. The effects are three blame, or guilt, or punishment: blame is the next effect of the fault committed; guilt is the tying of us to undergo punishment; punishment is the just anger of God upon Adam and all his posterity. The subject of this punishment, is the devil, his instruments, and man: to pass by the two former, and come to man. His punishment is either sin or death: sin original and actual original, the exorbitation of the whole man, both inward and outward; inward in himself, outward in the government of the creatures: actual, the jarring of man upon outward objects, by reason of natural, or original exorbitation; every thing he meets withal either in thought, word, or deed, is either a sin of commission, or omission: death is the deprivation and loss of life, and thereby subjection unto misery. The progress being clear, let us see how God works in it. For the blame, God is altogether to be freed; for the guilt, that likewise is a thing that nothing concerns God; let man look to both these. Punishment. But the third, which is punishment, being an act of his justice, and respecting his holy law, is a thing that only he acknowledgeth. For death, we need make no question, but the whole controversy is about sin as a punishment. Matter, contrat●etie●●onse●●●●●. In the punishment, we may note three things: the matter, with which a man is punished; the contrariety between the party and the punishment; and the order of consequence, that where such an offence went before, such an evil shall follow, to make the party offending feel the smart of it. In those punishments which be punishments only, and not sins, God is the author of all these things, implied in the nature of punishment: in those which be punishments and sins, God is the author only of the order of consequence, and the contrariety between them, and the party punished: not of the matter, wherewith they are afflicted and punished. As for example; pride is punished by envy; envy is not of God, but the contrariety between it and the soul of man, which maketh it bitter and afflictive is; and the order of consequence, that where pride went before, envy must follow. The reason that justifies this, is fetched from the rule of reason: all contrariety is a wisdom of God, for it is a logical argument: and therefore if Logic be God's wisdom, than every rule in Logic. The other is justified by method, which can not be without him that is the God of all order: the order of sin is, that original should follow the first actual sin, and then all actual sin, original; this order is a wisdom o● God: for sin in his own nature is mere confusion, and his order must needs be Gods: and so God professeth that he will do in this place, set men's sins in order. Furthermore, God doth not only punish one sin with another, where there is such a dependence of one upon the other, that where one goeth before, the other must follow; but oftentimes, when there is no such necessary dependence, yet he withdraweth his grace, and for the punishment of one sin, letteth men run into another. In this sense, there are three things attributed to God, in the punishment of wicked and godless men. 1. the blinding of their understanding. 2. the hardening of their hearts. 3. the giving of them up unto a reprobate sense: Esa. 6.10. Make the heart of this people fat, their cares heavy, and shut their eyes, etc. These things God is said to do three ways. 1. in denying grace, which should lighten the understanding, and soften and mollify the hearts of men. 2. permitting Satan to work upon them, and no way either strengthening them against him, or weakening his force. 3. occasionally and by accident, when God doth that which is good, which yet he knoweth through the evil disposition that is in men, will increase their wickedness, and make it greater than it was before. Efficienter 〈◊〉 effecta, moraliter ut iudi●ia, permissive ut peccata, non concedendo sed non unpediendo. To this agree other Divines, that say God works in the progress of sin, 1. positively, as it is a physical act. 2. morally, as he makes it a just punishment of sin. 3. permissively, as it is a sin, not by giving his consent unto the doing, but in not hindering of them from the execution. Lastly, for both entrance and progress, a double action is given unto God: 1. limitation, 2. direction. For the first, that God setteth bounds to wicked men in their wickedness, not only in respect of the effect and event, but also in the very inward purpose, affections, and designs, and at his pleasure stoppeth them when he will, is a thing denied of none that confess a God. job. 1.12. The devil was limited how far he should proceed in afflicting job: neither Matth. 8.31. could he enter so much as into a heard of swine, without leave obtained of Christ: the proudest sea must stay her waves, where Gods lays his command. Secondly, for direction that is most necessary, he puts no sin into men, yet he directs it for the kind, that it should be rather this sin then another, rather against these persons than others, and the time when it shall break forth, and for what end and purpose it shall be committed. For often men are wicked in that sort, which had rather show it in another kind; it breaks forth at such a time, when they would feign have kept it close; and it falls upon such men, which they had rather should have been done to others, whom they more malign, and desire to despite, if they were left to themselves. God may stop all ways of sinning, and open only one, yet without all fault. As for example: suppose a man were in an high tower, and were fully determined to cast himself down yet among many passages only one is open, and at that he casts himself headlong; now why he fell rather this way then another, is because the rest were stopped; yet he alone is guilty of his own death. ●. Sam. 16.10. Shemei is said of David, to curse, because God commanded; yet did God neither inwardly nor outwardly fill his heart with malice: only David respects the time, that God rather suffered it at this time to break forth, then at any other, because now David was in extremity, and fit for him to be humbled, seeing that Shemei durst not so much as open his mouth all the time of David's prosperity. job 1.21. job was rob by wicked men, yet he confesseth that God hath taken, because he directed that for his trial and patience. The jews crucified Christ, yet was it the determinate counsel of God, turning their wickedness and furious malice, Acts. 2.23. to the effecting of his own purposes. III. Part, answering the places of Scripture that are brought to prove God the author of sin. Object. God decreed the selling of joseph into Egypt: Gen. 45.8. Christ was crucified of the jews, according to God's decree: Act, 2.23. and 4.28. Ans. To decree any thing, hath a special consideration of the end: now God's end in both these were exceeding good; first joseph for a temporal deliverance in the time of famine, Christ for a spiritual in the time of sin: for the sin of their actions, God did only permit, and wrought it, as before hath been showed. Object. 2. Prou. 16.4. Rom. 9.17.26. he that creates, and stirs up men to sin, must needs be the author of sin. Ans. God determines the end of all men's sinning, that he himself will be no cause, but leaves man to himself; yet so as he will limit, direct, and punish, whatsoever he shall do amiss. object 3. 1. Sam. 24.1. 2. Sam. 16.10. 2. Kin. 22.20. & 11.37. & 12.15.24. 2. King. 10.30. job. 1.21. Esa. 10. v. 5.15. & 13.17. jer. 51.1. Ezech. 12.13. Psal. 105.25. Matth. 6.13. where God is said to impel men to sin, and use them as instruments to produce sinful actions. Answ. It is one thing to incline the will, an other thing to make the will evil, and so to incline it, that it is not to sin, but to judgement and punishment: The judge inclines the executioner to put away the malefactor, but if he do it of private malice, it is his own sin: Shemei sinned in his private malice, yet David acknowledged Gods secret judgement. There be three things in the works of wicked men: 1. motion: secondly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or inordination of that motion; and God's hidden judgement: the first & the last are Gods by dispensation; the second by permission; not bare and naked, but first in denial of grace, secondly permitting Satan to work upon them, thirdly by occasion of some good, permitting their evil disposition to abuse it; but to incline, persuade, or impel the will to evil before it have any thought or inclination, is a hellish blasphemy: the will being evil is driven like a chariot of the devil, and runs apace, and the Lord in just judgement blows upon it, and in their running runs them headlong into hell fire. Object. 4. Exod. 4.21. Deut. 2.30. 1. King. 12.15. job 12.16.24. Isa. 19.14. and 63.17. jer. 20.7. joh. 12.39. Rom. 1.24.26.28. Rom. 9.18. 2. Thess. 2.11. God is said to harden the heart, and blind the eyes. Ans. God doth this by substraction and denial of that grace, which should lighten the understanding, and soften and mollify the hearts of men: this substraction is to be understood of that grace which God might justly hold from man: secondly, men being hardened in their sins, and blinded in their minds, do still in crease their hardness by fight against God and his law, as you have heard before. object 5. 2. Sam. 12.11. Luk. 2.34. Rom. 9.33. Esa. 8.14. Ease. 18.16. & 45.7. Amos 3.6. God in all these places is said to do evil. Ans. Here is to be understood the evil of punishment, which is an act of Gods most pure and unblamable justice. Here likewise in few words may we clear Calvine and other of our orthodoxal writers from Bellarmine's calumniations. Caluin and the rest, seem to digest all their judgement in these few positions concerning Gods simple determination of man: First, what he meant to bestow upon him, to wit, so much perfection that both in duty he ought, and in respect of ability he might if he would have continued in his integrity; and therefore his creation was his happiness, and there was found no necessity why he should fall into misery: this is the first. The second is, what he meant to deny unto him; to wit, that free confirmation of his estate, without which God saw he would not continue, but most certainly fall away from God his creator: now if God had bestowed this upon him, than had there been no way for eating and dying, for than would God have kept away the devil confirmed his will, put that fear into his heart, whereby he should never have departed from him. And that this is the truth, we may see it by comparing of our estate in innocency, and in grace: in the estate of innocency God made with man the covenant of works, and so tied man unto himself by the bond of love, Love the bond in creation. which he left in man's nature; man broke this bond: hence came in religion, properly so called, Faith in redemption. a tying of man again in a second covenant, not of works, but of faith: now if this bond were no surer than the former, it should argue God of the want of wisdom: therefore God giving man this second bond, meant to tie him more infallibly unto himself: this fear being put into his heart, shall make him never departed from God. Thus then the Lord intended to deny man such a confirmed estate, as now he hath obtained in Christ. Thirdly, that God did foreknow most certainly, In things poss●ble, but not to be done, there is a bare prescience: but 〈◊〉 things possible, and to be do●● both prescience and purpose. what would fall out, upon the bestowing of such benefits only, & the denying of others; namely, sin and Apostasy: neither was this in their judgement a prescience, presupposing no purpose nor decree; for than would not God so have bestowed, and denied, except according to that proportion he had intended a further end in man. For I would ask this question; Why did God bestow so much as was sufficient to set him in state of happiness, and deny him that which should have confirmed him in the same, except he intended a further end by his fall? consider well the ends of man, and we must now upon the event, be constrained to grant a further end, than either Papists or Lutherans do profess. For I constantly affirm, Man hath a more general end than that of creation, fall, or redemption. that it is blasphemy to say, that the end of man, as created, was any thing but happiness; neither from thence ariseth any other demonstration; Man, qua creatus, as created, is in no intention but happiness: come to his fall, and then again I say, homo qua lapsus, est miser tantum, man as fallen, is only to be considered as miserable: as redemptus, or redimendus, only sub salute, or saluandus, where then is the end of man? As man, generally considered, electus or reprobus, elect or reprobate, these be the most general: and here only reprobation and election, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, truly first and primarily: i● all the rest, gratia huius, for this cause; therefore happiness of creation, misery of the fall, salvation by Christ, are subordinate and come under it. Indeed I confess that election and reprobation have their manifestation to the creature, only in redemption, and in that part which is the application of it unto the church in general; here only both angels and men, know and feel their state of election; and on the contrary, reprobation is there to be sought for of the wicked. But Bellarmine saith, A defence of Calvin. that Calvin denieth God's determination, decreeing what shall be, to depend on his prescience, & that in all things his prescience presupposeth his purpose and decree. For answer whereunto we must consider, whether there go any prescience in God before his will (I mean according to our apprehension, Whether the Lord understand or will first. and as things are revealed to us, out of God in his works) my reason is this, because if the Lord understand it, than it is a possible being: now I press my argument, that every being, whether possible to be, or already existing, is demonstrated from his will; for his will makes things to be, or possibly to be; therefore if a thing must be before it can be understood; and to be, howsoever conceived, yet is from God's will that gives all beings, either in posse or esse, I know not what can be, that first comes not from his will. But wisdom according to sobriety is commendable, and in high mysteries it is good to go with the current of our best approved divines: therefore according to the way trodden before me, Intelligentia divina. I answer: There is a double prescience, one simplicis intelligentiae, and another divinae visionis; the first is of all those things that are possible, and which upon any supposed condition may be; as was the prescience of God, whereby he foreknew, that if in Tyrus and Sidon those things should be done, which afterwards were done among the jews, they would repent: this doth not presuppose the decree of God, but extendeth to many things God doth not decree, nor purpose to be, as it appeareth in the example proposed. The other is of those things only which hereafter shall be, and this always presupposeth some act of Gods will: for seeing nothing can be, unless some act of Gods will do pass upon it, at least not to hinder the being of it; and thus nothing can be foreseen, as being hereafter for to be, unless some decree of God pass upon it: Of this kind of prescience, Caluin speaketh, and not of the other; it was not considered what it was possible for the creature to do, or what he would do being so created, and left unto itself: this may well be said, to presuppose no decree of God, or determination what he would do: for if it had pleased God, he might have turned the possibility to another end and issue; but the truth is that other, to wit, what hereafter shall be, which though it be future and therefore contingent, yet to God it is most certain, with whom all future things are present: and therefore being to be done, was most certainly decreed; and whatsoever is done and come to pass, we may absolutely conclude it was Gods will, even long before it happened; therefore Calvin rightly affirmeth, that God's foresight of the entrance of sin, presupposed his decree, that it should enter. Fourthly, God's foreknowledge and purpose in sin, Sin 〈…〉 dec●●●● that God might ●●nis●● upon the bestowing of such benefits of his rich & abundant goodness, was not that man should fall, that he might punish, but that man should freely make his choice; upon which choice the Lord both knew and purposed, that his justice and mercy should be manifested: yet for all this it will not follow, that the Lord should purpose the entrance of sin originally out of his own liking, that he might have matter of punishment, Bel●arm●●● false expos●●● of Calvin. as Bellarmine most injuriously chargeth Calvin to affirm; but the end of his purpose of bestowing such benefits only, and no other, notwithstanding his foreknowledge what would fall out, if so he did, was, that he might show his mercy and justice, in saving and condemning whom he would. Therefore it is idle in Bellarmine to follow this argument of the severity of justice; as though Calvin should any where affirm, that when God thought of creating man, the first end that God purposed, was the severity of his justice, and the riches of his mercy: and that this purpose was before and without respect unto the prescience of any thing, that afterward might or would be in man; and that because there was not any thing wherein he could show mercy and justice, unless sin did enter: therefore secondly, he purposed that sin should enter; so that first he purposed to punish, before he saw any cause; and then purposed the entrance of sin, that there might be cause; which is no less excusable from injustice, cruelty, and tyranny, then if he should purpose to punish, and so do without any cause at all: therefore he concludes, that the first original and spring of sin, is from the will of God, according to Caluins' opinion. Answer to Bellarmine for his false imputation upon Calvin But he is easily answered, out of that which hath been spoken concerning Calvins' judgement in this point: for he doth no where say, that God did purpose the manifestation of his mercy and justice before all prescience, but only that which is named prescientia visionis, which always hath God's decree going before it. The possibility of a thing is, before God decree it to be, and so God knows it simplici intelligentia: but that this thing possible shall be, the Lord decrees it before that bare knowledge that it shall come to pass. Secondly, Calvin denies not all prescience before his decree. Caluine doth no where pronounce, that simply and absolutely the end wherefore God purposed to make man, was the manifestation of the severity of his justice, and the riches of his mercy, or that he might save some, and condemn others; but that first he meant to bestow upon man as much as was sufficient to make him perfect: fecondly, there was something he meant to deny him, How God sh●w●d his ius●●ce and mercy which being done, God knew he would fall: therefore in the third place, being assured that he would fall into sin and apostasy, made his sin and apostasy a way to a greater good, than the world otherwise could ever know: four, his purpose was not earatione, to bring in this former good, but for this former good, God was content that man should fall; yet without any imputation to God, seeing he gave him all that could be required by the estate of his creation. And surely against this, neither Bellarmine, nor any other can except: indeed he heaps up infinite testimonies and reasons against him, and other Divines. Therefore seeing the matter is so weighty, and that reasons are brought both to dishonour God, and bring a blasphemous report upon his faithful servants, I will according to mine own apprehension, object that which may be objected, either from appearance of reason, or from testimonies of the writings of our best Divines. And the rather I will do it, because Bellarmine triumphs in nothing more than this, That Gods does not only, permit the wicked to do much mischief, and the godly to suffer an hard measure at their hands; but also doth praesidere ipsorum malis voluntatibus, eosque regere & gubernare, torquere ac flectere in ijs invisibiliter operando: that is, does not only suffer them, but also placeth his regiment in their evil wills, rules them, governs them, nay doth wreath, bend, and bow by working in them invisibly. This is more than to impel, which is the worst word, that he can snatch out of our writers. And therefore seeing all Divines run so much to Gods ordering of sin, and Bellarmine makes it as Delph●cus gladius, Apollo's sword, to cut asunder all Gordian knots, I will the more liberally insist upon it, being so direct with my text. Reasons objected to make God the author of sin. Object. 1. Because whereof God is the cause, thereof he is the author; but he is the cause, because every positive act or being is from God; and sin is of this nature: which I show in the first sin. 2. in original sin, which springs from that. 3. in sins of omission and commission, the fruits of original. 4. First sin objected. from the subject. 5. from the nature of habits. From the first fin, because no circumstance, or manner of eating the forbidden fruit, is the sin; but the very action itself: because that is forbidden in substance, and not in circumstance. 2. Original. Original sin is not a mere privation, want, or defect; but also an inclination, and proneness to all evil: therefore it is said to reign in our members, carry us headlong to all impiety, and work mightily in us. 3. In sins of omission and commission, Omission. Commission. first because God doth not only know that he will permit, but also he is resolved that he will not co-worke with men and angels, to the producing of a necessary act: and therefore by consequent omits: and again, he knows that he will not cooperate, to free men and angels from an act that is forbidden, and so by consequent doth commit. 2. a greater difficulty is this, seeing that sins of commission, and omission are distinguished: And therefore in commission, there must be some thing beside omitting of that which is commanded; and that can be nothing but doing: and therefore the difference can be nothing but some positive act: neither is the substance of this act one thing, and the deformity an other: but the act itself, which should not be done, is out of form, order, and rule, and is repugnant to the rule of righteousness: therefore this kind of sin being positive, hath a positive cause: neither is the will of man, only the cause of it, but God also, even of the deformity of it, as well as the substance; seeing the deformity in a sin of commission, is nothing else but the very substance of the act which is done, but ought not to be done. Fourthly, The subject of sin. from the subject: every sin is in that subject out of which the goodness is expelled, and therefore though it have not formam vel materiam constitutivam, tamen est in subiecto unde recessit habitus, that is, though it have no matter or form for his being, yet it comes into that subject where goodness was, and possesseth his room; therefore is more than merum ens rationis, a conceit of the brain: and being something, extra conceptum intellectus, more than the work of reason, is being, and therefore from God, from whom all being is. 5. Habits objected Lastly, it is an habit, and they be qualities, and every quality is being, therefore from God. These and such like, are arguments that the wittiness of corrupt reason, may make against God, that is so pure and holy, that he can no ways be a God that willeth any iniquity. Ans. 1. The first argument is answered by this distinction: to eat of the forbidden fruit, is either a natural act, or a moral act; A natural act, a moral act. as a natural act, it is no sin: and this is the very being of that action, and in this God worketh: the second, which is a moral act, is not absolute, but relative and respective to the divine law of God; and this was only man's act, which did refuse to give his respect, and due obedience to this law. 2. Ans. To the second I answer; original sin is considered either materially, or formally. Materially, according as all the faculties of man are set a running: and this is positive, and from God, that carries all things with restless motions. The formality is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or exorbitation and wheeling awrong of all the faculties: and this is done either by the free-will of man, or the law of God; that being opposed, as an enemy punished man, and by his abuse, turned him out of the way of righteousness: and therefore as a just judgement of God, the sin is called a punishment, and so being: again, working out of man's will as in concreto, is likewise called being, by reason of his subject who gives him power to work, and is inclined by it: but the mere formality, and the sin in abstracto, considered without the subject, and in opposition to virtue and goodness, is mere nothing. 3. Ans. To the third, this must be answered; First, First for omission. that God gave both men and angels sufficient for the estate of their creation, to make them able to stand, yet not so much that they should be confirmed to stand: therefore if God had not co-operated in regard of the first, he had sinned in omitting and committing; but for the second, it was not necessary that God should cooperate and confirm them in their estate of goodness. To the second difficulty, Secondly commission. the Doctors of the Church of Rome have made it, and affirm it: a Respectu peccati commissionis duplex est deformitas, prima carentia rectitudinis debitae inesse voluntati elicienti actum quem non habet: secunda est ipse actus elicitus quem deus prohibet. Occam in sent. lib. 3. quest. 12. says there is a double deformity of the sin of commission; first, the want or privation of that rectitude which ought to be in the will, making his own choice of an action which he ought not: secondly, the very act that is drawn out of this will, is a deformity forbidden of God: so then besides the wills deformity, the act itself is a deformity. Other Divines understand, by the deformity found in sin, the want of rectitude, or omission of due circumstances: and thereupon say, there is no cause of it, but privative only: but Occam understandeth (as you have heard) by the deformity of a sin of commission, the act itself done without due circumstances, without which it should not be done; and so seeketh a positive cause of it. If any of our Divines should have affirmed this, how would Bellarmine have handled them, and imputed strange and outrageous blasphemies against them. b Cameracensis in lib. sentent. lib. 1. q. 13. art. 1. & q. 14. Of this opinion are many other of their Doctors, as may well be seen in Cameracensis. c Hugo de S. vict. erud. theol. de sacram. lib. 1. part. 4. cap. 12. & 13. c Scotus l. 1. dist. 41. q. unica sola permissio aliculus actus, & certitudo de permissione non facit certitudinem de illo actu, quia opportet habere aliquam causam effectivam: igitur ex hoc quod deus praescit se velle permittere Luciforum peccare, ex hoc inquam solo non videtur quod sciat Luciferum peccaturum, soluitur haec obiectio, quia deus non solum scit se permissurum, sed etiam scit se non cooperaturum ei ad actum necessarium & per consequens onuttet; & scit se cooperaturum ad substan iam actus prohibiti sine debitis circumstantijs, & per consequens committet. Scotus another great doctor says, God's bare permission of some action, and certitude of his permission, makes not any certitude of that action; because it ought to have some effectual cause: therefore for as much as God did foreknow that he would permit Lucifer to sin, from this it could not be that the objection of Lucifer's fall should be answered; seeing that God doth not only know it, but also knows that he will not co-oporate with him to the producing of a necessary act; and therefore withdrawing, he omits as well as Lucifer: for how should Lucifer but omit, when the first cause withholds his influence, and again the Lord that he will cooperate to the substance of an act forbidden; and therefore it follows that God commits it. What blasphemies would these be in the mouths of Calvin, and others? yet good divinity in the schools of Rome. But thus they expound themselves, that God worketh, decreeth, and willeth the deformity that is found in the sins of commission, not by his antecedent will, whereby he worketh things out of his own liking, but by his consequent and conditional will, whereby presupposing the purpose of suffering his creature to avert and turn from him, he still intendeth to move, impel, and carry them forward, though being by their own fault out of the way, he carrieth them thither whither they should not go: first, say they, by substraction of grace, upon the withdrawing whereof he saw the creature would turn from him, he purposed to suffer the sin of aversion or omission to enter: secondly, this purpose being presupposed, and foreseeing that which would follow upon it, in his consequent and conditional will, he positively decreed the other, which is of commission. Man by creation was made to seek an infinite good, and love it infinitely; which if he omit to seek in God, then must he needs commit the contrary, and seek it in himself: for so God decreed, that man not continuing to adhere unto him, should fall into self- love, pride, and all evils of that kind. All this might be borne withal, save only they make deformity of the essence of an action, which cannot be borne withal: for indeed it is so far from agreeing with an action, that he will not suffer him to take up any dwelling in him: and therefore I proved before in exposition of those words [These things hast thou done] that no action was the subject of sin; and therefore well might the action be caused of God without all fault of his. But to answer the doubt. 1. They differ, in that omission is a moral defect, but commission is a moral act; the one is not doing morally that which is commanded, and the other is a moral doing of that which is forbidden. 2. The one looks at the law, as commanding, but denies his act; the other at the law, as forbidding, and yet performs his act. Now the will of God is positively carried unto neither of both; but permissively to the creature, and accidentally to the effect. Yet you will object; then God permits that which he wills not, and if he will it not, how can it be done? Here I dare not be so bold as our Divines are, though I think we have all one meaning; that Gods will is first carried upon his permission; secondly upon the thing permitted: As his will is carried upon his own permission, he wills that absolutely, and by an affirmative act, but as upon the thing permitted, it is non impedire, not to hinder it; and that is actus negativus. And this must be taken notice of, because Gods will must have some thing to intercede, and come betwixt itself and sin: for a will immediately carried upon sin, is always sinful: therefore permission coming betwixt God's will, and sin, frees God from the action of sin. To the fourth objection, I answer, that privations are either considered as opposites with their habits, or as adjuncts with their subjects: in the first consideration, the habit is that which doth affirm itself to be existent, or in nature may be existent: the privation clean contrary, denies this to be in nature, nay worse than that, shows that he is expelled from such a subject, which now makes him appear, as though he were the Lord of the house, and bear the full dominion. As life is a natural thing, death comes and says, there shall be no life in this subject; and when life is gone, the subject makes death appear, as though he were the commander of life's habitation: night comes and says, where now is light? and because no man can see the light, he is feign to give darkness a good word, and say he hath possessed the circle of the world: yet neither will the world confess he hath received any being by darkness, or the subject of life any further existence by the presence of death. Therefore he is neither being in himself, or giving being to his subject, but taking away a being: yet because the subject into which he is received, by reason that he always looks upon his adjunct, gives him the denomination of being, as long as he rests with him; yet in his simple nature the never can be so considered, but as a mere tyrant to being and essence; which agree so ill, that if the one come, the other must be gone. And this is the reason why original sin is said to reign; which could not be, but for our members which give him leave to stay with us. The Ivy hath no root or existence from a proper principal of life, but most lovingly embraceth the Oak, and for all his strength, the Ivy will eat out his heart, secretly, and bring him to death: so sin hath no root of his own, yet most familiarly be closeth with our nature, and eateth out the heart of all goodness within us, and speedily bringeth us unto misery. For the last objection: sin is called an habit and quality, therefore being. The answer is, as sin is habitus in subiecto, it hath that name: yet properly, sin is no habit: for it is always his negation and opposite, therefore can not properly have the name of his opposite: yet being crept into virtues closet, desires to put on his habit, that so he may have the more love and welcome; as tyrants when they have gotten the kingdom of lawful Princes, will be very glad to put on any title that might please them, whom they desire to become their subjects; and for this cause will be content to change their names: so sin, a mere tyrant, will mask itself in the habit of virtue, that so we may esteem the better of him, and willingly subject ourselves to his untolerable yoke. Objections from the testimonies of our Orthodoxal Divines, whereby they are said to have made God the author of sin. Object. 1. The objection may be form according to these four heads: 1. from Gods will. 2. from the effect of his will, his decree. 3. from the subject of his decree, man. 4. from the end, reprobation of man. The argument in general is thus framed; They which make the will of God evil, his decree (causam energeticam) an effectual cause of sin, the will of man compelled to sin, and his end everlasting punishment, without consideration of sin; make God the author of sin: but this is defended by our Divines. I will at large enforce every objection, because it is one of the most damnable opinions that blasphemously the Papists urge us withal. The objections against our Divines, concerning God's decree. Object. 1. That they make the will of God evil, it may thus be pressed; Voluntas mala dicitur a volitione mala, volitio mala est quae fertur in obiectum non debitum: obiectum non debitum est malum; ergo, volitio mala est, qua quis vult malum, & qua vult malum fieri: distinctly, that will is evil, whose act of willing is evil; the act of willing is evil, which is carried upon an unlawful object; Vell● ma … velle melur … 〈◊〉 sunt idem. now an unlawful object is nothing but evil: All this is laid upon our Divines, to attribute it to God; which seems thus to be proved; He that wills sin to be, or that it may fall out, either whereby he may sport himself, as Nero did when he had set Rome on fire; or else that he may use it for some good end, as he that bids a man take poison that he may show his art in curing him: or another steal that he may cover the naked, or feed the hungry, is all one as to will the sin itself. The truth of this is thus cleared; to will sin to be, or exist, or happen, is all one with sin itself: For first, what is the being of sin, but sin itself; & what is the existence of sin, but that it exists from that being; & this existing or standing out of the causes of his being, what is it but the event? so then as God wills sin to be, exist, or happen; so he wills sin itself: God as he loves not sin, so he loves that sin should not be, exist, or happen: he wills again that sin should be, exist, and fall out for his glory: & with as good reason may he be said to will sin for his glory: so that no difference is, or can be given, betwixt the willing of sin, and sin to be, exist, or fall out. If it shall be resolved; God wills, non impedire peccatum, sed permittere peccatum, that is, Distincta sunt 〈…〉. not to hinder and stop sin, but permit it to be; this will not free the speech; for these three things are distinct, first to will sin not to be, that is, to hinder it that it shall not be: secondly, to will it to be, or fall out: thirdly, to will to permit it, or not to hinder it. The two former are affirmative acts, & work for the willing or not willing of the thing: the third is a negative act, willing but not working; this permission in willing, is an act; but in working a negation; first not to hinder others in their liberty and power: secondly, not to help, but yield the whole carriage of the sin to themselves, and their own free wills, yet hereby explorare, to try and prove what they would do: and secondly upon his evil doing, to make way, that for evil doing, the Lord might do well, and become man's greater benefactor. Again, to will sin for a good end, is no excuse of this evil: non sunt facienda, imo nec volenda mala ut eveniant bona: we must not do, nay not so much as will evil, Velle. perp●●rare. that good might come thereof: for the first sin is to will; the second to do: and he sins that wills evil, though he does it not. A third consideration to excuse the point is, how sin can be the object of Gods will: Here it is said of our Divines, that sin in his causes and circumstances, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, wholly considered, hath a double respect; one to man as sin, another to God decreeing it as good: but this seems also with a dry finger to be defaced, it needs no washing, for it washeth away itself: seeing all God's considerations of sin, are of sin as it is sin: he permits it, not as good but evil, yet his permission is good: he punisheth sin as sin, he forbids it as sin, he forgives it as sin: he decrees his permission; and this coming betwixt sin and God's decree, gives him liberty to produce what good he can out of it, not qua bonum, as good, but as sin and evil: the reason is good, every thing hath his best consideration according to his definition: And thus much from Gods will to the object. A second thing that they impose upon our men is, Contradiction put upon Gods will. that they make God in his will contradict himself; to will sin to be, and to will sin not to be, are contradictory: these cannot differ respectively, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & integris essentijs, simply and in their whole being: if there be any difference, then either of the will itself, or the act, or the object; not of the will, for first he cannot will it, voluntate beneplaciti, with his secret will; for that always wills the best: nec voluntate signi, with his revealed will; for we are sure his law forbids it: neither with both together; for than if the one should will it, than likewise should the other; but we are sure that Gods revealed will hateth sin, and the very being of sin; therefore no will in God that would sin to be, and not to be. Again, for the act of his will, we say it is threefold in the creatures, first, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, according to his good pleasure: this God approves, effects, and is delighted with it; and that can no ways be carried to two contrary objects, as to will sin to come to pass, and to will it not to come to pass. The second act is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God's dispensation; and this belongs to providence, where God wills no evil thing to happen, yet upon the accident will he dispose of it: A careful master of a family wills not evil to happen in his house, yet he is careful to dispose of any evil accident; and this hath nothing to do with God's deeree. The third action is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and here it is true, that God does permit sin; but to permit sin, comes far short of willing sin to be: and for the object that is most certain, that the very terms are contradictory, to will sin to be, and to will it not to be: wherefore finding neither contrary wills to bring forth contrary acts, nor contrary acts about one subject, nor one subject to be applied to contrary acts, we conclude, to will sin to be, and not to be, to defend contradiction. Thirdly, they make Gods will to have evil effects, as to incline to fin, to harden not only by desertion, but actively, and positively, yea to impel, constrain, command Satan and wicked men to conceive, plot, and attempt mischief. nay more, efficaciter procurare, effectually to procure that they perform the same, etc. And thus much concerning the first argument, drawn from that which they seem to impose upon Gods will. I will produce the rest of the arguments, and then I will resolve them. 2. Object. The second general argument, is from God's decree: that which makes God's decree an effectual cause of sin, makes God himself the author of sin, but this seems to be done by our Divines: … 'em effi●ax pe … m first, because they make God's decree of sin not a bare permission, and then must it needs be the other, which is effectual: for betwixt the permissive decree of sin, and effectual, there is no mean; and therefore either the one or the other: and that they make it not the permissive, it will appear if we consider these three things, primo, quod deus vult ut fiat, E●ficere, impedire, p●●mttere. hoc efficaciter efficit: secundo, quod vult ut non fiat, hoc efficaciter impedit: tertio, quod neque vult utifiat, neque vult vtmon fiat, hoc permittit creaturae: that is, that which God would have to be, that God effecteth: secondly, that which God will not have to be, that he effectually hindereth: thirdly, that which he neither would to be, or not to be, that he permits unto the creature. Now our men will not have God's decree to be of this third kind, and therefore must it be one of the former; not the second, for if God should will to hinder sin, than it could not be; and if the first, to will sin to be, then must he needs effect it efficaciter, and so an effectual decree. Secondly, I●●editio dei & eventus sunt causa & e●fe●tum. the point is thus further urged; quod Deus non impedit, ideo evenit quia Deus non impedit; & quod non est, ideo non est, quia Deus vult non esse: that is, Gods not impedition, or hindrance, and the event that follows upon it, are coupled together, as the cause and effect, and that immediately: therefore if our Divines hold that man falls, because God doth not hinder it, then must they needs make Gods not impedition, or not hindering, an energetical or operative effecting of the event, existence, or being of sin. And this is further to be pressed upon our Divines, by the consideration of a double sin; one of commission, and another of omission: the one de vetito, of the thing forbidden, and that is commission; the other de praecepto, of the thing commanded, and that is omission. Now not to hinder a sin of commission, is by our Divines, to concur to the very act, which cannot be done of man without sin; yea and God is said so to concur, that he is the first cause of that act, man the second; God moving man, and in that sort, that man necessarily must follow God's power in moving him, and so of necessity must produce this act: and therefore the commission is principally laid upon God. Again, not to hinder a sin of omission, is (by their sentence) not to give man that grace whereby he might be kept from the sin of omission, or made able to perform the contrary: therefore God concurring to the first, and denying his grace to the second, must needs commit and omit, that which man commits and omits. Nay more than that, not only a concause, but a sole cause; because man can not resist the motion of the first cause, and therefore cannot offend following an irresistible motion, seeing he could not sin propria voluntate, but by God's compulsion. Here than it seems that the decree is effectual, 1. because not barely permissive, and 2. because they make the not hindering join with the event, as a necessary cause. But here they distinguish, first of the necessity of consequence, and the necessity of a cause, or the reasons themselves; as if I should say, a man is a lion, than the consequent is necessary, that he hath four legs; yet the reasons or parts are not necessary: for it is neither necessary that man should be a lion, or four footed. But the answer may be infringed, that the consequence is either of a proposition, or a syllogism: and then the consequence which is the conclusion, follows by way of cause: as for the example, if a man be a lion, than he is four footed, is a necessary consequence: but now assume; a man is a lion, this is contingent, yea false; and will never suffer the consequent to be concluded. But in God's decree they make it also to assume and infer the conclusion, and therefore a cause. As for example; That which God hath decreed, comes to pass; but man's fall is decreed; therefore it comes to pass. Here God's decree, can have no other force of reason to press the conclusion, but a cause. Secondly they answer, that the antecedent being granted, and from thence the consequent concluded is causal, when there comes no middle cause betwixt them: but God decrees that man should fall by his free-will, coming betwixt the fall, and Gods decree thereof. But this is no answer: for so man's free-will, came betwixt the devils temptation, and the yielding thereunto: and so the Devil should be no cause of man's fall: this than is but a shift. Thirdly they answer, that God may will that man should fall, and yet man might fall by his own free will. The answer is overturned, because a man might have fallen infallibly, and freely: but necessarily, and freely, can never stand together. Infallibility is in respect of Gods infinite divine prescience: but necessity is of the thing done, Infallibilitas est ●ognitionis imnustibilitas rei. which is immutable; and immutability takes away all contingency in the thing, and consequently liberty: so than necessity, contingency, and liberty, can never stand together. Fourthly, they answer, per desertionem nempe ipsius, & non collationem necessary ad cavendum peccata auxilij: unde sequitur hominem necessariò peccare, that is, by desertion of him, and not collation of necessary helps to beware of sin, man fell necessarily: But this will not salve up the matter, because God gave the law, therefore it was necessary that he should afford man all necessaries to obey him; otherwise the transgression might be given unto God: but they will say, that God's desertion, had man's free will to come betwixt it and the fall: but to that it may be replied, than man deserved that desertion. But the question is, whether man could will such a thing or no; if it be said he could, than he sinned freely; but again how could he will this? if it be answered, he could not, then surely God made him will it: if he could, than what was the cause of it? surely they defend that God did forsake him, before he willed to be forsaken, in that he forsook to give him that grace which should have kept him from sin. Lastly, there cometh nothing betwixt God's desertion, and man's willing of it; if so, than either God or man must be the cause; not man, because he suffers it, therefore God: and indeed they confess, that peccatum est merum consequens decreti, a mere consequent of God's decree, nothing interceding, must necessarily be a cause. But they answer, this cause is deficient: for desertion is but the taking away, not concurring: but this deficient cause was a necessary cause, why Adam should fall, because he could not otherwise escape it. And thus much from the Decree; now I come to man's will impelled to sin. Object. 3. That man is compelled to sin, Necessite of God's decree it is first proved from the decree; grant the decree, and then man could not abstain from the act of sin; if he could, then might he have frustrated God's decree: De●● 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉. but that is impiety once to think; consilium enim deistat. Secondly, that which makes the will to lose his liberty, must needs compel the will: the liberty is gone, because it is not free ad opposita, but must needs incline itself to one thing, and that necessarily. Neither are we here to conceive coaction or violence; for the will hath two motions, one of nature, another of liberty: liberty is taken away, when the will is carried with his natural motion; this is spontaneus assensus, a natural willing, which is always of one thing. To be happy, is willed of all, but neither by violence, or freedom, but natural inclination; for no man wills misery. Therefore God's decree takes away his liberty, but not his assent, to move naturally which way God would have it. And though it be not constrained, yet can it not resist, neither indeed would it resist, for this determination. Necessity and liberty cannot stand together. Thirdly and lastly, necessity takes away all liberty, because all liberty is in contingent things. What liberty hath a man over the fire, or any immutable thing? Again, liberty is always with consultation: now consultation is in things contingent. What man will consult whether the fire burn? and surely God and man understands one truth, how then should I conceive that necessary to God, which must be contingent to me? contingency and necessity can never stand together. And to say Adam fell contingently, and yet necessarily, is an impossibility. The principle of necessity is immutability, not infallibility. Certitude makes infallibility: that which is certain, is infallible: Time changeth not nature. and so may a contingent thing be certain. Neither must we measure the thing by time: for time is not of the essence of any thing, but a thing adjoined to all created beings. Now then, time past, present, or to come, change not the nature of any being, but diversly qualify him. Was the thing contingent before it fell out, then why should it be of the nature of necessity when it is come to pass? hath the time present made it otherwise then it was in time past? Define me Adam's fall; was it not an apostasy from God his Creator? this is one thing, and is never changed: now necessity follows the nature of things, and not of time in things. You grant it contingent until it came, was not this a truth? and truth I am sure, pronunciat uti res est, pronounceth as the thing is: will you then make truth pronounce one thing before the thing was, and another thing when it is? is the nature changed, because the time is varied? then farewell all truths, and that common axiom, which is no more common than true, That definitions of things, are not only to be conceived in the present time, but also past and to come. Let us examine the definition of contingency and necessity. ●●e definition of contingency contingency, is that which is so true, that it may be false: is this only for future? no, but thus; may be false, or might have been false. I am sure you will say, that man's fall might have been false; for God might have decreed otherwise: and therefore mark what you do affirm, to wit, that God might change necessary truths; then may he make contradictions true. He may make a man, and not reasonable; fire, but not hot. Let it then be what it will be, if once it might have been changed, it can never be made an unchangeable nature by time. Achilles might have killed Hector; Saul might have fallen on his own sword; Adam might have run into the fin of aversion from God. These before they were done, you confess, were contingent: but Achilles hath slain Hector, Saul is fallen on his own sword, Adam is become an Apostata from God: now the case is altered, and they are become necessary. But do you not understand reason? tell me, I pray you; Achilles to kill Hector, Saul to fall on his sword, Adam to sin, what arguments are they in reason? surely causes and effects. Now to kill, and may kill; fall, and may fall; sin, and may sin, what new invention have they brought into reason? are they not still cause a●d effect? A man may laugh, therefore if he bring his faculty into exercise, it is become necessary. Surely betwixt a reason in potentia, in power to argue, and actu, there is no substantial change. The Coryphaeus of Logicians defines an argument, quod est ad arguendum affectum, that is, which is affected to argue. All men know, that the power of a thing, is more near the being then the act, and therefore a thing can part with his act, but never with his power or faculty. A man doth not always laugh, nay he may always be a mourning Heraclitus, yet he cannot part with the faculty. And if it was contingent for Adam to fall, surely being fallen the cause is not altered, only that which might be, is come to pass: That which I feared, says job, is come upon me: when he feared it, it was contingent; but now it is necessary: strange reason, that for bringing a thing into act, that was in power to the act, or for a little change of time, nature should be altered: fire will be fire wheresoever it is, and nature will be nature whensoever it is. Let any answer me this one thing; did God intend to create all things necessary, or some things necessary, and some things contingent? If all things necessary, then let us become Stoics: if some things contingent, than I ask when those contingent things were made? did they then become necessary? where is then any contingent thing made of God? Every thing you say is necessary, when it is: therefore when God had made all things, all things were necessary. This kind of discourse will hold no water: and for my part, away with this necessity. But do you desire to know what a necessary thing is? then in a word it is this; The definition of necessity. That which is always true, and neither can, nor could be otherwise. To be always true, is common to contingency and necessity: for God with whom all things are present, knew them always to be true, yet not necessary: but here lies the difference, that neither can nor could be otherwise. Dare any affirm this of Adam? surely then farewell all liberty, and make God the true cause of sin: for beloved, immutability and necessity are most principally in God, and therefore from him: and where you find them, acknowledge God the author. If then Adam's fall was of this kind, it must needs be from God. This argument shall be cleared, when I come to the answers. 4. Object. Is drawn from the end; or if you like not that, because may be you will say, reprobation is not man's end, but God's glory in reprobation: therefore thus I frame the argument: Reprobation is a punishment; now our Divines hold, that God reprobated man without consideration of his sin; therefore he punisheth man, and yet not for sin, which must needs be injustice. That it is a punishment, I prove it thus; Punishments according to the Schools, are either poena sensus, or poena damni; the punishment of sense, lies in sensible torments; the punishment of the damned, by an Emphasis, is a separation from God: now reprobation is a separation from God, because it is God's desertion of man: thus than if they make Gods will evil, the decree of his will an effectual cause of sin, man's will necessarily thereunto compelled, and reprobation man's end (or if you please) a means unto the same; then will it follow, that they make God the author of sin: but all this you see proved; and therefore our divines make God the author of sin. The accusation is heavy: in love therefore unto God's Saints, and the defence of his faithful ministers, I will labour to resolve every one of these arguments. The resolution of the former arguments. To the first argument from God's will, that he wills the being, existing, and event of sin: I answer by this distinction, that there is a double being, God's willing of sin to be, is not the being of sin. existing, or event of sin; in regard of a double cause: First, that which man gives unto it, proceeding from his free-will, and this is none of Gods: the second is from God, and that is an existing, being, and event which God will draw out of sin; and this is not sins being, existing, or event; but Gods: therefore when they say, God wills that sin should be, that is, he wills a being out of sin; first, his own glory: secondly, a better good than otherwise man could have known: and this fiat, sit, eveniat, existat, (which be the words of our Divines) is good: and that this is their meaning it is clear: for say they, God wills sin to be for his glory; now sin in his own nature is against his glory; therefore he cannot will the being of sin: for than should he will against his glory; but he wills some event, being, or existing, which he knows will make for his glory. Secondly, God wills sin to be, exist, happen, from man only; but that is the first being of sin, as the sinful action looks at the sinful man, whereof you heard before, that a sinful action was only in sense an action, done by a sinful person. But you will say, how should this be done without sin? I answer, here God is first said to permi●it to be done: secondly to work it by accident: but you will say, comes any thing to pass because God permits? yes, therefore it comes to pass, because God will permit; for that which God will not permit, cannot come to pass; and this he doth most willingly: Now when God permits in this sort, he is said not to concur with the worker of the thing; but leaves him freely to himself: & this is that desertion which our Divines speak of; for if God should have concurred to have produced in man the act of not willing sin, and have confirmed him in the contrary, than man should not have fallen: and this is that which Caluin affirms, that God gave Adam posse quod voluit, sed non velle quod potuit: that is, to be able to do what he would, but not to will that which he had power to will: therefore that not impedition, permission, or desertion, was a cause why he did not will; but none why he did will that which he did will. But you will object, that not to will was a sin, and God was the cause of that: I answer, it is both a sin, and no sin: a sin when it flows from a will that is immediately bound unto it, therefore the very not willing was in Adam a sin of omission: but that not to will, which Adam might have willed, did not bind God at all: for God was not bound to make Adam to will: God might withdraw himself from that willing, which Adam doing sinned against God: Adam was bound to do it actually; and God was only bound by the law of creation, and his own wisdom to give him sufficient power that he might do it: Man was bound actually to obedience, but that God should bring forth the act was not necessary. God was not bound unto the act of willing Adam to stand: now both the will and deed are from God, and therefore where God denies the deed, he is the cause why the deed is not: as if I deny to help an idle man, which hath power to go; I am the cause, why he is not helped, and for want of my help he will not go; that he would not go, it is a fault in himself; and if he go backward, it is also his fault. If a friend should say unto me, I will not go unto such a place, except you will go with me: I answer him peremptorily, I will not go with you: now that he is not gone withal, I am the cause; but that he himself would not go, it is his fault; and if he promised his journey, he alone hath broken his word. God says, I will permit sin; and man says, Lord then I both can, and it is my will to do it; well, go too man, and try the issue; but Lord wilt thou not hinder my being tempted by the devil: no, man, I will not do it: why then Lord I and the devil will consent together to sin against thee: well, try your free-will: so then, God's permission is a not impedition; this not impedition is a desertion, not of his power to the power of the creature, for in him we live, move, and have our being: but of his will to the will of the creature; and therefore the will of the creature becomes his own will; by his own will he turns from God, & so he turns it unto himself; for he will be like God: therefore I dare boldly say, that the not willing of Adam, was from God, because he would not give the deed; and that deed being denied, man did the contrary. The answer to the distinction of non velle, velle permittere. But dare thou, O man, dispute with God? I could not do otherwise: yes, thou would not do otherwise: for thou hadst power enough; and that I held my act from thee, I did it according to my good pleasure, to glorify myself more in thy fall, then in thy creation. For that threefold act: Non velle est impedire, vel non approbare. first to will sin not to be: secondly, to will it to be: thirdly, to permit it; are in simple signification distinct, speaking of an absolute will, or else they may fall together: the first may have a double meaning; for to will sin not to be, is either to hinder it from being, or else not to approve it when it is. So then God may be said not to will sin, when he hinders man from it, and this he did not for Adam: & therefore jacob. Arminius hath sinned grievously against God, by this distinction to make M. Perkins blaspheme against God: it is witty I grant, but only with the simple: God will have me speak, & I profess against all the crew of Arminius defenders, that they do greatly derogate from the Majesty of God, and abuse their wits to overturn God's wisdom. Mark therefore I beseech you, the distinction of this subtle Confuter, whom the world begins to flock after. He begins his book, as though he bore a great love to the truth, and the worthy man M. PERKINS, yet his poison be spits out in coining distinctions to overturn the truth, and make him, whom he called a brother, to blaspheme against God. And that I may give you a taste of his wit, I entreat you consider what a flourish he hath made in these two distinctions. Look the places: the first is, Pag. 118. l. 21. Detection of Armintus sophistry. Sunt enim tria inter se distincta, quorum nullum alterum includit, velle ut peccatum non fiat, hoc est velle impedire ne fiat, & velle ut fiat seu eveniat, & velle permittere seu non impedire. That this is a false distinction, let the learned judge: for if this be true, I can prove directly, that it was impossible for sin to be: and let the proudest Arminian answer it, if he can: (I speak in the love of the truth, bear with me.) First, I am sure out of his distinction, that he cannot deny but God willed not sin to be; now they are his own words, That that which Gods wills not to be, that he wills to hinder: and therefore if God will sin not to be, he wills to hinder it: and what God wills to hinder, that cannot be: and therefore sin cannot be. But he is to know, that God wills sin not to be, two ways: first, non impediendo: secondly, non approbando: therefore that which God wills not to be, may be, but yet hated of God, because he never approo●ed of it: and so God wills sin, not only in hindering of it, but also in that he approves not of it: the one will not suffer a thing to be, the other distasteth the being of it. For the second member, Arminius rather blasphemeth. that proves him to blaspheme: for whatsoever God wills not according to his mind, is hindered of God: therefore nothing can be but that which God wills: for say the thing is, and God would it not; and than you say plainly, some thing is that God could not hinder: and then where is his omnipotency? for his position is, what God wills not, he hinders. For the second member, that which God wills to be, is also twofold; either effectual, or permissive; for propriety of speech will bear both these senses; God wills a thing to be either effectual, or permissively: for he deceives himself, not knowing from whence this distinction is taken; The distinction of a permissive will, and effectual is not in the cause but effect not from the cause, but effects of one will diversly disposed to diverse objects, as evil and goodness; to goodness his will is said effectual, to evil permissive: the efficacy of his will is manifested in the production of a good thing; his permission in the production of an evil: and therefore the speech is proper and familiar to say, that as God wills a good thing to be by his effective will; so he wills an evil thing to be by his permissive will: and as by efficacy he is carried towards good things; so by his permissive will he is carried towards evil: & this distribution is warrantable, seeing divers effects are carried upon divers objects, and I urge him with reason. The act of his effectual will is exercised upon some object, which all our men say is toward goodness, and never bends to evil: therefore in like manner I demand on what object is his permissive will carried? surely on evil: and therefore God permissively may will evil for to be: and so in the second member he puts the effectual willing of sin, for both effectual and permissive; which is a mere collusion of his reader. Here can I urge him again with blasphemy, A second appa●●●● blasphemy if words must be pressed in stead of sense: he that defends whatsoever God wills for to be, that he wills it effectually; then God wills sin: for on whatsoever his will is carried, that he wills; but his will is carried on sin: for I ask him on what object is his permissive will carried? if he say on evil, than he wills evil: but he will answer, that is done permissively: we grant it, and so think charitably of him: why then can he not in like manner conceive of ours. For the third, to will to permit, is to will not to hinder: we grant it him; but that may be in either of the former: for first, that which God wills not to approve, he may will not to hinder: and secondly, that which he wills for to be, he wills not to hinder: yet we also here conceive his meaning, to wit, that not to hinder, is a middle betwixt an absolute hindering of a thing, and an absolute willing of a thing; but to will sin absolutely was never imagined of our Divines: neither with all his Logic and Grammar can he draw it out of them: and therefore as you have found his faithfulness in this, so believe him in the rest. A like place to this you have, Pag. 120. Efficaciter 〈◊〉 efficaciter impedere permitter● creaturae. Quod Deus vult ut fiat, hoc efficaciter efficit, add vel permittit: quod vult ut non fiat, hoc efficaciter impedit, add iterum vel non approbat: quod neque vult ut fiat, add tertio simpliciter, neque vult ut non fiat, iterum simpliciter, deinde conclude hoc permittit creaturae: That which God would have to be, he effectually brings to pass, or add I pray you, permits: that which God would not have to come to pass, he effectually hinders, stay a little and add, or approves not: for the third, that which God neither wills to be, you must mean simply, nor wills not to be, that also simply, and then you may conclude, he permits unto the creature. A second collusion is out of these words, proinde sic facere decrevit, that is, God decreed so to do: Arminius comes in with a tail, as though he would sweep all to the ground, add, vel permittere, or so to permit. If you please to see a Sophister, turn to the 145. Pag. the permissione in genere: Permissionem ad genus actionis pertinere ex ipsa vocis flexione est notum, etc. Permission, says he, belongs to the predicament of action, and hath no nearer cause, or immediate than the will; not science, power, or ability, though these be required in him that must permit. No man permits any thing, but he knows what, & to whom: again, he must have power, authority, and will to do it. It is very strange, if all these be true, and yet God should do nothing in his permission: and therefore to do, and permit, may well agree. If he mean, to do iniquity, than the object hath limited the act; and so we deny it God, and that most justly. Again, to follow this Sophister a little, (and I would some would do it thoroughly) but says Arminius, to permit, is nothing but not to hinder, and therefore a negative act: but where is the negation? not in the will, but in the denial of the object: and therefore we deny not but God hath such a hatred against sin, that he denies it his good pleasure; yet wills it: A good confession of Arminius, that to permit is nothing but that God is welpleased to let man have his free-will to try him, and of his fall take occasion of doing the best good. and likewise by his own confession in the same place says, God is willingly content to put the matter of sin to man's free will, yet thereby to prove him, and upon his evil doing, to do an infinite good: hold thee there Arminius, and that which thou called for at the hands of M. Perkins, we will grant thee, all love and respect for the acuteness of thy learning. But further the argument is urged; no evil is to be done, nay not so much as willed, that good might come thereof. To will evil, or to do evil, and bring the end as an excuse, is impious: therefore who speaks in this sort? Our Saviour Christ saith, Do good to them that curse you, that you may be the children of your heavenly father. If God do good for evil, must he therefore will evil that he may do that good? It is true, God wills good out of evil, that is, not to turn evil into a better nature; for heaven and earth will as soon meet; but only make it the object of his permissive will. Now God can have his will, neither permissive nor effectual about any object, but he will raise his glory out of it: and therefore out of the ruins of sin and ungodliness, is he able to build up his glory: and this is to will evil, the object of his permissive will, for his own names sake. I am sure every slender Logician knows there is great difference betwixt an object, and an effect. If Adam had made evil but his object, and never have effected it, it would have proved but a temptation injected of the devil, and no sin of his. Why then should it follow, if God do decernere de peccato, exercise both judgement and will about sin; judgement to know it, will to limit it, discretion to direct it, and justice to punish it. And therefore as the argument from the end is nothing, so from the object, that sin is always considered as sin. Let it be granted, can therefore the excellent wisdom of God extract nothing out of it? yes: for evil will be in good, and God will so separate it from the good, that it can not otherwise be but some thing should be fined and refined by it; yet so, that sin shall always be nothing but dross and dung, stubble and straw for hell fire. For the contradiction in God's will, it is none at all: for in contradiction, the affirmation and negation must be of one thing. A man is blind, and not blind, are no contradiction; because the one may be understood of the eyes of the body, and the other of the eyes of the soul; Apias est caecus, Apias non est caecus, is no contradiction. Therefore God to will sin by his permissive will, and not by his effectual will, make no contradictions. For the last branch of this argument; God inclines, impells, constrains, as they are natural acts, add also hardness, commands wicked instruments, and doth effectually procure them to execute his just judgements; the motion is God's act ordinary, the judgement is God's act moral, and the sin his permissive act. He that strikes against God, shall be so stricken again that he shall suffer: and therefore as the smith's hammer striking against his hands, hardeneth them by opposition; so God the hearts of men, by his just judgements opposing them. Solution of the second Argument drawn from God's decree. The first part of the Argument resting upon that Sophism of Arminius, is already cleared. To the second, Gods decree not the works of sin, but conversant in it, in ordering and disposing. concerning the necessary copulation of God's decree, and sin: First I answer, they are not cause and effect; because God's decree is an act upon sin, and therefore subject and adjunct. But you will inquire what necessity is there of the connexion of these two parts? I answer, God's decree, and man's fall, do not make a necessary sentence, but contingent, yet most infallible and true; because it was the act of an infinite wisdom, that could not be deceived; and hereupon his judgement was most infallibly true of man's fall. If an expert Physician should foretell the death of his patient, and were most certain of it; must it therefore be necessary when it comes to pass, Determination no cause of necessity. because he foretold it? no; for the truth is the same that it was before, only it is now more evident to others that knew it not: so God most certainly knew the fall of man and determined of it, even as the Physician determines of the fit in an ague wherein his patient shall die, and far more certainly: he will not misseit a minute of time. Can the devil tell Saul, yea, and determine of it, To morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; and yet shall not God be able to set down the exact time of man's apostasy? And if the Lord have determined the day and hour wherein Adam should die, shall he therefore be the necessary cause of his death? You will not accuse the Physician as a murderer, because he foretold the time wherein his patient should departed; nay, you will scarce accuse the Devil, because he said, to morrow; but confess that Saul himself fell on his own sword: only this makes us say the Devil did it, because he hath been a murderer from the beginning. And as God says, Is there any evil of punishment in the city, and I have not done it? so dare I say, is there any evil of sin in the world, and Satan hath not done it? Therefore I must crave pardon to hold a certainty, but no necessity, that man infallibly should fall; yet most freely and contingently, but not necessarily at all: for necessity is against God's decree. Things necessary need no decree for their consequents. God never decrees the fire to burn, because if it be fire it is good reason it should burn: God never decrees man shall have reason, for if he will have him a man, than it is necessary he should have reason: but to decree, in all proprierie of speech, both with God and man, is of things contingent. Man he decrees upon deliberation and consultation: and the subject matter thereof is some contingent thing, which he would produce or hinder: for if it be a necessary thing, he can neither produce it, or hinder it: man is not a stone, he can never produce out of this the arffimative part, man is a stone: God is just, is a necessary truth; let him bring all the arguments he can invent or devise out of his wit, and yet he shall never produce this, that God is the author of sin, or unjust. Suppose an army of men were coming against England, would not the King and his Council, assemble to deliberate and consult, that they might prevent them? and therefore though the thing be most certain, yet it is not necessary: The town is on fire; if it were necessary it should burn the town, what then should men do crying for help? yet it might be some knew for a certainty, that the town would be burnt; is it therefore necessary? But you will say, every thing when it is, is necessary that it should be: I answer, that this being should become existent, was never necessary; A thing to be when it is, is not necessary for the cause, but that it is a kind of being under some head of entity where it is necessary. yet that this being should be something, is most necessary. And therefore I admire that though many mean well, yet they should never distinguish betwixt an an effect, and a species of being. The effect looks only at causes; now the causes of man's fall, were no ways necessary; either when they were in power to act, or when they did really produce: and therefore as man was a contingent cause till he fell; so when he was fallen, he was still the same cause; only his power was brought into act; and all our dispute is on this head, as man's fall was an effect. But now you come and say, this effect was necessary; how I pray you? because you say, quicquid est, quando est necessarium est esse: mark your predication, which is of that word esse, upon quicquid est quando est: now, what is that esse, to quicquid est quando est? I tell you no effect, but a species: now the species of any genus, is a necessary axiom when it is disposed. And therefore that which is existing in the world, to be brought under some head of being is most necessary; for God is the God of order: sin therefore, or rather the action of sin, (for sin cannot have an est, though it may have a quando est) as being referred to the predicament of action, One thing as an action is an example of that order, and another thing as produced into that order. or the catagorie of effects, is necessary; because this action, or this effect, is an example or species of that general nature; and with that general nature he is necessary: hence Logicians call these arguments disposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the second degree of necessary affirmation: but recall these actions to their agents, these effects to their efficients, and the argument is changed: therefore dispose Adam and his sin together, as cause and effect; God's decree and man's fall as subject and adjunct, and both are but contingent axioms; the former contingent and uncertain unto Adam, until he had committed his sin; the second contingent and most certain, because God that decreed it knew all things, and with whom all time was present. Argument repeated. Further, it is urged from commission and omission: from commission, because God did concur to the doing of it, seeing it could not be done without him: and being the first in it, is the principal actor, man but his instrument, and that so necessarily urged, that he could not resist God the first mover. From omission, because God did not give him so much grace as was necessary to keep him from omitting his duty: for if God had concurred with man to this necessary act, than should man have done his will. Answered from God's concourse with his creatures. Concerning the concourse and conflux of God's grace with man in his operation, is a matter of great difficulty. The schoolmen have so clouded this point with distinctions, that our men have looked for the mystery of it in them; but even thereby have been so damped, that they have spoken they know not what: for myself, I know I shall come far short of that which I aim at, yet leaving the schoolmen, I am bold to extract what I can from the observation of God's wisdom in his creatures; and for the conceiving of this truth, I lay down four general axioms. 1. All beings are from God. 2. They are made of God for an end. 3. They are made with power to work for this end. 4. That they may obtain it, God hath stamped upon them his wisdom. In these four, Every being working unto his end by the power God hath given it, is guided by a rule. I trust in God to show how God is said in some sort to concur with man: But a little to express the propositions by some examples. God made man, therefore for some end, for some end therefore to be able to work unto it; and how should he do this without his guide; and some rule of wisdom must be given him, which rule is able to guide him in every action unto his end: therefore God's concourse or conflux with his creature is nothing but the stamping of this wisdom upon him, whereby he is carried unto his Creator, that gave it him. God hath given man a will, this will of man is for an end, this end is to please his Creator; that he may please his creator, he must be doing of good, & that he may do good, he must attend unto divinity, the rule that God hath given him to bring him to this end: Hence I dare boldly say, that the concourse of this rule, with the faculty of man's will, in every special action, had been able to make man happy. But let us have a few more examples, before we come to application and resolution: God hath given man his reason, this being is for some end, this end is been disserere, to reason well: now for this end the faculty must exercise itself; and that the faculty may exercise itself, God hath stamped upon man's reason the rule of Logic, or discerning well of every thing that god hath made; for all things were made for man: and therefore must God bestow an eye upon him whereby he may see all things, and this eye is the eye of reason guided by Logic, so that Logic concurring with my reason, is able to make me produce any act, directly carried unto his end. God hath given me speech, this is for some end, as to speak well or eloquently; for this end must I exercise my speech, and that I may not exercise in vain, he hath given me the rule of Grammar and Rhetoric; which rules concurring with my speech, I speak both truly and eloquently. The Apostles, many of them unlearned, spoke languages, The Apostles spoke tongues by the rules of Grammar. and that as Grammatically and Rhetorically as ever did Tully or Demosthenes; and God did that for them immediately, which others come unto by long practice. Now how did God concur with them? surely no otherwise then by the true rules of art, immediately taught them of the holy Ghost. The sun in the heavens runs his race with joyfulness; and if you ask me by what concourse of God; I answer peremptorily, by no other than the rule of natural Philosophy, which God created with the sun. That this may a little the better show itself, consider that all beings besides himself were made of nothing for himself: in all these things, God can but have the respect of two causes; the first is efficient, the second final: hence God is called Alpha and Omega, the first, and the last, the beginning and the end: and hence he can give a being unto things, but not his own being; and so his being must be out of creatures, and therefore must other causes be given by him, The efficient & the end give to the effect, but not themselves, matter and form give all they have. which cannot only give a being, but their own being: and these be two, matter and form: the wood and form of a table are in the table itself; but the carpenter only gives a being of efficiency, and not himself: and thus God made all his works stand out from himself, to himself, and that with their matter and form: and thus all the creatures became beings from God, not only of that esse, that God gave them, but also of that essentia which gave being, and his own being, that so in themselves by the form extending itself over the matter, qualities and faculties being araised, it might have power to act and work not only for the glory of his creator, but also for that special good which God saw in all that he had made, when he said, they were good, yea, and very good. Hence I would entreat these observations; First, that every creature owes unto God, Acceptum referre in causis, effectis, subiectis, adiunctis. first his being: secondly, his nature from that being, (for natura est res nata:) thirdly, all his welbeeing; because all these they came from God either mediately or immediately. Secondly, observe that the whole glory of the creature, is the glory of the Creator: because the glory of a thing lies especially in his end, which end is an individual companion of matter & form, which matter and form were given of God. Thirdly, all things in the creature, are depending upon the Creator; the being, nature welbeeing, eupraxie, virtue, actions, and life itself: in him we live, move, and have our being. 4. The end of every thing is necessary. Observe. If all depend upon God, then are all governed by him; first because a thing dependent works mutably; yet the end of this mutable nature is necessary: and therefore must he be guided by him that is immutable unto the end. Hence observe, that the end which God hath appointed his creature is necessary, though the creature itself be contingent and mutable. And this hath deceived our Divines, not distinguishing betwixt Adam's fall, and the end: the end is necessary, yet the action and agent were both mutable: the reason is, because it is absolutely impossible to conceive any action, but it is for some end: the end is essential to the action, but the action itself being dependent, was contingent, and so was the agent. Observe. 5. The same ●●dom that 〈◊〉 governs The self-same wisdom that produced the creature, governs him being produced. First, because for the self-same end, he is both produced & governed: to be for an end, and not to be governed to that end, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, incompatible. Therefore mutually affirming or denying, grant the one, and grant the other; deny the one, and deny the other. Secondly because it is not only the part of a wise man, to produce his work, but also to direct it to his end; therefore most absurd to deny it of the wisest. Thirdly, because it is impossible, that a thing should be produced by one wisdom, and governed by another: thus things would not serve the end of their creation, but another. Observe. 6. According to this wisdom, every nature worketh, and to this he ought to obey. Reason. 1. Because they are Gods effects: and therefore obeying the cause, must needs obey the wisdom that ordered the causes: sin therefore being nothing, obeys not God, neither any sinner, as he serves sin. Secondly, this wisdom carries to the end; and every thing obeys his end, and inclines, bends, and bows unto it. Observe. 7. This obsequy or obedience of the creature, is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or true impression of this producing and governing wisdom. This first wisdom is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The government of the Creator. & the obedience of the creature. or lively seal that stamped that mark upon the creature: therefore the stamp is the lively effigies, or impression of that first wisdom: and the obsequy or obedience of the creature, is nothing but to imitate his governor. A familiar example of this, you may see in the seal, and the impression upon the wax: the seal leaves his mark, and the mark is a plain representation of the seal, though the seal itself could be seen of none but him that stamped his mark upon the wax. The wax sets forth the creature, the stamp the obedience, and the seal God's wisdom: and this is that Idea which is so much dreamt of, whereof the creature is not capable; yet the reflection of it, may be in the creature. As for example; six or seven men may see their faces all in one glass, yet the glass is far less than any one of their faces: for the natural face of a man can not be put into the glass, but the image of his face reflected, and that in most lively proportion: so God's face no man can see, yet his back parts may be seen, Exod. 33. now this face, as I may say, of God's wisdom, being stamped upon his creatures, carry them in all their motions to their ends appointed of his Majesty. These things being well conceived of, we find two things most necessary to concur to the producing of any act. 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉. First, faculty or power, which God gives the creature, when he gives them being: 2. a rule of God's wisdom, to bring that faculty into exercise, and so carry it along unto his end. The rule is the principal cause, the faculty the instrumental, or ministerial cause to join with the principal: neither alone can do any thing, but both together can do any work that the Creator would have to be done. To come then to our purpose: God created man a reasonable creature, endued with two most excellent qualities, will, and understanding: so that man was made able to understand his Creator, and will him as his only good. Yet man could not actually will God, except God had given a rule to have taught him so to do: the Lord bad man love him with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength: and then to love his neighbour as himself. And for the effecting of this, he gave him a perfect rule of righteousness, to join with his will in the performance of any duty; neither did God withhold this rule from him at any time: and therefore God gave man by creation power to will, and rule sufficient for to have taught him how to will: so that neither for power, or act, any thing was wanting. Let us see then how these two things concurred in man's first fall. How rule and faculty meet together in the first fall. The devil comes in the serpent, and he begins to withdraw man from his rule, knowing if man and woman had sticked close thereunto, sin should have had no entrance. He begins first to propound a question, that so he might bring the woman to dispute with him: and the question is made about the rule of obedience; Hath God indeed said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? To this the woman answers, first by affirmation, we eat of the trees of the garden: secondly, by negation, from the sentence of the law, of the fruit which is in the mids of the garden God hath said, not only I, The dispu●●● on of the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 devil. but neither I nor my husband must eat of it; neither shall ye touch it: and to the prohibition, she lays the curse, lest ye die. So then the rule would have made his part good against the Devil, and have taught the woman to have holden this conclusion against all the devils arguments. The devil replies again upon the woman; and first he gins to take away that which might fear her in breaking the law, ye shall not die at all: and then to her negation, brings a testimony, first from God, God doth know: secondly, from contradiction to the law, when ye shall eat thereof: thirdly, a threefold reason to persuade them to that act of eating: first knowledge, your eyes shall be opened: secondly, the measure of this knowledge, it shall make you like God himself: thirdly, from the kinds of their knowledge, knowing both good and evil. As yet no hurt was done. Let us now see how the Law concurs in the next, The con●● of the 〈◊〉 and we shall easily see both Gods and the laws conflux with Adam's fall. The 1. act of the woman, was approbation of the devils reasons; so the woman: heres consent against both God & the law. The 2. act was seeing; here God concurred naturally, and that by the rule of nature in optics: neither was this the breach of that rule, but presently the will wheels or turns itself upon the object, and says the tree was good; and that approbation was also good, for the tree was good by God's creation: but this goodness did so affect the will, that God's law must be forgotten: and the tree being made good for that which the law forbade, to wit, that it was good for meat, when before out of the sentence of the law, she had said, the law and God himself hath said, ye shall not eat; and to say it was good for meat, was a direct affirmation against both God and his law, and so could not have their concourse: and this was her internal judgement. The next, is her external judgement, in regard of the tree objected to her eyes, in these words, and that it was pleasant to the eyes. Now this was no where forbidden, but that they might look on it: and it may be she said too much, when she added, we may not touch it: yet this likewise is made a sin, for after the will is spoiled, than all the other members become sinful. It is not simply a sin to look on a woman, for so much as to see is done by the concurrence of a rule of God's wisdom; but in that it is to lust after a woman: and so here the eye looking upon this tree, is made sinful, because inwardly she lusts after it: and that is expressed in the next words, when she says, a tree to be desired: and the end of that, is to get knowledge. This end is good, but will not justify the action; because the very eating for this end, was expressly forbidden. The 3. act, is taking of the fruit thereof; neither can this simply be condemned: for it might be they might have gathered the fruit: and I am thereunto persuaded, because this tree, as well as the rest, was for man: and some good use might have been made thereof. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 con●●●ing the first sin. The 4. act, And did eat: neither here am I of Arminius mind, that meant subtly to cross an argument in M. Perkins, by affirming that the very act was forbidden. The natural act was good, but only the moral act which was respective, and in reference to God's law; that only was sinful. The 5. act, And gave also unto her husband: this was likewise a sin, seeing God had made her a helper unto him, to become his ruin; this was the breach of charity. The last act, and he did eat: To this some might reply, but how could this be a sin, seeing he was ignorant of it? to which I answer; 〈◊〉 present 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉. First, I doubt not but by that excellent knowledge he had, he was able upon the very sight thereof to know that it was the fruit of the forbidden tree: God brought him the beasts of the field, and he named them according to their natures: he knew his wife when she was brought unto him: these were far more difficult, then to know every several fruit in the garden, seeing they are so easily distinguished by many outward appearances; therefore questionless he knew the fruit. But than you will object, man was more foolish than the woman; for she did it by strong persuasions: and he without any more ado upon his very wives giving it, did eat thereof: alas, never think so. But how then was he tempted? surely, I think it was not a new disputation betwixt his wife and himself; that as the devil had dealt with her, so she might deal with her husband: for if Adam had been absent all the while of that communication, and then the serpent, and the devil in the serpent had been departed, that Adam would so soon have yielded unto her motion. Secondly it is said, that as soon as she desired it, she took it, and did eat: if this was done in the place where she stood, then assuredly her eyes would have been open, to have seen the offence, before she could have brought Adam unto it. Thirdly, if she must first have plucked the fruit, and then have carried it to Adam, and lastly have disputed with Adam for the eating of it, it had been too long a time, for a woman with child in sinning, and longing for an apple or a fig, (or what else the fruit was) to have stayed her appetite so long: and therefore as I doubt not but she presently are it, so presently her husband yielded too; and so both their eyes were opened together. But you will say, did Adam stand by all the time of their disputation? I know no other meaning of the text, but that it should be so: and therefore Adam was exceedingly too blame to suffer his wife to have such communication with the serpent; he should have shut him out at the first entrance; for God set him to keep the garden, that no beasts should come in it. Now tell me, I beseech you, what concourse God's law had in man's fall, and the self-same is my judgement that God had in it: Now the law stood at hand, to have joined with man, to have brought forth his obedience unto God, and have kept him from all sins of omission; but man would not hear the voice of the law, but of the devil against the law, therefore no marvel if he fell. So then the Lord concurred by his law; I will use the word of Arminius, quantum decuit, yea, and quantum oportuit, as much as was seemly, and as much as was expedient: and this none of our Divines deny, if I may speak it bona venia, with the good liking of all Arminians: so that God withheld none of this grace from him: but as I said before, the deed of his will, or that velle quod potuit, which was not of such absolute necessity; neither wanted man any concourse, if he had been as good as his means were. But you say further, God's will no irresistible motion to man's ●ill. the motion was irresistible, and so man was no faulty cause, seeing he could do no better. Alas, had they all those free actions in sin, and yet did nothing proprijs voluntatibus? I see nothing at all done by them, but was done most freely. But than you say, the will of God might have been frustrated: Alas, senseless creatures! when the Apostle says, who hath resisted the will of God at any time? is most certain in very reason itself: for the superior cause, can never suffer of the inferior cause: therefore if man's will should go about to resist or frustrate the will of God, it were even against reason itself; for than should God's will suffer of man's will. And again with Arminius, God forbidden it should be otherwise, but that consilium Deistaret, that God's counsel should stand: and therefore God hath an irresistible will: and if that, than the motion of his will is also irresistible; if this, than man cannot resist it, and if he cannot resist, then is he moved irresistibly to sin: Five propositions to explain how Gods will cannot be resisted. stay, there the consequence is false. I know you will grant me these five propositions, and I know no more that our Divines defend: first, that Gods will is the supreme cause: secondly, that God's will cannot suffer: thirdly, that none can resist it: four, that his motion is likewise irresistible: fifthly, that neither men nor angels can resist it. But tell me how you can prove your consequence, therefore man in sinning follows Gods irresistible motion; I know no such consequence, either in the Scriptures, or our men; for every motion of Adam and the woman were most free, and they followed most willingly their own motion. But you will say, God decreed this motion; true, yet no cause thereof: for he decreed man should be the cause of it himself. But could this be done, and yet God be no cause thereof? yes assuredly; for you are deceived of God's decree, by putting it into the thing, when it is in himself. And here I will clear unto you another way, that God takes in his decree than you imagine. First, God's decree ariseth from his efficiency, The nature of God's decree. and omnipotency: and is generally nothing else, but sententia definita in consilio suo ab aeterno de rebus faciendis; that is, God's definitive sentence in his eternal counsel, concerning the making of all things. And that it riseth from omnipotency and efficiency it is plain: for in that he did it, we say he could do it, and so decreed it: and the sentence must be of such things as are within his power; so that election is nothing but the choice of a thing, and decretum the decree, nothing but the setting of it done definitively: the word is of decerno, to see a sunder, and very fitly signifieth this determination of God: sententia, sentence, though the Lord doth all things simul, and semel, at once and together, in respect of himself, yet to us he shows it, as if he did it peditentim, step by step, and that with great and long determination: therefore a sentence where his will and power give in their verdict, and say, sic sentio, so I judge. The third word definita, or definitiva, definite or definitive, is the determination or defining of a thing inter cancellos, within his bounds: in consilio, con & salio, where many things leap together, or concur to make up one sentence: so that a man is as it were distracted about the composing of them, the Lord did it without all distraction; yet were there many things that the Lord brought together: Eterno, eternal, because it was long before any thing was existent: de rebus faciendis, it is of matters to be done, and not of things already done; Properties in God's deciee for that is more properly ordination: the ordering and ranking of every work brought forth according to his eternal decree. Out of this breaks forth his constancy, in performing every thing by deed, that he hath decreed; not that God is tied thereunto, but rather the thing to be done is tied unto him, and his good pleasure: so that stoical destiny is not thereby brought in, but true constancy. 2. Verity, in performing it according to his word: for so is verum, quod pronuntiat uti res est, that says as the thing is: yet here we are to invert, quando res est uti pronuntiat, that the thing is, because he pronounceth it: Constanti test qua constanter decretum efficit, veritas est qua dicretum essi it s●cun lum vor●●, side est qua siat dictum. for God's pronunciare, to pronounce, is before the thing; and God pronounced what should become of every thing, long before they existed. The third is sides, fidelity, which is in performing the thing according to his promise. A constant decree as he effects it, most true as be effects it according to his word, and most faithful as he keeps his promise: constancy, truth, and faithfulness, be three effects of God's decree. If from the effects, we inquire of the manner of the cause: we must needs confess it was neither by nature, nor necessity, or any chance and fortune, but by counsel: and therefore counsel being the manner of Gods working, could not be considered as the genus of God's decree, but as it belongs ad causam illius essicientem, to the efficient. Eph. 1. God works all things, secundum consilium voluntatis suae, according to the counsel of his will. And therefore God's counsel is his deliberation of bringing every thing to pass after the best manner. So then by his decree appears his counsel, and his counsel makes his decree to be wrought most willingly, and most wittingly: therefore his decree of sin must be most willingly, and wittingly performed: otherwise it should be no decree: therefore fecit, Order of consequence in 〈◊〉 decree. qua potuit; qua potuit, decrevit; qua decrevit, consuliò fecit; qua consulto fecit, gloriam spectavit; qua gloriam spectavit, sapientiae visum est; qua sapientiae visum est, bonum fuit; qua bonum fuit, absolute voluit: God did the thing as he might do it; as he might do it, so he decreed it; as he decreed it, so he did it by the best counsel; as by the best counsel, it respected his glory; as that, it seemed to accord with his wisdom; as that, it was good; and as good, he absolutely willed it. Surely with men in giving counsel, plus vident oculi quam oculus, the more counsel they give and the better; but it is not so with God; for he sees all things simul & semel, together and at once: now when we speak of deliberation, we must understand it more humano, according to our capacity, that the Lord takes the best way to effect any thing. Observe further, that the Lord when he is said to be causa consilio, a cause by counsel, must needs have his end and scope set before him; and this must be of all things: and what is that but his glory. Counsel therefore intends the glory of God: Glory the fruit of virtue. for as God is the beginning of all things, so he is the end of all things. Now glory is called the end of God, by a metonymy of the adj. for subj. because it is properly the fruit that follows upon virtue intellectual or moral: in a word, all his goodness. Exod. 33. Moses cries to God, that he would show him his glory; God makes answer, What Gods glory, verta●● or goodness. are. that the glory which Moses can see, is the going of his goodness before him, whose back parts he might see, but for the face of it he could not see, and live: this goodness breaks forth in the proclamation, Exod. 34. And that goodness is nothing but the appearance of his most absolute virtues, especially justice and mercy: the reason is, because these shine in the creatures: and secondly, because the end thereof is to set forth his glory. As his counsel had a scope, so it had some form of working, which we call the Idea of all things. A builder of an house, first conceives in himself the work he intends to produce, than secondly he looks again upon his work wrought, and sees how it answers his first intended form; the painter eyes the natural face, and from that stamps by drawing, limming, and colouring the express image thereof, and then he looks upon his work to see how it answers the pattern. The first knowledge we call direct, the second indirect, or reflexed: so in God there is first of all the Idea and platform of all things, and this is in God most direct, who seeing in himself all things, knows how to make all things out of himself: How God in knowing differs from man. and these may well be called Gods plots, which he hath form and fashioned in himself. Now this wisdom of God differs from man's, because his idea or plot is first in the thing; because he doth nothing primarily, but by imitation and observation of that wisdom which he hath seen God lay open before him in his creatures: now Gods is first in himself, and then in the things. Secondly, in man his plot is but a form in his head, distinct from his being; but in God both the form of his working, and himself are all one. Thirdly, there is in man an Idea or form of working, before he work the thing in genesi, that is, before he compose any thing according to his first conceit, which is not before, but after himself: but Gods, is neither before, nor after himself: and therefore we must not look first for God's Ideas in things, and then in God; but first in God, and then in things. And here I beseech you, take notice of the absurdity of many Divines, and gross ignorance, concerning the point of Election and Reprobation, expraevisa massa corrupta, that it needs must be of man in the estate of his sin: and so make God's Idea, or the plot of his counsel, whereby he decreed, to be first in the things, and then in God; which is clean contrary. Indeed we use to say you stand there, therefore I see you; and not I see you, and therefore you are there: but in God it is contrary: God saw Adam to fall, and therefore be fell. Again, prescience can not be properly in God, seeing God directly sees all at once and together, and therefore can not see one thing before an other: yet as God looks upon the creature, one thing is said to go before an other; and this may be termed prescience: but this is that second knowledge of God, which we call indirect: and here all things are seen of God, as they are the images of his wisdom. For if he see all things in himself, then must he needs see all things out of himself indirectly; the reason is, because whatsoever God sees directly it is himself: and therefore the creatures being not himself, he sees them indirectly. The Schoolmen speak much of this speculum trinitatis: for, say they, Angels & Saints see in God, otherwise then by the creatures, and therefore are able to know any thing. It is true God can reveal, yea and hath revealed, not only unto Saints in heaven, but Apostles and Prophets, many things that never came by the way of the creature: yet we must conceive that the Lord did irradiate and shine upon their understanding by an other image than his own: and therefore it was divine revelation, by working upon their understandings an Idea or plot of knowledge which is out of himself. As God is said to view all principles, that is, the simple being of things, he is called an intelligent, wise, and understanding God: 2. the truth of these things: and this is God's omniscience, for the present, God foreknow ledge. or prescience for future: and neither of both are idle speculations. Therefore God's knowledge, or foreknowledge, being of truths, and truths are to pronounce as things are, and things are, because God doth pronounce them to be: therefore God useth to say, I know you not, I do not acknowledge you. Again, the Lord knows the way of the righteous, that is, works it, approves it. And therefore it is not according to the Papists, whom the Lord foreknew would do good; or the Lutherans, whom he knew would believe; or others, whom he knew would not fall: but his will and knowledge go together. I can as well say, God had a will to do all things that were possible, as well as a prescience: for his will was omnipotent as well as his knowledge; and therefore he could as well, if it pleased him, to will any possible thing to be, as to foreknow it to be: yet this I am sure of, that a thing possible, and now come to pass, was as well willed of God, as foreknown of God. And though I would bring no strange opinions, yet this seems to be reasonable, that whatsoever God knows, it is either something or nothing: now something is immediately demonstrated from his will: this thing is, because God willed it, for his will is the cause of all beings, & not his knowledge: therefore to us in any being, we must first take notice of his will, and then of his knowledge. Man is fallen, this is the will of God, and not his mere foresight: for things done, can never be resolved into an higher cause than his will: and for nothing, that is always understood per oppositum ens, by his contrary, which is some thing. Now because further we find in the creatures, No discourse in God, yet in his creatures, one reason pulls in another. prius & posterius, a first and a second; so that here we conceive of God, as though he did discourse of one thing from another. The truth is, he sees them simul and semel, yet because for our capacity he hath said, he hath antica, postica, a face, and back parts; and his backparts are revealed unto us by a prius and posterius, a first & a last, we give sapience unto God, which is of all conclusions, and diductions from their true fountains. Again, because the Lord hath set an order, and contrived every thing most fitly and conveniently for time, place, and person, we call him a prudent God. And as he hath most substantially effected all things, we call it great art and skill. Now all this cannot be, without the good will and pleasure of our God, which respecting himself, makes himself the chief good: and therefore he made the world, for no need he had of it. Secondly, in respect of the creatures bearing his image, they were all of them good, yea and very good: if all were done, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by his good pleasure, or according thereunto; then is God the most free agent, because first most absolute, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, propriè: and therefore Arminius blasphemes against God, in saying that God doth work most necessarily, because he hath no liberty of will, as well to evil, as to good: for, says he, that which is only unto good, hath no freedom, but necessity thereunto. He knows not, that liberum arbitrium, free-will, belongs to counsel; and that cause that can work by counsel, hath free will. For arbitrium, belongs to reason; liberum, to will: and therefore free-will, Free-will, a wit and a will, or a ●●lling wittiness. is nothing but a willing wittiness, and that is counsel. To do willingly, is the work of the will; and to do wittingly, is of the wit, or understanding. Thus than you have heard the concourse of God with his creature; the creature depending, must be governed; being governed, must obey; obeying, must observe his rule; and yet being mutable, may leave off to give due respect unto it: and this, non attendentia, makes him slip out of God's way into his own, as may plainly be seen by the first sin, where the Law offered his concourse, but man denied his. Again, you see how God doth decree in himself; and therefore first we are to know, that God in decreeing, follows no creature, directa cognition: secondly in manifesting his desree, it is done cognition indirecta, first general, in his creation; for from his efficiency and omnipotency, potuit, he could reveal it: hence in respect of himself, being mere acts, he could not have any such attribute; for potuit, may be, or could be, can never be said of him that ever was actu: therefore must it respect the things that may be, & may feel the act of God: hence qua potuit, efficit, as he could bring them forth, so he did it most effectually. Now because omnipotency, and efficiency, respects both posse, and efficere, to be able, and to do; Constanter, ver●, sideliter. and what God can do, and will do, that must he needs decree, constantly, truly, and faithfully. Now because this decree of God, cannot but be brought to pass after the best way and manner: therefore must he decree by counsel; if by counsel, then must the scope be prefixed; therefore must the end of it manifest his glory; therefore all his goodness, therefore his virtues, which are his attributes; and if them, than his justice and mercy. To do by counsel, is to have some express form of working, the plot whereof makes every thing agreeable to his counsel: this plot seems good unto his wisdom, and this the Lord wills, and that with a most free will, arbitrio judicij, libertate voluntatis, wit and will. Out of these grounds we easily answer the doubt, Application to the doubt. that God did neither omit or commit any thing in man's fall: he did not omit, for the rule was at hand, and man's faculty to do well was sufficient: the concourse was not in man, therefore did he omit, denying the law that due respect that it challenged. I told you before, that neither the law alone, nor the faculty alone was able to produce the act of obedience; therefore the law alone could not do it: not that it was an unsufficient rule, but because man would not practise this rule. Now you know it is said to be impossible unto the law, not in regard of itself, but in regard of us that cannot concur with it, to that righteousness which it exacteth, which we might have done by creation. For commission it is plain, that the Lord did no otherwise concur with man's fall, than the law did; which you have heard in explication of the causes of the first transgression, was no causa pierce, but causa per accidens, and therefore an unblamable cause. If man will rush against it, what fault can he find with the law, if it do mischief him? He that takes a sword by the point, is sure to wound himself, which if he had taken by the handle, might have been used both for defence, and offence. But it is further replied, the motion of man to fin followed God's motion, which was irresistible: True it is, the will of God is irresistible when it is opposed; and therefore in resisting the will of God, he followed an irresistible motion; in opposing the law of God, he suffered his own overthrow. So that resistentia, being only of enemies, that suffer mutably, and God being sine passione resistentia, without passion or resistance, and therefore cannot be resisted. Then your meaning is this, that man was a resolute enemy to sinning, and fought with God about this action; but God would have man to sin, and so man should not resist. But alas, it was clean contrary, God's will was not to have man to sin, and man's will was to sin; and therefore he fought against God's will, yet could he not resist God's will, or falsify the least of his decrees. Rom. How God concludes hi● mercy and justice, not ex pr●u●sa fid●, or ex pec●ato, b●t from the promise which was his mere good will and pleasure. 9.19. the conclusion in the 18. verse is, the manifestation of God's mercy and justice; by what argument you shall conceive, if you look from the 6. verse: it is drawn from contraries; man's infidelity, and God's fidelity: the infidelity of man cannot frustrate the promise of God: first, because his promise is either general or special: general, as it respects the root: special, as it respects the branches: therefore he saith, all are not Israel, that is, the true living branches, which are of Israel, that is, the root unto which the promise was made, it was made to Abraham, it was made to Isaac, etc. Abraham the root, and some of the seed of this root, were indeed the seed of Abraham; but yet in Isaac must the true seed be called: this second promise is the effectual promise which must stand, v. 8. for there be some the children of the flesh, having Abraham for their root; but others are the children of God, which have God for their father; and therefore must needs effectually be made partakers of the covenant: and these say the Apostle are properly counted for the seed: this he shows, first, because of the time appointed, ver. 9 secondly, from the parity of conception, Sarah had a son, but the other was by her maid: and therefore no marvel if God sanctified the true seed; the other was bastardly borne: yet v. 10. the matter was brought to more equal terms, even Rebecca she conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; therefore this conception would admit no exception for the parents: Nothing either in the parents or children why God should purpose one to life, the other to death. but yet it may be the exception is to be made in the children themselves, therefore v. 11. he proves God's purpose, to exclude all outward or inward considerations, that might be found in them: First, from the constancy of his purpose, that it might remain: secondly, from the form of his purpose, according to election, a settled decree: thirdly, from the eternity of it, yet the children were borne: four, from the denial of all causes out of himself: first by an ennumeration either good or evil; it was neither the goodness of jacob, nor the evil of Esau, that caused the Lord to purpose any such thing: secondly, from the practice of good or evil done; that distinction of facta, and facienda, of done, or to be done, is idle: for the fifth and last argument knocks it in the head; which is drawn from the remotion of a false cause, and the position or laying down of the true cause, not by works, generally done, or to be done; but by him that calleth: if this be the true cause, then say the other, and you oppose Gods call: for works and Gods call be membra dividentia, & therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, such as cannot stand together. This cause is proved to be the truth; First, by God's oracle, Gen. 25.23. the elder shall serve the younger; this is against the ordinary course of nature, but God that calleth will have it so. Secondly, from a testimony, Mal. 1.2.3. as it is written, I have loved jacob, and have hated Esau: that is, I have called jacob to the feeling of my love, and Esau to the feeling of my hatred: and therefore here by these acts we are to understand God's appointment. Against this ariseth the argument of flesh and blood, The argument of flesh and blood against God's everlasting decree. being not able to distinguish betwixt God's appointment, and his actual love or hatred in the creature: therefore vers. 14. surely then there is unrighteousness with God: To this the Apostle answers; First, by a correction, execration, and holy indignation, God forbidden. Secondly, from a testimony, Exod. 33.19. God saith it unto Moses, and therefore it must needs be most true: and that is proved in the very testimony itself: First, from the true cause of all righteousness, and that is God's will: secondly, from the liberty of his will, he is bound to none, and therefore he can injustly deprive no man of any right he can claim at his hands: thirdly, every subject is equal for the receiving of it, otherwise it could not be, on whom he would: four, because it is above the reach of man, v. 16. it is neither in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that showeth merci●. But you may object, this testimony is imperfect, for it only proves that which you have said of election; but this is nothing for reprobation: but mark what follows, v. 17. The example of reprobation, to set forth God's purpose, power, and name, which he simply willeth. and you shall see the second testimony for reprobation exemplified in Pharaoh; the supreme causes whereof, are God's purpose, power, and name; his name is proclaimed, Exod. 34.5, 6, 7. and it is nothing but his glorious attributes; and they are his justice and mercy; and therefore the name of his justice is proclaimed on Pharaoh: this name God did purpose with himself; and that he might purpose, he had power whereby he might show it on Pharaoh; ergo, qua potuit fecit, & qua fecit & potuit, decrevit, etc. God did it on Pharaoh, and therefore he might do it; as he did it, and might do it, he purposed and decreed it; as he did that, so it was his counsel; this his counsel had no scope, but his own name; this his name was well-pleasing unto his wisdom; this his well-pleasing made his purpose good; and this good, God absolutely willed: therefore that which he concluded only of mercy, v. 16. in this 19 he concludes on both mercy and justice, he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth: this conclusion plainly shows, that Gods will is the supreme and absolute cause, otherwise no need why either that objection should be made, v. 14. is God unrighteous? or this which followeth, how should men complain? seeing no man can resist his will: to what purpose (I say) if it had been for sin? but the former is cut off with this resolution, it is God's will; and therefore he knows how to justify it: and this second is answered accordingly as I have said, from the nature of passion and resistance: Gods will is the supreme, therefore an irresistible will, and void of all passion. Shall the thing forming, As man cannot resist God; so God will not resist man, until man have offered the first resistance. suffer or be resisted of the thing form? or the potter of his lump of clay? how much more should God's will be resisted of man? But what is all this to Gods resisting of man's will? the Lord offered no violence to the will of man in his fall, neither did he himself make any resistance to the temptation, but most willingly embraced it, and gave as free a consent as possibly could be imagined: and therefore God put upon man no irresistible motion. But you say, he could not resist the decree of God, etc. True: what then, could be not resist his own will? it is therefore one thing for man to resist Gods will, and another thing for God to resist man's will. If God should have resisted man's will, he should not have sinned. Therefore the causes being separate, so judge of the effects; the effect of Gods will is necessary, because it hath the best end; but man's effect was contingent, and had the worst end. Therefore God by his decree imposeth no irresistible motion upon the will of man. To the necessary copulation of God's decree, The copulation of God's decree and sin is not causal. and man's fall, it is to be answered, that it is not causal. For if you understand it as a copulative axiom, God decrees, and man falls; then the whole axiom is absolutely affirmed, and the former part doth not pull in the consequent, but both of them are considered as going cheek by jowl: but their meaning is of a connex axiom; if God decree, than it is necessary that man should fall. Here we distinguish, betwixt the parts of an axiom, and the connexion; the parts may be contingent, or false, where the connexion is most necessary. As for example; If he be a learned man, than he respecteth wisdom: the connexion is necessary, if Cicero be an Orator, than he knows how to speak well: these be necessary connexion's, but the parts are contingent. Again, the connexion may be a necessary truth, yet the parts may be false: as if a man be a dog, than he hath the faculty of barking: a man to be a dog is false, or a man to have this faculty, is also false. God decrees, that was not absolutely necessary, nay as out of himself, it was contingent: so man's fall is likewise contingent. Actio interna seu formalis, externa seu materialis, & coniuncta seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Therefore our Divines distinguish of actions. First, there is an internal action, which they call formal; and this is in God himself, eternal, immutable, and neither hath beginning nor ending. And in this sense say they, the whole cause of reprobation, or election is in God alone: and this is a most necessary truth. The second, is external or material, which is exercised upon the creature: and this is in time, and limited according to the nature of the creature that receiveth it; and this is contingent. The third is, a complete or perfect action of both, which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Extremam admovere manum. a perfect finishing of the thing: and this being absolute, and proceeding from absolute causes, is in his conjoined nature, necessary: yet no argument to prove, that one cause should make the other necessary. And therefore the will of God, makes man's will no necessary cause of his own fall. But to this connexion it is formerly replied, that it is not only so in the maior proposition, but also in the minor, and therefore the assumption being taken out of the mayor, and concluding necessarily, must needs be causal; as if God decree, than man must fall: but I assume, God decrees, and therefore man must fall: so that Gods decree inferring the conclusion upon man's will, as following necessarily, must needs be a cause. The answer is, it is a necessary conclusion by way of ratiocination or discourse, but not from the argument itself; the disposition makes it necessary: but the third reason is no necessary cause, seeing that the action of God's decree, as out of himself, and in the creature, is externally and materially to be considered; and so is not necessary, but contingent, temporary, and mutable: and therefore if it had pleased God, it might have fallen out otherwise: for every necessary truth, is an eternal truth. And therefore that which is in time, and not eternal, is contingent, mutable, and alterable. That which is said to the interceding cause, betwixt God's decree and the fall, Of the interceding cause. to wit, man's free will, to exempt God from sin, is most true: for God did not immediately work man's fall. But you object, that the remote cause is as well sinful as the next, because the devil was the remote cause, and yet guilty of the same sin Adam committed. A special neverprooves a general. The answer is, when the causes are univocal, homogenial, and of the same order of working; but in causes heterogenial and equivocal, which are of diverse natures, the remote cause is never tainted with the same fault, that the next cause is: As wine is a remote cause, why a man is drunk, yet no faultie-cause of his drunkenness: The Gospel and our Saviour Christ, came to send a sword into the world, but yet were no true causes of sedition and quarrels among men; The Sun raiseth putrefied creatures out of dead carcases; it can harden as well the clay, as melt the wax: A son desires the death of his father, so doth God; One thing effected of diverse causes may be faulty in one but not in another. but the son breaks God's commandment, God doth it according to the true rule of justice: a son would have his father live, God would the contrary, yet a sin in neither. And therefore a remote cause is only guilty of the same offence with the next, when they work all after one form and manner; otherwise the immediate cause is the only author of the sin, all the rest by accident and by abuse. The Gospel is the savour of death unto death, as well as the free will of man, but not eodem genere causandi, after the same manner of working. Pharaoh hardeneth his own heart, so doth God, but the one immediately, the other mediately, by the abuse of man's free-will. Therefore the answer is, from the distinction of remote causes, in univocal causes the remote cause is as guilty as the next, and therefore the devils will, In causes univocal all are guilty of the same crime, but not in equivocal. and man's will working univocally, are both in the same offence; but Gods will and man's, work equivocally, the one, one way, and the other another: and therefore no need of participation, seeing they have no next genus of a cause in which they should communicate. Answer to God's desertion. To the third evasion, betwixt infallibility and necessity, it is granted that man fell infallibly, but not necessarily; except we understand it of God's decree in himself, and then the truth was an eternal truth. And in this sense our Divines hold it; not of any necessity in man's will, therefore it was only necessary in Gods will, but contingent in man's; yet the truth itself in the thing, is to God and man contingent, to God most certain, but to man uncertain. For desertion, we hold that God did not forsake man in any necessary, requisite for his true obedience unto the law, only he withheld his confirmation of man. If a man were set in some office for trial of his gifts, is it necessary that he should be confirmed in it? I trow not and therefore this desertion was of confirmation, and not of necessary helps for execution. And here our Orthodox writers, when they answer to that argument, that justice and mercy presuppose misery, Mis●rie potential, real, habitual. make answer of a threefold misery: first actual, which is in sense and feeling: secondly habitual, which is in the bosom of a man, but as yet puts not forth itself: the third potential, into which a man may fall: and this they call a misery in comparison: job 4.18. Behold, he found no steadfastness in his servants, and laid folly upon his angels: job 9.2. How should man compared unto God, be justified? Habitual and actual misery had no place in man by his creation: but possible or potential misery, was laid in the freedom of his will, which if God had inclined unto good, and man so determined, then had he come into the estate of the blessed Angels; and so misery had been impossible, and his estate should have been confirmed unto him with God for ever; not from the freedom of his will, but from his obedience, and Gods promise thereunto. Therefore that desertion, and not collation of necessary help to avoid sin, is to be understood of this third grace; which was not a grace of creation, but a further liberality, which God might have bestowed, if it had pleased him. But I dare not rest satisfied with this answer, because I see this third grace was only to be obtained by the obedience of the creature, that is, if he did the will of God, then would God have been as good as his promise, thou shalt live: therefore in my judgement, Confirmation of life by creation was to follow our obedience unto the 〈◊〉. confirming grace was a subsequent grace, to follow obedience, and not an antecedent grace, to go before it: and so the angels obtained it by their obedience, and from their obedience are confirmed: if then without their obedience they could not be confirmed, then must confirming grace belong unto the law of creation, as well as any other: for what grace should man have received by creation, but that which God would have communicated unto him by the rule of obedience; do this and thou shalt live: to confirm him in life, was upon his doing. I answer therefore, Desertion 1. in not rebuking Satan. 2. In dividing of the law and his faculty. 3. In that God suffered man to be distracted and did not hold him close unto his law in despite of the devil. that desertion is no cause of man's sin: but that God was wel-pleased to suffer the devil to work more strongly in the temptation, than man's will should be able to oppose; not for power given, but for present act: and as in this temptation the law forsook man, so God may most justly be said to forsake him. I have before declared that two things are most necessary for every good action, rule, and power; which if both concur not, the action cannot be produced. Now the law concurred not, and therefore man was forsaken of the law: not actively, but passively; even as a master should promise his servant all aid and succour, as long as he would be faithful; but after he gins to manifest the least appearance of his infidelity, utterly to cast him off: so God's law would have utterly vanquished the devil; but man proving unfaithful, God's law wholly rejected him. Secondly, if it had pleased God, he might have kept the devil from man, or have assisted his will, that he might never have yielded unto the temptation: so then, God not giving the will and the deed, and the law being forsaken, no marvel if upon these desertions man sinned: the one had not been wanting, had not man been wanting unto himself: and the presence of the other was not necessary; neither did God in his wisdom think that it was convenient: man then had sufficient, but not absolutely to stand: and this desertion, or confirming grace, might well be withdrawn from man. And herein there was no merit of desertion, except that of the law: neither did God make man will any such thing: yet concerning the former distinction it may well be said, that God's election freed his own from the possibility of everlasting misery, and so their fall was but a passage to a better life: and reprobation on the contrary suffered the rest to fall, and lie in everlasting misery. For the other, that man's fall was a mere consequence of God's decree, it is false in simple propositions; but in connexion it may be true, where the parts do not force it, but the connexion; as if God decree, than it must needs come to pass. To the third argument, from man's will; I answer, Concerning the freedom of man's will. it is not necessary, that the thing which cannot be frustrated, should constrain men to sin: The gates of hell shall not prevail against God's Church, this is no constraining of the liberty of the wicked: Rom. 9 the jews were cut off; yet v. 6. it cannot be that the word of God should take no effect: He is said to be frustrated of his hopes, that misseth of his end; but he that is certain of his end, can no ways be deceived of his expectation: neither for this purpose is it necessary, that the means tending thereunto, should be brought in by violence. To be frustrated is one thing, to be constrained is another; they are indeed both under a cause by accident: yet the efficient is constrained in the one to produce his effect, in the other not constrained; yet produceth an effect beside his scope and intent: To work by violence, and ●●●stra, differ modo 〈◊〉. they have both of them an external worker, yet in the one it is necessity, in the other fortune and chance: the one is because of ignorance, and so may be frustrated of his intent: but the other cannot have his scope and liberty to go about that which he intendeth. Now with God there is no ignorance, and he cannot work any thing frustrà, or in vain; and therefore nothing can fall out beside his scope, I mean, that which he intended directly to bring to pass: therefore it is chance and fortune that makes us give God an infallibility of decreeing, not a necessity of performing: it is one thing for God infallibly to bring a thing to pass, and necessarily. To the second, The difference betwixt the internal and external act. liberty is not taken away, because his act is to one thing, therefore observe this distinction; there is a twofold act, one internal, which is immediately from the form, acting upon his own matter, and this is eternal, inseparable, and immutable. But the second, which is more external, and working on objects out of itself, is mutable, temporal, and separable: as for example, the faculty of laughter, as it flows from the reasonable soul, acting and bestirring itself in our bodies, is an inseparable act; yet that motion which should be in regard of external objects of laughter, is separable; yea, a man may be without it for ever. So then to our purpose, that liberty that ariseth from our wills, inwardly acting, is inseparable; yet that which should work upon external objects, is separable, and God may determine it at his will and pleasure; and yet let man have his essential liberty, The external act is separable. without which the will is not a will. If then in all natural things, the external act, or that which we call the second, be separable, why may not the will of man be deprived of such an act as this? In sin surely our will for external objects only flies on evil, yet that first act is not taken away, whereby by God's grace it may be set again, and that in heaven, only to run upon good: the angels in heaven have their liberty, and yet they are all ways to act good: God is most free, yet he hath neither first nor second act which may possibly be inclined unto evil. Here Arminius for his opposition is feign to defend, that God hath no liberty of willing, and angels in heaven have such as they might become devils: for I am sure if they have freedom as well to good as evil, then may they will evil: which if he should understand of the first act, than it were most true, but they are confirmed in the second act still to cry, holy, holy Lord God of sabboth's. But Arminius says and confesseth, that although God by us, be defended to take away liberty, which he says is secundum motum voluntatis, yet he affirms, that the natural motion of the will is still remaining: but neither liberty, nor natural motion, can stand with coaction or violence, seeing that both naturâ, and consilio efficere, to work by nature and counsel, are causes that produce by an internal and innate principle: and therefore free from coaction and violence. And here I admire, that he hath forgotten his Logic. For the third reason: it is true that necessity and contingency, can never stand together, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, wholly and simply differ: and therefore I will never hold, that man fell necessarily: and in that, I consent with Arminius. To the fourth objection, that reprobation is a punishment, it is thus answered; Reprobation is either a simple rejection or preterition, or else damnation itself. The first, is opus voluntatis liberae: the second, voluntatis necessariae. The preterition of God, is his most free will; but damnation is a necessary act of divine justice for sin and transgression: 2. Thess. 1.6. that all men are vasa, vessels, that is from God, but that they are vasa irae, vessels of wrath, that is from themselves. Gen. 1. all God's works were good: joh. 8. when the devil speaks a lie, ex proprijs loquitur, he speaks it of himself, because he is a liar, and the father of lies: and therefore, when we sin, we sin of ourselves. Yet besides all this, there is a third, and that is vasa praeparata, Reprobatio est praed imna●●● non damnatio ipsa. vessels prepared; and that is from God. So then God's preterition is no punishment, neither is his preparation of a vessel: but damnation is a punishment, and that is never without sin. Again, discernere and ordinare, differ as a general and special. To discern of any thing, is the whole work of reason; but to ordain, is a special part of reason in disposing of all things orderly. So then God's decree is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or perfect work of his counsel concerning man: ordination is that, which à principio ad finem media respicit, looks how to lay things together from the beginning to the end. Now all this may be done of God in reprobation, and yet makes it no punishment. First, that God doth discern or decree by counsel, is reason and judgement; which are no punishments, but necessarily go before them: so than God's decree of reprobation, is not the jailer in the prison, or the hangman on the gallows, but the judge on the white throne, whose putitie tries all things. It is not therefore necessary, because God sentenceth all things, that he should punish them: for this is sapientis judicis praevidere, A logical act and a moral ●uffer. non justi vindicis punire: so then in reason to decree, is not the illation of any punishment. For the other, ordination which more properly is in the things done, God disposeth of them according to his decree that went before with counsel and deliberation; neither is this any punishment: for as decreeing, so ordaining are of reason and judgement: now reason and judgement punisheth no man, for they are logical acts, but to punish is a moral act: and therefore no necessity why we should confound them. So then simply to pass by, or prepare a damnation by decree, counsel and ordination are no punishments at all. But you will say, to be forsaken of his creator, cannot but be a punishment: Alas you do here misconstrue the meaning of our divines: for they say, that election is ad supernaturalem gratiam, non naturalem: and reprobatio est praeteritio non quoad naturalem gratiam, but supernaturalem: that is, election is to a supernatural grace; & reprobation is the forsaking of a man according to this estate, not for his natural estate, or that wherein he was created, and so God never forsakes him; but in the other, he forsakes him, and yet it is no punishment, that so the Lord should do: for it is neither a privative evil, or positive unto man, Reprobation neither a privative or positive evil. seeing all privations and wants, are of such things as once we had: and positive evils of such, as vex and trouble us. Now to want supernatural grace, was never the want of a created man, because he never had it: neither by creation could he feel any want of it, seeing God had given him enough. And thus much of the Arguments. The conclusion of the whole disputation, declaring by reason, the Scriptures, and Church, that God is no author of sin. Exod. 34. God is jehovah, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. God is omnipotent, el shaddai, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; God is justice itself, el tsaddick: God is the supreme cause, and chief good, shaddiel, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. jehovah, absolute being, cannot produce that which is nothing; his omnipotency, cannot produce impotency; his justice, impiety; or supreme cause, any defect. Sin is peshange, defect; gnavou, iniquity; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a fall from righteousness; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an aberration from a scope: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, transgression: and for his production, non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: sin is produced from impotency and imbecility, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from mere mass and impersection: therefore not from God, that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pure act: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, power and strength, and therefore free from all imbecility: shaddai, sufficient: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, deus plenitudinis, a God of fullness: therefore heaven and earth may as soon join, as perfection become imperfection, act power, good evil, sufficiency deficiency, God sin. Add the Scriptures: Gen. 1.31. All was very good. Deut. 32.4. Habak. 1.13. Rom. 3.5, 6. Rom. 9.14. The Scripture teacheth, 1. that God wills no sin. 2. that he neither commands, or stirs up any to sin. 3. that he punisheth it, gravissimè, iustissimè, certissimè, most justly, most grievously, most certainly. 4. that he hates it in that extremity, that no man was able to bear it, but he that was God and man; no blood able to wash it away, but the blood of his well-beloved Son; no sacrifice able to pacify this wrath, but of him in whom only he said he was wel-pleased: no prayers, no tears to prevail, but only those that are put up in this name. Lastly, every page in the Bible, is either exhorting to piety, or threatening plagues and punishments upon those that will not be reclaimed. Add to the Scriptures, the Church triumphant, & the choir is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, sacro sancto Trinitas, holy, holy, holy, most holy and sacred Trinity; and the Church militant is fight and praying, that at the length it may be delivered, not to be with a God of sin, but with him that can free them from all sin and misery. We therefore conclude, he that will not hear the voice of reason, is a beast; that will not believe the Scriptures, is an infidel; that will not hear the Church, is a bastard. Reason ought to convince us, as men; the Scriptures, as Christians; and the Church, as children. We hear the voice of reason, that we may confess our Creator; of the Scriptures, that we may love our father; and the Church, that we may kiss our mother. And God forbidden, that ever any of us should otherwise be minded. The collation of M. Perkins and Arminius in this point of God's decree. IT was well said of Seneca, Lib●de ira. Vtrique pirti actiones dares, dares te apus, non semel audires: magis anim veritas elucet, quo saepius ad manum venit. that in matters of controversy, each party should have time to try his action, and be heard more than once; and the reason thereof as well given by him; because the aftner the truth cometh to hand, (to be skauned) the more the light thereof appeareth. Seeing therefore it hath pleased the [Church] with some patience to hear, and I am afraid, to allow, the examination of M. Perkins, by Arminius the Coryphaeus of all the Lutherans, in the point of Predestination; I hope, for the love of that worthy man, and the acuteness of his adversary, she will vouchsafe the reading of this Collation, to see how the Truth is more apparent by their opposition. If the opposition were but like an overblown bladder, then would it burst of itself, and vent the wind thereof, without any further pricking: but seeing the common fame, runs through the world, that it is so learnedly and absolutely done, that it may give all men satisfaction, and that no man would ever be able, to make any sound reply to it: it is become as the wind in the bowels, that will not be removed, except the hottest medicines be applied, and that by the judgement of the best Physicians. These rumours may daunt a weak spirit, and make him despair to encounter with such a tempest, that strikes all down before it. But seeing God is in the calm, more than in the rushing wind, and that the truth is freely to be bought of all that mean not to sell him, for the plausible opinions of the world, I am bold in the confidence of my God, and the love of his truth, to rescue a faithful servant of God out of the hands of as subtle an adversary, as ever set pen to such a work. And why should I be afraid, seeing he that walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks, holds every star in his right hand, to protect, guide, and defend them, as long as they walk with him: O therefore, thou which art the truth, teach me in thy truth, that I err not: thou which art the way, guide me in thy way, that I wander not: and thou which art the life, quicken my soul with the life of grace, that I may speak in the chief mystery of my salvation, from the true experience of thy love shed abroad in mine own heart. M. Perk. Predestination is first to be grounded out of God's word, secondly out of true principles of reason. I. Ar. It is true, that the word of God, and innate principles are the true foundation of all this doctrine: yet because the fall hath blotted out these principles, we must always have recourse to examine them by God's word, which is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in stead of all. Collation. This is Christianly spoken on both sides: indeed the Philosopher says, contra negantem principia non est disputandum, he that denies principles, is unworthy to be disputed withal: yet man's principles, be they never so common, are not to be trusted without God's word. M. Perk. First principle: God is always just, though man be not able to comprehend it in his own reason. I. Ar. This notion is most true, only caution is to be taken, that we judge not the cause by the effect: it is just, therefore God wills it; but from this antecedent, God wills it, therefore it is just. Collat. This confession, as yet makes no breach betwixt them: yet this I would add, that seeing we only understand God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, à posteriore, and not à priore, his backeparts, and not his face, that it is lawful to conclude from the effects to the cause: as this thing is done, and except God had willed it, it could not have been done, and therefore there is a just reason for it in God's will, though we can not perceive it: which is the mind of M. Perkins, which he would have corrected. M. P. 2. Principle: God is independent from all second causes; yet all second causes are dependent upon him, even when they do unjustly. I. A. Occasion taken from the creatures, is not to make God depend on them for his will, but absolutely to will that occasion; yet if that occasion had not been given from them, God would never have willed, decreed, or ordained it. The subjection of the creature to vanity, is from him that subjecteth it; yet if man his cause, had not given this occasion, God had never willed this subjection. It was God's will, that Christ should be sent, which never had been willed of God, but upon the occasion of man's fall. It is Gods will that sin should be punished, yet man's fall gave the occasion, without which God would never have punished man. Gen. 18. Exod. 32.1. Sam. 2. The judge of the whole world, will do justly. 2. He that sins shall be put out of my book. 3. God forbidden, but that they that honour me, should be honoured of me; and they that contemn me, should be contemned of me. Yet in all this irrogation, or imposing of punishment, the Lord is absolute and independent; otherwise the creature would leave nothing unassaied, to escape God's hand. Collat. M. Perkins meaning is, to make God independent every ways; and therefore by a Synecdoche, he puts second causes, for all kind of reason that can be drawn from them. Now causation is the first, and most perfect reason that can be in things from God; therefore God is not only independent, as his creatures work with him; but also for all other reason that can be drawn from them. Therefore occasion given by the creature, being a reason, must either depend from God, or God must depend from it: if it depend from God, than Gods will was before it; but if God depend from it, than was this occasion before Gods will: and to make any thing before Gods will, is to deny his will to be absolute. For the three examples: First, it is true, that the occasion of the creatures subjection unto vanity, was man's sin; but no occasion of God's will, who absolutely willed as much as he occasioned. For the second, man's fall was the occasion of Christ's sending into the world; but not of Gods will to send his Son, which was before all occasions. For the third, man's sin is the occasion why God will punish, but no occasion why he should ordain to punish. For his admonition to distinguish between, to ordain, and decree, is profitable, but not according to his exposition: For, saith he, to ordain, is to set an order in things done, and not to ordain facienda ut fiant, things to be done, that they may be: But he is to know, that discerno, is to see asunder, and is as general as all reason, whereby all Gods works are seen asunder. Of the same signification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from whence comes dialectica, the art of reason; now reason is first to find out things: secondly, having found them out, to judge them: which judgement is either of truth or falsehood, as in propositions; or of consequence & inconsequence, as in Syllogisms; or of order and confusion, as in method. And in this last part, to ordain is properly manifested, therefore is a special branch of discerning: and by a Synecdoche, of the special, for the general, may be put for decreeing: yet properly to decree, is a work of counsel, wisely discerning of every special reason, truth, consequent, or any other thing, that may make for his scope prefixed: then to ordain, is the wise laying together of all these things, that all confusion and disorder may be escaped, and every thing most sweetly brought unto his end appointed of the Lord. Here take notice of three kinds of knowledge disputed among the Schoolmen: Knowledge possibile, actual, conditional. 1. possibilis intelligentia: 2. actualis: 3. conditionalis. The first is of all possible things, that never shall be: the second, of all things that are, or shall be: the third, of such things as would be, if such and such things went before; If Cain do well, he shall be accepted, Gen. 4. if David stay in Keilah, the lords of the city will deliver him: if I continue in believing, than I shall be saved; if I continue in sin, I shall be damned. And on this knowledge, for any thing that I can perceive, do the Papists and Lutherans hang all predestination: and so make Gods will the consequent in decreeing, and man's will the antecedent in giving God the occasion. The deceit is this, that from the connexion of things, they judge of Gods will about things; which is most indirect, and a knowledge that agrees not to God, but at the second hand. It is true, that the first knowledge, being judged according to logical invention, is of things possible: for arguments or reasons afore they come to be disposed, are only in potentia ad arguendum, have an affection to argue: and so many things that might be, have this potential kind of reason; and so we say they are known of God, because we so conceive of them. The second knowledge, which is more actual, is properly science; the laying together of those things which before were only in affection to argue. The third is of these things, which being laid together, can no otherwise have force of reason, but upon connexion and supposition: and in this head, would they tie God's decree and knowledge; when indeed God follows no such suppositions, but absolutely knows and wills what he pleaseth: yet seeing his decree is as large as all reason, it cannot otherwise be imagined, but that in the manifestation of it, all reason should appear. And so we grant a connexion, supposition, condition, and occasion in all God's works that is in the effects of his will, but none of all these in the will itself. Therefore they do amiss to put that upon his will, which is the cause, which ought to be in the effect of his will, and thereupon no antecedent of God's will, but mere consequents: That creation should go before the fall, the fall before redemption, redemption before salvation, and sin before damnation, are all of them most necessary suppositions, connexion's, conditions, and if you please, occasions. And thus much for that occasion, which is to Arminius, delphicus gladius; but it cuts asunder such knots as God hath tied together, whose will in all things draws the first link, and cannot be drawn of any. M. Per. 3. Principle in sense is this, that God does all by counsel, therefore he hath his scope, which he knows, wills, and disposeth unto most prudently: and therefore decrees every thing thereunto. I. Ar. The most wise God doth all things for some end and purpose, even that which he doth not, yet he permits it for some end and purpose: therefore, first it is a fault to say, that God must either agere, be doing; or otiose spectare, become an idle beholder; which is no good distribution: for agere and permittere, to do, and permit, are really distinguished; and both these are for good purpose; and therefore, God must either be doing, or an idle beholder, are too scant, for he may permit. Secondly, prudence is too short a word to enlarge itself to all God's wisdom. Thirdly, adhibito certo fine, the end applied, & finis gratia, and for the end, are not all one: for no man works for the end applied; but for the good therein implied. Fourthly, Deus non vult, aut non decernit quod non potest, God neither wills, nor decrees that which he cannot: here no sense, except it be further added, which he cannot do, or permit: and therefore the conclusion is most imperfect, so God decreed to do, except this be added, or permitted. Collat. Agere prudenter, to do wisely, will bear the sense of permission: for permission coming from God's will, is considered of us as an effect; this effect is produded by counsel, therefore for a good end and purpose: so then, that which God doth permittere, he doth prudenter agere: grant then, that God's permission comes from his counsel, and aims at his glory, and then it must be more than a negative act. But to speak the truth; permission, as it is expounded of Arminius, maintains nothing but absurdities: First, in regard of the cause; for says he, permission is voluntatis remissae: now such a will as this cannot be in God, whose will is mere act, and therefore cannot admit of degrees: all remissivenesse of God's will, is in regard of the subject, which is quantum; and may be less and more, but in regard of himself it is impossible. Secondly, a remiss will, doth either will, or not will, or suspend: to suspend, is neither to hinder nor further the act, and so the Lord should have no stroke in sin, which is the denial of his providence in the apostasy of man: if his providence did not suspend, nor his power, than his will was not to suspend in that action: if he did more than suspend, than it was either to will, or not to will; if not to will, than sin should not have been: therefore God did will it, per modum actionis. That this may appear, God's manner of working in sin. we are to consider what manner of efficient causes true reason lays down unto us: And the first manner of causes efficient, are either to beget, or preserve: the second to work alone, or with others: the third by himself, or by accident; and agere is given to every one of these. Let us then see where God's action in sin comes in: and because it is most apparent in the third; I answer, God is the cause of sin by accident: And this will appear, if we consider how many causes wrought by an internal principle; & these were four: the devil, and Adam principally; the serpent, and the woman instrumentally; and all these were blamable causes. The external cause was the law, and will of God; which in man's transgression, did all they did by an external faculty: for the law is made the savour of death unto death, not by his own faculty, but by the devils and man's free will: and this work of the law was most holy and just. And this is a working cause, justified by the true rule of reason, and not a bare permission. If a man take a knife, and thrust it into his bowels, it is the cause of murder, and no permission: if man therefore was thrust thorough and wounded to the death by the law of God, it was no bare permission, but a working cause, yet in all things unblamable. And therefore to deny Gods will all causation, is impossible. If a man would feign kill himself, and could find no instrument to effect it withal, he would be kept from the fact for want thereof: so if the Law had not been, man could not have died. Therefore it is most true, when our Divines speak of permission, that they do not in the general latitude of action, exclude it from coming under that General head, which Arminius doth in every place, and so takes all manner of working from God in sin. For that which he objects of prudence, it is true, The siue intellectual virtue. that this virtue is a special one: for first, we define intelligence, that virtue whereby God understandeth every particular, concerning every thing. 2. his knowledge or science, whereby he knoweth all truths in things; as it is of things to come, it is called his foreknowledge, or prescience. 3. his sapience, whereby he knoweth whatsoever may follow, or ensue of every thing. 4. his prudence, whereby he knoweth his fittest opportunity for all things. 5. his skill, whereby he knoweth to effect every thing most skilfully. The first of these virtues, belongs to all kinds of reason, which we call arguments simply considered in invention: the 2. is seen in axioms, where all truths are contained; the 3. in syllogisms, that teacheth how to conclude out of truths known; the 4. is seen in method and order; the 5. in practice. Hence we observe, that these 5. virtues being distinguished, yet one by a Synecdoche, may be put for all. And therefore when M. Perkins says prudently, he understands, not only Gods orderly proceeding, but intelligence of all things, science of all truths, wisdom in all diductions, and the most skilful handling of the matter that possibly can be imagined. For the third, it is but a mere Grammatical enasion: for M. Perkins meant no more but the end itself, though he further added the application of it. For the fourth, God neither wills, nor decrees that which he cannot; is no imperfect sense, seeing that God, fecit qua potuit, & quafecit & potuit decrevit, that is, God did it, as he could do it, and as he did it, and could do it, he decreed it. And therefore there was no need of such addition, seeing that Gods posse brings in his officere, and that posse and efficere bring in his decree. But I see if I should follow him step by step, his acuteness would make me heap up an infinite writing; therefore I content myself with a general view of him, because a just confutation of him ought to be in an other style. Therefore that I may only free the point in hand, I will generally labour to do it in the main points, and leave the other to some more special tractate hereafter. 4. God decree man table, granted of both, yet Arminius by permission, and occasion taken, opposeth M. Perkins. Principle: God's decree is immutable, even in those things which are mutable. This is confessed of Arminius, both in God's decree of effectual working, and permission: the secret opposition lies in two things, first in that he exactly distinguisheth betwixt to do, and permit, and will grant no efficiency to permission: which being defended, overturns the nature of a decree: for if to permit, be to do nothing; then God should decree to do nothing. If he answer, to do some thing in himself, but nothing in man's sin, than God should decree some thing with himself, which should never be effected in the creature by himself, & so God should not perfect his own will. But it may further be replied, God decrees to permit, Permissiion yields the creature his liberty, ver denies not God his work in sin. that is, to give the creature free liberty to fall into sin: this is true permission, that God will not do it himself, but permit man to do it; yet still we are further to add, that the wisdom of God, which is his will revealed in his law, did work in the very sin: and therefore sin is caused by the law, not by any internal faculty or power in the law, but external; which being accidental, is always reduced to other causes: and therefore the last resolution of sin, is into the free will of man. For neither the abuse of the law by the deviil, or his temptation, had proved sins in man, except he had conjoined with them. Secondly, though God's decree in both these be immutable, yet God follows the creature, in taking occasion from him in his greatest mutations to set forth his glory. This cannot stand: for immutability makes a necessary truth, and all necessary truths are eternal: therefore taken from no occasion of such things as should be in time, which are mutable and contingent, and never to be the grounds of eternal truths, which only have their original from him that is immutable and eternal; No eternal or immutable truth that follows things 〈◊〉 contingent, and therefore an immutable decree cannot be upon the contingent occasions of God, creatures. and therefore before all occasions, are considered: for it is impossible, either that Gods will, or the decree of his will, or the immutability of that decree, or the necessary truth from that immutability, should ever be upon occasion taken from creatures mutable and changeable. For whatsoever follows upon contingent things, is contingent; and therefore if God's decree should follow upon contingent things, it would become contingent. Indeed there is a connexion or disjunction of contingent things which is necessary, not from the contingent things themselves, but either from the connexion or disjunction itself. As for example; if thou believe, thou shalt be saved, the connexion is necessary; but that thou should believe, or be saved, are both contingent. A man is either learned or unlearned, is a necessary disjunction; but that thou should be learned, is contingent; and so is the other. If God decree, than it must come to pass; but if the decree, should follow upon the thing come to pass, though but occasionally, yet would it cross the nature of immutability. And we grant him that which he says, that the terms of the creatures mutation, which make a most certain determination, and by connexion, a necessary truth: yet in simple consideration, the Lord might have done otherwise: which never can be in a necessary truth. 5. Principle: All God's judgements are to be honoured & acknowledged. Exception: if they will agree with the word of God, and his justice: and this cannot be, except they be inflicted upon man sinful: a just exception, but not against the principle: for three things are to be considered in man: first, his workmanship, and that is Gods: secondly, the appointment of it for use unto his maker: thirdly, what may follow upon fault of the vessel. Men are vessels, and so they are Gods; secondly, they are prepared of God for his use: but the third, that they are vessels of wrath, that is of themselves. Therefore Augustine would not man to dispute with God, either for his making, or for the end of his making: for this can be resolved into no higher a cause then his own will. But if he will dispute with God, for his wrath and vengeance executed upon him, he shall find no other meritorious cause, but his sins. That he says Augustine was too bold with the place to the Romans, Arminius reprehends. Augustine of rashness, yet bona venia, with greater rashness. seeing the Apostle intended no such thing as human infirmity to dispute with God, but to mussel up the mouths of the refractory and perverse jews, and such like: but yet he is to know, that if the Apostle had brought his argument to that purpose only, then should he have dealt with them, as our Saviour Christ did, joh. 8. the jews they say, we have no need to be made free; Christ tells them, Ye are the servants of sin; & therefore in vain do you boast of your freedom: so here the jews might have said, we are cast off and reprobates, for so was the will of God, and how should we have helped it? The Apostle might presently have stopped their mouths, Ye are rebels against God, and therefore he hath cast you off: what could flesh and blood have opposed to this? But the Apostle makes no mention of this, but resolves all into God's will, and that most justly; seeing to make and prepare his vessels, is his own will alone. When he shall come to the third, to handle them as vessels of wrath, the cause shall easily be found out, to justify God and condemn man. 6. Principle: No money can do any thing, but where God works the will and the deed: and it is done, according to that measure, less or more, that God bestows upon us. Of the concourse of God's grace, both of them agree, only that word absolute is disliked; yet if in all effects the first cause be absolutely required, that the second may work, than God must absolutely concur to the effecting of any good. Seventh principle: No evil is avoided, that God doth not keep us from in the working. Of this it is agreed; but the manner of working is doubted of: whether it be by omnipotency, causing a necessary impedition; or of counsel, causing an infallible impedition: the first moves the will naturally, the second voluntarily. To answer, the distinction is not good: for omnipotency goes along with providence, in the preservation of the creature, as well as it did in creation for the production of the same; and therefore omnipotency is seen in the creatures motions, whether natural, or voluntary. Secondly, that distinction of the wills natural motion, and voluntary, is false: for I demand, whether the will in both be an internal agent? if internal, than it suffers neither violence nor coaction, but acts most freely, and therefore by that modus efficiendi, which is counsel. Thirdly, a necessary impedition, and infallible, are not always distinguished; nay a necessary impedition is always infallible, though infallible be not always necessary: and therefore to make distribution of a whole into a part, and a whole, is against reason, and opposeth those which are not opposed. Fourthly, the natural or voluntary motion of the will to an external object, is never necessary, but contingent. Therefore if the Lord should move the will, with a most certain determination, upon some external object, it should not make the act necessary. eight Principle: Gods will is judged of by his word, by revelation, and by event. Arminius excepts against the third, because the event may as well belong to God's permission of it, as his action in it: the former teacheth us to resolve the event affirmatively upon the second cause, but negatively upon God's will; because he would not hinder it, either by his power, secundum modum naturae, or persuasion, secundum modum voluntatis liberae. If we grant that God permitted sin (which before I have showed to be false, in regard that a manner of working in sin is justified of God without all blame) yet doth it not follow, but that the event should be Gods: Zach. 6.1. the four charets of the world, that is, all events, East, West, North, and South, come from between mountains of brass, God's immutable decree, which is as immovable as a mountain of brass. Again, that God must needs will the event, it is plain from the order of his wisdom, which runs before and after all events: before to work in them, and dispose of them; without which two causes they cannot be: he that is the first wisdom, and the last, will not suffer any event that shall not be from him, to him; for in as much as any thing is to him, in so much it is from him, seeing it is equally good to both, that is, as good for God, so good from God. Now surely, all events fall between these two terms, and therefore from God to God. Again, as after the event, God's wisdom doth either approve or disprove of the second causes working it: and hence all events are either ordered, limited, or punished of God. 9 Principle: No man can do that good which he might do by grace, except God should work in him both the will, and the deed to effect the same. To this Arminius replies, that God never gives power, but secondly all things that might concur to bring that power into act. This is most true; for before we showed, that two things were required to produce any work; faculty, and rule of working; and God never put any faculty into his creature, but he gave him a sufficient rule to work by. But the straight tying together of these two, makes the creature to stand firm and immovable: therefore religion (which since the fall is properly so called) a tying again of man unto God, is this straight bond, that ties the faithful soul for ever unto God; I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall never departed from me: This is eternal life to know thee, etc. So then, beside the rule, and the faculty, a third thing is required, not for sufficiency of working, but for certainty of working, and that is, when the Lord shall put into us his spirit of grace, which shall lead us into all truth, and keep us from falling away. And this third thing Adam wanted, and therefore Phil. 2.13. It is God which worketh in you both the will & the deed, even at his good pleasure: Observe, first it is said in you, that is, his faithful ones: secondly, it is both will and deed: thirdly, it is his most free will and pleasure, and therefore he may do it to whom he will, and when he will: therefore man had power and rule sufficient to have stood, but God did not so necessarily tie these together, but that man might, if he pleased, deny his concourse with the rule, and so sin against God. 10. Principle: The government of the whole world, and all execution of justice, is to be ascribed unto God. The exception to this is of small moment; God doth all not only in justice, but also in mercy, and knows where to bestow both: this M. Perkins included in the government of the world, wherein both justice and mercy are manifested. The definition of Predestination reprehended in the genus or common nature, in the subject, and in the end. The next examination is concerning the definition of Predestination: wherein Arminius reprehends three things, Rather reconciled then ●pposed in the first. first the genus or common nature in it: secondly the subject: and thirdly the end: for the first, Counsel cannot be the genus of predestination, because it shows the manner how Predestination is effected: so that Predestination is not Counsel, but that which is done by Counsel; Eph. 1.11. where predestination is said to be wrought, after the counsel of his own will. To this I answer, that by Counsel, M. Perkins understands the decree itself, by an usual Trope of the cause for the effect, to wit, Counsel, for a decree by counsel; so than Predestination is a decree by counsel: and thus both of them are rather reconciled, then opposed. For the second, The subject of Predestination is of man qua peccator, as sinful: and in this Arminius doth triumph, as the only ground whereby he overturns all other opinions of predestination; so that if we be able to discover an other subject of Predestination, the cause will easily be evicted in all the rest. Now for this purpose, let us first see how God wrought his decree: and this must be done by resolution, Analysis and genesis of God's decree the only way to know it. which always gins with the most special, and goes backward to the most general: secondly, when we have brought it to the most general, to carry it along, as God wrought it. He that will view the body of a man by Anatomy, must first of all lay open the outward parts, and so by cutting, enter into the secrets of the body, until he come unto those parts where sense, life, and motion have their beginnings: so we that will look into the secret decree of God, as it is revealed in his word, must begin with the most specials, & so ascend till we come to the highest: which though it be last in our resolution, yet will it be the first in God's working. Genesis God's knowledge direct Αλφα, God, Ωμεγα Glory Goodness His virtues Intellectual Moral justice, Mercy. Analysis. God's knowledge indirect. Creation. A world. man.. Made. Holy. Unholy. Redeemed. A Church. a latere. Faihtfull. Singular. Analysis. The most special subject that can be imagined, The first subject in resolution which is last in composition, is one individual and singular man; and in this regard men are said either to be written or blotted out of God's book, that is, either chosen by name, or put out by name; as in a register, wherein men are entitled unto some honour, he that brags of it, and yet when the register is searched, hath not his name therein, is put to greater shame: and this book is called in the Scriptures, the book of life, wherein God is said to write and blot out men's names; not that any is blotted out, but that God manifests that he never had them in his election. And this is made of Arminius his fourth and last decree, wherein he inserts two most uncomfortable points: First, that the basis and foundation of this, is nothing but God's foreknowledge in the use of sufficient means administered; which being received and kept, men should be saved; Grat●● praeveniens subsequent. if otherwise, damned. Secondly, though by preventing grace, men might believe, and by subsequent grace persevere, yet he might lose both, and of a believer become no believer; which first of all breaks in pieces the chain, Rom. 8.3. the consequent of justification is glorification: this is contradicted by Arminius: a man may be justified, that never shall be glorified: for I am sure, he that believes, is justified; yet he that believes, may fall from grace: and therefore a man may be justified, that never shall be glorified. But the Apostle says the contrary, Whom he hath justified, them also he hath glorified. Again, it breaks the next link: for God calls all, seeing he gives means sufficient to know and believe; and therefore effectual means are used, whereby men are called, yet never shall be justified: when the Apostle says the contrary, whom he calls effectually and sufficiently, they are justified. So then, a man may be called, but never justified; and justified, but never glorified. Secondly, it makes against our redemption: joh. 10.27. My sheep hear my voice, and follow me, etc. Here he contradicts three main things in v. 28. First, eternal life; he that believes hath it; but he may lose it; therefore eternal life, may suffer death, and so eternal should become temporal, and immortal mortal. Secondly, they shall never perish; a good consequent from eternal life: yet Arminius contradicts it, and says, Christ's sheep may perish. Thirdly, No man shall pluck them out of his hand: but they may fall, says Arminius, and therefore shall they be taken from him: but he will say, it is of themselves: but that makes the contradiction much the worse. For then, 1. Christ's sheep may not hear his voice. 2. Christ may not know them. 3. they may not follow him. 4. they may extinguish that life, for which they are content to lose their natural life: and their eternal life may be as subject to casualty, as their mortal and miserable life. 5. they that shall never perish, may perish of themselves; therefore Christ shall not be as good as his word, that said never. 6. Christ shall suffer that of his own, which he would never permit unto others; and therefore should be weaker to oppose the violence of his own, than the tyranny of others. 7. his father's gift, and greatness shall be surprised; his Gift committed to the trust of his Son, shall not faithfully be restored, and his Father that is greater than all, though he shall prevail against all others, yet his own shall overcome him. Thirdly, it takes away all Christian confidence; how durst Paul so triumph, Rom. 8.31. challenge principalities and powers? Paul says, If God be for us, who shall be against us? Why Paul, thou may be against thyself: God spared not his Son to give us àll things; yet Paul he gave us not perseverance. Who can charge Gods chosen? who? Paul there is an answer; They can do it themselves. God justifieth, who shall condemn? The answer is easy; they may condemn themselves. Christ is dead, yea rather risen, & makes intercession: but Paul, for all his dying, we may die; for all his resurrection, we may rise to condemnation; & for all his intercession, we may live not only in purgatory, but hell itself. But to stop the mouths of such disputers, the Apostle in the 35.38, 39 makes an ennumeration of all that can befall us; as tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, or any other thing: and what more than these can be found. If thyself be more than all these, than thou art assuredly a most wretched person, that when all is taken away that might draw thee from Christ, than thou wilt draw away thyself: what more desperate than this? In all these things, says the Apostle, we are more than conquerors: and how should more than conquerors, be conquered? and they that are thus persuaded not in themselves, but in him that loved them, ever turn this their persuasion into miserable despair. And thus much of the lowest step in Predestination. 2. ●●delis cum infi●●●. Subject is a believer, or an infidel. Hence the Scripture bids us make our election sure; Prove yourselves, whether you be in the faith or no: know ye not Christ dwells in you, except you be reprobates? now this is in the second application of our redemption. For first, application is made unto the Church: secondly, unto the members in the Church: so that this is more special than that, and therefore by analysis riseth first, yet is after the last, not in God's work, but in our seeing and feeling: and to this, concur preparation unto faith, infusion of this grace, insition into Christ, vocation, union, justification, imputation, reconciliation, regeneration, and glorification. Infidels on the contrary, have no participation of these mercies; and therefore forsaken of God. And this is the second decree of God, according to Arminius, which he calls absolute and precise, Electio & reprobatio qualatatu● non personaru●. because the other was but conditional in singular persons. To believers and penitent, God gives salvation in Christ, for Christ and by Christ; but impenitent and infidels damnation, as strangers from Christ. You are to understand, that this decree is precise, in regard of faith, and not of the person: for he may deny the faith, and become an infidel, and so be damned. And here again he offers violence to the faith of God's Elect, against which Christ hath said, The gates of hell shall never prevail. And thus by analysing, by the way, we have discovered two of Arminius decrees, with the falsehoods therein contained. 3. Subject more general than both these, is the Church: Ecclesia … zanijs. and here is the proper place, of the manifestation of God's decree. The Church consists of mon, and angels: and so both men and angels, are the subject of God's decree; Reprobation, the manifestation of his hatred, both upon men and angels, which are excluded from the true society and communion that is in his Church: Election, the true declaration of his love, both upon men and angels, which he hath received into communion with himself under Christ jesus the head of the Church. I must descend a little in this, that I may discover a third decree of Arminius, which only belongs unto this place; but yet I am not come to the special head of it. The Church is militant, or triumphant: for the triumphant Church, in which God hath manifested his election, as well as the militant, consists of saints and Angels. Here then observe, that sin and misery, do not go before election, and reprobation: for so should they agree to the whole subject, and every member of the same; but sin and misery, agrees not unto the holy angels, Angels elect in the Church, and yet never miserable. and yet they are elect: now as many as were elect, could not fall into the sin of apostasy, and therefore the rest were not elected; if not elected, then rejected in God's decree, and that before they fell; and therefore rejection before sin. But to descend to the Church militant, which is with the tars; first in Adam, election and reprobation appeared in Cain and Abel: in Abraham, in Ishmael and Isaac: in Isaac, in jacob and Esau: in jacob, called Israel, the true Israel of God, and the fleshly seed: and now in the time of the Gospel, here and there as it pleaseth God to reveal his will and counsel, which long before was set down with himself: and for the gathering together of his Church here upon earth, he hath left means sufficient. And here comes in the third decree of Arminus, that God hath left in his Church sufficient, necessary, and effectual means, to bring men to faith and repentance. And this we grant, only we desire that these means may be understood as only resting in the bosom of the Church, where God hath laid open the riches of his treasuries, and only to be effectual where Christ will apply them by the gracious work of his spirit: for the Church is not compounded of tars and wheat: but the militant Church is wheat with tars; as the sores of a body, are not the part of a body, but with the body, and all cures are applied for the body against the sores: and so all these means are for the welfare of his Church, but against the tars; and the means are applied to both, to the one for salvation, but to the other for damnation. 2. Tim. 2.19. Hymeneus and Philetus have erred concerning the truth, and means of their salvation: this might make weak Christians stagger, but the Apostle takes away all these doubts, the foundation of God remaineth sure, and hath this seal, The Lord knoweth who are his: and therefore will apply these means only effectually, to his own; for that opinion of universal grace is damnable: greater love than this hath no man, to lay down his life, etc. If then he have laid down his life for the wicked, he hath no greater love for his own, than he hath for the damned: & if God's justice be satisfied for the wicked, how should he punish them? and if Christ died for them, than God will acknowledge a satisfaction. But they say, all the fault is for want of application: To this I answer, that applicetion is as necessary an effect of redemption, as burning is of the fire; and there can be no redemption, but of necessity it must bring in application: first, in regard of God's justice, which being appeased, cannot but be reconciled to all those offenders, with whom he is well pleased in his son. Secondly, in regard of Christ's sacrifice, Dan. 9.24. Messiah must be slain to reconcile the iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness: this cannot be done without application, for both justification and reconciliation belong to application. Thirdly, in regard of believers themselves who are his members, and therefore cannot be without the derivation of grace, from their head Christ jesus. 4. Subject, is man captivated under sin, Homo redimendus or redemptus. and standing in need of a redeemer. Here comes in redemption, which is in nature before application, either to the Church, or faithful: and therefore going backward, we come most orderly unto it in the next place; and here shall we find Arminius building up his first decree; and having detected him here, Arminius his four decrees. we shall never find him a step higher. He hath four degrees, which all of them are to be found, not in the apostasy or falling of man, but in his anastasie, or rising again. The first is in redemption; Volo Christum esse Mediatorem totius mundi, I will have Christ to be the Saviour of the whole world. The second is in special application; Volo resipiscentes & credentes in gratiam reoipere, eosque perseverantes ad finem usque, saluos facere in Christo, propter Christum, & per Christum, impenitentes vero, & infideles in peccato, & sub ira relinquere atque damnare tanquam alienos à Christo: that is, I will receive unto my grace and mercy, all that repent and believe, persevere, and continue unto the end, in, thorough, and for my Christ: On the contrary, all that are impenitent, & infidels, leave them in their sins to their everlasting condemnation: and both these are peremptory. The third decree is to be found in the Church militant; & that is, Volo omnia media ad resipiscentiam & fidem necessaria, sufficienter, administrare, etc. I will decree all means necessary to repentance and faith, and sufficiently and effectually administer them, etc. Fourth and last is of every singular person, which belongs to the opening of the books at the day of judgement, special or general: and this is all that he can say for God's decree. And because we are come to his first decree, which is that which he presseth in all his book, we will show that when he hath pressed all his arguments, he proves no more, than Christ to be the cause of redemption, but none of election. Ephes. 1.4. Elegit nos in Christo, he chose us in Christ: v. 6. he accepted of us in his beloved: Rom. 8.39. 2. Cor. 5.16. the argument is framed thus; If God can will any to have eternal life, without respect of a mediator; then can he give eternal life without satisfaction of a mediator; but this is impossible. Secondly, if God can love no man but in Christ, then can he elect no man but in Christ; for he elects none but those which he loves. These and all other places concerning Christ, & the redeemed in Christ, Christ a means of election, but a principal cause of redemption. are thus to be answered: Christ is either considered as a means appointed of God, or as a principle and proper cause: in the first he is subordinate: in the second, supreme: as a means appointed of God, so he is subordinate to God's decree of election: and therefore neither as cause, nor means, nor condition, goes before the decree: but as Christ is considered in redemption, he is the principal, supreme, and main cause of all that come within the limits of redemption: we are chosen in Christ, not to be elected, but redeemed; not as the cause of election, but as means appointed of God in our election; yet a meritorius cause of our salvation and redemption: so than it is most true, that God elects no man but in Christ, loves, saves and redeems no man but by Christ: in the one, the cause; in the other, the effect. So then election can not presuppose faith in Christ, remission of sins by Christ, renovation of the spirit, and perpetual assistance, because they follow election, the cause of redemption, and redemption the cause of all these. So then while Arminius disputes his decree in redemption, he commits these errors: first, he makes the cause to follow the effect, as election to follow redemption: secondly, he makes Christ's love in redeeming, to be the cause of God's love in electing: thirdly, he makes the means appointed for the end, to go before the end itself: four, he makes the fruits of redemption, as faith, remission of sins, renovation by the spirit, perseverance, etc. occasions antecedent, to God's decree of election. So that these shallbe no fruits of our election; which if he grant on the contrary, then must they as occasions follow our election: for the fruit is no ways before his cause, neither any occasion why the cause should produce them: fifthly, though he deny it, yet he must confess that these occasions as they are holden of him, must be causes for Gods decree to save us by Christ, by faith, by repentance, by remission of sins, by renovation, by perseverance in well-doing: what are these but causes of eternal life? I am sure salvation is given unto Christ as a meritorious cause, Arminius forgets himself when he says we are chosen in Christ as a meritorious cause, for so his occasion at unawares slips into a cause. & so in Christ to all the rest. These then going before God's election to left and salvation, can no ways be considered, but as causes: and indeed his words sound so much, when he says, we are chosen in Christ, not as a means, but also as a meritorious cause; of what effect I beseech you? if he say of redemption, than we are all of one mind; but if he say of election, than we reject him: but his meaning is, we are chosen in Christ, as a meritorious cause of that choice, and so the occasion was not taken from thence, but the true and only cause. Many other absurdities follow from this, but I pass them over: and yet before I ascend to the next step, let me tell you how Arminius contradicts himself: First, he says, that the subject of election is man fallen: but how can that be, seeing no men are elected before they be in Christ? I am sure that he dare not deny, but that they were sinners before they were in Christ, and therefore they were elected before they were elected. Secondly, he says, that we are elected in Christ as a redeemer; and yet Christ is a redeemer before we be in him, for application follows redemption. Again, both man fallen, & man to be redeemed are all alike, and Christ is equal to all, where then is election? Thirdly, a man must be in the Church, before he can be of the number of the faithful, and until he be faithful he cannot be elected, therefore election comes after the fall, redemption, and the Church. Fourthly, a faithful man may fall, and so election may change, and therefore no certain election but of singular persons. Thus than the first subject of election that he can find, is either a faithful person or a singular person: so that it is lower than the Church, redemption, or the fall. And he may as well begin with the creation of the world, as with any of these three; for all are but media precedanea: and though some of them show more just occasion for election or reprobation, yet the proper subject by his doctrine cannot be found out, until we come to the consideration of a man as a beeleever or an infidel: neither here is it fixed, but it must skip again to a singular person: for saith he, that former decree is rather qualitatum then personarum, of qualities than persons: so that he is uncertain in all his notions. The next step that we ascend unto, Homo peccator the fift step in ascending. is man fallen: where God shows these attributes: First, his holiness, in that the Lord was free from all fault: Secondly, his justice, whereby he being most just in himself, cannot but execute justice: as in well-doing to them which do well; so in inflicting punishment on them which do ill: as it burns more remissly against sin, it is called anger; as more sharply, wrath; as it doth give sentence, judgement, as it doth execute, vengeance. Thirdly, he shows mercy, not that which is properly understood in Christ: but that which is understood in my text, compassion, gentleness, patience, longanimity, bountifulness, etc. and these most properly appear in the fall: yet the fall being more general than all that follow, hath his use in them all, and is subordinate with all the rest to the decree of God. And even here God manifests his decree of election, even before the sending of Christ: joh. 3.16. God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. 1. joh. 4.9. In this appeared the love of God toward us, because God sent, etc. in both these places, the love of God is the cause why Christ was given and sent; and therefore this love went before Christ, else should the cause follow the effect; this love was decreed. So then, God loved the world, before he either gave or sent his Son: actually he loves none but in Christ, neither doth any feel his love, but he that is in Christ: and therefore for the comfort of the Church, the fittest place to teach the decree in, is application of Christ; yet the determination of his love, was before all this, and the only cause why Christ was sent into the world. 6. H●mo ad imaginem dei. gradus 6. Step, is a man according to God's image: and in this estate man was holy and righteous, and to this image we are restored again in Christ, Rom. 8.29. and therefore God decreed to maintain this image in some of his creatures, that so he might have the glory of his creation maintained for ever: and this is the thing that made God have a Church from the beginning of the world, and no Church wherein there is not God's election, and the decree of his everlasting salvation. Hence man in his innocency, was of God's election; such a one as then was ordained of God, could not die without the renovation of his image, therefore our everlasting salvation was decreed in the estate of our integrity. 7. Step is man made, Homo creatus a●● per creat●onem se ctus. gradn. 7. and this is the first manner of consideration that we can find in a man; and in this likewise appears the decree: for God made man for the manifestation of his glory: not only in regard of general goodness, wisdom, and omipotencie, seen in all the creatures, neither of that which was seen in the angels, to wit, goodness communicated from an infinite good, to which being joined their obedience, brought Gods rewarding justice, to confirm them in an everlasting estate: and this is called, bonitas cum justitia coniuncta, goodness conjoined with justice, wherein appeared the election of the good angels. Again disobedience, to dissolve and break off the communication with that infinite good, brought in punishing justice, everlasting and eternal, wherein appeared the reprobation of the bad angels. Thus far then it pleased God generally to show his goodness, omnipotency, wisdom, etc. Secondly, more specially his goodness and rewarding justice upon the blessed Angels; and the loss of his goodness, with the inflicting of his punishing justice upon the accursed angels: but as yet no subject to show goodness, justice, and mercy; and therefore man must be made the subject on which he will show all his goodness; in what order, you shall hear when I come to show the ends in God's decree. 8. Is man, more general than all these: For man made, Homo generale subiectum o●●i bus adiunctis praesuppositum. grad. 8 hath a special end, to wit, happiness of creation: man made holy, happiness with the creator: man made unholy, misery with himself: man redeemed, salvation by Christ: and so of all the rest, special ends may be assigned; which can be nothing else, but the manifestation of God's glory in his justice and mercy. 9 Mundus exnihilo. gradus. 9 A world, made of nothing, exceeding good, whereof man is a part, and the most principal, and therefore made for man. Now even before this subject, was election, Come, receive the kingdom prepared for you before the foundations of the world: So then, God intended a kingdom for his elect, before he made this world. 10. Creatio omnium or goad extoriora: gr●dus vl●●mus, & sup●●mus. Creation, the original of all things, and before which there was nothing, & without this man could not be: so then, when they say, man was by creation, it is true, that man there took his original; and creation is more general than man, but so creation is taken actively; but passively as in man, it is more special; therefore man created, is a special consideration of man; but man in God's creation, is more general. Hence the Lord in making of him, appointed him all his ends. To conclude, the creation of man, was for the manifestation of all Gods divine attributes, as well justice and mercy, as the rest. And now being come to the highest stair in creatures, we slip presently out of them, and lay all the rest on Gods will, as the only subject. This is as it were, the body of God's decree, the rest is as the soul: this external, that which followeth internal; in this is manifested Gods indirect knowledge, in the other, his direct and proper knowledge: the lowest step of this is justice and mercy; and the subject in which these two rest, is his will; I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and compassion on whom I will have compassion, Rom. 9.15. and v. 18. He hath mercy, on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will, he hardeneth. 〈…〉 in 〈…〉re 〈…〉 2. ●irtus mor●●s. 3 intellectuals. 4 〈◊〉. 5 bo mitas. 6. Gloria 7. Deas ipse: ●l pha & om●ga. Second head we call moral virtues, whereby God willeth every thing most readily that is good, and is most prompt in the performance thereof: so that justice and mercy coming under this head, according to our capacity, are moved to nothing but that which is good: third, intellectual virtues, whereby God is most prompt in the performance of every act of understanding: fourth, virtues, whereby God is known unto us to be absolutely good: fifth, goodness, the head and fountain of all these: sixth, glory, the perfection of goodness: seventh, God himself, which is known unto us by all these. That this is the Scripture, see all in the 33. of Exod. and also in the 34. Chap. 33. ver. 18. I beseech thee show me thy glory: v. 19 God answers Moses, my glory is too excellent for thee, but my glory, which is seen in my goodness, shall go before thee: I will make all my good go before thee: that is, thou shalt see the backeparts of my glory: these backeparts are Gods virtues, which are able to proclaim his name: for virtue is the only thing, to blaze abroad the name of jehovah: these virtues are mercy and compassion: more special, Chap. 34.6.7. strength, mercy, grace, patience, bountifulness, longanimity, gentleness, etc. Here you see is special mention of mercy and justice, Mercy and justice God's chief glory. as though in regard of them, all the rest were obscured: these are as the two great lights, the one to rule the day of his election, the other to rule the night of man's misery. Now all these are simply willed of the Lord; and therefore as we have come upward by analysing, so now may we boldly compose again the whole matter. First, God wills his glory, secondly his goodness, Genefis, or the order of Gods proceeding as far as the Scripture guideth us. thirdly his virtues, four the virtues of understanding, fifthly the virtues of will, sixtly the principal virtues of his will, justice, and mercy: this is all done in himself absolutely without all respect unto the creatures. But God will manifest all this out of himself: First, therefore he will create: secondly by creation, he will make a world: thirdly in the world, he will have a man: four that he may have him, he will make him: fifthly he will make him in his own image: sixtly man thus made, may by his own free will become unholy: seventhly man being unholy, may be received unto mercy, or plagued with justice: eightly that man may be received unto mercy, Christ shall redeem: ninthly that Christ may redeem him, he must bring him to his sheepfold, and save him in the ark of his church: tenthly that he may be saved in the Church, he must create in him the spirit of faith: lastly, he must bring him to those heavenly mansions, where his name was written long before the foundations of the world; the rest being left in their sins, must dwell out of heaven, where there names are written in the earth. And thus much of the subject. Now I come unto the end: Concerning the third thing in the definition which is about the end. where I will show three things: first the end itself; secondly, the manifestation of it; thirdly, the order. The end, on all parts is granted, to be God's glory: for as he is the supreme efficient cause of all things, so is he the last end; and before him, and after him, nothing is to be found. Secondly, all agree, that the manifestation must be in regard of his essential properties; only all the question is of the last, in what order they are to be manifested. That this may appear, we will show what the order of ends is: Subordination of ends to some last. secondly, which end is exactly the last in this order: thirdly, the order of the means: four, the order of subjects, out of which, these means are produced. Order of ends, is the subordination, or bringing under of all ends to one last end: the reason of this is, because order is always of things coming betwixt an absolute first, and an absolute last: this the heathen Philosophers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, eruditio in cinculo, wisdom running round in a circle. In a circle you know, that there must be the same beginning and ending: so God, the beginning and ending of all things, makes his wisdom in all his creatures run round from him to him. This the heathen Poet Homer, called, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, auream catenam, quae de coelo usque ad terram descendebat, a golden chain, coming from heaven to earth; in which every footsteppe or impression of God's wisdom, is as a golden link, coupled with someother from the beginning to the end. So then, the first point is plain, that all things are united together for some last end. Many lines meet in one centre, and so all make but one; yet being drawn unto the circumference, spread themselves abroad. For the second, The last end consists in all God's attributes which are one as himself is one. all God's attributes, are the last end; his glory is the last, his goodness is the last, his virtues are the last, and so of the rest. If it be inquired which of all these we are to conceive of, as the last exactly; I answer, justice and mercy. This shall the better appear, if we consider how God is the best in every thing. If we speak of beings, than God is the best, and most absolute being: if we speak of life, than God is the best life: therefore will and understanding, which belong unto the best life. Now will and understanding, are considered of us, either for faculty, or virtue: for faculty, than the Lords understanding being the best, must be able to understand together and at once all truths, and his will most free to will all good: faculty we say, makes able, but virtue makes prompt and ready; as the intellectual virtues make a man prompt and ready to understand, the moral virtues prompt and ready to will that which is good. Virtue is whereby God is known unto us, to be absolutely good, therefore absolute happiness, both for understanding, and will. These being premised, let us see where we may note the greatest perfection and excellency. First, virtues are more excellent than faculties; and so the Lord had rather show his goodness, than his omnipotency. Secondly, moral virtues, are better than intellectual, in so much as the will is better than the understanding; therefore I dare boldly say, the Lord had rather show his moral virtues, then intellectual: The best virtues justice and mercy. for it is a greater praise to be just and merciful, then wise and understanding. Lastly, among moral virtues, none comparable to justice, and mercy: why then may I not conclude, that exactly the last end that God would have manifested, is the glory of his justice and mercy: and if this be the last, than all other must be brought under these, and aim at these principally. Reasons of this assertion, are many. First, that which brings out of the creature the special manifestation of God's glory, is the last and best end; but justice and mercy do this: Exod. 33.19. I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee: and what is especially proclaimed? justice and mercy: and mercy more than justice: so, Rom. 9 God will get him a name on Pharaoh, a reprobate by his justice; and a name on his Elect, by his mercy: and therefore God is often said in the Scriptures, to delight himself in justice and mercy. Secondly, justice and mercy, are the chief, because they are the virtues of the will, which is properly conversant about good. Thirdly, these make us conceive of God, as the chief good. It is worth our observation, to see even how by the light of reason, the Heathen have ascended to this consideration: they referred all things to four heads. 1. Such as have only being. 2. that have being, and life. 3. that have being, life, and sense. 4. that have being, life, sense, and reason: backward again, 4 return into 3. 3 into 2. 2 into one: so all these, though divers, yet founded in one. Now this one once was not, & therefore when it was, it was by the power & force of some chief and first being; and this they termed absolute essence: this being always, they termed it eternal essence. Again, to being finding life, the next they called God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a living God. In the third place, because life was in trees, and the beasts of the field, they gave unto God the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, mind, or understanding. In the fourth place, because they thought the mind of man to be bare and naked, having nothing written in it, yet capable of all things, and therefore imperfect, they called God further, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, power and act, and so a perfect mind. 5. Because power & act might be abused, and so the greater and the worse, they called God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, goodness itself. 6. Because they thought the chief good to be according to all virtues, they gave virtues unto God, both intellectual and moral. 7. Because virtues were qualities, and so comprehended within the limits of subjects, they called God infinite in being, living, understanding, working, infinite goodness, and infinite virtue. Now in the 8 place, because infinite virtue must be one most simple virtue, and comprehend all in it, they saw not how God's providence, should rather be counted providence, than justice; and justice rather justice, than mercy; & mercy more mercy, than knowledge; knowledge then life, and life then essence. True it is, God simply one, to us diverse. God is simply one in himself, yet apprehended of us as divers. For so we define him in his attributes; that he is one God, diversly apprehended of us. Therefore the manifestation of himself in his creatures, is to be considered in divers heads: yet the greatest meeting together of all his attributes, is most to be seen in his justice and mercy. Therefore both Scripture and reason, prove God especially glorified in his justice and mercy. If then justice and mercy, be most exactly the last end, then must all ends, and means, and subjects, be subordinate unto this end: and this end must be decreed before all the rest. Hence we may conclude, that God intended to manifest his justice and mercy, before all things. For the third, the order of the means, The order of means. it must thus be conceived, that that which is first in execution, is last in the intention of the workman, and most remote from the end; and the lower we go, the nearer we come unto the end. M. Perkins makes creation and permission of the fall, two general means of God's predestination. This Arminius reprehends: for, says he, both creation and the fall, go before predestination: it is true in the execution; but if predestination rest upon the last end, intended of God, it must needs go before as an end, and have all these means come under him. As for example; I would determine a journey to London, to speak with some dear friend; this is before all the means that I use to come unto him: yet before I can accomplish this, I must come where he is; and that I may come where he is, I must get me a horse, and all things necessary for my journey: then must I go from place to place, until I come where he is: so that the first in intention, is last in execution; and in the progress, the further I go, the nearer I am to consider the means subsequent unto the end. In like manner, God intends the manifestation of his justice and mercy; therefore this is the first with God, and the last, that all means drives at. That this may be brought about, God will create, create a world, man in this world, man holy, man holy may by his own free-will become unholy, man unholy may be punished with the justice of God, but redeemed may be received unto mercy. Concerning the fourth, order of subjects: The order of subjects' manifesting Gods divine attributes. The first subject is nihilum, nothing, out of which God must bring something; and here steps out to our view, omnipotency. The second subject is a world, admirable for beaviie, and perfect for goodness: and here ariseth the manifestation of God's wisdom, and goodness. Thirdly, in this world there shall be creatures, either to communicate with a finite good, or an infinite good: in those that communicate with a finite good, God shows his wonderful love to men and angels, that made all in heaven, and earth for them: secondly, with an infinite good, that is, with God himself, as men and angels; where he meant to lay open all the treasury of his glory; goodness, and virtues. And here first of all, he made them all in his own image, and therefore able to express any of his attributes: God is a spirit, so are they spiritual: God is understanding and will; and so they have both understanding and will. The understanding and will of men and angels are special subjects to declare his goodness. Hence may men and Angels show forth both his intellectual virtues, and moral virtues; they have intelligence, to conceive of principles; science, to judge of truths; sapience, to make diductions from those truths; prudence, to carry all things orderly; and art or skill, to practise in any subject the excellency of their reason: Again, for moral virtues, as compassion, gentleness, patience, longanimity, bountifulness, liberality, magnificence, fortitude, but especially justice and mercy. So then; in that God made them with holy & righteous understandings and wills, they were to set forth all his virtues: and therefore Saints restored are commanded, to set forth the virtues of him that hath called them into his marvelous light. To descend first to angels: Angels set forth goodness and justice. God by creation did communicate with them infinite goodness, wherein did consist their happiness; now in reason it was necessary, that this communication should be by compact, and the square of justice; wherefore a law must be given them, according to which, this communication was to be maintained. Hence commination, as well in the loss of this goodness, as participation for the observation of the rule. Here then may the Lord manifest his justice; to obedience, remuneration and everlasting communication; and this is the manifestation of infinite goodness, conjoined with Gods rewarding justice, wherein appeared the election of the good angels: to disobedience, the loss of this infinite good, wherein appeared punishing justice, peremptorily inflicting damnation on all the bad angels; and here appeared their reprobation: but in both these could no mercy be showed: not in the first, because in the good angels, there was no misery: except we conecive possible misery, which is not a fit subject for mercy, seeing there was no want for the perfection of a creature: neither could it be unto the bad angels, for though by their fall, they became miferable, and so might have received mercy; yet because they sinned against the holy Ghost, their sin was unpardonable, and uncapable of mercy. Leave we the Angels, and come to men, where more especial communication is to be observed from the divine wisdom of God. First, Men set forth goodness, 〈◊〉 and mercy. God did communicate with them infinite goodness, but it must be received by a rule of justice, Do this, and thou shalt live: and also a commination of the loss of it, But if thou do not, thou shalt die the death: here no man communicated with God in observing of the Law, and therefore could there not be found in man any rewarding justice, as was found in the good Angels: so that man was now for ever put out of the possession of happiness, by the Law of God: and if ever he receive this happiness again, it must be by mercy. O therefore, for the love of God, you Papists, consider this one thing; That man is not now to be saved, as the Angels are in heaven: and therefore deny all your works, if it were for no more than Adam's sin: for now will he have it under the condition of mercy. Man then having put himself out of God's favour, and not by a sin against the holy ghost, may be received unto mercy. So here is a fit subject for God to show his goodness, justice, and mercy: and where he had decreed, the manifestation of his mercy, it shall appear when he hath sent his Son, gathered his Church, and engrafted every faithful soul into the mystical body of this Saviour. Again, where he hath decreed the manifestation of his justice, it shall appear in all those that are passed over of Christ, and have not his blood sprinkled upon them. This shall make all spiritual Egypt, even at the midnight of their misery, to cry out most lamentably: but Israel shall then receive the best jewels, costly attire, and every precious thing that heart can wish. I should follow Arminius in the rest, but because I hear some other are about it, that are worthy men, I break off: for I confess, that I was drawn unto it, by considering how many run after Arminius. If the learned of the Land, shall approve this which I have done, and no others shall have taken it in hand, I will be ready to stand at their command, to proceed in the rest. And I can not but break out, to bless and praise God, that hath lately raised up such worthy Bishops, the true Defenders of the Orthodoxal truth, and resolute enemies to all that oppose it. I am at their command to stay, or go forward: and if I have slipped in any thing, (for I confess my ignorance may soon draw me into error, and error may plunge me in heresy itself) I am willing to hear any, and yield presently: but I hope it is the truth, and then it will stand. We have great cause to bewail the miseries of these wretched times, in which Atheism, clouds of heresy, worldly policy, (falsely so called, being indeed little better than plain villainy) and temporising, have like a canker, fretted out the very heart of piety: they are but a few which seek to search out the certainty in matters of Religion, or which care to have established hearts, and know precisely which is the true God, Baal or the Lord. We had rather halt between two opinions, that so we may be for all times, then undergo the labour of gaining advised resolution. Some slip into Popery, being lead captive (God in justice sending them strong delusions) by those false brethren, which are privily crept into every corner, through the remissness of these evil times. Others run headlong to profaneness, and that which is of all other the worst, lukewarmness. This brings in want of love to the truth, and want of this, heresy: so that we may well say, except the Lord of hosts had reserved unto us, even a small remnant, culling out (as it were) one of a city, and two of a Tribe, as the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of a lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, according to the election of grace, we should long ere this have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrha: we had been (as it is said of a cursed tongue) a very world of wickedness. And surely except the good Governors and Shepherds of our Land, be vigilant and careful, we shall not so much have the sheep, in the mouth of the lion, as the Shepherds themselves; and then, woe be to the flock. It is reported, that Beza conferring with Arminius, and seeing in his young years such ripeness of wit, broke out into these words, Go thy way, for I am fully persuaded, that thou wilt either prove an excellent instrument of God's Church, or a most pestilent heretic; which prophesy we see now come to pass. God deliver our Shepherds out of his mouth, and establish them in soundness of doctrine, that so the silly sheep may not be devoured by their own Pastors. Propositions. 1 Gods will his glory. 2 His glory is his goodness. 3 His goodness is all his attributes. 4 His attributes are his virtues. 5 His virtues are intellectual and moral. 6 His moral virtues, are his justice and mercy. 7 All these he wills absolutely. 8 That which he wills, he can do. 9 That which he can do, and wills, that he decrees. 10 That which he decrees, is done by counsel. 11 That which is done by counsel, is wisely done. 12 That which is wisely done, is for some good end. 13 That which is for some good end, hath all good means. 14 Creation, is a good means of God's end. 15 The world is made for God's end. 16 Men and Angels are made for this end. 17 Angels show forth his goodness and justice. 18 Men show forth goodness, justice, and mercy. 19 Christ is a means to declare God's mercy. 20 Men only receive mercy from Christ. 21 All out of Christ, are justly condemned. 22 A just condemnation is for sin. 23 All this God hath done. 24 That which he hath done, he could do. 25 From both these, he decreed. 26 That which he decreed, he purposed. 27 That which he purposed, respected his glory. 28 His glory was agreeable to his wisdom. 29 That which agreed with his wisdom, was good. 30 That which was good, he absolutely willed: therefore he absolutely willed all these things. Observe that the end confists not in use, but in his goodness and fitness for use: the end of an house is not habitation, for that is after the house is made; now the end is before the making of the house; and therefore that a house should be good & fit for habitation, that is the end; though the house itself were never inhabited. The world was made for man, yea, and that before man was existent; yet that goodness and fitness which respected man, was put into the creature, and should be brought forth after the creation of man, according as he had use of them. So God made all these things fit for his glory; this fitness was good, and absolutely willed of God; and the use that God made of this fitness was likewise good; but no excuse for man's sin: no more than the fitness of an house for habitation an excuse, when it is made a den of thieves, whores, and profane persons. Of the second special book, wherein Sin is ordered, to wit, the Moral Law. THe Law of the Lord is the perfect Rule of righteousness, and the forbidder of all unrighteousness: it shows us what ought to be our worship of his sacred Majesty, and the love we must bear unto our neighbour. In the first Commandment, all our sins of Atheism, either in not worshipping God, or worshipping another god, or preferring any thing before him, whether it be in thought, word, or deed. In the 2. Commandment, we shall have ordered all our ill worship, devised by others, or ourselves in the service of God. In the 3. we shall be condemned for all kind of profaneness, and light estimation of God and his goodness, and here will come in an infinite number of sins, called in one word ungodliness. In proper signification, impiety is against the first Commandment; superstition against the second: and ungodliness in this third, which was a principal sin in these hypocrites. In the 4. Commandment, all employments of the seventh day to any other use, than it was appointed of God, whereby holy exercises are hindered: and here, alas, a whole year would scarce suffice to number them up, but I doubt not but he that said he will order, will make a quick dispatch, and yet leave none out of his catalogue. For the 5. in this Commandment shall come in all neglect of duty toward our superiors. In the 6. all want of care and neglect of my brother's life. In the 7. all kind of uncleanness whatsoever, yea in the very thought. In the 8. all corrupt dealing. In the 9 all lying, yea every speech that may do harm unto my neighbour. In the 10. all repining and envying at another man's prosperity. O Lord, thy Law is perfect, thy testimonies are sure, thy statutes are right, thy commandments pure, thy judgements truth: but alas, who can understand his faults? surely thou canst order all our sins, O therefore, for the merits, death, and passion of thy Son, cleause us from our secret sins. james 1.25. teacheth us, how we may be blessed, God's law the true discerner of complexions. if we use the perfect Law of God as a glass appointed of the Lord: and is able to show unto us the good face, or the bad face of our conscience, what kind of complexion we bear; whether well tempered, ruddy, fresh, and well-liking, having the blood of Christ sprinkled upon us in just proportion and measure, that the King of glory may be delighted with our beauty; or ill tempered with the pale and deadly complexion of our sins and transgressions, hated and detested of God, on which God can show never a good look. It is reported of a certain fountain, in which a glass being dipped, and holden before a man sick on his bed, if it show him a deadly face, than it is a plain sign he must die; but if a cheerful countenance, than he is sure to live: of the truth of this, I will not dispute, yet this I am sure of, take this glass of the Law, and dip it in the blood of Christ, if it show a pale face, then there's no hope of life, because the law shows nothing but a man looking upon it, with his deadly sins hanging upon him; but if it show a merry countenance, than the law shows that we have the beauty of Christ reflected upon us, and this may assure us of life and salvation. Now as a glass helps to order men in the carriage of themselves for their bodies among men; so the law of God, doth direct and show unto us, what course we are to take to walk with God. And herein it declares three things. The law shows what is comely and uncomely what apparel must be put on what off, and then what must be our behaviour. First, what is comely or uncomely: Eph. 5. To be followers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, is a seemly thing: but fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, jesting, etc. are things not comely, and rather giving of thanks, than the very naming of these things becometh the Saints. Secondly, after it hath showed us what beseemeth Saints, it teacheth what apparel we must off, and what must be put on: Eph. 4.22. The old man, with his whole conversation must be cast off, & the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, must be put on. Thirdly, after we have appareled ourselves, it will order the behaviour and carriage of ourselves, all the days we have to live upon this mortal earth. Tit. 2.12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared, and teacheth us to deny all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live holily, righteously, and soberly in this present world. Yet may we admire, what should be the reason that for all this, sin is no better ordered. when the Lord hath left us so perfect a law, The law no false glass. better than all the looking glasses in the world: for it tells men most truly their bad faces, and their good faces, it beguiles no man, in making him better than he is: nay, it hath a privilege above all other laws, to wit, many particular examples, which are as little glasses contained in this great glass; wherein men may see their own faces by the face of another. As good Kings, may not only see themselves in God's law, what is to be done, and left undone, and what is the reward of both; but they may see themselves in David, a man after Gods own heart, josias, Ezekias, true reformers of religion: evil Kings, in Saul, jeroboam, and Manasses: good rich men in Abraham, evil in Dives: ambitious persons, in Hammon; contented in Mordecai: covetous in judas, liberal hearted in Zacheus: evil counsellors in Ahitophel, good in Samuel, 1. king. 12. embracers of the world in Demas, close stickers unto Christ and his servants in Philemon: sound friends in jonathan, rotten at the heart in joab: faithful children in Solomon, rebellious in Absalon: good servants in Abraham's servant, evil in Onesimus: obedient and loving wives in Sara, evil in Michal David's mocking wife. Alas, will neither precept, nor example, deal with man, but the Lord must bring in a third bnoke to order sin, and that is to set it in the eyes of the conscience, as he doth in this place? surely it were not amiss, by the way, to show the reason of this last refuge of the Lord, and this last appeal to the court of conscience. Reasons why God's law can order sin no better, but the last refuge must be to the co●rt of conscience. First is an evil conscience itself, that may not endure the Law to rub on that sore: as timorous patients had rather die and rot away, then that either bitter purgation should be inwardly taken, or any corrosives applied outwardly: or like bankrupts, hate nothing worse, then to look upon their books of accounts: or like the Elephant, lest he should see his foul great body, muds the water that he may drink. So these in like manner, had rather rot away in their sins, then that the purging physic of the law should be administered, or the corrosives of God's curses should be laid upon their sores: the soul bankrupt of grace, may not endure to hear of the accounts and reckonings that it must make with God's law: and the body of sin is so foul, that he would not look upon it: and therefore by his pleasures and pastimes he laughs sin out of countenance: but woe be unto him, when he shall be pressed of God, to confess his sin, upon the rack of his conscience. 2. is continual living in darkness. The second reason, is the love of darkness, and the hatred of the light. A man that hath a long time been shut up in close prison, and kept from the light of the sun, when he is drawn into the open air, his eyes are so dazzled with the bright beams thereof, that he cannot look about him, but desires to be in his den again; and with the owl, had rather put his head into a hole, then have the sun shine on it: his time is with the Bat to fly abroad when the night is come: therefore God's law being as the shining of the sun, and his life lead in darkness, he will not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. Thirdly, 3. Negligence. men are either so lazy in themselves, that they will not go to the glass of God's law, or else they can endure no smart, because the law would have them wash and be clean; like little children though they see their spots in a glass, yet they may not endure the cold water. Fourthly, 4. Lusts. men are not ordered by God's law, because they will attend upon their lusts. Like schoolboys that see their foul faces, yet because they are given to play, run away from the water: so many a man, by the cares of the world, as of pleasure, profit, honour, or such like, cannot stay to make any use of the beholding of themselves in God's law: jam. 1.24. For strait way he is gone, and so forgetteth what manner of person he was. Our Saviour Christ when he invited his guests to his marriage-feast, found many idle excuses returned unto him. One hath bought a farm, and he must go see it: others a yoke of oxen, and they must go try them: others have married a wife, and they desire likewise to be excused. Every one hath something to do, to keep them from God and his law; it were well if they knew how faithful reckonings, make long friends: and therefore it were very good not to delay the time with God: for he will not be mocked. Christ hath stood a long time knocking: he is standing, if we put off to answer, he may soon be gone away from us. We use Christ as he was used in his birth; no room for him in the Inn; if he please, he may have the stable and the manger; and good reason, for great personages and usual guests, have taken up the inner rooms: so deal we with our Saviour, our souls are taken up with great personages, as lords and commanders, whom we cannot but obey: as lord covetousness, ambition, pride, self-love, pleasure, and many usual guests, with which we have had great custom, so that Christ being an unknown guest unto us, it may be for mere pity we will bestow upon him our worst rooms; if he please to go into the stable, and will not vex us in the inner rooms of our souls, he shall have a night's lodging, and we will bestow upon him some of our refuse, such as our great lords care not to meddle withal. This I tell you, is a strong means to keep us from Christ and his law, when like slaves we will be at the command of our base affections. Fiftly, disordered callings take away the ordering of sin; as what law can order our common beggars, stage-players, fiddlers, and such like: so many a wretched calling into which men thrust themselves, takes away all ordering by God's law, and makes them run headlong into all shame and confusion: nay further, many callings from God, by the wickedness of man's heart are become exceeding sinful, when indeed God's callings are all happy orders for our good. As for example, shopkeepers, they cannot live except they sell their wares upon the Sabbath day; how should Gods law order these persons in the sanctification of the Sabbath? for it is in vain for that person to wash, which presently after he hath washed his hands, must foul them again: so Ale wives, how should they sanctify themselves, when they are ready to serve every filthy puddle, and dirty foul? it is hard to ride with an other in fowl way and not be plashed by him; for one to be at the mill, and not to be dusted; to touch pitch, and not be defiled; to carry burning coals in his bosom, and escape the burning. sixth, is a misconceit of the word of God, and his ministers, 6. Want of lo●e that they would make him worse than he is. We see a man, when the glass doth discontent him, throws it away, and will not believe that he is so deformed, and therefore that glass shall not teach him to apparel himself: so men deal with God's word and his ministers, as Ahab dealt with the Prophet, Shall I seek unto him, he never prophesied any good unto me? wherefore hast thou found me, O my enemy? thou art the troubler of my state, and therefore shalt have no hearing. Seventh, inquiry of their companions, 7. Misinformation of others. whether the matter be so heinous, as the word of God and his ministers would have it? What, is good fellowship for half a dozen of ale, so great a matter? Is playing a game or two at the cards on the Sabbath day so great an offence, as nothing will pay for it but damnation? Alas, he surely is too precise, and denies all liberty: truly, truly, as long as one slovin inquires of another, there is like to be no handsomeness: so as long as one drunkard will be resolved by another, one whoor-master by another, one swearer by another, one beastly companion by another, the law of God shall appease no tuinults among them. eight, 8. Habit of finning. the habit of undecency; hence no care to look into the glass: he applauds himself in that profession, & would have the world so account of him; he laughs at his own foul face, and this unhandsome apparel: so the habit of sin makes men laugh at reformation. Ninth, 9 Hardness of heart. desperation: the blacke-moore will not wash, for he may as soon wash his skin off, as take away his colour: the leopard cannot change his spots: and so is it with them that are accustomed to do evil. Lastly, 10. Presumption. the hope of a good day (as we say) makes men put off their washing; as they will wash at Christmas, on Sunday, or when a holy day comes, or some feasting day: so many a soul under the hope of mercy, puts off the day of his visitation, and means to repent in his old age: But alas, repentance is the gift of God, and therefore not to be commanded at their wills. I remember the good counsel that one gave to one of these delayers, who inquired the best time to repent: the answer was made according to his mind, one day before his death: that is well says he, but yet I am not resolved: for I know not when I shall die: neither do I, says his Counsellor, yet this is my counsel to prevent that danger, repent every day, and then shall you be sure to repent the day before your death. And these may be some of the reasons why men will not be ordered by God's law, and therefore very requisite that God should have another book, for the ordering of sin and sinners, and that is the conscience, which is to be understood in this place: yet so, that the other ought not to be excluded, for this can do nothing but by the information of the former: for this book is as I may term it, the application of the former; this makes use of the precepts laid down in them: and therefore conscience is very necessary, that the law might have his work in commanding and forbidding sin: now the conscience from the evidence that the law gives in, either absolves or condemns, and so the Lord hath made it a little judge, sitting upon his throne in the souls of men. Before] The proposition in the original, gives us to understand, that after the ordering of sin, sin should be so visible, that it were impossible for a wicked man to look off it: it shall still meet him in the face, and suffer his conscience to take no rest, night nor day. Thee:] The original hath it, in thine eyes: Eye of the body man hath a threefold eye; first, the eye of the body, but that is no discerner of sin: for wicked men have this eye active enough to behold vanity and pleasure. Hence riseth the extraordinary sensuality of mankind, after the pleasures and profits of this world; they live all by sense, blinded in their understanding, and conscience: but this eye is not meant in this place. The second eye, is the eye of understanding, Eye of reason no sufficient judge in the matters of sin. which is the true discerner of all God's works: for God having made all for man, he must needs give him an eye, to behold all things that were made for him. By this eye, Adam was able to name the creatures, to know their natures, ends, and uses: this eye since the fall is notably bleered; in heavenly things which truly concern God, he can see nothing at all, because the object is too far distant, and cannot be reached unto by any faculty in him: even as an aged man can see things about him, but to look afar off, he is not able, neither can he discern any thing: so our aged understandings can see some things at hand, as what belongs to this estate: as he is a man for civil society, he can do some moral duties, exercise himself in civil matters, and labour to maintain his natural life. Yet in all these his eye is so dim, that he commits many disorders in them all: for his morality, see how he abuseth it in the first of the Romans: for his civility, see how he breaks the legs of justice, & makes him lie in the streets: for strange be the contentions that are in the world betwixt men, to supplant one another in their rights, to infringe good titles, and make up broken: and for this purpose, many a lawyer hath even sold himself to be a man of contention, for himself and his neighbours; and so far he makes himself for every body, if so be he can make every body for himself. Lastly, in natural things he hath lost the use of sobriety; and therefore in eating and drinking, he becomes either a glutton, or a drunkard: therefore this eye cannot be quick enough for the sense and feeling of God's judgements: Lie of conscience the best judge. therefore God above sense and reason hath given a third eye, which is the eye of conscience, and this is a most powerful eye; in so much that the learned have affirmed that conscience is supra hominem, infra deum, above man, under God. Concerning the third book, which is the Conscience. Conscience in signification is nothing else, but knowledge with an other; when I am persuaded, that another knoweth with me, and that all my secrets are as well known unto him, as they are unto myself. Hence conscience may be said to act three parts: Conscience the Lawyer, Register, and judge. first part, is the Lawyer, which pleads the cause, and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or pure part of the conscience: Saul if he had pleaded with his conscience, and taken counsel of this best part, he should have been informed, that rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft: but we blind this eye of our conscience, and therefore we will do what pleaseth ourselves, be it right or wrong. Second part is the act of a register, which enrols all matters of fact against the times of inquisition: & so the conscience is called a book or books, Revel. 20.12. the act of this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the assuming part of the conscience: for as the first laid down the propositions, maxims, and general rules; so this assumes from them: as for example, Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft; but I Saul have rebelled, constat de facto; and this my rebellion shall for ever be written in the leaves of my conscience, which page and line shall be easy to turn unto, as often as God shall call me to an account. The third part is performed by the conscience, as a judge, that concludes the sentence: and this is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. All these parts are always contained in a syllogism, the proposition is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that explains the cause, and lays down the controversy like a skilful lawyer: the assumption which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and pleads guilty: and the conclusion out of both is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that gives sentence. Proposition. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft: Assumption. But I Saul have rebelled: Conclusion. Therefore I Saul have committed a sin as the sin of witchcraft. After the conscience hath thus propounded, assumed, and concluded, the disposition of the heart may be seen; Conscientia in effectu affectu, ●u●n●u. vel pro effectu praeterito, vel pro affectu present, vel pro eventu futuro: for the fact past, that is either in regard of God, or man; of man, it either absolves or condemns; in regard of god, a witness; either to excuse or accuse: for the affection, that follows upon this, it is either joy, or sorrow; joy upon absolving and excusing, sorrow upon accusing & condemning: and for the future event, it is either the expectation of reward, or the fear of punishment. That this may a little the better appear, let us see how the conscience is locked, or unlocked: this eye is always as a book, that is both clasped and open at the same time: or else wholly clasped and locked up. The clasps that do all this, are in number three: goodness, Clasps of conscience. 1. Goodness sin,. and punishment: Goodness clasps up the accusation of the conscience, but always leaves open the conscience for excusation; therefore a good conscience will open for no accusation, nor shut for any vain excusations. Secondly, 2. sin. sin is either the clasper and unclasper together, or the clasper alone: the clasper and unclasper by excusation or accusation; as in our first parents, it is said, when they had sinned, their eyes were opened: not that they were blind before, but that now the eye had lost the power of excusing, and therefore in that was shut up and blinded; but was altogether unlocked for accusation and condemning of themselves: yet by reason of custom and long continuance in sin, that very self same thing which opened the eyes of our first parents, hath wholly seared up the eyes of some, that their consciences neither accuse nor excuse, except you will say they falsely excuse, when they make us cry, peace, peace, and all is well with us. Now this for the most part, is the clasp of men's consciences, so that except God bring judgement, the conscience will never be awaked from his security. 3. Punishment. Therefore the third clasp of the conscience, is punishment, & this holds most surely in excusation, in so much that none can either unclasp it, or by any means be able to mitigate the straight holding of punishment from all comfort: so that neither angels, nor men, nor any other creature, can give a dram of comfort: but for the unclasping of the conscience, it will do it most forcibly, and exceeds all other means; and therefore is to be understood in this place. Hence ariseth a fourfold distinction of conscience: the first, that is at peace with itself, Conscience quiet, but not good. quiet nor good. but not with God; and that is the conscience that is wholly locked up: the second, that is neither at peace with God nor itself: and that is the conscience under the horror of the punishment of sin: good not quiet. the third conscience, which is not at peace with itself, but with God; and that conscience hath two clasps in it, goodness, and sin; goodness from God, sin from itself. good and quiet The fourth, that hath peace with God, and with itself: and this is a conscience that feels a clasp of God's mercy, to bind up the broken heart, and make it break forth with joy, and gladness. So that now if we look into the world we shall find that every man is either a Prince, or a peasant, either the basest among the sons of men, and most ignoble, or else courageous as a lion, and stout hearted as a giant. If a man were as poor as Lazarus, and as naked as job, yet if he bade a good conscience, he would be higher than Princes, and scorn to yield a foot for the proudest: but on the contrary, if he were as stout as Alexander, as merry as Belshazzar, as wise as Ahithophel, as proud as Hammon, and as rich as Nabal: yet having an evil conscience, he would tremble with Alexander for the touch of an ague; quiver with Belshazzar for the appearance of a finger; hang himself with Ahitophel for that his counsel was brought to nought; mourn with Hammon upon his bed, for the loss of his honour; or his heart would die within him as it did within Nabal for the loss of a field; or in a word, he would tremble at a very leaf: and therefore fearful shall be the estate of these men, when the Lord shall thus unlock their consciences, as he hath promised he will do in this place. Now this unlocking is threefold: Keys to unlock conscience 1. Amazement. First by a general amazement, when a man is suddenly stricken, but he knows no particular cause, as Belshazzar was in the 5. of Dan. the writing on the wall unclasped his conscience by a sudden amazement. Secondly, 2. Particular knowledge. by a particular knowledge of the sin that they have committed, as it was with Indas'; who said, Phave sinned in betraying innocent blood: this did strike so deeply into his conscience, that be departed and hanged himself; and for very grief, the rimme of his belly rend in pieces. Thirdly and lastly, 3. God's departure. by a most lamentable farewell in hell: when the Lord shall say, (O my creature,) I made thee glorious, but thou hast spoiled all thy glory, and lost my favour: farewell my creature, I the fountain of living water, I the living God, I thy life and length of days, thy very breath must leave thee; and come unto thee as a consuming fire, as a roaring lion, heap upon thee all torments in body and soul: Again, thou shalt say, Farewell creator, farewell loving wife, farewell my children, and all my friends; farewell my pleasures, prosits, and all my worldly lusts: Alas, will none of you pity me? wilt thou, O Lord, look on, and take no compassion? and will you my friends, if with me, curse me, and cry, A vengeance on me? will you thus reward my love upon earth? If in heaven, will you cry with father Abraham, Remember that you had your pleasure, when many a Saint starved at your door, and therefore justly art thou tormented, and we most mercifully rewarded? you did us much hurt in your pretended love; and blessed be God you prevailed not in your will. Alas, is it so: why then, O worm of conscience, do thy worst: burn fire that can not be quenched; I gnash with my teeth to see the prosperity of my friends; & blaspheme God with the rest of my friends here in hell: not as sinning, for that we did in bravery upon earth; to tear God in pieces was our credit: but now we together see all to be our punishments; and we can take no sweet solace in our company, as we did upon earth. Thus the wicked go down to hell to see their sins set in order before their consciences, to their everlasting shame and confusion, that could not see it upon earth: the devil hath lead them into the mids of hell, as the Prophet the Aramits that came to take him, into the mids of Samaria, whose eyes were opened; to let them then see how they were in the mids of their enemies, that meant to do a mischief unto God's messenger: so the devil hath lead these men blindfoulded into the mids of hell, and there the Lord hath opened their eyes, to let them see what they have done against himself and all his Saints. The sum then of the words is thus much: A brief recapitulation. (these things) that is, these sins before mentioned: (done) that is committed: (and I held my tongue) that is, was merciful in sparing: (and thou thoughtest) that is, framed me and my silence to thy own conceit and liking: (like thee) that is, of the same mind; nay more than that, one altogether like thee; and that which is most shameful, should never alter my mind toward thee: (but I will reprove thee) that is, most certainly I will plague thee: (and set them) that is, sin shall be brought unto his own place: (In order) that is, make the book of conscience most evident that thou may read in it distinctly, without all confusion, and have it so fixed before thine eyes, that I will keep thee to thy reading, though thou would feign turn thine eyes another way. (Before thee) that is, in the eyes of thy conscience, which shall be so unlocked, that it shall be impossible for thee, ever to get them shut again. And thus much of the words. CHAP. III. Concerning the disposition and reasons. NOw I come unto the reasons contained in the words, The logical analysis. and as I go along with them, I shall raise my doctrines, and my uses, which after resolution is our imitation of God's work: And therefore I first enter the consideration of the disposition of the words: secondly, of the simple invention: the first, shows how reasons are joined together: the second what they are asunder. For the first; the bond that ties them is twofold; general, or special: the general bond is in this word (but,) all that goes before it, is called the antecedent, all that follows, the consequent. The nature of the bond is, to set apart such things as do not disagree in themselves, but in respect of some third thing, unto which they cannot both be given; and this alone makes them disagree. So in this place, the antecedent, which contains the mercy of God; and the consequent, which contains God's justice, do agree in themselves: for mercy and justice kiss each other: and therefore the hypocrite hath set them at variance, that God must no longer be merciful, but just in punishing him. Partiu●● 〈◊〉, partium discre●es. Therefore in this bond are two things to be judged: first, the truth of both parts: secondly, the distinction or disagreement: Truth is required on both sides; for falsify the one side, and the other will not stand good; because both of them make but up one joint truth: from whence these observations are truly gathered; Obser. 1. First, that that God is equally just and merciful; he that will have his mercy, must be sure that he falsify not his justice; for a breach of the one, makes a breach of them both. Reason. 1. Because they are equal in God, for they are indeed his very being. Hence ariseth an impossibility in God, to forgive an offence against his justice by his mercy, until a satisfaction of his justice be made: for the Lord cannot deny himself: indeed men may pass by offences committed against them, without satisfaction, because their justice is not their being, but a quality in it, and therefore the injury is less: but in nature we see, that whatsoever makes against the being of it, cannot be endured, or any peace made with it: and therefore sin being against the very being of God, God can make no peace with man, until reconciliation be made by Christ, that hath given a full satisfaction to God's justice for the sins of his children. Reas. 2. Is the manifestation of his glory; God will equally have the glory of them both: wicked men should never glorify God, except it were for his justice. Indeed we grant, that in regard of man, there is an inequality: for God may be said to be more merciful unto them that are saved, then just to them that are condemned: for of condemnation, the just cause is in man; but of salvation, it is wholly from grace: yet in himself they are both equal, and also by them he is equally glorified; seeing that nothing in God can receive augmentation or diminution. Reas. 3. Is to leave man without all excuse; for he shall have no cause to complain of his justice above his mercy; but shall confess, that the Lord is equal in all his doings. Use. 1. For confutation of error. 1. If God be equal in justice and mercy, than no mercy to be expected, but that which will stand with the justice of God: therefore mercy in Christ must stand with the justice of God: and Christ must bring in mercy by perfect fulfilling of the law. Christ is the cause of life and salvation; In Adam, dying to die, was necessary upon the transgression (else peradventure we shall die, had been true) therefore die we must, either in Christ, or in ourselves; if in Christ, then by his death we are freed from that sentence of the law, In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death: being dead in Christ, we are justified from the sentence of condemnation. But yet there is an other more essential part of the law; Passive obedience might free from death; but actine brings life. and that is, do this, and thou shalt live: and God may as well free us from death without dying, as bring us to life without doing. We grant then, that the passive obedience of Christ, hath taken away death; and this is legally done on Christ's part, but most mercifully in regard of us: if then no more but this righteousness were imputed, it would prove of works in regard of Christ, though of grace in regard of us. So then, this mercy of our deliverance from death, is equal with God's justice: Here is dying, in stead of dying; and so that part of the law, that is, sin, and die, is repaired, and fully answered: but as yet all righteousness is not fulfilled: for I am sure, that this is a righteousness of the law, as well as the other, do this, and thou shalt live: and if this be not done, than Christ hath not fulfilled the special part of the righteousness of the law for us: To do, and live, was our debt unto God; and therefore Christ our surety must fulfil it for us. And this will prove a wonderful mercy to miserable man, that hath Christ to pay his debts, and bestow the whole purchase of life and salvation upon him: It is a false dream, to think that non peccator, and justus, a just man, and no sinner, are equipollent terms: For, non peccator, is a contradiction to peccator; but justus is an opposite habit, and in act an adverse to a sinner: and so the arguments differ. Adam by creation was a just man in habit, but not in act, and according to that which the Lord required; and so death being taken away, we are in the way to justification, but not actually just, until actually the law be performed, in ourselves, or another: And because the point is in controversy, thereasons to establish this truth may be these. Arg. 1. Lex regal 〈◊〉 iusti●e. That which is the perfect righteousness of the law, is both active and passive: but that whereby we are justified, is of this nature: For I demand, by what rule of righteousness is life and salvation conveyed unto us? If they say, by faith; then I demand, what is that righteousness of faith? is it the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? then assuredly it excludes both the righteousness of Christ, and that of the law; and yet faith is said, to establish both. If it be the righteousness of Christ, than I demand, is not that moral? if moral, than either perfect or imperfect; if perfect, then active and passive: That we apprehend Christ's righteousness, that is of grace, but that Christ hath it for us, that is of the law. The second Argument against this opinion, may be this; Christ did all as a n●ediator, for those that have need of a mediator. That which Christ did as a Mediator, was not only for himself, but for us, and for us more principally than himself; but all that Christ did, were the actions of a Mediator; his human nature had no subsistence but by the divine; and every action being in supposito, was of him as a Mediator; and therefore for us; and so both active and passive obedience were for us. But they will say, his active obedience did fit him for our Mediatorship. To this I answer; if his active obedience, be the obedience of a Mediator, then in his whole latitude it was for us: and as soon as he was born he was fit to redeem: & so never an action, but it was for us. If then these actions of fitting, be properly the actions of a Mediator, than they tautologise & speak no sense: for so that fitting, was nothing but redeeming: for I am sure, every action of our Mediator, is to redeem; and to redeem, is to seek those that were lost: and so his active obedience was for those which were lost: and if that, than had we need of all Christ's obedience. Argum. He fulfilled the ceremonial law both actively and passively for others. ergn the moral. 3. Christ fulfilled all righteousness, moral, ceremonial. The ceremonial was not fulfilled by passive obedience, but also by active: if the ceremonial required both, then much more the moral: Deut. 4.1. Sam. 22. Hos. 6.6. mercy more than sacrifice, and knowledge more than offerings: and this in both was done for others: he was circumcised for others, for he was without sin; and therefore in Christ to signify any pollution, circumcision had no use: so was he baptised, but it was not for the washing away of his own filthiness, but ours. The reasons why he must keep the law for others are these: 1. because perfect obedience depended on him for the performer. 2. both the law moral and ceremonial acknowledge him for Mediator, for seeing it was impossible to be fulfilled of us, it was possible unto him. 3. because he did establish and fulfil both. 4. he alone is the bond of both: seeing than he performed active obedience to the Ceremonial law, and that not for himself but for us., the like must be confessed of the moral, especially the ceremonial law being but an appendix and addition to the moral. Argum. Against reason that death should cause life. 4. Christ's death could not bring life: because no death can be the cause of life, seeing they are contraries. Fire cannot cause cold, neither water heat; blindness cannot cause sight, neither sight blindness. Christ's death to take away death, is good reason; but to cause life, is against all reason. This is very agreeable with the Scriptures & reason, that as Christ's death doth free us from death; so Christ's life doth bring us unto life: He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification: Dan. 9.24. the slaying of the Messiah, brings in the expiation of sin; and his living again, brings everlasting righteousness. Sin brought in death, therefore righteousness must bring in life: for if death should bring in life, than life should be the reward of sin: for I am sure that the Scriptures affirm that death is the reward of sin, and the reward of sin, can never be the cause of life. What hath a schoolboy deserved when his master hath whipped him? so what have we deserved in Christ, when we are only punished in him. Sin and the reward of sin, have no agreement with life. Therefore it is true that the expiation of sin, is wrought by Christ's passive obedience, and life by his active. Argum. 5. All types, whereof Christ is the truth, Types prove both actine and passive obedience to be found in Christ. point at this assertion: first, in the covenant of grace, there was the Ark and the Table, Exod. 24.7. in the Ark was the book of the law, and so the book of the law went with the covenant, and was to be found in Christ for us. Exod. 25.22. the mercy-seat was between the two Cherubims, and these were upon the Ark of the Testament: Mal. 3.1. therefore no seat of mercy, without the Ark of the Testament. The paschal lamb must be without spot, eaten with sweet bread, and sour herbs; both must be in Christ, therefore not only the sour herbs of his death and passion, but the sweet bread of his righteousness. urim and Thummim must be on the Priest's breast when he carries the people's judgement before God; and this must be had beside blood; therefore righteousness beside passion. Ar. 6. From similitudes familiarly applied in the Scriptures, whose end & purpose are to prove this. First, the wives debt is made the husbands: and we being married unto Christ, the debt that we own God by our creation, must be paid before he will admit of us: now that debt was, Do, and live: and this Christ hath done, and so we shall live. Secondly, Christ is the head of his Church: and therefore must he give unto his members, life, motion, and all things needful. Thirdly, the surety must pay and discharge the whole debt of him for whom he is bound; all of us are bankrupts, and stand in need to have a great debt discharged for us, and likewise a new stock purchased. To conclude, it is foolish to make such a distinction as this, seeing all the actions of our Mediator, are as well active as passive: his life is not taken from him, but he lays it down willingly: and even from his conception, his humanity being assisted by his deity, which could not suffer, turned all Christ's sufferings into actions. I have been drawn to enlarge myself in this point, for we can not give too much to Christ: and surely we have given no more than the justice of God required. And here by the way, I would have a common speech amended, That one drop of blood was sufficient for the whole world: Alas, then why did God in justice draw from Christ more than need? My doctrine is most firm and sure, that God is equal in justice and mercy: see but the proportion, man finite, sinned finitely; but finite sins, being against infinite God, did violate infinite justice, and so an infinite violation: Christ as man, suffered finitely: but finite passions were from a Mediator that is infinite, and so were of an infinite merit: finite sins, finite passions: infinite justice, infinite merits. 2. Use is, to reprehend the fond dreams of the world, that when the Minister inquires how they mean to be saved, they will answer, by their good meanings. Why? but is not God offended by your sins? Yes: but he will have mercy: for he is a good God, and means to damn none. Alas, these damn themselves, while they thus damn God's justice: for to tell them of Christ, to make justice and mercy meet, is but to tell them an idle tale: and therefore they will have all by their good meanings, and Gods mercies: but except their meanings will answer God's justice, they are sure to go to hell for all this vain persuasion of mercy. 3. Use, correction of a secret fault in Gods Israel, that presume too much of God's mercy, and are over much indulgent to themselves. Gal. 4. He is an enemy that telleth us an untoothsome truth: much lingering and listening after the voice of the charmer, stops the ear: and flattery never wants welcome, while self-love is at home: this hath more of the serpent to beguile, than we to beware. It is not the Temple of the Lord, for the Lord is just in the midst of it: Zeph. 3. it is not, we are his people, or any vain title that can make up the breaches betwixt God and our souls: the justice of God is no trifling matter, his eyes cannot be bleered with our small gifts, nothing can do it, but the precious blood of Christ jesus, which is God and man, that so both God and man might be brought together: therefore be sure that as the Lord will do no iniquity, so he will have us to do no iniquity. If we commit our sins in the night, or under any pretence, or false coverings, be sure the Lord will bring his judgement to light every morning, and therefore let us be ashamed of sinning. 2. General use, is instruction, branched into two specials. First, an admonition to the wicked, that they look unto themselves: for Gods much silence, and their many sins, will fill up a great measure of wrath, which the Lord in his justice must needs power upon them. The second special use, is a direction of a Christian, to carry himself before God as a son and a servant, because God is equally a father and a master: a father of compassion, but a master that will have his own. Therefore let God have the fear and the honour, both of his justice and mercy. 3. General use is consolation, which hath two branches: First, in adversity: Is God equal in justice and mercy? then fret not at the prosperity of the wicked, or be cast down for the adversity that they bring upon thee: for God is just, & therefore will he revenge thy cause, and bring all the wicked to nought. Secondly, in prosperity, take heed of pride; for as I am. 1.9, 10. counseleth, that the poor brother of low degree must rejoice that he is exalted: so likewise, the rich brother (which is exalted) in this, that he is made low, as well by God's justice, as exalted by his mercy; otherwise shall he perish as the grass & flower of the field: so that the best consolation in prosperity is humility; because thereby our hearts are kept from for getting God's justice, and making him all mercy. Observe. 2. It is most certain that the Lord will reprove sin, God's nature. for it is a necessary truth: I am silent, but most surely I will reprove. Reasons. First, God's nature which is truth itself: and therefore shall God say, and not do? assuredly, the one shall prove as good as the other: look then to thyself that sinnest securely. Secondly, the nature of sin, Nature of sin. which cannot be without punishment: Good of church and commonwealth. for the soul that sins shall die. Thirdly, the good of the Church and common wealth, which could not stand without Gods reproving: for except God did cut off and restrain offenders by his justice, we should have men live together worse than bruit beasts, lions, wolves, and tigers. And in the Church, they would become devils incarnate, to make havoc of God's people: if God had not met with Hammon, what had become of poor Mordecay, and of all Israel? Use 1. for reprehension. 1. Confutation of the wicked, which say, Tush God sees not, he cares not for our doings; he is silent, and therefore like us; all things go alike, we suffer no change: all is peace, let the minister threaten what he will: But be you sure that thus forget God, that he will reprove, and tear you in pieces, that others may consider it, and be afraid. The 2. use is correction of God's children, that they dally not with the least sin, neither put off their repentance for an hour; for be sure, that the Lord will reprove, and that suddenly: this than must make us look for our masters coming. Use 2. for instruction. First, it is an admonition to the wicked, that they break off their sinful ways against the Lord: for as sure as they live, the Lord is coming with his angels in a flaming fire, to render vengeance to all that know not God, nor obey the Gospel of our Lord jesus, 2. Thess. 1.8. if want of obedience will do this, what shall become of their rebellions? for the former they shall be punished from the presence of God, the holy angels and all Saints, with sire that cannot be extinguished: therefore this added shall kindle a fire to burn to the very bottom of hell. Secondly, a direction to God's children, that they always prepare for the coming of the judge to judgement. Use 3. for consolation. First, to all that are afflicted, that the Lord will not forget their troubles, and let their enemies go unreproved. Secondly, to all that are at ease in Zion, and yet can mourn for the afflictions of joseph: a sure testimony of their consolation with joseph; when the King of Kings shall come to lose him, and reprove even kings for his sake, Touch not mine Anointed, nor do my Prophets no harm. Therefore as they have been touched and harmed, so God will touch the wicked, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Observ. 3. from the distinction of the parts. The Lord hath the days of his visitations: there is a day of his silence, and there is a day of his justice: and the Lord will not break his days with the righteous and sinners upon earth: for the day of mercy, man hath a bond from God, but for the day of paying vengeance, the Lord hath man's bonds: man cares not how often God forfeit his bond of mercy, for he would willingly have God to be in his debt for ever: yet the Lord is not so negligent in the requiring of the forfeit of his bond of justice: and therefore having already discharged his bond of mercy, it will be high time to look unto man that he answer him for his justice; especially seeing the wicked for God's silence have not broken forth with David, and said, What shall we give unto the Lord for all his benefits? nor as yet upon conditions performed, are able to say, We have taken the cup of salvation, and called upon our good God: nay, as yet we have nor so much as resolved to do it: So that the Lord may most justly break silence, and after the expiration of their days of peace, vex them in his sore displeasure. Reasons. 1. from the nature of time. From time appointed of God for all purpose●. The Lord is before and after all times, yet in his works he hath revealed himself to perform all actions in time: and he hath appointed every thing his certain time, (Eccles. 3.) that so every work of God might be seen distinctly. The Lord hath a time for his silence, and a time for his justice, that so the mercies which he shows unto the sons of men, and the judgements which he brings upon them, might be seen distinctly, and he praised for them both. 2. Reas. Lone unto his creatures. First, Love to 〈◊〉 creature. to show his general goodness: secondly, to move him to repentance and thankfulness, for his patience and long suffering. 3. Reas. To leave man without all excuse: To leave rea● without excuse. seeing God hath laboured by mercies to allure, and judgements to terrify; so that when his last doom shall come, the Lord shall say, What are become of all my mercies? and why was thou not reclaimed by my foretelling thee of judgements? therefore go thou accursed wretch into hell fire, where thou shalt never have again the time of my silence. 1. Use, reprehension: either confutation of all those that cry, Mal. 3 14. It is in vain to serve the Lord: and what pleasure have we that we have bowed ourselves before him? surely you are blind that cannot see, what large days the Lord hath given you here upon earth; and what long silence hath passed betwixt him & you: nay he hath not only been silent, but also he hath been bountiful unto you in many a temporal blessing, even above his own Saints. Second use under this head, is correction of the hasty desires of God's children, first, to have judgement on their enemies, and secondly to have speedy dispatch of affliction in themselves. Thus they hasten the time of the mercy and justice of the Lord. Know therefore that God will have his times completly ended, and it is your duty to stay his leisure: for he that believes, will not make haste. 2. Use is instruction: first an admonition to all the wicked, that they harden not their hearts, deny not Gods call, but listen unto him, lest they call when he will not hear them. For your time is to day, but God's time is his will and pleasure in silence & reproof: your time is present, for time past is not called again with had I witted, and the time to come is in God's disposing. 2. Branch is a direction to the godly, that they make use of all times: for the Lord would have them exact in the computation of the years of his mercy and justice: yea, and of seasons in these times: for he complains for the want of it, Isa. 1. The ox knows his owner, the ass his master's crib: these know their masters, and the times wherein they refresh them: the swallow and the crane their appointed times: therefore let it not be said of God's Israel, that they know not him which doth all for them. God is pleased to call them his people, and what greater shame than this, my people have not known me? 3. Use is consolation: first, for tribulation. Is this the day of God's affliction? then happy is my estate, for the time of deliverance is approaching: therefore in this Psalm, v. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee: mourning may rest for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Secondly, for the day of prosperity, to have a heart as joyful and glad, to think of his affliction, as then to puff up himself with his present estate. David hath more joy of heart, that God's countenance is lifted upon him, then because his corn, wine Psalm. 4. and oil are increased. Heb. 11. Moses can take more joy to be a partaker with God's people, then in the enjoying of all the sinful pleasures of Egypt for a season. Observ. 4. from the order. Silence goes before God's reproof; as a silent air before a fearful tempest. The Lord spared the old world a long time, before he drowned it: he suffered Sodom and Gomorrha to burn a long time in lusts, before he burned them with fire and brimstone from heaven. Reasons. 1. Just puwi●●ment. That just cause may be given for all the wrath of God that falleth upon the wicked. 2. Reason, because the sin of man cannot be but in that which God hath made good, no more than blindness can be any where, Good before evil. but in the eye which had power to see: now sight is before blindness, good before evil; and therefore God's silence, before his justice; because justice will not reprove before man have sinned. 3. Measure of sin. Reason is, because a measure of sin is to be made up, Gen. 15. before God can judge; and therefore the Lord will be silent unto that time, that then he may answer them with a like measure of judgement. 1. Use, is reprehension: which serves first for the confutation of the ungodly, which think that God is forgetful of his anger: but let them know, that method is the very rule of memory, and God keeping so close to an exact method, can not by long silence, forget what he hath to do. Indeed we say, old things are out of date; and long silence makes contentious matters cease: but the Lord is the same to day he was when he began the world: and cain's sin is as fresh in his memory, as the sin that is committed this day. 2. Use, is correction of God's children, that can no sooner hear the faults of their brethren, but presently they speak of them: this is no good method, they ought to have paused on the matter by silence, and after have reproved when time would have served. 2. Use is instruction. 1. An admonition to the ungodly, that think God hath no good method, but doth every thing confusedly. Indeed they judge as they think, and as they live: for their thoughts are most confused, and their lives disordered, and so they think of God. But yet let them know, that although they make no good use of his silence before his justice, yet God himself will make singular use of it, even by their own testimony, when they shall confess Gods equal doing. 2. Direction to the godly, that they see how God goes a long in his government of the world: and in all his judgements, praise him for his former mercies. Use 3. for consolation. First, in trouble; hence we learn that the Lord keeping an exact method, will dispatch all things most quickly: for order makes things go on apace, therefore affliction must go on apace toward consolation. Secondly, in prosperity, to see how they go on along to God's trials, and therefore ease themselves with resting upon God. And this may be observed from the general bond. The special bonds follow; and first of the antecedent, wherein there lies two bonds, one of inference; and a second of coupling together: The bond of inference, teacheth us what manner of conclusions wicked men use to make out of Gods own premises. Let us therefore eye that bond which is contained in that word therefore, binding together God's silence, and man's thoughts. Doctrines from the conclusion. Doctr. 1. Wicked men out of the best premises, draw the worst conclusions: silence a singular argument to persuade unto obedience; for who will abuse a loving friend? yet we see what the wicked hypocrite concludes from God's silence; to think that God is like unto him; a patron of evil courses, and one that must needs favour an hypocrite, because of his profession. Reasons. Perverse judgement. 1. Because they are men of perverse judgement, and therefore every wicked man concludes contrary to the premises. If God's judgements be the premises, he will conclude all is peace: if silence, he will conclude there is no wrath. Reas. 2. Want of conscience: No conscience. for oftentimes the proposition shall go currant with them, but the assumption they may not endure: for that is special application. As for example: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. no drunkard, whoremaster, or unclean person, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. shall come in heaven, that shall be granted: but thou art one of these, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The judgement is the pure part of the conscience, the will the assuming part, and the heart and affections ought to wind up the matter. that must be denied; and therefore the conclusion shall never follow. Or thus; Gods silence ought to lead every man to repentance, that shall be confessed; but come to the application, and because it is good, he will be content to take that; but yet the end shall not be attended: and therefore shall it never lead him to repentance. Hence the assumption is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, conscience: because it is an applying faculty in man; which a wicked man wanting, must needs misapply, & therefore we shall have no good conclusions from him. 3. Reason, is from the conclusion itself, Want of application. which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a perfecting, or knitting up of a thing together: now wicked men make broken conclusions; they will not gather up all together: and therefore no marvel, if they do amiss in good premises. 4. Reason is this: Their own conclusions defended. wicked men have gotten already unto themselves such conclusions, and they hold them so strongly, that nothing shall overthrow them. It is vain to bring God's judgements to terrify them: for they have already made these conclusions, That death shall not come near their habitation: they have made a league with death, and a compact with hell, as the Prophet says, and therefore destruction shall not come near them. Again, speak of the mercies of God to allure them to repentance, and it shall not profit: for they have already determined, that they will not serve God at such a rate: job. 21. Their seed is established, their houses are peaceable, their bullock casteth not her calf, their children dance for joy, and they take the tabret and harp, and rejoice in the sound of the organs: Thus they spend their days in wealth. But where is the conclusion of worshipping God? alas, they say, let God departed from us: who is the Almighty that we should serve him? what profit of we pray? well, we have resolved that we will not so much as desire the knowledge of his ways. Use 1. for reprehension. First confutation of the profane, that brag so much of their knowledge, they cannot for their lives make a true Syllogism; all that they think, speak, or do, are mere paralogisms, and dangerous fallacies. Secondly, for correction of the godly; which often think wicked men may be followed for their learning: take heed of them, for though they may lay down some general truths, yet their conclusions are dangerous, and full of poison. Use 2. for instruction. First, an admonition to the wicked, that they labour to deny their own wisdom, and be more careful of their conclusions, lest they lay a trap, and a net to catch themselves withal. Secondly, a direction to God's children, that as much as lies in them, they labour to see both premises, and conclusion out of God's word. Indeed it is true that laying down a general proposition; as whosoever believes shall be saved; and then out of this he may assume, but I believe, and therefore most certainly conclude, that he shall be saved: yet let me put in a caution, that his assumption be not out of himself, but from the testimony of God's spirit: neither the conclusion of his own confidence, but that he lays all upon Christ. None so bold as the wicked inconcluding peace with God Indeed ask the world, do you believe? and mean you to be saved? yes, or else God forbidden, I should be a wretch if I should not believe God: and I am sure that God never made me to damn me: but never had you any doubtings? doubtings! why should I doubt? God forbidden that I should be so forlone and forsaken of reason, as once to doubt of God's promises: but can you tell me when you began to believe? I never was without believe since I was borne: but I pray you tell me, have you any combats between the spirit and the flesh? alas, what purpose should you ask me this? I have lived a peaceable life all my days, and I thank God, I am at peace with God, myself, and all the world. These be jobs wild horses prepared for the battle: These cannot be made afraid as though they were grasshoppers: they dare go forth to meet the devil with all his harness: these mock at fear, and are not afraid: these will not turn their backs from the glistering of any sword: though the quiver rattle against them, the glittering spear, and the shield; yet they can swallow the ground for their fierceness and rage: and believe not that it is the noise of any trumpet that calls to judgement: therefore their sound is ha, ha, they smell the battle a far off, and they never regard the noise of the Captains of the Lord, and the shouting of the mighty angels, with their approach attending upon God: neither shall they stagger at the thunders and the appearance of flaming fire, when the Lord shall come to render vengeance on every one that knows him not, or hath not obeyed his holy Gospel. These are like the giants of Gath, they have fingers and thumbs enough they will not lose it for the catch: but alas, poor creatures, I fear these Giants of Gath, will prove poor Adonizabesech, that wants both fingers and thumbs to feed withal, and therefore shall they perish as he did for want of apprehending the food of their souls Christ jesus: therefore let all our propositions be out of God's word, nothing from ourselves. Use 3. for consolation. First, for well-doing: when our hearts will tell us, we have been affected as well with mercy as judgement to serve the Lord, and that all our care was the keeping of a good conscience. Secondly, in regard of trouble, whether it come for well-doing as a trial, or for evil as a correction: and that is to draw good out of all, clean contrary to the wicked, which conclude all in very ill form, and contrary to the mind of God: for thereby shall we come to that blessed comfort, which is laid down, Rom. 8.28. all things work together for the best of them that love God: which we may prove best by our conclusions. Obser. 2. Wicked men do more than they directly think, and yet in truth they think as much as they do. It is the nature of a wicked man to make unknown conclusions, for surely a wicked hypocrite will deny this conclusion: Did I ever make God like myself? I know his ordinances, and am well seen in his statutes; therefore such matters are far removed from my thoughts. But the conclusion is made and pronounced by the spirit of truth, and therefore is no lie: they have made it, but the Lord must infer it, their lives, and practice have set to their seals, & it is as good in law before God, as if they had thought it: for the Lord knows, they were not asleep, when they hated to be reform, and cast his laws behind their backs: they did this willingly: and yet as willingly would they seem to have on their backs Gods apparel: they would clothe themselves with an outward profession: they would have his law at their finger's ends, declare his ordinances, and take his covenant into their mouths. The devil will speak as well as they, Acts 16.17. These are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation: neither was this constrained; for she did it many days: surely for this end, that Paul might take notice, that by her confession, she was as good a professor, as the best that followed Paul: yet his spirit was able to see the imposture and deceit of Satan, and therefore grieved for her, he turns about, and bids the unclean spirit be gone: So these persons, they cry the temple of the Lord, they have a fair cry; but alas, it is that they might live in the church, as the devil lived in the woman: yet assure themselves, that as the devil by this confession made a conclusion directly against himself; so these men by these fair words make an unknown conclusion, and for the same shall be cast out of God's Church, and packed to hell, with all those unclean spirits, which for their advantage can open their mouths and speak like the blessed angels. The Indians would none of the Pope's Catechism, because they saw the Priests lives demonstrate nothing but cruelty. The Indians could judge the Spaniards and priests in their army, by their lives: when they were ready to hang them, and put them to death, then must the priest stand out to catechize them, and show them the way to heaven: but these poor Indians were able to join a better conclusion to all their premises then going to heaven: for having asked, what master they themselves served, and whither they meant to go? answer being made, they meant all of them to go to heaven, and there should be their resting place after this life: presently they bid the priest spend no more words in vain: for such servants, could have no good masters: and if they meant to go to heaven, than they would go to hell: good judgement from the practice of these Priests and Spaniards: all their fair show of godliness, made conclusions against themselves, to wit, that it was impossible that a good God would ever acknowledge them, or that any place of bliss should be their resting place: and therefore best for them to go the clean contrary way, even to hell itself, then have such companions to be with them in heaven. Reas. 1. Blindness of mind, Ignorance. which sees no further than the present propositions. Every man will say, that a drunkard, whoremaster, unclean person, shall never inherit the kingdom of heaven; the word of God is plain for it, and they yield to the truth. Again, come to the assumption, and tell them; You are of the number of these persons, you know it yourself, and all your neighbours can testify with you this present truth; he will yield up that too: but the conclusion that follows most necessarily, he will not see: but defy all them that shall bring it, and say he shall be damned. Great blindness, that will not grant a consequent, as necessary as burning to the fire; would not the world count him a very ignorant person, that should say here is fire, but I make question whether it can burn. Well fool, the best argument for thee is, put thy singer into the fire, and see if thou can feel it: So these men will yield up all, but that which is as necessary as the rest, shall not only be called into question, but denied with an execration of all that bring it. Therefore no resolution until God come, and say, In to hell fire; and then shall they feel the conclusion of their ways. Reas. 2. is the diversity of lusts, that leads them about, Multitudes of lusts which make distraction of the mind. and always unto itself; nothing must conclude that pleaseth not his lusts: 2. Thess. 3.7. Which women are ever learning, and are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: the reason is in the verse before, because they are simple women laden with sins, and lead with divers lusts. Reas. 3. is want of all good method in their living: Disorder of life. for he that keeps no order in his actions, can never be able to bring any thing to good pass; and it makes such a confusion in his head, that he cannot tell what will be the issue of his days work. For we see men when they are confounded in their way, stand still, Ig●● satuus. and forty to one, they presently get into the wrong, and so lose their journey: for as the going fire, when once it hath dazzled the eyes, is in danger to lead a man into some pit or other; so fares it with wicked men, when they have confounded themselves in sin, they know not what to do, but run about like mad men: so that now the devil having gotten them into his mill, and dealt with them as men usually do with mill-horses, to put out their eyes, that so they may serve their turns the better: so the devil blinds the wicked, after that, drives them about by their lusts: and alas, when know they, how soon they may dash out their brains against some post or other. They that walk in their sleep, are in danger to wrong themselves, or others; yet awaked, mourn most bitterly: so these persons shall do when they come in hell. 1. Use reprehension. 1. Confutation of the wicked, which condemn Gods Ministers for being too rash in their conclusions; Who made you judges of your brethren? where is your charity, that censure men so severely? we hear nothing but damnation, and all is judgement: you make men go out of their wits: therefore we will hear you no more. Alas, poor wretches, let the premises alone, and you shall hear nothing of the conclusion; but in this you condemn yourselves; for if you were not guilty, neither galled already, these conclusions would never trouble you: for without premises, no conclusions are made: therefore I pray you rather examine the premises, than the conclusion: and as you find the premises, so judge of the conclusion. 2. Use correction of the godly, that are like Peter unto Christ, Master, Master, spare thyself: be not so hasty in going up to jerusalem: so oftentimes good Christians tell the Minister, it is good to keep in some conclusions: but they must be answered, I will not leave a conclusion unuttered, that the premises of God's truth would have concluded. I would ye were more wise in other matters, for I see by daily experience, that you are urging good Ministers to make conclusions, when they have no premises for it. Concealing of God's truth is good, when there is no ground out of the text to utter it; but he that speaks from the premises of his text, shall be able to justify himself, & convince all gainsayers. 2. Use is instruction: 1. an admonition to the wicked to let them understand their miserable estate, how unreasonably they deal with their own souls, that will make inquisie for the truths, as far as the conclusion, but then give over. Alas, there lies all the danger: for it is the termination and winding up of the matter: and therefore they see not that good which follows from good premises, neither can they avoid that evil which follows from the contrary. 2. A direction to the godly, to deal sincerely with their souls, and make good application of all God's premises. 3. Use is consolation, first for well-doing: when thy soul tells thee that thou hast as great a care to serve him in thy doings, as in reading of his word; that is, to apply all to thyself that thou finds in God's word, and make some good conclusion out of it: for so shalt thou make the word sweeter than the honey or the honey comb: secondly, art thou in trouble, happy man, for thou art under one of Luther's best schoolmasters: for he hath but three, affliction, meditation, prayer: the first helps to meditation, and both of them stir up unto prayer: and therefore must thou needs take both large and profitable lessons, out of which thou shalt gather such conclusions, that thou mayest fill thy soul with a world of comfort: and these two from the conclusion itself, the rest ariseth out of his argument: first jointly out of sin and silence. Obser. 3. Wicked men are exceeding wise to deceive themselves: for the argument here drawn forth to infer his conclusion, is neither God's silence alone, for than should there be no force in the argument; neither their sins alone, for than should it be blasphemous; but put them both together, and then it will make a brave show, I sin, and God is silent, therefore God is like unto me. Reas. 1. Because the prince of this world, The wisdom of the world. is become as an angel of light, that so he might carry men the better to hell. Until the coming of Christ, he carried himself in express terms of worship; but when Christ was come, he could no more be worshipped in that manner: and therefore since that time, he hath gotten a new form, even good confessions and gracious prayers, (as the world terms them.) Act. 19.13. when the sons of Sceva could conjure no more in their old form, they begin a new, and took in hand to name over them which had evil spirits, the Name of the Lord jesus, saying, We adjure you by jesus, whom Paul preacheth, etc. Here I must crave pardon a little, Against deluded witches which swarm in the world under the name of blessers of men and beasts, but more usually of beasts than men or themselves. to detect a strange deal of mischief in the world. There are a sort of healing witches, which are called Blessers of cattle, and the world thinks too well of them, and they think well of themselves. Once discoursing upon this point, one (I trust that feareth God) came to me, and told me he had used a form for healing of the eyes, wherein he conceived no evil, but now by the grace of God before he used it again he would die: therefore in hope that some other ignorant persons, may be pulled out of the fire, I will amplify this reason in regard of those delusions. And that they may see their good prayers, I bring in the sins of some of their forms of prayers. I will not utter the forms any further, than the sins contained in them. First, 2. Superstition. for the blessing of cattle: let them take notice of these sins. 1. They go thrice about the beast forespoken, and say over a set form of words three times; this can be no less than superstition. Secondly, 2. Blasphemy of Christ's birth, they blaspheme against Christ most horribly, and the blasphemy is threefold: first, against his birth, as though he had been borne for cattle: for so are their words, Thou that was born in the bourght of Bethelem heal this beast: Baptism, secondly, against his Baptism; and was baptised in the phlegm of Iorden (or rather flumen: Office. ) thirdly, against his office, Thou that shed thy blood; as though either Christ was baptised, or shed his precious blood for the washing and purging of bruit beasts. Third sin, 3. Abuse of God's power. is abuse of God's authority: for stand ill, stinch ill, staunch ill, can not be done but with great abuse of Gods commanding authority: he that bade the Themes stand, if he had not gotten away, he should have known what they would have thought of his power: so shall the Lord deal with them when his wrath shall overtake them, and they shall not be able to fly away. Fourth sin, is blasphemy against the Trinity: 4 Sin against the whole Trinity. for they conclude these damnable words in the name of the father, son, and holy Ghost. Fifth sin, is profanation of God's holy ordinances; 5. Profanation. for than comes in a creed, a pater noster, and an Ave-Maria. The sixth sin, 6. A sign of i● in the just punishment. or rather an admirable punishment falling most secretly upon them: and that is this, if the beast be forespoken, than the blesser shall fall a goning or yoning, (that is, be sick at the heart:) and if this follow, than an evident sign the beast is forespoken. Oh consider this, ye simple and ignorant people, that will needs forget God: Are not all sicknesses the plagues of God? then a plain case that God plagueth you by the devil, when you are about your good prayers. Superstition. Abuse of Baptism, A second kind for beasts is no better than this; For first, if the beast have no name, then must they give it one; or if they have one, then must they tell the name: If this be done, that the beast may the better be blessed, it is superstition: or secondly, if for dedication to their office, then abuse of baptism, wherein we are named that we may give up our names unto Christ. Second sin, is the abuse of God's providence, Providence. for after this they say; if thou be forspoken, by heart, by eye, or by tongue, as though these were any causes. David saw more in Shemeis cursing and railing: and therefore God will say unto them, ye have abused me, for I did that evil unto your goods, because ye sinned against me, and have not repent; therefore have you done sinfully, with Saul, to go unto a witch. The third abuse is, of a grace in reconciliation: for they say, Reconciliation. Three bitter brists hast thou borne, and three good meanings be thy boot; that is, thou hast been troubled exceedingly, but thou shalt have great comfort. A strange thing, that that which can be applied to no creature, but the sons of adoption, Rom. 8.28. should be applied to bruit beasts. Fourth sin, is blasphemy: 1. Against the Trinity, in that they conclude as before, 4 Against the Trinity, Christ, grace. in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. 2. Against Christ, in that they bring in his five bloody wounds. 3. Against grace; for they say to the beast upon those words, would give thee grace to amend: strange, that grace should be given to beasts, even that which followeth the passion of our Saviour Christ. Fift sin, 5. Profanation. is against God's worship, for then come in again a company of prayers: and it must be done three times before and after sun rise or set. A work of darkness, and full of superstition. Another kind they have for the healing of men, both of their eyes, and also of their teeth, which are of the same nature. That for the eyes, is full of ridiculous jesting, and can hardly be named without blushing; yet because men are so blind that they will perceive nothing, until we just gall them upon the sore, I will as modestly as I can, show how they sin against God. First, they use lying, in that there is neither such meeting, ask, 1 Lying. & answering, as they speak of: for the 3. virgins (as they term them) never met those 3. that they speak of: to wit, Frith, Frith-well, 2 Forsaking God. and our Lady, as they say. Secondly, a great sin to ascribe such power unto them as shall make them mightifull, for the curing of the eyes, that is, to forsake God and trust in they know not what. 3. Abuse of the Saints. Thirdly, to join the blessed virgin Marie with two devils, (for what these two names signify else, I know not) must needs be a great abuse of the glorified Saints. 4. jesting. Fourthly, there is ridiculous jesting in serious matters: for the form is so foolish, that it would make any man break out into laughter. Now the curing of the eyes is no small matter; the eye is dear and precious, and therefore aught to be dealt withal in a more serious manner. 5. Abuse of the creatures. Fiftly, abuse of God's creatures, as red gold, running water, green grass, gray-goose feather: which neither by divine ordinarion, as Sacraments; nor physically have any such power of curing, 6. Superstition. and therefore they shall rise against them at the day of judgement. Sixtly, these being dipped in the water, and the eye thrice washed, is the cure: mere superstition, and a mere ceremony of the devils, which hath his power and efficacy from the devil. Lastly, for the tooth: for feign would I make an end, yet still do I respect the good of men's souls. This is but short in form, yet full enough of sin: first, 1. Conjuring. 2. Abuse of the creatures. 3. Of God's sacrifices. it contains in it the form of conjuring: secondly, abuse of God's creatures: thirdly, abuse of God's sacrifices, for the creatures that they have abused, as a hazel stick written on must be burnt in the fire: I know not for what end, except to sacrifice for the teeth: four, the words written are both senseless and ridiculous: 4. … lie for illa, abs, Hur, Sur; who can expound them to any good sense? surely I may expound them out of Latin and Hebrew, she is without a double prince; for Hur, signifies a Prince in the Hebrew tongue, and so doth Sur: and without all question, a witch is without any king upon earth: for she ought to die, and she is without God. But alas they have reasons to persuade; The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●he ignorant. there is a salve for every sore, we see the cure wrought by them, and all that they do is by good prayers, and we see no hurt in them. Well, a salve for every sore must be gotten lawfully, and also applied lawfully; but here is neither of both. Secondly, they do the cure; that is a lie, for it is the devil that doth it, to get men to believe him, and so for their pains they lose their souls. Examples of this we have in the Scripture: Witches do many thing, but the whole efficacy is from the devil. Saul had the matters came to pass that the devil told him, and therefore says God, Deut. 13.2. though it come to pass, yet thou shalt not listen thereunto: for the Lord doth it to try thee withal, whether thou wilt serve him, or other gods. Act. 8. Samaria was seduced by Simon the Sorcerer; they esteemed him as some great man, gave heed unto him from the least to the greatest, because he had bewitched them with sorceries: One was that he would die as Christ did, and rise the third day: therefore deluding the people with a ram which they beheaded in stead of Simon, and having carried it forth and buried it, Simon himself appears again the third day: yet see I pray you this Simon will be baptised as well as the rest, and make a show of believing, continue with Philip, wondering at the signs and miracles which were done: yet when they were to be confirmed by Peter and john, and by laying on of hands the holy Ghost to be received, he would bestow money that he might have that for the perfection of his art; but now for all his baptism and believing, he is found out of Peter to be in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity: and all that he prayeth for, is only that the judgements might not light on him: And I would to God that these persons would but be so much touched, that they would fear God's judgements for these sins. History is plain for it: A woman in Italy having sore eyes, and could by no means be eased of the pain, was persuaded that a Priest could do it for her: therefore coming unto him, & entreating with a great reward in her hands, the Priest against his skill writ her a paper to be hanged about her neck, wishing her no good, but all mischief, yet she taking the paper and following his rule, was presently cured of her eyes; yet when a year was expired, she would needs have the paper read, wherein were written these words, Diabolus eruat oculos tuos, & foramina stercoribus impleat: which when she understood, burns the paper for anger, and presently her eyes were in as ill case as ever before. Hemingius reading the Logic lecture in the schools, and being disposed to make merry with his auditors, in jesting manner told them, that if any man should say these two verses over one sick of the fever, it would presently leave them. The verses were used of ancient Logicians for the figures of a Syllogism: Fecana, Cage, Daphenes, Gebare, Gedaco, Gebali stant, sed non stant, Phebas, Hecas, & Hedas. One in the company more simple than the rest, tried his words, and the event followed for the space of a year before it was known, insomuch that he was famous for his art: But as soon as Hemingius knew the matter, and had preached against it, all his practice came unto an end: showing that the devil will work no longer than men serve him ignorantly: and therefore if the effect follow, no wonder: for the parties that do these things, and the persons that seek unto them are ignorant and blinded people, such as have no true fear of God; for every one that seareth God, speaketh against them; nay, they speak against themselves: for tell me. I pray you, how many of these use to bless themselves, children, and family by earnest prayer unto God? tell me how many of them have Bibles in their houses, and godly exercises: surely they may profess what they will for beasts, but they proclaim themselves to be worse than bruit beasts. Is there never a man of God able to pray as well as they hath God given them a greater measure of his spirit, than he hath done to any other? If this be so commendable, why send they not to the minister before these wretches, to entreat him to pray for their cattle? but, alas, no marvel, if the world be deluded, when they will not entertain the truth of God in the love of the truth. For it were strange to consider, how persons being galled, did even gnash against these declarations, that they should be taught by any young headed boy. Well, let them know, that they have every mother's son of them, made anunknowne conclusion against themselves: for except they repent, I tell them as much in writing, as I have done in speaking, that they cannot be saved. 2. Reason, Carnal wisdom. is the high conceit men have of their own wisdom: Rom. 1.22. When they professed themselves to be wise, they became stark fools. Pharaoh, Exod. 1. come let us work wisely: and what is that I pray you? 1. burdens: 2. tyranny: 3. secret murder by the midwives: 4. Wickedness hunts the wicked to his destruction. open drowning by all his people: and what became of all this wisdom? drowning indeed of Pharaoh and all his host in the red sea. What became of Achitophel's wise counsel? surely the hanging of himself. Therefore letall such foxes as Herod was, know for a certainty, that God's children shall walk to day, and to morrow, and for ever most safely: for they have been simple to deny their own wisdom, yet happy are they, for they have found a better, that shall never deceive them. Reas. 3. is their practice: Evil practice. they think all is well that gins well: they never respect the end, but run along with the present satisfaction of their hearts: and therefore they are bold to say, we shall never be moved. Thus promising fair things unto to themselves, A present misery, is better than a future mercy to the wicked. they make a conclusion more bitter than death, before they have lived half their days to an end. It is the godly man that sees the sword come, and hideth himself: when wicked men are so blinded with the glistering shows of this world, that they can not behold the glittering appearance of God's armour coming into the field to fight against them. 1. Use is reprehension: first the confutation of the wicked, that build upon false grounds, and lay sandy foundations of all their hopes, and therefore shall it perish as the house of the spider, when the Lord shall come with the bosom of his wrath, and fetch them down out of their king's palaces. Secondly, correction of the godly, that often think the wicked have built themselves so strongly, that there is no way to bring them down. Israel in Egypt is out of heart, and the Lord cannot have the hearing, because of the anguish of their hearts: yet if with Moses, they will be but still a little, they shall see the salvation of the Lord. 2. Use is instruction: first an admonition to the wicked, that they cry not with Dives, soul, take thy rest, for thou art rich enough for many years. Take heed, the conclusion is otherwise, than he took it to be: for it is, this night, thou fool, shall thy soul be taken from thee, and then whose goods shall these be? Secondly, a direction to the godly, that they make right steps unto their feet. 3. Use is consolation: first in prosperity, to see the fetches of the devil to persuade us that there can be no change: let us not rejoice in this, but because our names are written in the book of life. A sorrowful beginning with a joyful ending is more sweet, than a paradise of pleasure with hell hereafter. Secondly, in all trouble, this may afford consolation, because by afflictions we are made more wise unto salvation, then wicked men, in all their crafty fetches to plant themselves, while the Lords silence is upon them: for affliction lets a man see at the first, the worst conclusion that shall befall him in the profession of his God: and therefore being best known, he may assure himself that all other consequences shall be joyful and exceeding comfortable. It shall not be so with the wicked, for they make the best conclusions first, and therefore blind their eyes that they cannot behold how they run to fearful woes and sudden destruction: now follows the conclusions of a part of the argument, to wit, God's silence alone. Obser. 4. This bond (therefore) lets us see a fourth collection, to wit, that wicked men suck poison out of every word of God: his very silence and mercy, which ought to have a sweet relish unto their souls, shall by the corruption of their natures become the bane of the body and soul. If God be but silent, then will they be filled with wicked thoughts of God himself. Reas. 1. The corruption of nature, From corrup nature. which turns all into itself. A corrupt stomach makes all meats relish of his quality, it turns sweet into sour, pleasant into as bitter as gall: so the heart of a wicked man, makes silence sin, judgement blasphemy, love hatred, peace war, and the fears of hell the thoughts of pleasure. Corpus tabed●● quo plus nutrias, eo magis laedas. A naughty temperature the more it is fed with good nourishments, the worse it becomes: so an ill tempered soul, with the untempered mortar of sin, becomes worse for the mercies of God: and such excellent food is turned into a most dangerous nourisher of the very canker and gangrene of body and soul. Reas. 2. Ill digestion either of mercy or judgement. From the ill digestion of the soul. That which lies raw in the stomach, and so consequently spoiled in the first concoction, can never be mended again in the liver, or in the assimulation of the parts, where every thing draws, and sucks for his own use: So all the mercies and judgements of God, lie raw at the heart of a wicked man, and there are spoiled, so that no good blood can be dispersed through body & soul, to make the sanguine complexion of a Christian; neither shall you see any member to gather strength, but rather to pine away: even as men do that labour of consumptions, Good things without God's blessing, heavy curses. when they are fed with the best nourishments; when we may see a poor beggars boy, that fares hardly, even with such diet as would make a man melancholic to look on it; yet he is fresh and well liking: so Christians, which are of the blood royal, are like Daniel, which was better liking feeding on the pulse, then when he had his diet off the King's table. So these under affliction, profit more than all the wicked do in their prosperity. Lazarus is better in soul, though he cannot obtain the crumbs that the rich man's dogs might be welcome unto, than the richman that fared daintily every day, and yet pined in his soul. The woman of Canaan, for all her strange repulses; first no answer, 2. the disciples speaking against her, 3. Christ giving her a cold answer, I am not come but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: 4. an utter distaste of her kindred, it is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it unto dogs; such a one art thou, because a Canaanitish woman, and no Israelite: well, for all this cold comfort, she will have her soul fed, or she will never give over: True Lord, I am neither son, nor servant to sit at thy table; yet seeing it hath pleased thee to style me a dog, I pray thee let me at thy table be but as one of thy whelps, to gather but the crumbs that fall from thee, or thy children, yea or thy servants, and that shall suffice my hungry soul. This woman by this means, was fed better than any Israelite, even by the very testimony of Christ himself, I have not found such faith in Israel: ah woman, great is thy faith, go in peace, and let all be according to thy desire. 3. A wicked m●n makes no use 〈◊〉 God's mercy. Reas. Is that which follows a bad concoction; and that is ill distribution, whereby all the vital parts wax weak, and the spirits decay; and so consequently, sense and motion lie dead in the body: he is not able to move up and down, to perform the duties of his calling, his hands which are the keepers of his house, begin to tremble with the palsy; his limbs, and legs, which were the strong men bow themselves; his senses decay, his eyes wax dark, that look out by the windows: his ears with all the daughters of singing are abused; his taste is gone, he is like old Barsillai, that is not fit to set at the king's table: in a word, his senses shall be so decayed, that nature shall not be able to bind them up in the night time, to refresh him with comfortable sleep, but he shall be awake before the bird sing in the morning, and shall be so out of heart with the disquietness of the night, that the bird shall be no means to lull him asleep, but he shall rise at the voice of the bird: Even so is it with wicked men, they make no good distribution of God's mercies & judgements in their lives, and therefore no marvel if their life languish, if their spirits to good actions be cold and frozen with the dregs of impiety, and can no ways be dissolved: for move they cannot, or bestir themselves, that so heat might be gotten into them, to dissolve the frosts of their souls, and expel the abundance of vapours, that arise out of the sink of sin, whereby they are choked; neither can they be chafed, for they have utterly lost all sense and feeling: Let the grace of God shine never so clearly, yet they have no eyes to see withal: let God thunder from heaven, and they are so hard asleep, that they cannot hear it: let God threaten them, and they have yet no touch of their conscience: let God promise them mercy, and they cannot taste it: let him offer them some of the flowers of his garden, yet they cannot smell them. And thus it comes to pass, that as every thing work together for the good of God's children; so every thing works together for the destruction of the wicked. Use 1. reprehension. First, confutation of the wickend, that brag and boast of their prosperity. Alas, what cause have they to rejoice in that they poison themselves: There is a kind of poison, that will make men die laughing: surely so is it with the wicked, they are fed fat for the day of slaughter, and yet they perceive not how fast they run to the slaughter house. Secondly, correction of the godly, that are discontented with affliction; would they have the estate of a wicked man, for the enjoying of all his wealth? I hope no good soul would wish it: neither would I wish it my very enemy: and therefore ye godly, set your fowls arrest with the worst of God's provisions: for it is not only too good for us, but it shall prove better in the feeding upon, then ever we expected; & therefore David often said, It was good for him that he was afflicted: small comfort for a man to drink of a cup of wine, that hath but one drop of poison in it: to be at a feast, and yet casting his eye upward, sees a sword hanging in a weak thread, with the point toward his head. The wicked die, because they do not die; and the godly die not, because they do die; perijssem, nisi perijssem: the Phoenix dies, that she may live again; and the eagle casts her bill, that she may renew it. Use 2. Instruction. First, an admonition to the wicked, that they be more wary in tasting the benefits of the Lord. Let them feed more sparingly: for every morsel they take down, presently becomes poison; and therefore miserable is the estate of a wicked man; for eating, drinking sleeping, waking, and whatsoever he doth, is nothing but the poisoning of himself: Touch not, taste not, handle not, is no ceremony that passeth away with the using, for if wicked men do it in their service of God, it is but abomination; and if the godly do it with the wicked, it is in all things dangerous. Secondly, a direction to the godly, to refrain from wicked men's company; because a man can hardly participate with them in good things, but he shall be defiled. We dare not eat with some persons very wholesome meat, or drink of the cup after them, because they have in their bodies some poisonful disease: If we have this natural wisdom, for to save the body, let us, I beseech you, have as great wisdom for the soul, lest it be hurt in wicked men's company even by good things: that poison in nature is most dangerous, that is offered in a sweet flower; because the one delights the senses, and so is willingly embraced, but the poison enters in with it, and so causeth death. Use. 3. consolation. First, in that thou art out of the estate of a wicked man, and now become the servant of jesus Christ. Secondly, in all misery and distress be of good comfort; for God hath bestowed on thee so able a soul, that it shall be able to digest iron into good nourishment. The stomach that is used to be put to some hardship, will not be complaining so often as theirs that keep themselves to easier diet. Observe. 5. Wicked men, especially hypocrites, will think God favours them, if he do but look on them: nay, if he hold but his tongue, & be silent with them a little, they will grow into such familiar acquaintance with the Lord, that presently they will judge the Lord to be like them, and none so highly in favour with God as they. The proud Pharisie, because he was able to part with something to the poor, is presently at defiance with the poor Publican, as a nobody in respect of him: Hypocrites conceit most of God's love, best of themselves, and least of others. and with God he is bold to make this confession of his goodness; and I admire how those words broke out (I thank God,) but that I see the world, where good fellowship is most, to be the fullest of thanks: and therefore this is nothing, but a bold stepping into the presence of God, as hail fellow, well met. But alas, where is the poor Publican? A far off striking his breast, confessing his unworthiness, craving pardon for his sin; desiring that God would lift upon him the light of his countenance, in the face of his anointed: better for the pleasing of God, than all their offerings, calves of a year old, Micah. 6. thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil, the first borne, or the fruit of their bodies: and more comfortable to a poor Publican, than the increase of corn, wine oil, or any precious thing in this world. 1. Reason, a fond conceit of their own brain. A fond conceit. The fond lover, thinks that if the party look but toward him, or give him presently no hard words, that she loves him at the very heart; yet when the trial is made, and he sues for grace and favour in her eyes, she may not endure his presence, fix her eyes upon him, but rather let him feel the smart of her hands, for being so bold and malapert with such as he was unworthy to look upon: he like a fond fool, may follow the suit, but let him be sure, he shall never obtain: for his very offer hath made an inveterate hatred. So these wicked persons, for the silence of God, are so incensed with God's love, that they must needs be like God; yet when they shall sue unto him for the performance of this hope, they shall hear him break silence to their small comfort, Depart from me ye cursed, I never knew you. And if they shall urge him, Have not we for the love of thee done many good things? O fools, this praise is not of God, ye have your reward already: Away from me, and that I may put you out of all hope, into hell fire, there shall be your weeping and gnashing of teeth for the loss of my presence, and the presence of my judgements. And this is my reward of your well-doing. Reas. ●●●sent estate. 2. Their present estate: God surely would not be thus liberal unto us, except be loved us: A frantic brain thinks all is his that pleaseth his eye: as the fool at Athens, when he was on the sea shore, thought every ship to be his that pleased his eye; and when he was in the city, where he fixed his eye, laid claim unto that as the only owner: and yet alas, he had not rags to put on his back, but as men pitied him: so the Lord hath taken a little pity on them, and given them liberty to walk abroad in the woald, and they are so conceited that all is theirs by sea and by land: but alas, they can not examine their title; and therefore when the Lord shall come and say, Give up thy accounts, thou art no longer to be my officer: Alas, what account shall they make, that have spent all their Master's goods, and have neither in their own hands, nor in the hands of another, one penny to discharge all with. These men all the days of their lives, have been paying debts where they ought not: even like a gallant, that hath a wife, and company of poor children sitting at home, while he is in the Alehouse wasting his goods. Now when his rend day comes, he gathers in his rents, comes again unto the alewife, tells her, he is come to pay his debts: now, alas, poor soul; he was bound to pay no debts there, but at home to his wife and children: So wicked men pay all to the devil, nothing to God: and therefore because they will be thus debt-bound to the flesh, to live after it, they shall be sure to die. Reas. Comparison with others. 3. is comparison with others: First, wicked and profane, which are extraordinarily beastly: these men oftentime, live a fair life, and die a quiet death; and therefore if God loved them a little in both these, then surely must I needs be loved of God much more. Again, with the godly; they are a company of precise persons, men of melancholy dispositions, at peace with no men, cannot live quietly at home, but they must abroad to hear sermons; and yet for all this, I sit still at home, content with that which God sends, and am as well esteemed of my neighbours as they, and why then should not I be in the favour of God, as well as they? Thus dealing with their own souls, they are far gone in a conceit, that God is like unto them, and loves them most dearly: & therefore are sure to die in it. 1. Use reprehension: first, confutation of the wicked, that they are of an other kind of stamp, than they dream of: they conceit heaven and happiness, when indeed they are but one step from hell. 2. Correction of the godly, that if they trust for any favour at the hands of wicked men, they shall be deceived: for it is impossible they should do them good, except the Lord work it out of them; for they are forlorn creatures, and forsaken of God. 2. Use instruction. First, admonition to the wicked, that they brag not too much of their prosperity, in so high a conceit of all is well with them. 2. A direction to the godly, to conceive best of themselves, when they have learned the greatest humility, to confess that they are but dust and ashes, and less than the least of God's mercies. This will make them mount upon eagle's wings unto the kingdom of heaven, and the throne of glory. 3. Use consolation. First, in our exaltation, when we shall consider what a difference there is betwixt the true love of God, shed abroad in our hearts, and that vain conceit that we had of it in our own thoughts. Paul thought he did well, and that it was an acceptable sacrifice unto God, to shed the blood of the poor Christians: he was zealous for the law: and surely he had no small conceit of God's love toward him. But when the Lord had appeared unto him, and told him of his service, he becomes of an other mind, and triumphs in nothing but in Christ crucified; and that with an execration, [God forbidden:] now he sees the world crucified unto himself, and himself unto the world. 2. This observation may vouchsafe comfort in affliction, that therefore the Lord doth afflict us, that we may not trust too much to ourselves, but truly resort unto him, that will deny us no comfort. Reason for all opinions. Obs. 6. No opinion so absurd, but men will have some appearance of reason for it. That God is like man, is a conceit vain enough, and full of absurdity; yet the hypocrite hath his reason for it, because God is silent. This point is clear in all kinds of errors, Atheism. which for brevity, I refer to four heads; Atheism, Idolatry, heresy, prophannes. Atheism, a strange opinion, even against reason itself, and the cry of the whole world, which cannot but make God the first and the last. For if there be any being, which cannot be denied, then must it needs be either the first being, or a being from the first: for to say that there are two first beings, is false; seeing that two doth always presuppose one, but one doth not always presuppose two; one may be without two, but two cannot be without one: therefore every being will say that God is this first, that God is this one. Secondly, every creature is for some next end, as all things are for man: now for what next end is man? surely for God, or else he is good for nothing. A stately building can not be, except some man have his hand in it, though I can see never a man about it. This stately palace of the world, could not be, except God had showed his power in it, although we cannot see his presence, according to his essence: yet see how Atheism prevails: 1. Of God. there is no cause above nature or fortune, for into these two may all things be resolved as the first principles, and therefore there is no God: Tush, God sees not, neither is there any knowledge in the most high. 2. Of creation Atheism of his works; first, of creation; that could not be because the Lord had no workmen to help him, no instruments to work by, nor any matter to work from. 3. Of providence. Again, no providence, because bonis malè, malis benè. Neither any last judgement, 4. Of last judgement. because all things come a like since the fathers. Neither have we these general Atheists alone, Partial Atheism. but also many partial Atheists, denying of his particular providence over all creatures: ●. Of special providence in all creatures. It is too base for the Lord to take care for small creatures, and actions of small moment; because he sits like a king, and therefore judgeth the great matters of the world; ●. In sin. and the rest he puts over to angels and men, nature and fortune. Again, those that deny the providence of God over sin, saying he hath a bare knowledge of it; as though there were any providence which did not contain in it knowledge and care: and they are not without reason for it; God is not the author of sin: a good reason, if it were not misapplied. Again, the Aramites, the 1. of King. 20. v. 23. 3. Of God's ubiquity. will fight no more with Israel in the mountains, because their Gods are the Gods of the mountains, and therefore they overcome us; but let us fight against them in the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them. Here is an undoubted argument, that God is not every where; and therefore they might as well have said, no where. Beside, 2. Of his special and extraordinary pr●●idence. we have more secret Atheist; as some physicians, which when God shows his extraordinary providence, in preserving some without food for many years, will show how this may be done by the loss of stomach, liver, and the rest of the instruments which serve for nutrition; and they further add, for the preventing of the death of the body, that these parts are turned in salinam substantiam: which saltie substance is so far from corrupting the body, that it preserves it: now for the continuance of life, they add further, that the brain, heart, and lungs, being in their natural force, give life, sense, and motion, by reason that breathing is from without, as well as from within, whereby the lungs are preserved, and that the spirits vital and animal, are generated from pure air, whereby the heart and the brain are preserved in their functions; so that what shall be without reason, to deny God his providence. 3. In judicial Astrology. Neither would I have the Astrologians to think themselves free from this conceit, when they make the stars the rule to square all actions, as well voluntary, as natural; and to determine of the ends and issue of them both. Secondly, it is strange, Idolatry. that there should be any conceit of idolatry; seeing that nothing can be like God, either in being or doing, Isa. 40. Again, all the idols of the heathen are known by their causes; which to imagine of God, is absolutely impossible. The smith, Isa. 44. taketh an instrument, worketh in the coals, even with the strength of his arms: is an hungered, his strength faileth, he drinketh no water, and is faint: the like is said of the carpenter, ver. 13. and therefore very strange that such feeble creatures as these should bring forth their creator: nay, stupid blockishness, that the workman should esteem the work of his own hands, better than himself that made it. The like may be said of the matter, which is as fit in his own conceit to warm his body, and prepare his meat, as be an idol for his soul: folly incomparable! that fit matter for the fire in his chimney, should be as fit for the kindling up of the fire of his zeal and devotion in his heart: strange again, that the picture of a man, beast, or the fowls of the air, should be counted better than the living man himself; nay alas, than the living God. Lastly, that whose end is vanity, to be counted the felicity of the soul, is most shameful and intolerable: yet for all this, jere. 44. v. 17. We will burn incense to the queen of heaven, and power out drink offerings unto her: have they not reason for this? yes assuredly, they have a double reason: First, loss, in that they have not done it; ver. 18. Since we left off this worship, we have had scarcenesss of all things, and have been consumed by the sword, and by famine. A second reason is the profit of idolatry, v. 17. when we did this, than had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and felt no evil. Thirdly, Heresy. Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation. no heresy, but some reason for it: as Transubstantiation must needs be true, because Christ hath said, this is my body: and consubstantiation must be as good as this, because of the personal union of manhood with the deity. A pretty dispute we have in the 12. Christ not the Messiah. of john, betwixt Christ and the people concerning the Messiah: In the 32. v. Christ lays down this proposition, If I were lift up from the earth, I would draw all men unto me: this Christ meant of his death, and so the people understood it; but he hath put an argument into their heads, whereby they will conquer him; ver. 34. We have heard out of the law, that Christ bideth for ever: therefore by thy own confession thou art not Christ, because thou sayest thou must die. And I pray you consider, how they triumph in this their argument, How sayest thou now, that the son of man must be lift up? who is that son of man? Fourthly, Profanation. for profanation: see how the Apostle labours to prevent the wicked conceits of man concerning the abundance of grace: 1. Of grace. where sin abounds, there grace abounds much more: a good reason in the conceits of wicked men, to make them sin the more, that grace may abound. Again, for Election and Reprobation: see how men profane them; If I must be saved, let me do what I will, and I shall not be damned: 2. Election, Reprobation. and if I must be damned, let me do what I will, and I shall not be saved. Now should I come to discover that the ground of all these opinions is nothing, but thou thoughtest, or it was thy conceit: but because this is the last observation in the conclusion, I will put it off until I have briefly given the reasons, and made the use of this point. Reason. 1. No man will denic himself, and therefore though oftentimes he deny the rule of reason, yet never will be absolutely deny reason; because reason is one of the principal faculties in man; and therefore must it trudge to make up his broken conclusions. Reason cannot act without reason, and therefore men will have false reason, before they will have none. Reas. 2. Is the simplicity of truth, and multiplicity of error: From errors multiplicity. and therefore though men cannot bring in truth to maintain falsehood, yet may they have many falsehoods, to make a fair show for one falsehood. Reas. 3. Is the nature of opposition: From opposition, which on both sides is to defend his own. Truth and falsehood are deadly enemies, and therefore as truth laboureth to confirm himself by all those that love him; so falsehood laboureth to gather together all his forces by those that maintain him. Hence it comes to pass, that heretics will never be coufuted, but as long as they can breathe, they will vent what they have conceived. Use 1. reprehension. First, confutation of the wicked, in that they add sin unto sin: First, to poison themselves with strange opinions: and secondly to inquire for reasons whereby they may ground themselves in these poisoned errors: so that from errors they grow to heresy; from simple ignorance, to that which we call affected ignorance: ignorance is so good a mother to devotion, that she will nurse up error, and error will grow up to heresy, a child of rebellion. Secondly, correction of the godly, that they yield not at any time to the least motions of error, lest they become disputers for errors and opposers of God's truth. Many honest and wellminded persons, have gotten such familiar acquaintance with heretics, that they have been poisoned by them, and so have come to hate the truth, which once they embraced. Use 2. instruction. First, an admonition of the wicked, that they be a little more sober in broaching of their errors, lest that the Lord seeing their malice against his truth, come with a sharp reproof, and cut them off suddenly. Secondly, direction for the godly, to keep themselves to God's word, and never labour to wrest it, either to the right hand, or to the left, for the upholding of any conceits that the devil, their own flesh, or the wicked world shall suggest unto them. Use 3. consolation. First, in prosperity to remember that every good thing we enjoy, shall willingly be spent for the maintaining of the truth, and the opposing of error, even unto the death. Secondly, in adversity, to consider how we have used no indirect means to bring our purposes to pass, but still have rested upon the Lord, for the revelation of his will, and the time of our deliverance. Obser. 7. The ground of all wicked men's opinions, and likewise of hypocrites in this place, Absurdity of Atheism. is nothing but a thought, and a conceit of their own: for so the words run plainly, (therefore thou thoughtest:) and this will be plain, if we examine it in all the former opinions. First, Atheism, there is no God; Of God. because they think he seethe them not: even as if the owl or woodcock, when they have gotten their heads into a hole, should think no body seethe them, because they see nobody: or like the blind man in Athens, which going to bed with his eyesight, and admiring at the extraordinary length of the night, crieth out against the gods, that they kept the day so long from appearing; when alas, in the night time he fell blind, and therefore thought that all the world was blind as well as he; when indeed other men had been up, and at their works, now ready to sleep again: So deal these men with God: they blind themselves, and therefore God must be blind too; but he will find them out, and then they shall know that this was but a conceit. Again, nature and fortune are the two supreme causes. I would that these men had stood by the ovens mouth in Daniel, cap. 3. and had seen the three children in the midst of the fire, bound in their coats, their hosen and their cloaks, with their other garments, and yet not an hair of their heads to be burnt, neither their coats changed, nor any smell of fire to be upon them, and yet the flame of the fire issuing out of the oven to have slain those men that brought them forth: what reason would they have given of this? I fear not but with the king, they would have made a decree, that they would never again blaspheme against this God, because there was never God that could deliver after this sort: we will therefore declare his signs and wonders, and confess that his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. The conceit of the Epicures: No world, Creation. because no instruments, nor matter; is a fond conceit: for the best workman in the best work, is able to work without any of these; and to work by any of these, is imperfection: for who goeth to the market to buy instruments to make him reason with all? & yet to reason is a more excellent work then to build a stately palace; therefore God being most perfect, could not work by instruments; for than should be have been imperfect. Again, for his providence; Providence. if a man see a father whip his child, and spare his servant, and should say he loved his servant better than his child, every man would laugh him to scorn: so if the Lord whip his children, spare the wicked, it is not for want of love to the one, or manifestation of love to the other. So for the last judgement, Peter telleth them, 2. Pet. 3.5. Last judgement. That this they willingly knew not, how all things were by the word of God, and by the same word are still kept in store against the day of judgement, and of the destruction of ungodly men: for one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day: no slackness with him, only the creature must have his time, and then shall be perish, or be saved. The conceits of partial Atheists: Partial atheism It is too base for the Lord to take care for base creatures; they might as well say, to have created them: for the Lord made nothing which his providence did not guide; and if he be the first and last of all creatures, then as all creatures are from him, so all must be unto him; and that by his own wisdom. It is the cunning physician that must have the handling of an instrument composed of many strings, and in nature dissonant, to make it sound forth his skilful praise: and therefore to keep that excellent harmony among the creatures, must needs be the hand of God alone: He can make louse, swarms of flies, and an host of grasshoppers, fight most stoutly against Pharaoh: now no general was able to order the battle, but the Lord of hosts, and this is no base thing: for hereby would the Lord get him a name for ever. Of sin. Again, for the decree of sin: cannot the Lord bring good out of evil, light out of darkness, health out of sickness, glory out of shame? and therefore may he decree sin, and yet be no author of sin: for he hath goodness enough out of sin, which shall serve his turn, and the rest he will leave to the first inventors. Of Ubiquity. The conceit of the Aramites shall appear, when they come to fight with Israel in the plains, then shall they know that God is as well the God of the plains, as of the mountains. For Physicians, that feign would exercise their wits in the wonders of the lord Of extraordinary providence. If reason may be given for fourteen years fast, surely Christ's fasting forty days shallbe worth nothing: I had rather say as Christ did to the devil after his fast, Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The Israelites apparel, and the shoes on their feet, as new at the end of forty years, as they were the first day they entered into the wilderness, was the work of this word; and no natural reason can be given for it. Astrologians are well answered even by their own lies: Astrology. An Astrologian coming before a Bishop to be made Minister, & professing this art, the Bishop asks him, if he could tell by the stars, whether he should be made Minister, or no? He answers, he could tell; for he had already calculated that he should: Then says the Bishop, I will see whether I can oppose the stars, or no: and thus the simple Astrologian was made a liar. Again, Idolatry. for idolatry, a mere conceit: they had plenty, and felt no want, therefore idolatry was good: the world is all secure, therefore the devil is very quiet. The ships can not pass over Goodwin sands as in times past, therefore the old-man's judgement was better than all the rest, because he never knew it until Tenterton-steeple was built; a reason of a doting fool; Tenterton-steeple is built, therefore no ships can pass over Goodwin sands: baculus stat in angulo, ergo coelum movetur: the staff is in the corner, therefore the heavens are moved. See it in the children of Israel; Up Aaron, make us gods to go before us for we know not what is become of this Moses: every word a strange absurdity: first, make a god; a mere contradiction, that a creature should make his creator: secondly gods, that was a calf, which is a blockish creature, and more foolish than any: now that the foolishest creature should become the wisest of all beings, is as strange as the other: thirdly, to go before us: all Israel were not able to put life into that dead picture, and therefore to go before them was impossible: it would not so much as follow them, except they carried it: and therefore beasts they were, that saw how God went before them in a pillar of fire by night, and in a cloud by day, and when there enemies were behind them, made this pillar stand behind them, should now put their confidence in a dead picture. The Papists say man is God's image, which may be painted, therefore may there be an image of God: Alas, what Papist can paint the soul of man, or the righteousness and holiness that is in the foul. Thomas Aquinas says the stars might be worshipped, but for fear of Idolatry: even the self same, as if I should say, a man might cut an other man's throat, but for fear of murder: to cut the throat, and murder, are not far asunder: for the first is the cause, and must needs bring in the other. For heresy, mere conceits. This is my body, Heresy. therefore it is so in deed. Christ is a rock, a stone, a vine, therefore he is so in deed: nothing but a rock, a stone, a vine, surely stones and rocks will reason better than thus. Christ's manhood is united to the deity, therefore it is every where; as though things united were confounded, and the manhood were equal with the deity, nay the very self same: for to have the same essential properties, is to have the same essence. Christ must die, therefore he is not Christ: because be that dies, endures not for ever: as though the grave having shut in Christ three days, should have kept him for ever: well, he rose again, and hath openly manifested himself to live for ever. Dives calls in bell, father Abraham, have mercy upon me, therefore to call to the Saints is no such intolerable thing: a good argument, that must needs be fetch out of hell to prove so damnable an assertion. Pope Alexander treading upon the neck of Frederick, hath his conceit for it; upon the basilisk shalt thou go: the kissing of his feet, because the sinner kissed the feet of Christ; therefore his church, because bone of his bone; therefore the Pope, because he is the church: as beasts, Psal. 8. are subject unto man, so all men unto the Pope: surely as beasts, for he is the master beast of them all, Reu. 13. Two swords in Christ's family, therefore two kingdoms on the Pope's head. Peter Act. 10. rise and kill; therefore may the Pope excommunicate and kill Princes. As good conceits as may be, and at the best they are no better. For profanation: Profanation. let us sin, that grace may abound: who will deal thus with a kind friend; he is liberal unto me, therefore will I provoke him to do me good by my unkindnesses: the Physician is skilful, and hath cured a deadly disease, therefore I will drink some more poison, that the physician may not be idle: the surgeon hath healed a dangerous wound, therefore will I stab myself in the same place, that I may try him again. If I must be saved, I must be saved; if damned, no remedy: why then deprive I my soul of joy in my pleasures? If I should tell thee, thou must live, and that is according to Gods appointed time: why wilt thou eat or drink? this thou wilt say is a conceit; therefore judge so of the rest, for the cause is alike. Now I come unto the reasons. 1. Vanity. Reas. Vanity of mind. Rom. 1.21. But became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was full of darkness. Hence did arise those conceits following; that the glory of the incorruptible God, was to be turned into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and four footed beasts, and of creeping things: this is Idolatry. They turned God's truth into a lie: there is heresy. And for profanation, strange to consider what followed hereupon. 2. Reason is the abuse of the object, Self-conceit. turning it unto their own conceit, and not their conceit unto it. They would have their knowledge like unto Gods, that first sees all things in himself, and after, all things in the creatures: So would man do, he would first see all things in himself, and then himself in all things; when indeed by God's creation, man is made to look upon all God's wisdom in the creatures, and so by reflection to see himself; even as a man sees a face in a glass, and by that knows his own: and he that will first know his own face, before he see it in God's glass, will be sure his face shall be a good one; and therefore will he never see any bad face in God's law, and so shall his judgement be a conceit of himself. 3. Reason, the violence of passions, which are in wicked men; Violent 〈◊〉 as a melancholic humour in the body, which makes men strangely conceited, and so stiff in their opinions, that neither wise men by counsel, or learned Physicians by purgations and cordials, are able to remove it; except they turn the conceit into an other, by letting them plainly see that which fed their humour was so, but now is otherwise. Tralianus cured a woman, that could not be persuaded but that she had swallowed down a serpent, by causing her cast, and privily caused a serpent to be put into the basin, and so she was delivered. Philotomus cured a person that was conceited that his head was cut off by a tyrant, by causing an iron ball to be put into his hat, the weight whereof did so sore oppress him, that he cried out his head did ache: the standers by tells him, why then thou hast an head. Some have thought they have been dead men, and therefore would not eat, because dead men can not eat; yet one feigning himself to be dead, and they putting meat into his mouth falls to eating; and the conceited person seeing that, he falls of eating too, and so his life was preserved. Others have been so resolute in their conceits, that they have died in them: as Arthemidorus a Grammarian, who upon the sight of a crocodile, was so sore amazed, that he forgot all his learning, and became so mad that he thought his legs and arms were cut off, neither would he ever be persuaded to the contrary. Even thus falls it out with wicked men, that either they see one conceit by another, to prove foolish, or else they do so strongly ground themselves in their conceits, that they will never be drawn to any better persuasions. As many an ignorant Papist, his fathers were so, and he hopes well of them, and God forbidden that they should be in hell, therefore he lives as they did, he hopes well. Yet others after they have seen, as the Apostle saith, no profit of those things whereof they are now ashamed, become to change their minds, and see all was but a conceit of pleasure. Thus men become more wise after sin committed then before, because the passions begin to suage: hence the proverb, serò sapiunt Fryges: they shut the stable door, when the steed is stolen. And so many like Dives in hell, would be wise when it is too late. Thus when we are taken away, we come to had I witted, and do penance in hell to no purpose. 1. Use reprehension. First, confutation of all wicked men, that boast of their new inventions. We have many that cry with Pythagoras, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but alas, what have they found? parturiant montes, nascetur ridiculus mus: they have found out strange matters, yet when all is brought to the birth, it was but a mountain conceiving, and the offspring was a poor mouse. They were in the tops of King's houses in their vain conceit, but alas, all is but the spider's web, fitting for nothing but the bosom to sweep it to the dunghill. 2. Use is correction of the godly, that are too credulous of wicked men's opinions. Good Bereans will search whether the things be so or no, and these shall be wiser than they of Thessalonica. It behoveth a wise man in these cases to have his eyes in his head. 2. Use instruction. First, admonition. Thou sayest thou art rich, and increased with goods, and hast need of nothing: and knowest not how thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Reu. 3.17. This is the conceit of all hypocrites, therefore let them look to Christ's admonition, v. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire, that thou mayest be made rich: and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that thy filthy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. Surely if God love thee, he will rebuke and chasten: therefore in the second place, let it be a direction to the godly, that they be zealous, and in their zeal jealous over their hearts with a holy inquisition, how it stands betwixt God and their souls: if they find God's truth rooted in their hearts, praise God for it; but if they see the deceits of their hearts, repent and amend, lest the Lord come against them, and cut them in pieces with the sword of his judgements, that would not suffer the word of God, lively and mighty in operation, sharper than any two edged sword, to enter through, even to the dividing asunder of their soul and their spirit, of their joints & marrow, and to discern of the thoughts, and intents of their hearts: let this be powerful, and we shall never be conceited. Use 3. consolation. First, when we do not conceit too high of any grace or gift of God in us, but say from the very heart, glory be to God: When David can say, I am not puffed in mind, I have no proud look; then he found joy at will. Secondly, in our affliction not to conceit with Cain, my sin is greater than can be forgiven: but as we descend down into our own hearts, and plead guilty; so again by the eye of faith, to ascend upward unto God in Christ; and then shall we say with job, although he kill me, yet will I trust in him: and I know my redeemer liveth, and shall stand the last upon earth, and that I shall see him with these eyes. And thus much of the bond of inference: the bond of copulation followeth. These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue:] sins, Sin and God's silence may for a time agree together. and God's silence, are no kindly friends, yet they are here yoked together; and that by a bond, that doth not only conjoin, but gather together; and that not by connexion, but cheek by jowl; not one drawing in another, for neither can sin by any good consequence draw after it God's silence; neither God's silence (except abused) any ways allure unto sin: both are absolute, and therefore soon may they be parted. From hence might be observed; first, that more may absolutely be affirmed of sin & silence coupled together, then can be upon condition: for God makes no condition with sinners for the time of his silence, neither have they any lease from God how long they shall sin, and he will say nothing: for God will have his liberty. Secondly, wicked men shall have nothing to excuse them from God. Indeed their sins go before God's silence; God's silence comes after, and they again come after with more sin: for so are the words joined together: 1. They do: 2. God is silent: 3. They think: it may be by their latter sinning, they have a persuasion of conditions of peace: but alas they are deceived; for hereby riseth a threefold judgement against them: one for their first sin; a second for the abuse of his silence; and a third for that they have had no measure in their sinning, and therefore shall God have no measure in his punishing. Obser. But the observation proper to the place is this, that man's sins, and God's silence may stand together for a time. The disciples of our Saviour Christ knew not of what spirits they were, when they asked Christ, that he would call for fire from heaven to destroy his enemies. Indeed if any tender hearted man should sit but one hour in the throne of God almighty, and look down upon the earth as God doth continually, and see what abominations are done in that hour, he would undoubtedly in the next set all the world on fire, and not suffer his wrath to be pacified, or the fire to be quenched. Reas. From opposition. 1. From the nature of opposition: Two things that disagree may be coupled together by some third: and in that third, they may agree. Heat and cold may stand together in water; but because water hath cold naturally, and heat accidentally, the heat must out again, and the water remain in his nature. So our sins and God's silence, even fire and water, stand together in this world, and sin burns very hot in this world, insomuch, that the whole world boils with it: and the Lord hath a long time been silent with the world, very cool and patiented with sinners; but this burning must out of the world, for the world in God's creation did never acknowledge him, as any home borne brood. The deluge once cooled him sufficiently: and again another fire stronger than he shall get the conquest: and then shall an end be made of God's silence, and smoking coals shall issue out of his mouth for ever, to augment the fire of hell, that it may never be extinguished. Reas. 2. The order of laws; which is to promise, threaten, The order of law. punish: all the while the law is promising and threatening, the judge sits still as one at rest; but when that time is expired, he ascends the throne of judgement, gives sentence, delivers to the executioners, and straightly commands that such villains be dispatched out of the world. Reas. 3. From meth● de. Method makes a good agreement betwixt things that descent, when it brings every thing to his proper place: First, it brings sin to God's goodness, than along to God's law, and thirdly to God's plagues. They that tame unruly creatures, first bring them to the thing and place where they have done the injury, then labours to let them see the fault by beating of them: So the Lord first brings us to ourselves, and his silence, let's us see what we have done against ourselves and his silence, and then doth he let us feel the power of his wrath, that hereafter he may be our fear: either filial or slavish, for he will have every knee to bow unto him: either a knee of power or of reverence, of love or constraint, from heart or from body. Use 1. reprehension. First, confutation of all those that deny God's providence, because they see not present execution of judgement for sin, and present reward for well-doing: the Lords times are in his own hands, and he is very wise in them all: therefore it is my wisdom to rest content with patience, and expect God's leisure. Secondly, correction of the godly, that are too importunate with the Lord to destroy the wicked: Wilt thou not break the heavens and come down? but he that believes will not make haste. Use 2. instruction. First, admonition to the wicked, that they agree with their adversary while he is in the way, lest he deliver them to the judge, and they be cast into prison, and there lie until they have paid the uttermost farthing. Secondly, direction to the godly, never to be at rest, until they know themselves reconciled unto God in Christ jesus; for that is God's hearty love, no bare silence: for one may hold his tongue, and yet be extremely angry. Use 3. From God's direct knowledge consolation. First, in well-doing: surely if God can agree with a sinner for a time, how shall he rejoice to do his child good that labours to serve him. Secondly, in misery this may afford comfort, that God will not be worse unto me, than he is unto the wicked, nay he will spare me as a father spareth his child, that he sees endeavour to do well. CHAP. FOUR Of the simple invention. First, of God's knowledge. NOW I come to the simple invention, and consider every reason by himself: the sentence hath two parts, God's truth, God's holiness. God's truth in these words (these things hast thou done,) wherein we have knowledge without all error: secondly, integrity without all partiality: thirdly, equity without all contradiction. Obser. 1. God's knowledge is a most exact and particular knowledge of all things: these things are known unto the Lord, to wit, the very consent unto adultery and thievery, the very running of the heart, though the world could never condemn them of any such crimes: this knowledge therefore is most particular of sins, persons, things, causes, ends, effects, and all circumstances that accompany them. Reas. 1. Because all things are in God long before they exist in the world. Hence is God called the most perfect idea of all things: a skilful workman hath the plot of his building in his head, long before he begin his work out of himself: Psal. 139.2. thou understandest my thought afar off: and v. 16. thine eyes did see me when I was without form: for in thy book were all things written, which in continuance were fashioned, when there was none of them before. 2. Reason. As all things were in God, From creation. so all things were from God; and that which was from him, must needs be known of him. Psal. 94.9. He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that form the eye, shall he not see? Psal. 139.13. Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb, therefore thou hast possessed my reins. v. 15. My bones are not hid from thee, though I was made in a secret place, and fashioned beneath in the earth. And it is a most clear knowledge: for Heb. 4.13. Neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open unto his eyes, with whom we have to do. The word in the original is taken from a beast, that hath the skin flayed off his neck, so that all the nerves and arteries that run that way may plainly be seen: or else from a man cast on his back with his face toward heaven, which may be seen of all. Neither is this a bare knowledge, but with care and counsel: Eph. 1.11. Which worketh all things after the counsel of his will: and most particular, Matth. 10.39. A sparrow falls not to the ground without God's will: yea, and all the hairs of your head are numbered: and most certain, Numb. 23.19. God is not as man, that he should lie: neither shall it be resisted: Exod. 4.11. he will give a mouth to man, make the dumb speak it, and the deaf hear it, before it shall be silenced by man: the very stones shall speak out of the wall, and the timber, before man shall bury God's truth, or obscure that which he would have revealed. 3. Reason. As all in God, and from God; From providence. so for his providence and preservation of them, they live, move, and have their being continued from him, Act. 17.25. And therefore seeing the Lord hath gone with us all our days, he must needs be privy to all our doings. There is not a motion in the heart, a stirring of the hand, a turning up of the eye, or a foot of ground trodden, but the Lord knoweth it, because he was in that motion. Again, for our living, whether general or special, the Lord taketh notice of it; general, with what conscience, good or evil; with what faith or infidelity, whether we have had our conversation in heaven, or upon earth: particular, first to himself, what piety in his worship, thankfulness for his blessings, prayer in our needs, providence in the use of means, and without means. Secondly towards man: first, all in general; what charity, justice, peace, love: in special, towards superiors, what reverence, equals humility, inferiors kindness: lastly, to thyself, what modesty, temperance, sobriety. 4. From the end. Reason. God must dispose of all things for himself, therefore must he know them: Rom. 11.36. For in him, and through him, and for him, are all things, etc. 5. From circumstances of time, place, and person. Reason. In that the Lord knoweth not all things as in himself, from himself, and working by himself, and for himself, but also in that he knoweth every circumstance of time, place, person. Of place, Psal. 139. first, for the positions of it, v. 3. Thou compassest my paths, and my lying down, and art accustomed to all my ways: thou holdest me strait behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me. Again, for the place itself, v. 7. Whether shall I go from thy spirit? or whether shall I flee from thy presence? if I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I lie down in hell thou art there: let me take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, yet thither shall thine hand lead me, and thy right hand hold me. Secondly, for the circumstance of time, v. 11. If I say, yet the darkness shall hide me, even the night shall be light about thee: yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and light are both alike. Here is no plea that old things are out of date, and sins committed many years ago, are forgotten of the Lord: for be sure, that the sin of Cain in murdering of his brother, is as freshly bleeding in the presence of God, as the sin thou hast committed this day; so that neither time past, present, or to come, will help us at all with the Lord. Thirdly, for the circumstance of persons: he knoweth all by their names, Psal. 147.4. therefore no company shall excuse thee. Indeed in the world, multitudo peccantium, tollit poenam peccati: when multitudes sin, than men's laws dare not execute: yet be sure with the Lord, he that runs with a multitude to do evil, shall be sure to be punished with them. Neither great men, nor rich men, shall be able to rescue us out of the hands of God: therefore the point is clear, that the Lords knowledge is most exact in all particulars. 1. Use is reprehension: first, confutation of the wicked, that are ashamed to do that in the presence of men, which they dare most impudently do before God: surely he is able to judge more exactly of our offences then any man: & therefore if we labour to keep ourselves secret from the eyes of men, how should we not tremble to sin before God? Secondly, correction of the godly, that do not always set themselves in the presence of God, but sometimes take liberty to slip into the ways of their own hearts, thinking that this is but a small sin, and therefore the Lord will be merciful to me in this thing: never considering the purity of the Lord, and the brightness of his glory, which is always shining round about them. 2. Use instruction: first, an admonition to the wicked, that beat their fellow servants, because their master deferreth his coming: let them take heed, for he will come at unawares upon them; and let them blush for shame, seeing that men's servants here upon earth, hearing that their master approacheth, betake themselves to their work, although before they were at their sports & idle recreations: we know that schoolboys in the absence of their master, leave their seats, spread themselves abroad, yet the very voice of (venit magister) the master comes, presently makes every one hastily betake himself unto his seat. Shall then man be so bold, as to dare to leave his place, betake himself to his own pleasure, when the very eye of his God looks upon him? surely nothing is more obvious unto our eye then this, which argueth that the world is very destitute of the fear of God. Secondly, this may be a driection to the godly, to examine themselves in all their particular carriages. Thus David deals with his soul, upon the consideration of God's excellent knowledge, Psal. 139. to the end: first, a precious estimation of it, 17, 18. how dear, how great, what account to make up the sum: all is too short: yet this will he aim at, when he awakes, he will still be with God. Indeed in the violence of passion, David may make war a pretence to excuse Urias' death; but yet Psal. 51. it shall cause him utter many a bitter word, heavy sighs, and even water his couch with tears. The second, is the manifestation of his zeal: 1. in his love of the majesty of God, v. 19, 20.2. of his hatred to the wicked, that dishonour God, v. 21, 22. See them both: Oh that thou wouldst slay, O God, the wicked and bloody men, to whom I say, depart ye (from me;) which speak wickedly of thee, and being thine enemies are lifted up in vain: I hate them, I contend with them as with mine utter enemies. The 3. his confidence, v. 23. Try me, O God, and know my heart, prove me, and know my thoughts, consider if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in thy way for ever. This consideration, can not but have powerful operations in the hearts of Christians, fire all that is within them: let us see it in a few of David's affections in the Psalms, breathing zeal out of every pipe. How do I love thy law (O Lord) more than the honey or the honey comb, love. more than thousands of silver and gold. Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred. Hatted. Thy testimonies are my delight, joy.. I rejoice more in them, than they that find great spoils, more than in my appointed food. Mine eyes gush out rivers of tears: Grief. Oh that my head were a fountain of tears, because they destroy thy law. Mine eyes are dim with waiting: Hope. how do I long for thy salvation. Thy judgements are terrible, Fear. I tremble and quake. Look what pitch of affection the natural man bestows upon his dearest darling; what unsatiable thirst the covetous worldling upon his mammon; the ambitious upon his honour; the voluptuous upon his pleasure; the same the Christian striveth in equal, yea, (if possible) far exceeding; in as much as the more pure the heart is, the more active we shall find it: Zeal is to the soul, that which the spirits are to the body; wine to the spirits, putting vigour and agility into them: be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit: an excellent Antithesis, the soul may be filled with this zeal, and yet never exceed. As wings to the foul, as wheels to the chariot, as sails to the ship, wind to the sails, courage to the soldier, metal to the horse, and dust to make the earth fruitful; so is zeal as wings to the soul, to fly above earthly and worldly cogitations; as wheels, not to go, but run the ways of God's Commandments; as sails to drive us with a plerophory unto God. This makes us fight, and puts mettle into us: yet must we take heed how we meddle with this fire, lest we heap coals upon our own heads, and bring an ill savour upon all ●ur service, as Nadab and Abihu being unsanctified. Aguish and distempered heats, are far remote from the radical; nay, an enemy unto it, and the very causes of sickness and death: a very empiric may judge of them: For first, some of these are deeply sick of the Pharisaical humour; they jove more to be seen of men than God, and yet God will see them the best; as I●hu, Come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hosts. These trumpets praise them before men, but shame them before God. An aguish or consuming heat by his flushings, is seen more in the face, than the natural heat that warmeth the heart. In wisdom and skill, artis est celare artem, hiding of art is the best art: so hidden zeal, is often the best zeal. The second sort that abuse this allseeing eye of God; are such as labour of Ahabs' disease: very passionate, affect strange gestures, exceed in all external humiliation: horse-coursers iaydes will bond, curvet, and show more tricks, than a horse well mettled for the road or cart: these learn by smart to know their Masters, and gain no commendation by these outward fetches. The third sort know God, as courtiers know one an other, complementally; and bestow much holy water on one another's faces: but alas, these fair words pay no debts: these have the world's wealth, yet care not to see their brother in want: these stick up feathers for the carcase, beguiling the simple, cozening the world, but chiefly themselves. The fourth sort is, such as cannot keep their eyes at home, their fire on their own hearths; but like brinish lights, sparkle and spit at others; and like ill couched fireworks, let fly on all sides: only out of their wisdom, they know how to spare Agag, and the great ones. These cry out of such as labour to be precise in their courses; and yet alas, how should we be too precise, seeing the eye of the Lord is never off us? Lastly, others there be, that are unconstant: commonly in the beginning, they blaze like straw fires; but in the end, go out in smoke and smother. These have not cleared their eyes, to consider with David, how dear they ought to make God's thoughts unto them, and thereby to be awaked, that they might still be with God. jehu marched as a man of God, and his word was, The Lord of hosts; but his project was the kingdom: and therefore soon will the song be changed: Demetrius cried, great is Diana; but he meant her little silver shrines: many have spoiled copes, but it was to make themselves cushions: judas complains of waist, but his sorrow was, that it fell beside his bag: If jezabel proclaim a fast, let Naboth look to his vineyard. But he that knows God indeed, and is warmed with the heat of it, will become a true Zealote, whose fervency is in the spirit, not in show; in substance, not in circumstance; for God, not himself; guided by the word, not by humours; tempered with charity, not with bitterness: such a man's praise is of God, though not of men: such a man's worth caunot be set forth, with the tongues of men and angels. Neither let any grieve that it cannot be done: God that knoweth all things, taketh notice of it; and that which is kept in secret, he will reward it openly; only let us labour to keep nothing in secret from him. But it is woe to see, how little this walking with God is practised: and to burn in the spirit, is but counted the frenzy of the brain. Such zeal as this is every where spoken against, it hath many enemies, and few friends: the world can no more abide it, than the beasts can the elementary fire: the rebukes of many have fallen upon it; the devil weaves cunning lies to bring down the honour of it: in this our earthly mould, little fuel, much quench-cole, is hardly fired, soon cooled: in the world's opinion it is as common as fire on every man's liearth; no man's heart without it, if every man might be his own judge: But if they mean to follow David, they must rise a little sooner to rake it out of the embers of lukewarmness: David had care from God's fire within him, to maintain it all the time of his own life, and also that it might not off God's altar; he would suffer the temples of his head to take no rest, until he had found an house for it to dwell in: therefore he is not unmindful to leave it in command unto his son; and furthermore, to enforce all the people to join with Solomon, he urgeth them in the presence of God, to keep and seek for all his Commandments; especially he gives the charge unto Solomon, 2. Chron. 9 And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: The argument that must move unto this, is the same with this in my text: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: therefore know thy God, and serve him perfectly, and willingly. Use 3. consolation. First, in trouble, to know that they are not hid from the eyes of the Lord: secondly, in reproaches, when the world shall slander us with the name of hypocrites, to consider that the Lord knows the uprightness of our hearts: thirdly, in our imperfections, when we find that we are not able to utter so much concerning our profession, as we believe; neither to lay open our wants unto others, as we could desire for our comforts: here (I say) is sweet consolation, because the Lord knows the willingness of our mind, and will accept of that, as well as of our deeds. Section 2. Of God's integrity. Observe, 2. Is the integrity of the Lord, without all partiality, in that he hath respect neither to the person, nor the actions of an hypocrite; but points him out, and discovers his particular sins? Integrity containeth two things, truth ἀλήθεια. and freedom: παρρησία. for an entire God must be most true, most free, in thought, word, and deed: in thought, because he knows the thing in himself, and by himself; and therefore is not tied unto any thing, but knows it, and thinks it most freely: when man is feign, first to know the thing, and himself by the thing; and therefore his knowledge is dependent, and not of that freedom which is in God. Secondly, most true and free in speech: for the Lord can neither lie, nor any ways be made to recall his words; for shall the Lord speak, and not do? no verily, Let God be true, and every man a liar, that he may be justified in his words, and overcome when he is judged. Thirdly, most true and free in his actions; Shall not, saith Abraham, the judge of the world do right? let there be but a righteous person found in Sodom, and he shall find mercy: so that we may say the understanding of the Lord is most true, his will most free, his desire most holy and pure: praecipiens omnibus quae ipse facit. Hence no accepter of persons, or actions: Act. 10.34. Of a truth I perceive, that God is no accepter of persons: of works, Ecle. 12. last ver. God will bring every work unto judgement, with every secret thing whether it be good or evil: both these are together the 1. Pet. 1.17. If ye call him Father, which without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work: and in all these he is most holy. Zeph. 3.5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof, he will do no iniquity, every mourning will he bring his judgement to light, he faileth not, but the wicked will not learn to be ashamed: they will needs have the Lord to respect them, because he is in the midst of his temple: which thing the Prophet granteth, yet makes this exception, that he is a just Lord in the midst thereof, and will do no iniquity for their sakes: therefore the Lord doth punish gravissimè, iustissimè, certissimè: most grievously, because of the greatness of sin: most justly, because of the holiness of his law: most certainly, because of the truth of his judgement. But it will be objected, Wicked men prosper. wicked men flourish: The answer is easy; First, it is but short, Psal. 37.35, 36. I have seen the wicked strong, and spreading himself like a green bay tree, yet I passed away, and lo he was gone; and I sought him, but he could not be found. Secondly, they are punished in their consciences with deadly security, while they live in their prosperity. Thirdly, the more they live in delight, the greater is their punishment: for that feeds them fat for the day of the Lord. Secondly it may be objected, that he which is summè misericors, debet remittere, aliquid de suo iure; he that is most merciful, must remit some thing of his right: or else shall we verify that of the Lord, which we speak of oppressions, summum ius, summa iniuria, the uttermost right, is the uttermost wrong: and therefore if it be the commendation of a man, to forgive injuries, and the glory of the King to pass by offences, shall we not think that the Lord hath greater liberty to dispense with his justice, and pardon offences without satisfaction? I answer, mercy and justice, are in God in the highest degree, and therefore equal, as being God himself; yet may they be intended or remitted, appear more or less in his creatures. Secondly, the Lord hath just reason with himself, of the showing of his mercy and justice; yet this may we boldly say, that the Lord can not pardon any sin, without the satisfaction of his justice; because justice in God, is fater an other manner in him, than any other creature: for in him it is his essence, and therefore to deny his justice, were to deny himself. The point then being cleared, these may be the reasons. 1. Reas. First, from the perfection of his nature: for Integrity is that, which consists of all compliments, and can admit of nothing, neither in the excess, nor in the defect. 2. Reas. The rule of his wisdom, which admits no exception, but contains in it the conditions of a most absolute and necessary truth. A law more unalterable, than the laws of the Medes and Persians. 3. Reas. Because he will be judge of the whole world, and therefore must needs be entire, and just in all actions. 1. Use reprehension: first, of the wicked, that dream of all mercy, and think with the hypocrite, that God is nothing but silence: yet let them know, that it is impossible for God to cross his nature, and therefore must they needs feel the hand of his justice. Secondly, a correction of the godly, which by reason of some privileges, abuse their christian liberty: surely if we be not the servants of sin, we must be the servants of righteousness, and not our own masters. 2. Use instruction. First, admonition to the wicked, that they put not too much on God's score; because the Lord will prove a hard master, and be sure to ask his own. Secondly, a direction to the godly: first, To pass their time in fear: for that is the use that Peter makes of it, 1. Pet. 1.17. And if ye call him father, which without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your dwelling here in fear. 2. Chron. 19.7. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you: take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, neither respect of persons, nor receiving of reward. Secondly, confession of the Lords righteousness: Nehem. 9.33. Surely thou art just in all that is come upon us: for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly. Dan. 9.7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, and unto us open shame, as appeareth this day unto every man of judah, and to the inhabitants of jerusalem: yea, unto all Israel, both near and far off, through all the countries whether thou hast driven them, because of their offences that they have committed against thee. Therefore v. 14. Hath the Lord made ready the plague, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth: for we would not hear his voice. Psal. 119.137. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are all thy judgements. An admirable disputation is laid down in the 9 of job: the question is this, Whether any man compared with God, may be justified. The first argument, is drawn from the confession of all mouths, that they shall not be able to answer him one thing of a thousand. The second argument, is drawn from his wisdom and power: Never any being fierce against God hath prospered. The third argument, is an induction of particular examples, drawn from the mountains overturned in his wrath, and yet they feel it not; the displacing of the earth, that the very pillars thereof do shake; the staying of the Sun from his rising; the closing up the stars as under a signet; the spreading of the heavens; the walking on the sea; the making of Arcturus, Orion, the Pleyades, and the climates of the South; he doth great things and snsearchable, yea, marvelous things without number: so that he may pass by, and no man perceive him: take the pray, and no man restore it. Thus doth the Lord not withdraw his anger, and the most mighty helps stoop under him. Hence ariseth these confessions, v. 15. to the end; Though I were just, yet could I not answer; only this would I do, make supplications to my judge: if I speak of strength, he alone is strong: if I speak of judgement, he alone shall plead: if I would justify myself, mine own mouth should condemn me: thus goes job along in confessions unto the 34. v. where he shows the way to bring in his confidence; Let him take away his rod from me, and let not his fear astonish me; then will I speak, and fear him not: but because I am not so, I hold me still. Thus from arguments, God brings forth these confessions; and these confessions do better quiet the soul, than arguments against the Lord. Use 3. Consolation to all those that labour for sincerity, and strive to serve the Lord with willing and perfect minds; for unto all those that dispose their ways in this sort, shall be showed the salvation of God. Sect. 3. Of God's equity. Obser. 3. Is the equity of God without all contradiction? the Lord judgeth not upon malice or suspicions, as though he hated the person of the hypocrite, or suspected him for some notorious crimes; but tells him plainly, his conscience judging with the Lord, that these things are done, already committed; and therefore no cause to complain of the judge. Thus the Lord dealt with our first parents, Gen. 3. the Lord exaamines the matter, and says unto the serpent, because thou hast done thus, thou are accursed: unto the woman, I will greatly increase thy sorrows: unto Adam, Because thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the earth for thy sake. Thus dealt he with the whole world, Gen. 6.5. When the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only evil, & that continually: therefore, v. 7 I will destroy from the earth, the man whom I have created, etc. Thus dealt he with nations, Ezech. 18.2. The fathers have eaten the sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge: this proverb hath no good meaning; for the soul that sinneth, it shall die: Therefore, O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? and are not your ways unequal? surely, I will judged you every one, according to his ways. Again, for particular cities, Gen. 18. I will go down to see whether the cry which is come up unto me be so or no. Lastly, special persons, Gen. 4.9. Where is Abel? v. 10. what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the earth: now therefore, v. 11. Thou art accursed from the earth, etc. Reas. 1. Drawn from the nature of punishment, which is always a consequent of sin, and therefore cannot go before the doings of men. Reas. 2. The conscience of wicked men, which must needs contain in them, the bills of Indictment, according unto which the jury must proceed, and the Lord himself will give sentence, Reu. 20.12. The dead were judged of those things which were written in the books according to their works. Reas. 3. That all may be without excuse: for what shall man say unto his Creator, when the Lord hath told him, These things hast thou done? surely, lay his hand upon his mouth, and confess that the Lord is just in all his works. Use. 1. reprehension. First, of such as complain with Israel in Ezek. 18. thy fathers have sinned, and we have borne their punishments: It is not so, O house of Israel: for Gal. 6.5. every man shall bear his own burden: 1. Cor. 3.8. every man shall receive his wages according to his labour: therefore to thee, O Lord, mercy, for thou rewardest every one according to his work, Psal. 62.12. Secondly, a correction of the godly, that murmur at the silence of God toward the wicked, and are grieved for his hand upon themselves, conceiving it an injury done unto themselves, because they judge themselves better than the wicked: but let them also know, that the cause of their afflictions is their own doings: jam. 1.13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil; neither tempteth he any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence, and is enticed: then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Use 2. instruction. First, a direction to the wicked, that they be more careful of their actions. Secondly, a direction to the godly, 〈◊〉 2.12. that they learn to deny all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world. Use 3. consolation. First in trouble, 2. Theff. 1.6.7. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; but to you which are troubled, rest with us. Secondly, in well-doing thou mayest have this consolation, Psa. 37.3. trust thou in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly; delight thyself in him, and he shall give thee thy hearts desire: for the Lord is a most equal God, and will not suffer either the doings or the sufferings of his children to go unrewarded. CHAP. V Of God's silence in general. THE second part is the holiness of the Lords sentence; which is twofold, mercy and justice. Mercy, Silence. I held my tongue; justice, but I will reprove thee. Mercy is described by sour arguments; first, by his quality, silence: secondly, by his object, about which he is exercised; and that is the doings of the wicked: thirdly, by the accidental effects, and they are wicked thoughts: four, by the form and manner of these thoughts, and that is, to make God like themselves. First, of God's silence: which is nothing else, but God's clemency in his patience and long suffering, with his bountifulness, and general goodness toward sinners. That this may more clearly appear, we are to understand that the Lord which is absolute being in himself, Exod. 3.14. can have nothing given unto him, which is not himself: for I am, that I am, is a proposition that hath no more in the consequent, then was in the antecedent: for I am, is the antecedent, and I am, is the consequent: therefore every consequent in God, is God. God is silent, God the antecedent is I am, and silent the consequent is I am: for nothing is given to God that is less than I am, and greater than I am, is impossible. Hence God is one most simple being, and impossible to be understood of our shallow capacities: therefore hath it pleased his majesty, that we might understnd some thing of him, to show us his back parts, Exod. 33.23. which are his glorious attributes, Exod. 34. v. 6, 7. among which, we have this silence of God; slow to anger, and abundant to goodness and truth. Now these attributes are of divers sorts: Absolute attribate●. Conditional. some absolute, some conditional, some both absolute and conditional: absolute, which at all have no arise from the creatures, but follow his absolute being: as his infiniteness, eternity, and the like, which do follow from that he is without causes, not looking at him for his effects in his creatures: others merely conditional; as in creation, omnipotency; which is only in God in regard of his creatures, which in time might feel the work of an everlasting worker. For in God, creation was always act, and never power: otherwise should the Lord have begun his act, and then it should not have been eternal. Indeed his creature felt the beginning of it, for once it was nothing: and to make that something, we term it omnipotency, which is in the creature alone: for God is not ommpotent in the generation of his son, neither the son and the father omnipotent, in the proceeding of the holy Ghost, because this is an absolute and eternal genreation, and procession, that was never out of act, and therefore uncapable of any power. In the fall of man, this silence is merely conditional: for if there had been no sin, than should God have had no silence. So in the state of redemption, grace is given to God only from that work in the creature, receiving him to mercy for Christ's sake. For attributes, that may be said to arise from his being, & yet appear in his works; are in creation, goodness, wisdom, and the like, which are absolute in God, and before creation, yet manifested from creation, seeing he hath placed in these creatures, the footsteps of his goodness, and wisdom. Now his eternity and infiniteness, may be collected from the creation, Deus cognoscitur per modum n●gation●●, enunentiae, causationis. but that will be by way of negation: for there is a threefold way of giving attributes unto God: first, per modum negationis, as all imperfections in the creatures: man is finite & hath beginning of days, therefore deny them both of God, & say jehovah is infinite and eternal. A second way, is per modum eminentia, by way of excellency; as what is excellent in the creature, to give it to God in the highest degree: man is good, wise, just, holy, therefore God is goodness itself, wisdom itself, justice itself, holiness itself. The third, per viam causationis, by way of making; as the world is a work above the reach of a creature, therefore God made it: redemption a work above the power of angels and men, therefore God must redeem: sanctification no gift in man, therefore the work of the holy Ghost: and for any creature to thrust in with God, is no less than blasphemy. Again, in man's fall, justice puts forth itself, yet was it absolute in God before, and therefore might it appoint, prescribe laws, and set down certain ends, having no consideration of the creatures sin; yet the execution will always follow man's sin. So in redemption, mercy which is not the same with silence in this place, but a free acceptation of the creature in Christ: this is also absolute in God, and so might have his work in God, long before man was miserable: but to execute this mercy upon the creature, must needs be in his misery, where it appears to us: & so both election & reprobation are manifest unto the creature, yet were long before in God, and with God. Therefore that distinction upon which some Divines build, to overthrow God's decree of reprobation and election, before the corrupt mass, is not sound; for thus say they: Gods attributes, are some of them absolute, as eternity, infiniteness, goodness, wisdom, and these are presupposed before the being of the creature: others again conditional, and always have respect unto the creature; as justice, and mercy: no justice but upon the condition of sin, and no mercy but upon the condition of misery: All this is true, being understood of the execution of mercy and justice: but absolutely it is false, being conceived of the first actions of justice and mercy: for the first action of any wisdom, is to dispose of all things for their ends; and then consequently to execute: one thing to speak what God doth in himself, and another thing what he doth in his creatures: therefore by the rule of divinity in this place, we understand by silence such a kind of mercy, as appears unto man in the state of his sin and misery, which is equal to all, and no distinct favour of God in Christ, but his general goodness. First, on man's part; for as soon as he had sinned against God, presently upon the very sin he was guilty of hell; death, and damnation, and the justice of the Lord apprehended him, and therefore present execution; and if he had cried, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all; it had been in vain: for he should have promised more than he had been able to pay: therefore the Lord must have patience with him for his mercy sake, and a little relieve him in his misery. Hence one reason is man's misery: a second is in regard of God himself, who will be holy in all his works, and therefore just and merciful: just because of iniquity, merciful because he will have all just commendation. Shall it be the commendation of man to spare, and shall not the Lord spare? yes assuredly, the Lord is full of clemency and bountifulness: From his clemency appeareth his patience and long suffering: and from his bountifulness many a temporal blessing, as we see by daily experience, to the tempting of the very godly, that there is no divine providence. For the Rhetoric in the words: here is first to hold the tongue, put for silence: then secondly, silence put for patience, meekness, gentleness, long-suffering, and bountifulness: for the Grammar, the word signifies, such a kind of silence, as goes with deafness, as though God were both dumb and deaf: but the Lord is not so, for he hath made both the dumb and deaf, Exod. 4.11. and therefore can he be dumb and deaf at his pleasure, and also speak and hear at his pleasure. So then I find this word in a more significant conjugation, wherein a double action is signified: Tacitum cogitare, to think a secret, to be silent for better deliberation: and therefore God's silence is no idle silence, but full of wisdom. Lastly, for the logic, this is an adjunct given unto God; now adjuncts make not for the being of any thing, but for his well-being: and therefore the Logic tells me, that though silence be not for Gods being, yet it is a grace that the Lord will put upon himself, when he says, I am silent: And therefore having found out in some measure the wisdom of God in his word, let us magnify him in it, and apply it to our own hearts. Obser. The great God of heaven and earth that is provoked to wrath every day, is full of mercy, clemency, patience, long-suffering, and bountifulness toward all. Reasons drawn from God; secondly, from the creature. Reas. 1. It is God's nature; Esa. 55.7. for he is very ready to forgive, that is, it is his very nature. Reas. 2. God's will: Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of a sinner. Reas. 3. His glory: Exod. 33.19. Moses desires to see God's glory: the Lord answers him, I will make all my good go before thee; and what is that? I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Reas. 4. From his words and deeds; both by himself, and by his Prophets: Isa. 1.18. Come let us reason together: though your sins were as crimisin, they shall be made white as snow: though they were red like scarlet, they shall be as wool. Isa. 30.18. yet will the Lord wait, that he may have mercy upon you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have compassion upon you. 2. Chro. 36.15. The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising early, for he had compassion on his people, and on his habitation. Reas. In regard of the creature: First, serious meditation on the time of his patience: Acts 13.18. About the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness: no idle circumstance but worth the observation; that evil manners should go uncorrected forty years; which ought now to be laid to heart, and drive us to a better consideration of the time present. Reas. 2. By this means a provocation to repentance: Rom. 2.4. Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulness, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulness of God leadeth thee to repentance, etc. Reas. 3. Because the creature shall find nothing commendable in himself, which he shall not see in God: now silence being commendable in man, it shall plainly appear to be with God: the commendation of silence in man is often in the proverbs: as for example, Prou. 10.19. In many words there cannot want iniquity, but he that refraineth his lips is wise: 25.12. A word spoken in his place, is like apples of gold, with pictures of silver: 26.23. The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely, and addeth doctrine to his lips. Therefore will the Lord be free from many words, he will speak in his place, and guide his mouth most wisely. Reas. 4. The law of creation: Eccles. 3. a time for every thing; and therefore that which is to the creature, shall be unto himself: he hath a time for mercy, and he hath a time for justice. Reas. 5. Because an appointed day: Acts. 17.30, 31. The time of this ignorance God regarded not, but now he admonisheth all men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world, etc. Therefore God for the time of the ignorance of the Gentiles was very silent, but now having made his grace shine most apparently, according to his own appointment, will sleep no more in silence, but awake all by the trumpet of the Gospel; and if they disobey the Gospel of our Lord jesus Christ, then shall he show himself from heaven, 2. Thess. 1.7. with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them (not for the days of their ignorance, or miscarriages in them) but because they do not know God, and have not obeyed his gospel: then shall they be punished with everlasting perdition, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Use. 1. reprehension: First, confutation of the wicked, which cry, Mal. 3.14. It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his commandment, and that we have walked humbly before him? we count the proud blessed, even they that work wickedness are set up, and they that tempt God, yea, they are delivered. Alas, poor wretches, if there were no more to condemn thee, yet this were sufficient, that God hath been silent with thee. Secondly correction of the godly, that as yet have not learned this lesson, to imitate God in refraining their tongues from speaking against wicked men: if they know their calling, they may do it: but to exasperate the wicked, is not always necessary: nay alas, they cannot refrain their tongues from speaking against their brethren; when they may see plainly by this doctrine, that the Lord is silent with his very enemies. Again, it reprehends all fretting at the prosperity of the wicked, Psal. 77.8. yield God his silence, and wait upon him: also all censuring is here condemned: Rom. 2.1, 2, 3. jam. 3. 2. Use instruction: first, admonition to the wicked, that they have some consideration of the Lords mercies towards them. The Sun often beating upon the stones, causeth them to have some heat, though not at the heart, yet in the outward parts, and therefore a shame for them, if they be never the warmer for God's silence: the wicked are worse than little children, who when they have gotten any thing of their parents, will away without either look or leg: yet if they know they will have duty, than they do it in such fashion, that all men may see their hearts another way on their game abroad. But wicked men, though they have been often told, that the Lord looks for duty at their hands, yet he shall have none at all: and surely, suppose they have so good a nature, as they will take off their hats before they sit down to the table, yet I am afraid it is more for custom, than any thing else. Thus a sensual mind counteth nothing sweet, but what is taken in, without God's allowance: like some gallants, think no venison sweet, but that which is stolen: fools they are, which admire the brightness of the sun in the water, and never look up to the body. The whelps that feed under the tables, will fawn upon their masters; if any smite them, they will presently fly at them: the ox and ass knows their owners, but wicked men are worse to God than oxen, asses, and dogs are to them. And surely for the best of their speeches, they are as I may say, no better then common terms of holiness without affection, and therefore like court holy water, good words, but pay no debt. And if at any time, with Balaam, they see the beauty of God's church in the days of God's silence, then like hypocrites they wish as Balaam did, Oh, that their souls might die the death of the righteous, and that their end might be like his: yet all is but a flash of lightning, soon come, soon gone: for there is a thorn caught in their foot, which hindereth their pretended journey. For this loath to departed, he singeth unto his own soul: Shall I in this calm of God's mercy, lose my pleasure? in this time the cost is clear: but alas, to live a godly life, makes me think a lion is in the way, and therefore must I needs slip my neck out of the collar. And thus by their high estimation of the present, they become penny wise, but pound foolish: so that when they shall be taken away from this estate, they come to had I witted. But alas, let them know for conclusion, that they are worse afraid, then hurt: they know not, that to physic in the spring is the best time of the year: the vomit of the soul, which is the grief of repentance, shall do the most good, while it pleaseth the Lord to visit them with the day of his silence. Secondly, here is excellent direction to the godly, first to praise God, Psal. 136. all things must praise God, why? be cause his mercy endureth for ever: which is repeated in every verse: and surely this may be an excellent motive to Christians, to make them full of holy affections: for it is a great mercy of God to have a large affection of well-doing, when we have good occasion thereof. For God never ceaseth in offering occasion, but we often cease in having affections. Therefore it were an excellent thing, to keep reckoning what woe run upon God's score: we do it with men, but alas they are hardly found which think how deep they are in God's books, such ill husbands we are for our souls: if I overshoot myself with men, that they may have a saying of me, behold an ungrateful person, that will cut me at the heart: but rare it is to know, how I have overshot myself with God, in forgetting his long silence: if ought cross my corrupt nature, I have grief at will; if I have broken a day, and not kept touch with men, I would not look them in the face: if my servant have loitered, he blusheth, and is ashamed to come before me: and shall not I change my countenance? if I were displeased, my affections would come afore they were sent for: but when God is displeased, even for the abuse of his mercies, I can not have my affections, although I would send many a messenger for them: so ponderous is my corruption which presseth down, that unless Harbour by a better spirit, I shall never give the Lord the answer of his mercies. Let us therefore help ourselves a little at these dead lifts: first, with some rules to overwrastle them: secondly, with some motives to blow up our devotion. Consider therefore for the first rule, how little we are bound unto the flesh, Rom. 8.13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; a heavy reward for a flavish service: but on the other hand for the second rule, see how we are debt-bound unto the spirit; But if ye mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit, ye shall live. From these two rules, we have motives innumerable and invaluable, to praise the silence and mercy of God: for what a misery would it have been to have been debt-bound to the flesh, which rewardeth with nothing but hell, death, and damnation? therefore happy souls, that have cast off this yoke: and again, what a joy and felicity to be under the yoke of Christ, and debt-bound to his spirit? we need no more to make us sing joyfully unto the Lord. But alas, sinful passions prevent our wills, and come as we say of foul weather, before they are sent for: but holy affections in these most admirable mercies of God. are often quenched for want of zeal: for alas, when do we beat our brains, not suffering the temples of our heads to take any rest; till we have given our God some argument of our thankfulness? We use our God, as if it skilled not greatly how he were dealt with, when he deals most graciously with us. If a man bids me to supper once a quartar, I thank him then, and thank him again when I am come next time after, not only of my present being with him, but also of my last being with him; I tell what kind welcome, what good cheer, bid him sometime again, or check myself if I forget it: but for some great matter, what kindness? what speeches? what service will I tender unto my friend? Shall one supper, and not daily bread? shall riches, and not Christ deserve a thousand thanks? for a small benefit I will be at command, and shall I not surrender myself unto God, who hath paid my debt, and purchased me a new stock, even the hope of eternal life? shall I blush at small unthankfulness towards man, and not condemn myself before God? surely when the Lord shall take away his mercies, we shall come to had I witted, and do so much more penance, by how much we were more careless. We will not let go our leases to men for want of payment of the rent; therefore let us give God no cause to enter and strain upon us, and all that we have, for not magnifying and praising him: and let this follow every repetition of a favour, that David hath taught us, Psal. 136. For his mercy endureth for ever. A second instruction, is to imitate God in his silence, in being kind towards others. 1. Tim. 1.16. For this cause was I received to mercy, that jesus Christ should first show on me all long-suffering, unto the ensample of them, which shall in time to come believe in him unto eternal life: especially Christians must observe it. 2. Tit. 2.3. Showing all meekness unto all men, for we ourselves were also in times past, unwise, disobedient, serving the lusts and divers pleasures, living in maliciousness and envy, hateful and hating one an other. Thus David approves himself a man of God, 1. Sam. 24. by his innocency unto Saul, in cutting off his garment, when he might have cut his throat. Motives to this we have many: Matth. 5.7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall receive mercy: again, for this shall they be received into the kingdom of heaven, Matth. 25.34. thirdly, because it makes us walk worthy of our vocation: Eph. 4.2. Walk worthy the vocation whereunto ye are called, with all humbleness of mind, and meekness, with long suffering supporting one an other through love. four, it proves unto us our election: Coloss. 3.12. Now therefore as the Elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering, etc. lastly, this serves for instruction of all, to take care for displeasing of God: Matth. 5.25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him, lest thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the sergeant, and thou be cast into prison, etc. Esperially those must look unto it, that have had long time of God's silence: Rom. 11. Behold therefore the bountifulness and the severity of God: toward them which have fallen severity, but toward thee bountifulness, if thou continue in his bountifulness, or else shalt thou be cut off. Use. 3. consolation. First, in misery to consider that God spared us, when we were sinners; was reconciled unto us, when we were his enemies: therefore much more being justified by Christ, made his sons, will he love us, and be well pleased with us, Rom. 5. Secondly, consolation in our welfare, because we have the silence of God, in regard of the true cause of it, and therefore have hope that it shall be continued unto us. And thus much of God's silence. Section. 2. The object of God's silence. The object is the doings of the wicked: for the explication whereof, let us first see what the word of God makes the object of God's silence: First, it cannot endure any silence at sin, because it teacheth plainly, that as soon as sin is committed, God speaks, the law speaks, and the conscience, as we may see, Gen. 3. and therefore must it be in regard of the consequent of sin: which is first of all the fault: 2. the guilt. 3. the punishment: now the two first are equal with the sin, and therefore will they suffer no silence: therefore must it be in the punishment threatened or executed; in threatening the Lord is never silent, therefore must it be in the execution, Silence in regard of the misery of sin and not of sin itself. which is either present, or in coming; present original and actual sin, wherein there hath appeared no silence of God; for presently upon the fall, man became exorbitant, and his free-will ran only unto evil: therefore must it be in the punishment coming, which is the sensible misery of man, to wit, the first and second death: wherein plainly we have the silence of God, first, in regard of the first death; the Lord did not presently deprive him of all the goods of body, whether internal or external: Internal; first, in the sense of his nakedness, it pleased God to cover him; in the loss of his created majesty wherein stood his shame, it pleased God a little to relieve him; for the beauty of his body, it pleased God not to make him altogether deformed; for the health of his body, not presently to make him weary of his life, leaving him to dangers, filling him with diseases, and setting the footsteps of death in him. Again, for the external goods of body, serving for honesty and necessity, were not presently removed: for first, he left him some dominion over the creatures, some honour and friendship amongst themselves. Lastly, for goods, whereby his life was maintained, some relief from the earth, though with his labour, and the sweat of his brows, from among thorns and briars: some from the creatures, first clothing: secondly, possession: though in the first was his shame, and in the second calamity and loss. Thus was the Lord silent with man in regard of the first death, only concerning the incoation of it: but when the perfection came, than the voice of the Lord breaks out, as he did to the rich man, This night shall thy soul out of thy body, thy body to the dust, and thy goods to their owners. Secondly, for his silence in regard of the second death, first, in the incoation of it, and that in regard of the conscience or some extraordinary judgement; in regard of the conscience, not presently, the extremity of horror and fear, whereby man flieth from God, and hides himself: nor dead security, whereby there is no sense of hell, but desperate searing up of the conscience. Lastly, the Lord is silent a long time before he bring some extraordinary judgement upon them, as he did upon Baltashar, Saul, Ahithophel, Hammon, judas: and this is God's silence with wicked men in regard of the second death; but when the perfection is come, the Lord breaks his silence, and says, my creature, away from me, pack into hell, where I will roar upon thee as a lion for ever. So then, it plainly appears, that God is only silent in regard of man's misery, in the incoation of the first and second death. Indeed profane men restrain God's silence to an other object, to wit, their sins: and hypocrites, to their good actions; Isa. 59.3. We have fasted, and thou seest it not: we have punished ourselves, and thou regardest it not. Lastly, the Saints, to their troubles and afflictions, wherein they think the Lord is too silent and too slow in hearing of their cries: but all these three have brought in an object about which the Lord's silence can not be conversant: for wicked men have the Lord always calling by his word, to forewarn them of their sins; and hypocrites blaspheme against God, in saying he regardeth not goodness: and the children of God have forgotten the consolation which speaketh unto them, as unto children: Heb. 12.5. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him. And thus have we cleared the point by the word of God. The Rhetoric is this, first these things, for these doings; secondly, these doings, for these sins; thirdly, these sins, for the deferring of the punishment of these sins, for in that is the Lord silent. Concerning the Logic, the arguments are the subject, and the adjunct, wherein is contained an agreement of reasons; and therefore we may take notice how the Lord out of sin, a deadly enemy unto his will, can frame himself an object wherein he will delight: from whence the observation riseth, that the Lord hath great respect unto the misery of man. Observe. God that is holy in all his ways, and such a God that wills no iniquity, is able in the excellency of his wisdom, to see something in sin, which shall move him to pity and compassion, even that which the creature feeleth not: the Lord lays it unto his heart: for Gen. 3.22. the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, etc. is not an Irony, but a kind of pity and sorrow for the misery of man: and therefore we find in the Scripture phrase, that the Lord is moved with good, to love it; with sin, to hate it; and misery, to pity it. Reasons. 1. God's creation: he loves the work of his own hands, and it pities him to see it any ways out of order. Gen. 6.6. It repent the Lord, that he made man in the earth, and he was sorry in his heart. 2. Reas. Man's misery: Gen. 6.3. My spirit shall not alway strive with man, because he is but flesh. Gen. 8.21. I will henceforth curse the ground no more for man's cause: for the imaginations of man's heart is evil, even from his youth. Psal. 78.38, 39 Yet he being merciful forgave their iniquities, and destroyed them not, but of times called back his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath: for he remembered that they were flesh, yea a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 3. Reason, his promise: Act. 13.18. About the time of forty years, suffered he their manners in the wilderness, because of his covenant: Psal. 105. where all the good that he did unto his people, is brought in by reason of the covenant and promise that he made with Abraham, swore unto Izhak, confirmed unto jaakob, and left it to Israel for an everlasting covenant. 4. Reason, is the measure of sin, which the Lord will suffer to be made up: Gen. 15.16. For the sins of the Amorites is not yet full. 1. Use reprehension. First, confutation of wicked men's conceits of the silence of God, thinking that all is well with them, as long as they hear of no messengers from the Lord of hosts: alas, it is the misery of their sins, that moves the Lord a little to pity them; and therefore small cause to conceive so highly of God's mercy. Indeed it were well, if they would magnify God in this his mercy, by humbling of themselves and confessing the long abuse of his silence: but they on the contrary, set up themselves, and confidently believe, that they shall never be moved. Again, this confuteth the hypocrite, that takes the silence of the Lord, for the approbation of his thoughts, words, and actions; when, alas, all is but a silence at his sin, and a pitying of his misery: the Lord can not but be angry with them, because they draw him into a league of iniquity, dishonour him before men, and conceive amiss of him in themselves. Lastly, it confutes all despisers of the riches of God's bountifulness, patience, and long suffering, having no knowledge how the bountifulness of God should lead them to repentance: and therefore after the hardness of their hearts, heap unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath. Secondly, a correction of the godly, in the want of Christian discretion; and that is, in being too prompt and ready in blazing abroad the faults of others, especially the infirmities of their brethren. We see the Lord is silent at the gross sins of profane hypocrites; and therefore shall not we pass by the infirmities of those that aught to be dear unto us? surely this will bring us to communicate with the hypocrite: Psal. 50.20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother, and slanderest thy mother's son: therefore my brethren, judge yourselves, lest the Lord judge you with the hypocrite, for this offence. 2. Use instruction. First, an admonitian of the wicked, to consider with themselves, that God will not always be abused; he will not always keep silence: for it is but the holding of the tongue: so that he is neither dumb nor deaf, but refraineth his lips for a time, that a word may be spoken in his place, and it shall be a most fearful one: for it shall be in flaming fire, rendering vengeance upon them for the abuse of his mercy. Secondly, a direction to God's children, to magnify his majesty for giving them so large a time of repentance: & also to be careful of the day of our visitation: Hebr. 3.13. Exhort one an other daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 3. Use consolation to all those that lie under the burden of their sins: for if the Lord spare them that never seek unto him, much more will he spare us that seek unto him earnestly. Sect. 3. Of wicked thoughts. Concerning wicked thoughts. First, the original of them. Kind's of thoughts. Thoughts have divers considerations: First, they are given to God; and that is a direct thought, whereby God first thinks himself, and then in himself all things else. God's knowledge and thoughts are direct of himself, and indirect of all things that are not himself: the reason, because God directly knows no less than himself, and therefore can think no less than himself: so that out of himself, he knows all things, which no creature in heaven or earth is able to do. And this thought may be called a direct thought, free from all error and false hood; because it can no ways be blinded by any external or internal object, seeing it is tied to none. The second thought is indirect, when the thing must first be thought, and then may it think itself: for as in a glass, first I must see the image of my face, and then from that my natural face; so in thinking, I must first see the image of the thing represented unto my understanding, and then by knowing of it I know myself to know: & this is a reflexed thought, agreeing both to angels and men: and hence riseth the possibility of being deceived, because they may judge of the object amiss: and if they do so, than they judge amiss of themselves. Hence the Angels and Adam overthrew themselves: the angels by proud thoughts of their estate, and in contempt and disdain to be ministering spirits for the good of man: Adam again was deceived in neglecting of his true conformity with God's law, but thought it was to limit him from a great good in becoming like God. A third thought is, when a man will think all things out of himself, and through his own corruptions: and therefore all the beams of God's wisdom, coming through so corrupt a medium, must appear according to his corruption; even as the sun shining through a glass window which is painted, resembles the colour of the glass. And thus man that would needs become like God, is in a parity of contraries like God. God thinks himself first, and then all things out of himself; so corrupt man will now needs think himself, and so all things out of himself: but here lies the difference, that God being no thing burr goodness itself, can think nothing but good thoughts: but man being nothing but a lump and mass of sin, can think nothing but evil thoughts: it is God's happiness to think himself, but man's misery as long as he flickes to his own thoughts: and therefore no marvel, if the silence of the Lord take no better impression in his mind, but become like his mind, a wicked thought. Yet observe this by the way, that as the beams of the sun coming through the glass, are not changed by the glass into another nature, nor lighting on the dunghill polluted by the filthiness thereof; so the beams of God's goodness passing through the soul of a sinner (though he abuse them) yet still they retain their goodness. Hence we learn three kind of thoughts, first a direct thought, the second a reflexed thought, the third a corrupt thought, which is meant in this place: the fountain of corrupt thoughts is the heart, Gen. 6.5. whose conception is in imaginations, the very forming and laying of an accursed birth: showing that the frame of the heart is full of corruption: and secondly that his fruits are accursed: as the conception is, so is the birth: for the thoughts coming from the corrupt frame of the heart cannot be clean but must needs relish of their original: and therefore the holy Ghost hath styled the very imaginations of the heart to be evil, only, and continual, Gen. 8.21. even from his childhood: as soon as we begin to use reason, we frame evil in our hearts. Hence the cause plainly riseth; want of all good thoughts, or want of all consideration, with the concourse of all the contraries: want of consideration made the covetous man even in temporal things destitute of all the comfort of them: Isa. 44. the cause of all that strange Idolatry is, v. 8. because they have not known nor understood: and v. 19 none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, how foolish have I been to burn half of my wood in the fire, for to bake my bread, and roast my flesh, and yet of the residue to make an abomination to bow unto it, jer. 8.4, 5, 6. There is more consideration in the very bruit beasts, then in God's Israel; and therefore the heart being so polluted, and destitute of all good consideration, how should it possibly prove otherwise, than that man should become full of all evil thoughts: And thus much of the fountain, which will better be discovered in the other points. For the second, The ways to discern of men's thoughts. there be two ways of knowing men's thoughts, 1. immediate and direct, and this is proper unto God, 1. Kin. 8.39. 2. indirect, and by means: For as God only first knows himself, and then all things by himself; so every creature, even angels themselves; first know the thing, and then themselves by the thing; this makes their knowledge indirect. And there be four means to help in the knowledge of thoughts: First, the agreement of natures; as spirit with spirit, may have secret familiarity, and a communication of thoughts. Thus the devil being a spirit, can come more near our souls, than suggestion by objects, even to a spiritual communication: else tell me how it is possible, that the devil can often inform ignorant persons with the knowledge of tongues and arts; which cannot be done by objects, but by familiar converse of natures agreeing. And this is one dangerous way, how the devil may come to have knowledge of out thoughts: Act. 16. how learned the woman her divination, but from the information of the devil? how made she that confession, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation: this was not the holding out of an object, but effectual operation upon the glass of her mind: therefore the devil is said to work powerfully in the hearts of unbelievers. Working by objects cannot be so powerful: for how long might ministers preach the way of salvation, before men would confess as much as this woman hath done? how long might a schoolmaster hold the Grammar before the eyes of an unlearned man, before he would come to understand the tongue? or any Artist hold the Art before an ignorant man, before he would make a syllogism, etc. And therefore necessarily betwixt spirits, must there be a communication. Hence the Scripture defines a witch, a woman or ignorant person that hath a familiar spirit: 1. Sam. 28.7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit. 2. Means, is by instinct: examples of this, 2. Kin. 6.12. & 5.26. & Act. 5. Peter knew the thoughts of Ananias and Saphyra: when Eliah complained, 1. King. 19.18. Yet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, etc. Rom. 11.4. 3. Means, is revelation by the Scriptures: by it we may know what be the main thoughts of all men naturally, Heb. 4.12. 4. By signs; as by speech, gesture, etc. Gen. 4.6. Beside these four, the Papists have two more: 1. Of the Saints in heaven, to wit, the glass of the Trinity: but this glass was never revealed unto any, neither is it possible that it should be revealed: for whatsoever is in God, is God himself: and therefore if we cannot see God according to his glorious essence and perfection, job 11.7.8.9. Exod. 33.20. Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live: yet may we see God's backeparts, which are his attributes, and his works, which only are to be seen in this world, and in the world to come: Therefore a mere dream of seeing any thing in the glass of the Trinity, any further than the revelation of divine attributes. Isaiah the Prophet never learned, or tanght such a doctrine as this, nay he hath taught the contrary, when he says, Abraham knows us not: and john that evangelical Prophet, called the eagle for soaring aloft into deep mysteries; and the divine, because he was most exercised in unfolding the divinity of Christ, yet never reached so high as this point, neither ever acknowledged any such divinity: nay, he hath taught the contrary in the Reu. How long Lord, holy, and just! his holiness and justice they know and acknowledge; but of the time when the Lord shall manifest his holiness and justice, they are wholly ignorant: which could not have been, if they had been able to look into the glass of the Trinity. Thirdly, josias, 2. Kin. 4.22. was taken away, that he might not see the evil to come; therefore the Saints in heaven see not the evil days here upon earth. In a word, against all Papists; God as he is one most simple act, cannot be apprehended of any creature: for God in himself is infinite, therefore no finite thing can apprehend him. Secondly, he is most simple, therefore one: now many acts of understanding cannot apprehend this one; therefore is it absolutely impossible to reach unto God by one act of understanding, which is absolutely necessary to understand God simply one: therefore God alone knows himself, and his creature, according as he hath revealed himself. A second, the chamber of meditation, wherein they put men, and bid them meditate, and afterward they inquire of them what they thought, and so see what they are fit for; if bloody minded, than treason; if deep meditations, then jesuits. A strologians have found out a seventh way of knowing the thoughts, and that is by the stars: but they are to know, that the stars work nothing further than their proper subject, and natural qualities; and therefore have no work upon the mind, wherein the thoughts are framed: for corporal things cannot work upon spiritual things, save only in the altering of their instruments. An 8. means is invented, which we call physiognomy, that can tell men's destinies by their hands, called palmistry: by the face, as the eyes, nose, forehead, or the countenance; but this is an idle conjecturing, and full of uncertainties: and if the heart be deceiful above all things, surely if we try by the face, and hands, we shall never understand the least of his imaginations: therefore I rest content in these means as sufficient, to wit, beside that direct knowledge that the Lord hath, man's knowledge, or angels, by communication spiritual, by instinct, revelation of Scripture and signs. The hypocrites thoughts are here detected of the Lord, The kinds of wicked thoughts. that every man may take notice of them; therefore let us proceed to the third point, to see what be the heads of these thoughts: They may be reduced to three heads; either they concern God, or his neighbour, or himself: God profanation of his ordinances, and yet think God was like him: his neighbours, breach of charity, and yet think God did approve of him in these sins: thirdly, against himself, in concerning so well of himself; as against both sobriety and modesty, to pull God into any comparison with him. The first point of thoughts concerning God. Four capital thoughts against God. There are 4. capital thoughts, and damnable imaginations that run naturally in every sinner's mind touching God: First, that there is no God, Psal. 10.4. and 14.1. Touching this thought, four things: First, in whom it is? Answ. It is in the corrupt mind, and imagination of every man naturally that comes of Adam: this appears, Psal. 14.1. for the fool in Scripture is everre sinner uncalled and unrepentant. Again, Rom. 3. Paul goes about to prove that all are sinners by proofs out of the Psal. 10. & 14. thereby intimating, that the fool is to be understood of all sinners whosoever. Object. But nature tells every man that there is a God. Sol. These two contrary thoughts, may be both in the profane mind: By nature a man thinks that there is a God: by corrupt nature that there is no God: for two contraries may be in one subject, as light and darkness, cold and heat, when neither is in the highest degree. But in what manner shall any man deny God by his thoughts? Ans. First, by turning the true God into an Idol of his own brain: and thus every man doth by nature, Cal. 4.8. Eph. 2.12. why so? because in heart they did not conceive of God, nor in life worship him as he ought to be conceived of and worshipped: and therefore, Psal. 96.4. all the gods of the Gentiles are called Idols. Now the heart of man turns the true God into an Idol by three thoughts: 1. That God is not present in all places, Psal. 10.11. Tush, God shall not see. Isa. 29.15. 2. That there is no providence of God, whereby he observeth, ruleth, governeth, and ordereth all things on earth in particular: Psal. 10.11. God hideth his face, Zeph. 1.12. ●. That there is no justice in God, as when men think, that although they sin, yet God will not punish them: Deut. 29.19. Psal. 10.3. The wicked man blesseth himself in the desire of his heart. The second way whereby a man in thought denieth God, is by placing some thing in the room of the true God: Phil. 2. whose God is their belly, and riches are the covetous man's idol. Col. 3.5. Ephes. 5.5. Quest. How can this be? Ans. Look what soever a man thinks to be the best thing in the world for him besides God, that is his god: thus riches and pleasures are called the gods of men, because they set thei● hearts upon them, and take them for the best things in the world: for after affection follows opinion. And the fruit of this thought, thus lead by affection, is Atheism, whereby we sundry ways deny God: in practice, in judgement: in practise many are infected with this sin, first hypocrites which give their lips and bodies to God, but hold back their hearts: secondly Epicures, whereby men give themselves to pleasures in eating, drinking, playing, as though they were made for nothing else: these, do not eat that they may live, but live that they may eat: thirdly, witches, who either by tradition, or express compact, worship the devil: to these also belong those that seek unto witches, ●s Saul. etc. Atheism in judgement hath three degrees: first, to conceive otherwise of God than he hath revealed himself in his word. To this head, first, Turks belong, who though they hold Christ more famous than any Prophet, yet will not have him God: and therefore worship God out of the Trinity, and so worship an Idol. Secondly of the jew, who though he acknowledge the true God, yet he neither acknowledgeth, nor worships him in Christ, and therefore worships an idol: for joh. 4.23. and 24. Christ saith, that the Samaritans they worship they know not what. Thirdly of the Papist, whose religion in substance and scope is mere Atheism: for in word, they acknowledge the true God, the Trinity, the personal union of both Christ's natures; yet if we regard their manner of worshipping, it is coloured and close Atheism. As appears by these two reasons: First, the god that they worship is no true God: for the true God is infinite in justice and in mercy, but according to their doctrine he is not so: because for the justice of God, they hold that the satisfaction of sinful men are sufficient to satisfy the justice of God: and for his mercy, they make that imperfect; in that they make a supply to God's mercy, by man's merit: for if God's mercy be not every way mercy, it is no mercy: for grace must every way be grace, else it is no way grace. Second reason: the Church of the Papists is a false Church: first, in that they rob Christ of his manhood, by teaching that he is not in heaven locally, but in all places where the mass is offered. Secondly, they disgrace him in his offices: in his kingly office, in that they place the Pope above him, his deputy in his presence; whereas we know that all commission stays in the presence of the King: secondly, in that they ascribe this unto the Pope, that his laws bind conscience; which is as much to take the crown off Christ's head, and give it to the Pope. For his Priestly office, which consists in satisfaction, and intercession, they likewise abuse Christ: 1. of his satisfaction; because they join with it the satisfaction of men in the work of redemption: 2. of his intercession, in that they join the virgin Marie an intercessor for them in heaven: thus they degrade him of his offices, and so make him no Christ. Now if they deny Christ, than the faith, 1. joh. 2.23. and that religion that denies the faith, is no true religion, but Atheism in judgement. The second degree of Atheism in judgement, is when men place some creature in the room of the true God. Thus the Gentiles worshipped the Sun, Moon, and stars, in the room of the true God. The third degree in judgement is, when a man holds and professeth no God at all, the highest and most notorious degree of all. These are not worthy the common breath of men. For if a man that says a lawful Prince, is no Prince, must die for it; much more is he worthy of death, that holds God to be no God. Now by the way, let every one of us examine ourselves, whether we have any of these thoughts and imaginations. Every one will say, I never discerned any such thoughts in myself: but alas, soon may we deceive ourselves: for there is in all of us, first a single thought, when a man simply thinks this or that: secondly, a double and reflecting thought, when a man judgeth and discerns what he thinks: the first belongs to the mind, the second to the conscience, which is corrupted since Adam's fall, and therefore can not tell certainly, but may be deceived. For the examination of ourselves, we must proceed by certain tokens and signs, whereby we may discern this thought in us: Psal. 14.3. notes 1. a disordered life: 2. not to call upon God's name: 3. contemning those that put their trust in God. If we examine ourselves by these three, we shall find that this thought reigns among us. For first, we hear the word often, but we are not amended and reform by it: I appeal to men's consciences. Secondly, men go on in their calling, but never call upon God; or if they do, it is but for form and fashion, in a few words, at ordinary times: but who cries with a hunger after God's graces, or for a supply of their wants. Thirdly, no love of them that trust in God, but their profession is hated and contemned. Again, whosoever denies the presence of God, it is a token he holds there is no God. In the presence of men, we will not offend men; but in the presence of God, we offend God. Again, what is the cause that men use all unlawful means to get riches, but only because they deny God's providence. Again, every man reasons thus; Though I go on in my sins, yet God is merciful: hereby God's justice is denied, and so no God: for the true God is as well a God of justice as of mercy. Here than we see what notorious sinners we are, though we had no outward sins: Eccles. 10.20. If a man curse the King in his privy chamber, the fowls shall devour him: how much more horrible is it to curse the King of kings, the God of Gods? therefore every one must labour to know, see, and discern this wretched thought in his heart, which we may do by God's grace, not only the damnable actions of our times, but the inward thoughts of the spirit within us. A second thought touching God is, that the word of God is foolishness: this must especially be understood of the Gospel: 1. Cor. 1.21. Paul calls it foolishness, according to the opinion of the world; not because it is so in itself, but in the judgement and imagination of the Grecian: and 2.14. that a man should be saved, justified, and sanctified by Christ, is foolishness to the natural man; this also in part is to be understood of the law: Deut. 29.19. Moses bids the people, take heed least when they hear the curses, etc. where he intimateth that this evil thought is in men's minds, to think that the law is foolishness, and therefore not to hearken unto the curses thereof. Now this is a dangerous thought, as appears by the fruit: 1. Hence riseth that devilish opinion, that religion is but a policy to keep men in awe from treasons and rebellions. Secondly, hence springeth all apostasy, and all departing from the faith: Gal. 1. the Galatians were a worthy Church of God planted by Paul, yet there he saith, that some of them were departed from the truth; the reason is, because they thought the word of God to be foolishness. Many in the East countries, and in Asia, where the Gospel was planted by the Apostles, by this damnable thought, fell first into the heresy of Arrius, and many 600. years after Arrius, departed to the religion of Mahomet. In the West church, in Europe and Italio, the Gospel was planted by the Apostles, & yet afterward fell to Papistry: and about 600. years after Arrius death, Papisme overspread all Europe, except in some little parts of Greece; and so hath reigned till this day: the reason is plain, in every man's heart lieth this corruption, to think the word of God foolishness, and hereupon men by nature can embrace any religion, but the truth. And so in England, let a man broach an heresy, it shall not only at the first, but afterward have strong and stout patrons. When the family took shipping, and came out of Germany into England, (though it were but a very brutish heresy) yet it was much broached, and had been more, had it not been repressed by the preaching of the word, and good order of godly Magistrates. The cause why men are so ready to entertain a schism or heresy is, because man's heart by nature is full of blindness and error, and thinks the Gospel foolishness and madness. Examination of our hearts touching this thought, being seriously performed, we shall find it to reign in high degree: for we are all content to come to the assemblies where God's name is worshipped, and submit burr selves to be taught: we are content to hear the preaching of the word, and herein our personal sins displayed, the terrible curses of the law denounced against them, viz. judgements in this life, in death, and at the day of judgement; and yet we tremble not at all this, our hearts are not amazed and affrighted at these thunderbolts of God's curses due to our sins. If a man in the streets cry fire, our hearts will be astonished; but when the fire of heaven, kindled by the breath of the living God, is cried against our sins, we are not moved: and why? surely our hearts are forestalled with a false imagination, that the word of God is foolishness, & therefore that his plagues, and threatenings, and curses, are nothing. Again, when we hear in the Gospel of the pardon of our sins by Christ, and life everlasting, repentance, the kingdom of God; few learn this doctrine, repent, and enter into it; because their mind is forestalled, and wholly possessed with this false imagination: Psa. 126. the Israelites deliverance was a dream, much more than is our spiritual deliverance from Satan: and no marvel; for the Gospel is as far contrary to man's reason, as light to darkness: for that Christ by bearing death, and the curse of God for sin, should thereby free men from death and the curse, is quite contrary to natural reason. Use. 2. If this be so, that all men naturally imagine the word to be foolishness, then must we follow Paul's rule. 1. Cor. 3.18. If any man will be wise, let him become a fool: first, we must renounce our own natural reason, deny ourselves our own judgement, put out the eyes of our natural understanding, and suffer ourselves wholly to be guided by the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ. Secondly, we must all pray with David, that God would open our eyes that we may see his will, and understand the words of his law: because our reason and imagination is flat contrary to the Gospel. From this second thought ariseth an other, viz. that if the word be foolishness, than I will perform no obedience to the word of God: That this is man's thought naturally, I prove it thus; job 21.14. he brings in the sinner, saying, depart, etc. there is none so wicked to say so in word, but it is their heart's imagination and affection; and he that purposeth to walk after his own ways, he it is that saith, who is the Lord that we should worship him? It is a disgrace for me to be the servant of God, I will not do it, therefore depart from me, O God, jer. 6.16. they say so in the purpose of their hearts: Luk. 19.14. which place as it is meant of the jews, so of all other men in the world by nature, that are impenitent sinners: for so long as a man goes on without repentance, he carries a purpose in heart to live in his sins, and so saith in heart, I will not bear the yoke of Christ, I will be none of his subjects, he shall not reign over me. Come to an adultreer, drunkard, etc. tell him of his sin, he will strait swell like a toad, and show the malice of his heart to him that reproves him: reason, because he meaneth to live in his sins, etc. Examination of our hearts touching this thought. Most will say, they defy and abhor all such wicked thoughts of not serving God: but after examination had, it will be found that it reigns in our hearts. We can be content to hear the word, receive the Sacraments, which are the pledges of God's savour, and mercy in Christ; and we are content to look for salvation in Christ: but what is the cause why after all this, there is so little obedience, so little knowledge and conscience, so little mercy and compassion, so little justice and love in our callings? surely this, because our hearts are wicked, deceitful, full of guile: and what is this guile? I will not obey the ways of God. Use. If this be the well wished thought of men's hearts, than we may see what a wonderful hard thing it is to convert a sinner: a man may be a long hearer of the word, and by hearing, his mind may be furnished with knowledge, with a good conceit, with very good utterance, so that he may teach and publish the Gospel, and conceive prayer, and that very well, and yet this damnable imagination may lurk in his heart; & therefore he may not only hereby deceive others, but even his own soul: for so long as this thought is in his soul, he is void of true repentance: for where true repentance is, there is a resolution to please God in all things. Third thought touching God: It is a vain thing to worship God, job. 21.15. he speaks it not with the mouth, but in the heart: Matth. 3.14. Nay, David, Psal. 73.13. had this thought in his heart; now I see I am deceived, In vain have I worshipped God: but yet this thought comes not into man's heart at all times, but upon occasion, as when the godly seethe the wicked flourish. Examination. This thought takes great place in our hearts: for go to the poor man's family, he works and toils all day to get riches, but never worshippeth God, or calls upon his name: why so? because the heart saith, so I may have wealth it is no matter whether I serve God, or no. Come to the rich man's house, there is nothing but eating, drinking, sleeping, gaming, and the like: why so? because his heart saith, all is well, so I may have my pleasure: it is enough for me, it is no matter for God's worship. The ordinary man saith, he will do as his ancestors have done; he hath as good a faith as the best, he will not come to sermons, for they that haunt sermons most, are usually the worst disposed persons, and none so bad as they. If a man profess Christ in sincerity, he is a byword, and a mock to men. Nay almost all men betake themselves to will-worship, not only the Papist, jew, and Turk, but the common Protestant; he comes to Church, and serves God by mumbling over the Creed, the Lords prayer, and the ten Commandments; thereby thinking to serve God as well as the best: the cause is, because this imagination taking place in the heart, hindereth all good things in us. Fourth thought, is the thought of distrust, and it runs much in the mind of man: God doth not regard me, God will not help me, God will not be merciful unto me. This made an entrance to the fall of our first parents: for first, Eve looks upon the fruit, and sees it to be very beautiful. 2. There enters into her heart a thought of distrust, viz. It may be there is no such danger in eating this fruit as the Lord faith there is, and it may be God doth not regard us. When the Israclites murmured at the waters of strife, Numb. 20.12. Moses was barred the Land of Canaan for this distrust: for when he smote the rock, (as God had commanded him) he thought in his heart, God will not give water though I strike the rock: David, Psa. 31.23. & Psal. 78.2. is full of spiritual confidence: but in an other place says, I thought all men were liars; Samuel the Lord's Prophet hath deceived me; now I see that Samuel spoke not by the spirit of God as aprophet, but by his own sense lyingly, when he said that I should come unto the kingdom of Israel: Thus David did not openly distrust God, but Samuel; as if he had not known Gods will, but had passed beyond the bonds of his calling. Matth. 14. why did Peter sink when Christ bade him come to him on the water? because his mind was troubled with the thought of distrust; it may be God will not help me now walking upon the sea: Christ reproves this, why didst thou doubt? Touching this thought two points: 1. the time when it was in man's thought: 2. the danger of it: For the first, it takes place in the time of danger, temptation, adversity, sickness, and death: it troubled job in his affliction, job 16. when he said, God hateth me, he is mine enemy, he makes me a but: Psalm. 77.9. It may be God will no more have mercy upon me. In peace Satan tempts by presumption. The dangers hereof, 1. horrors of conscience, and all fears and astonishments of the heart, which come when the mind distrusteth. 2. Desperation, whereby men confidently avouch, that God hath forsaken them, and that he hath cut them off, and that nothing remains but death: this is often in the heart of repentant sinners. 3. It weakens the foundation of our salvation, which stands in the certainty of God's promises; and thus it doth by weakening faith, for by faith we believe that God is our Saviour, and that Christ shed his blood for us in particular: now this thought is clean contrary to faith, as fire to water; and where distrust prevails, there shall be no faith: hence appeareth the great danger. We must take heed of it, Remedy. and use all means in the days of our peace, that it reigns not in our hearts in the days of trouble. The means are three: 1. the preaching of the Gospel: this is the especial means to apply God's mercy truly to our souls and consciences: therefore a sovereign remedy against this thought: for the speech of the minister, is as though God himself spoke, by virtue of the very ordinance of God: if God should say to me in his own voice, my mercy belongs to the believer, I would surely believe and not doubt: now when the minister saith, believe in God, & his mercy belongs to thee, it is by the power of this ordinance of God, as if God himself had said it. 2. Baptism: if a Prince shall give a man a pardon, and put his name and seal to it, he will never doubt, but assure himself of pardon: now when a man is baptised, God puts the party's name in the pardon, and his own seal to the pardon of his sins in Christ. 3. The Lord's Supper, wherein the bread and wine are particular pledges of Gods particular mercy, to every particular receiver: and therefore it is, that every particular man receives for himself in special. II. Point, Of evil thoughts, touching our neighbour. To find out what these be, we must have recourse to the commandments, especially to the second Table. These being spiritual, condemn not only wicked actions, words, and affections, but also the wicked thoughts of man against man. And they are of two sorts in the second table. First, thoughts without consent. Secondly, with consent. Without consent, hath the first motions and inclinations in the mind, forbidden in the tenth commandment; Thoughts with consent, are those wherein the will consenteth with the first motions: these as they are conceived, so are they practised: and are forbidden in the 6.7.8.9. Commandments. 1. Thought, is of dishonour, against the 5. commandment: the 2. of murder, against the 6. the 3. of Adultery, against the 7. the 4. of theft, against the 8. the 5. of disgrace, against the 9 1. Is any thought that tendeth to the contempt and dishonour of the person of our neighbour; and that is a base estimation of the persons of our inferiors in respect of ourselves: Luk. 18.11. the learned and zealous Pharisie thinks basely of the Publican: this thought is like to Adonibezek, who sitting in his royalty, had divers kings with their thombs cut off receiving meat of him under the table, as dog's. Pride makes a man destitute of all friends: he hath neither God, nor his neighbour, nor himself: he that hath not God, what happiness can he have? he that hath not his neighbour, what society can he have? and not to have himself, is to be a slave, when he thinks he domineers over all. Therefore with job learn to say, Lord I am vile: when we can say this & see it, it will be a means to repress this thought. job 39 2. Thought of murder, is any intent of murdering his neighbour, or any thing tending to murder: Deuter. 15.9. where two signs are laid down of it; first an evil eye, to look upon the poor without compassion: secondly, unmerciful dealing. A second, is the thought to do some hurt to them, that worship God truly, Psal. 74.8. the Babylonian speaks against the jew, Let us destroy them altogether: Christ saith, Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: this hath been since the time of righteous Abel. This thought proceeds from an other, set down 1. Pet. 4.4. the wicked marvel that others will not do as they do. Ob. Nabuchadnezzar a wicked man, favoured Daniel. Ans. Dan. 1.9. it was God's providence that disposed the King's heart to do good. 3. Murdering thought, is when a man thinks the Minister ripps up his sin in malice. 3. Thought, of adultery, as all unchaste thoughts. 4. thought, theft, Psal. 50.18. when thou seest a thief, thou runnest with him: this seeing makes him run in thought and deed. 5. thought disgrace, to think a thing well done ill done, or ill done well done, 1. Sam. 1.13. and v. 17.28. Matth. 19.4. Act. 2.13. yet love thinks no evil, which being wanting amongst men, makes them think all evil. men's hearts are like dry wood, which burn not alone, but put the least coal to them and they will burn; so the least occasion offered, will set all on fire. This thought of dishonour, is as the table of Adonibezek: in respect of murder, it is a mere slaughter-house; in respect of the thought of adultery, a mere stew; in respect of theft, a den of thieves; and in respect of the thought of disgrace, a very fountain of all backbiting, slandering, reviling, etc. 3. Point, evil thoughts touching ourselves, four. 1. The thought of pride, thinking himself most excellent: Isa. 14.13. Zeph. 2.15. Luk. 18.11. Reu. 18.7. Gen. 3. our first parents learned this lesson of the devil, You shall be as gods: and the less we see it, the more it reigns in us. Pride in outward apparel, is a most damnable pride, but none above spiritual pride: from hence sprung many sins, and therefore to be abhorred. As 1. ambition, whereby men are not content with their own estate, but seek to be advanced. 2. presumption, in daring things above his calling. 3. boasting. 4. hypocrisy. 5. obstinacy. 6. contention. 7. affectation of novelties. Secondly, when this thought reigns in us, God's spirit cannot dwell in us, Luk. 1.51, 52. jam. 4.6. Isa. 66.2. Thirdly, when all other sins die in us, this thought dies not: nay, when the graces of God come, this thought revives, because he makes them matter of his pride. 2. The highest degree of this is, when a man thinks himself checkmate with God, Isa. 14.14. two ways: first, when he thinks he may have power to prevail with, or against God, Dan. 3.15. Exod. 5.2. Secondly, taking honour due unto God unto themselves, Act. 12.22, 23. 2. Thess. 2. Antichrist sits in the Temple of God as God. Object. But he is servus servorum. Ans. It is not in word, but in the thought of his heart; in that he thinks he hath power to make laws binding conscience, to dispense with the moral law, and Apostolical constitutions, and to forgive sins; hereby he thinks himself to be equal with God. 2. Thought; I am righteous, and need no repentance, Deut. 9.4. two things: first, that a man thinks himself by nature righteous: secondly, that the Lord gives them all that they have for their righteousness, jer. 2.25. Revel. 3.17. Christ came not to call these righteous, because their imagination was such, that they were uncapable of his grace. The angels rejoice more for one penitent sinner, then for ninety nine that need no repentance. Come to an ignorant man, ask him, can you keep the law? yea: and that he looks to be saved by this righteousness, and by the works of the law. Hence we see how every man by nature is a Papist. Secondly, this showeth us that it is a very difficult point, to bring a man to true humiliation. Thirdly, we see why men neglect the preaching of the Gospel, because it teacheth a strange doctrine unto corrupt reason. 3. Thought of security; I prosper, and am free from all God's judgements: I am not in danger of hell, death, and damnation: Psal. 10.6. Isa. 28.15. Psal. 30.7. This makes the Minister's labour in vain, Zeph. 3.5. No an hundredth and twenty years. Fourth thought in misery, to think my crosses to be worse than indeed they are: job. 6.3. come to comfort them, Oh never man was vexed as I am. The cause of these is, Gen. 6.5. & v. 21. the heart, which sometimes signifieth the fleshy part of man, which is the beginning of vital blood placed in the middle of the body. 2. the soul. 3. the faculties. 4. the middle of any thing Psal. 46.2. but here is meant the understanding, will, and affections: Ephes. 4.23. imaginations: this word showeth the frame of the heart: first, for his corruption. 2. for his fruits. 3. termed man's heart, not evil men alone, or those before the flood; but all men naturally. 4. word evil, that is against God's law. 5. from his childhood; as soon as he begins to use reason, he frames evil in his heart. Hence the cause plainly riseth; want of all good thoughts, or want of all consideration: this is the mother sin; we must keep all the moral law, even in thought, Luk. 10.27. the want of this may be seen in matters earthly. 2. in matters spiritually: in matters earthly, Eccles. 4.8. in regard of their natures, ends, and uses: but in spiritual things, there is an absolute want. 1. Is want of the consideration of God's presence, and providence in regard of our sins, Hos. 7.2. 2. In regard of God's judgements; for men never think of judgement in this life, nor in the life to come. An 120. years Noah preached, yet no consideration; Luk. 12. the rich man never thought that his soul was in danger. 3. Is in respect of a man's own sins: for we cannot turn our eyes into our own bosoms, jer. 8.6. 4. Is want of thinking of this duty toward God, jerem. 5.24. so the foolish virgins contented themselves with their lamps unprepared, never thinking of the oil, till the time of grace was passed; thus hardness of heart and security, bring forth these wicked thoughts. Hence observe the strange opinion of the world: men have good hearts, meanings, intents, and purposes, howsoever the actions of their lives be faulty. Hence learn, that the Scriptures are no policies of men; for nothing could reveal these wicked thoughts, but the divine truth: Angels and men know not the thoughts. Secondly, learn that thoughts are not free, though they never come into consent or action: therefore repentance of thoughts is necessary, joel 2.12. Act. 8.22. 1. Thess. 5. Paul requires that they be sanctified in body, soul, and spirit. Reas. 1. Because a man is cursed for his thought, Pro. 5.26. 2. Because actual sins proceed of evil thoughts: 1. the thought thinketh it. 2. after thought, comes delight. 3. after delight, consent of will. 4. after consent, an execution or practice of the sin. 5. after practice, comes custom in practice. 6. after custom and practice, death and damnation: for thoughts the old world was destroyed, Gen. 7.21. For repentance of evil thoughts, Remedies of evil thoughts. use 1. examination. 2. prayer. 3. reformation. In examination, first we must remember, that all thoughts are in every man's mind by nature; therefore the least occasion turns the mind to think them: secondly, we must hear the word of God attentively, we must lay open all our senses to the hearing thereof, and let it go through them all, 1. Cor. 4.25. 2. Point, Prayer. A man must pray for the pardon of his thoughts. Act. 8.22. 3. Point. Reformation of the mind for wicked thoughts, Ephe. 4. be renewed in the spirit of your minds: wherein thoughts and imaginations are conceived and framed. Rule. 1. All thoughts must be in obedience toward God, Prou. 20.18. & 15.22. he must not conceive a thought in his mind, before he have consulted with the word, 1. Cor. 10.4, 5. Phil. 4.8. 2. Rule. Prou. 4.24. to keep and counter-guard our hearts above all watch & ward: men dousually guard their cities, houses, and their treasures; now Solomon teacheth, that the heart must be guarded more than any city, house, or treasures, because from it proceed the actions of life. 1. Therefore make a covenant with thy senses, that they be no occasion or provocation to any manner of sin; this did job, cap. 31. and David, Psal. 119. Turn mine eyes from beholding covetousness: the senses are the windows of the soul, and if God enter not, sathan will creep in at them into our hearts. 2. At the beginning, check an evil thought: for the thought being checked, the affections will be quiet. 3. Labour with all care to cherish every good motion of God's spirit: 1. all good cogitations by the ministery of the word, or good counsel; hence quench not the spirit. 3. Rule. We must often use elevation of the heart and mind unto heaven, where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, Psal. 25.1. Paul bids the Philippians, have their conversation in heaven: jam. 4. draw near to God. Hence the Lords Supper is a principal means of the elevation of the heart and mind unto God: this elevation must be continually practised: such as are appointed to keep clocks, do often every day pull up the weights, because they are always going downward. Pray continually, 1. Thess. 5. There be three special times; the beginning of the day; the first good thought & affection every day must be the Lords: The 2. time the end of the day, commend our souls unto God: The 3. time, receiving of blessings, or feeling the want of them; to praise God for the one, and call upon him for the supply of the other. 4. Rule. The meditation of some special matters, whereby salvation may be furthered: which is either concerning God, or ourselves; concerning God, his presence; this made David to draw near unto God, Psal. 139. Psal. 19 his heart is purified by seeing God in his law, Psal. 23. in the shadow of death he will not fear. 2. Consideration of God's judgements; not old, but late, and particular upon persons, cities, towns: we should lay these to the heart, jer. 12.11. Here we must practise three things; 1. we must observe, and carefully mark and remember God's judgements. 2. we must apply them to our own persons in particular, that they may make us afraid. Thus Habacuk when he heard of God's judgement, his knees beat one against another, Hab. 3. If in a family one child be beaten, others will take heed. 3. We must make use of them, Luk. 13.3. Third consideration, is of God's word; Psal. 1. It is the property of the righteous man to meditate in God's law, day and night: Luk. 2. Marry hid all those things in her heart. 1. we must consider the sense of the Scriptures. 2. what experience we have had of the truth of the word of God in our own lives and consciences. 3. how far forth we have swerved in the practice of the word; or how far forth we have practised it. Fourth consideration, is of God's works in us, and upon us, this will make us consider the works of creation, preservation, providence: Isa. 5.12. he pronounceth a woe to them that forget this. 1. Consider the work of creation: God hath made us men, when we might have been beasts: that of nothing he made us to be something. 2. for preservation and providence, we must consider how he hath preserved us from time to time from all dangers, and hath given us all things necessary for this life, and the life to come. 3. for his patience, that he hath not cast us into hell, but hath given us a long, and large time of repentance. 4. that we are not borne among the heathen, but in the bosom of the church, where he hath given us his word, reform our judgements, mollified our hearts, and provoked us to every good work, Eccles. 7.13. Psal. 77.12.13. Second consideration of ourselves: 1. of our own particular sins, whether they be corruptions of the heart, or sins of our lives, Psal. 119.59. Lam. 3. Come, let us search and try our ways. 1. In what manner we have sinned against God, whether of ignorance or knowledge, of presumption or weakness, of constraint or wilfulness. 2. The greatness of every sin, yea of the least sin, how the infinite majesty of God is offended, and his justice violated. 3. The number of them: and here we shall find them with David, more than the hairs of our head, or the sands of the sea. Must a man consider them when he is sure they are pardoned? yes, so did David, Psal. 25. He prayed for the pardon of the sins of his youth. That this may take the deeper impression, let us consider of the degrees of our misery. 1. A separation from all fellowship with God, Isa. 59.2. 2. a society and fellowship with the devil and his angels; which stands in this, that a man by nature bears the image of Satan, and performs homage unto him in the practice of all sin. 3. all manner of calamities; in this life sickness of body, damages and losses, in name, in goods, and in friends. 4. the horror of a guilty conscience, which is even a beginning of hell fire: for first it is a man's accuser, accusing him for his sins. 2. his judge in the room of God, giving sentence against him in his life. 3. the hangman, because it condemneth eternanally. 4. the second death, which is an apprehension of the wrath of God eternally in body and soul. 3. Of our particular temptations, wherewith Satan daily assaults us, 1. Pet. 5.8. If enemies should invade the land, we would consider what place of the land is weakest, and lay all hold to that: so Satan labouring against us daily, we must examine what is the weakest part of our hearts, and by what sin he is most able to make breach into them; and then by God's grace we shall use some strength against them. 4. Consideration, of our particular ends, Exod. 32.29. 1. the time of our end, that is most uncertain. 2. the place likewise uncertain: Ahab repent when he heard of his end; so did Nineveh; and so must we all. 5. Consideration, of our reckoning in the last judgement. A travel ere comes to an inn, having but one penny in his purse, yet he calls for the best meat, and spends most sumptuously: will not every man judge him to be void of all consideration? Thus deal men in the world; spend all that God hath given them, never thinking of the day of reckoning: yet Paul Acts, 24. considering this, kept a good conscience before God and man. 6. Of our estate, whether we be members of the kingdom of darkness, or of grace. A man may live in the Church, and yet belong to Satan's kingdom. 5. Rule. We must labour in our hearts to be assured of our particular reconciliation to God in Christ: this assurance or certificate of the spirit, is commonly called faith: Now when this particular assurance is settled in them, it will purify them: for faith purifies the heart, affections, and thoughts: for a man being thus assured, will resolve never to offend God any more, but to honour and obey him even in his thoughts. 3. Observe from hence, that men's best thoughts, are grievous sins against God. 4. Use. All Readers or students in Divinity ought to humble themselves before God, and pray that he would open their eyes, and teach them the wonders of his law, before they attempt to study and read the Scriptures; because the imaginations of man by nature are wicked: yea whatsoever his heart studieth, frameth, or inventeth. Psal. 119. David at least ten times prays to God, that he would reveal to him the statutes and wonders of his law. This example ought to be a pattern and precedent to all students of divinity, never to read or meditate in the Scriptures, before they have prayed to God to open the eyes of their understanding, that they may rightly discern of that which they read. Obs. The doctrine is clear and evident, that an hypocrite or any wicked man cannot think a good thought: for he looks through his own corruption, and therefore as he is disposed, so must all be that comes to his understanding, will, or affections. Again, his practice is lewd, therefore his thoughts must be answerable: for he cannot do otherwise then he thinketh. Thirdly, the heart, which is the fountain, is framing thoughts which are evil; in their kind, all, in their extent, only, continually, and from his infancy. Fourthly, there is no consideration of God's presence, of God's judgements, of his own sins, or the duties he oweth unto God. Fiftly, when he thinks of God, he is profane; when of his neighbour, unrighteous; when of himself, proud, haughty, and insolent. Let God be good unto him in temporal favours, be silent at his sins, use compassion towards him; offending, gentleness; in his justice remembering mercy; patience, most gently suffering him in his sins, and deferring the punishment: longanimity, a long time expecting his repentance: and lastly bountifulness, being rich in goodness, and pouring forth his good gifts upon him: yet for all these, he hath not one good thought to bestow upon God. Let his neighbours live quietly by him, offer him no wrong, do him the best kindness he can, advise him by good counsel; yet can he not so much as afford him a good thought: lastly, let his conscience check him, and cause some hot stirs within him; yet he will check his conscience again, and put it to silence with a wicked thought, against himself and his own soul's salvation. Where then is his free will of doing good, if he cannot think a good thought to do himself good? will he, think you, busy his brain, and set his temples a working to please God? no assuredly: for judgement, will, and affections, which are the principles of our actions, are wholly taken away: Rom. 3. There is none that understandeth; therefore no judgement in spiritual matters. Secondly, none that seeketh God; their will & affections are estranged. Thirdly, all have declined, and are made unprofitable; there the power and endeavour are wanting, 1. Cor. 2.14. The natural man perceiveth not the things of God; there is want of judgement. Rom. 8.5. they that live after the flesh, savour the things of the flesh; there the will is merely carnal. Phil. 2. God worketh both will and deed. Ezek. 36.26. God gives the heart. Rom. 7.14. man is carnal, the law spiritual; how should that which is carnal, affect that which is spiritual? joh. 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. Again, the counsellors, 1. domestical, 2. external, internal & domestical. 1. flesh. Rom. 8.6. 2. the concupiscence of the flesh, Rom. 6.12. 3. carnis, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the wisdom of flesh, is enmity with God. 4. the will of the flesh, as a queen: external, 1. devil, 2. world, Ephes. 2.2. Man therefore having no principles of good thoughts, and that which is to be thought upon being spiritual, and he carnal, and having six most woeful counsellors, four at home with him in his own breast; as the flesh, which can no ways savour the things of God, and therefore doth always entreat for obedience to his own justs: secondly concupiscence, whereby the flesh is made more strong and effectual to command: thirdly, a carnal discourse against God's wisdom: four, a Queen, or rather an usurping jezable, to set up her throne in the soul, to inform and command what shall be done: and lastly, two outward enemies that creep near unto the walls of the soul, as the devil, and the world, full of polices and great in strength: how should it be possible that the soul should resist? nay alas, the watch and ward is wholly neglected: and therefore full possession is given unto the enemies. This doctrine than doth fully overturn all free-will. This doctrine hath two branches, the first, that all the thoughts of wicked men are corrupt and wicked; the second, that a good thing by accident, may be the cause of evil: for, Thou thoughtest, in this place, is brought in as a consequent of God's silence. 1. Doct. All men's thoughts by nature are sinful: this doctrine is already cleared, for these reasons have been formerly enlarged. 1. The fountain is altogether unclean, and who can bring that which is pure out of corruption? not one of a thousand: surely none but God. 2. Man is deprived of all good consideration, and therefore nothing is in his heart, but the consideration how to do evil. 3. The understanding is altogether blind, the will and affections never seek after God, the whole man is declined from good to evil, and all that he doth is unprofitable. 4. Nothing can extend itself beyond his nature; therefore man being carnal, and sold under sin, cannot get up so high in his meditations, as the law of God which is spiritual. 5. He who takes counsel with his own flesh, yields to his own lusts, discourseth against God's wisdom; lets his own will reign, is captivated by the devil, and alured by the world, cannot but think of that which is evil against God and man. Use. 1. reprehension. 1. Confutation of Papists, that magnify free will. 2. the world, that say thoughts are free, they have good meanings, etc. Secondly, correction of the godly, for judging the policies of the wicked as strong castles of defence. Use. 2. instruction. 1. Admonition to the wicked, not to boast too much of their plots and devices; for all their imaginations & thoughts are sure to come to nought. Secondly, direction unto the godly, always to have God in their thoughts. Use. 3. consolation. First, in adversity to consider, that all the plots of wicked men are not only vanity, but also impiety; and therefore as they cannot stand, so shall they be severely punished. Secondly, in prosperity, to consider how God is the upholder of their heads, their lot, portion, and inheritance, and therein to repose the sweetness of their thoughts. 2. Doct. A good thing, by accident may be the cause of evil; as silence the cause of this thought: Hos. 7.1. When I would have healed Israel, than the impiety of Ephraim was discovered, etc. God here put on the person of a Physician, who while he goes about to heal the malady makes it worse, and finds the evil to be more gricuous. 1. Because he finds the patiented more perverse, and to use all ill diet. 2. the disease being stirred, and so sturdy in his own nature, that it rebels against the remedy. Rom. 7.8. sin is dead without the law, but the law makes it to live: hence we see that God would heal us, but we turn our disease into putrefaction and rottenness, and so become incurable: and no marvel; for though all men be made of one metal, yet they be not cast all in one mould: there is framed of the self same clay, as well the tile to keep out water, as the pot to contain liquor: the brickie nature of man will not be washed by God's rain from heaven: it shall have no entrance into his soul. The Sun doth harden the dirt, and melt the wax; so the wicked being the filth of the world, cannot be stamped with the beams of God's wisdom, but are hardened: Fire maketh the gold to shine, and the straw to smother; perfumes refresh the doves, but kill the beetles: so the fire of God's word smothereth in the wicked, and the very sweetness of it kills them. The vine will spread by nature, and the more we seek by art to alter it, the more in the end we shall augment it: It is proper for the palm tree to mount; the heavier we load it, the higher it sprouteth: although iron be made soft with fire, it turneth to his hardness: the silly mouse will by no manner of means be tamed: the subtle fox may well be beaten, but never broken from stealing his prey: season the wood never so well, the wine will taste of the cask: translate the crabbe-tree, where and whensoever you please, and it will never bear sweet apple: the black will take no other colour: the stone Abeston being once made hot, never will be made cold: can the Ethiopian change or alter his skin? the Leopard his hue? it is impossible to gather grapes on thrones, or figs on thistles; this cannot be brought to pass by any art: the stone in Scicilia, the more it is beaten, the harder it is; so the more God handles the wicked, the worse they are. He that stoppeth the stream, causeth it to swell higher: he that casteth water on the fire in the smith's forge, maketh it to flame fiercer: so is it with the wicked, touch them and they sparkle in your face. But alas, they know not how the wound that bleedeth inwardly is most dangerous; that the fire kept most close, burneth most furiously: that the oven dammed up, baketh soonest; that sores having no vent fester secretly: Thus they swallow the bait which will breed their bane; they swill the drink that will expire their date: the Scorpion can feed on the earth; the quail can be fat with poison: but alas, their food be it never so good, yet they will sat up themselves with it against the day of slaughter. Thus then good things are perverted to the wicked to their ruin: The fire is an element most necessary, yet the wicked householder may as well make it burn his house, as burn in it: treacle doth as well poison as help, if it be taken out of time: wine immoderately taken kills the stomach, inflames the liver, and mischiefs the drunkard: Physic destroys if it be not well tempered: Law accuseth if it be not well interpreted: poison is taken out of the honeysuckle by the spider, venom out of the rose by a canker, dung out of the maple tree by the scorpion: so the greatest wickedness, out of the greatest good if it be abused. O therefore I entreat you that have been deceived by your own fancies, the glass of pestilence; or deluded by your own thoughts, the gates of perdition; be as earnest to seek a medicine, as you were eager to run into a mischief: God hath left as well endive to delight and cure, as hemlock to endanger; the rose to distill, as well as the nettle to sting, the be to give honey as the spider to yield poison: so for the soul, as well a word to save, as to destroy. Indeed, by accident we make it to be so: and if hitherto we have wounded ourselves by it, let us now leave the point of this sword, and catch it by the handle. The Poets affirmed that Achilles' spear could as well heal, as hurt: I am sure this can a great deal better heal then hurt: the Scorpion though he stings, yet he stints the pain: though the herb Nerius poison some beasts, yet is it a remedy to man against poison: therefore if we have made the word of God a Scorpion to sting us, yet let us now make it a lenitive to cease the pain; if we like beasts have poisoned ourselves, yet now like men created for God, let us recover ourselves again by this word of life. But to proceed: Thou thoughtest, this is the consequent of God's silence, not proper, but by accident forced, and befide the scope of it: therefore this wicked thought of an hypocrite, argueth strange corruption of heart; that can frame no object unto itself, that shall make good thoughts. Surely, affections have gotten the mastery over the mind, so that now it must become a slave to serve them; and dispose itself, that all his judgements may aim at their satisfaction: and thus the good word of God, by accident becomes the cause of sin. Gen. 3. hath God said, Ye shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? the Lord by this law debars you of great good; for it is certain, when ye eat, ye shall beas gods, knowing good and evil: therefore the law is too strict, and rather an hinderer than furtherer of your good. Men we see are very quiet, until they be provoked by the preaching of the law: Steven Act. 7. shall be stoned for his good sermon; Christ shall be an enemy to church and commonwealth, because he speaks against the Scribes and pharisees; Moses & Aaron shallbe hated of Pharaoh, for preaching a deliverance; john Baptist for telling Herod his sin: Elias shall be Ahabs' enemy for telling him the truth: and Paul shall become an enemy to the Galatians, for telling them of their apostasy from Christ: thus law, and Gospel: mercy, and judgement; are abused of the wicked: yet for all this, the law is holy and just: as for example, a man that holds a glass in his hands, as long as it ●ests there, is safe; but if they throw it against the wall, the wall will break it, but the salt will rest in the hands: so when we take ourselves & dash ourselves against God's law, the law breaks us, but the fault is in ourselves: the banks are no cause of the fury and rage of the waters, but the waters themselves: so the law of God that banks in our corruption, is no cause why it rageth, but the nature of it, which can endure no limits. Reasons. 1. Because sin will endure no law. There be three effects of the law, that sin cannot away withal; First, it stoppeth corruption; hence the irritation of the law. Secondly, it terrifieth the conscience, and that cannot be endured; they that live like gallie-slaves, and are whipped every day, will do nothing but by force, and are glad any ways to rid themselves of such a burden. Thirdly, it exacts perfect obedience, which our nature can not away withal: to love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, and our whole strength, is a lesson that will never be learned or practised. Reas. 2. A misconceit: as a medicine against which the stomach ariseth, will not be endured: a plaster which stings at the heart must be thrown off: and a glass that showeth us an ugly face cannot be looked into: so the misconceiving of God's silence, makes it that it can neither become meat, or medicine to our souls. Thirdly, the diversity of subjects: the self same seed is sown in all the four grounds, yet takes but root in one: the hammer beats upon all, but it makes not all pliable to God's work: the axe hews at all, but it timbers but some for building, the rest it hews down for firing: the fire burns all, but only the the gold loseth his dross: the light shines to all, but only they that have eyes behold it: the salt seasons all, but in some it cannot enter to the bone, and therefore they putrefy and rot away: food would feed all, but some want stomachs, appetite, and digestion: therefore they pine away with the best nourishment: the goad prickles all, but some are hardened that it cannot enter, and therefore no marvel that the mercies and silence of God should work no good effects in the wicked. Fourthly, the curse of God is upon them: therefore they shall eat, but not be satisfied; drink, but not to quench their thirst; sleep, but not to take their rest: for God alone gives rest unto his well-beloved: nay, let them do what they will, all shall be nought, pray or not pray, sacrifice or not sacrifice, come to church or not come to the church: for they cannot lay aside their wicked thoughts: and therefore according to our proverb, all is marred in the making. Deut. 28.16. cursed shall they be in the town, and cursed shall they be in the field: they shall make no good markets of that which god hath given them in the field: cursed shall they be in the basket, and in their dough: bad provision shall be in their houses, when the Lord will not become both the master and the steward: cursed shall be the fruit of his body, and the fruits of his land, the increase of his kine, and the flocks of his sheep: extreme poverty in the mids of all his wealth: cursed shall he be when he comes in, and cursed also when he goes out: ill success in his enterprises: neither will the Lord here make an end. These be four great curses. First, he shall make no good market in buying and selling. Secondly, from this shall follow, he shall have no good provision in his house. Thirdly, from this shall rise the next, that he shall have no true riches. Fourthly, to make that good, fortune shall always cross him. Fiftly, to proceed yet further, God will make him crack his credit: for trouble & shame shall be upon all that he sets his hand to do: every man shall call him bankrupt, neither shall he have any law against them: for with God he hath lost his credit, and therefore shall he perish quickly. Sixtly, that he may make his word good in all these, the pestilence, consumption, fever, burning ague, sword, blasting, mildew; the heavens above shall be brass, and the earth under iron: for rain dust: and therefore no stay but perish thou must in body, goods, and good name. Seventhly, to make the final upshotte of his body, he shall fall before his enemies, and his carkeiss shall be without all burial, the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field shall have him for their prey, and none shall rescue him: if the enemies spare him, God will smite him with the botch of Egypt, with the Emorods, with the scab, & with the itch, even worse than he hath done Egypt, for he shall not be healed: neither will God be defective in his method, for from these more sensible torments upon the body, he will proceed to greater judgements upon the soul, which though lest felt, yet more fearful; madness, blindness, astonying of heart, with all their ill consequents; to grope at noon day, to be oppressed, pulled, and without all succour: neither here shall the Lord rest upon body and soul, but strike him in his nearest friends, his wife, etc. Neither may we marvel at this: for in nature we see how some corn is sown, but never riseth, some springeth, and yet shortly withereth, some groweth up to an ear, and yet then is stricken or blasted; other at God's good pleasure cometh to ripeness: some trees are planted, yet never take root, some root yet never blossom, some blossom, yet never bring forth fruit, & others through God's blessing, bring forth fruit in due season: if God so deal with the plant and herb of the field, why may he not deal in like manner with man, which is as well in the hands of his creator, as the smallest creature upon the face of the earth? 1. Use reprehension: first confutation of all wicked men, which reproach religion for the idle profession of it. If they see one that makes a great flourish in religion fall away, As wicked men have evil conceits of God, so have they of religion, and the true professors thereof. then presently see what religion these professors have: Alas, do they not see Satan falling from heaven like lightning, & with his tail sweep down many a glorious (though wandering) star: if any thing be amiss, presently it must be laid upon God and his word: these wicked thoughts of the hypocrite fix upon God's silence. But he that takes the four corners of the earth in his hands, as the lap of a garment, shall shake the world together, and cast out these wicked ones as his refuse, and then shall be seen what sandy foundations they built upon. Nay alas, this uncharitable world, is so full of spite against God and his Saints, that if a godly man's beast make but a small trespass, presently shall it be laid upon them as a great disgrace of their profession: that which they account as nothing in others, shall be very heinous in them. If Ligarius trip but a little, than swelling Tubero will call it nefandum scelus, untolerable mischief: but as Cicero answered for Ligarius, scelus tu illud vocas Tubero? cur? isto enim nomine illa adhuc causa caruit: dost thou call it wickedness, O boisterous Tubero? wherefore I pray thee? surely for that name there is no reason: be a little persuaded by thy neighbours: alij enim errorem appellant, alij timorem; qui durius, spem, cupiditatem, odium, pertinaciam; qui gravissimè, temeritatem: scelus praeter te adhuc nemo: thy neighbours round about thee call it, some mistake, or a little base fear; they which are a little more uncharitable, some hope, or desire of gain, or foam mislike, or overmuch malapertness; they which say the worst of it, are content that it be called rashness: but for wickedness, thou hast not any other witness beside thyself: and therefore be entreated for Ligarius; for he shall come to thee with an ignosce pater, erravi, lapsus sum, non putavi, si unquam posthac: & paulo post, temere feci, paenitet, ad clementiam tuam confugio, delicti veniam peto, ut ignoscas oro. Suppose then in the like case, a kind hearted David, come to a churlish Nabal in the name of Christ, making him his Orator to plead for him: why challenge you religion for this small trespass? I am persuaded you have no show of reason for it; all your neighbours do make a favourable construction of it: I pray you therefore be pacified, I am sorry I have given you this offence, think more favourably of me; I will be ready to put up the like injury at your hands: well David, send thy servants to Nabal to ask him in thy name how he doth: let this be their salutation, both thou and thy house, and all that thou hast, be in peace, wealth, and prosperity; thy shepherds were with us, and we did them no hurt, neither did they miss any thing all the while they were in Carmel: ask thy servants, and they shall testify the same; wherefore let these young men find favour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good season) neither shall they be chargeable unto thee: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David. David thou hast played the Orator most excellently, passions in thyself, and strong arguments to Nabal, especially one drawn from profit. Let us see what welcome Nabal will give them; Who is David? and who is the son of Ishai? there be many servants now a days, that break away every man from his master: shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? the dogs shall have it before them. Well, David is a Mars, as well as a Mercury, as good at his sword, as at his words: therefore Nabal shall smart for it. What shall withhold David? surely the servants of Nabal had respect unto themselves, and their mistress; therefore Abigail shall know, that David was as a wall both by night and by day to them, and their master's sheep: therefore take heed, for our master is so wicked, that a man cannot speak unto him: good Abigail, will give David good contentment, that he shall bless her counsel; and when Nabal hears what his wife hath done, his heart shall die within him, and become like a stone: after this the Lord shall smite him, and he shall die. Even thus standeth it betwixt the godly and the world: Wicked men live and prosper, because the godly are among them: but alas, they shall receive hard measure at their hands: they had rather feed the dogs, than any poor Lazarus at their doors full of sores. Hang him, he is a stinking Puritan, an enemy to the King, and the whole commonwealth; a breaker away from all masters; can endure no yoke: when alas, if it were known, they are the best subjects the King hath: and as they never cease to pray for him, so if once they should come to venture their lives for him, and the good of the Church and commonwealth, they should be found with the eagerest: but alas, by disgraceful terms they abuse many good Christians, not esteeming those puritans which the King hath detected in his book, but every one that is not of their fantasy. There be three kinds of Puritans, and he that proves not one of them shall never be saved. First, is the Papistical puritan, that dare plead with God for his justification; and this is a damnable puritan. The second, is a schismatical puritan, that rends himself from every Church that will not agree with his fantasy; and this is likewise a wretched puritan. A third, is the Christian Puritan, such an one as I am sure the word of God approves of, and only pronounceth them blessed that are pure in heart: and these are defended by the book of common prayer, wherein we call upon God that we might lead a godly, sober, and pure life: and he that is not this puritan, shall never see God: and let them know, that the servants of God are of the blood royal, to wit, Christ jesus, and therefore have David's heroical spirit; durst meet them on the field, and show as good courage for a good cause as the best of them. But the servants of the Lord, his faithful ministers, have told it to the Church, that her faithful friends have been abused by many a Churl, unto whom they have stood as walls of defence, and therefore their affections are up in arms against them. But the Church will find cakes, bottles of wine, sheep ready dressed, measures of corn, clusters of raisins, and abundance of figs, to meet all that love her, to give them kind entertainment. Bid them not regard these Nabals; for as their names are, so are their natures: Nabals they are, and folly is with them, and so shall they perish: for the Lord will not suffer one of them to live that pisseth against the wall: But your souls shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord; and the souls of these your enemies shall God cast out as out of the middle of asling. Thus shall every faithful soul praise God, that he is preserved by the Church: and therefore when they shall see that the Lord hath dealt well with them, they shall be moved to remember the Church, as David remembered Abigail with the best bond of love. Secondly, correction of the godly, that learn not to think basely of the thoughts of wicked men: they dishonour God by them, and therefore into their secrets let our souls never enter. Use 2. Instruction: First, an admonition of the wicked, to show them that they have always false reasons for their thoughts. Indeed it is true, that we can no sooner have sin in our heads, but the devil will find a reason for it; but alas, when we bring it to our question, it makes us presently make a fallation against our souls. Silence beats upon the minds of these hypocrites; but alas, the image in the glass shall not look to him from whom it was reflected: Moses face shines, but he sees it not: so these men have God's sun to shine upon them, his rain to fall upon them, but they perceive neither. Thus they become like wine vessels, that sends out all the wine again, but keeps in the dregs: God doth much good unto them, but they never think rightly of it: for as infant's new borne are kept from fire and water, laid to sleep, shifted in their 'scapes, but they know not who doth all this for them: so God, brightness itself, shuts in heaven and earth; yet our eye cannot look against it, no more than the bat●e or owl at the bright beams in the firmament: and therefore no marvel, if wicked men after all God's silence, look amiss: therefore as the fountain, and all the water that springs out of it, have the same qualities; so the heart, and the thoughts, words, and deeds, are all of the same nature: if one filthy, all filthy; and purge one, and purge all. Now the fountain in a wicked man being corrupt, no marvel that these thoughts issue out of it: Eccles. 8.11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men, is fully set in them to do evil: here is the very self-same conclusion; God defers, therefore they are fully purposed to sin against God. Let them therefore be admonished, to look better to their thoughts; for they are in a miserable estate that makes every thing turn unto their hurt. Secondly, a direction to God's children, that they learn not to think their own thoughts, speak their own words, or do their own actions, but only that which shall be approved by God and his word; and then shall their praise not be of men, but of God. Use. 3. Consolation. First, in all good ways: when I can say, I have served God with a good conscience: for that shall be the misery of the wicked, when the Lord shall say, who required these things at your hands. Secondly, in their trouble to say with Hezekias, Remember Lord how I have walked before thee: this is better than all the riches in the world, or the vanities wherein he hath placed all his thoughts: this shall stand by him in this world to justify him, because God speaks for him; in the end of this world, to free him from hell, death, and damnation, because he hath built upon the rock, and hath in his thoughts highly valued, the blood of Christ, to purge him from all sin, when all the rest of the world shall be accursed, for that they have put their trust in the arm of flesh. 2. Tim. 4.6, 7. Paul's ground of comfort, when he is ready to be offered is this, I have fought the good fight of faith, finished my course, I have kept the faith: therefore he expects a crown of righteousness; this is no fancy, but a grounded persuasion from his practice. Sect. 4. Of awicked man's conceit of God. Like thee:] The fourth thing, is in the form and manner of their thoughts; and that is by drawing a pattern of God out of themselves, to limit him by their own limits, and measure him by their own measure. First, for quality and condition, the only patron and favourer of their courses, one that did esteem and approve most highly of all their ways. Where we may see that hypocrites, as proud pharisees, think themselves not like other men; and therefore needs must they be like God himself; not knowing that a third may be given, to wit, that they are so like themselves, that a man cannot parallel them with any other: They have looked into the fountain of God's silence; and surely like Narcissus, they are fallen in love with their own shadow; or like children, they are so delighted with their image, that they must needs kiss the glass, and think no baby like to that which they have seen of themselves: and thus like apes, are gotten so far in love with their own brood, that with overmuch embracing of themselves, they kill all they touch: and thus while they will set as Queens and ladies, bragging they shall never be widows, presently the Lord brings upon them both poverty, and widowhood; because they themselves have pressed every thing they were in love of unto death: so that being wise in their own conceit, we may be assured, that there is more hope of fools then of them: and that drunkards, and vile persons shall sooner inherit the kingdom of heaven, than any proud person of them all: the Publicans and gross sinners, shall sooner go into heaven then these Scribes and pharisees. Secondly, this must yet be strained higher, even to the very being and essence of God: God must be altogether as they are: extraordinary near fellowship. It was one of the greatest prerogatives that was ever given to Abraham, to be called the friend of God: but what shall these be called? surely, if all were true, they should be the very natural sons of God. Thirdly, this great acquaintance must be perpetual. Aristotle makes three bonds of friendship: 1. pleasure, 2. riches; and both these are soon ended: because in laughter the heart is heavy, for such pleasures as are but of things transitory: and for riches, they take their wings and fly away: but the third bond, which is virtue and honesty, is of long continuance; and I know no friendship that hypocrites profess with God, that savours of honesty and virtue. Indeed the other two, are in high account with them; for they will seem to do any thing for pleasure and profit. Saul loved God, but it was for a kingdom; Ahithophel, because he was advanced counsellor; judas, because an Apostle, & bore the bag: yet Saul a little afflicted, forsakes God; Ahithophel crossed, hangs himself; judas for gain, betrays Christ. jobs wife seemed to go far, as long as she could wash her paths with butter; but when affliction is upon her husband, curse god, & die. Many hypocrites are like Rebecca, Gen. 25.22. who wished to have children, but when they strove in her womb, than she braced forth into words of impatience: so God gives a desire to some to be borne again, who when they see their conception to be painful, and the spirit and flesh strive together, desire to be in their old estate again: they seek the kingdom of heaven, but not the righteousness thereof: and therefore it will appear very easily, how like they are unto God: for Saul and Pharaoh had some good motions by fits, and upon occasion could play fast and lose, being of a strange complexion, and very aguish, hot and cold in a moment. Sea faring men who when the seas do rage, and the tempest gins, feel themselves seasick, and have a desire to cast; but when they are gotten to the land, and have smelled the clear coast, are as merry and joyful as heart can wish: the reason is, because now being without hope, sense, and feeling of the sweet joys to come, do die thus by their flesh pots of Egypt: so they show in affliction, that their flesh pots, and their health, though in bondage, doth more please them, than the goodness and loving countenance of the Lord. Want of bread makes some despise their great & wonderful deliverance out of Egypt: the want of riches, is greater trouble than the want of grace; and the possession of riches greater joy, than the fruition of God's countenance: The reason is plain, because in temporal things, our joy is greater than the cause; but in spiritual, the cause is greater than our joy. Again, they love not God for himself, but for his blessing; and therefore all the similitude that wicked men have of God, is more in the love of the creatures then of God himself: and when the Lord shall bring his fan and make clean his floor, you shall see him send away this chaff, but still keep his corn: for the natural children of God, love their father naturally; do he what he will, they will still love him: though thou kill me, yet still will I trust in thee, saith job. Thus shall the Lord try his own image, and see who will endure the fire; which shall be known by these four properties: first, as fire burns straw, stubole, sticks, to ashes, and makes them as though they had not been; so shall the fire of God's affliction waste all those things which are of this weak nature. Secondly, as fire purges that which can abide him, and makes it purer and finer; so shall the trial of the spirit waste all the dross in God's children, and purify the rest, as a temple for the holy Ghost. Thirdly, as fire giveth light in the most dim and darkest place; so shall the fire of God's spirit become a shining lamp, burning continually. Fourthly, as heat putteth life into those things which are capable of life, though frozen and starved for cold, and as they were without life, yet touching them maketh them revive, become nimble and active; so the spirit of God heating and inflaming our hearts, kindleth our zeal, quickeneth our deadness, puts life into us, maketh us nimble and active, in a care of our duty, love of all mankind, and the glory of God: this alone will prove whether we bear the image and stamp of God in us, or no: when all the rest is no better than that conceit which the Devil put into the heads of our parents, Gen. 3. Ye shall be like God: surely it proved like the god of this world: for even that conceit took away the image of God, and brought in a worse, even the image of the devil. Observe. It is the nature of every wicked man, especially of an hypocrite, to have an high conceit of himself, and in this high conceit to think God like unto him. 1. Reas. First, blindness of understanding: Rom. 1.21, 22, 23. Vain imaginations, and folly of heart: full of darkness, makes professors of wisdom become stark fools, and so turn the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and four footed beasts, and of creeping things. 2. Reas. Is the evil disposition of nature, which turneth all things into his own temper: and therefore it can not be but the silence of the Lord should be abused by our thoughts. 3. Reas. Self-pleasing ourselves: Herod will part with all, before he will part with his brother's wife: the young man will leave Christ, before he forsake his riches: and therefore before the silence of the Lord shall cross our natures, we must either cross it, or else restrain it unto ourselves, and give it that limitation which shall best agree with our pleasures. 1. Use reprehension. A confutation of the wicked, for the abuse of their reason, in that they will become absolute judges of God's wisdom: it is enough for the servant to become as the master: God's truth will have no controller, and therefore must he command, or else he will testify against us and accuse us, for the breach of his prerogative royal. Secondly, a correction of the godly, that any ways subject themselves to the judgement of wicked men: their fountain is nought, & therefore their streams can not be sweet. 2. Use instruction. First, an admonition of the wicked, to be more careful for their thoughts. Indeed we say, thoughts are free, but yet let them know, that there is a word which is a discerner of the thoughts, and the intents of the heart: and therefore what they have spoken in the thievish corners of their hearts, shall be plainly detected even upon the house tops. Secondly, a direction to the godly; & that is a denial of themselves, and of their own thoughts, and wholly yielding themselves unto God's truth. 3. Use, Consolation to all them that see the want of God's image, and desire it more, than they presume they have it. This will take away our own conceits, and breed in us the clear insight of the mercies of God in his Christ, which are the only joy and confidence of our souls. And thus much of God's mercy. CHAP. VI Of God's justice in general. THe second part of God's holiness, justice. is his justice, contained in the consequent part of the sentence, and is distributed into two adjuncts; Power, and Order. Power, in that God will be sure to judge: and Order, in that he will take no hasty courses, whereby all should be done in confusion. Excellent is our God; for first being a God almighty, he is able to do what he pleaseth with his creature: but secondly observe his order, and every one shall confess that he is a God of excellent wisdom: for things done in good method, stop the mouths of all. Two men that put on armour, and like bulls of Basan, push the one at the other, are not discommended for their power and strength; but that being men, they wanted wisdom to use their strength aright; and that is, that they kept no good order: and therefore such execution of justice as this, is condemned: so that if our gracious King had no more arguments but this one, in forbidding all Duels, it were sufficient: for grant the exercise, the power of justice; yet where is this order and good method, that the Lord would have observed of all his servants. Aristotle hath unfolded unto us in his Ethics, five intellectual virtues, which if they concur not in all our actions, they will prove exceedingly defective. First intelligence, which gives information of the cause, and the reasons of it: secondly science, which disposeth of every necessary truth in those reasons, so that thereby he shall judge his cause to be good or bad: for, ut intellectus habet se ad verum & ad falsum, sic voluntas ad bonum vel malum: the understanding goes before and judges of truth and falsehood, and the will follows after, and embraceth good or evil: the third virtue, is sapience, seeing how he may deduct and draw out of the truths of science, other necessary truths which could not appear but by the discourse of this third virtue: the fourth prudence, which is the fourth perfection of our actions, when we do all the former in good and comely order: the fifth Art, the highest degree of perfection, when I do all nimbly and very skilfully in knowing, in judging, discoursing, & applying. These men may have the three first virtues, but they are altogether destitute of the two last: they may know that their cause is good, and that both of them hath reason to complain of injury: for brave spirits can not rest without mutual provocations: secondly, they may know that disgrace of their persons is their shame, and the loss of their good name (which they esteem better than the most precious ointment that they enjoy) to be such an injury, that it can deserve no less than some kind of trial: and so in the third place, discourse of it, and conclude that therefore they will have justice executed, that they may be revenged for their wrongs: but alas, when they come to apply all this their former knowledge, they want prudence, and so leap over the lists of justice, and breaking good order, spoil the exercise of all arts. For first, they break the rule of divinity, in sinning against God by murder: the rule of ethics, for fortitude and manhood is abused: the rule of politics, for the commonwealth is injured by loss of such persons as might have been his pillars: the rule of nature complains, that would have himself preserved in all his subjects. Indeed special nature, for the good of general nature, will seem to cross himself: the fire will descend, and the water will ascend, before they will suffer such a stranger as vacuity to possess any place among them: So indeed nature would neverbe offended, if they would shed their blood for their country: Nature will make the hand to offer itself to be cut off, before the head receive the blow: because nature is wise in order, knowing that the head is to be preferred before any other member, because it hath in it the greatest part of life. The people can tell David, thou art better than ten thousand of us; and therefore no matter if we be all cut off to save thy life. Blessed is that kingdom, that is not only powerful in justice, but that keeps good order in the execution. Indeed many may say, I will reprove thee; but alas, how few say, I will set thine offences in order before thee. Many lie in prison for a sic volo, sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas: authority urged by violence of passion, spoils all Magistrates. Aristotle says, that the law ought to be like the primum sensorium, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; so the law must savour of no quality, but his own; for than would it never judge aright. And as the law is, so ought the Magistrate to be; void of all his own passions: let the law rule him, as he means to rule the people, and then should all be done in good order; and we should not hear these lamentable complaints; I am in prison, but I know not for what cause; and the Magistrate says, I shall lie there until my bones rot. For the mercies of God, let us be moved betimes, as well to set men's sins in order, as use our power in reproving of them, lest the Lord come and handle us most roughly, in the power of his justice, for this most heinous offence committed in dividing justice against itself. So then the distribution lets us see, that the power of God is never without his wisdom; but that the Lord works in all things, intelligenter, scienter, sapienter, prudenter, artificiosè; plainly, truly, wisely, prudently, and skilfully. The power of God's justice is laid down in these words, I will reprove thee: first, the cause, I, the Lord, which in the first verse styled myself, the God of Gods, even the Lord from heaven; in comparison above all, and in dominion over all, without comparison: therefore a mighty justice that hath so great a cause. Secondly, from the species or kind of it, a reproof; therefore vindicative, and revenging justice, stronger than remunerative or rewarding justice; for here appears ira, furor, excandescentia; anger, a displeasure of short continuance; fury, a short madness; the third an inveterate hatred, that always smokes against sin, that kindles hot coals, hinc ira ex candore, fieriness full of brightness. Thirdly, the object (thee;) the sin and the person, I am out of love with both: and therefore will I discover thy sin, which I know thou above all men mayest not endure to hear of. Secondly, what thou thyself art both in deceiving and being deceived, shall plainly be known: therefore most powerful justice, whose cause is jehovah; nature, vengeance; object, the most secret sin, and most deceitful person, free from all the judgement seats of men. Sect. 1. Of the cause. Observe. 1. The great God of heaven and earth: and in earth, the God of gods: and over men, the only Lord, is become the reprover of sin; and therefore a most fearful hand shall fall upon the wicked. The finger upon the wall made an unpeaceable house in Belshazzars' soul: what a jolly fellow was he until this came into his eye? the time of God's silence he regarded not; neither to his father, how God gave him a kingdom, majesty, honour, and glory, at which all nations trembled, and feared before him: he smote and put to death whom he would; set up and put down whom he would: neither to himself, misapplying what was done unto his father, both in justice and mercy, but abused Gods vessels, with his Princes, wives, concubines; praised the gods of gold, silver, of brass, iron, wood, and stone; which neither see, hear, nor understand: but the God in whose hand his breath was, and all his ways, him would he not glorify: therefore now see his judge, and tell me if the power of his justice make him not afraid. Hence it is plain, that wicked men scant God in his mercies, as a niggard, or pinching giver; when in their sins they are both large and bold, and think Gods arms bound up in a cloth; yet let them know, that this (I, will reprove) will prove no small matter: for the very weakness of God, is stronger than any thing in man, 1. Cor. 1. In man we count that weakness, which his little finger hardly can touch: now Gods little finger will make all smart. The Magicians of Egypt in the plague of louse, confess it was God's finger, because that brought mighty things to pass: jobs afflictions, loss of goods, cattle, children; the devil makes it but the touch of God's finger, and yet this spent all. Man's breath but a weak thing, Isa. 40.17. yet the breath of the Lord, Psal. 18.8. smoke went out of his nostrhills, and a consuming fire out of his mouth; coals were kindled thereat: great is the power of his very nostrhills, and mighty is the very weakness, and infirmity of his wrath: if his weakness be this, what is his strength, compared to a Giant, or Lion; to a Giant, of all men the greatest; to a Lion, of all beasts the strongest? If so mighty when he toucheth but with his finger, how terrible if he strike with his arm? but what will he be when he comes armed with his sword, & his bow bend? if we be far off, his arrow shall reach us; if near, his sword shall strike us. But alas, what shall be done, when he shall come with whole armies of creatures against us; fire, hail, thunder: so if the sword find us not, the thunder shall meet with us; if the hail make not an end, the fire shall consume us; if the fire can not burn, than his mallet shall bruise us. Furthermore, he hath his charets, even a thousand charets in the whirlwind, and his pillars of fire to terrify us; yea, his thousand and ten thousand of Angels to make a spoil of all at his beck. Therefore we shall be sooner weary of suffering, than he of afflicting; of flying, than he of following. We are but potters vessels: if he hit but one against another we break; yea if he lay his iron rod upon us we shall be beaten all to powder. The lion when he roareth is terrible, and Behemoth is strong: what canst thou do? yet the lion cometh before this God, Behemoth is taken by his sword; Leviathan can not stand before him: therefore a most fearful thing to fall into the hands of this God: for he is a consuming fire, and cannot touch, or be touched without burning. The wrath of a king is the messenger of death: what is then the wrath of the king of kings? if one man trespass against another, there may a third be found to make up the matter; but if one sin against God, saith old Eli to his sons, who shall plead for him? Therefore do no more so ye sons of men, tremble and sin not; examine your own hearts, and be still; serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice in trembling: kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way: when his wrath shall suddenly burn, blessed are all that trust in him. Neither is this all Gods reproving: for this is but the pain of sense; but they also shall have a more fearful plague, the plague of plagues, and the only thing that shall make them miserable; and that the learned have called, the punishment of the damned, as though it were all, and gave the whole denomination: and that is God's farewell unto his creature: Oh my creature, I made thee in my own image; but thou hast found out many inventions: therefore must I thy life, and length of days; the fountain of living waters, he in whom thou lives, moves, and hast thy being, bid thee be gone: I must never look on thee more, as I have done: thy loving wife shall say, farewell my husband: thy children, friends, and all thy pleasures, in which thou hast sung a long loath to departed, yet must ye needs departed: or if you go together to hell, yet shall it but augment thy sorrow, to remember what sweet delight you once took together: and how now there can be no comfortable fellowship; but one stabbing another at the heart: Thou again shalt say, farewell God, farewell wise, children, and all my pleasures; I must shake hands with you for ever: Oh heart, that I could give the some deadly stab, that thou mightest never stir again! Oh would to God that I had never been! you that pass by, will you take no pity on me? Oh God, I was thy child, and the devil whips me, and hell fire scorcheth me; yet if thou wouldst but look upon me, how would that refresh me? Well, that I lie not, see both these put together: for I assure you, that hell fire is no painted fire; for the want of God's presence shall be no dream, or idle oblivion of the departure of a kind friend; but the very sting of conscience, and the worm that shall never leave gnawing. See both punishment of sense, and the damned: 2. Thess. 1.9. Which shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. And that the Lord will do all this, it is plain, Eccles. 12. last. Reu. 20.12. Daniel saw the ancient of days upon his throne: he hath been dealing with men in particular from the beginning of the world: he reproved our first parents, the old world, Sodom and Gomorrha, Pharaoh, Saul, judas: and he will have a general conclusion of this whole tragedy. And therefore the point is clear, that God will reprove. Reas. 1. From his justice, that cannot go unsatisfied: for the Lord hath spoken, and will be proved true and righteous in all his ways. 2 The glory he must constrain out of wicked men: for wicked men would never glorify God except it were because God will reprove them. Reas. 3. The injury they do unto God: for if God should never reprove, the wicked would boast and triumph notoriously. 4. The consolation of the godly: when should their heads be lift up, if it were not to see their enemies trampled under their feet? Use 1. reprehension. First, confutation of the ungodly, that think the Lord will condemn no person; he that made all, will save all; and a pitiful thing it is, to imagine that God should have made any man to damn him: well, they see God will reprove. Secondly, correction of the godly, that they take heed of security, and labour to please God with reverence and fear: Rom. 12.29. For even our God is a consuming fire. 2. Use instruction: first admonition to the ungodly: Oh consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces. Secondly, a direction to the godly, to walk before the Lord as he is their father and master: Mal. 1.6. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? 3. Use consolation: first, in trouble to consider God will reprove. jehoshua stands before Christ jesus, Zach. 3. and Satan stands at his right hand to resist him: but here is comfort, v. 2. for Christ says unto Satan, The Lord reprove thee, O Satan: even the Lord that hath chosen jerusalem, reprove thee. Secondly, in well-doing; because the Lord will never reprove for that, but approve it, and commend it for ever. 2. Sect. Of the form of this justice. reprove] Reproof is a second argument, to set forth the justice of God. Vindicative justice is more violent, than correction; for that is always in mercy, and the end of it is the quiet fruit of righteousness: but the nature of this is to be a curse, and the end thereof, the death and destruction of the creature. Also it is more forcibly felt of the creature, than God's remuncrative justice; because this strikes at the very heart, touches his very conscience, with the extremity of horror and fear, and leaves neither body nor soul without most exquisite torments, such as were never invented of men: the rack in England, the Strappado in Spain, nor any torture invented by the wit of man, shall ever come near this; no not the strange torments of Tyrants. Children are scared with harmless bulbegger, but dread less the fire, & water: so men in this world, fear them that can kill the body, but never fear at all, for him that can kill both body and soul: we tremble to hear a great man speak, and the young men hide themselves at the voice of job; and yet alas, who trembles at a verbal reproof of the Lord? they think him a simple person, that can not endure a word. And therefore Christians that are so much cast down, at the threatenings of the Lord, are with the wicked but fools and faint hearted persons: nay, more than this, let the hand of the Lord light upon their fellow-companions, and that shall be no prognostication to them. When divination was by lightnings, those lightnings which fell in the sea, or tops of mountains, were never brought into observation, but were called bruta fulmina; so the indgments of God that light upon others, are far enough removed from them, and therefore they never call them into question: nay, alas they make lighter account of them, as long as they are threatened in God's word, or executed upon others, than Morbizan the Turk, did of the Bull of Pius the second, or of his indulgences to the people to take arms against him, that by a letter to the Pope, he required that he would call in his Epigrams again: so men think, that when the Lord threateneth the seizure both of soul and body, the attaching of our spirits, the confiscation of our consciences, the banishing of us from heaven, the hanging of us in hell, the suspending of our salvation, the adjudging of us to condemnation, to be nothing but witty Epigrams, invented of men, to exercise men withal. One calls the excommunication of Paulus quintus against the Venetians, dirum carmen; and Bellarmine says of Prudentius, when he appoints certain holidays in hell, Paenarum celebres, sub styge feriae. Even so the world deals with God: his threatening are but idle Tragedies, and the punishments in hell may have their holidays, wherein men may take their recreations. So that now God shall be as well beholding to jesting Lucian, or any inventor of fables, or tragedies of hell, to make one old woman weep, or tremble, as to his own Prophets, or Apostles: but let them be assured, that hell is no painted fire, for they shall find that God hath fire and sagot, sword and bow, spear and iron rods, to dash in pieces every one, although as hard hearted as Pharaoh himself: then shall they tremble most, that feared least, when God's judgements were threatened. Observe. The justice of God shall be manifested, as well in plagues and curses, as in promises and mercies: Do this, and thou shalt live; there is rewarding justice: but the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death; there is justice punishing, which a long time is kept under the cloud of God's silence, but at length breaketh forth, and by that means is made to shine the brighter. Even as in a dark night, one star breaking out of a thick cloud, delivereth a far more splendent and glorious light, then if it shone with many in a clear evening: so this justice hath the more grace and beauty from the Lord in the wicked, insomuch as almost all other planets had a long time been eclipsed, or quite fallen out of their spheres, to the great discomfort of all such as travailed with the wicked (though not in their ways) yet in the self same night, and busied themselves at the lamps of God's word, being careful to uphold the society of mankind by learning and instruction. jonah the Prophet, was content to enter into the city a days journey, and preached, and so continued walking with the men in the city, until they put on sackcloth, fasted, and humbled themselves: this might exceedingly have comforted jonah, to see so cheerful and comfortable a light break forth as repentance: but alas jonah is displeased, and that exceedingly, that he should prognosticate of a flaming fire from heaven within forty days to destroy Nineveh, and yet nothing appear according to his word; this made him angry, impudent with God: now again to defend his fleeing into Tarshish, although the Lord had appeared unto him in the fearful tempest, prepared a fish, heard his prayer, brought him to dry land; yet now because God will not come from heaven according to his word, he wisheth that he might die, and that God would show his justice on him. One would have thought jonah might have been well cooled in the sea, from raging so hotly against God. Well jonah, get thee under the Lord's gourd, that it may be a shadow for thy head, and deliver thee from thy grief, and make thee exceeding glad; and expect patiently, and doubt not but thy words shall come to pass. For first, thou prophesied to Israel a long time, and they have profited nothing; this could not but vex thee exceedingly: now I have but sent thee three days into the city of Nineveh, the chief city of the Assyrians, all of them are the heathen, that never heard tell of my name, without my Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, and had no hope, and were without God in the world: yet thou sees what a wonderful effect it hath wrought in Nineveh; the King is off his throne, hath laid his rob from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sits in the ashes: further, he makes proclamation for a general fast of man and beast, all to cry mightily unto God; turn from their wickedness with this persuasion, that the Lord would repent & turn from his fierce wrath, that so they might not perish: Oh happy jonah, that it pleased God to let thee see this glorious work of thy ministery: surely thou may well be glad, under the gourd to sing Psalms unto the Lord for such a deliverance: and if the Angels in heaven be so joyful for one sinner, how mightest thou triumph for such a multitude, as the whole city of Niniveh, wherein were sixscore thousandinfants, that could not discern betwixt the right hand, or the left: Or if thou had been moved toward thine own countrymen, have made as much haste, as the woman of Samaria did unto her neighbours, to tell them she had found the Messiah: so might thou have done unto Israel: O Israel, I pray you run with me to Nineuch, and see the strangest wonder that ever was done; a whole city for three days preaching, repenting in sackcloth and ashes. But alas jonah, thou art of an other temper; thou hast made thee a booth, and art set under the shadow of it, to see what may be done to the city: Alas, wouldst thou with Nero, laugh to see all the city on fire? hast thou never a spark of old father Abraham's spirit in thee? this city is far better than Sodom and Gomorrha, & yet thou knowest how vehemently Abraham pleaded for them. Nay alas, thou should have been like good Samuel, 1. Sam. 12. Oh Nineveh, whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I hurt? or of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? Surely, I have pleaded against you as the ambassador of the Lord, and his whole counsel have I revealed: If ye will therefore fear the Lord, and serve him, and hear his voice, and not disobey the word of the Lord; both you, and the King that reigneth over you, shall follow the Lord your God: but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but disobey the Lords mouth, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you, and on your fathers. Moreover. God forbidden, that I should sin against the Lord, and cease praying for you; but I will show you the good & right way: Fear the Lord, serve him in the truth with all your hearts, & consider how great things he hath done for you: but if ye do wickedly, ye shall perish, both ye and your king. Surely jonah, if this had been thy conclusion, thou shouldst have seen the Lord fully have satisfied thy prophecy: for this was but a formal humiliation, and therefore forty years after, the Lord destroyed them, according to thy word: therefore jonah, observe, that God hath as well prepared a worm to smite thy gourd, and make it whither by the sun, as he made it grow by the same; and by the same sun, and a fervent Eastwind, make thee faint, and wish to die: neither haste thou any cause to be angry, for thou never labouredst for these mercies; and therefore what hast thou to do, to grieve at my mercies unto Nineveh? I bade thee reprove them, and surely, what I commanded shall be done: for Nineveh shall be reproved. And therefore all faithful labourers of the Lord, stick to your callings, and let the Lord bless and curse, when it shall please him. Reas. 1. From the perfection of God's nature, that can no way run into any excess, or come short in any defect; therefore die and live, shall be sure to follow the breaking or keeping of his law: therefore vindicative justice is as necessary, as remunerative. Reas. 2. From the nature of distributive justice, which is, suum cuique tribuere, give every man his own. How should wicked men be rewarded for their evil deeds, if the Lord were not a God of vengeance? Plato could dispute thus for God; bonis malè, malis benè: if it fall well with the wicked, and evil with the good, then surely there must be another world for torment. For there is a God; and if a God, than he is just; if he be just, then must he needs do justly; if justly, then shall not the wicked go unpunished, or the just unrewarded. Therefore that justice may stand in his proportion; if the wicked have the best, where the best is not; and the just have the worst where the worst is not; then shall the wicked to answer justice, have the worst where the best is not; nay, no good thing at all: and the just have again the best, where the worst is not; nay, no misery at all, but perfect happiness. Hence natural men have dreamt of the Elysian fields, and of the fire of hell. Reas. 3. The manifestation of God's perfection, he made man for his glory, and his glory is the concurrence of all his glorious attributes; therefore shall vindicative justice see the face of the sun, as well as remunerative; God will have the praise of both. 1. Use reprehension. First, confutation of the wicked, that think the Lord is all lead, heavy footed to judgement; and that his hands shall always be in a clout: or if he pull them out, he is so tender of them, that he may not endure to lay them upon their hard hearts, lest by the blow, he should complain of the stiff resistance of the stroke. Well, they shall know, that he hath hands of brass, and rods of iron in them, to crush them in pieces. Secondly, correction of the godly, that think the Lord is too tender over the wicked: jonah was too blame in this, therefore lay it aside: for it is God's truth, that he will reprove with small tenderness. 2. Use instruction. First, an admonition of the wicked, that they beware: for the arrows of the Lord fly among them. If a strong archer missing his aim, let his arrow fly among them that are beholding his shooting, will he not cry aloud, look to yourselves? and the crier of aim shout with a mighty voice, to the right hand or to the left, take heed the arrow is among you: But alas, the people are so amazed, that they may as well run under it, as escape it, so that all are in danger, but it lights but upon the pate of one of them, and he falls to the ground wounded, and yields up the ghost; all the rest quake, and tremble at the sight, and are speechless: So the Lord is daily shooting forth his arrows, he never misseth his aim; the watchmen of the city tell the people, the arrow of God is among them, and for all this no man is afraid; it strikes down some of the stoutest of them: but alas, all is given to some surfeit or weakness in the man, which they finding themselves free from, think it is impossible for them to die as he did, because they have not his disease; as though there were no more diseases to cut off life, then that one. If a messenger knock at the door, and answer be given him presently, he is gone without delay: so beloved, God's plagues would not still rage at our doors, if we gave God his answer; yet still the Lord rings the bell at our door. Secondly, a direction to the godly, to watch continually, that so they may escape the judgements of the Lord, and mourn for his judgements upon others; for these April dews, will bring forth in them the May flowers of God's spirit: and in weeping, still respect ourselves more than other: for that alone makes God carry handkerchifes to wipe away our tears: and this sowing in tears, will bring us a speedy harvest: and when the rod is upon others, let us take it to ourselves: for is it not better to take the rod into our own hands, and beat ourselves gently, than the Lord, who is a consuming fire, should waste us with it? Bones out of joint, the longer they go, they prove more painful, betimes they are set more easily: therefore let us betimes set ourselves in the ways of the Lord, lest he rebuke us sharply. We physic, purge, sweat, and all for the body: can we endure nothing for the soul? the vomit of the soul is the grief of repentance: and tell me I pray you, who ever repent him of repentant sorrow? In these reproofs we are worse afraid than hurt: rising out of a soft bed is exceeding tedious to a sluggard; yet our up, doth not dare us at all: so is the awaking from the sleep of sin, and slumbering in the relics of sin, which still have dwelling in the best of us. To see a soldier wounded is no news, but to go with it, is desperate folly: so our sighting in this world, is no news if it bring knocks and maims unto us: yet to let them go and rankle, and fester, is forlorn negligence; therefore let this direction take his impression in our souls, that we may make excellent use of all God's reproofs. Use 3. Consolation in trouble, because the Lord will reward us, but punish them that cause us affliction: 2. Thess. 1.6, 7. For it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you which are troubled, rest with us. Secondly in prosperity, to rejoice that we can sorrow that the Lord reproves any of our brethren; to be grieved for the afflictions of joseph. Daniel could find no comfort in his private prosperity and great authority, because he knew that the Church of God was in great misery: the like affection was in good Nehemiah: so likewise on the contrary, to rejoice when we be reproved to see God's church to flourish: so Paul being in prison, was not so much grieved at his own bonds, as he rejoiced at the liberty of the Gospel of Christ. Sect. 3. Of the object. Thee] God in his own children, loves the person, and accepts of them in Christ, and only hates their sin, and reproves that: but in an hypocrite, he hates both the person and the sin; for if he should only be offended with the sin, than should there be no difference betwixt the godly and the wicked; for he hates sin equally in them both, and yet they are not both equally hated: and therefore some thing more in an hypocrite is the object of hatred, than his very sin. But it may be objected, that nothing can be hated, but that which is evil: The object of God's hatred. now the persons of wicked men are good, the sin is only evil, therefore only hated. Answ. Evil is considered two ways; First, in the abstract, as being not considered with the subject in which it is; and so it is equally hated of God every where. Secondly, in the concrete, when the evil and the subject are put together: evil absolutely taken, and an evil man are divers considerations; the same cause of hatred in both, but not the same manner: for a godly man is of an other condition; seeing sin in him, is but a tyrant, and he is none of his lawful subjects, and therefore though sin fights to subdue him unto his kingdom, yet the spirit of God resists and will be the ruler. Therefore as the love of the subjects stand toward their king, so doth the king love them. Now the love of sin and wicked men is natural, and so is the love of God and his children spiritually natural: and therefore must he needs love his own subjects, and hate all his enemies: for if an enemy should captivate a loyal subject, the king would presently require him again, when he is content to let his enemies have their own liberty over their own slaves. Therefore the children of God, lose not the name of righteous persons, because they sin: for it is rather sin in themselves, than themselves that offend God: Rom. 7. Paul says, It is no more I, but sin that dwells in me. Therefore in a wicked man, there be three considerations: first, of his evil; 2. of his sinful person; 3. of his personal being: the two first are hated, the third is loved of God: so a godly man, first his evil, secondly his righteous person, thirdly his personal being: the first is hated, the two last are loved of the Lord. Observe. 1. A Reproof must be passed upon sin. Every thing that is secret must be brought into light: Eph. 5.13. All things when they are reproved of the light, are manifest: for it is the light that maketh all things manifest. joh. 16.8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. So that this point is general to the sins of all men, especially to the wicked: for they have never desired by hearty repentance to bring their sins unto the light; and therefore because they would not judge themselves by it, it shall judge them to their woe. Indeed to behold the light, is a comfotable thing, but for sore eyes it is very troublesome: and therefore those that do evil, hate the light, because their works are evil: and so the Lord must needs arraign them even in the clear sunshine, to the view of all men, even of their very consciences, joh. 3. Reas. 1. Because sin is the violation of God's law: and therefore must not go unreproved. Secondly, because it opposeth the light: and therefore cannot long stand in opposition by clouding of the light, but the light will break out. The clouds in the air can not always shade the sun from the eyes of the world, nor the darkness of the night always shut up the morning brightness: so shall not sin always fill the world with his mists and clouds, and always shut up the day of the Lords appearance to judgement, but the Lord will break the heavens, and make the glory of his Son appear, at which heaven and earth shall flee away; and then shall the thoughts of all hearts be made manifest. Thirdly, because God must be glorified: for except the Lord do it himself, he shall never have any glory in the sins of the wicked: for they dishonour him as much as possibly they can. Isa. 59 4. No man calleth for justice: no man contendeth for truth: v. 14. judgement goes backward, justice stands far off: truth is fallen in the street, and equity can not enter. The Lord seethe it, it displeaseth him, and he wonders that no man will offer himself for his defence: therefore his arm did save it, and his righteousness itself did sustain it: he put on righteousness, as an habergeon, and an helmet of salvation upon his head: and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as with a cloak. Then shall sin surely have his reproof, and a recompense shall be given for evil doing: he will fully repay the Islands of the world. 1. Use reprehension: first, confutation of the wicked, that make so much of their sins, that are not ashamed to boast of them. Well, let them go too, these are the very things that the Lord will reprove to their shame and confusion. Secondly, correction to the godly, that are so meale-mouthed at sin, that have not a word to say for the Lord of hosts. We are too often in the extremes; when God is silent, we would be speaking; and when the Lord is speaking, we would be silent: especially Ministers, that dare not speak when the Lord hath bidden them speak boldly, and not fear the faces of the proudest. 2. Use instruction. First, an admonition to the wicked, to beware of sinning: know they not, that every time they sin, they hold up their hands to heaven to pray unto God for vengeance? Secondly, a direction to God's children, to mitigate the bitterness of their sins: Exod. 15. for sins may be compared to the waters of Marah; and God's reproof to the bitterness of those waters: and Israel's murmuring may set forth the discontednesse of the soul, in tasting of those waters: the cry of the people, what shall we drink? to set forth the thirsty desire of the soul to be satisfied with some sweet water. Moses cry unto the Lord, sets forth the grace of prayer unto God, for some sweet comfort in the bitter conflicts with sin. Lastly, the Lord showing Moses a tree to cast into the waters, which doth make them sweet, and so giveth them a pleasant relish unto the soul, may set forth the action of God the father, giving of Christ the tree of life to every distressed soul; which being received by faith into his soul, will make rivers of water flow out of him to eternal life, and keep him from ever languishing again under the burden of his sin: therefore let this be our direction in all God's reproofs for sin, to sweeten them in Christ, and so bear them patiently. 3. Use. Consolation to all that are in Christ; for God hath already reproved their sins in his son; and therefore shall they be free from his wrath. Suppose that a malefactor were condemned to die, and the day of his execution were at hand, how would this affect him in his soul? how would he labour to escape it; try all his friends, his goods, wife, children, kinsfolks, & the dearest of his acquaintance? his wealth can serve him no better but to provide for him while he liveth, see him honourably buried when he is dead: his wife and children and the rest, tell him they will weep for him; all these are but cold comforts to the man that must die: But if one should step out and say, my life for yours, if that will free you: he offers himself to the king, the king accepts of him, delivers the pardon, brings it to the malefactor: now he is at ease, and hardly can a man imagine the greatness of his joy: surely, if that be true that a man may die laughing, he might as soon lose his life in this passion of joy, as he might have done in the passion of his sorrow. Even the self same cause is paralleled in a man on his deathbed; I am reproved of the Lord, and adjudged to eternal death for my sins: alas, how shall I escape? my goods are nothing unto thee, O Lord, thou wilt not take them for the redemption of my soul: my wife, and children, and good friends standing about my bed, cut me at the very heart: no worldly comfort can refresh my soul: Oh my God, take thy Christ for the redemption of my soul, he is able to stand betwixt thy wrath and my sin; in him lift upon me the light of thy countenance: for therein stands my exceeding joy, far above the increase of oil, corn, wine, or any worldly thing. Obser. 2. Hypocrites shall not go undiscovered, it shallbe known what they are: they shall see what a sandy foundation they have laid, and how all their hopes are no better than the spider's web: Isa. 29.13. because this people come near unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me was taught by the precept of men: therefore to discover them, I will do a marvelous thing: the wisdom of the wisest of them shall perish, and the understanding of the most prudent shall be hid. Woe shall be unto their deeps, and their works of darkness; and they shall meet with him that seethe them, and knoweth them; their devices cause them most foolishly to stand up with the pot against his maker, and with the thing form against him that fashioned him, to say thou hast no understanding: Well, your Lebanon shall become Carmel, and your Carmel a forest: the best you have shall become worse; and that which is next shall become a barren wilderness: yet jacob shall not be confounded, neither shall his face be pale: for he shall see his children, because the work of mine hands is in the midst of him; they shall still sanctify my name, even the holy one of Israel, and shall fear him: then they that erred in spirit, shall have understanding; & they that murmured, shall learn this doctrine; even the hypocrites themselves whose spirit made them err, shall know that all their profession was nothing: and they that murmured often against God, for not respecting them as they deserved, shall learn this doctrine, that the sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit, & broken heart: not burnt offerings, not calves of a year old, not thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil; not the first borne or fruit of the body. He hath showed thee, O man, another lesson, and that which is good, and which the Lord requireth of thee: surely to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself to walk with thy God. Go too then, we have fasted, and thou seest it not; we have punished ourselves, and thou regardest it not. I tell you, It is to seek your own wills, and require your own debts: and therefore you have your reward: therefore Isa. 48.1. Hear ye this, O house of jacob, which are but called by the name of Israel, and are naturally come out of the waters of judah; which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel; but not in truth, or in righteousness: You are indeed called the holy city, and stay yourselves upon the God of Israel; but his name is the Lord of hosts; he hath an army against you. First, a just cause is given him of war; for he declared these things of old, made them plain, and brought them to pass: therefore of what can you accuse him? Well, thou art obstinate, thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass: I have done much for thee: the old I have made known unto thee, that thou mightest not bless thine idol for it, nor say it was his command: new things again have been made for thee; and not revealed, lest thou shouldst be arrogant; in saying, I know them: for I knew thou would grievously transgress: therefore have I called thee a transgressor from the womb: therefore if I forbear thee a while, it shall be for my name's sake, and for my praise. Indeed I kindled a fire against thee, and fined thee, but not as silver: for I found no pureness in thee; all was dross: I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction, to save thee from consuming: for surely, except I that appeared to Moses in the bush, Exod. 3. to keep it from burning when it was all on fire, had been in thee (which wert but as a bush in Egypt) thou had been consumed, and perished for ever: but alas, thou wilt consume thyself, by thy hypocrisy and dissembling lips. Reas. 1. God's truth; Rom. 3.4. Let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy words, and overcome when thou art judged: therefore except the Lord should put forth himself, hypocrites would prove God a notorious liar; for they bely him most: and if they should so leave him, he should be thought an Idol god; therefore will he make their secrets appear. 2. Because God's word, which is a light in itself, by them is put under a bushel; therefore will the Lord set it upon a candlestick, that it may give light to descry all the corners of their hearts. 3. The last judgement, Eccles. 12. v. last. God will bring every secret thing unto judgement: but hypocrisy is a secret, and therefore shall God judge it. Reas. 4. From hypocrites themselves: and it hath many branches: first, because pure in their own conceit, Prou. 13.12. this generation must be known, that they are not washed from their sins. Secondly, to answer their murmuring, Isa. 58. for if God should not speak unto that which they have said of him, he should be thought to be a God that regarded not fasting, and calling upon his name. Thirdly, to detect their sanctification, Isa. 66.3. which is no better than the blessing of an Idol, killing a man, or offering swine's blood. Fourthly, to detect their repentance; 1. Sam. 15.13. I have, says Saul, fulfilled the commandment of the Lord: but the bleating of the sheep, and lowing of the oxen, show his infidelity. Fiftly, to detect their fair pretexts, Ezra. 4.2. God's enemies come to God's people, and say, we will build with you, for we seek the lord your God, as ye do, etc. Sixtly, to detect their slanders, Neh. 6. yea they speak in his praise before me, and told him my words; and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. Seventhly, because they lean on God to hurt others, Micah. 3.11. Lastly, that they may see truly whither all their worship tended. Reas. 5. That the godly may not stagger: Psal. 139. David proves himself faithful, by a special living in God's presence. 1. Use reprehension. First, confutation of all those that may not endure to have their sins detected, or think themselves so pure, that they have nothing to be discovered. Hypocrites are the only Puritans of the world: for such persons as can not endure the ministers reprehensions, are shroudly to be suspected of hypocrisy. Secondly, correction of the godly, that make not a distinction of their love, betwixt formal professors, and true hearted Christians: David is only a companion of all them that fear the Lord, and are approved of God; but for the wicked and hypocrites that will not confess that excellent presence of the Lord as he doth, Psal. 139. He hates them earnestly with an unfeigned hatred, as though they were also his utter enemies. 2. Use instruction. First, admonition of the wicked, that they be better advised of their presumptions: for surely they are far out of God's love: and therefore that they may a little try themselves, I will help them a little to examine their estates. Luk. 12.1. take heed to yourselves of the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisic: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. The Scripture lays down plainly what hypocrites are, and what they are not: both of them are laid together, Prou. 30.12. first what they are, to wit, a generation for multitude, pure for quality, in their own conceit for the best ground of all their religion: a generation, borne of themselves; pure in outward profession, to deceive the world; and in their own conceit, to deceive themselves. Let us therefore see their building, that they raise out of their own conceit: Masks once served men to play and sport in jest, but now they are used in good earnest; and the hypocrite is the most excellent at this game: these men would be kings, have all at command, and scorn to abase themselves in comparison with any: but let them know, that as at the chest play the king commands all, until the mate be given without redress, and then he is but like the rest: so when death shall check these kingly hypocrites, it shall be known that they are no better than the common sort of people, that must every mother's son of them to hell. Indeed the Cupresse tree, is strait and tall; in colour fresh and green; yet on the same no wholesome fruit doth grow, which is fit for nourishment: so that by the taste we may espy the goodness of the tree: therefore saith Christ, by their fruit ye shall know them. In Phoenicia the people raised a figure on high, that all men might observe it, and on the top painted a Serpent in a circle, to show that in the world there is no greater art, than man to know himself in every part. Let us then a little enter this consideration, and see what grounds he lays of these his conceits. First, he considers his perfections, as the perfections of nature; a nimble wit, good memory, full of civility, and fair conversation. Secondly, being within the bounds of God's church, he may obtain certain graces of God's spirit: as first, from the word in general, understanding, consent to the truth, submission, affection, delight in the messengers, and to be a companion with the Saints and all frequenters of God's church. For the law, he may see his sins, the wrath of God due for them, horror of conscience, reluctation against sin, sorrow, and a certain change, Mat. 12.43. 2. Pet. 2.20. Mar. 6.20. For the Gospel, knowledge of the covenant, that God is faithful, that Christ's merits are of infinite value; and tears may flow from his eyes, either in hearing or reading the passion of our Saviour Christ. Degrees of his perfections, Heb. 6. 1, illumination: 2. participation of the heavenly gift, holy Ghost, God's word, and of the powers to come: these are his perfections. Now let us see what reasons may persuade him to this conceit. First, when he looks upon himself, he sees his heart to be quiet within him, and not boil with the fowl and ugly sins of the world. Secondly, he sees his estate to be very good in the world, and full of prosperity. Thirdly, he thinks his profession is with the best; he is as good a churchman as any other. Again, he looks up unto God, and is very lavish of God's mercy; he cares not to set it upon the tenters, and makes it rise as high as the mountains: but for his justice, he scants that, and makes it like a molehill. When he thinks of the devil, he finds himself nothing at all to be troubled with him: with a void Satan, he can scare him from him at any time: when he sets himself upon the stage with other men, he sees how the wicked cannot come near him; and yet they have often a fair life, & an easy death; and therefore shall it be far better with him: And for precise persons, he cannot tell what to say of them; sometime they are too proud for his company; another time they are too full of hypocrisy, he dares not trust them; sometimes they are a company of fools, and therefore he will not run gadding about with fools; sometime men full of melancholy and sadness, fit for no society; or else singular fellows, that think none so good as themselves; or else will have a life by themselves: and therefore they will not live in society with them: but alas, they are the men of pride, that think that God dwells with them alone. Bucephalus was then in chiefest pride, when rich armour was set upon his back, and none might ride him but Alexander: so these hypocrites being in honour in the world, will suffer none to accompany with them, but God himself; for in comparison, he excludes all. And surely question with him of his estate, and for the most you shall find them very resolute, like unto the Giant of Gath; they have fingers and thumbs enough to apprehend mercy. Ask them, mean you to be saved? they answer resolutely, God forbidden they should ever think otherwise: when alas poor Christians, lie wrestling with many a temptation. Ask them again, do you believe? believe! he that would not believe God, were a wretch indeed. Ask him in the third place, have you any doubtings with your faith? doubtings! why should I doubt? the Lord is most certain in his promises: when in both these, the child of God is much perplexed. Ask him in the last place, when did you believe? surely, ever since I was borne: yet alas, many a good servant of God will say, once I was as black as a coal in sin, but it hath pleased God to put on me a whiter garment: I know the very day when hell did gape upon me, and at such a sermon it pleased God to strike me to the ground, and raise me up again in his mercy: or at least, they that have been sanctified from their mother's womb, will cry and say, Oh wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from this body of death? This fight of the members, and of the spirit, is an excellent persuasion of true grace; but alas, these wretches, when in the time of necessity, they come to make use of their faith; what do they I pray you? truly they are become like Adonibezek, they have lost all their fingers, and must famish for want of laying hold of their meat; so that all their beauty perisheth. For beloved, as green fruits and flowers do ripen by the sun, whose rays bring forth their buds, and their smells; so by the son of righteousness alone, must all the flowers of God's garden mend their smells and savours. And therefore let us proceed to see what they are not, for want of this sun; and that consists in the second part of the verse, yet they are not washed from their filthiness. A Labyrinth is framed with such art, that the entrance is both plain and wide; but being entered, you shall find such turnings, that you can not come out again without your guide: so this conceit of purity, hath made such a large entrance into the hearts of hypocrites, that they can not be brought out of their turnings without the guide of God's spirit. Therefore let us view these two threads, that are here laid down to help us. First, they are not washed: secondly, they are in their filthiness. janus had two faces; and in the one hand he had a key, in the other the sun: from janus comes januarie, that looks at both parts of the year: his two faces makes him look forward and backward: by his key, he is able to open the day, and shut in the night: by the sun in the hand, he is able to discover all things. Formality in religion may be expressed in janus, until we come to the key and the sun: the hypocrites can look at both parts of the year, winter and summer; but they will have their back upon winter, and their face upon summer: for when winter comes again, and looks them in the face, they hide their heads, and will not be seen: like unto snails, that are abroad while the dew is upon the earth, but creep into their houses when they find the dew to be dried up by the sun. Again, they have two faces, they can look backward and forward, serve all times, please all persons, and keep themselves out of danger: but when we come unto the key, whereby heaven is opened, and shut in, they have none at all: they lost their key of righteousness in Adam, and as yet they have it not restored in Christ, who alone hath the keys of David, which openeth and no man shutteth, which shutteth and no man openeth. And for the sun in the other hand, they have none: for how can they hold out the Son of righteousness, that never had him in their hearts by faith? they shine indeed, but it is like unto a blazing star, which seems to move as though it came from a true star indeed, but alas it is in the fall, and presently comes to the earth; and than what is it but a lump of very crude matter, and as cold as a stone: or like glow-worms, which in the night time, make a show of fire, but when a man takes them in his hands and bruiseth them, they are nothing but a deal of crude, rough, black blood. So these hypocrites, they come from heaven like lightning by the tail of the devil, and fall to the ground, and then their glory appears no more: they were always cold at the heart, and therefore their shining vanisheth, when the true Son of righteousness appeareth to try them. Let us then examine the hypocrite, and we shall find, (that although his sword, and all the weapons of his profession be overspread with honey,) yet a Bee shall sting him at the last, and make him know, that all that honey was none of his own, but that he had stolen it from God's bees; and therefore being but the wasp, must be cast out of God's hive. The fisher oftentimes when he brags of store of fishes, pulls up a scorpion in his net, which becomes his death: so these hypocrites, they fish for heaven, but the scorpion is already in their bosoms which will sting them to death: they hatch cockatrice eggs: whatsoever cometh from them, is poison and death: they weave the spider's web, all their religion comes to no proof: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is troad upon, breaketh out into a serpent. For it is impossible that all mankind, being the seed of corruption; and secondly, the most of them, the seed of the serpent, should bring forth any other thing but corruption, and young serpents. And therefore hypocrites, remaining in their former estate, must needs be far from God, and all true holiness. They are not washed, therefore not in Christ. Secondly, they are in their filthiness; therefore in themselves. Not in Christ, because they know not the father, by the Son, through the holy Ghost. They are most busy with the father; but alas, for Christ, and the spirit, they cast them both off. God will have mercy, and God forbidden, that any man should think that God meant to damn his creature: but alas, they are silent of his justice; & Christ is little in their mouths, for the satisfaction of God's justice, and the only foundation of God's mercy to come unto them: & the spirit is far estranged from them, as appears by their sanctification. But let them know, that God's saithful ones make an other kind of demonstration, then to begin with the father first: Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ; but how shall that be known? surely, by that which followeth; which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit: but how shall this be known? why look into the Gal. 5.19. to v. 24. That this may the better appear, let us see how hypocrites pull down the old building, and rear up the new: for until that be gone, there is no hope of a better. That they would have the old building stand, it shall evidently appear in the 7. of the Romans: first, if you look unto their marriage, you shall see they will stick to their old husband the law; yet will they have Christ too, and therefore commit adultery; for God will but permit them one husband: therefore either Law or Gospel; doing, or believing; Christ, or Moses: both can not stand together to make us the spouse of Christ. Secondly, let us see their service and obedience, that they yield unto their husbands. It is not in the newness of the spirit, but in the oldness of the letter: surely an hypocrite is all in the letter, no jot of inward sanctification is in him: but Law and Gospel speaks unto him as a deaf man: and so for power, both of them are but dead and dumb unto him. Thirdly, they love no innovations: they would have the old ordination to stand, to do, and live; but now to be slain by the law, and to have sin made sin indeed, and have their hearts even bleed to the death by it, that can not be endured: for men naturally love life better than death: but now it is come to pass by our fall, that except the Law kill, it can not save. Fourthly, they have no discorning spirit, to see how the Law is spiritual, and they carnal, fold under sin: for they always allow that which they do; their will and doing go together, their hatred is not their doing: when Paul saith, he wills one thing by God's good spirit, and by his flesh doth the clean contrary; he hateth sin by the spirit, and yet often is made to do it by his own corruption: thus doth he justify the law, and and makes it good and substantial, but himself evil and nought: when hypocrites take the law to make them good, for they are justifiers of themselves. Paul by this means came to see, that it was not he the new man, that did these things, but sin that dwelled in him; and therefore he only justifies not God's law to condemn himself, but also he makes a glorious confession, that all power may be taken from himself, and ascribed unto the holy Ghost, for his sanctification: for I know, that in me, setting the spirit aside, and therefore I mean in my flesh and corruption, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. And surely reasons of this I have many. First, the strength of my corruption: secondly, it is yoked with me, and therefore being the stronger, draws me unto evil: thirdly, I am a double person, or a double man, the inner and outward man, which is so rebellious, that I never live at peace with myself: four, these two have their laws, and the outward man doth often captivate me, and make me a slave unto sin: and I am so sore oppressed, that I must needs cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? yet thanks be to God, through jesus Christ our Lord, that my mind is so good unto God, and his law, though my flesh will not as yet shake hands with sin. But hypocrites are of another mind; they will neither justify law nor gospel, which shall condemn themselves: they will not ascribe all unto God's spirit that is good, and the rest unto themselves: they have means enough to do well, they are Papists, they can supererrogate, they feel not the strength of sin: they are not yoked to draw contrary ways; like oxen they can draw together, not as Samsons foxes by the tails, every one to draw sundry ways: they sustain no double persons, single will they be in all their ways: they are troubled with no contrary laws, they can make all agree well enough, and therefore when cry they in the very desperation of their souls; who shall deliver us? they give thanks to God, not for Christ, but for themselves, that they are not like other men: Therefore the spirit having not pulled down the old building, how shall it be possible to set up the new, which is plainly to be seen in the chap. following, Rom. 8. First, where is their freedom from the law of sin, and of death? neither Christ nor the spirit hath purchased it for them: and I doubt that their own payment will not stand good in God's court. Secondly, if things may be known by their savours, surely every man may see they savour of the things of the flesh. Thirdly, if the wisdom of the spirit, and the wisdom of the flesh be enemies; I admire what peace and life can be in hypocrites, when they will not deny their own wisdom: for as yet the body is not dead, and quickened again by the spirit: still are they debtor to the flesh, and will live after him. How will they prove themselves to be the sons of God? if the spirit of bondage be gone, and the spirit of adoption be entered into their hearts, let us hear the cry of Abba, father? let them prove the witness of the spirit, if they be heirs of God, even annexed with Christ: let us see how they can suffer with him; how they esteem of afflictions in comparison of their glory: doth the creature groan for them? nay alas, I fear against them, because they subject him unto vanity. Let us hear how they with patience look for their redemption: Is their hope for things not seen? nay alas, all for the present. How doth the spirit assist them in their infirmities; how is he with them in their prayers; what requests doth he bring out of their souls? where be their deep sighs that cannot be expressed; can they search the meaning of the spirit according to the will of God? surely nothing less: for all is but lip labour. Again, have they assurance that all works together for their good? can they tell it from their predestination, vocation, justification, and glorification? can they from hence conclude, that God is for them, and no man can be against them? that there is no charges for them to pay? that there is no condemnation, no separation from the love of God in Christ? all afflictions cannot do it, no death, no angels, no principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; no place, not heaven above is too high for them; nor hell below, is able to make them sink into his depth: yea, in brief, not any creature is able to do it: therefore no hypocrite is in Christ, and therefore impossible that he should be washed from his filthiness; being not washed, he must remain in it. And that will appear, if we mark his life and death: life, prosperity, adversity. In prosperity, for his profession he is all courage, and very full of brags; like the coward that before he come in the field, is fire and tow; but when he comes to the trial, is the first that flees the field; when the courageous champion is very silent, but when there is need of him, will show, that he hath more tried sortitude in him, than a thousand cowards: So hypocrites make all the world ring with their Master; though all the world forsake thee, yet will I not forsake thee; I will lay down my life for thee: yet when Christ shall come with (a this night shall ye be put unto it) then will they flee with the first: and if Christ have no better champions than they, he shall be left all alone. Secondly, come to the hearing of the word, all promises they will make their own; all judgements threatened, they will put upon others: and for application of both, it shall be as in this place, God is like them, he favours them above all with his mercies; and his judgements pass over their houses. Thirdly for his life, no reformation: For adversity, if God be gone, he is gone; no more stout words, no coming to Church, no more outward reformation; but labour to make the best of all, Gal. 6.12. they will seek to please to the face, and labour to constrain to their profession, that they may suffer no persecution for the cross of Christ. In special for their sins; when they are in misery, it may be they will let a word come out against some known actual sin: but with David, Psal. 51. they never strike at the root, to wit, their original sin: for the punishment, Mic. 6.6. they will part with any thing they have, to be freed from the strokes of God's rod, but the thing required shall not once come near them. And for the thoughts of death, many a Balaams' wish; but that is all, for their life is nothing. And lastly, for death itself, they either die like stocks and stones; or else like bulls and bears, roaring and bellowing out their shame and confusion. Secondly, this may be a direction to God's children to approve their sincerity unto God, by always setting themselves in the presence of the Lord. 3. Use consolation. First in trouble, to rejoice when it shall please God to try us in the furnace of affliction, that so we may come forth as tried gold refined, and made the more fit for God's kingdom. Secondly, in our welfare to trust more in God then in ourselves, and to count the lifting up of God's countenance upon us in the face of his anointed, more joy of heart, then when the corn, wine, oil, and all the pleasures and profits of this world are increased. And thus much of the first part of God's justice, to wit, the power of it, from the efficient, in the form, and execution of it upon the sin, and person of an hypocrite. Now follows the orderly proceeding of this justice. Of the order of God's justice. First, in the cause. Orders] In the handling of the method used by the Lord in this place; we are to consider of the arguments. Order is described, first from the cause, (I thee Lord:) secondly, from the effect; which is to set or place things: thirdly, from the object; in that word them, that is thy sins: 4. from a testimony drawn from the notice of the conscience, which shall sufficiently witness of the worth of God's method. For the cause of this order, it is the Lord. Surely God's wisdom is to be seen in nothing more than in method and order: for order is not from any brutish nature, but the best and wisest: so that the changes and multitude of alterations in this world are no casual matters, left in the hands of blind fortune. If indeed we look into God's Church, and see the variety of colours, and the instability of them, we shall either think that there is no providence, or else so strange a providence, that it should contradict itself: Yet surely after due consideration, we shall see all colours to paint out this excellent glory, and ravish us with the beauty of it. For as the skilful painter is able to dispose of infinite variety of colours in his curious work, to set forth the excellency of his skill, and produce the greatest praise; which perhaps to the eyes of ignorant beholders in the beginning were nothing but the pictures of deformity; yet he himself knew full well that the chiefest of his art was in the limming forth of that creature which afterward he meant with boldness to commend unto the eyes of the beholders: so the Lord (which in the creation replenished the world with all beautiful colours, from whence all painters have learned their art, the very imitation of God's work in nature) shall be able to dispose of all the variety of colours in his Church, to show that that piece of work which he limmed forth in his decree, (which men make a monster) and since the beginning of the world, hath set it forth in his lively colours, to be most admirable and full of beauty: or as an exquisite physician, which is able to make a most sweet harmony of the greatest multitude of strings, and in nature dissonant, to sound forth his skilful and most excellent art, which at his pleasure can extend, or let fall, as well the treble as the tenor, and the tenor as the base, and mix them with the countertenors, the small bases, or what soever seems good unto his will; to join extremes with middles, and middles with themselves and all their extremes; so that in all his music is neither heard harshness of stroke, or unpleasantness of sound: so the Lord the best and most sweet singer in all Israel, is able to put down all arts, because if they should strive with him, they should but stand up against their maker: for he is the inventor of them all, and men and angels are but the observers of his wisdom: and therefore all in heaven and earth shall meet together to sound forth the praise of the Lord: and therefore the Lord can not but keep good order in all his ways; and if he will take sin into his own hands, it shall not be spoiled for want of good handling. Obs. Sin shall be an excellent means to glorify God: surely except it had been for this cause, I should have utterly despaired any good that ever could have been brought out of sin; but seeing my text informs me that God will have the handling of it; I dare boldly say that sin is decreed, made good of God, and for no other end but that he may be glorified by it: for God handles nothing that he wills not; and what he wills he wills from all eternity. And therefore he deals not with sin, as men deal with inevitable accidents, to make a virtue of necessity; to take in hand to dispose of sin when he could not mend it: but the Lord had this work in his hands long before it came to pass: and now it is sufficient for us to admire at it, and have it in exceeding account. Surely God hath ordered with himself, and now he will order it with his creature: it was in God's eyes from eternity, and now shall it be in man's eyes according to God's time allotted unto him. Reason. 1. Because God is the God of order, and therefore must he needs judge as well of confusion as of order itself; for that which approves the one, doth always disprove the contrary. Reas. 2. Because God will have his works seen: as long as all did lie in the first chaos, nothing was seen in his distinction; but when the Lord had brought light out of it, & made it separate the evening and the morning, & brought every creature into his place, than became the work of the Lord to be glorious: Psal. 19 the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth forth the work of his hand. So when the Lord hath brought the light of his decree out of the confusion of sin, then shall all flesh see the glory of our God. Reason 3. From the wicked, which have set themselves to cross God: and therefore if he will be glorified by them, he must have it by his own arm, for they scorn to give it him. Reason 4. The consolation of his Saints: for this puts them out of all heart to see things fall out a cross. Psal. 37. is wholly spent upon this subject, that the flourishing estate of the wicked is but transitory, and destruction is their end: but the misery of the godly in this world ends in peace and quietness, because they are in the favour of God; therefore must they not fret or be envious for the evil doers; for they are soon cut down like grass, and whither away as the green herb; but trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and they shall be fed assuredly. Psal. 73. yet God is good unto Israel, even unto the pure in heart: there is the dispute about God's order or providence in governing of the world. The question is, whether God be good unto the faithful. The disputants are the flesh and the spirit: the arguments are brought on both sides, and by the arguments the cause is determined. First, the old man brings his arguments, and proves the negative part that God is not good unto Israel: first, he pulls two arguments out of his own bosom, want of wisdom, and discontentedness of mind, which were the fountain of his error: he that can not guide his feet, nor keep his steps from slipping, may easily say God is not good unto Israel: but I the old man can do neither of these, and therefore must I needs think, that God is not good unto Israel. Secondly, he that can not endure the prosperity of the wicked, and the misery of his own soul, may easily judge God not to be good unto Israel: but thus were my affections guided: and therefore from mind and heart, from blindness and affection, I conclude that God is not good unto Israel. But the discerning spirit may easily answer these objections, with a nego consequentiam: for they are but the witnesses of a lying spirit: it is no good consequence to say, that the sun shines not, because I am blind and see it not: no good consequence to say, Gods hates me, because he prospers the wicked. Leave these inartificial arguments, and dispute more solidly from some artificial thing. I will therefore begin with their death; and thus I dispute; He that is not drawn unto his death as a malefactor, neither hath sickness on him as the messenger of death, but is without all bonds, lusty and strong, must needs prove that God is better unto him than his Israel: and therefore not good unto them: the assumption I prove; They are not in trouble, with other men, neither are they plagued with them; but pride is as a chain unto them, and cruelty covereth them as a garment. What then can be answered for God? surely still the consequence is not good: bruit beasts may go to the slaughter-house without all baiting, and it were questionless the part of a mad man, to disturb them that go as heart would wish; neither would the devil for a thousand worlds, that these men should once be disquieted to turn back again: and therefore yet you stick in the question. What then will you answer to an argument drawn from their life; their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart can wish, they have their tongues at liberty: power to oppress, boast of it, and yet presume they shall not be controlled: for they dare speak against heaven, and suffer their tongues to walk through the earth: therefore God neither doth, neither can he do any good to Israel: Let Moses come to Pharaoh, with let my people go: he shall be answered, not as the devils answered the Exorcists, Act. 19.15. jesus we acknowledge, and Paul we know, but who are ye? It had been well if he had but said, Aaron and Moses; God I acknowledge, and his p eople I know; but who are ye that are so impudent with your king? this is not his voice; but who is God? and Exod. 10.10. Let the Lord so be with you, as I will let you go, and your children: behold, for evil is before your face: Here is blasphemy and execration of God's people; he imagines evil against them, the Lord shall not prevent it; and he desires that the Lord had no better affection to them, than he was minded to let them go. What shall be answered to this proud argument that brings all into it? they have the controlment of heaven and earth, and therefore how shall the Lord be good to Israel? Well, O flesh, yet is God good to Israel: this is but a small matter, for neither heaven nor earth are in their hands; it is an easy matter to turn their own swords into their own bowels: for they have fed indeed, but it is become a surfeit; and therefore if presently they be not like oxen knocked in the head, they will pine away, and neither God nor man shall have profit by them: they have been licentious but soon may they be cooled; they have spoken wickedly of their oppression, but a small matter will gravel them, and bring them unto an non plus; they have presumed, but soon may they despair; they have set their mouths against heaven, but suddenly while they are about their mischief, there may shine a most fearful light, yea lightning and thunder from heaven strike them to the ground, make every joint break a sunder, the whole body tremble, and the heart astonished: neither shall they hear any voice from heaven, Send for Ananias to put his hands upon them, that they may recover their sight, and have their hearts comforted: yet shall they hear a voice from heaven, Why have you persecuted me; it is hard for you to kick against my pricks; I will make your consciences prick you to the death, the sting shall never out of it: there shall not be a Moses nor an Aaron to pray for you, though you confess with Pharaoh, we have sinned: the Lord is righteous, but I and my people are wicked. Surely, the spirit of God is strong, my own testimony is answered; the death and life of the wicked cannot evince the cause: therefore I bring a third sort of reasons even from the godly themselves; v. 10. his people turn hither: for waters of a full cup are wrung out to them: Hence even they say, how doth God know it? or is there knowledge in the most high? we dare boldly say, the wicked prosper, and increase in riches: we have cleansed our hearts in vain, and washed our hands in innocency to no purpose: for daily have we been punished, and chastened every morning. What may be said to this argument? surely the testimony of my brethren doth press me sore: that they should be so discouraged: yet I hope when they shall have considered my arguments propounded for the defence of their cause, they shall recant their error, and say, If I judge thus, behold the generation of thy children are up against me, I have therefore trespassed: the reason was, because I thought to find out the discourse by my natural reason, but I confess it was too painful for me: therefore (O Spirit) the comforter of thy Church, let me hear the arguments that will bear weight in the balance of God's sanctuary. First, therefore I will begin with an artificial argument, which all men may gather out of the works of God: even of his justice; They are set in slippery places, they stand but upon the ye, and therefore God may soon cast them into desolation: which all the world may see to be done: for how suddenly are they destroyed, perished, and horribly consumed? all is but a dream of their prosperity; but when I am awaked to see it, and they to feel it; then shall I consider my heavenly felicity, contemn all their vain pomp, and know assuredly that God makes all their image to be despised: therefore I ingeniously confess, that the vexing of my heart, and the pricking in my reins, was because I was too foolish, even as a beast before God: yet was I happy in all this: for by faith I was always with God; and that my faith might not fall, he hath holden me by his right hand. Secondly, for myself, I have taken this argument, that God will guide me by his counsel, and afterward receive me to his glory. Thirdly, I dare appeal unto mine own soul from both these arguments, unto a third, whom have I in heaven but God? and I have desired none in earth before him. Fourthly, I draw an arguments, from mine own weakness, and the daily experience I have had of God's goodness; my flesh faileth, and my heart also: but God is the strength of mine heart, and my portion for ever: Therefore now I come to the determination of the question, and thus I determine it: for the wicked, Lo, they that withdraw themselves from God shall perish: thou destroyest all them that go a whoring from thee: and for myself, I have found that the deepest disputations, do always bring forth the best conclusions, and safest determinations: therefore thus I resolve, That as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God: therefore I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all his works. See but one place more, Psal. 77. When I entered the consideration of the days of old, and the years of ancient time, called to remembrance my song of thankesginug in the night, which usually I sung in my prosperity: and now thinking upon God am troubled, and when I pray my spirit is full of auguish: Thou keepest mine eyes awaking all the long night; it is time therefore to commune with my heart, and for my spirit to search diligently: will the Lord absent himself for ever? and will he show no more favour? is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? hath God forgotten to be merciful? hath he shut up his tender mercy in displeasure? what will this do unto my soul? surely it will prove my death. Yet I remembered thy works, meditated in them, devised with myself what should be the end of them, and I found thy way in the Sanctuary, whither I must ascend by faith, if I mean to declare thy power among the people, to wit, thy redemption: The waters of the red sea seeing thy power were afraid, the depths trembled, thou rainedst upon Egypt, and madest thy thunders to be heard, the lightning lightened the world, the earth trembled and shook: thus thou didst lead thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron: so that they wanted no comfort in the midst of many waters; and all because God did dispose of all their troubles. Surely that God order all things, is a most admirable comfort of the faithful, and a reason that I cannot leave unpressed. Thy little finger shall not ache, a hair of thy head shall not fall to the ground without God's disposition: Psal. 121.4. behold a note of admiration both to good and bad; of demonstration to all that expect the mercies of the Lord; and of attention to those that are too negligent: and what may they all behold? even this, that the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep: A keeper, what is that? surely to be set in some office: and therefore too base for the great God of heaven to become Israel's servant; if David had not styled him so in the next verse, I should have been unwilling to have thought it, but now I dare say it, the Lord is thy keeper, and therefore O Israel, thou art but as a child under tuition, as a sheep under a pastor: but happy that thou art put into the hands of no governor, save into his that governs the whole world; not a sheep left upon the mountains without a shepherd; but even unto him that against the fond conceit of the Aramites, is the God both of the mountains and valleys: the keeper of Israel. First, he had jacob in his keeping, the younger brother, who when he feared the strength of his brother Esau, became Israel, one that prevailed with God, and therefore sure to prevail with man. He had stood before the lion of the tribe of judah, and therefore needs not blush at the face of Esau. Again, all the twelve patriarchs have gone into Egypt, and their whole progeny taking the name of their father, and therefore were preserved in Egypt, brought out with joy, lead through the red sea, protected in the wilderness, and most safely conducted into the land of Canaan: and since that all spiritual Israel hath been lead by Christ jesus, out of spiritual Egypt, through the red sea of his baptism, to pass through the wilderness of this world, unto the celestial Canaan, where they shall appear in Zion. Now beloved, what is this keeper unto Israel? not only no sleeper, but also free from all slumber: he never lays his eyes together, as though he were weary with watching: Psal. 34.15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cries: neither hath he any need to close them up; for it is only proper unto the creatures, that are wearied with labouring and watching; but the Lord is no more weary in his care for the whole world, than he is for one of the heirs of thy head. See it in his Saints: he preserved No in the great deluge, Abraham and Lot in all their dangers, jacob could not be hurt of Esau, nor joseph in prison, Moses cannot perish in the river, nor Israel in the iron furnace: and therefore the heathen by the light of nature, could paint out providence in Argos with an hundred eyes; so that if one were at rest, yet another might be waking: but the Lord is totus oculus, nothing but eye, and therefore all comfort to them, for whom he watches for good and not for evil. Use 1. Reprehension: first, the confutation of the wicked, that think by their disorder to confound the Lord: indeed man is confounded in many law causes, and knows not to what heads to bring some crimes, that so they may be judged, but the Lord will not miss his scope for all their confusion. Secondly, a correction of the godly, that depend no more upon God; is God thus excellent? Oh than I will never be from his elbow; I will keep me to my station, that so when my God shall call, I may be in readiness. Use 2. Instruction: first, admonition to the wicked, that for shame they set something in order, and leave not all in heaps, seeing the God of heaven means to visit their houses. Secondly, let them be admonished to deal better with their neighbours, and bandle them more gently, for that must come on their score. The other use, is a direction to the godly, concerning the faithful carriage of themselves in this world. Let them have as little to do with the wicked as they can; for every secret of them shall be brought to light. How would a man tremble, when he knows that any person is detected for villainies with whom he had to do? be none of their receivers, for they are thieves, and they will endanger every one of the law that hath any thing to do with them. Use 3. Consolation unspeakable, that the Lord will have the handling of all matters: first in thy necessities: hast thou any wrongs offered thee? be of good comfort, for the judge is for thee; hast thou any trials? be exceeding joyful, the matter shall be carried on thy side, against the face of all thy adversaries: hast thou lost any thing by thieves and wicked oppressors of the world? if they now be unknown unto thee, thou shalt have them then detected; if thou knowest them, but can get no redress here upon earth, rest quiet thine heart, the matter shall be amended; and for deferring of the payment, thou shalt receive the whole with all the forfeits. Secondly, in thy plenty, rejoice in the Lord; for he order all things to increase thy store, and to give thee thy fill of joy. Sect. 2. Of the placing of sin. Set] The second argument, is the setting or placing of sin: Hos. 2.10. from whence it is plain, that sin hath wholly put man out of joint; and alas, when this setting shall come, he shall be so forlorn, that it shall be impossible to bring his joints into any good frame. It shall then be past time for turning the wheel of the understanding, for disposing the will to run in her created course; to bring the affections to good order, & place every member of the body to become a weapon of righteousness to serve uhe Lord: & yet there shall be a setting; even as a false piece of latin is set to the eye of the boy from the master by the rule, and both of them corrected; the boy by rods, the latin by pulling it in pieces, because it is so far wanting that nothing can be made of it, that will bear good construction. Indeed the godly are set again into the image of their creation by Christ jesus, which hath turned man wholly again unto his creator: and these have their faults daily corrected, & become good proficients in the school of Christ: and therefore one day shall celebrate the happy day of their commencing, where every one shall be made an absolute Doctor, free of all professions; not to teach, but read a continual lecture of the praise of God, to ravish his heart with joy. Obs. God's justice is able to place all sin in his order and rank, that so it may be easily seen and judged of all men. If I came into a room, and faw all the plate set forth to the view, every dish on the table in his due place, all the furniture for the chamber in answerable proportion, and every guest in his due order and place set down to meat, I could easily judge of the excellency of the feast. So surely the wicked, (alas they must expect no feast) when God shall have mustered up all their sins, and ranked them under their several heads, according to his law and Gospel, shall be able sufficiently to judge what they have done amiss, to the great disquiet of their souls. First, therefore they shall see their apostasy from God, that kept them from pleasing of him, and made them displease him continually: from this, will the Lord descend to let him see the transgression in this apostasy, with the propagation of it to all posterity: he will show him that the transgression in eating of the forbidden fruit, was an offence of an exceeding great majesty, because it was a sacrament of the covenant of love betwixt God the creator, and man his creature: and God forbade him as he would love him, not to eat thereof. The love on God's part was extraordinary, because man being by nature changeable, had this sacrament as a seal of his constant estate of goodness: and therefore was it called the tree of the knowledge of good. Again on man's part, it was required that he should love constantly; or if he should leave to serve the Lord, than was assured unto him by the same sacrament, under God's broad seal, his change from good to evil: & therefore was it also called the tree of the knowledge of evil. From this transgression, will the Lord lead him by the hand to take notice of the causes, and the effects that followed upon those causes. In the causes, he shall understand that one sort were blamable, an other holy & good: the blamable causes both principal and instrumental: principal the devil, which through pride against God, and malice against man, became liars and murderers of man, by bringing him into sin. Man the second principal cause, by his free receiving of the devils temptation, and hearkening thereunto, contrary to the commandment of god, when he might have resisted the same, became a joint rebel with the devil. The instrumental causes: first the serpent, the instrument of the devil abused, to the seducing of the woman: the second instrument was the woman, deceived of the devil by the serpent, became an instrument to deceive man. Then shall he be brought to the unblamable cause, to wit, the law and commandment of God; for had not this been, their had been no sin, as the Apostle says: therefore the law, which in itself is the savour of life unto life, through the default of man, became the savour of death unto death: & that most justly: for as an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand against a stone wall, is truly broken of the wall, yet no fault in the wall, but in the hand that threw it against the wall, contrary to the command of his superior: so man like this earthen pitcher being dashed by the devil, his own free will, the serpent, and the woman, upon the law of God, and so broken in pieces, is no fault in the law, but theirs that dashed him against the law. Therefore the law is no faulty cause, but a just and holy cause of man's fall: and as the law did it, so God did it. Now the law was no bare permitting cause, or a forsaking cause; but a working cause even in that fall of man. Who sees not the wall to have an hand in the breaking of the pitcher? and therefore it is idle to say, that the Lord was but only a looker on, gave man leave to transgress, or did forsake him in the act; for all these are false: therefore, that which he did, he was able to do; that which he was able to do, he decreed unto his own glory, and so it seemed good unto his wisdom; and therefore might absolutely will that as good and just. But God committeth no sin: true, as he did all this, you see there was no fault: for what fault was there in the wall that broke the pitcher? what fault is there in the water, that drowns a man, if he cast himself into it? in the fire, if it burn him? surely none: therefore that which God did was just and holy; but that which man did was a heinous sin: For God made them the fountains and beginnings of their own actions, because they were endued with free will to do well, that thereby they might deserve both praise and price, I mean, ratione pacti, non absolutè meriti, of bargain, and not of simple merit: for that which the law would have given them, that we may say was justly deserved: and on the contrary, by parity of consequence, for ill doing they deserved both dispraise and punishment. If then you say, God might will sin, and not will it, which is to defend contradictions in his will: very true is the antecedent; God did will, and not will; yet the consequent is false: for contradictions must be of the same thing in the same respect: I may say, Appius est coecus, & non est coecus, Appius is blind and not blind; which are no contradictions, for they are not ad idem; there is not the same thing affirmed and denied, but divers: he is blind in body, but not in soul: so of the Lord; that which he doth in sin, he wills, because so sin hath a respect of good, and he wills it justly: but that which man doth in sin, he willeth not, but is sore displeased with it. Thus when the Lord hath let many see their transgressions, he will carry them on a long unto the effects that flow from these causes, as the streams from the fountain: and these are in number three, blame, guilt, and punishment: blame, the fault of his action in breaking God's law: guilt, whereby he is tied to undergo his punishment: and punishment, which is the just anger of God upon him. Where by the way, he shall take notice of his holiness, whereby he is so pure a God from all sin, that he cannot away with it: so likewise of his justice, whereby he is so exactly just in himself, that he cannot but execute justice remunerative and rewarding for well-doing, and inflict punishment, or justice vindicative for evil doing: yet lest he should complain, that summum ius, is summa iniuria, he shall see that which Aristotle called the moderator of justice, to wit, equity; remitting of the full extent of justice: for if the Lord had dealt so with man, he should never had his hand off him: for either should his justice have burnt more remissly against sin, which is called anger; or more sharply, which is called wrath; or fully executed, which is called revenge: for as sins be inaequalia, so should the punishment have been in all these. Now because his justice may admit of these degrees, ratione obiecti, you shall see the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bringing in mercy, whereby he useth compassion toward his creatures offending: First, his gentleness, whereby in his justice he remembreth mercy; patience, whereby he most gently suffereth sinners, and deferreth their punishment; longanimity, whereby a long time he expecteth their repentance: lastly, bountifulness, whereby he being rich in goodness, poureth forth his good gifts upon them, notwithstanding their sins. And this they may observe by the way, in Gods setting of fin in order. The infliction of the punishment follows by the causes. They may assure themselves, that every one that had their hand in sin as the authors of it, shall be punished most severely. Neither shall the instrument escape; the devil shall have his head crushed, and all his devices brought to nought: he shall be hardened in his sin, that he cannot repent and find mercy: and lastly, he shall be utterly banished from heaven into the elements, which are reserved, 2. Pet. 3.7. unto fire against the day of condemnation, and of the destruction of them, and all ungodly men. The serpent shall not go without his judgement: a curse shall be upon him above all the beasts of the field; enmity betwixt him and the woman; and sensible feeling of pain in creeping on his belly, and eating the dust of the earth. The woman, beside her common misery with man, she shall be in subjection to her husband, full of griefs in her conception, going with child, and travail. But for the man, his punishment shall in special manner be ordered, wherein all his progeny may take notice of it: his punishment shall be with sin and death: sin original, the exorbitation of the whole man both inward in himself, and outward in the government of the creature. Hence plainly appears, that man's wit and will are set the wrong way; their faces clean turned from God, and therefore no free will to do any good that may please God, but understanding and will enough to do evil, and that continually: Again, in the neck of this, followeth actual sin, as the stream from the fountain, the branches from the root; and this is a continual jarring of man upon outward objects: for original sin having turned all the wrong way, it is necessary, that as often as any wheel in man moveth, it should meet a cross with every good thing, and therefore jar upon him: yet God limits this jarring that it can go no further than he shall direct it, to wit, unto his own glory, and some particular good end in his Church. This sin receives degrees, (indeed the other is equal in all, because the same measure meats it out unto all) but this is a greater or lesser sin in respect of whom, or against whom it is committed: likewise in respect of the matter and manner of working it, whether it be done of knowledge, or ignorance; of infirmitis, or stubbornness, or with an high mind: and all these stand upon two heads, sins of commission, in doing that evil we should not do; and of omission, the not doing of good that should be done: And all this will the Lord do in setting in order, which shall be a just punishment upon all malefactors. The rest of God's method is more fearful, and better felt of man, & that is death; the method whereof consists in the beginning and ending of it, wherein shall be a continual loss of life, and subjection to the misery thereof, which shall make us worse than if we had never been. This death brancheth itself into two parts, the first and the second death: the first death, is a subjection to the misery of this world; the inchoation and beginning whereof, is the misery which comes by the loss of the good things of the body, as of health; whence cometh sickness, deformity, sense of nakedness, weariness, and subjection to dangers. Secondly, subjection to the misery which comes by the loss of external things, as of friendship, honour, rule and dominion over the creatures: of things necessary for this life, as meat, drink, apparel, etc. now the perfection of this death, is the going of the spirits out of the body, whereby the soul departeth from the body, and the body afterward is resolved into the elements, especially the earth, which did bear the greatest part in his making. The second death hath this order: first, it subjects a man to the miseries of the world to come; the beginnings whereof are in this life, the forerunners of the extremity of woe that are to come in the next world: the forerunners are emptiness of mind in regard of all good, ignorance of God, terror of conscience, fleeing and hiding himself from the presence of God; or else a deep security, and senselessness of misery: despair and a fearful expectation of judgement: the perfection and consummation whereof, shall be an ejection from the face of God, and injection of the soul, immediately after the first death into hell; a reservation of the body in the grave as in a dungeon, against the day of judgement, when after the resurrection both soul and body shall be cast into the same place, which is prepared of God for the eternal punishment of the wicked, both angels and men; where is nothing but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth: there shall be found no Limbus puerorum, or purgatory, but either heaven or hell must be their resting place. Neither will the Lord break his method, or leave them any cavil for some defect: with what reason can the Lord so deal with men, seeing all that we have heard is concerning Adam? must the children smart for the father's sin? I hope that God is more just. Well, consider that the Lord will not leave this without his order: for all the posterity proceeding from Adam and Eva by ordinary propagation, as they should have had happiness, if they had stood; Propagation of sin. so are they obnoxious to all these miseries, hefalling. And this is done justly by all kind of laws: first of nations; for Adam was a prince of all his posterity, who covenanted with God for us, as well as for himself, for performance of obedience: therefore he breaking, we break: likewise by the law of inheritance; he was our father, & we his heirs; he was the root of all mankind, and we were in his loins: the manner is by imputation of the transgression, and so consequently of blame, guilt, and punishment. Original sin is conceived in us by our next parents, and so goes a long to all posterity: body and soul are the excellent work of God: as if a skilful workman should make all the wheels of a clock very artificially, but being put into the hands of an unskilful apprentice, is so disorderly set together, that one wheel cannot go aright: so God the maker both of body and soul, hath left them to our first parents, and so consequently to our next parents to put them together; who having lost their first standing with God, are become not only unskilful, but also uncapable of any virtue, to put together a man brought forth in the image of God; for as this was only God's creation, so must it again be the new creation of God: so that man and woman being not the causes of body and soul, but of the procreation of a third thing riing from both, may truly be said to beget a man according to their own image and similitude. Lastly, it is true that every man shall bear his burden; for actual sin is not conveyed in special, but in general; so that every one shall answer for his own actual sins, without he follow his forefather's steps, and then shall he be punished for both, because he will needs have both imputed unto him; the first by nature, the second by imitation. Therefore if man may see in this world thus much of Gods placing of sin, (for this is but our observation:) what shall then this God of all order do, when he shall not only set it forth, but apply it to our hearts and consciences? then shall we experimentally know the causes of all our mischief; the consequents in the guilt of conscience, and the punishments both upon soul and body: so that that which is in this world both sin and punishment, shall be felt of us in hell, in no other regard but as punishment. In this world we have had some pleasure in sin, but in hell all shall be only in torment: the miseries of the body in this world have vexed us, and the soul hath been senseless of punishment; but in hell, both body and soul shall have exquisite sense of God's anger, wrath, and vengeance; and the soul shall then exceed in feeling. And this is the setting of sin in his place and order. Reas. 1. Because things must be separated: Now method alone is the true divider of things, and makes every one to rainne and hasten to his home: we see how every creature maketh haste, until he be come to the place in which alone he can rest: sin therefore which is frozen with many things, that it ought never to have touched, and will not out of them, because than he knows not where to have rest; must needs be● disjoined, else would all lie together in a confusion. You see how cold congeals together water, earth, sticks, stones, and many disagreeing natures: but when the fire comes, it dissolveth and parteth them, and maketh every one appear in his nature: So method finding men and their sins all on heaps, disjoines them, lets them see what is Gods, what is their own. But because men are blind, and will see nothing; God hath prepared hell fire, to dissolve these frozen souls, that they may see what a strange confusion they have made of the works of God's hands by their own. Reas. 2. Is perspicuity and clear knowledge. The only rule of perspicuity, is method; and therefore sin being fullest of darkness, had need of the best help to make all clear, and evident; especially seeing that sin is one of the haters of light. The darkness of the night opposeth the day; and likewise the day the night; we see the morning expels the darkness, and the appearance of the Sun makes the shadows of the night part away: they that have gotten themselves into holes and rocks, must be pulled out off their dens by violence. A thief or murderer that hath gotten a hole, fights like a bear, and roars, before men can draw him into the open view of the world: and he comes to God's judgement seat as bears unto a stake. They that have seen villains pulled out of their holes, may mark them to look like fiends coming out of hell: therefore great need of method that must clear so hard causes as these are, and bring all things unto the light. Reason 3. judgement, which can not begiven before evidence have been brought in; and therefore must method needs clear all the bills and indictments that are to be brought in against wicked and evil doers, that so judgement may be truly and substantially delivered. Reason 4. Because of the consciences of wicked men, which have been so long accustomed to sin, that they are so confufed, that they can give no evidence against the sinner; therefore must the Lord needs use his method, before conscience can any way assist the Lord in his judgement. Reason 5. God's glory, which must shine brightly out of all works, even out of the works of darkness; which cannot be imagined without method: the glory of a stately building is not seen in the confused mass of it lying upon the earth, but when it is reared up to the view of the whole world. Reason 6. Multitude of offences: now we can do nothing with multitudes, unless we bring them unto some heads. How should a just account be taken of all sin, if the Lord should not sum them up into some general? & how should the general be proved, except the order of the specials might be seen how they were contained in the general? Reason 7. Quick dispatch. If truths were to be tried by Syllogisms with the Lord, it would be a long time before all arguments should be brought in, and every conclusion inferred. Again, much time would be spent, in proving of every doubtful proposition, and great dispute might be held on this side and on that: therefore the Lord will speedily finish all in an exact method, which is always full of brevity and perspicuity. Reason 8. Remembrance: neither God nor man should be able to carry in mind the sins of the world but for method: we might wonder how the Lord should tell us all that ever we have done, except it were for this rule of method: and man could never make any good account out of his broken & crafie memory, except the Lord by his own method should help him. Methodus matter memoriae. Use 1. Reprehension: first a confutation of the wicked, that think as they have done all in the darkness, so the darkness shall cover them for ever: but Psal. 139.12. the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day, the darkness and light are both a like. Secondly, correction of the godly, that are troubled about this point more than any thing in the world. Psal. 37. and Psal. 73. and Psal. 77 Use 2. Instruction: first admonition of the godly, to consider what is the cause of all disorder, and the true rule of all reformation: he ought to correct his heart, in judging so hardly of religion; for that often is made of him the cause of all trouble. Again, to reform that general cry; the poor they cry against the rich, and the rich against the poor; the prodigal person against the covetous, & the covetous against the spendthrift; the man of pleasure against the stupid person, and the stupid person against the man of pleasure: all cry out against sin, and if every man's cry were true, than no man should prove a sinner: but the cry plainly shows, that totus mundus positus est in maligno, the whole world is overflown with sin, but no man will see it in himself. Well, a good method would remedy all this. Thirdly, this may admonish the wicked, that they have variety of sins, because method is a disposition of variety: for what order can be seen in one thing? Fourthly, that sins are linked together: for method is of one thing under another, and so draws in another: and therefore it were good they would consider of that drawing of sin as with cart ropes. Fiftly, to take notice that God can make his light shine upon their dunghills, even to reveal them, and set them in open view: therefore let them be more wary, for the least of their secrets shall not escape this light. Sixtly, let them know that they shall have their sins propounded to their own view, and to the view of the whole world: for method propounds every thing to be viewed. Seventhly, that this shall open the whole mystery of sin: for there is one word more that sets forth the very form of method, and that is an orderly placing of all things: for a man may be a long time setting on the score, but never in any good order: for our frequenters of Alehouses set on a pace, but never in any good order; so sinners set on a pace: they draw many a score for future payment: but their lines are so confused, that if they would at any time cast up their accounts, it would be impossible for th●●● therefore hath the Lord well put in those words, in order; so that now they may he assured that the reckoning shall come to some issue: surely setting much on the score among men often times makes broken reckonings, and so they fall together to quarreling, and spend much more at the law: but this shall be removed by the Lord; for this placing in order shall be done presently; for the Lord in a brief table will bring unto remembrance all his sins. I said in my law, thou shalt have none other gods before me: now know that before me were all things, and mine eyes saw all things in a moment; and therefore from this law I show that thou hast had many thousand gods before me, which now I set before thee. Secondly, I commanded thee to take heed of making any image or similitude of me; but thou hast made as many of me, as thou hast thought thoughts; for every thought of thee was to make me like thyself; and therefore if in an hour thou can think multitudes of thoughts; then conceive that in thy whole life thou hast had a world of idolatrous thoughts. Thirdly I said, that my name was a glorious name; and therefore bade thee be exceeding careful of it; yet many ways hast thou taken it in vain, in thought, word, and deed: In thought thou hast tashly conceived of me; how often hast thou advisedly, and with great deliberation, prepared thyself to speak of me? nay alas, how often hath there started out out of thy mouth, O God, O Lord, O jesus, O Christ, etc. if thy mouth when thou wast an infant can testify of this, that thou never shed a tear, without, O Lord, in thy mouth: then wast thou unwise, and knew not the value of this name: and since thy infancy, thou hast turned thy faculty and ability in this thing to an exquisite habit, and ready promptness; so that without either s●utting or stammering, thou can at every word fling out, a Lord have mercy upon us; but with what advisedness, all that hear thee may easily judge. Secondly, how often hast thou set thy thoughts above Gods? & given more honour unto thy own name, then unto Gods? surely thy trust and confidence in thyself, will be a plain argument for this. For words: first, for idle words; what swarms of them hast thou brought forth: secondly, profane speeches, blasphemous oaths, cursing of God's providence, in wishing mischiefs, and plagues upon thy poor creatures, whether men or beasts: and many rotten words which this my law will presently reckon unto thee. For my Sabbaths, how hast thou sanctified them in thyself, and all that belong unto thee? hast thou not profaned them thyself, and set all thy servants to do the same? well, in a word, there was never a Sabbath spent in the whole course of thy life, that I had any glory at all by, and look thou not for any jot of glory with me. Fiftly, for thy father and mother, and all thy superiors; how hast thou honoured them? let thy conscience tell thee how often thou hast cursed the King in thy privy chamber? how often thou hast contemned my Magistrates? how often rebelled against father and mother? For murder, my law is but a word, thou shalt no● kill: yet how often hast thou murdered thy brother in thought, word, and deed? Thou shalt not commit adultery: but often hast thou run in consent with adulterers; and when thou could accomplish thy desire, thou wast not wanting in the practice. For stealing, how often hath thy neighbour suffered wrong by thee? For false witness, thou hast not ceased to slander, and falsely to accuse thine own mother's son. For coveting that which is not thine own, thou hast not ceased night nor day from this offence: And therefore think of this order, and thou shalt have a volume of sins come into thy mind. For I may term thy conscience nothing, but lex applicata: for when these things shall be applied unto thy conscience, thou shalt sufficiently be resolved of this setting sin in order. Many admonitions more might be given, but these shall suffice. The second instruction is for the godly, that they walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wife, redeeming the time, because the days are evil: and so much the rather, because by this means God shall be more glorified in the condemnation of the wicked: for it is natural unto men to excuse themselves by others: Why are you so strict in our accounts with us? you can wink at oth●rs that have been as backward as we have been, and therefore in equity you might have considered our estate with others, and though we have deserved all you propound against us, yet we plead the law of nature against you: this you have stamped in every one of us, quod tibi non vis, alterine feceris, ergo quod alijs non vis, nobis ne feceris: if this be seemly to others and praise worthy, I pray you let the same praise redound unto you by us. Beloved in the Lord, let us stop the mouths of the wicked in this plea: Know you not that the Saints shall judge the world? therefore keep yourselves blameless & unspotted of the world. Rom. 2.21. thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest Idols, commitest thou sacrilege? thou that gloriest in the law, through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God? for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you: so beloved, will it be said when we shall come to judge the wicked; Sat you to judge me according to the law, when you yourselves have done against the law? They may well turn it off, as the drab did in the Comedy, nam si ego digna hac contumelia sum maximè, at tu indignus qui faceres tamen: well may I grant the fault, but that thou shouldst charge me with it, that I utterly renounce. Seeing therefore God will honour us, in making us accompany him in his judging of the world, let us purge ourselves from all evil, while we accompany the wicked in this world by necessity of cohabitation; that so we may even truly detect that coloured pretended holiness of the wicked, 1. Pet. 2.1. malice, guile, hypocrisy. Malice is the root, guile is the means of performance, and hypocrisy is the cloak to cover all. Therefore let us take willingly the Apostles exhortation, laying aside all maliciousness, and all guile, and dissimulation, and envy, and evil speaking, as new borne babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby, and so gather sufficient strength to glorify God, and stand out against the wicked. Use 3. Consolation: first to all distressed souls, that they shall see all redressed, which hath grieved them in this life. Secondly, in all prosperity to be as wise as the wicked in their generations: the unjust steward knowing that his master would put him out of his office, provides before the time for himself: so surely the things of this world, which through our abuse are become our masters, and we the unjust disposers of them, will one day turn us out of our office: & therefore let us make some good use of them while we have them. Two men walking together, and having a dog to follow them, as long as they go together, no man can justly tell who is the owner, but when they part, the dog will follow his master: even so in the world, while we walk in it, no man knows who owns the goods of the world; yet when the world and we part, it shall plainly appear that they were the goods of the world, & so they return unto the owner: therefore happy is he that hath made him friends of them, that so God may receive him into his tabernacle. That nation that for the space of three years would allot unto their prince all that he could wish, but when his three years were expired, then was he to be banished for ever into the worst place they could imagine, and there to live in misery the rest of his life: one prince among all the rest is commended, for that the whole time of his glory, he gathered together and fent over beforehand, into the Isle whether he should be banished all necessaries: so that after he was removed from his throne of dignity, he lived a more comfortable life then all the time of his pomp in the world. So surely every Christian labouring in this world to use all good blessings of God to his glory, shall be sure to find store of heavenly blessings when they shall part with this world: he were a fool that travailing by the high way, and being exceeding thirsty, and meeting with a pleasant river, could not be content to satisfy the thirst of his soul, and so let the river run on, but he would divert the course of the river another way: so every man that lives in this world, and can not be content to use the things of this world, for all his necessities they can supply unto him; but he will change the course of them, and think that they shall for ever bless him; and give his soul rest, not for many years, but for ever. Alas, he is deceived with them, and therefore Paul, 1. Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, and that they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God, which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy: that they do good, and be rich in good works, and ready to distribute & communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtain eternal life: therefore may they be a way unto our happiness, if God give us grace to use them a right. Now I come to the object, which is disorder. Sect. 3. Concerning the object of this order. Them] The object of Gods disposing justice, are the sins of the hypocrite, which are indeed nothing but disorder and confusion; and therefore in reason rather an opposite to order, than any object: but the excellency of all rules is such, that they are not only able to judge themselves, but also the contrary. This disorder we may plainly see in the first of Rom. from the 21. ver. to the end: First, of the mind, vanity and blindness; vanity in strange purposes, blindness in the performance of them, and disorder which runneth with them both, and suffereth nothing to be carried unto his end: and therefore maketh all the purposes of wicked men to end in vanity. Disorder is the high way to vanity; and blindness is the only guide to disorder: so that blindness, disorder, and vanity, are three inseparable companions. This blindness is of the best eye, and therefore how great is that darkness? Secondly, from the mind this disorder runs a long to the will and affections; and these are the more strong, because the devil helps to drive them: and as we say in our common proverb, he will run fast whom the devil drives: and therefore the Apostle shows how disorderedly they gave themselves to all sin: therefore job 11.12. tells us that vain man would be wise, though man new borne is like a wildasse colt. Hence the Apostle calls their mind reprobate; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. which word may be understood either actively, or passively: actively, that they disprove all good courses: passively, that they are disproved and disallowed of God. Thirdly, from understanding, will, and affections, they proceed to strange disorder in life and conversation: and therefore v. 28. they are said to do● those things which are not convenient: which in particular are expressed in the 29, 30, and 31. v. The word in the Original, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which includes two things, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, neither duty, nor decorum; so that they miss every action in the substance, and in the circumstance. Duty is wanting, therefore the form of the action is spoiled: decency is also unperformed, and therefore no good manner is observed by the wicked. Therefore wicked men are like to themselves within and without; for knowledge, will, and affection, they are disordered at home; for life and conversation abroad. Observe. Hence than it followeth, that Sin is nothing but disorder and confusion, and that sinners are the only disordered and confused persons in the world. First, for the confusion of sin: see it in regard of all times. God hath from the beginning of the world, made the times of his mercy and justice appear; and yet sin hath so obscured them, that a man can not discern, whether men were more holy in the time of the Law, or now in the Gospel. Indeed in the 2. of Tit. v. 11. it is said, that the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared, and teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts: and that we should live soberly, and righteously, and holily in this present world: but alas, ungodliness and worldly lusts put forth themselves, as evidently as they did when the Lord kept back his glorious appearance of grace. Some Christians celebrate a Christmas day indeed, which if the name only were changed, a man might judge it to be a day of Bacchus, the feast of Epicures, rather than the feast of Saints. Again, it hath made a confusion of all places: for how shall Christians distinguish betwixt the heathen gentiles that never knew the Lord, and them that have made a profession of his name? surely if it were not the work of the Lord, many of their works would testify, that Gentilism, judaisme, Atheism, and Christianisme, were all one. Thirdly, it hath made a confusion of all Callings, insomuch that no man can distinguish by the lives of men, betwixt a calling, and a recreation: for if recreations be not callings, than many a gentleman will prove himself to have no calling. Fourthly, in actions, good or bad; neceffarie, or indifferent; seasonable, or unseasonable, sin makes all one. Fiftly, of persons, old or young; prince or people, magistrate or mean persons, superior or inferior, Pastor or flock, all is one: for sin, will set the boy against the aged; people, Prince; inferiors, superiors, and all shall be of the same profession. And God tells Israel, Ose. 4.9. there shall be like people, like priosts; which beareth the same sense in all the rest. And therefore if we look into court and country, city & town, village and house, we shall see sin will be the quartermaster. Hence ambition will order all in the court; covetousness in the country, pride in the city, deceit in the town, drunkenness, theft, & swilling in villages; contentions and brawling in families, the wife against the husband, and the husband against the wife, father against the son, and servant against master; so that he that would espy out any order in the world, may not with Diogenes, take a candle at noon day, go up and down the market to spy out an honest man; but if he were compassed about with all the stars in heaven, and had all the light in the world, he were not able to spy out any order in any corner of the world, except that which the Lord himself hath done, & will perfectly accomplish hereafter. And as sin is in all these, so are sinners; the ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib; the crane, turtle, & swallow their appointed times; but even Israel hath not known, God's people hath not understood. For place, if God shall say unto man, as he did unto Moses, Exod. 3.5. Moses, Moses, put thy shoes off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground; Christ may say, my house shall be called a house of prayer; and the Preacher may say to every one, take heed unto your feet, when ye come into the house of God; yet none shall with Moses, put off his shoes, hide his face, be afraid to look upon God: for they will stare him in the face, even standing in all their filthiness: they will make the house of God, a den of thieves: and for all that the Preacher hath said, be so far from hearing, that they will offer without all controlment the sacrifice of fools. For Callings, it is as easy to pull the stars from heaven, as to make some gentlemen leave their pleasures, or they that are given to a wandering life, to set themselves to some honest calling, whereby they may glorify God, profit Church & Commonwealth, and live honestly among their neighbours. For actions, men neither care for honesty, nor dishonesty, but rush into sin, as the horse doth into the battle; and drink in iniquity, as the fish doth water. As for persons, what care and conscience make men of their company? they can shake hands with every body, be most at ease with the wicked, and solace themselves with those that hate God. And therefore the point is clear, that the world is full of disorder, and confusion. The reasons whereof are these; Reas. 1. Because that sin and sinners, break all God's limits, and will be kept within no compass, until the Lord take sin and sinners, and chain them up for ever, with the devil in hell. Reas. 2. Because sin confounds all men's memories: for take a sinner, either in Church or Commonwealth, to give accounts either to God or man, of that which they trusted him withal, and you shall find him so confounded with the spending of his master's goods, that he cannot tell justly how any penny is put forth for his master's profit: therefore at the day of judgement, when the Lord shall call for his talents, wicked men shall be so confounded, that they have nothing to say, but away with me wretch into the place of my torments. Reas. 3. Is from the nature of sin, which accepts of all without distinction: it careth not how it comes by any thing, whether by hook or by crook (as we say:) and therefore sin being a great gatherer, and keeping no book, either of receipts or expenses, must needs make confusion when it comes to the reckoning: and therefore neither the giver, nor the spender, shall have any profit by it. 1. Use reprehension: First, confutation of the wicked, that make no account of the day of Gods reckoning with them: but let them be assured, that God's book is neither crossed, nor made up in this world: and therefore must they look to answer hereafter. Secondly, correction to the godly, that can not be content to let God be crossing his book in this world, by afflicting and punishing of them: let them know, that God is just, and sin must have smart: therefore either in this world, or in the world to come: and blessed is he that hath it in this world. 2. Use instruction: First, admonition to the wicked, to show them plainly, that if they will have their fill of sin in this world, they shall have their payment of it hereafter: and therefore if they will stand to their task, they shall be sure to stand to their peril. Secondly, direction to the godly, that they awake, and strengthen the things which remain; remember what they have received and heard, concerning the Lord jesus, and hold it fast, and repent of their wants; lest he come on them as a thief, and they know not what hour shall be the time of his approach. 3. Use consolation, in all estates to him that disposeth his way aright; because the Lord will show unto him, the salvation of his soul. Psal. 50.23. And thus much concerning the Order of God's justice in the Cause, Form, and Effect. ❧ TO THE RIGHT Worshipful Sir JOHN CROFTS, a true lover of learning, Grace and Peace. BEING well persuaded (right Worsh.) both of your good knowledge in Gods holy truth, & of your unfeigned affection thereunto, I could not but in love and duty, present you with some: part of my labours. I have reserved unto you the last part of my book, but not the least part of my love: the last is sometimes the best, and I doubt not but the experience of God's love toward you, will constrain you to confess this last to be the best, seeing I am fully persuaded, that you know that there is nothing like unto the feast of a good conscience. The reason why I would withhold the Reader a little in suspense, is for that I have wearied him with a large discourse, and as yet have given him no refreshment: therefore being 〈◊〉 in the last period of my text, which is the placing of sin before the conscience, a torment most lamentable, woeful, and miserable, I should utterly break his heart, if I should give him no breathing. No strappade, rack, wheel, or any exquisite torture ever invented by the wit of man is comparable to this. The Poets have ma●ked this under the furies of hell, whose hairs on their heads they have, compared to snakes, their eyes to sparkling fire, their faces grim and grisly, their hands full of burning torches, etc. The mask being taken off, the moral will prove no fable, but a plain expression of the greatest horror and distress of mind, that possibly can be imagined: no physickeeither by purgation can dispatch this humour; or cordials by their sweetest spirits, drine these spirits from the trembling heart: No surgery either by corrosive, can eat it out; lenitive, mitigate and assuage the pain; oils mollify, or salves cure. Friendship by love, labour, entreaty, gifts, ransoms, pledges, etc. may deliver a man out of prison: but who can unlock the prison doors of the conscience, knock off the bolts, heal up the wounds, refresh the decayed spirits of a sorrowful mind? if there were but one of a thousand, he were better than millions of gold and silver: but alas, there is but one in all the world, and he seems to be so far remote, that the conscience dare never once imagine, that if he were sent for he would make any haste to come in time. Power and commaundmay recover a man from banishment, but what command shall prevail with the powers of darkness, and the gates of hell? Authority and timecan we are out reproach: but eternity itself cannot outlast this sorrow: no countenance can bear it out, or favour relieve it: this dies not when we die, but makes us live, when with all our hearts we would be dead. Therefore (right Worsh.) patronage a few verses of a bad Poet: I have desired to make them savoury meat: if they taste harshly, excuse the cook for his goodwill, as ready to make amends in the next service: if they want art, or be dressed without their sugared sauce, I hope a good appetite will serve instead of that service. And the rather I offer them unto yourself, because I have made bold to dress them with some of your fire, and I doubt not but in regard thereof, they will be a little the warmer: and though I would not wish that any man should scald himself with overhasty tasting; yet do I wish with all my heart, that the fire of your zeal against the sacrilegious patrons of our days, might a little dissolve the cold and frozen hearts of these robbers of Churches, to work in them a better respect unto God's people, and the good of their own souls. And so praying the Lord to make your heart stable and unblamable in holiness, I commit you to his grace in Christ jesus. August. 10. 1615. Yours in all good affection, JOHN YATES. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The commodity which no man may neglect to buy, or dare to sell. GRace more than grace, and virtue than her pay, He pays not well, that loves her but a day: The day is yours, and virtue is the prize, The gain is great, if that no more arise. The world doth buy to sell, and sell to buy, But few there be that trade the truth to try. The precious truth is bought, but not to sell, And he that gains so much doth trade full well. But many sell that never care to buy, Profane like Esau of their birthright cry: Alas, that cry is great, when they with grief Shall seek with tears, and go without relief. World's praise to spend, but pity to be spent, And lose lifes-lease for payment of God's rent. To spin the thread of thraldom is man's ill, And weave the web of woe is all his will: But he that wears the garment shall complain, Which cannot hide him for disgrace and pain. Let's leave this trash, in others feeke due praise, Which I confess is rare in these our days: Where be the learned Patron of our age, That sooner give, then take, and spare to rage? Presume who dare their gifts without his gifts, Or undertake to strive at these dead lists. To win to wear, is under, over, take, And less than this to thee no friends can make. Will a book make a man, part with his best— — Living (I mean) for everliving rest? This is right Macenas, that learning knows, Rewards the man before his gifts he shows: Rare to be sound, and less the greater shame, No shame to speak, if any bear this name. Who fault can find when deeds examples make, And teach what others ought to undertake? To undertake is for to match him right, In virtue, good, but money is too light. A living White, the centre of your love, Though dead, from White the centre cannot move. Oh worthy White, name, nature do contend, And nature more, then can thy name pretend. Thy learning, life, and name were all one white, Let Papists shoot, they'll never hit this white. Once living White, now dead, yet living more And walks in white, where heart was long before. Who loved thy gifts, and yet of gifts would none, But he that cared for thee, and thine, now gone. Though rich in grace, yet poorer in estate, For crosses thick befell thee now of late. Thy Patron which in love did thee advance. Now pity takes of thine in their hard chance. To living and the dead, this is great love, And may compassion much in others move. To Lancashier thy pains much good did bring, And from thy words their welfare long may sing. Thou changed thy charge, and still did pains discharge, Yet in a church where grace had small enlarge. Change of pasture (in proverb) make fat calves, But nature says to sheep oft rot'nes falls. Greenham had pasture green, but sheep full lean, Yet change of charge made pasture far more mean. Whites flock both green and white for har●est made, And wonder was, what good success he had. But Barnham was to him more barren soil, Small fruit did spring from labour and his toil. Oh cursed crew, that will your sins pursue, And never cease till hell be for your due. I call, as he did often cry, Repent Before your time, for mercy all be spent. judge this your sad affliction springs from sin, To whip out folly, and let wise doom in. Arraigned must you be before your judge, For many crimes: that never here you grudge. These things hast thou done,] The more these things are known the less the care, And less the care, the more these things you dare. The sincere judge, no work, nor persons spares, Done, thou, and these, to every man he shares. I held my tongue,] Soon may be speak in wrath that holds his tongue, And recompense your sins for all this wrong. Thou thoughtest I was like thee,] A thought as far from good, as Gods from ill, To think and judge a like, is all your will. I will reprove thee] I will reprove, is not a word in vain, For God will strike, and vengeance is the pain. Set them in order before thee.] Confusion great in sin, and sinners stays, But God that knows, can order all their ways. To order sin, before the sinner's face, Is woeful pay for running of that race. Conclusion. It is your crown and honour, to maintain Gods precious Church, though others it disdain. Well have you run, run on with speed apace, Your gain, no doubt, shall glory be and grace. Grace here on earth, and glory far above, This life well spent, a better life shall prove. CHAP. VII. Concerning the fearful apprehension of the Conscience, in these words, before thee. THe Original hath it, in thine eyes, that is, in the eyes of the conscience, which is the best judge in the world, and the hardest to be corrupted; it is no receiver of bribes, but the true applyer of the law to every fact, whether good or evil; it deals with man either by absolving or condemning; Nature of conscience. before God it either accuseth, or excuseth. Hence conscientia, quasi scientia qualis quisquis sit: a true knowledge what manner of person every man is. 1. joh. 3.20. If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things: if our heart condemn us not, then have we boldness toward God: this Paul found in himself, 1. Cor. 4.4. but he would not justify himself by it. This on the contrary, made the accusers of the woman taken in adultery, creep out one after another, joh. 8.9. In all men this bears witness of the law of God written in their hearts, Rom. 2.15. It calls old sins to remembrace, and makes men afraid of the punishment of them, Gen. 50.15. It is a grievous wound for sin committed, and always cries vengeance, Gen. 4.14. By custom of sin, the conscience is become fleshy, (not soft, but hardened:) First, that it looseth all feeling of sin, Ephes. 4.19. and secondly, incurable by any ordinary surgery, for as a Schirrous place in the body, or that which is become to have a Canker in it; oils will not mollify it, plasters and salves cannot heal it up, only a hot iron must burn it out, and so bring the place again to feeling: so many a man's conscience is so hardened, that nothing will cure it, but hell fire, and the worm that never dieth, 1. Timoth. 4.2. I have showed how many ways the conscience is brought to feeling: the hot irons that God useth, are in number three: The first is some general amazement or astonishing of the heart, by some sudden, fearful, and extraordinary judgement, Dan. 5.9. The second, is made hot by some particular acknowledgement of some particular sin, Matth. 27.3. Lastly, by the last judgement, Reu. 20 12. Conscience quiet and not good, Kind's of conscience. is of the secure and careless liver; good but not quiet, is of the broken and contrite spirit, which the Lord will never despise: the conscience neither quiet nor good, is of the desperate sinner: quiet and good, is of the Christian come from under the storm and tempest of temptation, and resting in the sweet sense and feeling of the mercies of his God in Christ jesus, sealed unto him by the testimony of the spirit of God. The conscience meant in this place, is the quiet, but not good conscience, awaked by the fearful judgements of God to tremble and fear: Zecha. 5. until the flying book came forth, which is the curse of God, the woman (which is wickedness,) sitting in the midst of the Ephah, is pressed with a weight of lead, and stirreth not: but now the Lord, even by a weak means of two women, having the wind in their wings, lifts up the Ephah between the earth and the heaven, and then the whole earth which sits at quiet, shall be moved and established for ever in the land of darkness and oblivion. Therefore because the Lord knows that he shall find the whole world asleep when he comes to judgement, bids them that love him watch, & take heed of security. Observe. Of all miseries that can befall man, none like to the setting of sin before the eyes of the conscience. The Lord in this Psalm is extraordinarily offended with the hypocrite: and for his plague he puts this one for all, I will set thy sins before thee. Alas, The children of God often wrestle with horror of conscience. the children of God often feel the wrath of God kindled against their souls, and anguish of conscience most intolerable, and can find (notwithstanding continual prayers, and incessant supplication made unto the Lord) no release, but in their own judgement stand reprobate from God's covenant, and void of all hope of his inheritance, expecting the consummation of their misery, and fearful sentence of eternal condemnation; when perhaps these are but temptations rising from their own nature; or else without them, by the malicious enemy Satan; or from such allurements or terrors which the world tosseth us with all: in these Satan is a worker, beside his own peculiar manner of tempting, which is possession, or a more liberty and freedom to the tempted of sorrow and despair, and quick dispatch of themselves. For comfort of the godly I will instance a little in these lesser temptations, and then I will enlarge them to the wicked whose cause is desperate. Of our own natures spring the temptations which rise of the root of original sin, The spring and fountain of all temptations. without any foreign instigation from the world, whatsoever is either a bait of pleasure, or fright of terror, which increase the actual sins springing from the original root, and lay as it were compass, and poureth on water to that ungracious stock, to make it grow the faster: Now all these temptations are not of that dangerous nature that this is of: here must we attend with patience the issue, which not only is certain, but also shall come in the best time. The corporal inhabiting of Satan, is the greatest, fullest of terror and despair, that can befall the godly: yet the history of the deeds and sayings of Christ, the writing of the Evangelists, do testify of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation, by the power of Christ mercifully extended upon such miserable captives: which examples serve against like times of affliction, that we give not over hope, though millions of devils should possess us within, & environ us without: but know his power to be above all force of the enemy, and his mercy far surmounting Satan's malice: therefore God's children have no cause in this sort to fear, nor have any shadow of ground, whereon they should resolve against themselves upon the point of reprobation: but that all these molestations and terrors which they now endure, are temptations rather of their father for good and profit, than grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue. Again, The order of the devil in drawing Gods elect into Atheism, and so on concerning his soul, religion, or faith. for more praticular examination, I find by daily experience, that these are as well the operations of fancy from melancholy, as of conscience for sin: that method of which temptation, I find for the most part to run in this order: First to call into question, whether there be any God or no; for melancholy is a disputing humour. Secondly, when reason hath mastered that, than the second question is about the immortality of the soul. When that again is conquered, there enters a third question, whether we profess the true religion, or no. When that is expelled, the fourth question, that maketh the greatest tumult in the soul, is whether we have any part or portion in that which it promiseth. Here the devil is exceeding busy; for if this be resolved on, he is wholly cast out, and hath nothing further to trouble us withal. Any of the former doubts would have sunk our souls: for if no God, then why should I abstain from my sinful pleasures? If again no resurrection, then why should I vex myself in this world? If my religion be false, then must I have a new; & twenty to one but I change amiss, and therefore I will be of no religion: but when I shall begin to think I have no faith in God's promises; Whether melancholy be the affliction of conscience. then alas, what shall comfort me? Therefore consider these questions: first, whether the conscience of sin, and the afflictions thereof, be melancholy or not: secondly, what is the difference: thirdly, the afflictions of mind, to what persons they befall, and by what means: four, what may be the consolation. And so from this setting before the eyes of the conscience only in appearance, I will proceed to the real, and that which the Lord will do to the hypocrite in this place. For the first, Difference betwixt them. the affliction of conscience is quite another thing then melancholy; as may appear out of the second question by the differences: First, in the causes: 1. Causes. the one is a mere fancy, without all true and just ground, and is only raised upon disorder, or humour in the fancy, and rashly delivered to the heart, which upon natural credulity fareth in passion, as if it were indeed, whereof the fancy giveth a false alarm: But the other is a sorrow and fear upon cause, and that the greatest cause that worketh misery unto man. Secondly, 2. Effects in the effects: In that of conscience, the body is ofttimes in firm state of health, perfect in complexion, and perfect in shape, and all symmetry of his parts, the humours in quantity & quality, not exceeding nor wanting their natural proportion: but in the other, the complexion is depraved; obstructions spoil the course of humour and spirit, whereby the blood becomes over-grosse, thick, and impure, and nature so disordered, that diverse melancholic persons, have judged themselves strange creatures, as history will plainly record. Thirdly, 3. Subject. in the subject: The senses in the other both inward and outward are ofttimes perfect, the imagination sound, the heart well compact, and resolute, and this excepted, want no courage: but in the other, both inward sense and outward are too feebled; the fancy overtaken with ghastly fumes of melancholy, and the whole force of the spirit closed up in the dungeon of melancholy: darkness imagineth all dark, black and full of fear, their hearts are either overtender and rear, and so easily admit the passion; or over close of nature, serve more easily to imprison the cheerful spirit, the causes of comfort to the rest of the body. Hence they are faint hearted without occasion, only driven with the tide of that humour to fear even in the midst of security. 4 From the original. Fourthly, they differ in the fountain and original of them; the one gins in the minds apprehension; the other in the distempered humour, which deluding the organical actions, abuseth the mind, and draweth it into erroneous judgement, 5 Cure. through false testimony of the outward report. Fiftly, in the means of cure; the one is helped by no medicine, no purgation, no cordial, or balm, except the balm of Gilead, are able to assure the afflicted soul & trembling heart, panting under the terrors of God, hell, death, and damnation: But in melancholy passions, the vain opened, sneezing powder or bearfoort ministered to expel the fumes in the brain; cordials of pearl, sapphires, and rubies, with such like, recomfort the heart thrown down, and appalled with fantastical fear. 6. End. Sixtly, they differ in the end: in the one the peril is not of body, and corporal actions; but of foul and body, to be cut off from the life of God, & from the sweet influence of his favour, the fountain of all happiness, and eternal felicity. Here then the cause, is the severity of God's judgement, summoning the guilty conscience: the subject, is the sinful soul, apprehending the terror thereof, which is for ever and ever: the issue, is eternal punishment, satisfactory to the justice of the eternal God, which is endless, and whose severity admitteth no mediation: and this extends not to one joint, sinew, or vanie, but to all; neither that of the body only, but of the soul, whose nature as it is impatible of all other things, in greatest peace, assurance, and tranquillity; so being once shaken by the terrors of God's wrath, and blasted with the whirlwind of his displeasure, it faileth, and with it driveth the whole frame of nature into extreme misery and utter confusion. The other hath for his cause a dry and cold humour, whose subject especially is the spleen swollen up with windiness and hardness under the left ribs: the consequents are, the hemorrhoids not flowing, blackness and grossness of blood, fearful dreams, solitariness, sadness. And therefore those are to be condemned, which make the terrors of conscience nothing but melancholy, and thereby labour to benumb the sense of that sting, which sin ever carrieth in the tail, and turn men to their usual pleasures; and so delude the fool and simple in his ways, skilful to do evil, sottish in the paths of righteousness, and utterly ignorant of her rule; and wherein nature giveth some spark of light, more distinctly to discern: yet they turn them out of the way, and make them like to stubborn and unbroken horses, shaking off reason, despising her manage, and layeth the noble rider in the dust: these be Salomons fools, that follow wickedness, Like an ox that goeth to the slaughter, and as a fool that goeth to the stocks for correction, and as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger. But beside these, another sort are justly taxed, even the Physicians themselves, who when their patients come unto them for physic, and they spy out their disease to be melancholy, ask them under what minister they live, & if they mention some conscionable man that deals truly with men's souls, give the parties counsel not to hear them, but get from them as far as they can: Alas, are not these distinct diseases, and therefore what wretched persons are those, that labour to turn a disease that is not unto death, into one that is both the death of body and soul. For more particular differences, consider: That whensoever the mind, according to these engraven laws of nature, which no man is void of be he never so barbarous, raiseth any molestation directly, it is no fancy but a case of conscience. The very testominie of the heathen doth sufficiently witness this point: whose Poets according to their received opinions, have feigned Hecates, Eumenideses, and the infernal furies; whose force Seneca in his tragedy of Hercules furens, hath most lively expressed. These indeed are but feigned persons, yet the matter under this mask is serious, true, and of woeful experience. This was cain's mark; the spirit that possessed Saul; judas the traitor by this wound, took the revenge of betraying the innocent upon himself with his own hands: such was the anguish that Esau felt when he found no repentance, after he had sold his birthright for a mess of pottage: and such is the state of all defiled consciences with heinous crimes; whose hearts are never free from the worm, but with deadly bite thereof are driven to despair. This may the more plainly appear, if we consider how the soul may suffer of the body in life, sense, and motion: The body is a great troubler of the soul, not in his being, but in his actions: hence may he cause madness, strange imaginations, sudden fears, doleful apparitions, feebleness of body, and want of heart in the performance of any action: but the mind & will of man, are of such excellency and perfection, that they are not directly patible of any thing, but of God alone that made them: so standeth both mind and will in awe of none but of him: neither admit they any other violence, then from him into whose hands it is most terrible to fall. No calamity comparable to the distress of conscience. All diseases of the body may have some medicine, either to cure them, or to mitigate & assuage their pain: for all sores Chirurgie hath a salve: friends help poverty: there is no imprisonment, but there is hope of liberty: suit and favour recover a man from banishment: authority and time wear out reproach. But what physic cureth? what chirurgery salueth? what riches ransom? what countenance beareth out? what authority assuageth? what favour relieveth these troubles? yea if all should band themselves together in league, though they would conspire a confederacy, yet could they not prevail. If our assistance were an host of armed men; if our friends were princes and governors of the world; if our possessions were as large as East and West; if our meat were manna from heaven; if every day like the day of Christ's resurrection; if our apparel as costly as Aaron's Ephod; yet all these would little comfort us. This causeth such distress unto those that feel the torment hereof, that they would redeem it gladly, if it were possible, with the very loss of their lives, which often they assay to do: that this might off their stomach, they would be content, if it were possible, to suffer all other kinds of misery at the very self same time. This gives no warning, as the diseases of the body do; for in them we find the head begin to ache, or stomach trouble us, lassitude of body, remoov●d of sleep, want of appetite to our meat: but this taketh of a sudden like lightning, and giveth no warning. Here the purity of the blood, and the sincerity and liveliness of the spirits avail nothing to mitigate the pain: it drieth up the blood, wasteth the marrow, pineth the flesh, consumeth the bones, makes pleasure painful, shortens life; no wisdom can counsel it, no counsel can advise it, no advisement assuage it, no assuagement cure it, no eloquence persuade it, no power overcome it, no sceptre affray it, no enchanter charm it. A man languishing in sickness, as long as he is heart-whole, he hath hope of recovery: he that is in reproach among men, and yet can remember that he is in favour with God, will not much care for the shame of the world: he that is banished out of his own country, and yet remembreth that he is a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, will not be overmuch grieved: but the wound of conscience is so deadly, that he dare not sue unto him that should be the only physician of it, because he thinks that he is his only enemy. Alas, who dare meet with the Lord of hosts? who can put to silence the voice of desperation? who will make an agreement with the hells of conscience? what compact with the devil? In all other afflictions, there is some comfort against sin: but this is always accompanied with the accusation of sin: this breeds hurly-burlies in men, that when it is day, he wisheth for night, when night, for day: his meat doth not nourish him, his dreams terrify him, his sleep forsakes him; when he speaks he is little bets, when he keeps silence, he boils in disquietness, the light doth not comfort him, and the darkness doth terrify him. All other afflictions are tolerable, because temporal, and pursue but to death: yet this being not ●u●ed, endeth not in death. men's laws transgressed, may be helped by bribing of the magistrate, or if the offence be capital, that there can be no pleading for him; yet he may fly his country, and so escape: but God will not be bribed, neither is there any flying from his presence, Psal. 139. nay, alas, we shall need no seeking out, we shall need no apparitor to summon us, no bailiff to fetch us, no accuser to give in evidence against us; sin itself will arrest us, for he lieth at the door: our conscience will impanell a quest against us; our hearts will give in sufficient evidence to convict us, and our own iniquities will plead guilty to our faces. This made the heathen to kill themselves, thinking death to be an end of all misery: and thus like fond fishes, they leap out of the pan into the fire, out of the hell of their consciences into hell itself. Let them do the best they can, get them to merry company, laugh their sins out of countenance; yet let them know, that with Nero, they may change their chamber, but their chamber-fellow shall never leave them. They may sacrifice unto the Lord, humble themselves, weep with Esau, confess with judas, lay hold on the horns of the altar to mitigate their pain; but only the expiatory sacrifice of the immaculate lamb, is able to give them rest and quietness of soul. Indeed this distress of conscience soon becometh melancholic, vile, and base, turneth reason into foolishness, and disgraceth the beauty of the countenance, How conscience may disigu●e the body. and transformeth the stoutest. Nebuchadnezzer becomes a beast; so easily is the body subject to alteration of mind, and soon looseth with anguish and distraction thereof, all the support of his excellency. In melancholy the heart is troubled with vain sears, upon every small object: the very eye by a false apparition, may strike him; the ears with the imagination of every voice sounding, may dolefully appall him; a very touch may make him startle, and many such like troubles, which are whelps of that melancholy litter, bred of that corrupted state of body, altered in spirit, in blood, in substance, and complexion. This may increase the terror of the afflicted mind, double the fear and discouragement, How distemper of body may increase this wound, and hinder all cure by counsel and advise. and shut up all means of consolation: for it must enter by the senses to the mind. Now the instruments of sense being altered by the humour, and their sincerity stained with the obscure and dark spots of melancholy, receive not indifferently the medicine of consolation. As the brain, the original and fountain of all sense and motion, is thus evilly disposed; so the heart, the cherisher and refresher of our nature, being in no better case, and acquainted with terror, and overthrown with that searefull passion, imptisoneth the spirits, contracts itself, and hardly yields to persuasion of comfort whatsoever it bringeth of assurance. For though the grief strike down at the first, respecting no time, place, person, condition, or opportunity of working, but breaketh through all such considerations, and beareth down all resistance; yet the comfort requireth them all: and the missing of one, makes the affliction to be long and hard in the cure. The Comforters person, his manner of handling the patiented, the time, and place of performance, with the brain and heart, which are as the gates and entrance unto the soul, may hinder or aid the consolation. No distemper can hinder the inward comfort of God's grace. But all this is to be understood of outward means: for the inward means, to wit, the grace of God, and his mercy, his comfortable spirit and gracious favour in like swiftness without means, may restore the mind thus distressed; which lieth open equally to the kind of cure, even as it lay to the wound. Therefore seeing the body works nothing upon the mind, altogether impatible of every being, saving of God alone: and secondly, that the efficient can do it without help of the body; and thirdly, that the comfort is not procured by any corporal instrument, nor the discomfort directly procured by the same; & lastly, because all is done by causes in subjects, nothing corporal and producing effects of an other nature then corporal, it must needs be concluded, that there is great difference betwixt these two troubles. The punishment of bodily racking, is not the passion of the heart, but a cause of it: so that racking of the soul by sin, is not a melancholy passion, but yet may it cause it, and therefore makes the distinction not so clear: for oftentimes the symptom of a disease, is taken for the disease itself. The affliction of mind, The persons which are able to this sorrow. to what persons it falleth, and by what means, is thus to be resolved: All men are subject to this by reason of our fall, the breach of God's law, and the wrath of God that followeth thereupon: yet of all sorts of men, melancholy persons are most subject unto it: not from the humour, but because he is most doubtful and jealous of his estate, for life temporal and life spiritual. For temporal, physicians and apothecary's shops will bear sufficient witness; for if they be able to walk, we find them for the most part in these places: And I would to God they were as ready for their spiritual life to be with God's spiritual physicians, and in the shops of the true balm of Gilead. By experience we find, that when they begin to examine how their actions answer the natural and written line of righteousness, and wanting the arch-pillar of faith, and assurance in Christ jesus our hope, presently feel the very anguish due unto sinners, and in that most miserable condition fall into flat despair. The manner how this is done is, when the curious melancholy person, carrieth his mind into the senses of such mysteries, How it befalls them. as exceed human capacity; and is desirous to know more than is revealed in the word of truth: and yet being ignorant of that which is revealed, he suddenly falls into the gulf of God's secret counsels, which swalloweth up all conceit of man or angel; and measuring the truth of such depths by the shallow model of his own wit, is caught and devoured of that, which his presumptuous curiosity moved him to attempt to apprehend. Of this we have a memorable example of a virtuous gentlewoman in this land, who was carried along in this course, doubting very often of her salvation, and making her case known unto a worthy minister of God; he often counfelled her, to take heed of inquiries further than God's word, and trust assuredly that she might conclude her salvation out of God's word, without any further revelations: yet still did the temptation grew upon her, insomuch that having a venice glass in her hands, and the self-same minister setting by her, presently breaks forth into lamentable words; You have often told me, that I must seek no further than God's word, but I have been long without comfort, and can endure no longer; therefore if I must be saved, let this glass be kept from breaking; and so she threw it against the walls: Here might the Lords hand for this tempting of his majesty, have left her to the everlasting woes of her distrustful heart: yet the Lord that is rich in mercy, having stamped her with the seal of his election, was content to satisfy the languishing soul with a miracle: the glass rebounds again, and comes safe unto the ground; which the minister having gotten into his hands, sayeth, Oh repent of this sin, bless God for his mercy, and never distrust him more of his promise: for now you have his voice from heaven in a miracle, telling you plainly of your estate. This was curiosity, and might have brought despair; yet it was the Lord's mercy to remit the fault, and grant an extraordinary confirmation of her faith. But to proceed: melan cholie persons that are given to contemplation, if they be not well grounded in the word of God, and have resolved in all their speculations, not to remove one hair from the same, are easily overtaken, and plunged in misery: and especially all such as have their vocation consisting in such studies as philosophy, etc. which if they carry not a low sail, and sometime to strike, and lie at the anchor of the Scriptures of God, but hoist up sail, & leave it to the tempest of presumption, are presently carried into the whirlpool of God's infinite secrets, and are in danger (without the special grace of God's mercy) never to deliver themselves: for these men being not balanced with knowledge of God's scriptures, and assurance of his spirit, are never able to abide the ugliness of their sins, when they shall once be unfolded, & that narrow point of reprobation and election, propounded unto their melancholy brains and hearts, and most miserable polluted souls. Others which have but some little knowledge of God's word, and practise answerable, for want of the true apprehending of Gods revealed will touching election and reprobation, and the right method of learning and conceiving the doctrine, causeth them to stumble and fall at this stone: for a sword taken at the wrong end, is ready to wound the hand of the taker, yet held by the handle, is a fit weapon of defence: so Predestination preposterously conceived, may through fault of the conceiver, procure hurt; whereas in itself, it is the most strong rock of assurance, in all storms of temptations that can befall unto body or soul; because predestination is Gods immutable will, the cause and rule of all justice, and uttermost of all reason in his works. Now if reason ascending to this supreme cause, descend not again to the means, than when our sins shall meet with God's justice, and we have no eye to look upon his mercy in his son Christ, we shall find nothing but the assurance of our own destruction. Again, if with the world, we eye alone his mercy, and consider not his justice, then miserable man, who melteth as snow, and vanisheth like a vapour before his justice, must needs perish eternally, in that his careless presumption. Again, as the melancholy person in general, and secondly in special: 1. of giving himself to contemplation, 2. knowing Gods word vngroundedly; so in the 3. place, this makes the melancholy nature subject to this passion, when with a passionate humour he reads G●ds word, and doth as melancholy persons do, in regard of their body: for if they read, or hear of any disease, presently they conceicue they have it: so deal they with the Scriptures, they are guilty of all judgements, and no sin or judgement, but they either have it, or presently expect it: and especially they resemble the one the other in this; that they have the strongest conceit of the most deadly diseases, as consumptions, and sicknesses incurable; so the other of nothing but the sin against the holy Ghost: So that as ignorance before was their guide, here ignorance and infidelity linked together. A fourth special manner in this melancholic subject, is the good and christian heart, the weight of whose sins exceeding for a time the strength of their faith, see not so clearly as they desire; but even as in a stormy tempest, the ship seemeth at every blast, and sourge of the sea, to be in danger of wrack; and as the young ash, bending to every blast of wind, seemeth in peril of breaking, and rooting up, when notwithstanding both the ship keepeth her constant course, and the tree yet hath the rooting. In winter, we think the trees are dead, and in a tempest we think we have lost the brightness of heaven; yet summer proves the contrary, and the space of an hour may show the clear heavens again. So when this tempest of God's anger is overblown, and his gracious countenance beginneth to shine on us again, than the saith which was as it were hid for a time, taketh life, and showeth forth itself, and plainly proveth, that as the trees when they bud in the spring time, and bring forth fruit, were not dead in the winter as they seemed; so the faith of God's children springeth afresh, after the stormy winter of temptation, and therefore no dead faith. The diseases of the body, make us sometime seem little better than dead corpses, and yet the hidden life is after recovered and raised up again. Thus saith by reason of our own weakness, and through Satan's tempestuous malice, bendeth, seemeth feeble, and yieldeth to the force; while notwithstanding it is built on the rock, and planted with the hand of God in the Eden of his gracious election, and doth remain a plant for ever in his Paradise of everlasting felicity. Thus the lily of God, and every member of it, though among many thorns, is preserved; because they are planted by the good husbandman, watered with the dews of heaven, hedged and preserved by his continual care: for this husbandman is night and day in his field, and yet he never sleepeth, no not so much as slumbereth, by his watchful care for Israel his flock, Psal. 121. In deed we had need of a good shepherd; for we are extraordinary wandering sheep: we had need of good governors; for we are but punies in our ways: we had need of a good guide on the seas of this world; for we are but like unexperienced travailers by sea, fearing every weaving of the ship, and ●●ying with the disciples, help us, Master, or else we perish. we imagine every puff of temptation, to be nothing but the gate of destruction; when indeed it is the way of God's dearest children, and appointed of the Lord to bring us unto heaven. His counsels are not to be measured by our infirmities, nor by that we cast, forecast, or doubt; but as he himself hath pronounced of his ways, and many have proved true, to their everlasting happiness. But Sir I pray you, Whether a Christian may draw upon him this pitiful wound of a despairing conscience. may we not draw this fearful sentence on ourselves, that as God hath said, he will set our sins before us; so now he hath truly done it, and we sensibly feel it? yea verily, if God's only mercy be not our stay: for as our first parents voluntarily gave their necks, and in them all their posterity, under the yoke of Satan; and as the vengeance of God's justice always burneth against the wicked, & his sword continually employed, which nothing can quench but the w●ter of his grace flowing from the sides of his Son, and that complete armour whereof S. Paul speaketh, Ephes. 6. so should all of us in this life taste of the heat, & seel the dint of that sword, if his mercy in his Son, and for his Saint's cause on the earth, he stayed not the jealousy of his wrath: his anger our sins pull on, but his mercy is only for himself. So then, all men are subject to afflictions of conscience, melancholy persons especially. First, such as are exercised either in natural philofophic, without the light of God's word; or else with the light of God's word, but dive too deep into God's secrets. Secondly, such as are negligent in reading, and practising. Thirdly, such as are humorous. Fourthly, such as are weak in faith. The means that brings all this upon us, is ignorance and infidelity: now least Gods children should unadvisedly dishonour God in this kind of sorrow, who is the God of peace and comfort; we will show that this setting of sin before their eyes, is greater matter of comfort then sorrow; and so having saved God's children out of this fire, by yielding them that comfort which the Lord promiseth to every broken and contrite heart, setting his sins before his eyes, that so he may escape the judgement of God, which shall be sure to fall upon all hypocrites, when no comfort shall be found for them, either in beaven or earth. For the godly, let them resolve, that sin must have smart: therefore the Lords sending affliction unto his children is, because he would not have them freeze with the wicked world in their dregs. If God punish not in this world, either God is unjust, or else there is a hell to punish them in everlastingly: but his children, if they profit not by one, he sends another to condemn them in the world, that they may escape in the world to come. Secondly, as that is God's end, so they shall find that this is God's ordinary way to do them good: jam. 1.12. Blessed is the man that is tried, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life. Luk. 24.26. it is reprehended of our Saviour Christ, as a matter arguing great ignorance and infidelity, not to know and believe that this was his portion, and so consequently a thing to fall upon all them that would live godlily in him: 2. Tim. 3.12. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ jesus, shall suffer persecution: therefore said Christ unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken! aught not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? Now this being proved, as Christ doth in that place, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, must needs follow that the servants being no better than the master, and the members as subject to misery as the head, that this must be their portion: for in plain reason, it were a shame to see the head crowned with thorns, and all the rest of the body clothed with rich attire and costly raiment, such as are in King's houses: but it is well, if Christians may be lodged in Inns (for strangers they are in this world,) nay well if they may but obtain the stable and the manger for their chamber and their bed, for they are hated of the world: and therefore the worst room is too good for them in the conceit of the world. Act. 14.22. Confirming the Disciples hearts, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, affirming that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of heaven. Admirable is the first chapped. of james, v. 1. the twelve Tribes are fratter●d abroad, s●●re from jerusalem, and that among the heathen; jerusalem is utterly destroyed, the Temple brought unto the ground, not one stone left upon an other, and all those woes that our Saviour Christ spoke of, Matth. 24. were accomplished: now might they well hang their instruments on the willows, wholly forget jerusalem, & let their tongues fooner cleave unto the roses of their mouths, then that they should once sing the fongs of Zion: yet james the servant of God, and of the Lord jesus Christ, is bold to write unto them the salutation of joy and comfort: and well may he be entertained of the faithful among the jews, because of his flyle; a servant of God, might have put life unto them all; but, and of the Lord jesus Christ, shall make him odious to the multitude. Well, be knows unto whom to tender hsi service, to wit, to those whom God loves: therefore he respects the believing jews that now might be swallowed up with greise: therefore v. 2. he calls them his brethren. But he begins with cold comfort, Count it, my brethren, exceeding joy when ye fall into temptation: but the Apostle knows the best what shall be for their present consolation, and therefore he respects that before all other, and so gins with it; not leaving his exhortation as a bare affirmation, but adding in the rest of the chapter, a strong confirmation of his exhortation. Mark therefore the arguments, as grounds to be laid in all our afflictions: they are in number five. The first is drawn from the blessed fruit that shall spring from this tree, and that is patieace, even the whole worship of God in distress, whereby being needy to lose our souls, we possess them: and the excellency of patience he commends unto us, v. 4. from his perfection, first in himself; secondly, in his work; thirdly, in the subject: giving us to distinguish betwixt this pationce, and all other: feigned patience is but for a time, hath in itself no perfection: it works nothing, because it is a mere patient, ye and to suffer constrained: but this a stirring patience, for he must have his work: and he is neither idle nor a vain workman for he hath a perfection of his work. Thirdly, the subject of all other patience is but like unto a stone, that being stricken with the hammer and cloven in pieces lies still, never unites his parts again; but this patience, when his subject is even beaten to powder, and is scattered abroad, is able to bring all together again, join soul and body together, even almost disjoined for lack of spirit and courage: and so to animate body and soul, that even Christians shall say, I never found body and soul in better temper than now. Many Martyrs which have been troubled with the swelling of the spleen, which all the time of their liberty was a kind of hell unto them, have admired that beside the exraordinarie consolations of the soul, they have felt those pains ceased that did disquiet them on the day time following of their ordinary vocations, and in the night with breaking off their sleep, when now they find that all the day they could toil in writing and praying, singing and comforting their poor brethren, and when night comes, sleep sound without either bed or covering; when before, though upon a bed of Ivory, and wrapped in silk, they could take no rest this is God's blessing filling the heart with the grace of patience, which makes us perfect, entire, and lacking nothing: therefore where patience is, what discomfort can trouble us? This is the first argument, mark the method to the second. It might well be objected; I could be patiented, but I want wisdom to carry mine affliction, and make the right use of it. To this he answers, and his answer doth not only take away the objection, but give a second confirmation of his exhortation, v. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, and ye shall be assured that the Lord will answer you: for he giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man: therefore you his children shall be sure to speed. Yet would I prevent all rashness, for if it may be had for ask, than all men shall have it: for who is he but he prays the Lords prayer, Creed, ten Commandments? true: it is he says prayers, but I give the requisite: let him ask in faith, and waver not: for he that wavereth, incurreth, first the shame of inconstancy, becoming like the sea tossed of every wind, and never resting. Secondly, they lose all expectation ever to receive any thing of the Lord; nay, let him not so much as think of it, or presume that the Lord will answer his prayers. Thirdly, the detection of an hypocrite, that he is a double minded man; and therefore unstable in all his ways, not able to lie at the anchor of any of God's promises. Now than both arguments being rightly understood, and applied unto the soul, see how forcibly they will be able to infer the conclusion. He that hath such a patience that is perfect in itself, and is able to work perfection in others, and that in such sort, that they shall be made perfect, entire, lacking nothing; and secondly for direction, shall have the blessed grace of spiritual wisdom, may be moved to count it exceeding joy, when he falls into divers temptations: but every faithful soul shall have both these graces: & therefore must he needs entertain my loving exhortation. Patience and wisdom going hand in hand, will carry affliction without trouble: for suppose that two persons were to carry a long staff through a straight passage, the one wants patience, and therefore he makes haste; now for want of wisdom, his staff falls a cross, he is still discontented, labours to break through by violence, but the staff being too strong for him, and the passage too narrow to let him go on, except he take his staff with him is set at a stay to add cross unto cross, until he perish in his folly: now a man of patience, when he is to come that way, is content by patience to go softly, at his leisure, and by his wisdom espies where he may have a thrust back, except he order his staff, by letting one end go before the other; and thus by patience and wisdom goes further in the straits of this world toward the kingdom of heaven in one hour, than fools, wise in their own conceit, go all the time of their life. But let me lead you on in the Apostles sweet consolation, and bring you to the third ground, and that is true contentation in all estates, v. 9, 10, 11. explained by an example in adversity, and another in prosperity; proving that neither prosperity can further the joys of Christians, nor adversirie hinder it: and therefore whether prosperity or adversity befall them, their estate is all one with God. For adversity, he brings for instance an example drawn from poverty, ver. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: his low degree is no hinderer of his exaltation in Christ, and therefore can it not take away his rejoicing: for what cares a man for the loss of a penny, that is so rich that he knows no end of his wealth: for better is it to be made rich by the creator of the world, then to have the creature without the creator. For prosperity, he exemplifies in riches, v. 10. It is good for him that is rich, to see that he be made low, else shall he with his riches become as the flower of the grass, which by the sun withering the grass, makes his flower fall away, and then the goodly shape of it perisheth; even so shall the rich man whither away in all his ways. And therefore seeing the best in prosperity is to be made low, and the worst is to be made rich without humiliation; and on the contrary, the worst in adversity makes us the best in Christ; who can deny but that our joy may exceed in afflictions? The fourth argument beside his strength and power is very alluring, for Psal. 4. who will show us any good? well, if in this case any believing jew shall make the question in this anguish of his soul, and say, who will show us any good? he shall not only have the Apostle, with David, to show them that God will lift upon them the light of his countenance; but even the blessed end of all their trials: v. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, etc. But if there be such strong arguments for temptations, then surely God is the cause of them: No beloved, I would not have you say God tempts any man, v. 15. but the true cause is his own heart, v. 14.15. therefore err not my dear brethren, v. 16. but take notice of every good gift, and say that is the Lords work, v. 17. therefore this good that comes out of evil, is the work of the Lord: for afflictions in their own nature are evil, and it is my power to make them good unto my children, yet not to make them in my children. Therefore having given warning, take the fift argument of consolation and comfort; and that is from the new birth, v. 18. A woman indeed when she travaileth hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delinerad of the child, she remembreth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is borne into the world: joh. 16.21. so God's children are in sorrow, but when they consider, how of his own will he hath begotten them with the word of truth, that they should be as the first fruits of his creatures; then their hearts do rejoice, and their joy no man shall take from them. Now that complete joy may be drawn out of all these arguments, it is necessary that the word of God be specially looked unto; for in afflictions it only giveth us the lively sight of our sin, manifests the riches of the mercies of God in Christ jesus to deliver us from sin: and therefore David says often, but for thy law I had perished in mine afflictions: therefore for further comfort, he shows what is required to make us profit in God's word; first, qualification; secondly practice: the first, the soul: the second, the life of the soul: the qualification, v. 19 the reason of it, v. 20. and the conclusion out of both, ver. 21. Wherefore laying apart all filthiness, and superfluity of maliciousness, receive with meekness the word that is grafted into you, which is able to save your souls. After this qualification, follows the practice, that the mercies of God might not be in vain, which he hath bestowed upon them: therefore v. 22. be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves: now because this cozening of ourselves in hearing of God's word, is a disease incident to the most; he plays the good Physician: first discovering the disease by a familiar similitude, laying together these four terms, spots and a glass, sins and the law: as spots may be seen in a glass, so sins may be seen in the law: secondly, in their quality wherein they are laid together, and that is beholding, considering, and immediately forgetting; as a man beholding falls to consider something amiss in himself, yet going his way, and other matters possessing his head, immediately forgetteth what manner of face-he had: So they come to the Church, look into God's word, consider that all is not well; yet going their way home again to their old courses, and now all is spoiled, and they are never better. Secondly, having discovered the disease by the most familiar fymptomes, applies the remedy, and tells them what must be their receipt, ver. 15. the perfect law of liberty must be carefully looked into. Thirdly, he gives them the manner how it must be received; first, what must be abstained from, as deadly poison to the nature of a Christian, and secondly, the only hinderer of the work of all good physic. First, therefore v. 26. If any man seem religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is in vain. Secondly, thus must it be taken according to pure religion, and undefiled before God, in visiting the fatherless, and widows in their necessity, and to keep himself unspotted of the world. Seeing then that God hath so many comforts; patience to possess the soul, when it is at a loaf; wisdom, to make i● find itself in the greatest night of trouble; contentation to quiet it, as well in adversity as prosperity; a crown of glory, to recompense it after all combats; and such a word, as may be a light to direct, a sword to defend, and teach the true watch word of a Christian, when he is ready to be swallowed up of his enemies; it cannot be but that we should always rest in the haven of happiness. A recaptulation of all the former heads in a brief and perspicuous table, for the further impression of Christian comfort in the memories of the faithful. Comfort in affliction, donation of grace, informing, the action, present, patience, working, v. 4. perfecting, v. 4. wifedom, given freely and liberally. received by prayer & faith. future, true contentation in all things, v. 9 the end of the action, blessedness in the crown of life, v. 12. sanctifying, causes, principal, the will of God, v. 18. instrumental, the word of truth, v. 18. effect, first fruits a holy kind of offering taken out of the residue of men, v. 18. true application in the qualification, manifested, v. 19 proved: in clearing the point, v. 20. in concluding, v. 21. in the practice, honest and good hearing and doing, v. 22. dishonest and unprofitable illustrated, 23. 24. by terms, spots & a glass sin and the law quality, beholding. forgetting. applied first, in the prescript, v. 25. in the use unlawful, v. 26. lawful, v. 27. Seeing then that this is the course that the Lord will take, let no man think to be Dives all his life time in this world, and Lazarus after death: If God promise riches, the way thereunto is poverty; before love, correction; before exaltation, dejection; whom he saveth, first he damneth; he bringeth not to heaven, but by hell; if he promise life, he slayeth first. joseph saw the sun, moon, and stars, worshipping him, nevertheless yet that could come to pass, God laid him where he could see neither sun, nor moon, nor any star of the sky, and all that many years, and also undeserved: yet all this while to nurture him up against the time of honour: God promised Israel a land of milk and honey, yet for the space of forty years they went through a land, not only where there were no rivers of milk and honey, but not so much as a drop of water to refresh them withal: yet all this was done of God to do them good at the latter end: God promised David a kingdom, yet immediately he stirred up Saul against him to hunt him, and ferret him out of every hole, and that many years. Thus he that will wear the crown of glory, must wear the crown of thorns: he that will have all tears wiped from his eyes, must first shed them: Reu. 15.3. the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the lamb Christ jesus, must first swim through the glassy sea, mingled with fire and brimstone. It is not the way to heaven, to live in this world in perpetual ease, rest, & quietness in body, soul, goods, and good name: therefore as the end of all afflictions is full of joy and comfort, so is the way, seeing it is appointed of the Lord most comfortable, because every step brings us towards God's kingdom: and I may term afflictions, marks in the way, to tell us we are to keep on that way they lead us. A man enquiring his way, and is told he hath no plain way but by desolate woods, hills, and mountains, very stony and troublsome to pass by: when the travailer seeth these marks, he says, undoubtedly I am right; but if he find all to be plain, presently stands still, looks about and says, I see never a one of my directions; therefore I am assuredly wrong, this way will never bring me to the end of my journey. So the Lord hath told us that this is the way to heaven, to pass by many crosses; we run a long and find no such matter, well may we suspect that we are out of the way: and then assuredly that our pleasant way did not afford us so much comfort, but the want of the signs will as much discomfort us: and therefore affliction may more comfort us, than all worldly pleasure, because the Lord hath made the one a sign we are going toward heaven, Heb. 12.6. but the other none at all, save only of our journeying toward hell. But you may object, that every cross is not a mark: for first, the sin against the holy Ghost is a mark of reprobation: secondly, impenitency: and therefore when he hath these sins in the eyes of his conscience, how shall he be persuaded, that he can ever be brought into the way to heaven? For the answer of this point, let us consider a threefold fountain of this persuasion. First, for that open and wilful apostasy from God, is a voluntary willingness & malicious hatred against the profession of a known truth: now the fruits will judge the cause: Is there in you the renouncing of God's truth, which before you have professed & hearty embraced? perceive you this malice prosecuting this mischief? what persecution do you remember in word or deed you ever raised against the truth? what sword have you ever drawn against it? or what volumes have you either written or approved against found doctrine, with purposed opposition against your own conscience, neither that of frailty, but of mere will, and obstinacy? of this, examples are rare, as julianus the Emperor called Apostata. Of the second, impenitency, there is the same fountain, but not in the same degree; and that is extremity of hardness of heart: of which kind was Cain, Esau, Saul, judas, & many of the profane people of the world, that know not Christ: and such as know him only in vain profession outwardly, and so continue, are partners of the sin, and shall be examples of God's vengeance. This fountain cannot be in them that sin only against their conscience: for than should every man be guilty of it: when the sin was committed, we may remember that the illumination of our understanding, & the regeneration of our wills did oppose it; but both being weak and imperfect, we were drawn unto the evil. And here before I come to the second fountain, I propound a brief distinction of temptations; some touch our faith, whether we believe or not; othersome the fruits of faith, either of profession of the truth, or else of obedience suitable and kindly to our profession: the former is tried by persecutions, fear, favour, etc. the second concerning persons, possessions, and good name, is known by charity in keeping of the second table. Now these are not the things that exclude Christ's propitiatory sacrifice, except incredulity, bringing forth impenitency, and utter renunciation of the faith, be joined with them. But here we often hear the cries of God's children; alas, I believe not, & therefore draw upon me the pain due to the unfaithful. Here I would entreat every one to weigh with circumspection, and due consideration, his own estate in so weighty a point as this. And therefore let him be advised, that there be other two fountains that may scare our souls with these fears. The first, is corporal infirmity, deluding the heart and brain, whereby strange imaginations are wrought in our heads, and doleful passions in our hearts: these things always urge terror and distrust, and deludeth us with opinion of want of that, whereof we have no lack: as others often are carried with opinion and confidence of those things whereof they have no part. Aetius reporteth that Phylotimus was feign to put a cap of lead upon a Melancholickes head, that could not be persuaded he had any head at all, until at the length feeling the weight to oppress him cried out, my head aches: why then says his friends, you have a head. Artemidorus the Grammarian, did imagine that he wanted both an hand and a leg, when every man else could judge it was but a fancy, from which he could not be recalled to his dying day. So often deals the devil with us, by deluding of our fancies, that we want both head and heart to Godward, and that we have disposed both to himward. But many a bleeding soul may go further: what tell you me of melancholy, it is a disease that I am free from? well, let that be granted (yet rare it is to find persons without it, that are touched with this kind of grief,) yet we find a third fountain, that may without all delusion stream this water of bitterness, as the sense of our sins may prick us, especially such as most hunger and thirst after righteousness, and are poor in spirit, and broken in heart: yet this is an infallible token of grace, that they long after the living God, and their souls pant for him: Oh when shall I enter into his presence? Oh men of God, what shall I do to be saved? The rest of the world (except some vengeance of God lay hold upon them, or some horrible fact gnaw their wounded consciences) pass their time in blind security, careless of God, and empty of all sense & hope of a better life: these pass their days, and finish their courses, as the calf passeth to the shambles, not kowing his end to be slaughter by the butcher's knife. You therefore that truly groan under the burden of your sin, consider the ground of your error: you judge your faith by inward feeling, and your actions proceeding therefrom, by your thirst of righteousness and presence of your wants. Here you judge by the quantity of faith, and not by his virtue; when a very grain of mustard seed, a little smoking flax, or a broken reed may suffice with God to bring forth a tree, a burning fire, and a stable plant of righteousness: for both the sense of faith, the sincerity of the fruits, and increase of the measure, are all the gifts and graces of God dispensed unto us, according to his own wisdom, making most for his glory and our good. If we consider but the extemity of our misery, the lest spark of faith may give us a world of comfort; and the smallest work of obedience performed in sincerity, though not in perfection, may persuade us of the same love of God, as though we were as strong as our father Abraham, or any resolve martyr that hath sealed his religion with his blood. But the Christian says, I have no feeling of God's grace, and therefore no faith: I answer, true faith may be without feeling, and therefore it is dangerous to judge the want of faith, Faith without feeling. by the want of feeling. That this is the truth, let these be the grounds of it: First, a man may rest upon God, and yet want the feeling of the love of God; as job. David, the woman of Canaan, etc. job: 13.15. God is mine enemy, the arrows of the Almighty drink up my blood, he makes me as a butt to shoot at: here job hath none of the feeling of God's love towards himself, but he hath not lost his love and faith toward God: for he saith, though the Lord should kill me, yet would I trust in him. David, Psal. 22. Oh my God, I cry by day, but thou hearest not; by night, but thou givest no audience: neither night nor day had he any feeling that God did hear his prayers, or granted his requests; but yet he was not without faith, for he made this prayer in faith, and that with special application (my God.) The Canaanitish woman had four repulses; 1. silence. 2. denial; I am not come but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 3. the Apostles to speak against her, send her away, for she crieth after us. 4. a woeful remembrance of her miserable estate, Woman, it is not good to take the children's bread, and cast it unto dogs: in all these, Christ shows her small comfort, yet she hath not lost the feeling of her saith: for still she cries, Truth Lord, yet the dogs may eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. And surely all that can thus hang on the breasts of God's mercies, are children of hope that never miscarry; but at length after many scourges, shall hear the admirable voice of commendation, I have not found such faith in any, go away in peace, and be it to every one of you according to your faith. Reas. 2. He that will rest upon the means of his salvation, though he find not any sweetness in the performance of them, is a true believer, though he feel not his wished joy. Wilt thou go to bear God's word, and frequent the places of his worship? wilt thou pray, read, confer, meditate, etc. and perform all these in obedience unto God, though thou feel no sweetness in them? then assure thyself, that resting upon God's means for comfort, thou hast true faith, and that cannot but at length make thy joy to break forth. Reas. 3. He that with all his heart can wish the salvation of any member of Christ, is a true member of Christ, and engrafted into Christ by a lively faith; now these diffressed souls can wish with all their hearts the salvation of others; and therefore it cannot be, but they should be of Christ's body, and have in them the true life of that body for a member of the world can never in upright sincerity, wish the welfare of Christ's body. Reas. 4. They that most complain of their corruption from the true sense and feeling thereof, are sanctified by the spirit of grace: for corruption cannot complain of corruption, neither one sin become an enemy to another; but grace alone complains of corruption; and the law of the spirit, opposeth the law of the flesh: now it is proved by experience, that none complain more of sin, than the poor Christian afflicted in conscience: neither is this their complaint that of the wicked; for they cry out of the sense and feeling of the pupunishment, but these for that they should so displease God: O therefore lift up your hearts, and cry with David, Psal. 51. Lord restore unto us the joy of thy salvation. Again, let us consider with whom we fight, and for what crown, and how both heaven and earth moved at our redemption; and the same power concurred thereto as in our first creation; and therefore the work being so great, no marvel if we undergo many an heavy burden, be put to many a dangerous lift, yet the foundation is so surely laid, that it must up in spite of all opposing power: For as the great and mighty oaks are slower in attaining their full growth, than the shrubs and weeds; whose enduring is for many years, and for time out of mind, (as we say,) when the other in short time whither and fade away; so must Christians esteem their increase of heavenly graces, slow, but sure, and everlasting as immortality, that they may be as a beam, or a pillar in the temple of God for ever and ever: for the life of grace is no natural life, but spiritual, therefore no way corruptible: for if it were so, contradictions would be true, that spiritual life should be natural life, incoruptible corruptible, and immortal mortal. Neither here let us be deceived in judging according to our sense, or mere shows of things; for then the most fruitful trees, in winter shall be taken for barren, and the lusty soil, dry and unfruitful, while it is shut up with the hard frost: but reason and experience proves the contrary; faith the spiritual shield in this our spiritual warfare, endureth much battering, and many brunts, and receiveth the forefront of the encounter, & oftentimes fareth as if it were pierced through, and worn unfit for battle, whereupon we lay it aside: yet even for all this it proves invincible, and repelleth whatsoever engine the enemy enforceth against us, and standeth firm rooted, whatsoever storm Satan raiseth for the displacing thereof: therefore when the sense of faith is dulled in us, and the fruits minister discontentment; remember that the graces and mercies of God are without repentance, and Christ jesus whom he loveth he loveth unto the end. Suppose that fire were extraordinarily fixed in the cold water, so that you would say there can be no coldness at all in the water; yet consider that cold is so natural to the water, that secretly he will drive out the heat, and make it apparent that the fire had no place there but by usurpation: so faith in the soul of man assisted by patience, when man in the very fire of affliction, will by little and little bring out sin, and with sin the punishment of the same: so that it shall clearly appear that faith doth but esteem of them both, as tenants at will. Oh consider this, that our goodness did not move God to bestow his mercy upon us, neither shall our sin cause him to remove it: for he saw them before be gave us his mercy: why did he not then withhold his mercy? surely as he knew us when we were strangers from him, and loved us when we hated him, and had nothing which might provoke his mercy but our misery: so is his goodness continued upon us still for his own sake, and not at all for our deserving, but for that righteousness sake which is in his Son, and that oblation of his offered up; not for himself, but for others: and therefore with whom he was well pleased for that sacrifice, with them shall he still be well pleased: otherwise both these absurdities should follow, that this sacrifice might be in vain, and this well-pleasing might be changed: from whose righteousness so much is detracted, as we attribute either unto change, or unto ourselves, or think to attain unto, in respect of our own satisfying: and again, so much of God's mercy is impaired, as we shall rest upon any power or virtue in ourselves, whereby to avoid his vengeance & justice. Election is only the Lords, therefore committed to no hazard: if on us, who are like the wind in unconstancy, and as frail as the tender herbs, how soon should all become nothing, therefore Gods decree being laid the first corner stone, we may assure ourselves that the building shall stand for ever: therefore every one in his conflicts with the devil, hath full assurance of the conquest: for this root is laid in him, whose fruit and branches stormy tempests may nip and shake, yet the sap shall never be dried up in the root, neither shall any evil wind of Satan so blast, that the immortal seed be at any time quite withered: yea, though all fiery darts bend thereto, with all might and main employed: yet the storm being blown over by the spirit of grace, and the comfortable sun of consolation shining upon our gloomy hearts, it will bud forth again, into blossom, fruit, and branch, as a most beautiful tree in the paradise of God. Let the comparison of bodily sickness, and the consideration of the kind of frailty move us: we have experience how divers times the disease prevaileth over the sick persons, that actions fail, and the faculties seem quite to be spent; neither hand nor foot is able to do their duties; the eye is dim, the hearing dull, the taste altered, and the tongue distasteth all things, even of most pleasant relish; and the weak and feeble patient, seemeth to attend the time of dissolution, when as yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature, and a forcible spark of life, that overcometh all these infirmities, and consumeth them like dross, and rendereth to the body a greater purity, and firmness of health, then before the sickness it did enjoy: even so ought every one to esteem of the spiritual case, and consider that their soul is sick but not dead, faith assailed but not overcome: therefore let patience attend the finishing of this secret work: and so shall they see these burning seavers of temptations, to be slaked and cooled by the mercy and grace of Christ, and that spark of faith which did he hid, & overwhelmed with heaps of temptations, to break forth again, consume the causes of the disease. And as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth herself either by stool, vomit, sweat, bleeding, or such like evacuations, to the recovery of the former health: even so shall the faithful soul find in himself strange ease after these temptations, by reason they have caused divers evacations of the filthiness of sin, and therefore greater purity must needs be in the soul. Thus the Lord preserves the very garments of his Saints, that he suffereth them not to take any smell of the flame, or the very sweat of afflictions to stick upon them: Psal. 68.22. The Lord hath said I will bring my people again from Bashan: I will bring them again from the depths of the sea: Og the Giant, and all his fat bulls may push at the godly, but their strength shall not prevail against the strong one of Israel: but even the foot of his faithful ones shall be dipped in blood, and the tongues of the dogs of Israel may draw out the very heart blood of all these bulls: So that after the conquest, the triumph being given to the Lord, they may truly celebrate it, setting the singers before, the players of instruments after: so that the praise of God may be heard in his assemblies, even from all them that are derived from the fountain of Israel: so that this knot betwixt God & the faithful soul, more surely knit then that of Gordius, can never be loosed by the devil, broken by his forces, disannulled by his stratagems, or ever found out by his policies. Therefore as Christ cried out, O my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? it is impossible that Christ should be forsaken, therefore it is a voice more for the instruction of his children, then to show his own discomforts: if he cried out, why may not we cry out? yet as Christ was heard, and freed from his fear; so shall every faithful soul be sure to speed with his God, and shall again (as David was) be restored to those wont joys, which they sometimes felt in the sweet mercies of the Lord. These assaults are at the first heavy and bitter; if they come in great measure, they may cause impatience, job 3.1. if they continue, then may the soul begin to judge them nothing but God's wrath: job 6.2, 3. The arrows of the Almighty are in me, and the venom thereof doth drink up my spirit, and the terrors of God are against me: it brings afresh his old sins into remembrance, to trouble him in his sleep; visions, dreams, and anxiety of spirit. Yet in this misery God supports his faith; he feeling this, gets experience, Rom. 5.4. hence hope, that grace shall never be wanting, job 42.5, 6, Heb. 12.11. Let Pharaoh feel but a little of this, and he presently rebels: yet the faithful, though they have more feeling of their rebellious hearts, and the devil more strongly assails them then any other, yea God seems to be their enemy; yet, job 13.15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. David, Psal. 22.1. O my God, I cry by day, but thou hearest not; by night, but I have no audience: words almost of desperation, and as a man without faith: yet than he saith, My God; a plain argument of faith: for God's children can not forget their language. Hence a man may in a manner, see contrary affections in their prayers: for flesh and spirit struggle together: Gen. 32.18. jacob's wrestling is a type of the conflicts of the faithful with Christ: he assails them with the one hand, and upholds them with the other: hence jaakob is called Israel, a prevailer with God. The Church hath both his names, Psal. 130. and Psal. 121. Mark. 15.22. to 27. we see a strange conflict betwixt the woman of Samaria and our Saviour Christ: four notable repulses are given her; 1. silence, 2. haish speeches of the Disciples, Send her away; 3. cold comfort, I am come for the house of Israel, of which thou art none; 4. extraordinary reproach, Thou art but as a dog; therefore must thou have none of the children's bread: yet we find her to be more instant at every repulse, and when the most dangerous repulse was given her, to bring an invincible argument of her faith, True Lord, I yield all; if my place and deservings must be considered, than no mercy for me; but, Lord, yet account of me as thou hast said, let me thy dog but taste of the crumbs of thy mercy, and it shall suffice the hunger of my soul. Thus God's children overwhelmed with sin, turmoiled with Satan's conflicts, and amazed with God's anger, can then lift up their eye lids, and give a glimpse to the brazen serpent Christ jesus, and fling themselves into his arms, catch hold on God's hand buffeting them, and kiss it. There be three grounds of temptation. First, our natural weakness, proved by Satan and the world. Secondly, the continual buds of our original sin; in understanding, will, affections, and all their instruments: our understanding is turned into blindness of error, our will embraceth not only those things which corrupt judgement directeth unto, but even where understanding standeth sound; there will bendeth to affection, and neglecteth the light of reason: our affections are both rebellious to right judgement and will; in that they rage when they should not, and where just cause is given, are quiet and at rest. Thus from these principles in the soul, the bodily members become weapons and instruments of all impiety and injustice, even to the overturning of Church and Commonwealth, except the Lord should restrain them: in so much that the very pillars of the world would shatter in sunder, and the vault of heaven would fall, & all things would turn to their former Chaos, & be consumed with the terrible fire of God's vengeance, and perish in his heavy displeasure. Thirdly, God puts on his children armour of proof, but they are negligent in the buckling of it on them; and therefore the devil often takes advantage by that to do us hurt: even the gifts and graces of God are made grounds of the devils temptations: and therefore no marvel though Satan and the world prevail against us, except the Lord stretch forth his hand and uphold us. Therefore because I see the point in hand weighty, and that which troubles the whole world to lie even upon this foundation; and the resolution whereof cannot but administer excellent comfort to every Christian, I will be bold to enlarge my meditations: and the more willingly, because it is so direct with my text, not as grounded from it, but as misapplied of the weak Christian, taking every sight of his sin, for this fearful setting of them before the eyes of his conscience: when the Lord only threateneth the hypocrites and wicked of this world, which will not but by constraint of law and judgement, meddle with their sins: nay on the contrary, it is their nature to make God always a friend unto them, as before we declared. Therefore for the godlies' sake, will I not keep silence in proceeding for their comfort. The grounds of all temptations being laid both inward and outward, essential and accidental; we will come to the difficulty of difficulties, to see how the devil aims at these grounds. For distinction, he doth it two ways, either mediately or immediately: mediately either by single means, or by joining two together: all these kinds will I manifest in the following discourse. And first, for his immediate working; the experience of it is more lamentable and infallible, than the manner how easy to find out: yet something dare we boldly affirm, and for methods sake, we bring it to two heads. It is either corporal possession, or spiritual: for the first, he may easily bring it about without any means; because he is a most subtle nature, and full of strength; by his subtlety he may easily enter the body; and by his strength, he may carry it at his pleasure; he may possess the whole body, & as Master command all that house; but surely, he can not have such access unto the soul; yet from his nature being by creation a spirit, and therefore of the same kind of essence with our souls, and endued with the same qualities of understanding and will, is able by agreement of nature, and excellency of quality to overreach man, being in the self same kind his inferior: For the nature of Angels is more excellent than man's: and therefore hath he a power over them; for in nature every inferior power is subjecteth to the superior, yet both of them limited of God. Therefore I doubt not, but God permitting, the devil is able to meddle with our spirits, without all corporal means; even as we see corporal creatures with bodily and corporal force, to annoy one another; and as men have fellowship one with other by corporal presence, and are delighted or displeased with the qualities of the mind, according as they like or dislike, uttered by speech and talk: so it is most like that spirits have their society maintained by a spiritual conference, whereby their wills and purposes are intercommunicated one to another, without corporal sound, whereof both the spirits want the instrument, and the voice nothing affecteth the mind. Daily experience maketh this manifest in such as are possessed; whose discourses are often rare and admirable, whose speech and phrase is often such as they never learned. Now the devil must needs be the schoolmaster; and surely he informs them not by voice, but by spiritual communication; and so they receive a clear notion, of many a point they were always ignorant of, and are able to express it in all variety of languages, and that in the phrase of eloquence: Nay, in a lesser degree than all this, the false spirit persuades Ahab by all his false and lying Prophets, that he should go up and prosper: surely this spirit informed their spirits. Thus entered Satan into judas, not by corporal possession, but spiritual; and persuaded him to betray Christ: thus Ananias, Acts 5. had his heart filled: and Ephes. 2. the devil is called the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience: and that once they walked according to the conduct of that spirit. These must needs be real operations, carrying a force in them, more than objects do unto any faculty that is conversant about it: for suppose the devil should hold any art before the eyes of an ignorant man, could he possibly become a good Grammarian, Rhetorician, Logician; whereby he would talk with a Grecian, though he were a Barbarian; plead with Cicero, though he were one of the common sort; and dispute with Aristotle and Plato, though he had never been in their schools, but had followed the plough all his life? I should from reason think it impossible: therefore he communicates his knowledge with these ignorant persons. But you will say, this is strange, why should we then not perceive it? I answer, the body in which the soul is, is as a veil, to hide his manner of communication from us: yet it is no hindrance for him to enter within the vail, and speak unto us more angelico: yet we overthrow it not, save in the effects; because for the time of this life, we exercise all actions through the body: yet I am persuaded, that if the soul were out of the body, we should perceive it most plainly: if the curtain were drawn we should see the devil lying with us in our bosoms: for the souls among themselves, and with the angels in heaven, have sweet communication, and therefore I fear not, but the damned souls and devils in hell, have their woeful society. Again, for the better conceiving of this point, we stand not only subject to Satan's annoyance, through the subtleness of his nature, being a spirit; but through that long experience and practise about our misery, from age to age, is able to work more powerfully, the Lord permitting him for a time. Thus more perfectly he knows our minds, and gathers much by the inclination of our affections, and will, and marking the object on which we dwell. But you will object, the Lord hath reserved this property unto himself to know the heart. Ans. It is true; but the communication of the heart, may be betwixt man and man, and man and angels: therefore the Lord directly knows the heart, and all the corners of it; so that we can bring no fallation out of it to deceive God; but the devil may be deceived, as surely often he is in the discourses of the godly. Experience hath proved, that the consultations of wicked kings, have been revealed to the godly, 2. kin. 6.11. Will ye not show me, which of us bewrayeth our counsel to the King of Israel? one of his servants makes answer, It is Elisha the Prophet that telleth the King of Israel, even the words that thou speakest in thy privy chamber: Elisha heard not these words, yet they are communicated unto him after a spiritual manner, such as are the visions of God: and thus Paul, deprived of all bodily instruments, saw things inutterable. Yea, the devil being God's ape, hath detected one wicked man's counsel to an other: but he hath always been deceived in the consultations of the godly, and never was able to reveal them. To proceed: From this experience he can conclude not only from our speeches, and gestures, to conceive of our intents, and purposes; but out of our universal corruption, whereof he hath continual proof, much matter of argument to discover the vanity of our minds, the secret thoughts of our hearts, and the very inclinations of the same. Now these being found out, he will proceed to suggestion, as he seethe occasion, and our greatest inclination, and so by instigation unto sin, make us disobey God, and all his holy commandments. Again, that he doth not all by suggestion unto the soul inclining it, is plain, when our natures seem not to incline unto them, in any special consideration, or love it before other wickedness; neither the world alluring or enforcing us; especially Gods children abhorring the very lest conceit of such sins, as blasphemies, and laying violent hands on themselves, or others, without all hate or malice, or any occasion of revenge. And surely of the same nature, is despair and distrust of God's mercies, loss of the seed of God's word, when we have no inclination unto them at all, but rather contrarily affected: and these the devil puts unto us in regard of our general corruption, without any further consideration of special inclination; and therefore he never ceaseth in these temptations, because he hath hope to prevail in them; and therefore shall we never be rid of the devil, until God have wholly delivered us from our stains. Truly Gods children often admire how ever such a thought should rise in their head, when they hate the very appearance of it. Now I come to the second head, which is done by means, first single, and then mixed: but before I enter this, let us consider the devil as a fowler, whose nature is to be a friend in show, but a foe in heart. Secondly, look upon his snares, which all of them have three properties, sweet, dangerous, secret. Thirdly, consider the ways of his laying: the devils way is suggestion, real operation, and both together: the way wherein he lays them, is inward or outward; inward, judgements and lusts; outward actions, graces, things indifferent, and evil company as the stolen: the hold that he hath, is very strong, for until grace have turned him out, he holds men at his will: a most beastly captivity: nay worse than beastly, because beasts having once been snared, will come there no more; but a man is never well but when he is in the snares of the devil. Secondly, it is a voluntary captivity, and therefore like to be for ever, except the Lord have mercy to change his mind, and draw him against his wil Thirdly, it is most base: for Israel in Egypt may be accounted kings in regard of the slaves of the devil. Lastly, it is most treacherous, because they renounce their covenant with God, and strike hands with the devil; and therefore from these things considered, we may make full account that the devil hath many means to help him: the first is suggestion on the soul, accompanied with all the baits he can imagine: the second real operation on the body, affecting humour and spirit, and so making them assist him as means to work our woe. Humour distempered, causeth diseases to the body, and the body diseased, changeth our manners and course of living: hinc mores sequuntur humores. Again, he dulls the spirits, and so causeth drowsiness in the worship of God, and every good calling: again, he refresheth them in evil, and therefore keeps us long waking unto it. For the mixing of both together, both suggestion and real operation, the devil can play his part most dangerously: for he can work the humours of our bodies, to make notable way for suggestion upon our souls. If a man be of a melancholy constitution, whose humour is dry and cold, the devil will make it notably affect a man in all his members; especially in his heart and brain, the two of the principal parts of man, and where the soul hath most residence: in the heart he will affect him with sudden fears, strange distrusts, suspicion of infinite evils; whereby he will move the soul in judgement, will, and affection, to set about the inventing, willing, and effecting of some strange exploits, to ease himself of his pains: hence often either murder of himself, or of some other, which he falsely suspects an instrument of his woe. Again, the brain, by altering all the senses, working strange imaginations, by which it is almost impossible, but that the mind of man should be set a working: and these being false grounds, hardly shall the judgement escape uncorrupted: nay alas, whatsoever they conceit upon these grounds, shall not be removed out of their judgement. They that think themselves to be made of glass, will not suffer their very friends to come near them: he that thought himself to be a cock, would never give over the spreading of his arms, in imitation of the cock clapping his wings, and then would endeavour to imitate the cocks crow: he that conceited himself to be Atlas, could never be brought to sit down, lest his head that underpropped heaven being removed, should suffer heaven to fall upon him: he that thought a certain tyrant had cut off his head, could never be persuaded to the contrary, until his head ached, the physician having put a cap of lead on it. The woman that imagined that she had swallowed a Serpent, could never be at rest until she saw one privily conveyed into her stool, which she imagined to have been brought down by the physicians purgation. Another thinking himself dead would eat no meat, because it was not usual for dead men to eat, until he saw one come out of a sheet and at the table before him fall unto his meat. Now as it fares with the body, so may the devil cause it fall out with the soul; make men conceit strange things either by presumption, as these hypocrites, that they were like God, that all was well with them; or by despair to discourage themselves, that they are out of the love and favour of God, and therefore never hope for any mercy; therefore good to make a sudden dispatch of themselves by death: and therefore Serapio calls this humour, the very seat of the devil: and our common speech is, that melancholy is the devils black horse. Again, if a man be of a choleric complexion, hot and dry, it makes him fit for anger, contention, and brawling; the devil will augment it, and make him forget all reason & humanity, and like beasts kill one another: if a man be of a sanguine constitution, hot and moist, then naturally they are merry and jovially disposed: therefore he stirs these persons to wantonness, & uncleanness: if of a phlegmatic constitution, which is cold and moist, than they are heavy and sleepy, and these the devil will notably assail with all manner of idleness, the begetter of all manner of vices. Again, he can play his part with the spirits of the body, which are most excellent, and the very bonds of our soul and body. First, with the natural spirits, he can help forward to great vices: gluttony and drunkenness, make men pass all bonds of sobriety, therefore by the natural spirits he will notably increase the desire of all drunkards and gluttonous livers. It is an admirable thing to consider, what many witches will devour, & yet say they have eaten nothing. By this means the devil keeps men from all good callings, and disposeth them unto all evil. Secondly, for the vital spirits; he can make men lively, quick, & nimble to run about his matters; and again make them dead hearted when they would go about the works God requires: and therefore no marvel why men are so cheerful at plays, bearbaitings, lascivious dancing, and many wicked recreations; when at sermons, and works of their callings, they think every hour a day, and every day a year. Thirdly, for the animal spirits: he makes what he lift of our outward senses: he hath the eye at command to behold vanity; the ear at his beck to listen unto lies; the tongue at will to blaspheme God; the hand at liberty to shed blood; and the feet unfettered to run into all excess of riot: he hath the smell to wind a commodity, though it must be gotten by oppression; he hath the touch most exquisite to finger other men's goods, but as tender as butter to receive any injury. For the inward senses, he hath the commonsense, the very sink and puddle where all the outward senses centre themselves, that a speedy conveyance may be made to the fancy, and so to the judgement, will, and affections, that sin may even have entertainment without all entreaty, & quick dispatch in his business without all controlment or contradiction: the memory in good case, to become a store house for all villainy; and the fancy night nor day to be at rest, until they have found out a tabernacle for the devil with all his instruments to dwell in. These spirits help forward all motions, and surely the devil he will drive the cart and horses: and therefore no marvel if we rush into sin as the horse doth into the battle: for he goes fast enough whom the devil driveth: and therefore seeing that the devil hath so many ways to deal with us, no extraordinary matter to be troubled with him: and as he drives us unto sin, so would he likewise drive us into setting sins before our eyes, especially when the hand of God is upon body or soul, to despair of his mercy, and leave off all our confidence, and cry nothing but reprobation: let us a little see this chief adversary of our soul, that we may the better oppose him. Of the devils wit, will, and power to hurt the godly. The devil for faculty of understanding, is most subtle; for habit most nimble; and policy most expert: Strength without wit, is like a giant without eyes, and the less to be feared; but when there is a quick eye, to discover all advantages; and a mighty strength to strike down all before it, than there must be strange power that can resist. The devil in the Scriptures, is as well a serpent, as a dragon; yea, and an old serpent, which being the subtlest of beasts, hath his craft redoubled by his age and experience: Apoc. 12.9. hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to signify unto us great knowledge. Six thousand years, in a manner, is the time of his age, which were able to make one wise, that were by nature simple and foolish; therefore much more one of an exquisite knowledge by nature: he is a spiritual being, and so is able to dive as it were into the secrets of nature, and with incredible swiftness to pass from place to place, ready to intrude himself into all companies, and learn their natures, qualities, dispositions and order of life: so that our estate is almost unto Satan, as was that of the king of Arams, 2. kin. 6.12. he knoweth all our counsels and consultations, which we take and hold in our most secret chambers: for indeed for the most part, he is the chief counsellor in all matters of sin; and receives such intelligence from our cogitations, affections, lusts, inclinations, and outward actions, that he can shrewdly guess at the frame of the soul, if he keep us company but a few days: by the abuse of simple intelligence, he can teach us how to invent much evil: by the abuse of science, he can become a lying spirit in the hearts of all men, to seduce them to all error and heresy: by the evil discourse of wisdom, he can draw men from one danger to another, and persuade them that all are true diductions; for yield to one sin, and a thousnad will follow out of the devils discourses: by the disorder of prudence, he can teach men that no practice is warrantable, but that which follows their method; and by the evil handling of art, he can seem to be skilful, by nailing men fast unto all their impieties. Hence arise all the devils stratagems: first, against understanding; 2. the will and affections; 3. the body. Against understanding; first, he desires nothing more than to put out that eye, and make men like mill horses, to run round in his service, and when he pleaseth may suffer them to knock out their brains. Secondly, after he hath blinded the mind with ignorance, than he tempts them to error: and thirdly, from error he brings them to heresy, and from heresy he leads them a long to hardness of heart; from hardness of heart, to no sense and feeling of their wretched estate, and then follows all wantonness, uncleanness, unto which they give themselves with greediness: Ephes. 4.17. vanity of mind, brings in darkness of cogitation; darkness of cogitation, estrangeth a man from the life of God: strangers we are with God through ignorance, especially because of the hardness of our hearts, this draws on a senseless conscience, etc. These stratagems are most natural to all, and upon these he builds the rest: first Atheism, that there is no God: secondly, upon that he lays a second, that then there is no worship of God: thirdly, that then there is no word of God: four, that then a man is not to believe that which is preached. Hence all the mystery of a man's salvation, is to wicked men nothing but foolishness: thus he brings men to forsake God, renounce their baptism, and give themselves wholly to his service. After the devil hath thus hammered the understanding, and beaten it out to his own will and bent, he sets upon the will and affections of men, and knowing them to wheel in a wrong course from God, he labours against nothing more, then that they should ever listen unto any means, that might bring them again to run in the ways of God. First therefore, he persuades them, to believe that the word of God is not true: this he did to our first parents, Gen. 3. if he cannot persuade this, because now it hath been confirmed by so many miracles, and shedding of so much blood, that even natural men may as well as devils, believe it to be true, and tremble. Yet he hath a second course, that though they believe this word, yet that faith is either merely historical, or else indeed mere presumption; in which faith millions of souls go to hell. But if he see that the soul will not presume, than he persuades the difficulty of faith, that it is a very hard matter to believe, and thousands that strive for it go without; therefore as good sit still, as strive and be never the better. Others again are persuaded, that such a do for faith is a needless thing; they can content themselves with an ordinary persuasion of God's mercy, and to look for higher mysteries belongs to their teachers, and not to them; these will never try whether they believe or no, but will be content with such as God sends them. Another fort are tempted to think, that the name of a believer is a discredit unto them, and therefore they will never be pointed at as singular. A sixth kind are tempted with their unworthiness: how can the Lord bestow such an excellent grace upon me that am so unworthy? A seventh sort are tempted with the unsoundness of their faith, because they see many imperfections. Eightly, others that they have no faith, because no feeling. Ninth, that their faith may fall as judas faith did. Lastly, that they can never withstand all these tempests, that break in upon them: By all these means the devil labours to draw the will to infidelity; after this he allures the will by large propromises to believe in him, and so brings a miserable slavery upon the will. The affections are moved and tempted of the devil by the baits of prosperity, or else disquieted with adversity to curse God's providence, etc. The body in spirit, humour, temperature, quality, instrument, and substance, is notably tempted, and wrought upon by the devil. Many points might here be cleared, and examples for the illustration of them; I will give one that I have seen by late experience, who inclining to inflammation of his brain, and so unto aphrensie, was tempted to murder himself; and that with this strong persuasion of his fancy, that except he did it speedily, a thousand deaths worse than that would befall him; which thing being falsely apprehended of him, made him presently yield; and having hung up himself by both his garters upon a tree, his garters presently broke; a woman that was weeding in a garden being not far from him, the devil persuaded him that she had cut his garters; and without all question, if he had not been prevented, when he was come complaining unto the woman what an injury she had done him, would presently for that injury, have been tempted to kill the woman: His frenzy growing upon him, and making him so unruly, that they were feign to bind him with ropes, & two or three men watch him, and then his fancy apprehending, that every man he saw, or any creature that came in his sight, was come to kill him, he would always cry, If I had been hanged, I should never have been thus misused. The like hath been in many others, that when they have been about to make away themselves for some distempered humour, have also plotted to kill wife and children, not for that they hated them, but that they should not live in disagrace after their death. All this and much more can the devil do by his great wit and understanding. But perhaps you will say, he is not so malciously bend for his will. I answer, that as he hath understanding to do evil, so he hath a will to do more than he can invent or imagine with his mind. See then the degrees of his malicious will against mankind: First, if we could find in our cowardly hearts to sue for a dishourable peace with the devil, Gods and our enemy, there should be no hope of truce or reconciliation with him: for his malice is not newly conceived, but inveterate; and as ancient within a few days, as the world itself, and for time to come, it is endless and will outlast the world. He was almost burst with envy against Adam in Paradise, and so is he in like manner against all that are raised up again in the second Adam, and have gotten the fee simple of everlasting glory: God's proclamation of open wars, Gen. 3.15. is not yet come to an end, but is to last for ever. Thus than you see malice without all reconciliation, ancient and endless; but yet a fourth degree follows, and that is, that his malice is mortal and deadly, not to a man's goods and possessions, or body or bodily life, but to body and soul, whose destruction is a paradise of joy unto him: therefore is he called Satan, Zac. 3.1. an enemy: Matth. 13.39. a malicious one. Neither is the nature of this enemy to be satisfied with some small revenge, for he is called a murderer, and a manslayer, as though it were his only occupation: neither is he of late fallen to this trade, for he hath professed it from the beginning, like an old hangman, he is fleshed in blood and cruelty. But it may be a savage man may have in him some relics of humanity, and therefore the devil having reason as well as man, may sometimes recall himself by reason, and take some pity: but the Scriptures drives us from this conceit, comparing him unto the most cruel beasts; first a lion, yea a roaring lion after his prey, who being so hungry and ravenous, that he desireth nothing more than to seize upon that which he pursueth, 1. Pet. 5.8. Secondly, that yet we may a little the more conceive of his brutish cruelty, he is compared, Reu. 12.3. to a red dragon, whose fierceness we find in history to exceed all lions: for a lion if he be not hungry, and see one not oppose him, but fall down before him, will not hurt him: but a dragon will devour man's flesh for sport. This malice is open, and so less dangerous; but if he see that we are strongly fortified with God's grace, and at all points armed with complete armour of a Christian; if fenced and hedged on all sides, as job was, job 1.10. then leaving his raging violence, he strives with us by fawning and alluring us to sin: thus with our first parents, to taste of that pleasant fruit, which deprived them of the breastplate of righteousness, and uncocovered them of God's protection, so that ever since that time he hath had full blows without all resistance: hence he is called a tempter, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that tempter, the tempter of tempters: after temptation, he falls to accusation; hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the devil: after accusation, he is very glad that God will any where make him an executioner and hangman: his will then can be no less than maliciousness itself, Eph. 6.12. But you will say, though his will be maliciously bend, yet he wants strength: but let me tell you, that the devil is very strong, both in himself and in his aids. In himself, he can raise great tempests, both by sea and by land: he is compared to the great Leviathan that makes the sea to boil with his motion: as strong upon earth as a lion, a dragon with seven heads, and ten horns, and with his very tail he throws to the ground the third part of the stars of heaven. Luk. 11.21. a strong armed man, who keepeth in peace all that he possesseth: nay, a mighty prince, not of one country or land; but a monarch of the whole world, joh. 12.31. and by his authority, can command infinite multitudes to go for him: neither is this all, but they be called princes, powers, worldly governors, Ephes. 6.12. and that these may not be one against another, they have a head under which they all conspired; Math. 25.41. fire prepared for the devil and his angels: in this sense he is called Beelzebub, the prince of devils: the word signifies a prince of flies, not for their weakness, but mulitudes; even as though they were swarms conjoined together to do mischief; one spirit taketh seven more, Mat. 12.45. nay a legion of devils are spoken of, Luk. 8.30. so that they are a sufficient number, to beset us all, on all sides, and in all places. Lastly, to set forth the advantage he hath of us poor men, they are said to be princes of darkness; and that is lamentable, to fight with an enemy that can see us, but not be seen again. Secondly, they are not enemies of flesh, but spiritual wickednesses; most dangerous, because spirits; and pestilent, because no less than wickedness itself; they will be with us, because they are so swift, and they never come without the plague and pestilence of sin hanging about them. Thirdly, they have gotten the upper ground, and fight from higher places than we can reach unto, being poor silly worms crawling upon the earth: and the Scriptures truly laying open his strength, call him no less than a god of this world, 2. Cor. 4.4. as though he were omnipotent upon earth. But perhaps you will say, he wants courage to his strength: but let me tell you, I find him in the scriptures to be no less than exceeding desperate, and audacious: there was never man that lived, but he had some thing to say with him: Adam in paradise; yea our saviour Christ; nay, Reu. 12.7. there is mention of a battle in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, & the dragon and his angels, etc. But if I should proceed, I should utterly dishearten the poor Christian, and make him despair of any encounter, and hope of victory; yet dare I boldly give the devil his aids, and yet bid the weakest Christian offer the devil his challenge: his aids are two; first the world, secondly his own flesh; the one plays on both hands, with prosperity and adversity; and the other a traitor, always ready to betray him into the hands of his enemies. Having described the devil in his wit, will, and power; let us see if there be any wisdom to oppose him; any will that exceeds as much in goodness unto man, as the devil doth in malice; & any power that can master the devils. For the first, the good angels have more wit than the bad, and yet their wisdom is nothing unto Gods: now the eye of the Lord is on the righteous, and all the holy angels pitch their tents about them: and therefore this counsel shall stand against all the policies of the devil, and the gates of hell shall never prevail. And for the virtues of understanding, God hath intelligence, to cross all the inventions of the devil; science, to preserve his own truth from the lies of the devil; sapience, to draw more good out of evil, than the devil can evil out of good; and for prudence, God can order all that, which he hath laboured to bring to confusion; and for art, the Lord hath more skill to tie his own unto himself, than the devil hath to draw them from him: and for all those stratagems wrought upon the understanding, the Lord can take away the vail of ignorance; preserve from error, hardness of heart, or any thing that might rise out of that head. And for will, and affection, and the whole body, the Lord hath promised and will perform, that his holy ones shall be sanctified throughout, both in body and soul. For the malice of the devils will, we ought to lay to heart the good will and pleasure of our God, which hath said, he will not forsake us: and for power, we may be assured that the devil hath no power, but that which God shall permit unto him: he cannot touch job, until God give him leave; he cannot be a means of Ahabs' ruin, until it please God to yield him that liberty, that he may be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his false prophets: nay, he cannot enter so much as into such creatures as swine, until Christ have given him so much refreshment, before the time of his woeful torture. Secondly, we may fight with courage; for the devil is already chained, and reserved to more strong chains hereafter: jud. v. 6. Thirdly, God hath left us such store of armour of proof, as the devil can never strike through; he may as easily wound God, as wound us being covered with it: he can never lose our girdle of verity, strike through our breastplate of righteousness, uncover our feet being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; his blows can never enter the shield of faith, nor fiery darts pierce the soul, or dry up the waters of the spirit; but faith hath such a river flowing up and down the soul to eternal life, that every dart, be it never so red and scalding hot, is presently quenched. The helmet of salvation will be sure to save the head, for which the hand would be content to be cut off, before it should receive the least blow; therefore the head being free, we need less to fear the danger: and for our hands, we have the sword of the spirit, which is the only weapon that the devil may not endure: buckle on this armour by prayer and watchfulness, and still look the devil in the face, and we shall never receive hurt by him: but if we turn back, then shall we have not any piece of armour to save us from danger. They are princes, but we have the Prince of peace, and angels their superiors, and I doubt not but as many in number as they to fight for us; and these have gotten the upper ground of the devils: and for spiritual wickedness, we have gotten the spirit of grace and goodness, that can move swifter than the devils, to stand by us, and assist us in all our infirmities: let them all make up a god in this world, yet he that rules heaven and earth will laugh them to scorn: trust therefore in God's power, and his aids, and be quiet a little, and these enemies that you see and feel in this world; ye shall never see them, or have cause to seel them hereafter. The three children, Dan. 3. tell the King, they care not for his command: and why? because they know that the God whom they-serue, can deliver them; and if he will not, death shall be as good to them. Christ says, his sheep hear his voice, and follow him, & none shall take them out of his hands; the reason is, because God that gave them him, is stronger than all: Be of good comfort little children, ye have overcome the world: because he that is in you, is stronger than he that is in the world, 1. joh. 4.4. The leper cries, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean: many be our leprosies, and happy are we that we have so good a remedy. We pray for many strange things, but if we observe but the conclusion of the Lords prayer, we may soon gather up our spirits; seeing we know that power belongs unto God, thine is the kingdom, power, and glory. We believe a resurrection, and many other strange things; but our faith needs not to fall, seeing we say and believe that God is almighty, I believe in God the Father almighty: this made Paul to challenge principalities and powers, height and depth, etc. Rom. 8. never had he the least fear, that they should ever be able to separate him from the love of God in Christ jesus. Let us see what comforts in special, may be given to God's children in affliction: for surely every soul shall find with Elijah, 1. kin. 19 fleeing from jezebel, comfort from the very angels of God: yea when they are brought to stand upon the mount before the Lord, they shall see the Lord pass by, and a mighty strong wind rend the mountains, and break the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the winds: and after the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake: after the earthquake came fire, but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, came a still and foft voice; and in that was the Lord found: Oh the goodness of the Lord, that in all the winds, earthquakes, and fires, that he makes to pass before his children, will not be seen in them! for than should every one of us be consumed, and utterly confounded; yet will he be found in the still and soft voice. It is an usual custom, before great Potentates come unto their palaces, to have a peal of ordinance to be shot off before their approach: so the Lord by this fear makes way, that the King of glory may come in, and dwell with the soul. God hath diverse means to bring up his children, law and gospel, judgement and mercy: in the giving of the law, there was thunder, lightning, and earth quakes; yet the Lord was heard in a still voice to deliver his law. God's scholars must stand as well at the foot of mount Ebor, to hear the curse, as at mount Gerison, to hear the blessings: the one prepares, the other enters more easily, to give the heart her due comfort; Moses, Deuter. 28. is full of curses and blessings: God hath many a good David to rule over his people, as well as hard hearted Pharaoh to school them; he hath more good Prophets to bless them, then wicked Balaams' to curse them; he hath an evangelical Isaiah, to lift them up with promises of the Gospel, as a lamenting jeremiah, to cast them down with woes and lamentations: he hath an Hosea and Zechariah to teach them in Enigmas, and dark sentences, and many other to be as plain as heart can wish: he hath many a Paul, I beseech you brethren; as well as sons of thunder, to make us quake and tremble: yea, and always this is the end of all afflictions, a gracious sufficit: 2. Sam. 24.16. it is sufficient, hold now thy hand. Now what the Lord doth either in prosperity or adversity, often we see not; and therefore we lose the comfort of it. The birth of an infant, borne and increasing, is not apprehended presently: even so is it with us in our heavenly birth, & spiritual regeneration; the spirit worketh without our leave, and acquainteth us not with his marvelous working more than is expedient at his pleasure, when and in what measure for our comfort. Therefore let us take heed that God say not unto us as he did unto job, cap. 38.2. who is this that darkeneth the counsel by words without knowledge? who are you that interrupt the ways of God, and labour to prevent his counsels? be sober and patiented, and you shall in the end receive the cup of salvation, instead of these bottles of vinegar and tears; and in stead of the bread of affliction, the heavenly manna, and the bread of life from the table of God, and of Christ. In the mean time I commend unto every soul in affliction these heads of comfort, which I will show unto him in all the causes: First, in the efficient causes; principal, less principal: Principal; first the promise of God, 1. Cor. 10.13. God is faithful, therefore will he suffer no temptation to be above our ability, but will even give the issue with the temptation, that we may be able to bear it. Secondly, his promise is grounded upon his power: Col. 1.11. Strengthened with all might, through his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness: which power is manifested in those two things, which grounds the confidence of all in the world, and that is, that the promiser be a man of sufficiency, and will also effect that which he hath promised: the first makes it possible in the thing; the second makes it to exist in me: now we shall find both these in the Lord; which indeed grounds our faith in all particulars. But here is need of particular application, and therefore we shall find them both applied unto affliction: I may well believe God with ease in prosperity; but hoc opus, hic labor est, this is pain and toil to believe in affliction: mark then these two places; first, for God's sufficiency, 2. Cor. 12.9. my grace is sufficient for thee: secondly, for God's efficiency, Isa. 43.2. when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the floods, that they do not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. This is more manifested in the manner of working; first, in the Father, because of his relation; a father can do nothing which shall not be for the good of his sons: Heb. 12.5. in affliction he speaks as unto children, my son despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him. Hence all is in love, Heb. 12.6. Whom he loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son that he receiveth: secondly, this love must purge us, joh. 15.2. Every one that beareth fruit, he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit: for when we begin to grow wild, he correcteth our haughtiness, and cools our courage by some affliction or other, to cut short our horns, lest we like bulls of Bashan, should push at the godly: the Lord sends fire, thieves, oppression, to let us blood in our riches, lest we should be too rank, and grow into a surfeit. Hence we may gather, that the Lord hath means to save us, and give us consolation in his good time, 2. Cor. 1.4. so that this cannot be in wrath, Psal. 39.5. and therefore the Father doing this, it must needs return unto our good, Heb. 12.10. The second manner of working, is in regard of Christ jesus: for afflictions are indeed curses, but Christ became a curse for us; and so as by sin blessings became curses, so by Christ curses became blessings: therefore the Apostle calls it, a gift, a matter of God's liberality to become a sufferer: Phil. 1.29. for unto you it is given for Christ, that not only ye should believe in him, but also suffer for his sake: as though it were a greater matter of commendation to suffer, then believe: hence Paul can be content in all estates, Phil. 4.13. The third manner of working is, in regard of the holy Ghost, who is the comfortet of the faithful, and therefore shall they be sure to want no comfort; this makes the bodily absence of Christ, better than his presence, joh. 16.7. These are the principal causes, able to support the soul without any more: yet God is rich in comfort; for the less principal causes are weighty, and more ready at hand; as first the word of God, with the ministery thereof: Afflictions work best in men when they come with the word; jehosaphat was more humbled by the speech of jehu the seer, than he was being compassed about with an host of enemies. Add we unto these the graces of God's spirit in the hearts of the faithful: we must overcome grief with patience, and eat out and burn out the temptation by faith, and purge distrust in God's promises by perseverance in prayer: Grief naturally is heavy, and lies as lead at the heart, and consequently presseth us downward, so that faith and prayer, must keep the heart and hands, the voice and eyes upward: if we can call, it shows we are children of hope, hanging at the breast; for grace is like the stone that Aaron and Hur put under Moses, that he might sit upon it; and the exercise of it is as Aaron and Hur, holding up Moses weak hands; which while they are steady, make Israel prevail against the Amalakites: but when they shrink down, Amalek prevails: Even so is it with Christians, they sit upon the corner stone Christ jesus, but their hands and knees fainting in the exercises of prayer, and other graces of God's spirit, makes the devil our cursed Amalek prevail against us: but the Lord will never leave us without good Aaron's and Hurs', to help to stay up our hands, until the going down of the sun, and then shall Amalck utterly be discomfited. More specially I bring a threefold combination of grace, with one single, to run through every one of them. The first combination is of knowledge and conscience: knowledge, 2. Tim. 1.12. I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed: secondly conscience, which is a continual feast; & therefore he that hath a good conscience, may always keep a good house, and be a cheerful man all the days of his life. The second combination is prayer & faith; prayer as a watchword stirs up in the soul, and musters up together an army of heavenly soldiers; yea and God the chief general to send present aid to beat back all the force of the enemy, and all of them fall backward; even as the great multitude that came to take our Saviour Christ. Again, faith stays the hand of God continually: it is a most sure stancher of blood; so that if any affliction lie upon us, it is for want of faith. Moses was rebuked of the Lord for the not circumcising of his son, his faith was weak, and his wife in performing that duty was almost without faith: yet the Lord departed away, and spared both. Third combination is patience and wisdom: Patience, Luk. 21.19. by your patience possess your souls: the service and worship of God in affliction, is patience: now wisdom is most excellent, for it teacheth us to descend down into our own souls, and plead guilty; but there it leaves us not, as foolish persons, to lie pleading with the jailor or hangman for a pardon; but presently brings us up again, and maketh us ascend unto the judge in heaven, with a pardon received at the hands of his Son to entreat for mercy, and that with full assurance, because in the pardon the grant is specified which the Lord will never forget: This makes us see the true cause of our misery: 2. Sam. 6.16. what have I to do with you ye sons of Servia; he curseth even because the Lord hath bidden him curse David; who dare then say, wherefore hast thou done it? thus our wisdom teacheth us to see the cause, and then look to his mercy, and consider that his hand is not a destroying hand, but a saving. A man that falls into sickness, if it come whilst he is in his calling, he is then less grieved, then if he should have brought it upon him by surfeiting, and have hatched it by his ill courfes: even so it comes to pass in the sicknesses of the soul; If I was using the means of godliness in sincerity of heart, then shall I be assured that all this is either to free me from some sin, or else confirm me in some good work begun in me. Secondly, if in wisdom we would so provide, that afflictions might not quail us when they come; then let us in the time of prosperity and quietness of soul, cut off all head strong affections, as grief, sorrow, and such like, and then shall they not in our trouble prevail against us. Lastly, learn to deny ourselves, and all our own reason: Luk. 9.23. if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. The last thing requisite in all these, is the keeping of a good memory; yea, though our trouble be past, yet still with fear to remember the hand of the Lord. The deliverance of the children of Israel is often repeated in the Scriptures, and surely for good ends, because naturally we forget the works of God, and his noble acts of ancient time: which if they were faithfully treasured up, would do us much good in our times of need: for either we must think that God is not able to help us, or if he be able, yet we are unworthy of his help: if we doubt of his power; see what he did for Israel in Egypt, in the red sea, the wilderness, and among all their enemies: If we think we are unworthy, then still think on Israel, the worst people on the face of the earth: for they were always provoking the holy one of Israel. Psal. 34.5.6. Ye shall look unto him, and run unto him, and their faces shall not be ashamed, this poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. And thus much of the efficient causes; the matter follows out of which we are to draw some special comfort. The matter of affliction is punishment and action: Punishment therefore a moral good, action therefore a positive good. The moral good, first it corrects sin past, by opening our eyes to see it, by humbling of us, and bringing of us to meditation of heaven and heavenly things. Secondly, it cures sin present, by crossing of our nature. Thirdly, it prevents sin to come. Fourthly, it tries what is in our hearts. All this doth a wicked man no good: for the punishment is nothing but an execution of god's vengeance upon them: but to the godly it is a schoolmaster to bring them unto Christ. For the second, the work of affliction, though in itself a positive good, because an action; yet it works but woefully in the ungodly, but most comfortably in the children of God: Heb. 12.11. it brings forth the sweet and quiet fruit of righteousness unto all them that are exercised: for it is a most certain thing in God's children, that the more their afflictions grow, the more their faith groweth; the more Satan strives to draw them from God, the more they draw near unto God, although in feeling they see not so much. The third cause is the form, making an essential difference betwixt the afflictions of the godly, and of the wicked. They are in the godly corrections of love for their good, but in the wicked the vengeance of God to their everlasting perishing. The fourth & last, is the end: first in regard of Christ, Phil. 1.20. to magnify him, and therefore an honour unto his Saints. Secondly, in regard of ourselves, 2. Cor. 1.9. not to trust in ourselves: good to lay aside vain confidence. Thirdly, for our vocation, 1. Pet. 2.21. good to accomplish the end of our vocation. Fourthly, good in their own use: all his well that ends well: joh. 16.20. Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. To proceed to another demonstration; that afflictions are good and comfortable, may appear in the fruits of it: which are either within us, or without us. The first, is called the mortification of the flesh, or the crucifying of the lusts thereof. The second, is called the mortification of the outward man by manifold afflictions. To this is required a good cause. Secondly, patience voluntary, not perforce; not mercenary, but to show our obedience. Thirdly, constant, not for a brunt. Fourthly, for a good end. Now their is nothing in these afflictions but joy: these will never gall the conscience, but make it stout and courageous: therefore let us see the effects of the other. First, it openeth the ear: job. 33.16. than he openeth the ears of men even by their corrections which he hath sealed. Secondly, it brings forth grief, and is very necessary to bring on other effects. Grief we know would feign have ease whereof it is, and it laboureth always to lay itself open, and to move pity, it seareth nothing more than to be hidden: for which cause nature hath given more helps to bewray this affection then any other; as heaviness of countenance, hanging down of the forehead, moving of the eyes, tears, sighs, and groans: it teacheth eloquence, and maketh us to change our speeches, and so we learn to amplify the causes of our woe: so that falling on any object of our grief, we are loath to departed from speaking of it: we double our speeches on that theme: we know the matter of Ezekias grief forced his tongue to touch it twice, my tongue, my tongue shall praise thee. When our Saviour Christ spoke of doctrine, he never doubles his words, but is content to utter it in a word: but when he came to the rebellion of jerusalem, it touched him so nearly that he cries, Oh jerusalem, jerusalem: and David when he lights upon his son Absalon, O Absalon, Absalon, O my son Absalon. Thirdly, after grief it makes us loath and detest ourselves: job. 42.6. therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Fourthly, to seek unto God: Hos. 5.15. Psal. 78.34. when he slew them, they sought him, and they returned and sought the Lord early. jer. 31.18. I have heard Ephraim lamenting thus, Thou hast corrected me, and I was chastised as an untamed calf: convert thou me, and I shall be converted: after that I converted, I repent, and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Lastly, from the subject: Colos. 1.24. I fulfil the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my body: an excellent subject that may be annexed unto Christ: 1. Pet. 4.13. rejoice, in so much that ye are made partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when he shall appear ye may be glad and rejoice. Phil. 1.29. a high privilege to be a sufferer, for it is given unto us as a special donation: and therefore their be heads enough of yielding comfort to every afflicted soul. I know none to be tossed and turmoiled more in soul than the godly, and yet none more free from danger then they: Psa. 88 David hath all God's waves go over him, v. 17. They came round about him daily like water, and compassed him together. A seafaring man labours for nothing more, when he is under a dangerous storm, then to thrust in his ship at any crick for a shelter, until the storm be overblown: and a man plunged in the water will catch at any rope, and having gotten hold, will part with his life before he will part with his handfast: so a Christian being tumbled up and down in the waters of affliction, labours the more for his shelter, and what he lays hold of, he will not part with it: now whom have they in heaven and earth to rest upon beside God? and if all the world should counsel them, curse God and die; they would answer, you speak like fools, shall we receive good of God, and not be content to bear evil, seeing we have deserved it? When I usually come unto these distressed souls, and find them floating up and down, and crying, we are drowned in the deep ocean of our sins, and God hath not only forgotten his mercies unto us, but remembers that we were made for his wrath: Well, if it be so, then forsake God, renounce your faith; yet let me hear, if you dare open your mouths to speak against God, or ever suffer a cogitation of such blasphemy to enter your souls: yea if God himself should rap you on the fingers, and say, what have you to do with my mercies? yet you will not part with your hold; and therefore never resolve of this fearful apprehension, until you can resolve to curse God, and die for ever; but this you neither can, shall, nor will do. But yield that a passion hath broken out in in your hot fits: Why Lord, thou art not my father: do you think that God will be as rash again, to say, Away, you are not my children. Suppose one of your own children should fall into a burning fever, and in the extremity of the heat should cry out against his father, nay strike him with his fists; would the father be as hasty as the child? no, no: but with passion cry and weep, al●●, my child is distempered with heat, I know how he loved me in health, and now is it my part to love him the more, and do any thing for him; passions ought not to be the rule of my love, but the dutiful obedience of my child: So God may even suffer hard words of his children, but not to distaste them for any such matter, but love them, and care the more to do them good. 1. Kin. 20. Benhadad the King of Aram is lusty against the King of Israel, v. 3. thy silver and thy gold are mine, also thy women, and thy fair children are mine: non victoriam, sed insignia victoriae reportavit: his hot words are soon cooled, v. 31. and he sees his folly: yet mark the counsel of his servants; We have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are merciful Kings, we pray thee let us put sackcloth about our loins, and ropes about our necks, and go out to the King of Israel: it may be that he will save thy life: this is granted, and they come to the king, and say, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me live: and the king said, is he yet alive? he is my brother: now it is said they had resolved to take diligent heed, if they could catch any thing of him: here they have enough, and they make the echo to ring, thy brother Benhadad. In like manner, if you conceit you have spoken presumptuous words against the great God of heaven, and he hath met with you, and now by his hand hath driven you into a secret chamber, remember that God was the King of the kings of Israel, and therefore far more merciful than Ahab, or any king that ever was borne among them; put on sackcloth, and thrust your necks into a rope, (but not as these villains do that dispatch themselves) and come in all humble manner, yet resolve that your faith shall catch hold, and that you will take diligent heed to what the Lord shall answer; and as soon as you hear the Lord say, believe, and you shall be saved; make a present echo, Lord, I believe, help mine unbelief. I have continued the longer upon this point, because I see poor Christians monstrously perplexed with this sentence of placing sin before the conscience, God grant it may take place, and yield them comfort to their hearts desire. And thus having freed the godly from the application of this fearful sentence, I bring it to the wicked, and assure them, that whatsoever fearful thing they have heard in all this discourse, it of right belongs unto them, and whatsoever else can be said of the terrors of conscience: Oh therefore consider this, ye that forget God, for this shall tear you in pieces, and there shall be none that can deliver you. Alas, of all kinds of misery that can befall unto man, none is so lamentable as this, because it riseth of the sense of God's wrath, & revenging hand against the guilty soul of a sinner. Other calamities afflict the body, and part only of our nature: this the soul which carrieth the whole into society of the same misery. Such as are of the body (though they approach nigher the quick than poverty, or want of necessaries for maintenance of this life) yet they fail in degree of misery, and come short of that which this forceth upon the soul: the other touch those parts where the soul commandeth, poverty, nakedness, sickness, and other of that kind are mitigated with a mind resolute in patience, or endued with wisdom to ease that which grieveth, by supply of remedy: this seizeth upon the seat of wisdom itself, and chargeth upon all the excellency of understanding, and grindeth into powder all that standeth firm, and melteth like the dew before the sun whatsoever we reckon of as support of our defects, and subdueth that wherewith all things else are of us subdued: The cause, the guilt, the punishment, the revenge, and the ministers of the wrath, all concurring together in more forcible sort (and that against the universal estate of our nature, not for a time but for ever) then in any other calamity whatsoever. Here the cause is neither wound or surfeit, shipwreck or spoil, infamy or disgrace; but all kind of misery joined together, with a troubled spirit, feeling the beginnings, and expecting with desperate fear, the eternal consummation of the indignation and fierce wrath of God's vengeance against the violation of his holy commandments; which although it take not away in this life the use of outward benefits, yet doth the internal anguish bereaves us of all delight of them; and better without them, then in such sort to enjoy them. This is not liable to human laws, and to come under the censure of earthly judges but to the divine laws of God, and the censure executed with her own hands; which censure is a separation from God's favour, the creator and blesser of all things, the fountain of all peace and comfort. Now what creature being the work of his own hands, dare comfort and cheer us with any consolation? or what assurance of escape if we would flee? the punishment hath no misery to compare with it, the sense of it passeth the capacity of man: for as blessedness with God, is above all conceit of man's bear't, and report of tongue: so the contrary estate exceedeth all understanding of the mind, and utterance of speech; and is such as is above measure unhappy and most miserable, inflicted by God's revenge, who is himself a consuming fire, & whose wrath once kindled, burneth to the bottom of hell. Again, the minister of revenge is without all compassion: he will not be content with jobs riches and possessions, but he urgeth skin for skin; would have God permit him to stretch out his hand to touch his bones and flesh: neither there would he satisfy himself, but even against God's express commandment, if it were possible, bring his life into the dust: neither there would he rest, until he had brought him to damn both body and soul. Now if God would but look on, as he did while the devil was beating job, it would wonderfully refresh the wicked, though the Lord meant never to help them: but alas, he will not vouchsafe them the lest countenance, but suffer the devil to torment and rack them to the uttermost of his power. Therefore as he hath mourthered the souls of infinite men, he shall be praying on them for ever: Oh woeful estate! I know not what to say of it; our life and length of days will forsake us, the devil worse than all tyrants, savage beasts, harpies, vultures, yea then all the creatures of God, shall seize upon us: our consciences, with a worm that never dieth shall gnaw upon us; surely for want of words I must leave it: therefore every one as he loves the good of his own soul, let him be admonished, to think of this fearful sentence; I will set thy sins in order before thee. Reasons. First, because the conscience is made of God a little judge and witness of all our deeds and actions; and therefore must be join with the Lord against his own subject. Reas. 2. Because wicked men should be happy, if it were not for their consciences; therefore must the Lord needs awake them to see their misery. Reas. 3. That his law may have his effect, and that the power of him may be made manifest: whereby God may be glorified, the wicked ashamed for putting out so good a light, and fret and gnash with their teeth, that they regarded not so good admonitors as the law of God, and their own conscience did continually set before their eyes. Reas. 4. That their misery might be perpetual, and dispossess them of all joy, it is necessary that the Lord should make their sins ever to stand before the eyes of their conscience. Use 1. Reprehension: confutation of the wicked, that they would never consider of their sins, but still did forget God and his law, putting them far from them: but now shall they be sure to have both sin and punishment; God and his law, to draw so near them, that they could wish themselves to be nothing, or at least that the very mountains and rocks might fall upon them: a burden more easy to bear, than the least touch of their conscience, seeing their sin, feeling their punishment, from the law accusing, and God himself revenging the violation of the same. Secondly, a correction of the godly, that they be not too cruel unto their own souls, conceiving that the Lord hath done unto them, as he hath done unto the wicked; when indeed it is rather their own fancy assisted by their corruption, that makes them judge so miserably of themselves, as though they were reprobates, and with Cain cast out of the presence of God for ever: yet let them know that is but the tenderness of the conscience, and not that violent haling of them to the stake, which is in the wicked; whose consciences strike against the law, as stones and hammers, that would rather have the law broken, than themselves to be broken and hammered by it. Use 2. Instruction: first, admonition to the wicked, that they be not so cruel unto themselves; but consider that every sin they commit, is the stabbing and wounding of their consciences; and he that stabs often the self-same place, will be sure to bring out his heart blood, and make a most fearful end: for though the wounds of the conscience bleeding fresh, are not so sensible; yet being festered, and full of corruption, having no oil of grace powered into them, shall be extraordinary sores, and so miserably felt of the patiented, that when the Lord shall touch them, they shall roar, and gnash with their teeth, for the extremity of the pain. Secondly, direction to the godly, to be most tender for the eye of their conscience: We use the eye of the body most tenderly, and great is our care to safeguard it, much more ought we to tender the eye of our soul, being far more excellent than the eye of the body. Use 3. Consolation: first, in all distress to know that it is a happy thing to bear the yoke in our youths, to know our diseases betimes, and have our sins discovered; for than is there hope of cure: but if they continue until old age, then will they be in greater danger. Secondly, in all our welfare to labour for the assurance of a good conscience, which is our best felicity. Application of the whole sentence in the two last verses. Want of consideration makes men forget God, and both these are forerunners of God's vengeance, and everlasting destruction: therefore the admonition is to all wicked and godless men, that betimes they arraign themselves, call a jury, try their ways, and examine their own hearts how they stand with God: for it seems their estate is very lamentable. First, in that they are styled forgetters of God, and he that forgets God, cannot but forsake God: jer. 2.12. Oh ye heavens, be astonished at this; be afraid and utterly confounded, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to dig them pits, even broken pits that can hold no water. Oh generation, take heed to the word of the Lord, consider in your minds, ponder in your hearts, and observe in your ways, whether the Lord hath been as a wilderness unto you; or as a land of darkness? Oh consider what a mischief you have procured unto yourselves, in that you have forsaken the Lord your God, which hath lead you by the way, and hath been as a familiar friend unto you; nay as a prince to command heaven & earth to give you safe-conduct through all the dangers and perils that might befall you: Can a maid forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet you for whom I have done all this, have forgotten me days without number. But if you will not consider, then assure you selves, that your own wickedness shall correct you, and your turnings back shall reprove you: know therefore and behold, that it is an evil thing, and bitter, that you have forgotten the Lord your God, and that his fear is not in you: and if you will not know and behold, then assure yourselves that I will tear you in pieces, and there shall be none to deliver you: though you should wash yourselves with nitre, and take much soap, yet your iniquity shall be marked before me; so that I will never forget your transgression, but will visit them upon you for ever and ever in the place of easlesse and endless torments. For my Saints in whom I delight, come let us reason together: Though your sins were as crimson, they shall be as white as snow: though they were red as scarlet, yet shall they be as wool: wash you therefore, make you clean; take away the evil of your works from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, etc. consent and obey, that ye may eat the good things of the land: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it: he that offereth praise shall glorify me, and to him that disposeth his way aright, will I show my salvation. Neither let the slanders, reproaches, and disgraces of the world withdraw you from your honest conversation: for the world is but as a beggar, that while the travailer seems to look upon him, cries nothing but good your worship; but as soon as his back his turned, and the hope of his gain is gone, converts his reverence into railing, his blessings into curses, and good prayers into damnable execrations; but I hope the honest man is never the worse: so the world as long as we can smile on it, we shall have many good words and kind salutations; but when we give over to run into the self-same excess of riot with them, then shall we have them speak all manner of evil of us: when the town is on fire, the bells ring out and make a strange and an unaccustomed jangling, and every one cries out to his neighbour for a pail of water to quench the fire withal: so if any Christian be fired with a love of God, and make his household burn in the fervency of the spirit; the flame of this fire doth so trouble his next neighbour, that every time he hears them at their accustomed prayers, or singing of psalms, he is so troubled in mind, and afraid of his own house, that he cannot be quiet until he rings all his bells backward-way, and gather together as many as he can with their pails of water to quench this fire: for alas, as long as he sees or hears of this fire, he is afraid lest the fire of hell should kindle in his conscience, and so deprive him of all his peace and quietness that he labours to maintain by his profaneness and wretched living: but whosoever thou art that hast gotten this fire of God's grace into thine own house, let it burn outward; if it burn thy neighbour's house, God shall forgive thee, & I know no law against thee: this I am sure of, that if to convert one to righteousness, shall cause a godly man to shine as the sun in the firmament, much more if thou convert a whole household: these fires are no dangerous fires, and I am afraid, for want of these fires, the Lord hath kindled many fires in our land within these few years: This fire I tell you would not only quench these fires among us, but the fire of sin within us; yea, and that most fearful fire of all the rest, even the fire of hell. Christian's must reserve the top of their affections for God: in other objects fear exceeds, here no ecstasy is high enough: a man of spirit, cannot brook a sluggard in his work; and a sloth full messenger is as vinegan to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes: sharpness of wit counts dullness, tediousness; now the Lord is all spirit, and means thou to serve, and yet not in spirit and truth: the angels his swift messengers are flow and cold enough; and therefore thinks thou that God will take pleasure in thy drowsieand heavy service? men choose the forwardest dear for the game, and the liveliest colt for the rod: and therefore think not but God delights in the quickest and cheerfullest servitors at his table: Christ says to judas, that which thou dost, do quickly: and God commanded that the neck of the consecrated ass should be broken, rather than offered up in sacrifice: it was rather a curse then a blessing, that Issachar should be a strong ass: now an ass is the hierogliphic of heaviness; & therefore their service was unfit for God's house: judah must be as a lion, that never comes without spoil; and so must all the people be that Shiloh hath gathered together, since that sceptre of power and dignity departed from judah. Elisha the Prophet of the Lord, is called the horsemen and chariots of Israel; and so must good Christians be as a fiery chariot, and a ready horseman; nay, in the plural number, horsemen and chariots; too strong and swift for all those that shall follow them. The sluggard, he cries a lion is in the way; but tell Samson and David so, and they will out to meet him: Tell a timorous magistrate of some dangerous opposite, and he will seek to please; yet let Nehemiah hear but of a Samballat, and he will presently cry for shame, shall such a man as I fear? Tell Caleb of Anakims', and he will be so hasty as that nothing should hold him, let us go up at once: Let Agabus bind Paul, or let him hear that in every city bands await him, and he will not long delay their expectation; nay, he is not only ready for bands, but death too: Tell Inbentius he must lay down his life, and before you have spoken, he hath laid down his clothes: Tell Luther of enemies in Worms, and he will go, though all the tiles of their houses were devils to pull him in pieces. Prou. 30. Agar speaks of four things stately in their kind: job. 39.40.41. hears God set forth his majesty, by the horse, and Leviathan, etc. to the four first, I add a fift, comprehending and excelling them all: namely, the true Christian, strong and bold as a lion: swift as the greyhound in the ways of God's commandments: as nimble as the goat, to climb the steep and craggy rocks in this world; like jonathan and his armour bearer that crept upon their hands and feet the sharp rocks to fight against the Philistims. Lastly, victorious Kings to overcome the world, and his lusts: Leviathan laughs at the spear, and the horse neight at the trumpet: so these valiant champions, to take the kingdom of heaven, fear neither the noise of the world, nor the glittering of the spear; but through fire and water, carry their lives in their hands, embrace stake and faggot; say to father and mother, I know you not: to carnal counsellors and friendly enemies, get you behind me Satan: surely if Christians were not some admirable persons, the devil and the world would not so hate them; and except they were extremely wise, they should never be counted for such madmen, 2. Cor. 5.13. Festus makes a mad objection, as though much learning should make a man lose his wit; but Paul makes a sober answer, Oh noble Festus, I speak the words of truth and soberness. Truly a Christian can never be in his right wits, till he seem to the world to be beside himself. But you will say, it were well if you could keep a mean, for that is the golden rule wherein virtue consists: but I answer you, it is a mean betwixt two kinds, but not degrees; for virtue is an extreme to vice; and he that cannot be as hot for virtue, as men are for their vices, is not worthy of her: Take heed I beseech you, of this philosophy; for Aristotle never knew any so mean virtue, as most professors count it now a days. But you will say again, some discretion would do well: I answer, such discretion as the world likes of, I am sure will eat up all zeal; of the two extremes we should most fear lukewarmness; and as one hath said wittily, rather let your milk boil over, then be raw. But alas, now the world hath left off reasoning with God's people, and are directly fallen to scoffing, young Saints will prove but old devils; these hot-spurres will soon run themselves out of breath, these singular follows are so odd and puritane-like, that they are fit to live in no society: yet for all this, may a good Christian say, with that which most call puritanism, I desire to worship God; for what is the fault in these men? is it because they have a delight to hear God's word, use prayer, conference, and other good means of their salvation? no, all these they confess are good; but because they are hypocrites: alas God knows the heart, and therefore go on; for if your hearts be good, even these scoffers will they nill they, speak well of you: I am sure, Christ calls for singularity, and presseth and urgeth it; what singular thing do ye, or what odd thing do ye? shall God's peculiar people do nothing peculiar? I believe none shall ever please Christ, till they appear at odds with the world; strange and precise, and yet for all this need not be over just: God hath bidden us dispose our ways aright; and the Lord grant we may do it, and then we shall not need to doubt, but the Lord in his good time will show unto us the perfection of our salvation. Amen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. News to the world of God's arraignement-day, And yet no man, what have I done will say? The evidence is clear, God's patience past, Expect no less than judgement at the last. World's pomp soon past, that pastime turns to pain, And pain, past-time, makes sorrows to remain. That rod is good, in God's appointed time, Which to our good, his praise, converts each crime. Learn by the rod, in heart to kiss the hand, This makes a father's love, fast ever stand. A Table of the general contents handled in this Book. Chap. I. 1. Religion. 1, 2, 3. 2. Coherence, from the 6. to 17. 3. Means of practice. 12, 13. Chap. II. 1. Trial of hypocrites. 18. to 27. 2. God's wisdom how learned. 27 3. Explication of the words. 29 4. Actions no subject of sin. 30 5. Of God's decree of sin. 47. to 160 6. sins order in God's law. 160 to 168. 7. sins order in the conscience. 168. Chap. III. 1. God just and merciful. 173 2. Against passive obedience. 175 3. Reproof necessary. 179 4. God's visitation. 181 5. Order. 138 6. Wicked men's conclusions. 184 to 217 7. Against blessing-witches. 192 8. Of sin and silence. 217 Chap. FOUR 1. Of God's knowledge. 220 2. Of God's integrity. 227 3. Of God's equity. 231 Chap. V 1. Of God's silence. 233 2. Misery, the object. 243 3. Of wicked thoughts. 247 4. The conceit of hypocrites 282 Chap. VI 1. Of reproving sin. 286 2. Of the ordering of it. 316 Chap. VII. 1. Of the nature of conscience. 346 2. Of the kinds. 347 3. Of the misery. 347 4. How in a Christian. 347 5. The fountain. 348 6. How in melancholy. 349 7. Whether that be of conscience. 349 8. Differences. 349 9 Swaggerers persuasions, or Physicians to distressed consciences. 351 10. When no fancy. 352 11. A wound unmatchable. 352 to 354 12. Distemper cannot hinder inward comfort. 355 13. Whom they befall. 356 14. Means to produce them. 356 15. Whether a Christian may truly despair. 360 16. Graunds of comfort. 361 17. Faith may be without feeling. 372 18. Grounds of temptation. 379 19 How the devil tempts. 380 20. Of his will, wit, and power. 387 21. Of greater will, wit, & power. 393 22. The special comforts. 395 23. The greatest torment of the wicked. 405 24. The general use. 408 Faults escaped. Read, pag. 8. line. 10. adulterers. p. 23. l. 22. pierce. p. 24. l. 21. for no husbandman, a husbandman. p. 26. l. 3. foot. p. 35. l. 36. hear. p. 51. l. 18. out. p. 61. l. 23. determines. p. 72. l. 35. God. p. 83. l. 31. leave out, this is contingent. p. 107. l. 13. down. p. 112. l. 34. act. p. 131. l. 35. produced. p. 151. l. 20. virtues. p. 162. l. 15. put off. p. 163. l. 9 book. p. 186. l. 33. to what. p. 188. l. 19 yet let them. p. 204. l. 9 world. p. 223. l. 29. direction. p. 228. l. 16. morning. p. 256. l. 6. declare. p. 157. l. 25. hell. p. 280. l. 22. and though as meek as lambs. p. 325. l. 32. serve the Lord. pag. 372. l. 29. resolute. p. 373. l. 3. faith. FINIS.