the voice of the lord, saith, cry. d. w. (dorothy white) approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the voice of the lord, saith, cry. d. w. (dorothy white) sheet ([ ] p.). [s.n.], london : printed in the year, . signed: dorothy white. reproduction of original in the friends' library (london, england). created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng judgment of god. apocalyptic literature. broadsides -- england -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the voice of the lord , saith , cry . and what shall i cry , oh! the day of the lord god hasteneth , and is coming upon all proud flesh , upon the lofty and the high-minded , upon all the tall cedars ; and the sword of the lord god is drawn to cut down all fruitless trees : and this is the cry of the lord god of heaven , which is gone forth against you unjust justices , with all the false judges , with whom we are to contend for the truth and faith of our lord jesus christ , who is come again with power and great glory ; against whom , the rulers and the judges of the earth take counsel , who are combinding together against the lord of glory , and his holy anointed , who are blessed for ever : and this is the day of the lord god , wherein we warn you , again and again , to repent of your evil deeds , your works of darkness , which you are working in the night which is over you . behold thick darkness hath covered you , and the clouds of the night hath infolded you , and your eyes are yet blinded , that you cannot see the signes of the times , nor yet discern the coming of the son of man ; surely , if you did but see the glimerings of the day of god , you would not thus make war against his glorious appearance : a lamentation could i take up for you , as the lord jesus did over jerusalem of old , who killed the prophets , who stoned them that were sent to preach repentance , over whom he wept and said , oh jerusalem , jerusalem ! that killest the prophets , and stonest them that were sent unto thee ; do you not do the same , who are halling and persecuting , and imprisoning the innocent people , who fear the lord god , and for no other thing do suffer for , but for truth , and for righteousness sake ; a woful day is coming upon you all from the righteous god of heaven , who hath determined to bring it , and it is even at your doors , although you will not believe it , although it be declared unto you ; you despisers and wonderers , you shall surely perish if you repent not ; and as sure as the lord liveth , he will plead with you , by the sword of his eternal vengeance ; and woe unto you who are decreeing unrighteous decrees , who are seeking by all subtilty to ensnare the just ; but away with your abominations , we see the subtilty of the devil , whose servants ye are , and so we may call you , as christ did your fore-fathers , who said , they were of the seed of abraham their father , but they were of their father the devil , whose works they did . the same you do now , and the vengeance of god must come upon you , then shall you see the king of glory appear in flames of consuming fire , rewarding you , the workers of iniquity ; then shall the witness of god be awakned in every one of your consciences , although it be now as it were asleep , although the son of god is slain in the streets of sodom , when the blood of the covenant is trampled under by you the uncircumcised in heart and ears , who cannot indure the truth when it is spoken ; but there is a witness of god in every conscience of you ; this you shall know awakned in the day that is coming , and this shall arise to your condemnation , and then your consciences condemning you , god is greater , and will condemn you also ; and then whither will you fly ? i tell you the mountains shall not cover you , neither shall the rocks hide you from the flames of his wrath , when he appeareth to judgement : therefore you judges on earth come forth , arise you dead to the judgement of the great day of the lord god , who is arising to judge you according to your works ; therefore i say in the power of the living god , and by his holy spirit , you shall be unthroned , and thrown down , the mouth of the lord of host hath spoken it ; and your kingdom shall be laid waste , and your dwelling places made desolate without inhabitants ; your habitation is a habitation of unclean spirits , the devil keepeth your house , by whose power you rule ; but woe unto the earth , and to the sea , for the devil is come down , having great rage , because his kingdom is to be destroyed ; and woe unto the rulers of this present age , who are vessels of wrath , who are fitted for destruction , in whom the prince of this world lodgeth , and by his power you think to make the sons of god bow ; nay , the authority of the heavenly power in which we stand , shall bind you all , you kings and princes of the earth ; the dominion of our god raigneth over hell and death , and above you , in the king of heavens authority , and you shall bow and bend unto the power in which we dwell ; and the lord god hath put it into my heart to expostulate this matter , and to contend for the faith and truth of the lord jesus , against whom you rulers of the earth are taking counsel , and making war against ; but your counsellor god will confound , and your counsels shall be dasht in pieces , and your unrighteous decrees shall be confounded , and you shall never be able to make an end of the work which you have begun , it will be too pondrous for you ; and this testimony we have to bear for the living god , against you the oppressors of his truth ; and truth and righteousness shall be again established in the earth , although it is become a sting and a torment , yet the truth , the living stone shall dash you to pieces , and grinde you to powder ; therefore tremble , dread and fear the god of host , who will terribly shake the foundations and pillars of the earth , before whom you shall quake and tremble ; then shall you know that the god of the quakers is a consuming fire , which will render vengeance upon you all , whose day you shall not escape . therefore i say tremble , oh earth , ye judges and rulers stand in awe of the dreadful god , who is coming with thousands of his angels to judge the world , and you shall all know his power to your everlasting destruction , if you submit not to his government , which is righteous , holy and true , and is upon his shoulders ; and because of injustice the land mourns , and because of false judgement great is the oppression ; and instead of justice behold oppression is found amongst you , who are looking for bribes , and rewards , and gifts , which hath blinded your eyes : and so by the deceitfulness of sin , you are led into captivity by the prince of this world , who ruleth in the earthly minded , who covets after earthly things , whose hearts are filled with unclean lusts ; these are not the temples of god , but these are vessels filled with uncleanness and abomination , against whom the cry of the lord is gone forth , who will meet them with sudden destruction ; and the day hastens , that was never the like , nor ever the like shall be after it , the great and notable day , the mighty and terrible day , which is near to be revealed ; i say the like was never , nor shall be the like after it , so dreadful , so terrible , shall be the day of god upon his enemies , that no flesh shall be saved that liveth in corruption ; and woe unto the world for they shall mourn and weep bitterly , and mens hearts shall fail them for fear , and they shall run up and down as men amazed , and looking for those things which shall come upon the earth ; for the tribes of the earth shall mourn , and great sorrow and desolation shall come on all that are found out of the covenant of the lord god ; and no other hiding-place shall be found , but the holy ark of god , into which the righteous shall enter , but the wicked and rebellious shall be destroyed by fire and by sword. so this was upon my spirit from god to declare and publish , as a faithful testimony and warning ; published by me , dorothy white . dated from the white-lyon prison in southwark , this th of the th month , . london , printed in the year , . two treatises the first of fear, from isa. , v. , , and part of the : the second, the righteous man's refuge in the evil day, from isaiah , verse / by john flavell. flavel, john, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) two treatises the first of fear, from isa. , v. , , and part of the : the second, the righteous man's refuge in the evil day, from isaiah , verse / by john flavell. flavel, john, ?- . [ ], p. printed by h.h. for robert boulter, london : . each of the treatises has special t.p. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- isaiah -- criticism, interpretation, etc. fear of god. judgment of god. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion two treatises : the first of fear , from isa. . v. , , and part of the . the second , the righteous man's refuge in the evil day . from isaiah , . verse . by iohn flavell minister of the gospel . london , printed by h. h. for robert boulter , at the turks head in cornhill . . a practical treatise of fear . wherein the various kinds , vses , causes , effects , and remedies thereof are distinctly opened and prescribed , for the relief and encouragement of all those that fear god in these doubtful and distracting times . by iohn flavell minister of the gospel . say unto them that are of a fearful heart , be strong , fear not , behold your god will come with a vengeance , even god with a recompence , he will come and save you , isa. . v. . intellige in te esse etiam fortitudinem spiritus , quomodo & infirmitatem carnis , ac jam hinc scias quid unde facias , & quid cui subjicias , infirmum scilicet forti . tertul. adv. gentes . london , printed by h. h. for robert boultera●t the turks head in cornhill . . to the right worshipful sir iohn hartop , knight and baronet . sir , among all the creatures god hath made ( devils only excepted ) man is the most apt and able to be his own tormentor ; and of all the scourges with which he lasheth and afflicteth both his mind and body , none is found so cruel and intolerable as his own fears . the worse the times are like to be , the more need the mind hath of succour and encouragement , to confirm and fortifie it for hard encounters , but from the worst prospect , fear inflicts the deepest and most dangerous wounds upon the mind of man , cutting the very nerves of its passive fortitude and bearing ability . the grief we su●●er from evil felt , would be light and easie , were it not incensed by fear ; reason would do much , and religion more , to demulce and lenifie our sorrows , did not fear betray the succours of both . and it is from things to come that this prospecting creature raiseth up to himself vast hopes , and fears ; if he have a fair and encouraging prospect of serene and prosperous day , from the scheme and position of second causes , hope immediately fills his heart with cheariness , and displaies the signals of it in his very face , answerable to that fair benign aspect of things ; but if the face of things to come be threatning and inauspicious , fear gains the ascendant over the mind , a● unmanly and unchristian faintness pervades it , and among the many other mischiefs it inflicts , this is not the least ; that it brings the evil of to morrow upon to day , and so makes the duties of to day wholly unserviceable to the evils of to morrow ; which is much as if a man having an intricate and difficult business cut out for the next day , which requires the utmost intention both of his mind and body , and ( haply might be prosperously managed if both were duly prepared ) should lie all the night restless and disquieted about the event , torturing and spending himself with his own presaging fears , so that when the day is come , and the business calls for him ; his strength is no way equal to the burden of it , but he faints and fails under it . there is indeed an excellent use that god makes of our fears to stimulate our slothful hearts to greater vigilance , and preparation for evils , and there is a mischievous use satan makes of our fears , to cast us under despondency and vnbecoming pusillanimity ; and i reckon it one of the great difficulties of religion to cut by a thred here , and so to manage our selves under threatning or doubtful providences , as to be touched with so much sense of those approaching evils , as may prepare us to bear them ; and yet to enjoy that constancy and firmness of mind in the worst times , that may answer the excellent principles we are professedly governed by . these last times are certainly the most perillous times ; great things are yet to be acted upon the stage of this world before it be taken down , and the scena antepenultima , latter end , i say not the last , will be a tragedy . there is an ultima clades adhuc metuenda , a dismal slaughter of the witnesses of christ , yet to be expected : the last bite of the cruel beast will be deadly , and if we flatter not our selves , all things seem to be disposing themselves in the course of providence towords it . but sir , if our vnion with christ be sure in it self , and sure to us also ; if faith give us the daily visions and praelibations of the world to come , what well composed spectators shall we be of these tragedies ! let things be tossed susque , deque , and the mountains cast into the midst of the sea , yet then the assured christian may sing his song upon alamoth ▪ a song composed for god's hidden ones . this so poiseth and steddies the mind , that we may enjoy the comfort and tranquillity of a resigned will ▪ when others are at their wits end . with design to promote this blessed frame in my own and others hearts in these frightful times , i meditated , and now publish this small tract , to which a dear friend ( from whom i have often had the fair idea and character of your excellent spirit ) hath occasioned the prefixing of your worthy name ; i beg pardon for such an unusual presumption , as also your charity in censuring the faults that will appear in it , when it shall come under so exact and judicious an eye ; it may be useful , though it be not elegant ; its seasonableness is its best commendation , and its aim better than its performance . as for you sir , i hope faith hath really placed your soul in that serene and happy station where seneca fancied moral virtue to have placed a good man , fatendum est , cacumine olympi constitutus , supra ventos & procellas , & omnes res humanas . above the storms and tempests of this unquiet and distracting world ; but there are many gracious persons , at this day , labouring under their own fears , and whose hearts are ready to fail with looking for those things that are coming to try them that dwell upon the earth ; and possibly somewhat of relief may be administred to many such by this discourse : some bivious and staggering souls may be established ; some discouraged and fainting spirits may be revived ; some doubts may be dissolved that have long perplexed gracious 〈◊〉 whatever use it may be of to any , i humbly call in the aid of your prayers to my own , for a special blessing upon it , and remains , sir , yours to honour , love and serve you , john flavell . a catalogue of some books printed for , and to be sold by ro. boulter at the turk's head in cornhil , . folio . bishop reynolds works . calderwoods history of the reformamation of the church of scotland , from to . rushworth's collections , first volume . — his second volume . pharmacopoea londinensis . baily's chronology . twiss de scientia media . sturmy's magazine . curia politiae — quarto . durham on the revelatio● . baxter's saints rest. owen of justification . origen contra marchionet . charles the eighth , a play. lesley historia scotorum . man of sin. lightfoot on lucan . dr. charleton's anatomical lectures . flavel's husbandry . boys's sermons . prynn's power of parliaments . burnets thesaurus . behin's remains . manley of usury . brown against , quakers . seamans calendar . mariners calendar . seamans practise . norwood's trigonometria . large octavo . pool's nullity . wilson's scriptures . durham of scandal . dr. trapham's treatise of iamaica . cloud of witnesses . rutherford's examen . sclater of grace . bayfield de capitis . danvers of baptism . flavell's two treatises . — his preparation for sufferings . small octavo . wars of hungary . history of jewels . moral gallantry . flavell's saint indeed . — token for mourners . roma restituta . curious destillatory . history of iapan and siam . looking glass for children . hugh's disputations . religio stoici . petton on the covenant . queens wells . moreland of interest . miltoni logica . grey of faith. sydenham's works . rushworth's solomons remembrance . gales idea . binning's miscellanies . kirkwood's grammatica . a practical treatise of fear , &c. isaiah . v. , , and part of the . say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy ; neither fear ye [ their fear ] nor be afraid . v. . sanctifie the lord of hosts himself , and let him be your fear , and let him be your dread ; v. . and he shall be for a sanctuary . chap. i wherein the text and context are opened , the doctrines propounded ; and the general method stated . there is not more diversity found in the outward features , than in the inward tempers and dispositions of men : some are as timorous as hares and start at every sound , or yelp of a dog : others are bold as lions , and can face dangers without trembling , some fear more than they ought , and some before they ought , and others when they ought not at all . the carnal person fears man , not god ; the strong christian fears god , not man ; the weak christian fears man too much , and god too little . there is a fear which is the effect of sin , springing from guilt , and hurrying the soul into more guilt ; and there is a fear which is the effect of grace , springing from our love to god and his interest , and driving the soul to god in the way of duty . the less fear any man hath the more happiness , except it be of that fear which is our happiness and our excellency . it cannot be said of any man as it is said of leviathan , iob . . that he is made without fear , those that have most fortitude , are not without some fears : and when the church is in the storms of persecution , and almost covered with the waves , the stoutest passengers in it may suffer as much from this boisterous passion within , as from the storm without ; and all for want of throughly believing , or not seasonably remembring , that the lord high admiral of all the ocean , and commander of all the winds is on board the ship , to steer and to preserve it in the storm . a pregnant instance hereof is furnished to our hands in this context , where you find the best men trembling in expectation of the worst events both on the church in general , and themselves in particular . their hearts were moved like the trees of the wood shaken with the wind , chap. . v. . and indeed if their dangers were to be measured by sense only , their fears were not above the value of the cause , yea their dangers seemed to exceed their fears ; for it was the invasion of a forein and cruel enemy , even the assyrian who were to break in upon them like a breach of the sea , and overflow the land of immanuel , v. . the lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river strong and many ; even the king of assyria and all his glory , and he shall come up over all his channels , and go over all his banks . and as the . verse resembles the enemy to waters which quickly drown the countrey into which they break , so the verse tells you how far they should prevail , and how near it should come to a general and total ruine . he shall pass through iudah , he shall overflow and go over , he shall reach even to the neck , and the stretching ou● of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land o immanuel . all the body should be under water , except the capital city , which remained above water . having thus described the power and success of the invading enemy , in the and verses he derides their plots and combinations , assuring them that although god for just and holy ends would permit them for a time to afflict his people , yet in the issue all their councels and cruelties should recoyl upon themselves , and end in their own ruine and confusion . and thereupon isaiah is commanded to encourage the feeble and trembling hearts of such as feared god in those distracted and frightful times , v. , , . the lord spake unto me with a strong hand and instructed me , that i should not walk in the way of this people , saying , say ye not a confederacy , &c. god speaking to the prophet by a strong hand , imports the strong and mighty impression that was made upon his heart by the spirit of prophecy : wherein the lord did as it were lay his hand upon him , as a man doth upon one to whom he is about to impart some special secret in a familiar way , q. d. come hither isaiah , ( drawing him to him at the same instant with a friendly hand ) take deep notice of what i am now to give thee in charge both with respect to thy self , and my elect people that follow thee ; say not you a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy , ( i. e. ) let not these frightful tidings work upon you , as they do upon ahaz , and the common multitude with him ▪ who are so terrified and scared with the approching dangers that all their councels , thoughts and studies are taken up in preventing it by making a confederacy or league with the assyrian ; or if that cannot be , then with some forein power that may secure them against the assyrian , but their eyes are not all to me for protection and deliverance , they expect more from egypt than from heaven ; from a broken reed , than from the rock of ages . fear not you their fear ; their fear drives them from god to the creature ; it first distracts them , and then ensnares them . but on the contrary , see that thou , and all the faithful in the land with thee do sanctifie me in your hearts , and make me your fear , and your dread . ( i. e. ) rely upon me by faith in this day of trouble , and see that you give me the glory of my wisdom , power ▪ and faithfulness ; by relying intirely upon those my attributes engaged for you in so many tried promises : and do not betake your selves to such sinful and vain shifts as those do that have no interest in me , nor experience of me . this is the general scope and design of the text ; wherein more particularly you have , . an evil practice prohibited . . an effectual remedy prescribed . . a singular encouragement to apply that remedy . . an evil practice prohibited , fear not their fear , neither be afraid . this is that sinful principle , which was but too apt to incline them to do as others did , scil . to say a confederacy . sinful fears are apt to drive the best men into sinful compliances , and indirect shifts to help themselves . their fear may be understood two ways ; . subjectively . . effectively . . subjectively , for the self same fear wherewith the carnal and unbelieving iews feared : a fear that enslaved them in bondage of spirit ; a fear that is the fruit of sin , a sin in its own nature , the cause of much sin to them , and a just punishment of god upon them for their other sins . . effectively , let not your fear produce in you such mischievous effects as their fear doth ; to make you forget god , magnifie the creature , prefer your own wits and policies to the almighty power , and unspotted faithfulness of god ; if you say , but how shall we help it ? . why in the next place you have , an effectual remedy prescribed , but sanctifie the lord of hosts himself , and let him be your fear and your dread . the fear of god will swallow up the fear of man , a reverential awe and dread of god will extinguish the slavish fear of the creature ; as the sun-shine puts out fire ; or as one fire fetches out another ; so will this fear fetch out that . by sanctifying the lord of hosts himself , is meant a due ascription of the glory of his sovereign power , wisdom and faithfulness , not only in verbal and professed acknowledgments thereof , but especially in those internal acts of affiance , resignation , and intire dependence on him , which as they are the choicest respects of the creature towards its god , and give him the greatest glory , so they are certainly the most beneficial and comfortable acts we can perform for our own peace and safety in times of danger . if a man do really look to god in a day of trouble and fear , as to the lord of hosts , ( i. e. ) one that governs all the creatures , and all their actions ; at whose beck and command all the armies of heaven and earth are ; and then can rely upon the care and love of this god , as a child in danger of trouble reposes on , and commits himself with greatest confidence to the care and protection of his father : o what peace , what rest must necessarily follow upon this ! who would be afraid to pass through the midst of armed troops and regiments , whilst he knows that the general of that army is his own father ? the more power this filial fear of god obtains in your hearts , the less will you dread the power of the creature . when the dictator ruled at rome , then all other officers ceased ; and so in a great measure will all other fears where the fear of god is dictator in the heart . this is the remedy . . and to enable us to apply this remedy in the worst and most difficult times , we have a singular encouragement proposed . if we will thus sanctifie the lord of hosts himself , by such an acknowledgment of , and child-like dependence on him in times of danger , then he will be to us for a sanctuary ( i. e. ) he will surely protect , defend and provide for us in the worst times and cases , then will the lord create upon every dwelling-place of mount zion and upon her assemblies , a cloud and smoke by day , and the shining of a flaming fire by night ; for upon all the glory shall be a defence , and there shall be a tabernacle , for a shadow in the day-time from the heat , and for a place of refuge and for a covert from the storm , and from rain . let the winds roar , the rain beat , the lightnings flash , you are in safety , and have a good roof over your heads . hence these two points of doctrine offer themselves . . doctrine . that the best men are too apt to be overcome with slavish fears in times of eminent distress and danger . . doctrine . that the fear of god is the most effectual means to extinguish the sinful fear of man , and to secure us from danger . these two points take in the substance and scope of the text , but because i design to treat in the following chapters , of the kinds , nature , uses , causes , effects , and remedies of fear , i shall not distinctly prosecute them , but proceed in this order in the following chapters . chap. ii. wherein the kinds and nature of fear are opened , and particularly the distracting slavish fear of creatures . sect . i. there is a threefold fear found in men . viz. fear . natural . sinful . religious . natural fear , of which all are partakers that partake of the common nature , not one excepted . natural fear is the trouble or perturbation of mind from the apprehension of approaching evil , or impending danger . the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from a verb that signifies flight ; this is not always sinful , but it is always the fruit and consequent of sin . since sin entred into our nature there is no shaking off fear , no sooner had adam transgressed , but he feared and fled , hiding himself among the trees of the garden , gen. . . when he had transgressed the covenant , he presently feared the execution of the curse . first he eats , then he hides . and this afflictive passion is from him transmitted and derived to all his children . to this natural fear it pleased our lord iesus christ to subject himself in the days of his flesh , he was afraid , yea , he was sore amazed . mark . . for though his humane nature was absolutely free from ●in , yet he came in the likeness of sinful flesh . rom. . . this fear creates great trouble and perturbation in the mind , iohn . . fear hath torment ; in proportion to the danger is the fear , and in proportion to the fear , the trouble and distraction of the mind , if the fear be exceeding great , reason is displaced , and can conduct us no farther , as the psalmist speaks of mariners in a storm , they are at their wits end , psal. . . or as it is varied in the margin , all wisdom is swallowed up , and this is the meaning of deut. . . that they should go out against their enemies one way , and flee before them seven ways , ( i. e. ) so great shall be the fright and distraction that they shall attempt now one way , then another , striving every way , but liking none ; for fear so far betrays the succours of reason , that their counsels are always in uncertainty and at a loss , and the usual voice of a man in this condition is , i know not what to do , i know not which way to turn . evil is the object of fear , and the greater the evil is , the stronger the fear must needs be , and therefore the terrours of an awakened and terrified conscience must be allowed to be the greatest of terrours , because in that case a man hath to do with a great and terrible god , and is scared with apprehensions of his infinite and eternal wrath : than which no evil is or can be greater . you see at what height christs conflict with it wrought , when it made him sweat as it were great clots of bloud . of all temporal evils death is the greatest , and therefore iob calls it the king of terrours , iob . . or the most terrible of terribles . thuanus relates two strange instances of the fear of death , one of a certain captain who was so terrified with the fear of death , that he poured out a kind of bloudy sweat from all parts of his body . another , is of a young man condemned for a small matter by sixtus quintus who was so vehemently terrified with the fears of death , that he shed a kind of bloudy tears . these are strange and terrible effects of fear , but vastly short of what christ felt and suffered , who grapled with a far greater evil than the terrors of death , even the wrath of an incensed god , poured out to the full , and that immediately upon him . but yet evil , as evil , is rather the object of hatred , than of fear , it must be an imminent or near approaching evil , which we see not how to escape or put by , that provokes fear , and rouzes this lion. and therefore the saints in glory are perfectly freed from fear , because they are out of the reach of all danger : nor do we that are here in the midst of evils fear them till we see them approching us , and we see not how to avoid them . to hear of fire , plague , or the sword in the indies , doth not affright us , because the evil is so remote from us : it 's far enough off , we are in no danger of it ; but when it is in the town , much more when within our own dwellings , we tremble . evil hurts us not by a simple apprehension of its nature , but of its union ; and all propinquity is a degree of union as a learned divine speaks . and its worth observation that all carnal security is maintained by putting evils at a great distance from us . as it is noted of those secure sensualists amos . . they put far from them the evil day . the meaning is not that they did , or could put the evil , one minute farther from them in reality , but only by imagination and fancy , they shut their own eyes and would not see it , lest it should give an unpleasing interruption to their mirth ; and this is the reason why death puts the living into no more fear , because it is apprehended as remote , and at an undetermined distance , whereas if the precise time of death were known , especially if that time were near , it would greatly scare and terrifie . this is the nature of natural fear , the infelicity of nature which we all groan under the effects of : it is in all the creatures in some degree , but among them all none suffer more by it than man , for hereby he becomes his own tormentor , nor is any torment greater than this when it prevails in an high degree upon us . indeed all constitutions and tempers admit not the same degrees of fear , some are naturally couragious and stout like the lyon for magnanimity and fortitude , others exceeding timorous and faint-hearted like the hare or hart , one little dog will make an hundred of them fear and flee before him . luther was a man of great courage and presence of mind in dangers , melancthon very timorous and subject to despondency ; thus the difference betwixt them is expressed in one of luther's letters to him , i am well nigh a secure spectator of things , and esteem not any thing these fierce and threatning papists . i much dislike those anxious cares which as thou writest do almost consume thee . there might be as great a stock of grace in one as in the other , but melancthon's grace had not the advantage of so stout and couragious a temper of body and mind as luther's had . thus briefly of natural fear . sect . ii. there is a fear which is formally and intrinsically sinful , not only our infelicity , but our fault , not our simple affliction and burden , but our great evil and provocation ; and such is the fear here dissuaded , called their fear . ( i. e. ) the fear wherewith carnal and unbelieving men do fear , when dangers threaten them ; and the sinfulness of it lies in five things . . in the spring and cause of it , which is unbelief , and an unworthy distrust of god , when we dare not rely upon the security of a divine promise , nor trust to gods protection in the way of ou● duty : this was the very case of that people , isai. . . thus saith the lord , the holy one of israel , in returning and rest shall ye be saved , in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength ; and ye would not , but ye said no , for we will flee upon horses ; therefore shall ye flee : and we will ride upon the swift ; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift , one thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one , &c. thus stood the case , sennacherib with a mighty host was ready to invade them , this puts them into a fright , in this distress god assures them by the mouth of the prophet , that in returning and rest they should be saved , in quietness and confidence should be their strength . the meaning is , never perplex your selves with various councels and projects to secure your selves under the wings of egypt , or any other protector , but with a composed , quiet , and calm temper of mind rest upon my power by faith , take my promises for your security , this shall be your salvation , and your strength , more effectual to your preservation , than armies , garisons , or any creature defence in the world ; one act of faith shall do you better service than pharaoh and all his forces can do . but ye said no , q. d. we dare not trust to that , a good horse will do us more service at such a time than a good promise ; egypt is a better security in their eye than heaven . this is the fruit of gross infidelity . and as wicked men do thus forsake god and cleave to the creature in time of trouble , so there is found a spice of this distrustfulness of god producing fear and trouble in the best men . it was in the disciples themselves , matth. . . why are ye fearful o ye of little faith ? a storm had befallen them at sea , danger began to threaten them , and presently you find a storm within , their fears were more boisterous than the winds , and had more need of calming than the sea , and it was all from their unbelief , as christ tells them ; the less their faith , the greater their fear : if a man can but rely upon god in a promise , so far as he is enabled to believe , so far he will reckon himself well secured . illyricus in his catalogue of the witnesses relates this remarkable passage of one andreas proles , a godly aged divine who lived somewhat before luther , and taught many points soundly , according to his light then , he was called to a synod at millain , and afterwards in the lateran , where opposing a proposition of the pope about burdening the church with a new holiday , he was brought into much danger , and escaping very narrowly from rome , he bought him a bow and weapons , but as he was riding , he began to bethink himself , that the cause was not his but gods , and not to be maintained with sword and bow , and if it were , yet what could such a decrepit old man do with weapons ? upon which he threw away his weapons , committed himself , his cause , and his journey to god , relied upon his promises more than sword or bow , and came home safe , and afterward died quietly in his bed . the sinfulness of fear lies in the excess and immoderacy of it , when we fear more than we ought ; for it may be truly said of our fears as the philosopher speaks of waters , difficilé suis terminis continentur , 't is hard to keep them within bounds , every bush is a bear , every petty trouble puts us into a fright , our fear exceeds the value and merit of the cause . 't is a great sin to love or fear any creature above the rate of a creature , as if they were masters of all our temporal and eternal comforts . thus when the men of israel heard of the confederacy and conjuction of their enemies against them , the text saith , their hearts were moved , as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind , isai. . . or as we use to say proverbially , like an aspine leaf : 't is a sad sight to behold men shaking and quivering as the trees do in a windy day , yet thus did the house of david , partly through the remembrance of past calamities , but especially through incredulity in gods protecting care in their present and future dangers ; yea , this is too often the fault of good men in creature fear , as well as in creature love , to transgress the due bounds of moderation . 't is noted of iacob though a man of much faith , and one that had the sweetest encouragements to strengthen it both from former experiences , and gods gracious promises to be with him ; yet when esa● was come nigh , he was greatly afraid and distressed , gen. . . it was but a little before that god had graciously appeared to him , and sent a royal guard of angels to attend him , even two hosts or armies of angels , verse , . and yet assoon as esau approched him , he was afraid , greatly afraid , yea , greatly afraid and distressed , notwithstanding such an encouraging vision as this was . . the sinfulness of our fears lies in the inordinacy of them ; to fear it more than we ought is bad enough , but to magnifie its power above the power of a creature ; to exalt the power of any creature by our fears , and give it such an ascendent over us , as if it had an arbitrary and absolute dominion over us , or over our comforts , to do with them what it pleased ; this is to put the creature out of its own class and rank , into the place of god , and is therefore a very sinful and evil fear . to trust in any creature as if it had the power of a god to help us , or to fear any creature , as if it had the power of a god to hurt us , is exceeding sinful , and highly provoking to god. this inordinate trust is taxed and condemned in isai. . . they would needs go down to egypt for help , and trust in their horses and horsemen , because they were strong ( i. e. ) in their opinion they were able to secure them against all those dangers the prophet from the lords own mouth had threatned them with , but to take them off from this sinful and inordinate dependence on the creature he tells them , v. . now the egyptians are men and not god , and their horses flesh , and not spirit , when the lord shall stretch forth his hand , both he that helpeth shall fall , and he that is holpen shall fall down ; and they shall fail together , q. d. 't is a sinful and dangerous mistake for one creature to give that trust and dependence to another creature , which is due only to god , to look upon men as if they were gods , and horses as if they were spirits : all creatures , even the strongest , are but as the hop , the vine , or the ivy , if they clasp about the pole , the wall , or the oak ; they may be supported , as you also may by leaning upon god , but if they depend , and intangle themselves one upon another , as you and the egyptians do , you shall fail , and fall all together . and as one creature is apt inordinately and sinfully thus to trust and lean upon another ; so there is as great a proness in the creatures inordinately to fear and dread each other , as if the creature feared were rather a god , than a man , rather a spirit than flesh ; and thus our fear magnifies and exalts the creature , and puts it as it were into the room and place of god. this was the sin which god rebuked in his own people , isai . , . i even i am he that comforteth thee , who art thou , that thou shouldest be afraid of man that shall die , and of the son of man which shall be made as grass , and forgettest the lord thy maker , &c. see how fear exalts man , and depresseth god , it thinks upon the noxious power of men so much , that it forgets the saving power of god , as if that stood for nothing ; thus a mortal worm that shall perish as the grass , eclipses the glory of the great god , that stretched forth the heavens , and laid the foundations of the earth . and this was the evil against which christ cautioned his own disciples in matth. . . fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell . q. d. have a care you never fear any man , be he armed with never so much power , and rage ; as if the power of making or marring you for ever were in his hands , as if you lay at the feet of his will and pleasure to be saved or ruined for ever . fear not him that can only touch your bodies as if he would damn your souls , invest not any creature with the sovereign and incommunicable power of god. . the sinfulness of fear consists in the distracting influence it hath upon the hearts of men , whereby it discomposeth and unfits them for the discharge of their duties . fear sometimes puts men into such an hurry , and their thoughts into such disorder , that for the present they have scarce any succour or relief from their graces , or from their reason ; for under an extraordinary fear both grace and reason like the wheels of a watch wound above its due height , stand still , and have no motion at all . it is rare to find a man of that largeness and constancy of heart and mind in a day of fear , that was found in iehoshaphat , chro. . , . then there came some that told jehoshaphat saying , there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea , on this side syria , and behold they be in hazazon tamar which is engedi , and jehoshaphat feared , and set himself to seek the lord. he set himself ( i. e. ) he composed and fixed his heart for prayer in the time of so great a fright , and terrible an alarm : but it is rare to find such constancy and eveness of mind as this ; in like cases it is with most in great frights , as the prophet describes the condition of the jews , isaiah . , . when the city of ierusalem was besieged and the enemy came under the walls of it ; that which a little before was the joyous city , or as some read , the revelling city , is now in such a panick fear , that it is full of stirs and tumults , some run up to the tops of the houses either to hide or bewail themselves , or take a view of the dreadful enemy without ; others prevent the sword of the enemy , and die by fear before hand , their own apprehensions of misery killed them before the sword of any other enemy once touched them , but you read of none that ran into their closets to seek the lord ; the city was full of stirrs , but not of prayers ; alas , fear made them cry to the mountains , rather than to god , ver . . the best men find it hard to keep their thoughts from wandering and their minds from distraction in the greatest calm of peace , but a thousand times harder in the hurries and tumults of fear . . the sinfulness of fear consists in the power it hath to dispose and incline men to the use of sinful means to put by their danger , and to cast them into the hands and power of temptation . the fear of man bringeth a snare , prov. . . or puts and lays a snare before him ; satan spreads the net , and fear like the stalking horse drives men right into it . it was fear which drew abraham that great believer into the snare of dissimulation , to the great disparagement of religion , for it was somewhat an odd sight to see abimelech an heathen so schooling an abraham for it , as he did gen . . and for the same evil you find god chiding his people in isaiah . . and of whom hast thou been afraid , or feared that thou hast lied , and hast not remembred me ? there is a double lie occasioned by fear , one in words , another in deeds : hypocrisie is a lie done , a practical lie , and our church history abounds with sad examples of dissimulation through fear : 't is satans great engine to make his tempations victorious and successful with men . sect . iii. . there is an holy and laudable fear , a fear which is our treasure , not our torment , the chief ornament of the soul , its beauty and perfection , not its infelicity or sin , viz. the awful filial fear of god ; natural fear is a pure or simple passion of the soul : sinful fear is the disordered and corrupt passion of the soul ; but this is the natural passion sanctified , and thereby changed and baptized into the name and nature of a spiritual grace . this fear is also mentioned in my text , and prescribed as an antidote against sinful fears ; it devours carnal fears as moses serpent did those of the enchanters . it 's one of the sorest judgments to be in the fear of man day and night , deut. . , , . and one of the sweetest mercies to be in the fear of god all the day long , prov. . . the fear of men shortens our days , isaiah . . ▪ but the fear of the lord prolongeth our days , prov. . . the fear of the lord is a fountain of life prov. . . but the fear of man a fountain of mischiefs and miseries . by the fear of the lord men depart from evil , prov. . . but by the fear of man , men run themselves into evil prov. . . this fear is a gracious habit or principle planted by god in the soul , whereby the soul is kept under an holy awe of the eye of god , and from thence is inclined to perform and do what pleaseth him , and to shun and avoid whatsoever he forbids and hates . . it is planted in the soul as a permanent and fixed habit , it is not of the natural growth and production of mans heart , but of supernatural infusion and implantation . ier. . . i will put my fear into their inward parts . to fear man is natural , but to fear god is wholly supernatural . . this gracious fear puts the soul under the awe of gods eye , psal. . . my heart standeth in awe of thy word . 't is the reproach of the servants of men to be eye-servants , but it is the praise and honour of gods servants to be so . . this respect to the eye of god inclines them to perform and do whatsoever pleaseth him , and is commanded by him ; hence fearing god , and working righteousness are connected and linked together , acts. . . if we truly fear god , we dare not but do the things he commands , and if his fear be exalted in our hearts to an high degree , it will enable us to obey him in duties accompanied with deepest self denial , gen. . . now i know thou fearest god , seeing thou hast not with held thy son , thine only son from me . . this fear ingageth , and in some degree inableth the soul , in which it is to shun and avoid whatsoever is displeasing to god , and forbidden by him , in this io● discovered himself a true fearer of god , he would not touch what god had forbidden , and therefore was honoured with this excellent character , he was one that feared god ▪ and eschewed evil , iob. . . and thus of the several kinds of fear . chap. iii. shewing the various uses of fear , both natural , sinful , and religious , in the government of the world by providence . sect . i. having taken a brief view of the several kinds and sorts of fear that are found among men , our next● work will be to open the uses of them in the government of this world , for one way or other they all subserve the most wise and holy purposes of god therein . and we will first enquire into . the use of natural fear . which if we well consider , it will be found exceeding necessary and useful to make man a governable creature by law , and consequently the order comfort and tranquillity of the world necessarily depends upon it . how immorigerous and intractable would the corruptions of mans nature make him , and uncapable of any moral restraint from the most flagitious and barbarous crimes , had not god planted such a passion as this in his nature , which like a bridle curbs in the corrupt propensions thereof . if fear did not clap its manacles and fetters upon the wild and boysterous lusts of men , they would certainly bear down all milder motives and break loose from all ingenuous bands of restraint , the world would inevitably be filled with disorders tumults , rapines , theft , murders , and all manner of uncleanness , and unrighteousness , nec hospes ab hospite tutus , men would become like the fishes of the sea , as the prophet complains , habak . . . where the greater swallow up a multitude of the smaller fry alive at one gulp ; propriety could not be maintained in the world , no mans person could be safe or inviolate ; power and opportunity to do mischief would measure out to men their lot and inheritance , and consequently all societies must disband and break up . we say , and the observation is sure , he that fears not his own , may easily be master of another mans life . 't is law , and fear of punishment that keeps the world in order ; men are afraid to do evil , because they are afraid to suffer it , they see the law hath inseparably linked penal and moral evils together , if they will presume upon the one , they must necessarily pull the other upon them too ; and this keeps them in some order , and decorum ; there would be no order or security without law ; but if laws had no annexed penalties to inforce them and give them their sanction as good there were no laws ; they would have no more power to restrain the corruptions of mens hearts , than the new cords or green wit hs had to bind samson ; and yet if the severest penalties in the world , were annexed to , or appointed by the law , they could signifie nothing to the ends of government without fear . this is that tender sensible power or passion on which threatnings work , and so brings men under moral government and restraint , rom. . , . magistrates are a terror to evil works ; wilt thou not then be afraid of the power ? but if thou do that which is evil , be afraid , for he beareth not the sword in vain . and by this means a world of evil is restrained and prevented in the world . it was the custom and policy of the persians , ( i cannot say laudable ) at the death of their kings to give every man liberty for the space of five days to do what he would , and such mischiefs were done every where by the unbridled lusts of men in those days , that it made the people long and pray for the instalment of their next king , it exceedingly endeared government to them : blessed be god for law and government , for curbing by this means the raging lusts of the hearts of men , and procuring rest and comfort for us in the world this way . . the use of sinful fear . this is formally evil and sinful in its own nature , as well as the fruit of sin , and offspring of sinful nature , yet the lord knows how to over-rule it in his providential government of the world to his own wise and holy purposes , and he doth so ; first , by making it his scourge to punish his enemies . if men will not fear god , they shall fear men , yea , they shall be made a terrour to themselves . and indeed it is a dreadful punishment for god to deliver a man up into the hands of his own fears : i think there is scarce a greater torment to be found in the world , than for a man to be his own tormenter , and his mind made a rack , an engine of torture to his body , we read in kings . . that god sent lyons among the people , but certainly that is not so bad as for god to let loose our own fears upon us . no lion is so cruel as this passion , and therefore david esteemed it so great a deliverance to be delivered from all his fears , psal. . . it is a dreadful threatning which is recorded in deut. . , , . against the disobedient and rebellious , thou shalt find no ease , neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest , but the lord shall give thee there a trembling heart , and failing of eyes , and sorrow of mind , and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee , and thou shalt fear day and night , and shalt have no assurance of thy life ; in the morning thou shalt say , would god it were even , and at even thou shalt say would god it were morning , for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear , and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see . when fear hath once seized the heart , you may see deaths colours displayed in the face . what a dismal life do they live , who have neither any peace by day , nor rest by night , but wearisom days and nights are appointed to them . the days of such men are tiresome days , they wish for the night hoping it may give them a little rest , but their fears go to bed with them , their hearts pant , and meditate terrour , and then , o that it were day again . by fear god punisheth his enemies in hell : it is that flagellum dei , terrible scourge of god , by which a great part of the torment of the damned is inflicted on them . divines use to make this tripar●ite distinction of hell torments , and tells us god punishes the wicked there partly by remembrance what is past , viz. the mercies and means they once had , but are there irrecoverably lost , partly by the sense of things present , even the wrath of god overlaying soul and body , and partly by the fear of what is to come ; and sure this is not the least part of the misery of those wretched cast-aways : o that fearful expectation of fiery indignation ! more and more of gods wrath still coming on as the waves of the sea , thrusting forward one another : yea , this is that which makes the devils tremble , iames . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such a noise as the rote of the sea , or the roaring of the waves when they break themselves against the rocks , and this is occasioned by the fears which are continually held as a whip over them . providence makes use of the slavish fears and terrors of wicked men to dissipate and scatter them when they are combined and confederated against the people of god ; by these have they been routed and put to flight when there hath been no other visible power to do it : it 's said , psal. . . god cast out the heathen before his people israel ; and by what means were those mighty nations subdued ? not by the strength or multitudes of the israelites , but by their own fears ; for it s said , ioshuah . , . the lord sent the hornet before them , which drave them out . these hornets were the fears and terrors of their own guilty and presaging minds , which buzzed and smarmed in their own breasts , and stung them to the heart , worse than the swords of the israelites could do . theodoret relates a memorable story of sapores king of persi● who had besieged many christians in the city ● nisibis , and put them to great straits , so that little hopes of safety were left them , but in the depth of their distress god sent an army of hornets and gnats among their enemies , which got into the trunks of their elephants and ears and nostrils of their horses which so enraged them , that they brake their harness , cast their riders , and put them all to the rout ; by which providence the christians escaped . these hornets were terrible to them , but fears which are hornets in a figure , are ten thousand times more terrible ; they will quell and sink the very hearts of the stoutest men , yea , they will quickly make those , that in their pride and haughtiness took themselves rather to be gods , and almighty powers , to know themselves to be but men , as it is , psal. . . put them in fear o lord , that they may know themselves to be but men : one fright will scare them out of a thousand fond conceits and idle dreams . . the use of religious fear . if god can make such fruit to grow upon such a bramble as the sinful slavish fear of man is , what may we expect from religious fear , a choice root of his own spirits planting ? the uses and benefits hereof are innumerable , and inestimable , but i must contract and will only instance in three special uses of it . . by this fear the people of god are excited to , and confirmed in the way of their duty . eccles. . . fear god , and keep his commandments . it is custos utriusque tabulae , the keeper of both tables ; because the duties of both tables are influenced by it . 't is this fear of god that makes us have a due respect to all his commands , and it is as powerful to confirm us in , as it is to excite us to our duties , ier. . . i will put my fear into their inwards , and they shall not depart from me . look as he that soweth doth not regard the winds , but goes on in his labour whatever weather the face of heaven threatens ; so he that fears god will be found in the way of his duty , let the aspect of the times be never so lowring and discourageing ; and truly , this is no small advantage in times of frights and distractions . slavish fear sets a man upon the devils ground , religious fear upon gods ground ; and how vast an odds is there in the choice of our ground , when we are to endure a great fight of affliction . . another excellent use of this fear , is to preserve the purity and peace of our consciences , by preventing guilt , and grief therein , prov. . . the fear of the lord is to depart from evil . see how it kept ioseph , gen. . . and nehemiah , chap. . . and this benefit is invaluable , especially in a day of outward calamity and distress ; look in what degree the fear of god prevails in our hearts , answerable thereunto will the serenity , peace , and quietness of our consciences be ; and proportionable unto that will our strength and comfort be in the evil day , and our courage and confidence to look dangers in the face . to conclude , a principal use of this fear of god is to awaken us to make timely provisions for future distresses , that whensoever they come , they ●ay not come by way of surprize upon us . thus no●h , being moved with fear , prepared an ark , heb. ● . . it was the instrument of his and his families salvation . some men owe their death to their fears , ●ut good men in a sense owe their lives to their fears ; ●●nful fears have slain some , and godly fears have sa●ed others . a wise man feareth , and departeth from ●●vil , ( saith solomon ) but a fool rageth and is con●●dent . his fears give him a timely alarm before the ●nemy fall into his quarters and beat them up , by 〈◊〉 his means he hath time to get into his chambers of ●●curity and rest , before the storm fall ; but the fool ●●ageth and is confident , he never fears till he begin 〈◊〉 feel , yea , most times he is past all hope , before 〈◊〉 begin to have any fears . these are some of the uses god makes of the seve●al kinds of fear . chap. iv. wherein the springs and causes of sinful fear are searched out , and the evil of such fears thence discovered . sect . i. having shewn before the kinds and uses of fear , it remains that next we search out the springs ●●om which these waters of marah are derived , and ●●d . and , . cause . first , we shall find the sinful fears of most good men to spring out of their ignorance , and the darkness of their own minds . all darkness disposes to fear , but none like intellectual darkness , you read , cant. . . how solomon's life-guard had every man hi● sword upon his thigh , because of fear in the night ▪ the night is the frightful season in the dark , every bush is a bear , we sometimes smile by day , to see what silly things those were that scared us in the nigh ; so it is here , were our judgment but duly informed , how soon would our hearts be quieted ? now there is a five fold ignorance out of which ou● fears are generated . ignorance of god , either we know not , or at least , duly consider not his almighty power , vigilant care , unspotted faithfulness , and how they are all engaged by covenant for his people : this ignorance and inconsiderateness lay at the root of thei● fears , isai. . , . my way , ( saith sion ) is hi● from the lord , and my judgment passed over from my god , words imparting a suspicion that god had le●t her out of the account of his providence , and the catalogue of those whom he would look after and take care for . but were it once throughly understood and believed what power there is in gods hand to defend us ▪ what tenderness in his bowels to commiserate us ▪ what faithfulness in all the promises in which they are made over to us , o how quiet and calm woul● our hearts be ! our courage would quickly up , an● our fears down . . our ignorance of men generates our fears o● men , we fear them , because we do not know them if we understood them better , we would fear them less , we over-value them , and then fright at them ▪ they say the lion is painted more fierce than he is i am sure our fancy paints out man more dreadful than indeed he is . if wicked men , especially if multitudes of wicked men be confederated against us , our hearts quail , and presently apprehend inevitable ruine . the floods of the ungodly made me afraid , saith david , ( i. e. ) the multitudes of them , which he thought like a flood or mighty torrent of waters , must needs sweep away such a straw , such a feather as he was before them ; but mean time we know or consider not that they have no power against us , but what is given them from above , and that it 's usual with god to cramp their hands , and clap on the bands of restraint upon them when their hearts are fully set in them to do mischief ; did we see and consider them as they are in the hand of our god , we should not tremble at them as we do . . ignorance of our selves , and the relations we have to god , creates slavish fears in our hearts . for did believers but throughly understand how dear they are to god , what relations they sustain to him , of what account and value they are in his eyes , and how well they are secured by his faithful promises and gracious presence , they would not start and tremble at every noise , and appearance of danger as they do . god reckoned it enough to cure all abraham's sinful fears when he told him how his god s●ood engaged for his defence , gen. . . fear not abraham , i am thy shield . and noble nehemiah valued himself in times of danger and fear by his interest in god , as his words import , nehem. . . the conspiracy against him was strong , the danger he and the faithful with him at that time were in , was extraordinary , some therefore advised to flee to the temple , and barracado themselves there against the enemy , but nehemi● understood himself better , should such a man as i flee and who being as i am , would flee ? saith he , q. d. a ma● so called of god to this service , a man under such pro●mises , a man of such manifold and manifest exper●●ences ; should such a man flee ? let others who hav● no such encouragements flee 〈◊〉 they will , for my part i will no● flee . i remember it was an argu●ment used by tertullian to quie● the fears , and stay the flight 〈◊〉 christians in those bloudy times ▪ art thou afraid of a man , o christian , when devils are afraid 〈◊〉 thee , as a prisoner is of his judge , 〈◊〉 whom the whole world ought 〈◊〉 fear , as being one that shall judg● the world : o that we could without pride and vanity but value our selves duly , according to our christian dignities , and priviledges which if ever it be necessary to count over an● value , it is in such times of danger and fear , whe● the heart is so prone to dejection and sinking fears . . ignorance of our dangers and troubles cause our frights and terrours , we mistake them , and therefore fright at them ; we are ignorant of two thing● in our troubles among others . viz. . the comforts that are in them . . the outlets and escapes from them . there is a vast odds betwixt the outward appearance and face of trouble and the inside of it ; 't is a lion to the eye at a distance , but open it , and there is honey in its belly . paul and silas met that in a prison that made them sing at midnight , and so have many more since their day . and as we are ignorant of the comforts that are sometimes found in our troubles , so of the outlets and doors of escape god can , and often doth open out of trouble ; to god the lord belong the issues from death , psal. . . he knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation , pet. . . he can with every temptation make away to escape , cor. . . the poor captive exile cast upon nothing but dying in the pit , making their graves in the land of their captivity , isai. . . for they could think upon none but the usual methods of deliverance , power , or price , and they had neither ; little did they dream of such immediate influences of god upon the kings heart , to make him dismiss them freely contrary to all rules of state policy , isai. . . . but especially the fears of good men arise out of their ignorance and inconsiderateness of the covenant of grace . if we were better acquainted with the nature , extent , and stability of the covenant , our hearts would be much freed thereby from these tormenting passions , this covenant would be a panacea , a universal remedy against all our fears , upon spiritual or temporal accounts , as will be made evident hereafter in this discourse . . cause . . another cause and fountain of sinful fear , is guilt upon the conscience : a servant of sin cannot but first or last be a slave of fear , and they that have done evil , cannot chuse but expect evil , no sooner had adam defiled and wounded his conscience with guilt , but he presently trembles and hides himself , so it is with his children , god calls to him not in a threatning , but gentle dialect , not in a tempest , but in the cool of the day , yet it terrifies him , there being in himself mens conscia facti , a guilty and condemning conscience , gen. . . 't is seneca's obserservation , that a guilty conscience is a terrible whip and torment to the sinner , perpetually lashing him with solicitous thoughts and fears , that he knows not where to be secure , nor dare he trust to any promises of protection , but distrusts all , doubts and jealouzeh all ; of such it is said , iob . . that a dreadful sound is in their ears , noting not only the effects of real , but also of imaginary dangers , his own presaging mind and troubled fancy scares him where no real danger is , suitable to that pro. . . the wicked fleeth when none pursues , but the righteous is bold as a lion , just as they say of sheep , that they are affrighted by the clattering of their own feet , when once they are set a running ; so is the guilty sinner with the noise of his own conscience which sounds nothing in his ears , but misery , wrath , and hell ; we may say of all wicked men in their frights as tacitus doth of tyrants that if it were possible to open their inside , their mind , and conscience , many terrible stripes and wounds would be found there ; and it 's said , isai. . . the sinners in sion are afraid trembling taketh hold on the hypocrite fear ; and trembling as naturally ariseth out of guilt , as the sparks do out of a fiery charcoal , histories abundantly furnish us with sad examples of the truth of this observation . catiline that monster of wickedness would start at any suddain noise , being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience . charles the ix . after his bloudy and barbarous massacre of the protestants , could neither sleep nor wake without musick to divert his thoughts . and our richard the third after the murther of his two innocent nephews , saw divers images or shapes like devils in his sleep , pulling and haling him . mr. ward tells of a iesuit in lancashire who being followed by one that had found his glove , out of no other design but to restore it to him , but being pursued by his own guilty conscience also , he leaped over the next hedge and was drowned . and remarkable is that which mr. fox relates of cardinal cresentius who fancied the devil walking in his chamber , and sometimes couching under his table as he was writing letters to rome against the protestants . impius tantum metuit , quantum nocuit , so much mischief as conscience tells them they have done , so much it bids them expect . wolfius tells us of one iohn hofmeister who fell sick with the very terrours of his own conscience in his inn , as he was travelling towards auspurge in germany , and was frighted by his own conscience to that degree that they were fain to bind him in his bed with chains , and all that they could get from him was , i am cast away for ever , i have grievously wounded my own conscience . to this wounded and trembling conscience is opposed the spirit of a sound mind , mentioned tim. . . god hath not given us the spirit of fear , but of power , of love , and of a sound mind ; a sound mind , is in this place the same thing with a pure and peaceable conscience , a mind or conscience not infirmed or wounded with guilt , as we say a sound or heal body which hath no disease to infirm it , such a mind is opposed to the spirit of fear ; it will make a man bold as a lion ; nil conscire tibi , nullâ pallescere culpâ , hic mu●●● aheneus esto — an evil and guilty conscience foments fears and terrours three ways . . by aggravating small matters and blowing them up to the height of the most fatal and destructive evils ; so it was with cain , gen. . . every one that meets me will slay me . now every child was a giant in his eye , and any body he met , his over-match . a guilty conscience gives a man no sight of his enemy , but through a magnifying , or a multiplying glass . it begets fears , by interpreting all doubtful cases in the worst sense that can befastened upon them ; pessimus in dubiis augur timor . if the swallows do but chatter in the chimney , bessus interprets it to be a discovery of his crime , that they are telling take of him , and saying , bessus killed a man. nay , if a guilty conscience have nothing to aggravate , and magnifie , nor any doubtful matter to interpret in a frightful sense , it can and often doth create fears and terrors out of nothing at all : the rules of fear 〈◊〉 not like the rules in arithmetick where many nothings make nothing , but fear can make something out of nothing , yea , many thing● and great things out of nothing at all . psal. , . there wer● they in great fea● where no fear was ; here was a great fear raise● or created out of nothing at all● had their fear been examined , an● hunted home to its original , it would have bee● found a pure creature of fancy , a chimaera have●●● no fundamentum in re , no other foundation but 〈◊〉 troubled fancy , and a guilty conscience ; thus it 〈◊〉 with pashur , he was a very wicked man , and a bit●● enemy to the prophet ieremy , and if there be none 〈◊〉 fright and terrifie from abroad , rather than he 〈◊〉 want it , he shall be a terror to himself , ier. . , . he was his own bug bear , afraid of his own shadow ; and truly this is a great plague and misery ; he that is a terror to himself , can no more flee from terrors than he can flee from himself . o the effic●cy of conscience ! how doth it arrest the stoutest sinners , and make them tremble , when there is no visible external cause of fear ! nemo ▪ sejudice , nocens absolvitur . . object . but may not a good man whose sins are pardoned be affrighted with his own fancies , and scared with his own imaginations ? sol. no doubt he may , for there is a twofold fountain of fears , one in the body , another in the soul , one in the constitution ▪ another in the conscience ; it is the affliction and infelicity of many pardoned and gracious souls to be united and married to such distempered and ill habited bodies as shall afflict them without any real cause from within , and wound them by their own diseases and distempers , and these wounds can no more be prevented or cured by their reason or religion , than any other bodily disease suppose an ague or a feaver can be so cured . thus physicians tell us when adust choler and melancholy overflows and abounds in the body , as in the hypochondriacal distemper , &c. what sad effects it hath upon the mind as well as upon the body , there is not only a sad and fearful aspect or countenance without , but sorrow , fear and afflicting thoughts within ; this is a sore affliction to many good men whose consciences are sprinkled with the bloud of christ from guilt , but yet god sees good to clog them with such afflictions as this for their humiliation , and for the prevention of worse evils . . object . but many bold and daring sinners are found , who notwithstanding all the guilt with which their consciences are loaded , can look dangers in the face without trembling , yea , they can look death it self the king of terrors in the face , with less fear than better men . sol. true , but the reason of that is from a spiritual judgment of god upon their hearts and consciences , whereby they are hardened , and seared as with an hot iron , . tim. . . and so conscience is disabled for the present , to do its office , it cannot put forth its efficacy and activity now , when it might be useful to their salvation , but it will do it to purpose hereafter when their case shall be remediless . . cause . . we see what a forge of fears a guilty conscience is , and no less is the sin of unbelief , the real and proper cause of most distracting and afflictive fears ; so much as our souls are empty of faith , they are in times of trouble filled with fear : we read of some that have died by no other hand but their own fears ; but we never read of any that died by fear , who were once brought to live by faith : if men would but dig to the root of their fears , they should certainly find unbelief there , matth. . . why are ye fearful , oye of little faith ? the less faith still the more fear : fear is generated by unbelief , and unbelief strengthened by fear , as in nature there is an observable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circular generation , vapours beget showers , and showers new vapours ; so it is in things moral , and therefore all the skill in the world can never cure us of the disease of fear , till god first cure us of our unbelief : christ therefore took the right method , to rid the disciples of their fear , by rebuking their unbelief . the remains of this sin in gods own people is the cause and fountain of their fears , and more particularly to shew how fear is generated by unbelief , let a few particulars be heedfully adverted . . unbelief weakens and stumbles the assenting act of faith , and thereby cuts off from the soul in a great measure its principal relief against dangers and troubles . it is the use and office of faith to reallize to the soul the invisible things of the world to come , and thereby encourage it against the fears and dangers of the present world : thus moses forsook egypt , not fearing the wrath of the king , for he endured , as seeing him that is invisible , heb. . . if this assentting act of faith be weakned or staggered in the soul , if once invisibles seem uncertainties , and visibles the only realities , no wonder we are so scared and frighted when these visible and sensible comforts are exposed and endangered , as they often are , and will be in this mutable world . that man must needs be afraid to stand his ground , that is not throughly perswaded the ground he stands on is firm and good ; 't is not to be wondred that men should tremble , who seem to feel the ground shake and reel under them . . unbelief shuts up the refuges of the soul in the divine promises , and by leaving it without those refuges , must needs leave it in the hands of fears and terrors . that which fortifies and emboldens a christian in evil times , is his dependence upon god for protection , psal. . . i flie unto thee to hide me . the cutting off of this retreat ( which nothing but unbelief can do ) deprives the soul of all those succours and supports which the promises afford , and consequently fills the heart with anxiety and fear . . unbelief makes men negligent and careless in providing for troubles before they come , and so brings them by way of surprize upon them , and the more surprizing any evil is , the more frightful it is always found to be ; we cannot think that noah was so affrighted at the flood when it began to swell above all the hills and mountains as all the rest of the world was , nor was there any reason that he should , having foreseen it by faith , and made provision for it , heb. . . by faith noah being warned of god , prepared an ark. augustine relates a very pertinent and memorable story of paulinus bishop of nola , who was a very rich man , both in goods and grace , he had much of the world in his hands , but little of it in his heart , and it was well there was not ; for the goths a barbarous people breaking into that city , like so many devils fell upon the prey , those that trusted to the treasures which they had , were deceived and ruined by them ; for the rich were put to tortures to confess where they had hid their moneys : this good bishop fell into their hands and lost all he had , but was scarce moved at the loss , as appears by his prayer which my author relates thus , lord let me not be troubled for my gold and silver , thou knowest it is not my treasure , that i have laid up in heaven , according to thy command . i was warned of this judgment before it came , and provided for it , and where all my interest lies . lord thou knowest . thus mr. bradford , when the keepers wife came running into his chamber suddenly , with words able to have put the most men in the world into a trembling posture , o mr. bradford , i bring you heavy tidings , to morrow you must be burned , and your chain is now buying ; he put off his hat and said , lord i thank thee i have looked for this a great while , it is not terrible to me , god make me worthy of such a mercy , see the benefit of a prospect of , and preparation for sufferings . . unbelief leaves our dearest interests and concerns in our own hands , it commits nothing to god , and consequently must needs fill the heart with distracting fears when eminent dangers threaten us . reader , if this be thy case , thou wilt be a magor missabib surrounded with terrours , whensoever thou shalt be surrounded with dangers and troubles . believers in this as well as in many other things have the advantage of thee , that they have committed all that is precious and valuable to them , into the hands of god by faith , to him they have committed the keeping of their souls , pet. . . and all their eternal concernments , tim. . . and these being put into safe hands , they are not distracted with fears about other matters of less value , but can trust them where they have intrusted the greater , and enjoy the quietness and peace of a resigned soul to god , prov. . . but as for thee , thy life , thy liberty , yea , which is infinitely more than all these things , thy soul will lie upon thy hands in the day of trouble , and thou wilt not know what to do with them , nor which way to dispose of them ; o these be the dreadful streights and frights that unbelief leaves men in , 't is a fountain of fears , and distractions . and indeed it cannot but distract and confound carnal men in whom it reigns and is in its full strength , when sad experience shews us what fears and tremblings the very remains and relicts of this sin begets in the best men , who are not fully freed from it . if the unpurged relicts of unbelief in them , can thus darken and cloud their evidences , thus greaten and multiply their dangers , if it can draw such sad and frightful conclusions in their hearts , notwithstanding all the contrary experiences of their lives , as we see in that sad instance , sam. . . what panick fears , and unrelieved terrors must it put those men under , where it is in its full strength and dominion . . cause . moreover , we shall find many of our fears raised and provoked in us by the promiscuous administrations of providence in this world , when we read in scripture , that there is one●●vent to the righteous and to the wicked , and all things come alike to all , eccles. . . that when the sword is drawn , god suffers it to cut off the righteous and the wicked , ezek. . . the sword makes no difference , where god hath made so great a difference by grace , it neither distinguishes faces , nor breasts , but is assoon sheathed in the bowels of the best , as of the worst of men ; when we read how the same fire of gods indignation , devours the green tree and the dry tree , ezek. . . how the basket of good figs ( the embleme of the best men of those times ) were carried into babylon as well as the bad , ier. . . how the flesh of gods saints hath been given for meat to the fowls of heaven , and to the beasts of the field , psal. . . and how the wicked have devoured the man that is more righteous than himself as it is habak . . . i say when we observe such things in scripture , and find our observations confirmed by the accounts and histories of former and later ages , when we reflect upon the unspeakable miseries and butcheries of those plain hearted and precious servants of christ , the albingenses and waldenses , how they fell as a prey to their cruel adversaries notwithstanding the convincing simplicity and holiness of their lives , and all their fervent cries , and appeals to god , how the very flower of the reformed protestant interest in france was cut off with more than barbarous inhumanity , so that the streets were washed , and the canals of paris ran with their precious bloud . what horrid and unparallelled tortures the servants of god felt in that cruel massacre in ireland , a history too tragical for a tender hearted reader to stay long upon : and how in our own land , the most eminent ministers and christians were sent to heaven in a fiery chariot in those doleful marian day : i say when we read and consider such things as these , it rouzes our fears , and puts us into frights when we see our selves threatned with the same enemies and dangers ; when the feet of them that carried out the dear servants of god in bloudy winding sheets to their graves , stand at the door to carry us forth next , if providence loose their chain , and give them a permission so to do ; and our fears on this account are heightned by considering and revolving these four things in our thoughts , which we are always more inclined to do , than the things that should fortifie our faith , and heighten our christian courage ; as , . we are very apt to consider that as the same race and kind of men that committed these outrages upon our brethren , are still in being and that their rage and malice is not abated in the least degree , but is as fierce and cruel as ever it was , gal. . . as then he that was born after the flesh , perseouted him that was born after the spirit , even so it is now . so it was then , and just so it is still , the old enmity is entailed upon all wicked men from generation to generation ; multi adhuc sunt qui clavum sanguine abelis rubentem adhuc circumferunt . cain 's club is to this day carried up and down the world stained with the bloud of abel , as bucholtzer speaks ; 't is a rooted antipathy , and it runs in a bloud , and will run as long as there are wicked men from whom and to whom it shall be propagated , and a devil in hell , by whom it will not fail to be exasperated and irritated . . we know also that nothing hinders the execution of their wicked purposes against us , but the restraints of providence ; should god loose the chain , and give them leave to act forth the malice and rage that is in their hearts , no pity would be shewen by them , or could be rationally expected from them , psal. . , , , , , . we live among lions , and them that are set on fire of hell , psal. . . the only reason of our safety is this , that he who is the keeper of the lions is also the shepherd of the sheep . . we find that god hath many times let loose these lions upon his people , and given them leave to tear his lambs in pieces , and suck the bloud of his saints ; how well soever he loves them , yet hath he often delivered them into the hands of his enemies , and suffered them to perpetuate and act the greatest cruelties upon them ; the best men have suffered the worst things , and the histories of all ages have delivered down unto us the most tragical relations of their barbarous usage . . we are also conscious to our selves how fa● short we come in holiness , innocency , and spiritual excellency of those excellent persons who have suffered these things , and therefore have no ground to expect more favour from providence than they found ● we know also there is no promise in the scriptures t● which they had not as good a claim and title as ou●●selves : with us are found as great , yea , greater sin than in them , and therefore have no reason to please our selves with the fond imaginations of extraordinary exemptions . if we think these evils shall not come in our days , 't is like many of them thought so too , and yet they did , and we may find it quite otherwise , lam. . . who would have thought that the enemy should have entered in at the gates of ierusalem ? the revolving of these and such like considerations in our thoughts , and mixing our own unbelief with them creates a world of fears even in good men , till by resignation of all to god , and acting faith upon the promises that assure us of the sanctification of all our troubles , as that , rom. . . gods presence with us in our troubles , as that psal. . . his moderation of our troubles to that measure and degree in which they are supportable , isai. . . and the safe and comfortable outlet and final deliverance from them all at last , according to that in rev. . . we do at last recover our hearts out of the hands of our fears again , and compose them to a quiet and sweet satisfaction in the wise and holy pleasure of our god. . cause . . our immoderate love of life , and the comforts and conveniencies thereof may be assigned as a proper and real ground and cause of our sinful fears , when the dangers of the times threaten the one or other : did we love our lives less , we should fear and tremble less than we do . it is said of those renowned saints , rev. . . they overcame by the blood of the lamb , and by the word of their testimony , and they loved not their lives unto the death . they overcame , not only the fury of their enemies without them , but their sinful fears within them ; and this victory was atchieved by their mortification , to the inordinate and immoderate love of life , certainly their own fears had overcome them , if they had not first overcome the love of life : it was not therefore without very great reason that our lord injoyned it upon all his disciples and followers , to hate their own lives , luke . . not absolutely , but in comparison and competition with him , ( i. e. ) to love it in so remiss a degree , as to slight and undervalue it as a poor low thing in such a comparison , he foresaw what sharp tryals and sufferings were coming upon them , and he knew if the fond and immoderate love of life were not overcome and mortified in them , it would make them warp and bend under such temptations . this was it that freed paul from slavish fears , and made him so magnanimous and undaunted ; indeed he had less fear upon his spirit though he was to suffer those hard and sharp things in his own person , than his friends had who only sympathized with him , and were not farther concerned than by their own love and pity : he spake like a man who was rather a spectator than a sufferer , acts . , . none of these things move me , saith he , great soul ! not moved with bonds and afflictions ? how did he attain so great courage and constancy of mind in such deep and dreadful sufferings ? it was enough to have moved the stoutest man in the world , yea , and to have removed the resolutions of any that had not loved christ better than his own life ; but life was a trifle to him in comparison with jesus christ , for so he tells us in the next words , i count not my life dear unto me ; q. d. 't is a low priz'd commodity in my eyes , not worth the saving or regarding on such sinful terms : o how many have parted with christ , peace , and eternal life , for fear of losing that which paul regarded not . and if we bring our thoughts closer to the matter , we shall soon find that this is a fountain o● fears in times of danger , and that from this excessive love of life , we are rack'd and tortured with ten thousand terrors . for , . life is the greatest and nearest interest men naturally have in this world , and that which wraps up all other inferiour interests in it self , iob . . skin for skin , and all that a man hath , will he give for his life . it is a real truth , though it came from the mouth of the father of lies ; afflictions never touch the quick till they touch the life ; liberty , estates , and other accommodations in this world receive their value and estimation from hence , if life be cut off these accidents perish , and are of no account . gen. . . behold , i am at the point to die , ( said esau ) and what profit shall this birthright do to me ? . life being naturally the dearest interest of men in this world , the richest treasure , and most beloved thing on earth to a natural man ; that which strikes at , and endangers life , must in his eyes be the greatest evil that can befall him ; on this account death becomes terrible to men , yea , as iob calls it , the king of terrors , iob . . the black prince or the prince of clouds and darkness , as some translate those words : yea , so terrible is death upon this account , that the very fear of it hath sometimes precipitated men into the hands of it , as we sometimes observe in times of pestilence , the excessive fear of the plague hath induced it . . though death be terrible in any shape , in the mildest form it can appear in ; yet a violent and bloudy death by the hands of cruel and merciless men , is the most terrible form that death can appear in ; 't is now the king of terrors indeed , in the most ghastly representation and frightful form , in its scarlet robes , and terrifying formalities . in a violent death all the barbarous cruelty that the wit of our enemies can invent , or their malice inflict , is mingled together ; in a violent death are many deaths contrived into one , and it oftentimes approaches men by such slow and deliberate paces , that they feel every tread of 〈◊〉 foot as it advanceth towards them . moriatur , ut sentiat se mori , let him so die , ( said the tyrant ) that he may feel himself to die , yea , and how he dies by inch-meal or slow and lingring degrees ; this is exceeding frightful , especially to those that are of a more soft and tender nature and temper , who must needs be struck through with the terrours of death , except the lord arm them against it with the assurance of a better life , and sweeten these bitter apprehensions by the foretasts of it . this is enough of put even sanctified nature into a consternation , and make a very gracious heart to sink , unless it be so upheld by divine strength and comfort : and hence come many , very many of our fears , and terrors , especially when the same enemies that have been accustomed to this bloudy work , shall be found confederating and designing again to break in upon us , and act over ●gain as much cruelty as ever they have done upon ou● brethren in times past . . cause . to conclude , many of our sinful fears and consternations flow from the influences of satan upon our phantasies . they say winds , and storms are of● times raised by satan both by sea and land , and i never doubted but the prince of the power of the air by gods permission can , and often doth put the world into great frights and disturbances by such tempests , iob . . he can raise the loftiest winds , pour down roaring showers , rattle in the air with fearful claps of thunder , and scare the lower world with terrible flashes of lightning . and i doubt not but he hath by the same permission a great deal of influence and power upon the fansies and passions of men . and can raise more terrible storms and tempests within 〈◊〉 ●han ever we heard or felt without us : he can by leave from god approach our phantasies , disturb and trouble them exceedingly by forming frightful idea's there ; for satan not only works upon men mediately by the ministry of their external senses , but by reason of his spiritual angelical nature , he can have immediate access to the internal sense also , as appears by diabolical dreams , and by practising upon that power of the soul , he influences the pastions of it , and puts it under very dreadful apprehensions and consternations : now if satan can provoke and exasperate the fury and rage of wicked men , as it is evident he can do , rev. . . and so disturb our fansies and influence our passions , as there is no reason to doubt but by leave from god he can do , as well as he can go to the magazines and store-houses of thunder , lightnings , and storms . o what inward storms of fear , can he shake our hearts withal , and if god give him but a permission how ready will he be to do it ? seeing it is so conducible to his design : for by putting men into such frights he at once weakens their hands in duty as is plain from his attempt this way upon nehemiah , chap. . . and if he prevail there , he drives them into the snares , and trains of his temptations , as the fisherman and fowler do the birds and fishes into their nets , when once they have flusht and frighted them out of their coverts . and thus you have some account of the principal and true causes of our sinful fears . chap. v. laying open the sinful and lamentable effects of slavish and inordinate fear both in carnal and regenerate persons . sect . i. having taken a view in the former chapters of the kinds and causes of fear , and seen what lies at the root of slavish fear and both breeds and feeds it , what fruit can we expect from such a cursed plant , but gall and wormwood , fruit as bitter as death it self ? let us then in the next place examine and well consider these following and deplorable effects of fear to excite us to apply our selves the more concernedly to those directions that follow in the close of this treatise for the cure of it . and , . effect . the first effect of this sinful and exorbitant passion , is distraction of mind and thoughts in duty ; both cicero and quintilian will have the word tumultus , a tumult to come from timor multus , much fear , 't is a compound of those two words ; much fear raises great uproars and tumults in the soul , and puts all into hurries and distractions , so that we cannot attend upon any service of god , with profit or comfort . it was therefore a very necessary mercy that was requested of god , luk. . . that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies , might serve him without fear . for it is impossible to serve god without distractions , till we can serve him without the slavish fear of enemies . the reverential fear of god is the greatest ●pur to duty , and choicest help in it , but the distracting fears of men will either wholly divert us from our duty , or destroy the comfort and benefit of our duties ; 't is a deadly snare of the devil , to hinder all comfortable intercourse with god. it is very remarkable , that when the apostle was giving his advice to the corinthians , about marriage in those times of persecution and difficulty , he commends to them a single life as most eligible ; where it may be without other sinful inconveniencies , and that principally for this reason , that they might attend upon the lord without distractions , cor. . . he foresaw what streights , cares , and fears must unavoidably distract them in such times that were most clogged and incumbred with families , and relations ; when a man should be thinking , o what shall i do now to to get my doubts and fears resolved about my interest in christ ? how may i so behave my self in my sufferings as to credit religion , and not become a scandal and stumbling stone to others ? his thoughts are taken ●p with other cares and fears ! o what will become of 〈◊〉 wife and poor little ones ! what shall i do with ●hem , and for them , to secure them , from danger ? i doubt not but it is a great design of the devil to ●eep us in continual alarms and frights , and to puzzle ●ur heads and hearts with a thousand difficulties which ●ossibly may never befall us , or if they do , shall ne●er prove so fatal to us as we fancy them , and all this to unfit us for our present duties , and destroy our comfort therein ; for if by frights and terrors of mind he can but once distract our thoughts , he gains three great points upon us , to our unspeakable loss . . hereby he will cut off the freedom and sweetness of our communion with god in duties , and what an empty shell will the best duties be , when this kernel is wormed out by such a subtle artifice ? prayer as damascen aptly expresses it , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ascension of the mind or soul to god ; but distraction clips its wings ; he can never offer up his soul and thoughts to god , that hath not the possession of them himself ; and he that is under distracting fears possesseth not himself . the life of all communion with god in prayer , consists in the harmony that is betwixt our hearts and words , and both with the will of god , this harmony is spoiled by distractions , and so satan gains that point . . but this is not all he gains , and we lose by distracting fears ; for as they cut off the freedom and sweetness of our intercourse with god in prayer , so they cut off the soul from the succours and reliefs it might otherwise draw from the promises . we find when the israelites were in great bondage , wherein their minds were distracted with fears and sorrows , they regarded not the supporting promises of deliverance sent them by moses , exod. . . david had an express and particular promise of the kingdo● from the mouth of god , which must needs include his deliverance out the hand of saul , and all his stratagems to destroy him ; but yet when eminent hazards were before his eyes , he was afraid , and tha● fear betrayed the succours from the promise , so tha● it drew a quite contrary inclusion , sam. . . 〈◊〉 shall one day perish by the hand of saul : and again 〈◊〉 is at the same point , psal. . . all men are liars , not excepting samuel himself who had assured him of the kingdom . this is always the property and nature of fear ( as i shewed before ) to make men distrust the best security when they are in eminent peril : but oh what a mischief is this ! to make us suspicious of the promises which are our chief relief and support in times of trouble : our fears will unfit us for prayer , they will also shake the credit of the promises with us , and so great is the damage we receive both ways , that it were better for us to lose our two eyes , than two such advantages in trouble . but , . this is not all , by our present fears we lose the benefit and comfort of all our past experiences , and the singular relief we might have from all that faithfulness and goodness of god which our eyes have seen in former streights and dangers , the present fear clouds them all , isai. . , . men and dangers are so much minded , that god is forgotten , even the god that hath hitherto preserved us , though our former fears told us , the enemy was daily ready to devour us . all these sweet reliefs are cut off from us by our distracting fears , and that at a time when we have most need of them . . effect . dissimulation and hypocrisie is the fruit of slavish fear ; distraction you see is bad enough , but dissimulation is worse than distraction , and yet as bad as it is , fear hath driven good men into this snare ; it will make even an upright soul warp and bend from the rules of that integrity and candor which should be inseparable at all times from a christian : of whom ( saith god to his israel ) hast thou been afraid , that thou hast lied , and hast not remembred me ? god finds falshood , and charges it upon fear , q. d. i know it was against the resolutions of my peoples hearts thus to dissemble , this certainly is the effect of a fright ; who is he that hath scared you into this evil ? it was abraham's fear that made him dissemble to the reproach of his religion , gen. . , . and indeed it was but an odd sight to see an heathen so schooling and reproving great abraham about it as he there doth . it was nothing but fear that drew his son isaac into the like snare , gen. . . and it was fear that overcame peter against his promise as well as principle to say concerning his dear saviour , i know not the man , matth. . . had abraham at that time remembred , and acted his faith freely upon what the lord said to him , gen. . . fear not abraham , i am thy shield , he had escaped both the sin and shame into which he fell , but even that great believer was foiled by his own fears ; and certainly this is a great evil , a complicated mischief . for , . by these falls and scandals , religion is made vile and contemptible in the eyes of the world , it reflects with much reproach upon god and his promises , as if his word were not sufficient security for us to rely upon in times of trouble , as if it were safer trusting to our wit , yea , to sin ; than to the promises . . it greatly weakens the hands of others , and proves a sore discouragement to them in their trials , to see their brethren faint for fear , and ashamed to own their principles ; sometimes it hath this mischievous effect , but it is always improved by satan and wicked men to this purpose . and , . it will be a terrible blow and wound to our own consciences , for such flaws in our integrity we may be kept waking and sighing many a night ; o see the mischiefs of a timorous and faint spirit ! . effect . slavish fears of the creature exceedingly strengthen our temptations in times of danger , and make them very efficacious and prevalent upon us . prov. . . the fear of man brings a snare . satan spreads the net , but we are not within its reach , till our own fears drive us into it ; the recoyling of our spirits from some eminent danger , may cause the pulse of a true christian to intermit and faulter , how regular soever it beats at other times , this will cause great trepidation and timidity in men that are sincere and upright , and that is it that brings the snare over their souls . aaron was a good man , and idolatry he knew to be a great sin , yet fear prevailed with that good man to give too much way to that great evil , exod. . . thou knowest the people that they are set upon mischief , saith he in his own excuse , in the matter of the golden calf , q. d. lord i durst do no otherwise at that time , the people were violently and passionately set upon it ; had i resisted them , it might have cost me dear . it was fear that prevailed with origen to yield so far as he did in offering incense to the idol , the consideration of which fact brake his heart to pieces . it was nothing but fear that made david play the fool , and act so dishonourably as he did , i sam. . . fear is a snare in which satan hath caught as many souls as in any other of his stratagems and toyls whatsoever . it were easy to give instances , so many and so sad , as would inlarge this head even to tediousness , but i chuse rather to come to the particulars wherein the danger of this snare of the devil consists . and , . herein lies the ensnaring danger of sinful fear , that it drives men out of their proper station , out of their place and duty , beside which there is none to be found but what is satans ground . the subtle enemy of our salvation is aware that we are out of gun shot , beyond his reach , whilst we abide with god in the way of our duty , that the lord is with us , whilst we are with him , and there is no attempting our ruine under the wings of his protection . if ever therefore he meaneth to do any thing upon us , he must get us off that ground , and from under those wings , and there is nothing like fear to do this ; then we are as the birds that are wandring from their nests , prov. . . or like shimei out of his limits . . fear is usually the first passion in the soul that beats a parley with the enemy , and treats with the tempter about terms of rendition ; and as the french proverb is , the castle that parlies , is half wone . 't is fear that consults with flesh and bloud , whilst faith is ingaged with god for the supply of strength to endure the siege ; we have a sad and doleful instance of this in spira , he tells us how his own fears betrayed him , by parlying with the tempter , for thus mr. bacon in the history of his life records the occasion of his fall . whilst spira was tossing upon the restless waves of doubts , without guide to trust to , or haven to flee to for succour ; on the sudden , gods spirit assisting , he felt a calm , and began to discourse with himself in this manner : why wanderest thou thus in uncertainties ? unhappy man ! cast away fear , put on thy shield of faith ; where is thy wonted courage , thy goodness , thy constancy ? remember that christs glory lies at the stake , suffer then without fear , and he will defend thee , he will tell thee what thou shalt answer ; he can beat down all danger , bring thee out of prison , raise thee from the dead : consider peter in the dungeon , the martyrs in the fire , &c. now was spira in reasonable quiet , being resolved to yield to those weighty reasons ; yet holding it wisdom to examine all things , he consults also with flesh and bloud ; thus the battel renews , and the flesh begins in this manner : be well advised , fond man , consider reasons on both sides , and then judge , how canst thou thus overween thine own sufficiency , as thou neither regardest the examples of thy progenitors , nor the judgment of the whole church ; dost thou not consider what misery this days rashness will bring thee unto ? thou shalt lose all thy substance gotten with so much care and travel , thou shalt undergo the most exquisite torments that malice it self can devise , thou shalt be counted an heretick of all , and to close up all , thou shalt die shamefully . what thinkest thou of the loathsome stinking dungeon , the bloudy ax , the burning faggot ? are they delightful , &c. thus through fear he first parlied with the tempter , consulted with flesh and bloud , and at last fainted and yielded . . 't is fear that makes men impatient of waiting gods time and method of deliverance , and so precipitates the soul , and drives it into the snare of the next temptation , isai. . . the captive exile hasteth to be delivered out of the pit . any way or means of escape that comes next to hand , saith fear , is better than to lie here in the pit ; and when the soul is thus prepared by its own fears , it becomes an easy prey to the next temptation , by all which you see the mischief that comes by fear in times of danger . . effect . . fear naturally produceth pusillanimity , and cowardliness in men , a poor low spirit , that presently faints and yields upon every slight assault ; it extinguisheth all christian courage and magnanimity where ever it prevails , and therefore you find it joyned frequently in the scriptures with discouragement , deut. . . fear not , neither be discouraged with fainting and trembling . deut. . . let not your hearts faint , fear not , and do not tremble ; with dismayedness . deut. . . and faint heartedness , isai. . . these are the effects and consequents of sinful fear : and how dangerous a thing it is to have our courage extinguished , and faintness of heart prevail upon us in a time when we have the greatest need and use of courage and our perseverance , peace and eternal happiness rely and depend so much upon it , let all serious christians judge . 't is sad to us and dishonourable to religion to have the hearts of women , as it 's said of egypt , isai. . . when we should play the men as the apostle exhorts us , cor. . . we find in all ages those that have manifested most courage for christ in time of trial , have been those whose faith hath surmounted fear , and whose hearts were above all discouragements from this world . such a man was basil , as appears by his answer to valens the emperor who tempting him with offers of preferment , received this answer , offer these things , said he , to children ; and when he threatned him with grievous sufferings , he replied , threaten these things to your purple gallants that give themselves to pleasure , and are afraid to die . and this was the spirit of courage and magnanimity with which the generality of the primitive christians were animated , they feared not the faces of tyrants , they shrunk not from the most cruel torments , and it redounded not a little to the credit of christianity , when one of iulians nobles present at the tormenting of marcus bishop of arethusa told the apostate to his face , we are ashamed o emperor , the christians laugh at your cruelty , and grow more resolute by it . so lactantius also testifies of them , our women and children , saith he , not to speak of men , overcome their torments , and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them . if carnal fear once get the ascendant over us , all our courage and resolution will flag , and melt away , we may suffer out of unavoidable necessity , but shall never honour christ and religion by our sufferings . . effect . carnal fear is the very root of apostacy , it hath made thousands of professors to faint and fall away in the hour of temptation , it is not so much from the fury of our enemies without , as from our own fears within , that temptations become victorious over us ; from the beginning of fears christ dates the beginning apostacy , matth. . , . then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted , and shall kill you , and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name sake , and then shall many be offended . when troubles and dangers come to an height then fears begin to work at an height too , and then is the critical hour ; fears are high , and faith is low ; temptation strong , and resistance weak . satan knocks at the door , and fear opens it , and yields up the soul to him , except special aid and assistance come in seasonably from heaven , so long as we can profess religion without any great hazard of life , liberty , or estates , we may shew much zeal and forwardness in the ways of godliness , but when it comes to the sharpes , to resisting unto bloud , few will be found to own and assert it openly in the face of such dangers . the first retreat is usually made from a free and open to a close and concealed practice of religion ; not opening our windows as daniel did , to shew we care not who knows we dare worship our god and are not ashamed of our duties , but hiding our principles and practices with all the art and care imaginable , reckoning it well if we can escape danger by letting fall our profession which might expose us to it : but if the inquest go on , and we cannot be secured any longer under this refuge , we must comply with false worship , and give some open signal that we do so , or else be marked out for ruine ; then saith fear , give a little more ground and retreat to the next security , which is to comply seemingly with that which we do not allow , hoping god will be merciful to us , and accept us if we keep our hearts for him , though we are forced thus to dissemble and hide our principles . eamus ad communem errorem , said calderinus , when going to the mass , let us go to the common error ; and as seneca adviseth about worshipping the roman gods , in animi religione non habeat , sed in actibus fingat , let us make a semblance and shew of worshipping them , though our hearts give no religious respect to them : but if still the temptation hunt us further , and we come to be more narrowly sifted , and put to a severer test , by subscribing contrary articles , or renouncing our former avowed principles , and that upon penalty of death , and loss of all that is dear to us in this world ; now nothing in all the world hazards our eternal salvation , as our own fears will do ; this is like to be the rock on which we shall split all , and make an horrible shipwrack both of truth and peace : this was the case of cranmer , whose fears caused him to subscribe against the dictates of his own conscience , and cowardly to betray the known truth , and indeed there is no temptation in the world that hath overthrown so many as that which hath been backt and edged with fear ; the love of preferments and honours hath slain its thousands , but fear of sufferings its ten thousands . . effect . sinful fear puts men under great bondage of spirit , and makes death a thousand times more terrible and intolerable than it would otherways be to us . you read of some , heb. . . who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage , ( i. e. ) it kept them in a miserable anxiety and perplexity of mind , like slaves that tremble at the whip which is held over them : thus many thousands live under the lash , so terrible is the name of death , especially a violent death , that they are not able with patience to hear 〈◊〉 mentioned ; which gave the ground of that saying , praestat semel , quam semper mori , it s better to die once than to be dying always . and surely there is not a more miserable life any poor creature can live , than such a trembling life as this is . for , . such a bondage as this destroys all the comfort and pleasure of life , no pleasure can grow or thrive under the shadow of this cursed plant , nil ei beatum cui semper aliquis terror impendeat , saith cicero . all the comforts we possess in this world are imbittered by it . 't is storied of democles a flatterer of dionysius the tyrant , that he told him he was the happiest man in the world , having wealth , power , majesty , and abundance of all things : dionysius sets the flatterer in all his own pomp at a table furnished with all dainties , and attended upon as a king , but with an heavy sharp sword hanging by a single horse hair right over his head , this made him quake and tremble so that he could neither eat nor drink but desired to be freed from that estate : the design was to convince him how miserable a life they live who live under the continual terrors of impending death and ruine . it was a sore judgment which god threatned against them in ier. . . a lion out of the forrest shall slay them , and a wolf of the evening shall spoil them , a leopard shall watch over their cities , every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces . what a miserable life must those people live , who could not stir out of the city , but they presently were seized by lions , wolves , and leopards , that watch'd over them , and lurked in all the avenewes to make them a prey , and yet this is more tolerable than for a mans own fear to watch continually over him . . and yet i could wish this were the worst of it , and that our fears destroyed no better comforts than the natural comforts of this life ; but alas , they also destroy our spiritual comforts which we might have from gods promises , and our own and others experiences , which are incomparably the sweetest pleasures men have in this world : but as no creature comfort is pleasant , so no promise relishes like it self to him that lives in this bondage of fear ; when the terrors of death are great , the consolations of the almighty are small . in the written word are found all sorts of refreshing strengthening , and heart-reviving promises , prepared by the wisdom and care of god for our relief in the days of darkness and trouble ; promises of support under the heaviest burdens and pressures , isai. . . fear not , for i am with thee , be not dismayed , for i am thy god , i will strengthen thee , yea , i will help thee , yea , i will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness . a promise able to make the most timorous and trembling soul to shout with the joy of men in harvest , or as they that divide the spoil . there are found the encouraging promises of defence and protection , isa. . , . and isa. . . promises that lead us into the almighty power of god , and put us under the wings of his care in time of danger . promises of moderation and mitigation in the day of sharp affliction that we may be able to bear it , isai. . . cor. . . promises of deliverance out of troubles , if the malice of man bring us into trouble , the mercy of god will assuredly bring us out . psal. . , . and ps. . . and which is most comfortable of all the rest , promises to sanctifie and bless our troubles to our good , so that they shall not only cease to be hurtful , but by vertue of the promise , become exceeding beneficial to us . isa. . . rom. . . all these promises are provided by our tender father for us against a day of straits and fears ; and because he knew our weakness , and how apt our fears would be to make us suspect our security by them , he hath for the performance of them , engaged his wisdom , power , care , faithfulness , and unchangeableness , pet. . . isai. . , . chron. . . cor. . . isai. . , . in the midst of such promises so sealed how chearful and magnanimous should we be in the worst times ? and say as david , psal. . . why should i fear in the day of evil ? let those that have no god to flee to , no promise to rely upon , let them fear in the day of evil , i have no cau●e to do so . but even from these most comfortable refuges in the promises , our own fears beat us , we are so scared that we mind them not , so as to draw encouragement , resolution , and courage from them . thus the shields of the mighty are vilely castaway . so for all the choice records of the saints experiences in all former troubles and distresses ; god hath by a singular providence , ( aiming at our relief in future distresses , ) preserved them for us ; if danger threaten us , we may turn to the recorded experiences his people have left us , of the strange and mighty influence of his providence upon the hearts of their enemies , to shew them favour , gen. . . psal. . . ier. . . there also are found the ancient rolls and records of the admirable methods of his peoples deliverance , contrived by his infinite and unsearchable wisdom for them , when all their own thoughts have been at a loss , and their understandings posed and staggered . exod. . . chron. . , . kings . , . there are the recorded experiences of gods unspotted faithfulness , which never failed any soul that durst trust himself in its arms . mica . . , . ioshuah . . there also are to be found the records of his tender and most fatherly care for his children , who have been to him as a peculiar treasure in times of danger . psal . . deut. . , , . isai. . . iob . . . chron. . . all these and many more supports and cordials are made ready to our hand and provided for a day of trouble ; but alas , to what purpose , if our own fears , so transport us that we can neither apply them , nor so much as calmly ponder and consider them . . to conclude , by these fears we are deprived of those manifold advantages we might gain by the calm and composed meditations of our own death , and the change it will make upon us ; could we sit down in peace , and meditate in a familiar way upon death ; could we look with a composed and well setled mind into our own graves , and not be scared and frighted with the thoughts of death , and startle whenever we take it , ( though but in our thoughts ) by the cold hand : to what seriousness would those meditations frame us ? and what abundance of evils would they prevent in our conversations ? the sprinkling of dust upon new writing , prevents many a blot and blur in our books or letters ; and could we thus sprinkle the dust of the grave upon our minds , it would prevent many a sin and miscarriage in our words and actions : but there is no profit or advantage redounding to us either from promises , experiences , or death it self when the soul is discomposed and put into confusion by its own fears . and thus you see some of those many mischievous effects of your own fears . chap. vi. prescribing the rules to cure our sinful fears , and prevent these sad and woful effects of them . sect . i. we are now come to the most difficult part of the work , viz. the cure , of the sinful and slavish fear of creatures in times of danger , which if it might through the blessing of god be effected , we might live at hearts ease in the midst of all our enemies and troubles , and like the sun in the heavens , keep on our steady course in the darkest and gloomiest day : but before i come to the particular rules , it will be necessary for the prevention of mistakes , to lay down three useful cautions about this matter . . caution . understand that none but those that are in christ are capable to improve the following rules to their advantage . the security of our souls is the great argument used by christ to extinguish our fears of them that can kill the body , matth. . . but if the soul must unavoidably perish when the body doth , if it must drop into hell before the body be laid in the grave : if he that kills the body doth by the same stroak cut off the soul from all the means and possibilities of mercy and happiness for ever ; what can be offered in such a case , to relieve a man against fear and trembling . . caution . expect not a perfect cure of your fears in this life ; whilst there are enemies and dangers , there will be some fears working in the best hearts : if our faith could be perfected , our fears would be perfectly cured ; but whilst there is so much weakness in our faith , there will be too much strength in our fears . and for those who are naturally timorous , who have more of this passion in their constitution than other men have ; and those in whom melancholy is a rooted and chronical disease ; it will be hard for them totally to rid themselves of fears and dejections , though in the use of such helps and means as follow , they may be greatly relieved against the tyranny of them , and enabled to possess their souls in much more tranquillity and comfort . . caution . whosoever expects the benefit of the following prescriptions and rules , must not think the reading or bare remembring them will do the work ; but he must work them into his heart by believing and fixed meditation , and live in the daily practice of them . it is not our opening of our case to a physician , nor his prescriptions and written directions that will cure a man , but he must resolve to take the bitter and nauseous potions how much soever he loath it , to abstain from hurtful diet , how well soever he loves it , if ever he expect to be a sound and healthful man. so it is in this case also . these things premised the . rule . the first rule to relieve us against our slavish fears , is seriously to consider , and more throughly to study the covenant of grace , within the blessed clasp and bond whereof all believers are . i think the clear understanding of the nature , extent , and stability of the covenant , and of our interest therein , would go a great way in the cure of our sinful and slavish fears . a covenant is more than a naked promise , in the covenant , god hath graciously consulted our weakness , fears , and doubts , and therefore proceeds with us in the highest way of solemnity , confirming his promises by oath , heb. . , . and by seals , rom. . . putting himself under the most solemnties and engagements that can be , to his people , that from so firm a ratification of the covenant with us , we might have strong consolation , heb. . . he hath so ordered it , that it might afford strong supports , and the most reviving cordials to our faint and and timorous spirits , in all the plunges of trouble both from within , and from without . in the covenant god makes over himself to his people , to be unto them a god , ier. . . heb. . . wherein the lord bestows himself in all his glorious essential properties upon us , to the end that whatsoever his almighty power , infinite wisdom , and incomprehensible mercy can afford for our protection , support , deliverance , direction , pardon , or refreshment ; we might be assured shall be faithfully performed to us in all the straits , fears , and exigencies of our lives . this god expects we should improve by faith , as the most sovereign antidote against all our fears in this world . isaiah . , . thus saith the lord that created thee , o jacob , and he that formed thee , o israel ; fear not , for i have redeemed thee , i have called thee by thy name , thou art mine ; when thou passest through the waters , i will be with thee , &c. isai. . . fear not , for i am with thee , be not dismaied , for i am thy god. and if thou reader , be within the bond of this covenant , thou mayest surely find enough there to quiet thy heart , whatever the matter or ground of thy fears be : if god be thy covenant god , he will be with thee in all thy streights , wants and troubles , he will never leave , nor forsake thee . from the covenant it was that david encouraged himself against all his troubles . . sam. . . although my house be not so with god , yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant , well ordered in all things and sure ; and this is all my salvation , and all my desire , though he make it not to grow . he could fetch all reliefs , all comforts , all salvations out of it , and why cannot we ? he desired no more for the support of his heart ; this is all my desire ; and sure if we understood and believed it as he did , we could desire no more to quiet and comfort our hearts than what this covenant affords us . for , . are we afraid what our enemies will do ? we know we are in the midst of potent , politick , and enraged enemies ; we have heard what they have done , and see what they are preparing to do again ; we tremble to think what bloudy tragedies are like to be acted over again in the world by their cruel hands : but o what heroick and noble acts of faith should the covenant of thy god enable thee to exert amidst all these fears ? if god be thy god , then thou hast an almighty god on thy side , and that is enough to extinguish all these fears , psal. . . the lord is on my side , i will not fear what man can do unto me . your fears come in the name of man , but your help in the name of the lord : let them plot , threaten , yea , and smite too ; god is a shield to all that fear him , and if god be for us , who can be against us ? . are we afraid what god will do ? fear it not , your god will do nothing against your good ; think not that he may forget you , it cannot be ; sooner may a tender mother forget her sucking child , isai. . . no , no , he withdraweth not his eye from the righteous , iob . . his eyes are continually upon all the dangers and wants of your souls and bodies , there is not a danger or an enemy stirring against you , but his eye is upon it . chron. . . are you afraid he will forsake and cast you off ? 't is true , your sins have deserved he should do so , but he hath secured you fully against that fear in his covenant , ier. . . i will not turn away from them , to do them good . all your fears of gods forgetting or forsaking you , spring out of your ignorance of the covenant . . are you afraid what you shall do ? 't is usual for the people of god to propose difficult cases to themselves , and put startling questions to their own hearts ; and there may be an excellent use of them , to rouze them out of security , put them upon the search and tryal of their conditions and estates , and make preparation for the worst ; but satan usually improves it to a quite contrary end , to deject , affright , and discourage them . o if fiery trials should come , if my liberty and life come once to be toucht in earnest , i fear i shall never have strength to go on a step farther in the way of religion : i am afraid i shall faint in the first encounter , i shall deny the words of the holy one , make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience in the first gust of temptation . i can hear , and pray , and profess ; but i doubt i cannot burn , or bleed , or lie in a dungeon for christ. if i can scarce run with footmen in the land of peace , how do i think to contend with horses in the swellings of iordan ? but yet all these are but groundless fears , either forged in thy own misgiving heart , or secretly shuffled by satan into it ; for god hath abundantly secured thee against fear in this very particular , by that most sweet supporting and blessed promise , annexed to the former , in the same text , ier. . . i will put my fear into their hearts , and that they shall not depart from me . here is another kind of fear , than that which so startles thee , promised to be put into thy heart , not a fear to shake and undermine thy assurance as this doth , but to guard and maintain it . and this is the fear that shall be enabled to vanquish and expel all thy other fears . . or are you afraid what the church shall do ? and what will become of the ark of god ? do you see a storm gathering , the winds begin to roar , the waves to swell ; and are you afraid what will become of that vessel the church , in which you have so great an interest ? it is an argument of the publickness and excellency of thy spirit , to be thus touched with the feeling sense of the churches sufferings , and dangers . most men seek their own things , and not the things that are of christ , phil. . . but yet it is your sin so to fear as to sink and faint under a spirit of despondency , and discouragement , which yet many good men are but too apt to do . i remember an excellent passage in a letter of luther's to melancthon upon this very account . in private troubles , saith he , i am weaker , and thou art stronger ; thou despisest thy own life , but fearest the publick cause ; but for the publick i am at rest , being assured that the cause is just and true ; yea , that it is christ's and gods cause . i am well nigh a secure spectator of things , and esteem not any thing these fierce and threatning papists . i beseech thee by christ , neglect not so divine promises and consolations where the scripture saith , cast thy care upon the lord , wait upon the lord , be strong , and he shall comfort thy heart . and in another epistle . i much dislike those anxious cares , which as thou writest do almost consume thee : 't is not the greatness of the danger , but the greatness of thy unbelief . iohn hus and others were under greater danger than we ; and if it be great , he is great that orders it . why do you afflict your self ? if the cause be bad , let us renounce it ; if it be good , why do we make him a liar that bids us be still ? as if you were able to do any good , by such unprofitable cares . i beseech thee , thou that in other things art valiant , fight against thy self , thine own greatest enemy that puts weapons into satans hand . you see how good men may be even overwhelmed with publick fears , but certainly if we did well consider the bond of the covenant that is betwixt god and his people , we should be more quiet and composed . for by reason thereof it is , . that god is in the midst of them , psal. . , , , . when any great danger threatned the reformed church in its tender beginnings in luther's time , he would say , come , let us sing the psalm , and indeed it is a lovely song for such times , it bears the title of a song upon alamoth , or a song for the hidden ones , god is with them to cover them under his wings . ● . and it is plain matter of fact , evident to all the world , that no people under the heavens have been so long , and so wonderfully preserved as the church hath been : it hath overlived many bloudy massacres , terrible persecutions , subtle and cruel enemies ; still god hath preserved and delivered it , for his promises oblige him to it , amongst which those two are signal and eminent ones , ier. . . isai. . . . and it is obvious to all that will consider things , that there are the self same motives in god , and the self same grounds and reasons before him to take care of his church and people that ever were in him , or did ever lie before him from the beginning of the world . for , ( . ) the relation is still the same : what though abraham , isaac , and iacob , those renowned believers be in their graves , and those that succeed be far inferiour to them in grace and spiritual excellency ; yet saith the church , doubtless thou art our father . there is the same tie and bond betwixt the father and the youngest , weakest child in the family , as the eldest and strongest . . his pity and mercy is still the same , for that endures for ever : his bowels yern as tenderly over his people in their present , as ever they did in any past afflictions or streights . . the rage and malice of his and his peoples enemies , is still the same , they will reflect as blasphemously and dishonourably upon god now , should he give up his people , as ever they did . moses argument is as good now as ever it was , what will the egyptians say ? and so is ioshuah's too , what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? o if these things were more throughly studied and believed , they would appease many fears . . rule . work upon your hearts the consideration of the many mischiefs and miseries men draw upon themselves and others , both in this world and that to come , by their own sinful fears . . the miseries and calamities that sinful fear brings upon men in this world , are unspeakable ; this is it that hath plunged the consciences of so many poor wretches into such deep distresses ! this it is that hath put them upon the rack , and made them roar like men in hell , among the damned . some have been recovered , and others have perished in these deeps of horror and despair . in the year . there was at ferrara in italy , one faninus who by reading good books was by the grace of god converted to the knowledge of the truth , wherein he found such sweetness , that by constant reading , meditation and prayer , he grew so expert in the scriptures , that he was able to instruct others ; and though he durst not go out of the bounds of his calling to preach openly , yet by conference and private exhortations he did good to many . this coming to the knowledge of the pope's clients , they apprehended and committed him to prison ; where he renounced the truth , and was thereupon released : but it was not long before the lord met with him for it : so as falling into horrible torments of conscience , he was near unto utter despair , nor could he be freed from those terrors , before he had fully resolved to venture his life more faithfully in the service of christ. dreadful was that voice which poor spira seemed to hear in his own conscience assoon as ever his sinful fears had prevailed upon him to renounce the truth . thou wicked wretch , thou hast denied me , thou hast renounced the covenant of thine obedience , thou hast broken thy vow , hence apostate , bear with thee the sentence of thine eternal damnation . presently he falls into a swoon , quaking and trembling , and still affirmed to his death , that from that time , he never found any ease or peace in his mind ; but professed that he was captivated under the revenging hand of the almighty god , and that he continually heard the sentence of christ , the just judge against him , and that he knew he was utterly undone , and could neither hope for grace , or that christ should intercede for him to the father . in our dreadful marian days sir iohn cheek who had been tutor to king edward the sixth , was cast into the tower , and kept close prisoner ; and there put to this miserable choice , either to forego his life , or that which was more precious , his liberty of conscience , neither could his liberty be procured by his great friends at any lower rate , than to recant his religion ; this he was very unwilling to accept of , till his hard imprisonment , joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal , at last wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with flesh and bloud , as drew from him an abrenunciation of that truth which he had so long professed , and still believed . upon this he was restored to his liberty , but never to his comfort ; for the sense of his own apostasie , and the daily sight of the cruel butcheries exercised upon others for their constant adherence to the truth , made such deep impressions upon his broken spirit , as brought him to a speedy end of his life , yet not without some comfortable hopes at last . our own histories abound with multitudes of such doleful examples . some have been in such horror of conscience , that they have chosen strangling rather than life ; they have felt that anguish of conscience that hath put them upon desperate resolutions and attempts against their own lives to rid themselves of it . this was the case of peter moon , who being driven by his own fears to deny the truth , presently fell into such horrour of conscience , that seeing a sword hanging in his parlor , would have sheathed it in his own bowels . so francis spira , before mentioned , when he was near his end , saw a knife on the table , and running to it would have mischieved himself , had not his friends prevented him ; thereupon he said , o that i were above god , for i know that he will have no mercy on me . he lay about eight weeks ( saith the historian ) in a continual burning , neither desiring , nor receiving any thing but by force , and that without digestion ; till he became as an anatomy , vehemently raging for drink , yet fearful to live long , dreadful of hell , yet coveting death , in a continual torment , yet his own tormentor ; and thus consuming himself with grief and horror , impatience and despair , like a living man in hell , he represented an extraor dinary example of gods justice and power , and so ended his miserable life . surely it were good to fright our selves by such dreadful examples , out of our sinful fears ; is any misery we can fear from the hands of man like this ? o reader , believe it , it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of god : hadst thou ever felt the rage and efficacy of a wounded and distressed conscience , as these poor wretches felt it , no fears or threats of men should drive thee into such an hell upon earth as this is . . and yet though this be a doleful case , it is not the worst case your own sinful fears will cast you into , except the lord overcome and extinguish them in you by the fear of his name , they will not only bring you into a kind of hell upon earth , but into hell it self for evermore : for so the righteous god hath said in his word of truth , rev. . . but the fearful , and unbelieving , &c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . behold here , the marshal law of heaven , executed upon cowards and renegadoes , whose fears make them revolt from christ in the time of danger . think upon this you timorous & fainthearted professors ; you cannot bear the thoughts of lying in a nasty dungeon , how will you lie then in the lake of fire and brimstone ? you are afraid of the face and frowns of a man that shall die , but how will you live among devils ? is the wrath of man , like the fury of god poured out ? is not the little finger of god heavier than the loyns of all the tyrants in the world ? remember what christ hath said , matth. . . but whosoever shall deny me before men , him will i also deny before my father which is in heaven . reader , the time is coming when he that spake these words shall break out of heaven with a shout , accompanied with myriads of angels , and ten thousands of his saints , the heavens and the earth shall be in dreadful conflagrations round about him : the last trump shall sound , the graves shall open , the earth and sea shall give up the dead that are in them . thine eyes shall see him ascend the awful throne of judgment , his faithful ones that feared not to own and appear for him in the face of all enemies and dangers , sitting on the bench as assessors with him ; and then to be disclaimed and renounced for ever by jesus christ in the face of that great assembly , and proclaimed a delinquent , a traitor to him , that deniedst his name , and truths , because of the frowns of a fellow creature long since withered as the grass ; o how wilt thou be able to endure this ! now put both these together in thy serious consideration , think on the terrors of conscience here , and the desperate horror of it in hell ; thi● as a perboiling , that as a roasting in the flames of gods insufferable wrath : these as some scalding drops sprinkled before hand upon thy conscience , that tender and sensible part of man ; that as the lake burning for ever with fire and brimstone . o who would suffer himself to be driven into all thi● misery , by the fears of those sufferings which can but touch the flesh , and for their duration , they are but for a moment . think , and think again upon those words of christ , mark . . he that will save his life shall lose it . it may be a prolonging of a miserable life , a life worse than death , even in thine own account ; a life without the comfort or joy of life , a life ending in the second death , and all this for fear of a trifle compare● with what thou shalt afterwards feel in thine own conscience , and less than a trifle , nothing , compare● with what thou must suffer from god for ever . . rule . he that will overcome his fears of sufferings , mu●● foresee and provide before hand for them . the fear of caution , is a good cure to the fear of distraction , the more of that , the less of this ; this fear will cure that , as one fire draws forth another heb. . noah being moved with fear , prepared 〈◊〉 ark. in which he provided as much for the rest an● quiet of his mind , as he did for the safety of his person and family . that which makes evils so frightful as they are , is their coming by way of surprize upon us . those troubles that find us secure , do leave us distracted and desperate . presumption of continued tranquillity , proves one of the greatest aggravations of misery . trouble will lie heavy enough when it comes by way of expectation , but it is intolerable when it comes quite contrary to expectation . it will be the lot of babylon to suffer the unexpected vials of gods wrath , and i wish none but she and her children may be so surprized . rev. . . o it were well for us , if in the midst of our pleasant enjoyments we would be putting the difficultest cases to our selves , and mingle a few such thoughts as these with all our earthly enjoyand comforts . i am now at ease in the midst of my habitation , but the time may be at hand , when my habitation shall be in a prison , i see no faces at present , but those of friends , full of smiles and honours , i may see none shortly but the faces of enemies full of frowns and terrors . i have now an estate to supply my wants , and provide for my family , but this may shortly fall as a prey to the enemy , they may sweep away all that i have gathered , reap the fruits of all my labours , — impius has segetes . i have yet my life given me for a prey , but o how soon may it fall into cruel and bloud-thirsty hands ? i have no better security for these things than the martyrs had , who suffered the loss of all these things for christs sake ; a double advantage would result to us from such meditations as these , viz. the advantage , troubles . . of acquaintance with . of preparation for . hereby our thoughts would be better acquainted with these evils , and the more they are acquainted , the less they will start and fright at them : we should not think it strange concerning the fiery trial , as it is pet. . . it is with our thoughts , as it is with young colts , and so they start at every new thing they meet , but we cure them of it , by bringing them home to that they start at , and making them smell to it ; better acquaintance cures this startling humour at them . the newness of evil , saith a late grave and learned divine , is the cause of fear , when the mind it self hath had no preceding encounter with it , whereby to judge of its strength , nor example of another mans prosperous issue , to confirm its hopes in the like success : for , as i noted before out of the philosophers , experience is instead of armour , and is a kind of fortitude , enabling both to judge , and to bear troubles ; for there are some things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , scarecrows and vizors which children fear , only out of ignorance ; assoon as they are known they cease to be terrible . i know our minds naturally reluctate , and decline such harsh and unpleasant subjects : 't is hard to bring our thoughts to them in good earnest , and harder to dwell so long as is necessary to this end upon them . we had rather take a pleasant prospect of future felicity and prosperity in this world ; of multiplying our days as the sand , and at last dying quietly in our nest , as iob speaks . our thoughts run nimbly upon such pleasant fancies like oyled wheels , and have need of trigging , but when they come into the deep and dirty ways of suffering , there they drive heavily lik pharaohs chariots , dismounted from their wheels . but that which is most pleasant , is not always most useful and necessary ; our lord was well acquainted with griefs , though our thoughts be such great strangers to them , he often thought and spake of his sufferings , and of the bloudy baptism , with which he was to be baptized , luke . . and he not only minded his own sufferings before hand , but when he perceived the fond imaginations , and vain fansies of some that followed and professed him , deluding them with expectations of earthly prosperity and rest ; he gave their thoughts a turn to this less pleasing , but more needful subject , the things they were to suffer for his name ; instead of answering a foolish and groundless question , of sitting on his right and left hand , like earthly grandees , he rebukes the folly of the questionist , and asks a less pleasing question , matth. . . but iesus answered and said , ye know not what ye ask , are ye able to drink of the cup that i shall drink of ? and to be baptized with the baptism that i shall be baptized with ? q. d. you do but abuse your selves with such fond and idle dreams , there is other imployment cut out for you in the purpose of god ; instead of sitting upon thrones and tribunals , it would become you to think of being brought before them as prisoners to receive your doom and sentence to die for my sake ; these thoughts would do you a great deal more service . . as such meditations would acquaint us better , so they would prepare us better to encounter troubles and difficult things when they come . readiness and preparation would subdue and banish our fears ; we are never much scared with that for which our minds are prepared . there is the same difference in this case , as there is betwixt a souldier in compleat armour , and ready at every point for his enemy ; and one that is allarm'd in his bed , who hath laid his cloaths in one place , and his arms in another , when his enemy is breaking open his chamber door upon him . it was not therefore without the most weighty reason , that the apostle presses us so earnestly , eph. . , . take unto you the whole armour of god , that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day , and having done all to stand . stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth , and having on the breast-plate of righteousness , and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace . we see the benefit of such previsions and provisions for sufferings in that great example of courage and constancy , acts . . i am ready , ( saith paul ) not only to be bound , but to die at jerusalem . and the same courage and constancy remained in him , when he was entering the very lists , and going to lay his very neck upon the block , . tim. . . i am ready to be offered up , and the time of my departure is at hand . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies a libation or drink-offering , wherein some conceive he alluded to the very kind of his own death , viz. by the sword : his heart was brought to that frame , that he could with as much willingness pour out his bloud for christ , as the priests used to pour out the drink offering to the lord. 't is true , all the meditations and preparations in the world made by us , are not sufficient in themselves to carry us through such difficult services , 't is one thing to see death as our fancy limnes it out at a distance and another thing to look death it self in the face . we can behold the painted lyon without fear , but the living lyon , makes us tremble ; but yet though our suffering-strength comes not from our own preparations , or forethoughts of death ; but from gods gracious assistance , yet usually that assistance of his is communicated to us , in and by the conscionabl● and humble use of these means ; let us therefore be found waiting upon god for strength , patience , and resolutions to suffer as it becomes christians , in the daily serious use of those means whereby he is pleased to communicate to his people . . rule . if ever you will subdue your own slavish fears , commit your selves , and all that is yours into the hands of god by faith. this rule is fully confirmed by that scripture , prov. . . commit thy works unto the lord , and thy thoughts shall be established . the greatest part of our trouble and burden in times of danger , arises from the unsetledness and distraction of our own thoughts , and the way to calm and quiet our thoughts is to commit all to god. this rule is to be applied for this end and purpose when we are going to meet death it self , and that in all its terrible formalities , and most frightful appearances , pet. . . let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing , as unto a faithful creator . and if this committing act of faith be so useful at such a time , when the thoughts must be supposed to be in the greatest hurry ▪ and fears in their full strength ; much more will it establish the heart , and calm its passions in lesser troubles , you know what ease and relief it would be to you , if you had a trial depending in law for your estates , and your hearts were overloaded and distracted with cares and fears about the issue of it : if one whom you know to be very skilful and faithful , should say to you at such a time , trouble not your self any further ●bout this business , never break an hours sleep more for this matter ; be you as an unconcerned spectator , commit it to me , and trust me with the management of it ▪ i will make it my own concernment , and save you harmless . o what a burden , what an heavy load would you feel y●●r selves eased of , assoon as you had thus transferred , and committed it to such a hand ! then you would be able to eat with pleasure , and sleep in quietness : much more ease and quietness doth your committing the matter of your fears to god give , even so much more , as his power , wisdom , and faithfulness is greater than what is to be found in men . but to make this rule practicable , and improveable to peace , quietness of heart in an evil day , it will be necessary that you well understand , . what the committing act of faith is . . what grounds and encouragements believers have for it . . study well the nature of this committing act of faith , and what it supposes or implies in it , for all men cannot commit themselves to god , 't is his own people only that can do it ; nor is it every thing they can commit to god , they cannot commit themselves to his care and protection in any way , but only in his own ways . know more particularly , . that he who will commit himself to god , must commit himself to him in well doing , as the apostle limits it in pet. . . and in things agreeable to his will ; else we would make god a patron and protector of our sins , let t●●m that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing . we cannot commit our sins , but our duties to gods protection : god is so great a friend to truth and righteousness , that in such a case he will not take your part , how dear soever you be to him , if truth be found on your enemies part , and the mistake on yours . think not to entitle god to your errors or failings , much less to any sinful designs : you may commit a doubtful case to him to be decided , but not a sinful case to be protected . it is in vain to shelter any cause of your own under his wings , except you can write upon it as david did , psal. . . thine own cause , o lord , thine own , as well as mine . lord plead thine own cause . . he that commits his all to god , supposes and firmly believes that all events and issues of things are in gods hands ; that he only can direct , over rule , and order them all as he pleaseth . upon this supposition , the committing acts of faith in all our fears and distresses are built , i trusted in thee , o lord , i said , thou art my god , my times are in thy hand , deliver me from the hands of my enemies , and from them that persecute me . his firm assent to this great truth , that his times were in gods hands , was the reason why he committed himself into that hand . if our times , ourlives , or comforts were in our enemies hands ; it were to little purpose for us to commit our selves into gods hands . and here the contrary sences and methods of faith and unbelief , are as conspicuous as in any one thing whatsoever : unbelief perswades men that their lives and all that is dear to them , is in the hands of their enemies , and therefore perswades them the best way they can take to secure themselves , is by complyance with the will of their enemies , and pleasing them . but faith determines quite contrary , it tells us we and all that is ours is in gods hand , and no enemy can touch us or ours till he give them a permission ; and therefore it is our duty and interest to please him , and commit all to him . . the committing of our selves to god implies the resignation of our wills to the will of god , to be disposed of as seems good in his eyes : so david commits to god the event of that sad and doubtful providence which made him flie for his life from a strong conspiracy , sam. . . and the king said unto zadock , carry back the ark of god into the city ; if i shall find favour in the eyes of the lord ; he will bring me again , and shew me both it and his habitation , but if he thus say , i have no delight in thee ; behold here am i , let him do to me as seemeth good to him : q. d. lord , the conspiracy against my life is strong , the danger great , the issue exceeding doubtful : but i commit it all into thy hand , if david may yet be used in any further service for his god ; i shall see this city and thy lovely temple again , but if not , i lie at thy foot to be disposed either for life or death , for the earthly or the heavenly ierusalem , as seemeth best in thine eyes : this submission to divine pleasure is included in the committing act of faith. christian , what sayest thou to it ? is thy will content to go back , that the will of god may come on , and take place of it ? it may be thou canst refer a difficult case to god , provided that he will determine and issue it according ●o thy desires , but in truth that is no submission or resignation at all , but a sinful limiting of , and prescribing to god. it was an excellent reply that a choice christian once made to another ; when a beloved and only child lay in a dangerous sickness at the point of death ; a friend asked the mother , what would you now desire of god in reference to your child ? would you beg of him its life , or death , in this extremity it is now in ? the mother answered , i refer that to the will of god. but said her friend , if god would ●●fer it to you , what would you chuse then ? why truly said she , if god would refer it to me , i would even refer it to god again . this is the true committing of our selves , and our troublesome concerns to the lord. . the committing act of faith , implies our renouncing and disclaiming all confidence and trust in the arm of flesh , and an expectation of relief from god only : if we commit our selves to god , we must cease from man. isai. . . to trust god in part , and the creature in part , is to set one foot upon a rock , and the other in a quick-sand : those acts of faith that give the intire glory to god , give real relief and comfort to us . . let us see what grounds and encouragements the people of god have to commit themselves and all the matters of their fear to god , and so to enjoy the peace and comfort of a resigned will ; and there are two sorts of encouragements before you , let the case be as difficult and frightful as it will ; you may find sufficient encouragements in god , and somewhat from your selves , viz. your relation to him , and experiences of him . . in god there is all that your hearts can desire to encourage you to trust him over all , and commit all into his hands . for , . he is able to help and relieve you , let the case be never so bad , yet let israel hope in the lord , for with the lord is plenteous redemption psal. . , . plenteous redemption ( i. e. ) all the stores of power , choice of methods , plenty of means , abundance of ways to save his people , when they can see no way out of their troubles : therefore hope israel in iehovah . . as his power is almighty , so his wisdom is infinite and unsearchable , he is a god of judgment , blessed are all they that wait for him , isa. . . when the apostle peter had related the wonderful preservations of noah in the deluge , and of lot in sodom ; one in a general destruction of the world by water , and the other in the overthrow of those cities by fire : he concludes , and so should we , the lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation , pet. . . some men have much power , but little wisdom to manage it , others are wise and prudent , but want ability ; in god there is an infinite fulness of both . . his love to and tenderness over his people , is transcendent , and unparallelled ; and this sets his wisdom and power both a work for their good , hence it is that his eyes of providence run continually throughout the whole earth , to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect ( i. e. ) upright towards him . chron. . . thus you see how he is every way fitted as a proper object of your trust . . consider your selves and you shall find encouragements to commit all to god. for , . you are his children , and to whom should children commit themselves in dangers and fears but to their own father ? doubtless thou art our father , saith the distressed church , isai. . , . yea , christian , thy maker is thy husband , isai. . . is not that a sufficient ground to cast thy self upon him ? what! a child not trust its own father ? a wife not commit her self to her own husband ? . you have trusted him with a far greater concern already than your estates , liberties , or lives ; you have committed your souls to him , and your e●rnal interests , tim. . . shall we commit the ●ewel , and dispute the cabinet ? trust him for heaven , and doubt him for earth ? . you have ever found him faithful in all that you trusted him with , all your experiences are so many good grounds of confidence , psal. . . well then , resolve to trust god over all , and quietly leave the dispose of every thing to him ; he hath been with you in all former streights , wants , and fears , hitherto he hath helped you , and cannot he do so again , except you tell him how ? o trust in his wisdom , power , and love , and lean not to your own understandings . the fruit of resignation will be peace . . rule . if ever you well get rid of your fears and distractions , get your affections mortified to the world , and to the inordinate and immoderate love of every injoyment in the world . the more you are mortified , the less you will be terrified ; 't is not the dead , but the living world , that puts our hearts into such fears and tremblings : if our hearts were once crucified , they would soon be quieted . 't is the strength of our affections that puts so much strength into our afflictions . it was not therefore without great reason that the apostle compares the life of a christian to the life of a souldier , who if he mean to follow the camp , and acquit himself bravely in fight , must not intangle himself with the affairs of this life , tim. . . sure there is no following christ's camp. , but with a disintangled heart from the world , for proportionable to the heat of our love will be the strength and height of our fears about these things ; more particularly , if ever you will rid your selves of your uncomfortable and uncomely fears , use all gods means to mortifie your affections to the exorbitant esteem and love of , . your estates . . your liberty . . your lives . . get mortified and cooled hearts to your possessions and estates in the world . the poorest age afforded the richest christians , and noblest martyrs . ships deepest laden are not best for encounters . the believing hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods , knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better , and induring substance , heb. . . they carried it rather like unconcerned spectators , than the true proprietors : they rejoyced when rude souldiers carried out their goods , as if so many friends had been bringing them in : and whence was this ? but from an heart fixed upon heaven , and mortified to things on earth . doubtless they esteemed and valued their estates as the good providences of god , for their more comfortable accommodation in this world ; but it seems they did , and o that we could look upon them as mercies of the lowest and meanest rank and nature . the substance laid up in heaven was a better substance , and as long as that was safe , the loss of this did not afflict them . they could bless god for these things which for a little time did minister refreshment to them , but they knew them to be transitory enjoyments , things that would make to themselves wings and flee away , if their enemies had not toucht them ; but the substance laid up for them in heaven , that was an enduring substance ; so far as those earthly things might further them towards heavenly things , so far they prized and valued them , but if satan would turn them into snares and temptations to deprive them of their better substance in heaven , they could easily slight them , and take the spoiling of them joyfully . in a stress of weather when the ship is ready to sink and founder in a storm , all hands are readily imployed to throw the richest goods over-board : no man faith it's pity to cast them away , but reason dictates to a man in that case , better these perish , than i perish with and for them . these be the wares that some will not cast overboard , and therefore they are said to drown men in perdition . tim. . . demas would rather perish than part with these things . . tim. . . but reader , consider seriously what comfort they can yield thee , when thou must look upon them as the price for which thou hast sold heaven , and all the hopes of glory ; even as much as the price of bloud yielded iudas ; and so they will ensnare thee if thy unmortified heart be overheated with the love of them as his was . . be mortified to your liberty , and take heed of placing too great an esteem upon it , or necessity in it . liberty is a desirable thing to the very birds of the air , accommodate them the best you can in your cages , feed them with the richest fare , they had rather be cold and hungry with their liberty in the woods , than fat and warm in your houses . but yet as sweet as it is , there may be more sweetness and comfort in parting with it , than in keeping it , as the case may stand . the doors of a prison can lock you in , but they cannot lock the comforter out . paul and silas lost their liberty for christ , but not their comfort with it ; they never were so truly at liberty as when their feet were made fast in the stocks ; they never fared so deliciously , as when they fed upon prisoners fare . god spread a table for them in the prison , sent them in a rich feast , yea and they had musick at their feast too , and that at midnight , acts . . patmos was a barren island , and● place designed for banished persons ; it lay in the aegean sea , not far from the coast of the lesser asia : it was inhabited by none because of the exceeding barrenness of it , but such who were appointed to it for their punishment ; so that here iohn could meet with no more earthly refreshment , than what the barren rocks , or wild and desperate persons condemned to live upon it , could afford : ay , but there , there it was that christ appeared to him in unexpressible glory ; there it was that he had those ravishing visions , and saw the whole scheme of providence in the government of this world , there he saw the new ierusalem coming down from god out of heaven , as a bride prepared for her husband ; this made a patmos become a paradice : never did any place afford him such comfort as this did . so that christians may not think there is so strict and necessary a connection betwixt liberty and comfort , that he that takes away the first , must needs deprive them of the other . again , suppose we should be so fond of our liberty as to exchange truth and a good conscience for it ; cannot god so imbitter it to you , yea , hath he not so imbittered it to many , that they were quickly weary of it , and glad of an opportunity to exchange it for a prison . our own martyrology furnishes us with many sad examples of it : o what will yo do with your bitter dear bought liberty , when peace is taken away from the inner man ? when god shall clap up your souls in prison , and put your consciences into his bonds and fetters ; then you will say as the martyr did , i am in prison , till i be in prison . . be mortified to the inordinate and fond love of life , as ever you expect relief against the fears of death . reason thy self into a lower value of thy life : methinks you have arguments enough to cure your fondness in this point : have you found it such a pleasant life to you , for so much of it as is past ? you know how the apostle represents it , cor. . . we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burthened . and is a burthened and a groaning life so desirable ? you know also as he speaks in the next verse , that whilst you are at home in the body , you are absent from the lord ; and is a state of absence from jesus christ so desirable to a soul that loves him ? can you find much pleasure so far from home ? you may fancy what you will , but upon serious recollection you will be able to tell your selves , that till you be dead you will never be out of the reach of satans temptations , never freed from your own in-dwelling corruptions , these conflicts cannot have an end till life be ended . you also stand convinced that till you be dead , your souls cannot be satisfied , nor your desires be at rest ; have what comforts soever from god in the way of faith , and course of duties your hearts are still off the center , and will still gravitate and gasp heaven-ward . you also know that die you must , and the time of your departure is at hand , and of all deaths , if you might have your choice , none is more honourable to god , or like to be so evidential and comfortable to you as a violent death for christ ; therein you come to him by consent and choice , not by necessity and constraint therein you give a publick testimony for christ , which is the highest use that ever our bloud can be put to , or honoured by ; and for the pain and torment , as the martyr said , he that takes away from my torment , takes away from my reward . but even in that point , god can make it easier to you than a natural death would be ; he will be with you in your extremity , and administer such reviving cordials as other men must not look to taste , at least not ordinarily ; they being prepared and reserved for such , against such an hour . o then , work out the inordinate love of life by working in such mortifying considerations upon your own hearts , and if once you gain but this point , you will quickly find all your pains and prayers richly answered in the ease and rest of your hearts , in the most scaring and frightful times . . rule . eye the encouraging examples of those that have ●rod the path of sufferings before you , and strive to imitate such worthy patterns . behold the cloud of witnesses encompassing you round about ; a cloud like that over the israelites to direct you : yea , a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you . heb. . . o take them for an ensample in suffering affliction , and patience . iames . . examples of excellent persons that have broken the ice , and beaten the path before us , are of excellent use to suppress our fears , and rouze our courage in our own encounters . the first sufferers had the hardest task , they that first entred the lists for christ , wanted those helps to suppress fear which they have left unto us . strange and untried torments are most terrible , for magnitudinem re●um consuetudo subducit , trial and acquaintance a bates the formidable greatness of evils . they knew not the strength of that enemy they were to engage , but we fight with an enemy that hath been often beaten and triumphed over by our brethren that went before us : certainly we that live in the last times , have the best helps that ever any had to subdue their fears ; we have heard of the courage and constancy of our brethren , in as sharp trials of their courage as ever we can be called to ; we have read with what christian gallantry they have triumphed over all sorts of sufferings and torments , how they have been strengthened with all might in the inner man unto all patience , and long suffering , with joyfulness , collos. . how they have gone away from the courts that censured and punished them , rejoycing that they were honoured to be dishonoured for christ , as the strict reading of that text is , acts . . counting the reproaches of christ greater riches than the treasures of egypt , heb. . . which at that time was the magazine of the world for riches : you read what trials they have had of cruel mockings , yea , moreover of bonds and imprisonments , how they were stoned , sawn asunder , tempted , slain with the sword , wandred about in sheep skins , and goat skins , destitute , afflicted , tormented , heb. . , . in all which they obtained a good report , they came out of the field with triumphant faith and patience ; and this was not the effect of an over-heated zeal at the first outset , but the same spirit of courage was found among christians in after ages , who have put off their persecutors with a kind of pleasant scorn and contempt of torments . so did basil , truly sirnamed the great , when valens the emperour in a great rage threatned him with banishment , and tortures , as to the first , said he , i little regard it , for the earth is the lords , and the fulness thereof ; and as for tortures what can they do upon such a poor thin body as mine , nothing but skin and bone ? and at another time when eusebius governour of pontus told him in a great rage , he would tear his very liver out of his bowels : truly said basil , you shall do me a very good turn in it , to take out my naughty liver ; which inflames and diseaseth my whole body . their enemies have professed the christians put them to shame , by smiling at their cruelties and and threatnings . ignatius his love to christ had so perfectly overcome all fears of sufferings , that when he was going to be thrown for a prey among the lyons and leopards , he professed he longed to be among them , and , said he , if they will not dispatch me the sooner , i will provoke them , that i may be with my sweet jesus . and if we come down to later ages , we shall find as stout champions for christ ▪ the courage and undauntedness of luther is trumpeted abroad throughout the christian world , it would swell this small tract too much , but to note the most eminent instances of his courage for christ ; the last he gave was by his sorrow in his last sickness , that he must carry his bloud to the grave . the like heroick spirit appeared in divers persons of honour and eminency , who zealously espoused the same cause of reformation with him . remarkable to this purpose is that famous epistle written by ulricus ab hutten a german knight , in defence of luther's cause against the cardinals and bishops assembled at wormes . i will go through ( said he ) with what i have undertaken against you , and will stir up men to seek their freedom : such as yield not to me at first , i will overcome with importunity ; i neither care nor fear what may befal me , being prepared for either event ; either to ruine you , to the great benefit of my countrey , or my self to fall with a good conscience ; therefore that you may see with what confidence i contemn your threats ; i do profess my self to be your irreconcilable enemy , whilst ye persecute luther and such as he is . no power of yours , no injury of fortune shall alter this mind in me ; though you take away my life , yet this well deserving of mine towards my countries liberty shall not die . i know that my endeavour to remove such as you are , and to place worthy ministers in your room , is acceptable to god ; and in the last judgment , i trust it will be safer for me to have offended you , than to have had your favour . it was also a brave heroick spirit by which iohn duke of saxony was acted to defend the reformation , who despising all the favours and offers of the court , and of rome , and the terrors of death it self ; appeared as my author speaks in its behalf against all the devils , and the pope , in three publick imperial assemblies , saying openly to their faces , i must serve god , or the world ; and which of these two do ye think is the better ? and assoon as luther's sermons were forbidden , he hasted away , saying , i will not stay there where i cannot have my liberty to serve god. and now reader , thou hast a little taste of the courage and zeal of those worthies who are gone before thee in defence of that cause for which thou fearest to suffer . most men , saith chrisostom , that read or hear such examples , are like the spectators of th● roman gladiators , who stood by and praised their courage , but durst not enter the lists , to undertake what they did . if ever thou wilt get like courage for christ , thus improve such famous examples . . make use of them to obviate the prejudice of singularity ; you see you have store of good company , the same things you are like to suffer for christ , have been accomplished in the rest of your brethren in the world . pet. . . , improve them against the prejudice of all that shame that attends sufferings , here you may see the most excellent persons in the world reckoning it their glory to suffer the vilest things for jesus christ. acts . . heb. . . . improve them against the conceit of the insupportableness of sufferings . lo here , poor weak creatures which have been carried honourably and comfortably through the cruellest and difficultest sufferings for christ. our women and children , not to speak of men ( saith tertullian ) overcome their tormentors , and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them . . improve them against thine own unbelief , and staggerings at the faithfulness of god in that promise , isa. . . when thou passest through the fire , i will be with thee , &c. lo here you have the recorded and faithful t●stimonies of such as have tried it , with one voice witnessing for god , thy word is truth , thy word is truth . . improve them against the sensible weakness of your own graces , are you afraid your faith , love , and patience are too weak to carry you through great trials ? why , doubtless so were many of them too , they were men of like fears , troubled with a bad heart , and a busie devil 〈◊〉 well as you , they also had their clouds and damps as you have ; yet the almighty power of god supported them ; and out of weakness they were made strong : despond not therefore but get a judgment satisfied , psal. . . a conscience sprinkled , tim. . . and a call cleared , dan. . . exercise faith also with respect to divine assistances , and everlasting rewards as they did ; and doubt not but the same god that enabled them to finish their course with joy , will be as good to you as he was to them . consider , christ hath done as much for you as he did for any of them , and deserves as much from you as from any of them ; and hath prepared 〈◊〉 same glory for you , that he prepared for them : ● that such considerations might provoke you to shew as ●uch courage and love to christ , as any of them ever 〈◊〉 . . rule . if ever yi will get above the power of your own fears in a ●●ffering day , make haste to clear your interest in christ , and your pardon in his blood before that evil day com the clearer th●●s , the bolder you will be ; an assured christian w●●●never known to be a coward in sufferings : it is impo●●●ble to be clear of fears , till you are cleared of the ●●ubts about interest in , and pardon by christ. n●thing is found more strengthening to our fears , th●● that which clouds our evidences ; and nothing ●●re to quiet and cure our fears , than that which clears ●r evidences . the shedding abroad of gods love i● our hearts , will quickly fill them with a spirit of g●●rying in tribulations , rom. . . when the beli●●ing hebrews once came to know in themselves t●●t they had an enduring substance in heaven , they quickly found in themselves an unconcerned heart for the loss of their comforts on earth , heb. . . and so should we too . for , . assurance satisfies a man that his treasure and true happiness is secured to him , and laid out of the reach of all his enemies ; and so long as that is safe , he hath all the reason in the world to be quiet , and chearful , i know ( saith paul ) whom i have believed , and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which i have committed to him against that day , tim. . . and he gives this as the reason why he was not ashamed of christs sufferings . . the assured christian knows that if death it self come , ( which is the worst men can inflict ) 〈◊〉 shall be no loser by the exchange ; nay he shall 〈◊〉 the best bargain that ever he made since he 〈◊〉 parted with all in his afflictions , to follow christ there are two rich bargains a christian makes ; 〈◊〉 is whe● he exchanges the world for christ in his ●●rst choice at his conversion , in point of love and stimation : the other is when he actually parts wit●'he world for christ at his dissolution : both th●e are rich bargains , and upon this ground it wa●●the apostle said , to me to live is christ , and to die is ●●ain , phil. . . the death of a believer in chr●● , is gain unspeakable , but if a man would ma●● the utmost gain by dying , he shall find it in dyin● for christ , as well as in christ : and to shew you werein the gain of such a death lies , let a few particul●●● be weighed , wherein the gain will be cast up in b●●h ; he that is assured he dies in christ , knows , . that his living time is hi●●labouring time , but his dying time is his harvest ti●● : whilst we live we are plowing and sowing in all te●● duties of religion , but when we die , then we reap 〈◊〉 fruit and comfort of all our labours and duties , gal. . , . as much therefore as the reaping time is better than the sowing and plowing time , so much better is the death than the life of a believer . . a believers living time is his fighting time , but his dying time is his conquering and triumphing time , cor. . , . the conflict is sharp , but the triumph is sweet ; and as much as victory and triumph is better than fighting , so much is death better than life , to him that dieth in jesus . a believers living time is his tiresome and weary time , but his dying time is his resting and sleeping time . isai. . . here we spend and faint , there we rest in our beds , and as much as refreshing rest in sleep is better than tiring and fainting ; so much is a believers death better than his life . . a believers living time is his waiting and longing time , but his time of dying is the time of enjoying what he hath long wished and waited for , phil. . . here we groan and sigh for christ , there we behold and enjoy christ , and so much as vision and fruition is better and sweeter than hoping and waiting for it ; so much is a believers death better than his life . . as the advantage a believer makes of death is great to him by dying only in christ ; so it is much greater , and the richest improvement that can be made of death to die for christ as well as in christ : for compare them in a few particulars and you shall find , . that though a natural death hath less horrour , yet a violent death for christ hath more honour in it . to him that dies united with christ the grave is a bed of rest ; but to him that dies as a martyr for christ , the grave is a bed of honour . to you ( saith the apostle ) it is given in the behalf of christ , not only to believe , but also to suffer for his sake , phil. . to you it is granted as a great honour and favour to suffer for christ ; all that live in christ have not the honour to lay down their lives for christ. it was the great trouble of ludovic●s marsacus a knight of france , to be exempted because of his dignity , from wearing his chain for christ , as the other prisoners did ; and he resented it , as a great injury , give m● ( saith he to his keeper ) my chain as well as they , and create me a knight of that noble order . . by a natural death we only submit our selves to the unavoidable consequence of sin , but in dying a violent death for christ , we give our testimony against the evil of sin , and for the precious truths of jesus christ. the first is the payment of a debt of justice due by the fall of adam ; the second is the payment of a debt of thankfulness and obedience due to christ , who redeemed us with his own bloud . thus we become witnesses for god , as well as sufferers upon the account of sin : in the first , sin witnesseth against us , in this we witness against it ; and indeed it is a great testimony against the evil of sin : we declare to all the world that there is not so much evil in a dungeon , in a bloudy ax , or consuming flames ; as there is in sin : that it is far better to lose our carnal friends , estates , liberties , and lives , than part with christs truths and a good conscience , as zuinglius said , what sort of death should not a christian chuse , what punishment should he not rather undergo ; yea into what vault of hell should he not rather chuse to be cast : than to witness against truth & conscience . . a natural death in christ may be as safe to our selves , but a violent death for christ , will be more beneficial to others ; by the former we shall come to heaven our selves , but by the latter we may bring many souls thither . the bloud of the martyrs is truly called the seed of the church . many waxed confident by pauls bonds , his sufferings fell out to the furtherance of the gospel , and so may ours : in this case a christian , like samson , doth greater service against satan and his cause , by his death , than by his life . if we only die a natural death in our beds we die in possession of the truths of christ our selves ; but if we die martyrs for christ , we secure that precious inheritance to the generations to come , and those that are yet unborn shall bless god , not only for his truths , but for our courage , zeal , and constancy by which it was preserved for them , and transmitted to them . by all this you see that death to a believer is great gain , it 's great gain if he only die in christ , it 's all that , and a great deal more added , if he also die for christ : and he that is assured of such advantages by death either way , must needs feel his fears of death shrink away before such assurances ; yea , he will rather have life in patience , and death in desire ? he will not only submit quietly but rejoyce exceedingly to be used by god in such honourable imployment . assurance will call a bloudy death a safe passage to canaan through the red sea. it will call satan that instigates these his instruments , and all that are imployed in such bloudy work by him , so many balaams brought to curse , but they do indeed bless the people of god , and not curse them . the assured christian , looks upon his death as his wedding day , rev. . . and therefore it doth not much differ whether the horse sent to fetch him to christ be pale , or red , so he may be with christ his love as ignatius call'd him . he looks upon death as his day of enlargement out of prison , cor. . . and it is not much odds what hand open the door , or whether a friend or enemy close his eyes , so he have his liberty , and may be with christ. o then , give the lord no rest till your hearts be at rest by the assurance of his love , and the pardon of your sins ; when you can boldly say , the lord is your help , you will quickly say what immediately follows , i will not fear what man shall do unto me , heb. . . and why , if thy heart be upright , mayest thou not attain it ? full assurance is possible , else it had not been put into the command , pet. . . the sealing graces are in you , the sealing spirit is ready to do it for you , the sealing promises belong to you ; but we give not all diligence , and therefore go without the comfort of it : would we pray more , and strive more , would we keep our hearts , with a stricter watch , mortifie sin more throughly , and walk before god more accurately ; how soon may we attain this blessed assurance , and in it , an excellent cure for our distracting and slavish fears . . rule . let him that designs to free himself of distracting fears , be careful to maintain the purity of his conscience , and integrity of his ways in the whole course of his conversation in this world . uprightness will give us boldness , and purity will yield us peace . isa. . the work of righteousness shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness , quietness , and assurance for ever . look as fear follows guilt and guile , so peace and quietness follows righteousness and sincerity , prov. . . the wicked flee when none pursueth , but the righteous are bold as a lyon. his confidence is great , because his conscience is quiet , the peace of god guards his heart and mind . there are three remarkable steps by which christians rise to the height of courage in tribulations . rom. . , , , . first they are justified and acquitted from guilt by faith , v. . then they are brought into a state of favour and acceptation with god , v. . thence they rise one step higher , even to a view of heaven , and the glory to come , v. . and from thence they take an easy step to glorying in tribulations , v. . i say , 't is an easy step , for let a man once obtain the pardon of sin , the favour of god , and a believing view and prospect of the glory to come , and it is so easy to triumph in tribulation , in such a station as that is , that it will be as hard to hinder it , as to hinder a man from laughing when he is tickled . christians have always found it a spring of courage and comfort . cor. . . this is our rejoycing , even the testimony of our consciences , that in all sincerity and godly simplicity , not with fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god ; we have had our conversation in this world . their hearts did not reproach them with by-ends in religion ; their consciences witnessed that they made not religion a cloak to cover any fleshly design , but were sincere in what they professed ; and this enabled them to rejoyce in the midst of sufferings . an earthen vessel set empty to the fire will crack and fly in pieces , and so will an hypocritical , formal , and meer nominal christian : but he that hath such substantial and real principles of courage as these within him , will endure the trial , and be never the worse for the fire . the very heathens discovered the advantage of moral integrity , and the peace it yielded to their natural consciences in times of trouble . nil c●nscire tibi , nullâ pallescere culpa hic murus aheneus estc — it was to them as a wall of brass , much more will godly simplicity , and the sprinkling of the bloud of christ upon our consciences , secure and encourage our hearts . this atheistical age laughs conscience and purity to scorn ; but let them laugh , this is it will make thee laugh when they shall cry . paul exercised himself , or made it his business , to have always a conscience void of offence , both towards god and towards men , acts . . and it was richly worth his labour , it repayed him ten thousand fold in the peace , courage , and comfort it gave him in all the troubles of his life , which were great and many . conscience must be the bearing shoulder on which the burden must lie , beware therefore it be not galled with guilt , or put out of joynt by any fall into sin , 't is sad bearing on such a shoulder : instead of bearing your burdens , you will not be able to bear its pain and anguish . to prevent this , carefully observe these rules . . over-awe your hearts every day and in every place with the eye of god ; this walking as before god will keep you upright , gen. . . if you so speak and live as those that know god sees you , such will be your uprightness , that you will not care if all the world see you too . an artist came to drusius and offered to build him an house so contrived , that he might do what he would within doors and no man see him ; nay said drusius , so build it that every one may see . . do no action , undertake no design that you dare not preface with prayer ; this is your rule , phil. . . touch not with that you dare not pray for a blessing upon ; if you dare not pray , dare not to engage : if you cannot send your prayers before , be confident shame and guilt will follow after . . be more afraid of grieving god , or wounding conscience , than of displeasing or losing all the friends you have in the world besides ; look upon every adventure upon sin to escape danger , to be the same thing as if you should sink the ship to avoid one that you take to be a pirate ; or as the fatal mistake of two vials wherein there is poyson and physick . . what counsel you would give another , that give your selves , when the case shall be your own ; your judgment is most clear , when interest is least felt . davids judgment was very upright , when he judged himself in a remote parable . . be willing to bear the faithful reproofs of your faults from men , as the reproving voice of god ; for they are no less when duly administred : this will be a good help to keep you upright , psal. . , . let the righteous smite me , &c. it is said of sir anthony cope , that he shamed none so much as himself in his family prayers , and desired the ministers of his acquaintance not to favour his faults ; but tell me , said he , and spare not . . be mindful daily of your dying day , and your great audit day , and do all with respect to them . thus keep your integrity and peace , and that will keep out your fears and terrors . . rule . carefully record the experiences of gods care over you , and faithfulness to you in all your past dangers , and distresses , and apply them to the cure of your present fears and despondencies . recorded experiences are excellent remedies . exod. . . write this for a memorial in a book , and rehearse it in the ears of joshuah . there were two things in that record ; the victory obtained over amalek , and the way of obtaining it by incessant prayer : and there were two things to be done to secure this mercy for their use and benefit in future fears , it must be recorded and rehearsed , preserved from oblivion , and seasonably produced for relief . there are two special assistances given us against fear by experience . . it abates the terror of sufferings . . it assists faith in the promises . . experience greatly abates the terror of sufferings , and makes them less formidable and scaring than otherwise they would be ; fear saith , they are deep waters , and will drown us ; experience saith , they are much shallower than we think , and are safely fordable : others have , and we may pass through that red sea , and not be overwhelmed . fear saith the pains of death are unconceivable sharp and bitter , the living little know what the dying feel ; and to lie in a stinking prison in continual expectations of a cruel death is an insupportable evil : experience contradicts all these false reports which make our hearts faint , as the second spies did the daunting stories of the first ; and assures us , prisons and death are not when we come home to them for christ , what ●hey seem and appear to be at a distance . o what a good report have those faithful men given who have searched and tried these things ! who have gone down themselves into the valley of the shadow of death , and seen what there is in a prison , and in death it self , so long as they were in sight and hearing able by words or signs to contradict our false notions of it . o what a sweet account did pomponius algerius give of his stinking prison at lions in france ! dating all his letters whilest he was there , from the delectable orchard of the leonine prison : and when carried to venice , in a letter from the prison there he writes thus to his christian friends ; i shall utter that which scarce any will believe , i have found a nest of honey in the entrails of a lyon , a paradise of pleasure in a deep dark dungeon , in the place of sorrow and death , tranquillity of hope and life . o here it is , that the spirit of god , and of glory rests upon us . so blessed mr. philpot our own martyr , in one of his sweet encouraging letters , o how my heart leaps , ( saith he ) that i am so near to eternal bliss , god forgive me my unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory ; i have so much joy of the reward prepared for me , the most wretched sinner , that though i be in the place of darkness and mourning , yet i cannot lament , but am night and day so joyful as though i were under no cross at all ; in all the days of my life i was never so joyful , the name of the lord be praised . others have given the signals agreed upon betwixt them and their friends in the midst of the flames , thereby to the last confirming this truth , that god makes the inside of sufferings quite another thing what the appearance and outside of them is to sense . thus the experience of others abates the terrors of sufferings to you ; and all this is fully confirmed by the personal experience you your selves have had of the supports and comforts of god , wherein soever you have consciientiously suffered for his sake . . and this cannot but be a singular assistance to your faith , your own and others experiences ; just like aaron and hur , stay up the hands of faith on the one side and the other that they hang not down , whilst your fears like those amalekites fall before you for what is experience , but the bringing down of the divine promises to the test of sense and feeling ? it is our duty to believe the promises without tryal and experiments , but it is easier to do it after so many trials ; so that your own and others experiences carefully recorded and seasonably applied ; would be food to your faith , and a cure to many of your fears in a suffering day . . rule . you can never free your selves from sinful fears , till you throughly believe and consider christ providential kingdom over all the creatures and affairs in this lower world . poor timorous soul , is there not a king , a supreme lord under whom devils and men are ? hath not christ the reins of government in his hands ? matth. . . phil. . , , , . iohn . . were this dominion of christ and dependence of all creatures on him well studied and believed , it would cut off both our trust in men , and our fear of men ; we should soon discern they have no power either to help us , or to hurt us but what they receive from above . our enemies are apt to over-rate their own power in their pride , and we are as apt to over-rate it too in our fears . knowest thou not , saith pilate to christ , that i have power to crucifie thee , and i have power to release thee , q. d. refusest thou to answer me ? dost thou not know who and what i am ? yes , yes , saith christ , i know thee well enough to be a poor impotent creature , who hast no power at all , but what is given thee from above ; i know thee , and therefore do not fear thee . but we are apt to take their own boasts for truth , and believe their power to be such as they vainly vogue it to be ; whereas in truth all your enemies are sustained by christ. colos. . . they are bounded and limited by christ , rev. . . providence hath its influences upon their hearts and wills immediately , ier , . . psal. . . so that they cannot do whatever they would do , but their wills as well as their hands are ordered by god. iacob was in laban's and in esau's hands ; both hated him but neither could hurt him . david was in sauls hand , who hunted for him as a prey , yet is forced to dismiss him quietly , blessing instead of slaying him . melancthon and pomeren both fell into the hands of charles the fifth , than whom christendom had not a more prudent prince , nor the church of christ a fiercer enemy ; yet he treats these great and active reformers gently , dismisseth them freely , not once forbidding them to preach or print the doctrine which he so much opposed and hated . o christian , if ever thou wilt get above thy fears settle these things upon thy heart by faith : . that the reins of government are in christs hands ; enemies like wild horses may prance and tramp up and down the world , as though they would tread down all that are in their way ; but the bridle of providence is in their mouths , and upon their proud necks , kings . . and that bridle hath a strong curb . . the care of the saints properly pertains to christ ; he is the head of the body , eph. . , . our consulting head : and it were a reproach and dishonour to christ , to fill our own heads with distracting cares and fears , when we have so wise an head to consult and contrive for us . . you have lived all your days upon the care of christ hitherto , no truth is more manifest than this , that there hath been a wisdom beyond your own , that hath guided your ways , ier. . . a power above your own , that hath supported your burdens , psal. . . a spring of relief out of your selves that hath supplied all your wants , luke . . he hath performed all things for you . . jesus christ hath secured his people by many promises to take care of them how dangerous soever the times shall be , eccles. . . psal. . . amos . , . rom. . . o if these things were throughly believed and well improved ! fears could no more distract or afflict our hearts , than storms or clouds could trouble the upper region : but we forget his providences and promises and so are justly left in the hands of our own fears to be afflicted for it . . rule . subject your carnal reasonings to faith , and keep your thoughts more under the government of faith , if ever you expect a composed and quiet heart in distracting evil times . he that layeth aside the rules of faith , and measures all thing by the rule of his own shallow reason , will be his own bugbear ; if reason may be permitted to judge all things , and to make its own inferences and conclusions from the aspects and appearances of second causes , your hearts shall have no rest day nor night ; this alone will keep you in continual alarms . and yet how apt are the best men to measure things by this rule , and to judge of all gods designs and mysterious providences by it : in other things it is the judge and arbiter , and therefore we would make it so here too ; and what it concludes and dictates , we are prone to blieve , because its dictates are backt and befriended by sense , whence it gathers its intelligence and information . o quam sapiens argumentatrix sibi videtur ratio humana ? how wise and strong do its arguments and conclusions seem to us , saith luther . this carnal reason is the thing that puts us into such confusions of mind and thoughts . 't is this that , . quarrels with the promises , shakes their credit , and our confidence in them , exod. . , . . 't is this that boldly limits the divine power , and assigns it boundaries of its own fixing , psal. . , . . 't is carnal reason that draws desperate conclusions from providential appearances and aspects , sam. . . and prognosticates our ruine from them . . 't is this carnal reason that puts us upon sinful shifts and indirect courses to deliver and save our selves from danger , which do but the more perplex and entangle us , isai. . , . . it is mostly from our arrogant reasoings that our thoughts are discomposed and divided ; from this fountain it is that they flow into our hearts in multitudes when dangers are near , psal. . . psal. . . all these mischiefs owe themselves to the exorbitant actings and intrusions of our carnal reasons ; but these things ought not to be so , this is beside rule ▪ for , . though there be nothing in the matters of faith or providence contrary to right reason ▪ yet there are many things in both , quite above the reach , and beyond the ken of reason , isai. . . . and , . the confident dictates of reason are frequently confuted by experience all the world over ; 't is every day made a liar , and the frights it puts us into , proved to be vain and groundless , isai. . . nothing then can be better for us , than to resign up our reason to faith , to see all things through the promises , and trust god over all events . . rule . to conclude , exalt the fear of god in your hearts ▪ and let it gain the ascendent over all your other fears . this is the prescription in my text for the cure of all our slavish fears , and indeed all the forementioned rules for the cure of sinful fears run into this , and are reducible to it . for , . doth the knowledge and application of the covenant of grace cure our fears ? the fear of god is both a part of that covenant , and an evidence of our interest in it , ier. . . . doth sinful fear plunge men into such distresses of conscience ? why , the fear of god will preserve your ways clean and pure , psal. . . and so those mischiefs will be prevented . . doth foresight and provision for evil days prevent distracting fears when they come ? nothing like the fear of god enables us to such a prevision , and provision for them . heb. . . . do ●e relieve our selves against fear by committing all to god ? surely 't is the fear of god that drives us to him as our only asylum , and sure refuge , malachi . . they feared god , and thought upon his name , ( i. e. ) they meditated his name which was their refuge , his attributes their chambers of rest . . must our affections to the world be mortified , before our fears can be subdued ? this is the instrument of mortification , nehem. . . . do the worthy examples of those that are gone before us , tend to the cure of our cowardise and fears ? why , the fear of god will provoke in you an holy self-jealousie , lest you fail of the grace they manifested , and come short of those excellent patterns , hebrews . . . is the assurance of interest in god , and the pardon of sin , such an excellent antidote against slavish fear ? why , he that walks in the fear of god , shall walk in the comforts of the holy ghost also , acts . . is integrity of heart and way such a fountain of courage in evil times ? know reader , no grace promotes this integrity and uprightness more than the fear of god doth , prov. . . prov. . . . do the reviving of past experiences suppress sinful fears ? no doubt this was the subject which the fear of god put them upon , for mutual encouragement , mal. . . . are the providences of god in the world such cordials against fear ? the fear of god is the very character and mark of those persons over whom his providence shall watch in the difficultest times , eccles. . . . doth our trusting in our own reason , and making it our rule and measure , breed so many fears ? why , the fear of god will take men off from such self-confidence , and bring them to trust the faithful god with 〈◊〉 doubtful issues and events , as the very scope of my text fully manifests . fear not their fear ; their fear moving by the direction of carnal reason drove them not to god , but to the assyrian for help , follow not you their example in this : but how shall they help it ? why , sanctifie the lord of hosts , and make him your fear . chap. vii . answering the most material pleas for slavish fears , and dissolving the common objections against courage and constancy of mind in times of danger . the pleas and excuses for our cowardliness and faintness in the day of trouble are endless , and so would his task be that should undertake particularly to answer them all . 't is but the cutting off an hydra's head , when one is gone , ten more start up ; what is most material i will here take into consideration . when good men ( for with such i am dealing in this chapter ) see a formidable face and appearance of sharp and bloudy times approaching them , they begin to tremble , their hearts faint , and their hands hang down with unbecoming despondency , and pusillanimity ; their thoughts are so distracted , their reason and faith so clouded by their fears , that their temptations are thereby exceedingly strengthened upon them , and their principles and professions brought under the derision and contempts of their enemies ; and if their brethren , to whom god hath given more courage and constancy , and who discern the mischief like to ensue from their uncomely carriage , admonish and advise them of it : they have abundance of pleas and defences for their fears , yea , when they reason the point of suffering in their own thoughts , and the matter is debated ( as in such times it 's common ) betwixt faith and fear , o what endless work do their fears put upon their faith , to solve all the buts and ifs which their fears will object or suppose . some of the principal of them i think it worth while here to consider , and endeavour to satisfie , that if possible i may prevail with all gracious persons to be more magnanimous . and first of all : . plea. sufferings for christ are strange things to the christians of this age , we have had the happy lot to fall into milder times than the primitive christians did , or those that strugled in our own land in the beginning of reformation ; and therefore we may be excused for our fears , by reason of our own unacquaintedness with sufferings in our times . answer . . one fault is but a bad excuse for another , why are sufferings such strangers to you ? why did you not cast upon them in the days of peace , and reckon that such days must come ? did you not covenant with christ to follow him whithersoever he should go , to take up your cross and follow him ? and did not the word plainly tell you , that all that will live godly in christ iesus , must suffer persecution , tim. . . and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god , acts . . did we fall asleep in quiet and prosperous days , and dream of halcyon days all our time on earth ? that the mountain of our prosperity stood strong , and we should never be moved ? that we should die in our nest , and multiply our days as the sand ; babylon's children indeed dream so , rev. . . but the children of sion should be better instructed . alas ! how soon may the brightest day be overcast ? the weather is not so variable , as the state of the church in this world is ; now a calm , acts . . and then a storm , acts . , . you could not but know what contingent and variable things all things on earth are ; why then did you delude your selves with such fond dreams ? but as a learned man rightly observes , mundus senescens patitur phantasias , the older the world grows the more drowzie and doting it still grows , and these are the days in which the wise as well as the foolish virgin● slumber . sure 't is but a bad plea , after so many warnings from the word , and from the rod to say , i did not think of such times , i dreamed not of them . . or if you say , though you have conversed wit● death and sufferings by speculation , yet you live● not in such times wherein you might see ( as othe● sufferers did ) the encouraging faith , patience , an zeal of others set before your eye in a lively patte●● and example . sufferings were not only familiarize● to them by frequency , but facilitated also by the dail● examples of those that went before them . but think you indeed that nothing but encouragement and advantage to followers , arose from the trials of those that went before ? alas , there were sometimes the greatest damps and discouragements imaginable ; the zeal of those that followed hath often been inflamed by the faintings of those that were tried before them . in the seventh persecution under decius , there were standing before the tribunal , certain of the warriours or knights , viz. ammon , zenon , ptolomeus , ingenuus , and a certain aged man called theophilus , who all standing by as spectators when a certain christian was examined , and there seeing him for fear , ready to decline , and fall away , did almost burst for sorrow within themselves ; they made signs to him with their hands , and all gestures of the body to be constant ; this being noted be all the standers by , they were ready to lay hold upon them ; but they preventing the matter , pressed up of their own accord , before the bench of the judge , professing themselves to be christians , insomuch that both the president and the benchers were all astonished , and the christians which were judged , the more encouraged . such damping spectacles the christians of former ages had frequently set them before them . and it was no small trial to some of them , to hear the faintings & abnegation of those that went before them , pleaded against their constancy ; as in the time of valens it was urged by the persecutors : those that came to their trial before you , have acknowledged their errors , begged our pardon , and returned to us ; and why will you stand it out so obstinately ? but the christians answered , nos hac potissimum ratione viriliter stabimus , for this very reason we will stand to it the more manfully , to rep●ir their scandal , by our greater courage for christ. these were the helps and advantages they often had in those days , therefore lay not so much stress upon that ; their courage undoubtedly flowed from an higher spring and better principle , than the company they suffered with . and if presidents and experiences of others to break the ice before you , be so great an advantage , surely we that live in these latter times have the most and best helps of that nature that ever any people in the world had . you have all their examples recordded for your encouragement , and therefore think it not strange concerning the fiery trial , as though some strange thing had happened to you , as the apostle speaks , pet. . . this plea is weighed , and no great weight found in it . . plea. but my nature is soft and tender , my constitution more weak and subject to the impressions of fear than others ; some that have robust bodies and hardy stout minds , may better grapple with such difficulties than i can , who by constitution and education am altogether unfit to grapple with those torments , that i have not patience enough to hear related ; my heart faints and dies within me , if i do but read or hear of the barbarous usages of the martyrs , and therefore i may well be excused for my fears and faint-heartedness when the case is like to be my own . answer . . 't is a great mistake to think that the mee● strength of natural constitution can carry any one through such sufferings for christ , or , that natural tenderness and weakness divinely assisted , cannot bear the heaviest burden that ever god laid upon the shoulders of any sufferer for christ. our suffering and bearing abilities are not from nature but from grace . we find men of strong bodies and resolute daring minds , have fainted in the time of trial . dr. pendleton in our own story was a man of a robust and massie body , and a resolute daring mind ; yet when he came to the trial , he utterly fainted and fell off . on the other side , what poor feeble bodies have sustained the greatest torments ! and out of weakness been made strong , heb. . . the virgin eulalia of emerita in portugal was young and tender , but twelve years old , and with much indulgence and tenderness brought up in an honourable family , being a person of considerable quality ; yet how couragiously did she sustain the most cruel torments for christ ! when the judge fawned upon her with this tempting language , why wilt thou kill thy self , so young a flower , and so near those honourable marriages and great dowries thou mightest enjoy : instead of returning a retracting or doubtful answer , eulalia threw down the idol , and spurnt abroad with her feet the heap of incense prepared for the censers : and when the executioner came to her , she entertained him with this language , go to thou hangman , burn , cut , mangle thou these earthly members ; it is an easie matter to break a brittle substance , but the inward mind thou shalt not hurt . and when one joynt was pulled from another , she said , behold , what a pleasure it is for them o christ , that remember thy triumphant victories , to attain unto these high dignities . so that our constitutional strength is not to be made the measure of our passive fortitude : god can make the feeblest and tenderest person stand , when strong bodies and blustering , resolute , daring minds faint and fall . . are our bodies so weak , and hearts so tender that we can bear no sufferings for christ ? then we are no way fit to be his followers . christianity is a warfare , and christians must endure hardship , tim. . . delicacy and tenderness is as odd a sight in a christian , as it is in a souldier : and we cannot be christs disciples , except we deliberate the terms , and having considered well what it is like to cost us , do resolve in the strength of god to run the hazard of all with him and for him . 't is in vain to talk of a religion that we think not worthy the suffering and enduring any great matter for . . and if indeed reader , thy constitution be so delicate and tender , that thou art not able to bear the thoughts of torments for christ ; how is it thou art not more terrified with the torments of hell , which all they that deny christon earth must feel and bear eternally . o what is the wrath of man in comparison with the wrath of god , but as the bite of a flea to the rendings of a lyon. this is the consideration propounded by christ in matth. . . fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell . the infinite and insupportable wrath of the great and terrible god should make our souls shrink and shake at the thoughts of it , rather than the sufferings of the flesh which are but for a moment . . know that the wisdom and tenderness of thy father , will proportion the burden thou must bear , to thy back that must bear it ; he will debate in measure , and not overload thy feeble shoulders : thou shalt find those things easie in trial , that now seem insupportable in the terrible prospect ; a way of escape or support will certainly be opened that thou mayest be able to bear it . . plea. but others plead the sad experience they have had of their own feebleness and weakness in former trials and exercises of an inferiour nature , in which their faith and patience hath failed them : and how can they imagine they shall ever be able to stand in the fiercest and most fiery trial . if we have run with the footmen and they have wearied us in the land of peace , how shall we then contend with horses in the swellings of iordan ? ier. . . answer . . we are strong or weak in all our trials , be they great or small , according to the assisting grace we receive from above ; if he leave us in a common and light trial to our own strength , it will be our over-match , and if he assist us in great and extraordinary trials we shall be more than conquerours . at one time abraham could offer up his only son to god with his own hand ; at another time he is so afraid of his life , that he acts very unsuitable to the character of a believer , and was shamefully rebuked for it by abimelech . at one time david could say , though an host encamp against me i will not fear : at another time he feigns himself mad , and acted beneath himself , both as a man , and as a man enriched with so much faith and experience . at one time peter is afraid to be interrogated by a maid ; at another time he could boldly confront the whole council , and own christ and his truths to their faces . in extraordinary trials , we may warrantably expect extraordinary assistances , and by them we shall be carried through the greatest , how often soever we have failed in smaller trials . . the design and end of god in giving us experience of our own weakness in lesser troubles , is not to discourage and daunt us against we come to greater , ( which is the use satan here makes of it ) but to take us off from self-confidence and self-dependence ; to make us see our own weakness , that we may more heartily and humbly betake our selves to him in the way of faith and fervent supplication . . plea. but some will object that they cannot help their fears and tremblings when any danger appears ; because fear is the disease , at least the sad effect and symptome of a disease with which god hath wounded them ; a deep and fixed melancholy hath so far prevailed , that the least trouble overcomes them : if any sad afflictive providence befal , or but threaten them ; their fears presently rise , and their hearts sink , sleep departs , thoughts tumultuate , the bloud boyls , and the whole frame of nature is put into disorder . if therefore the lord should permit such great and dreadful trials to befal them , they can think of nothing less than dying by the hand of their own fears , before the hand of any enemy touch them ; or which is a thousand times worse , be driven by their fears into the net of temptation , even to deny the lord that bought them . answer . this i know is the sad case of many gracious persons , and i have reason to pity those that are thus exercised ; o 't is an heavy stroke , a dismal state , a deep wound indeed : but yet the wisdom of god hath ordered this affliction upon his people for gracious ends and uses ; hereby they are made the more tender and watchful , circumspect and careful in their ways , that they may shun and escape as many occasions of trouble as they can , being so unable to grapple with them . i say not but there are higher and nobler motives that make them circumspect and tender , but yet the preservation of our own quietness is useful in its place , and 't is a mercy if that or any thing else be sanctified to prevent sin , and promote care of duty . this is your clog to keep you from straying . . and when you shall be called forth to greater trials , that which you now call your snare , may be your advantage , and that in divers respects . . these very distempers of body and mind serve to imbitter the comforts and pleasures of this world to you , and make life it self less desirable to you than it is to others , they much wean your hearts from , and make life more burdensome to you than it is to others who enjoy more of the pleasure and sweetness of it than you can do . i have often thought this to be one design and end of providence in permitting such distempers to seize so many gracious persons as labour under it , and providence knows how to make use of this effect to singular purpose and advantage to you , when a call to suffering shall come ; this may have its place and use under higher and more spiritual considerations to facilitate death , and make your separation from this world the more easie to you ; for though it be a more noble and raised act of faith and self denial to offer up to god our lives , when they are made most pleasant and desirable to us upon natural accounts , yet it is not so easie to part with them as it is when god hath first imbittered them to us . your lives are of little value to you now , because of this burdensome clog you must draw after you , but if you should increase your burden by so horrid an addition of guilt , as the denying of christ , or his known truths would do , you would not know what to do with such a life ; it would certainly lie upon your hands as a burthen . god knows how to use these things in the way of his providence to your great advantage . . art thou a poor melancholy and timorous person ? certainly if thou be gracious as well as timorous this will drive thee nearer to god ; and the greater thy dangers are , the more frequent and fervent will thy addresses to him be : thou feelest the need of everlasting arms underneath thee to bear thee up under , and to carry through smaller troubles ; that other persons make nothing of , much more in such deep trials , that put the strongest christians to the utmost of their faith and patience . and dly . what if the lord will make an advantage out of your weakness , to display more evidently his own power in your support ? you know what the apostle saith , cor. . , . and he said unto me , my grace is sufficient for thee ; for my strength is made perfect in weakness : most gladly therefore will i glory in my infirmities , that the power of christ may rest upon me — for when i am weak , then am i strong . if his infirmities might serve as a foil to set off the grace of god with a more bright and sparkling lustre , he would rejoyce in his infirmities , and so should you : well then , let not this discourage you , the infirmity of nature you complain of may make death the less terrible ; it served to that purpose to blessed basil ( as you heard before ) when his enemy threatned to tear out his liver , he thought it a kindness to have that liver torn out that had given him so much trouble . it may drive thee nearer to god , and minister a fit opportunity for the display of his grace in the time of need . . plea. but what if god should hide his face from my soul in the day of my streights and troubles , and not only so , but permit satan to buffet me with his horrid temptations and injections , and so i should fall like the ship in which paul sailed , betwixt these two boisterous seas ; what can i suspect less than a shipwrack of my soul , body , and all the comforts of both , in this world , and in that to come ? answer . . so far as the fears of such a misery awaken you to prayer for the prevention of it , it may be serviceable to your souls , but when it only works distraction and despondency of mind , it is your sin , and satans snare . the prophet ieremy made a good use of such a supposed evil by way of deprecation , ier. . . be not a terror unto me , thou art my hope in the day of evil . q. d. in the evil day i have no place of retreat or refuge , but thy love and favour ; lord , that is all i have to depend on , and relieve my self by : i comfort my self against trouble with this confidence , that if men be cruel , yet thou wilt be kind ; if they frown , thou wilt smile ; if the world cast me out , thou wilt take me in ; but if thou shouldest be a terror to me instead of a comforter , if they afflict my body , and thou affright my soul with thy frowns too ; what a deplorable condition shall i be in then ! improve it to such an end as he did , to secure the favour of god , and it will do you no harm . . it is not usual with god to estrange himself from his people in trouble , nor to frown upon them when men do . the common experience of believers stands ready to attest and seal this truth , that christians never find more kindness from god , than when they feel most cruelty from men for his sake ; consult the whole cloud of witnesses , and you will find they have still found the undoubted verity of that tried word in pet. . . that the spirit of glory and of god resteth upon sufferers . the expression seems to allude to the dove that noah sent forth out of the ark , which flew over the watry world , but could not rest self any where till she returned to the ark. so the spirit of god , called here the spirit of glory , from his effects and fruits , viz. his chearing sealing and reviving influences which makes men glory and triumph in the most afflicted state . this spirit of god seems like that dove to hover up and down , to flee hither and thither , over this person and that , but resteth not so long upon any , as those that suffer for righteousness sake , there he commonly takes up his abode and residence . . and what if it should fall out in some respect according to your fears ? that heaven and earth should be both clouded together , yet it will not be long before the pleasant light will spring up to you again , psal. . . unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness . you shall have his supporting presence till the comforter do come . when mr. glover came within sight of the stake , he suddenly cries out , o austin , he is come , he is come . . plea. o but what if my trial should be long , and the siege of temptations tedious , then i am perswaded i am lost ; i am no way able to continue long in a prison , or in tortures for christ , i have no strength to endure a long siege , my patience is too short to hold out from month to month , and from year to year , as many have done : o! i dread the thoughts of long continued trials , i tremble to think what must be the issue . answer . . cannot you distrust your own strength and ability , but you must also limit gods ? what if you have but a small stock of patience , cannot the lord strengthen you with all might in the inner man unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness , according to his glorious power , coll. . and is it not his promise , to confirm you to the end . cor. . . you neither know how much , nor how long you can bear and suffer . it is not inherent , but assisting grace by which your suffering abilities are to be measured . god can make that little stock of patience you have to hold out as the poor widows cruise of oyl did , till deliverance come , he can enable your patience unto its perfect work , ( i. e. ) to work as extensively to all the kinds and sorts of trials , as intensively to the highest degree of trial , and as protensively to the longest duration and continuance of your trials , as he would have it : if this be a marvellous thing in your eyes , must it be so in gods eyes also ? . the lord knows the proper season to come in to the relief of your slideing and fainting patience , and will assuredly come in accordingly in that season ; for so run the promises , the lord shall judge his people , and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone , and that there is none shut up or left , deut. . . cum duplicantur lateres venit moses . in the mount of difficulties and extremities it shall be seen . the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous , lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity , psal. . . ubi desinit humanum , ibi incipit divinum auxilium . gods power watches the opportunity of your weakness . . plea. but what if i should be put to cruel and exquisite tortures , suppose to the rack , to the fire , or such most dreadful sufferings as other christians have been , what shall i do ? do i think i am able to bear it ? is my strength the strength of stone , or are my bones brass , that ever i should endure such barbabarous cruelties ? alas ! death in the mildest form is terrible to me ; how terrible then must such a death be ? answer . who enabled those christians you mention to endure these things ? they loved their lives , and sensed their pains as well as you , they had the same thoughts and fears many of them , that you now have ; yet god carried them through all , and so he can you : did not he make the devouring flames a bed of roses to some of them ? was he not within the fires ? did he not abate the ex●remity of the torment , and enable weak and tender persons to endure them patiently and chearfully ? some singing in the midst of flames , others clapping their hands triumphantly , and to the last sight that could be had of them in this world , nothing appeared but signs and demonstrations of joy unspeakable . ah friends ! we judge of sufferings by the outside , and appearance , which is terrible , but we know not the inside of sufferings which is exceeding comfortable . o when shall we have done with our unbelieving ifs and buts , our questionings and doubtings of the power , wisdom and render care of our god over us , and learn to trust him over all . now the just shall live by faith , and he that lives by faith , shall never die by fear . the more you trust god , the less you will torment your selves . i have done ; the lord strengthen , stablish , and settle the trembling and feeble hearts of his people , by what hath been so seasonably offered for their relief by a weak hand . amen . the end . the righteovs man's refuge in the evil day . or , a treatise upon the attributes of god , as they are opened in his promises and providences for the security of his people in the storms of publick calamities , from isaiah . v. . by iohn flavel minister of the gospel . a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind , and a covert from the tempest ; as rivers of water in a dry place , as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land . isaiah . . non facilè inveniuntur praesidia in adversitate , quae non fuerint in pace quaesita . augustine . london , printed by h. hills , for robert boulter at the turks head in cornhill . . the epistle to the reader . christian reader , if heinsius , when he had shut up himself in the library at leyden , reckoned himself placed in the very lap of eternity , because he conversed there with so many divine souls , and profesed , he took his seat in it with so lofty a spirit and sweet content , that he heartily pittied all the great and rich men of the world , that were ignorant of the happiness he there daily enjoyed . how much more may that soul reioyce in its own happiness , who hath shut himself up in the chambers of the divine attributes , and exercise pity for the exposed and miserable multitude that are left as a prey to the temptations and troubles of the world ? that the days are evil is a truth preached to us by the convincing voice of sence , and that they are like to be worse , few can doubt that look into the moral causes of evil times , the impudent height of sin , or into the prophesies relating to these latter days ; for whom the sharpest sufferings are appointed , to make way for the sweetest mercies . a faithful watchman of our own hath given us fresh and late warning in these words of truth . hath god said nothing ? doth faith see nothing of a flood coming upon us ? is there such a deluge of sin among us , and doth not that prophesie to us of a deluge of wrath ? lift up your eyes christians , stand , and look through the land , eastward , and westward , northward , and southward , and tell me what you see ? behold a flood cometh , a flood of sin is already broken forth upon us , the fountains of the great deeps are broken up , and the windows of hell are opened , &c. in such an evil day as this is , happy is the soul that hath made god its refuge , even the most high god its habitation . he shall sit noah like , mediis tranquillus in undis , safe from the fear of evil . in consideration of the distress of many unprovided souls for the misery that is coming on them , and not knowing how short my useful time will be to any , ( for i know it cannot be long ) i have endeavoured once more the assistance of poor christians in these two small treatises , one of fear , the other of preparation for the worst times , which it may be is the last help i shall this way be able to afford them . it is therefore my earnest request to all that fear the lord , and tremble at his word , to redeem their time with double diligence , because the days are evil . to clear up their interest in christ and the promises , lest the darkness of their spiritual estate , meeting with such a night of outward darkness overwhelmed them with terrors insupportable . some help is offered in this treatise to direct the gracious soul to its rest in god. may the blessings of his spirit accompany them , and bless them to the soul of him that readeth . it will be matter of joy , beyond all earthly joys to the heart of , thy friend and servant in christ , john flavell . the righteovs man's refuge , &c. isaiah . v. . come my people , enter thou into thy chambers , and shut thy doors about thee ; hide thy self as it were for a little moment till the indignation be over-past . chap. . wherein the literal , and real importance of the text are considered , the doctrine propounded , and the method of the following discourse stated . sect . . man being a prudent and prospecting creature , can never be satisfied with present safety ; except he may also see himself well secured against future dangers . upon all appearances of trouble , 't is natural to him to seek a refuge that he may be able to shun what he is loath to suffer , and survive those calamities which will ruine the defenceless and exposed multitude . natural men seek refuge in natural things . the rich mans wealth is his strong city , and as an high wall in his own conceit , prov. . . hypocrites make lies their refuge , and under falshood do they hide themselves , isa. . . not doubting but they shall stand dry and safe , when the overflowing flood lays all others under water . but , godly men make god himself their hiding place , to him they have still betaken themselves in all ages , as often as calamities have befallen the world , ps. . . god is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble . as chickens run under the wings of the hen for safety , when the kite hovers over them , so do they fly to their god for sanctuary , psal. . . at what time i am afraid , i will trust in thee . q. d. lord , if a storm of trouble at any time overtake me , i will make bold to come under thy roof for shelter , and indeed not so bold as welcome ; 't is no presumption in them , after so gracious an invitation from their god , come , my people , enter thou into thy chambers . my friends , a sound of trouble is in our ears , the clouds gather and blacken upon us more and more : distress of nations with perplexity seems to be near , our day hastens to an end , and the shadows of the night are stretching forth upon us . what greater service therefore can i do for your souls , than by the light of this scripture ( as with a candle in my hand ) to lead you to your chambers , and shew you your lodgings in the attributes and promises of god , before i take my leave of you , and bid you good night . o with what satisfaction should i part with you , were i but sure to leave you under christs wings ! it was christs lamentation over ierusalem , that they would not be gathered under his wings , when the roman eagle was ready to hover over that city ; and you know how dear they paid for their obstinacy and infidelity . be warned by that dreadful example , and among the rest of your mercies bless god heartily for this , that so sweet a voice sounds from heaven in your ears this day , this day of frights and troubles ; come my people , enter thou into thy chambers , &c. this chapter contains a lovely song fitted for the lips of gods israel , notwithstanding their sad captivity ; for their god was with them in babylon , and heard their hearts there with many promises of deliverance , and in the mystical sence , it relates to the new testament churches , of whose troubles , protections , and deliverances , the iews in babylon were a type . this chapter , though full of excellent and seasonable truths , will be too long to analize ; it shall suffice to search back only to the verse , where you find the poor captived church under despondency of mind , comparing her co●dition to that of a woman in travail , who hath many sharp pains , and bitter throws , yet cannot be delivered , much like that in kings . . the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth . against this discouragement a double relief is applyed in the following verses , the one is a promise of full deliverance at last ; the other an invitation into a sure sanctuary and place of defence for present , until the time of their full deliverance came . the promise we have in verse . thy dead men shall live , together with my dead body shall they arise ; awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust , &c. their captivity was a civil death , and babylon as a grave to them , so it is elsewhere described , ezek. . v. , , . i will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of israel . and therefore their deliverance is carried under the notion of a resurrection in that promise . objection . yea , ( might they reply ) the hopes of deliverance at last is some comfort , but alas , that may be far off : how shall we subsist till then ? sol. well enough , for as you have in that promise a sure ground of deliverance at last , so in the interim here is a gracious invitation into a place of security for the present , come my people , enter thou into thy chambers . in which invitation four things call for our close attention . . the form of the invitation , including in it the qualified subject , come my people . gods own peculiar people , who have chosen god for their portion , and resigned up themselves sincerely to him in the covenant , are the persons here invited , the same which he before called the righteous nation that kept the truth , verse . he means ●hose that remained faithful to god ( as many of them did ) in babylon , witness their sorrow for sion , psal. per totum ; and their solemn appeal to god that their hearts were not turned back , nor had their steps declined though they were ●ore broken in the place of dragons , and covered with the shadow of death , psal. . , , . these are the people invited to the chambers of security . and the form of invitation is full of tender compassion , come my people ; like a tender father that sees a storm coming upon his children in the fields , and takes them by the hand , saying , come away my dear children , hasten home with me le●t the storm overtake you , or as the lord said to noah before the deluge , come thou and all thy house into the ark , and god shut him in , gen. . . . this is the form of the invitation , come my people . . the priviledge invited to ; enter thou into thy chambers . there is some variety , and indeed variety rather than contrariety in the exposition of these words . in this all are agreed , that by their chambers , is not meant the chambers of their own houses ; for alas , their houses were left unto them desolate ; and if not , yet they could be no security to them now , when neither their own houses nor their fortified city was able to defend them before . grotius expounds it of the grave , and makes these chambers the same grot. in loc . with the chambers of death . ite in cubiqula , h. e. sepulchra vestra . the grave indeed is a place of security where god sometimes hides some of his people in troublesome times , as is plain in isa. . , . but i cannot allow this to be the sence of this text ; god doth not comfort his captives with a natural against a civil death , but with protection in their troubles upon earth , as is evident from the scope of the whole chapter . by chambers therefore , others understand the chambers of divine providence , where the s●ints are hid in evil days . so our annotatons on the place , and no doubt but this is in part the special intendment of the text. others understand the attributes and promises of god to be here meant , as well as his providences . and i conceive all three make the sence of the text full , ( i. e. ) the divine attributes engaged in the promises , and exercised or actuated in the providences of god ; these are the sanctuaries and refuges of gods people in days of trouble . calvin understands it of the quiet repose of the believers mind in god , but that is rather the effect of his security , than the place of it . it 's gods attributes or his name ( which is the same thing ) to which the righteous fly and are safe , prov. . . object . but you will say , why are they called their chambers ? those attributes are not their● , but gods. sol. the answer is easie , though they be gods properties , yet they are his peoples priviledges , and benefits ; for when god makes over himself to them in covenant to be their god , he doth as it were deliver to them the keys of all his attributes for their benefit and security ; and is as if he should say , my wisdom is yours , to contrive for your good ; my power is yours , to protect your persons ; my mercy yours , to forgive your sins ; my all-sufficiency yours , to supply your wants ; all that i am , and all that i have is for your benefit and comfort . these are the chambers provided for the saints lodgings and into these they are invited to enter . enter thou into thy chambers . by entring into them understand their actual faith exercised in acts of affiance , and resignation to god in all their dangers . so psal. . . at what time i am afraid ( said david ) i will trust in thee . q. . d. lord , if a storm come i will make bold to shelter my self from it under thy wings by faith ; look as unbelief shuts the doors of all gods attributes and promises against us ; so faith opens them all to the soul , and so much of the priviledge invited to , which is the second thing . . we have here a needful caution for the securing of this priviledge to our selves in evil times , shut thy doors about thee . or as the syriack renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behind or after thee , i. e. ●aith calvin , diligenter cavendum ne ulla rimula diabolo ad nos pau●t . care must be taken that no passage be left open to the devil to creep in after us and drive us out of our refuge ; for so it falls out too often with gods people , when they are at rest in gods name or promises , satan creeps in by unbelieving doubts and puzling objections , and beats them out of their refuge back again into trouble ; it is therefore of great concernment in such times especially , not to give place to the devil , as the phrase is , eph. . . but ●●eave to god by a resolved reliance . . lastly , we are to note with what arguments or motives they are prest to betake themselves to this refuge . there are two found in the text , the one working upon their fear , the other upon their hope . . that which works upon their fear , is a supposition of a storm coming , the indignation of god will fall like a tempest ; this is supposed in the text , and plainly expressed in the words following , for the lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth , ver . . . the other is fitted to work upon their hope , though his indignation fall like a storm , yet it will not continue long ; it shall be but for amoment , better days and more comfortable dispensations will follow . from all which the general observation is this . doctrine . that the attributes , promises , and providences of god are the chambers of rest and security , in which his people are to hide themselves , when they foresee the ●orms of his indignation coming upon the world . the name of the lord ( saith solomon ) is a strong tower ; the righteous run into it , and are safe , prov. . . and his attributes are his name , exod. . . for by them he is known as a man is known by his name , and this his name is a strong tower for his peoples security ; now what is the use and end of a tower in a city , but to receive and secure the inhabitants when the outworks are beaten to the ground , the walls scaled , and the houses left desolate ? and as it is here resembled to a tower , so in isa. . . it s shadowed out unto us by a munition of rocks , his place of defence shall be a munition of rocks . how secure is that person that is environed with rocks on every side ? yea you will say , but yet a rock is but a cold and barren refuge , though other enemies cannot , yet hunger and thirst can invade and kill him there . no , in this rock is a store-house of provision , as well as a magazine for defence ; so it follows , bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure . and sometimes it is resembled to us by the wings of a fowl , spread with much tenderness over her young for their defence , psal. . . yea , in the shadow of thy wings will i make my refuge until these calamities be overpast . so psal. . . keep me as the apple of thine eye , hide me under the shadow of thy wings . no part of the body hath more guards upon it , than the apple of the eye god is as careful to preserve his people , as men are to preserve their eyes ; and he that toucheth them , toucheth the apple of his eyes . but we need not go from one metaphor to another , to shew you where the saints refuge is in time of danger , you have a whole bundle of them lying together in that one scripture , psal. . . the lord is my rock and my fortress , and my deliverer , my god , my strength in whom i will trust , my buckler , and the horn of my salvation , and my high tower . where you find all kinds of defence , whether natural , or artificial , under a pleasant variety of apt metaphors , ascribed to god for the security of his people . now for the casting of this great point into as easie and profitable a method as i can ; i shall resolve this general truth into these following propositions , which are implied or expressed in the text and doctrine thence deduced ; and the first is this . . proposition . that there are times and seasons appointed by god for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world . . proposition . that gods own people are concerned in , and ought to be affected with those iudgments . . proposition . that god hath a special and particular care of his people in the days of his indignation . . proposition . that god usually premonishes the world , especially his own people , of his iudgments before they befal them . . proposition . that gods attributes , promises , and providences are prepared for the security of his people , in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world . . proposition . that none ▪ but gods people are taken into these chambers of security , or can expect his special protection in evil times . and then i shall apply the whole in the proper uses of it . chap. ii. demonstrating the first proposition , that there are times and seasons appointed by god for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world . sect . i. this is plainly implyed in the text , that there are times of indignation appointed to befal the world ; yea , and more than this ; not only that such times shall come , but the duration and continuance is also under an appointment . hide thy self for a little moment , until the indignation be overpast . the prophet tells us in zeph. . . that these stormy times are under a decree , and that decree is there compared to a pregnant woman which is to go out her appointed months , and then to travel and bring forth : even so it is in the judgments god brings upon the world . we see them not in the days of provocation , sed adhuc faetus in utero latet , but all this while it is in the womb of the decree , and at the appointed season they shall become visible to the world . as there are in nature fair halcyon days , and cloudy , overcast , and stormy : so 't is in providences , ec●les . . . god hath set one over against the other . yea , one is the occasion of the other ; for look as the sun in a hot day exhales abundance of vapours from the earth and sea , these occasion showers thunder and tempests , and those again clear the air , and dispose it to fair weather again . so it is here , prosperity is the occasion of abundance of sin , this brings on adversity from the justice of god to correct it ; adversity being sanctified , humbles , reforms , and purges the people of god , and this again by mercy procures their prosperity : so you find the account 〈◊〉 in psal. . . fools because of their iniquities are ▪ afflicted , then they cry to the lord in their troubles , and he saveth them out of their distresses . and this appointment of times of distress is both profitable and necessary for the world , especially gods own people in it . in general , hereby the being and righteousness of god is cleared and vindicated against the atheism and infidelity of the world , psal. . . the lord is known by the iudgments that he executeth . impunity is the occasion of many atheistical thoughts in the world . ier. . . moab hath been at ease from his youth , and he hath setled on his lees , and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel , neither hath he gone into captivity ; therefore his taste remained in him , and his scent is not changed . so psal. . . because they have no changes therefore they fear no● god. kingdoms , families , and particular persons , like standing waters and ponds , are apt to corrupt by long continued peace and prosperity ; the lord therefore sees it necessary to purge the world by his judgments ; when thy judgments are in the earth , the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness . those sermons that god preaches from heaven by the terrible voice of his judgments , startle and rouze the secure world , more than all the warnings and exhortations of his ministers could ever do : those that slept securely under our ministry , will fear and tremble under his rods ; those that are without faith are not without sense and feeling , their own eyes will affect their hearts , though our words could make no impression on them . sect . ii. but of what use soever these national judgments are to others , to be sure they shall be beneficial to gods own people ; when others die by fear , they shall live by faith : if they be baneful poison to the wicked , they shall be healthful physick to the godly . for , . by these calamities god will mortifie and purge their corruptions ; this winter weather shall be useful to destroy and rot those rank weeds , which the summer of prosperity bred , isa. . . by this therefore shall the iniquity of jacob be purged . physick in its own nature is griping and unpleasant ; but very useful and necessary to purge the body from noxious and malignant humours , which retained may put life it self in hazard ; and it is with the body politick , as with the body natural . . national judgments drive the people of god nearer to him , and one to another , they drive the people of god to their knees , and make them pray more frequently , more fervently , and more feelingly than they were wont to do ; in this posture you find them in ver . , . of this chapter . yea , in the way of thy judgments , o lord , have we waited for thee , the desire of our soul is to thy name , and to the remembrance of thee . with my soul have i desired thee in the night , yea , with my spirit within me will i seek thee early . . in a word , by these distractions and distresses of nations , the people of god are more weaned from the world , and made to long more vehemently after heaven ; being now convinced by experience that this is not their rest . when all things are tranquil and prosperous , gods own people are but too apt to fall asleep and dream of pleasure and rest on earth , to say as iob in his prosperity , i shall die in my nest , i shall multiply my days as the sand . and then are their heads and hearts filled with many projects and designs ; to promote their comforts , and make provision for their accommodations on earth : the multiplicity of earthly cares and comforts take up their time and thoughts , too much , and make them that they mind death and eternity too little . but saith god , this must not be so , things must not go on at this rate , the prosperous world must not thus enchant my people ; i must imbitter the earth that i may thereby sweeten heaven the more to them ; when they find no rest below , they will surely seek it above . these and such like are the gracious designs and ends of god in shaking the world by his terrible judgments ; but yet , though national troubles must necessarily come , the wisest of men cannot positively determine the precise time of those judgments ; we may indeed by the signs of the times discern their near approach ; yet our judgment can be but probable and conjectural , seeing there are tacite conditions in the dreadfullest threatnings , ier. . , . ionah . , . and such is the merciful nature of god , that he oft times turns away his anger from his people , when it seems ready to pour down upon them , psal. . . the consideration whereof no way indulges security , but encourages to repentance , and greater fervency in prayer . chap. iii. opening and confirming the second proposition , viz. that gods own people are much concerned in , and ought to be suitably affected with , those iudgments that befal the nation wherein they live . sect . i. if gods people have no concernment in these things , why are they called upon in this text , to run into their chambers , hide themselves , and shut their doors , till the indignation be overpast ? certainly though god hath better provided for them than others , yet they are two ways concerned in these cases as much as others . viz. account . . upon a political . upon a religious . upon a political account , as they are members of the community , and so are equally concerned in the good or evil that befal the nation in which they live , their cabbins must follow the fate of the ship in which they sail , their lives , liberties , estates , and interest sink and swim with the publick . the good figs were carried away with the bad , ier. . . in these outward respects it often times bears as hard upon the righteous as upon the wicked . ezek ▪ . . i will draw forth my sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked . in these outward respects as it is with the good , so with the sinner , eccles. . . the same fire that burns the dry tree , oftentimes burns the green tree too . ezek. . . gr●ce is above all hazards , but creature enjoyments and comforts are not . the sins of the sodomites involve not only their own houses and estates , but lots also , in the ruine and overthrow ; wicked men often fare the better for the company of the godly , and the godly often fare the worse for the company of the wicked . and it is not to be wondered at , if we consider that even the saints themselves have an hand in the provocation of these judgments , as well as others , deut. . . and when the lord saw it he abhorred them , because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters . we have contrihuted to the common heap guilt , and therefore must justifie god if we partake with others in the common calamity . . they are greatly concerned in such judgments upon a religious and christian account , for it is usual for the floud of gods judgments not only to sweep away our civil and natural , but our spiritual and best enjoyments and comforts . thus the ordinances of god ceased in babylon , and there the faithful bewailed their misery upon that account , ps. . per totum ; we wept when we remembred thee , o zion . not only israel flies , but the ark is taken prisoner by the enemy , sam. . . and you find the people of god more deeply concerned upon this account , than for all their outward losses and other sufferings , zeph. . . i will gather them of thee that are sorrowful for the solemn assemblies , to whom the reproach of it was aburthen . for by how much our souls are more excellent than our bodies , and the concerns of eternity over ballance those of time ; by so much more are we concerned in the loss of our spiritual , more than of our temporal mercies and enjoyments . grace indeed cannot be lost , but the means and instruments by which it is begotten may ; the golden candlestick is one of the moveables in gods house , rev. . . thus you see a twofold concernment that the people god have in the effects of national judgments . sect . ii. this being so , how should all that fear god be affected with the appearances and signs of his indignation ? so was david , psal. . . my flesh trembleth for fear of thee , and i am afraid of thy judgments . he that feared not a bear , a lyon , a goliah , yet trembleth at gods judgments . so did habakkuk , chap. . v. . when i heard , my belly trembled , my lips quivered at the voice , rottenness entred into my bones . expressions denoting the deepest seizures of fear and greatest consternations ; not that i would perswade you to such slavish fear , or unchristian dejection , as it is not only sinful in it self , but the cause and inlet of many other sins : but to a due sense both of the evils of misery that will befal the nation when gods indignation comes upon it ; and the evils of sin that have incensed it ; and to such a fear of both as may seasonably awaken us to the use of all preventing remedies . and first , . o that all would lay to heart the national miseries that gods indignation threatens upon us . it is said , psal. . . a fruitful land is turned into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein . it was long since told england by one of its faithful watchmen . * the nation and church ▪ in which we are , is the common ship in which we are all embarked , and if this in judgment be cast away , whether dashed against the rocks of any foreign power , or swallowed up in the quick-sands of domestick divisions , it must needs hazard all the passengers : or if you were sure , that for your parts you might be safe ; would it not be a bitter thing , to stand upon the shore , and see such a glorious vessel as this nation is , to be cast away ? to see this glorious land defaced , the blessed gospel polluted , the golden candlestick removed , it cannot but affect men that have any bowels . or if this move you not , yet to see a stranger to lord it in thy habitation , and thy dwelling place to cast thee out ; for your delightsome dwellings , your fruitful pleasant and well tilled fields to be made a prey ; for you to sow , and another to reap impius has segetes ; for the delicate woman upon whom the wind must not blow , to be exposed to the lust and cruelty of an enemy , and be glad to fly away naked to prolong a miserable life , which they would be glad to part with for death , were it not for fear of the exchange . for the tender mother to look upon the child of her womb ; and consider , must this child in whom i have placed the hope of my age ; for , omnis in ascanio stat chari cura parentis ; he that hath been so tenderly bred up , must he fall into the rough hands of a bloudy souldier , skilful to destroy . it had been well for me if god had given me dry breasts , or a miscarrying womb , rathan to bring forth children unto murtherers ; or if you might be safe , how could you endure to see the miseries that should come upon your people , and the destruction of your kindred . thus far he ▪ but alass ! what security have any of us as to our earthly comforts from the common calamity ? we may please our selves as baruch did , ier . , . and dream of exemption , but by so much the greater will our distress be , when it shall surprise us . . you that are the people of god ought to be deeply affected with the spiritual miseries that threaten us in the day of gods indignation : do you consider what the removing the candlestick out of its place is ? a departing gospel , the going down of the sun upon the prophets , the loss of your sweet sabbaths , and gospel feasts , and the gross darkness of popery to fill the earth : o it is hard parting with these things , it 's said , sam. . . when the ark was removed , that all the house of israel lamented after the lord. pity your own souls , and be deeply affected with the misery of others , the poor christless world , who are like to perish for want of vision , prov. . . in the year , saith matthew par●s , preaching was suppressed at rome , and then letters were framed by some as coming from hell ; in which the devil gives them thanks for the multitude of souls sent to him that year . . but especially labour to affect your hearts with the sins that have incensed gods indignation : so did the saints in ierusalem , ezek. . . they sighed and mourned for all the abominations committed in it . so did lot , pet. . . he vexed his righteous soul from day to day . so did david , psal. . . rivers of waters run down mine eyes , because men kept not thy law . o who that loves god can refrain tears , to see the god of pity , the god of tender mercies , a father full of bowels of compassion , so incensed and provoked to indignation ! oh it is an heart-melting consideration where there is any ingenuity . if our afflictions grieve god to the heart as it doth iudg. . . our souls should be grieved for his dishonour . . to conclude , get upon your hearts such a sense of gods indignation as may quicken you to the use of preventing duties . so amos . . because i will do this prepare to meet thy god , o israel . so the prophet , zeph. . , . gather your selves together before the decree bring forth . it was moses his honour to stand in the breach , psal. . . and abrabam's to plead so with god , though he did not prevail . chap. iv. confirming the third proposition . viz. that god hath a special and peculiar care of his own in the days of his indignation . sect . i. propriety and relation engages care and solicitude in times of danger ; we see god hath put such a storge , and inclination into the very creatures , that they will expose themselves to preserve their young ; and it cannot be imagined that the fountain of pity which dropt this tenderness into the bowels of the creatures , should not abound with it himself ; is there such strong inclination in the very birds of the air , that they will hazard their own lives to save their young ▪ ● much more is god solicitous for his people . isa. . . as birds flying , &c. to their nests when their young are in danger : so will the lord of hosts defend jerusalem . no mother is more solicitous for her dearest child in danger and distress , than the lord is for his people . isa. . . can a woman forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea , they may forget , yet will i not forget thee . a woman [ the more affectionate sex forget her child ] a piece of her self , her sucking child , which together with milk from the breast draws love from the heart . this may rather be supposed , than that the lord should forget his people . two things must here be cleared . . that it is so . . why it is so . . that it is so will appear from , . scripture emblems . . scripture promises . . scripture instances . . scripture emblems , and among many , i will upon this occasion single out two or three principal ones . in ezek. . , , . and thou son of 〈◊〉 take thee a sharp knife , take thee a barbers razo● , and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard , then take the balances to weigh and divide the hair ; thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city , when the days of the siege are fulfilled , and thou shalt take a third part , and smite about it with a knife , and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind ; and i will draw out a sword after them : thou shalt also take thereof a few in number , and bind them in thy skirts . you find this truth shadowed out in this excellent emblem ; ierusalem the capital city is the head , the numerous inhabitants are the hair , the king of babylon the razor , the weighing it in balances , is the exactness of gods procedure in judgment with them ; the fire , knife , and wind , are the various judgments to which the people were appointed ; the hiding of a few in the prophets skirt , is the care of god for the preservation of his own remnant in the common calamity , this is one emblem clearing this point . and then , in ezek. . , . the same truth is presented to us in another emblem , as lively and significant as the former . and behold , six men came from the way of the higher gate , which lieth toward the north , and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand , and one among them was cloathed in linnen with a writers ink●orn by his side , and they went in and stood before the brazen altar ; and the glory of the god of israel was gone up from the cherub , whereupon he was , to the threshold of his house , and he called to the man cloathed with linnen , which had the writers inkborn by his side , and the lord said unto him , go through the midst of the city , through the midst of jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh , and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof . the men that had charge over the city are the angels appointed for that service , some with slaughter weapons whose work it was to destroy , but one among them had a writers inkhorn by his side , and he was imployed to take the names , and mark the persons of gods faithful ones among them , whom the lord intended to preserve and hide in that common overthrow and desolation of the city , and these were to be all marked man by man before the destroying angel was to begin his bloudy work . oh see the tender care of god over his upright mourning servants ! once more , the same truth is represented in a third emblem mal. . . and they shall be mine , saith the lord , in the day that i make up my jewels , and i will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him . where the world is compared to an house on fire ; god to the master , and father of the family ; the wicked to the useless lumber therein ; the saints to the children and jewels in the house ; about these his first and principal care of preservation is exercised , these he will be sure to save , whatever become of the rest . thus you have the chosen emblems that illustrate this comfortable truth . . as these scripture emblems illustrate it , so there are many excellent scripture promises to confirm it , isa. . . a man shall be for an hiding place from the wind , and a covert from the tempest : as rivers of water in a dry place . this man is the man christ jesus , the tempest spoken of , are the miseries and calamities of war , which make the land on which it talls , an hot , dry , and weary land ; in the midst and rage whereof , christ shall be to his faithful ones a covert for protection , a river of water for supply ; and a shadow for refreshment , that is to say , whatsoever shall be necessary either for their safety or comfort . christ is not only a shadow to his people from the wrath of god , but also from the rage of men . again , zech. . . i will be a wall of fire round about . alluding to travellers in the desert , who to prevent danger from wild beasts in the night , use to make a circular fire round about the place where they lie down to rest , and this fire was as a wall to secure them . you have the like gracious promise also made to the poor captived church in ezek. . . although i have cast them far off among the heathen , and scattered them among the countreys , yet will i be to them as a little sanctuary in the countreys where they shall come . a little sanctuary , the word is variously rendred and expounded , some adverbially , and render it paulisper , a sanctuary for a little while , viz. during their danger at the shortness of which this adverb points , so iun●●s . others adjectively , as we translate it , templum paucorum , as votablus , there were but a handful of them and god would be as a sanctuary to secure and protect that remnant . . and all these promises have in all ages been faithfully fulfilled to the saints ; you have an excellent scripture for this , pet. . , , . when the floud was brought upon the old world , there was one noah a righteous man in it , and for him god provided an ark. when sodom was overthrown , there was one lot in it , a just man , and god secured him out of danger ; upon which that comfortable conclusion is built , ver . . the lord knows how to deliver the godly . when ierusalem was destroyed a pella was provided as a refuge for the godly there . remarkable is that place to this purpose , isa. . . thou hast been a strength to the poor , a● strength to the needy in his distress , a refuge from the storm , a shadow from the heat , when the blast of the terrible one is as a storm against the wall . and this hath god been not only once or twice , but in all ages , psal. . . lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations . or as the hebrew , in generations , and generations . what he hath been in former generations to his distressed people , that he is , and will be without alteration in all generations . sect . ii. yet we must remember , that all who are preserved in common calamities are not the people of god ; nor are all that are indeed his people preferved : he hath people enough to divide into two ranks , as the husbandman his corn , some for the mill , and some to reserve for seed . there be stars enough in the heaven to shine in both hemispheres , and there are saints enough in the world , some to shine in heaven , and some to preserve the church on earth . . all that are preserved are not the people of god ; in the ark a wicked cham was preserved and those that were preserved in egypt , many of them were afterwards destroyed for their unbelief . iud. . so in ezekiel's vision , a part even of those hairs which were spared , were afterwards cast into the fire , ezek . . preservation from the dominion of sin , and the wrath to come , is peculiar to gods own people ; but as for temporal deliverances we cannot infer that conclusion . . nor yet can we say that all gods people shall be preserved ; that promise zeph. . . leaves it upon a may be , many a precious christian hath fallen in the common calamity , they have been preserved in , but not from trouble . but it is usual with god to preserve some in the sorest judgments : and the grounds of it are , . because , some must be left as a seed to propagate and preserve the church , which is perpetual and can never fail ; he never so overthrows nations as sodom was overthrown , isa. . . this was the ground of that promise , ier. . . for i am with thee , saith the lord , to save thee , though i make a full end of all nations , whither i have scattered thee , yet will i not make a full end of thee . and of that plea , amos . . o lord god , forgive i beseech thee ; by whom shall iacob arise ? for he is small . except the lord had left a small remnant , we had been as sodom . remarkable to this purpose , is that scripture , isa. . . but yet in it shall be a tenth , and it shall return , and shall be eaten : as a teyl-tree , and as an oak whose substance is in them , when they cast their leaves . so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof . this preserved remnant is the holy seed , by which the church is propagated and continued , psal. . . . because , god will even in this world own and reward the fears and sorrows of his people for the sins of the times , and sufferings of the church , with the joy and comfort of better times , and a participation of sions consolation ; so isa. . . rejoyce ye with jerusalem , ye that have mourned for her . they that have sown in tears , do sometimes live to reap in joy , psal. . . they shall say as isa. . . lo , this is our god , we have waited for him , and he is come to save us . and those that live not to reap down in this world the harvest of their own prayers and tears , shall be no losers ; a full and better reward shall be given them in heaven , isa. . . because the preserved remnant of saints are they that must actually give unto god the glory of all his providential administrations in the world , both of judgments and mercies upon others , and towards themselves . they that go down to the pit do not celebrate his praise , the living , the living they praise him , isa. . , . thus when god turned back sion's captivity , the remnant of saints that were preserved , were they that recorded his praise , psal. . , . then was our mouth filled with laughter . and fully to this sense is that scripture , psal. . , , . he delivers those that are appointed to death , i. e. that men had doomed to death , that they may declare the name of the lord , in sion , and his praise in jerusalem . . the hiding of the saints in evil days , is the greatest discovery of the hand of god in the world ; when he hides them he shews himself , and that , both to the saints and to their enemies . it is one of the most glorious mysteries of providence , that ever the world beheld , viz. the strange and wonderful protection of poor helpless christians from the rage and fury of their mighty and malicious enemies ; though they walk visibly among them , yet they are , as it were , hid from their hands , but not from their eyes . so ier. . . you find god made that prophet among the envious princes , and against an enraged and mighty king , as a defenced city , and as an iron pillar , and as a brazen wall . and indeed it was easier to them to conquer and take in the strongest fort or garison , than that single person , who yet walked day by day naked and open among them so luther a poor monk was made invincible , all the papal power could not touch him , for god hid him all the world against one athanasius , and yet not able to destroy him , for god hid him . this is the display of the glorious power of god in the world , and he hath much honour by it . well then , if there be a god that takes care of his own in evil days , do not you be distractingly careful what shall become of you in such times ; you cannot see how it is possible for you to escape , bu● pet. . , , . the lord knows how to deliver when you do not . little did lot know the way and manner of his preservation , till god opened it to him , nor noah till god contrived it for him : there was no way to be contrived by them for escape . he that knew how to deliver them , can deliver you also . leave your selves to gods dispose , it shall certainly be to your advantage ; the church is his peculiar care , isa. . . i the lord do keep it , i will water it every moment lest any hurt it , i will keep it night and day . the more you commit your selves to his care , the more you engage it , isa. . . thou wilt keep him in prefect peace whose mind is stayed on thee , because he trusteth in thee . he will certainly find a place of safety for his people under or in heaven . neither be too much dejected when the number of visible professors seems but small , think not the church will perish , when it is brought so low : this was elijah's case , he thought he had been left alone , that religion had been preserved in his single person , as the phoenix of the world ; but see kings . . god hath enough left if we were in our graves to continue religion in the world , it concerns him more than you to look to that . chap. v. evincing the fourth proposition . viz. that god usually premonisheth the world , especially his own of his judgments before they befal them . sect . i. god first warns , and then smites , he delights not to surprise men when indignation was coming , he tells his people of it in the text , and admonisheth them to hide themselves . surely the lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the prophets , amos . . thus when the flood was to come upon the old world , he gave them one hundred and twenty years warning of it , gen. . . compared with . pet. . . so when sodom was to be destroyed , god would not hide it from abraham , gen. . . shall i hide from abraham the thing that i do ? the like discovery was made unto lot , g●● . . , , . so when the captivity was at hand , ezekiel was commanded to give the iews solemn warning of it from god , ezek. . . hear the word at my mouth , and give them warning from me . and when their city and temple was to be destroyed by the romans , how plainly did christ fore●el them of it by his own mouth , luke . . . thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee , and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side , and shall lay thee even with the ground , and thy children within thee , and they shall not leave thee one stone upon another , because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation . iosephus also tells us that a little before the execution of this judgment upon them , a voice was heard in the temple , migremus hinc , let us go hence , which voice tacitus also in his annals , mentions , audita major humana vox , excedere deos , simul ingens motus excedentium . it was more than an humane voice , telling them god was departing from them , and withal there was heard the rushing noise as of some that were going out of the temple . and as there were extraordinary premonitions of approaching judgments by revelation to the prophets of old , and signs from heaven ; so there still are standing and ordinary rules by which the world may be admonished of gods judgments before they come upon them . and the general rule , by which men may discern the indignation of god before it comes , is this ; ☞ when the same provocations , and evils are found in one nation , which have brought down the wrath of god upon another nation ; this is an evident sign of gods judgment at the door . for god is unchangeably holy and just , and will not favour that in one people , which he hath punished in another ; nor bless that in one age , which he hath cursed in another . and therefore that which hath been a sign of judgment to one , must be so to all . here it is that the carcases of those sinners whose sins had cast them away , are as it were cast up upon the scripture shore , for a warning to all others that they steer not the same ill course they did . cor. . . now these things were our examples . the israelites are made examples to us , plainly intimating that if we tread the same path , we must expect the same punishment . let us therefore consider what were the evils that provoked gods judgments against his ancient people , whom he was so loth to give up , hos. . . and so long ere he did give up , ier. . . and we shall find by the concurrent accounts that the prophets give , . that gods worship among them was generally mixed and corrupted with their own inventions , for so it is said , psal. . , . they went a whoring with their own inventions . and this so inflamed the wrath of god , who is a jealous god , and tender over his own honour , that he abhorred his own inheritance ; yea , he expresses himself as a man doth whose heart is broken by the unfaithfulness of his wife , ezek. . . upon this account his professing people became the generation of his wrath , ier. . , . . incorrigible obstinacy under gentler correction , amos . , , , , , , . scarcity , mildews , pestilence , and sword had been upon them ; and still these that remained , though saved as a brand out of the fire , in which their fellow sinners perished , would not return to god ; and this hastened on the general ruine , ver . . this presages the ruine of nations indeed . . stupidity and senselesness of gods hand was a sad omen , and cause of that peoples ruine ; so isa. . , . lord when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see . no nor yet when his hand is laid on , isa. . , . it is not some small drop of gods anger that passes without observation , but the fury of his anger ; not some light skirmish of his judgments with them , but the strength of battel : not in a corner upon some particular person , or family , but that which set him on fire round about ; yet all this could not awaken them . he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger , and the strength of battel , and it hath set him on fire round about , yet he knew it not , and it burned him , yet he laid it not to heart . prodigious stupidity ! to be in the midst of flames , yea , to be seized by them , and destroyed sooner than awakened . so you find again in hos. . . gray hairs were here and there upon ephraim , yet he knew it not . youth and age are easily distinguished , and gray hairs do plainly distinguish them , being the plain tokens of a declining state , yet they took no notice of them . such stupidity is ever more the forerunner of misery . . persecution of gods faithful ministers and people , was another forerunning sign of their ruine , chron. . . they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his words , and misused his prophets until the wrath of the lord arose against his people , till there was no remedy . there were also a number of upright souls among them , that desired to worship god according to his own prescription , but a snare was laid for them in mizpah , and a net spread upon tabor ; and therefore was judgment towards that people , hos. . . mizpah and tabor were places in the way lying betwixt samaria and ierusalem , where the true worship of god was , and there were informers or spies set by the priests to intercept such as would venture to serve god at jerusalem according to his own prescription , this also foreboded the judgments of god upon that nation . . the decay of the life and power of godliness among them plainly foreshewed their ruine at hand , hos. . . their drink is sour , where under the metaphor of dead and sour drink which hath lost its spirit and is become flat ; their formal , heartless , and perfunctory duties are severely taxed and condemned . . to conclude , the mutual animosities , and feuds among that professing people , evidently shewed judgment to be at the door . hos. . . the days of visitation are come , the days of recompence are come , israel shall know it : the prophet is a fool , the spiritual man is mad , for the multitude of thine iniquity , and the great hatred . this great hatred was one of the greatest sins , and saddest signs upon them . this spirit of enmity sowed by the devil among them hastened their calamity . if ephraim will envy iudah , and iudah vex ephraim the common enemy shall part the fray : when the whole nation was under water , and the roman armies under the very walls of ierusalem , their own historians tell us , what bitter contentions and sharp conflicts continued among them to the very last . these things must be looked upon by all wise and considerate men , no otherwise than we look upon glazing meteors , and blazing comets , portending judgment and ruine at the door . we have had indeed terrible signs in heaven , a dreadful rod of god shaken over us of late , which all men ought to behold with trembling : yet i must say those moral signs of judgment forementioned , are much more terrible and portentous . according therefore to the evidence of these signs among us ; let all upright hearts be affected and awakened with expectations of gods righteous judgments . it is indeed below faith to expect evil days with despondency and distraction ; but surely it is a noble exercise of faith , so to expect them , as to make due preparation for them . sect . ii. and if we enquire for what end god gives such warnings to the world , and premonishes them from heaven , of the judgments that are coming on the earth , know that he doth it upon a threefold account . . to prevent their execution . . to leave the careless inexcusable . . to make them more tolerable and easie to his own people . . warning is given with design to prevent the execution of judgments ; this is plain from amos . . therefore will i do this unto thee ; there is warning given ; and because i will do this , prepare to meet thy god o israel : there is the gracious design of preventing it , by bringing them seasonably upon their knees at the foot of an angry god : you see the lord expects it from all his children , that they fall at his feet in deep humiliation , and fervent intercession whenever he goes forth in the way of judgment . what else was the design of god in sending ionah to nineveh with that dreadful message but to excite them to repentance , and prevent their ruine ? this ionah guessed at , and therefore declined the message to secure his credit , well knowing , that if they took warning and repented , the gracious nature of god would soon melt into compassion over them : free grace would make him appear as a liar among the people ; for to that sense his own words sound , ionah . . was not this my saying when i was yet in my countrey , therefore i fled before unto tarshish , for i knew that thou art a gracious god. q. d. i thought before hand it would come to this ; i knew how willing thou art to be prevented by repentance ; therefore to secure my credit , i fled to tarshish . . he forewarns of judgments to leave the incorrigible wholly inexcusable , that those who have neither sense of sin , nor fear of judgment before , might have no cloak for their folly , nor plea for themselves afterward ; what wilt thou say when he shall punish thee ? ier. . , . q. d. what plea or apology is left thee after so many fair warnings ? you cannot say you were surprized , before you were admonished , or ruined before you were warned . . god warns of judgments before they come to make them the more easie to his people when they come indeed ; thus in iohn . . christ foretold his disciples of their approaching sufferings , that when they came , they should not be found amazed at them , or unprovided for them ; for unexpected miseries are astonishing to the best men , and destructive to wicked men , luke . , , . well then if it be so , let all that are wise in heart consider the signs of the times , and seasonably hearken to gods warnings . the lords voice crieth to the cit● , and the man of wisdom shall see thy name ; hear ye the rod , and who hath appointed it , mica . . . 't is our wisdom to way-lay our troubles , and provide for the worst estate , whilst we enjoy the best : happy is he that is at once believing , and praying for good days , and preparing for the worst . noah's example is our advantage . heb. . . who by faith , being warned of god of things not seen as yet , moved with fear , prepared an ark. preventing mercies are the most ravishing mercies , psal. . . and preventing calamities are the sorest calamities , amos . . and let us heartily bewail the supiness and carelesness of the world in which we live , who take no notice of gods warnings , but put the evil day far from them , amos . . who will admit no fear , till they are past all hope ; they see god housing his saints apace , yet will not see the evil to come from which god takes them , isa. . , . the righteous perisheth , and no man layeth it to heart ; and merciful men are taken away , none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come ; he shall enter into peace , they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness . they hear the cry of sin which is gone up to heaven , but cry not for the abominations that are committed , nor tremble at the judgments that they will procure . o careless sinners drowned in stupidity , and sleeping like ionah under the hatches , when others are upon their knees and at their wits end ! do saints tremble , and are you secure ? have not you more reason to be afraid than they ? if judgments come , the greatest harm it can do them , is but to hasten them to heaven ; but as for you , it may hurry you away to hell : they only fear tribulation in the way ; but you will not fear damnation in the end . believe it reader , in days of common calamity both heaven and hell will fill apace . chap. vi. demonstrating the fifth proposition . viz. that gods attributes , promises , and providences , are prepared for the security of his people in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world. sect . i. having more briefly dispatched the foregoing preliminary propositions it remains that we now more fully open this fifth proposition , which contains the main subject matter of this discourse ; here therefore our meditations must fix and abide , and truly such is the deliciousness of the subject to spiritual hearts , that i judge it wholly needless to offer any other motive besides it self to engage your affections . let us therefore view our chambers , and see how well god hath provided for his children in all their distresses that befal them in this world ; it is our fathers voice that calls to us , come my people , enter thou into thy chambers . and the . chamber , which comes to be opened as a refuge to distressed believers in a stormy day , is that most secure and safe attribute of divine power ; into this let us first enter by serious and believing meditation , and see how safe they are whom god hides under the protection thereof in the worst and most dangerous days . in opening this attribute we shall consider it , . in its own nature and property . . with respect to the promises . . as it is actuated by providence on the behalf of distressed saints . and then give you a comfortable prospect of their safe and happy condition , who take up their lodgings by faith in this attribute of god. . let us consider the power of god in it self , and we shall find it represented to us in the scriptures in these three lovely properties , viz. power . . omnipotent . supreme . everlasting . as an omnipotent and all-sufficient power , which hath no bounds or limits , but the pleasure and will of god , dan. . , . he doth according to his will in the armies of heaven ; and among the inhabitants of the earth , and none can stay his hand , or say unto him , what dost thou ? so psalm . . whatsoever the lord pleased that did he , in heaven , and in earth , in the seas , and all deep places . you see divine pleasure is the only rule according to which divine power exerts it self in the world ; we are not therefore to limit and restrain it in our narrow and shallow thoughts , and to think in this or in that the power of god may help or secure us ; but to believe that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think . thus those worthies , dan. . . by faith exalted the power of god above the order and common rule of second causes . our god whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace , and he will deliver us out of thine hand , o king. their faith resting it self upon the omnipotent power of god , expected deliverance from it in an extraordinary way ; 't is true , this is no standing rule for our faith ordinarily to work by ; nor have we ground to expect such miraculous salvations , but yet when extraordinary difficulties press us , and the common ways , and means of deliverance are shut up , we ought by faith to exalt the omnipotency of god , by ascribing the glory thereof to him , and leave our selves to his good pleasure , without straitning or narrowing his almighty power , according to the mold of our poor low thoughts and apprehensions of it : for so the lord himself directeth our faith in difficult cases . isa. . , . 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 than your thoughts . he speaks there of his pardoning mercy which he will not have his people to contract ; and limit according to the model , and platform of their own desponding , misgiving and unbelieving thoughts ; but to exalt and glorifie it , according to its unbounded fulness ; as it is in the thoughts of god , the fountain of that mercy ; so it ought to be with respect to his power , about which his thoughts and ours do vastly differ ; the power of god as we cast it in the mould of our thoughts , is as vastly different and disproportionate from what it is in the thoughts of god the fountain thereof ; as the earth is to the heavens , which is but a small inconsiderable point compared with them . . the power of god is a supreme and sovereign power , from which all creature power is derived , and by which it is over-ruled , restrained , and limited at his pleasure . nebuchadnezzar was a great monarch , he ruled over other kings , yet he held his kingdom from god ; it was god that placed not only the crown upon his head , but his head upon his shoulders . dan. . . thou o king art a king of kings ; for the god of heaven ●ath given thee a kingdom , power , and strength , and glory . hence it follows , that no creature can move tongue or hand against any of gods people , but by vertue of a commission or permission from their god , albeit they think not so . knowest thou not , saith pilate unto christ , that i have power to crucifie thee , and power to release thee ? proud worm ! what an ignorant , and insolent boast was this of his own power ! and how doth christ spoil and shame it in his answer ? iohn . . thou couldest have no power at all against me , except it were given thee from above . wicked men like wild horses would run over and trample under foot all the people of god in the world , were it not that the bridle of divine providence had a strong curb to restrain them : ezek. . . the princes of israel every one were in thee , to their power to shed bloud . and it was well for gods israel that their power was not as large as their wills were ; this world is a raging and boisterous sea , which sorely toffes the passengers for heaven that sail upon it , but this is their comfort and security : the lord stilleth the noise of the sea , the noise of the waves , and the tumult of the people , ps. . . moral as well as natural waves , are checked and bounded by divine power . surely the wrath of man shall praise thee , and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain , psal. . . as a man turns so much water into the channel as will drive the mill , and turns away the rest in another sluce . yea , not only the power of man , but the power of devils also is under the restraint and limitation of this power , rev. . . satan shall cast some of you into prison , and ye shall have tribulation ten days . he would have cast them into their graves , yea , into hell if he could , but it must be only into a prison : he would have kept them in prison , till they had died and rotted there , but it must be only for ten days . oh glorious sovereign power ! which thus keeps the reins of government in its own hand ! . the power of god is an everlasting power ; time doth not weaken or diminish it , as it doth all creature powers , isa. . . the lord , the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not , neither is weary , isa. . . the lords hand is not shortened ( i. e. ) he hath as much power now as ever he had , and can do for his people as much as ever he did ; time will decay the power of the strongest creature , and make him fai●● and feeble ; but the creator of the ends of the eart● fainteth not . thou , saith the psalmist , abidest for ever , thy years flee not , psal. . . in gods working there is no expence of his strength . he is able to do as much as ever he did , to act over again all the glorious deliverances that ever he wrought for his people from the beginning of the world ; to do as much for his church now as he did at the red sea ; and upon this ground the church builds its plea , isa. . , . awake , awake , put on strength , o arm of the lord , awake as in the ancient days in the generations of old , art thou not it that hast cut rahab , and wounded the dragon ? q. d. lord why should not thy people at this day expect as glorious productions of thy power as any of them found in former ages ? sect . ii. let us view the power of god in the vast extent of its operation , and then you will find it working beyond the line , . of creature power . . of creature expectation . . of humane probability . . beyond the line of all created power , even upon the hearts , thoughts , and minds of men , where no creature hath any jurisdiction . so gen. . . god bound up the spirit of laban , and becalmed it towards iacob . so psal. . . he made them also to be pitied of all them that carried them captives . thus the lord promised ieremy , ier. . . i will cause the enemies to entreat thee well , in the time of evil . this power of god softens the hearts of the most fierce and cruel enemies , and sweetens the spirits of the most bitter and enraged foes of his people . . beyond the line of all creature expectations , eph. . . god is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think . he doth so in spirituals ; as appears by those two famous parables , luke . . . and am no more worthy to be called thy son ; make me as one of thy hired servants . but the father said to his servants , bring forth the best robe , and put it on him , and put a ring on his hand , and shoes on his feet . the prodigal desired to be but as an hired servant , and lo , the fatted calf is 〈◊〉 for him , and musick to his meat , and the gold ring upon his finger . and in matth. . , . the debtor did but desire patience , and the creditor forgave the debt . o , thinks a poor humbled sinner , if i might have but the least glimpse of hope , how sweet would it be ! but god brings him to more than he expects , even the clear shining of assurance . it is so in temporals , the church confesses the lord did things they looked not for , isa. . . and in both spirituals and temporals this power moves in an higher orb than our thoughts , isa. . , . my thoughts are not your thoughts , nor my ways your ways ; but as far as the heavens are above the earth , so are my thoughts above your thoughts , the earth is but a punctum to the heavens ; all its tallest cedars , mountains , and pyramids cannot reach it : he speaks , as was said before , of gods pitying , pardoning , and merciful thoughts , and shews that no creat●re can think of god , as he doth of the creature under sin , or under misery . our thoughts are not his ; eit●er first by way of simple cogitation we cannot thi●k such thoughts towards others in misery , by way of pity ; or under sin against us by way of pardon , as god doth : nor secondly , are our thoughts as gods in respect of reflexive comprehension ; i. e. we cannot conceive or comprehend what those thoughts of god towards us are , when we fall into sin or misery ; j●st as he thinks them , they are altered , debased , and straitened as soon as ever they come into our thoughts . see an excellent instance in gen. . . i had not thought to see thy face , and lo god hath shewed me all thy seed . a surprizing providence ; and thus the divine power works in a sphere above all the thoughts , prayers and expectations of men . . it works beyond all probabilities , and rational conjectures of men ; this almighty power hath ●●ted deliverances for the people of god when things have been brought to the lowest ebb , and all the means of salvation have been hid from their eyes . we have diverse famous instances of this in scripture , wherein we may observe a remarkable gradation in the working of this almighty power : it is said in the kings . , . the lord saw the affliction of israel , that it was very bitter , for there was not any shut up , nor any left ; nor any helper for israel . a deplorable state ; how inevitable was their ruine to the eye of sense ? well might it be called a bitter affliction ; yet from this immediate power arose for them a sweet and unexpected salvation ; and if we look into cor. . , . we shall find the apostles and choicest christians of those times , giving up themselves as lost men , all ways of escape being quite out of sight ; for so much those words signifie , we had the sentence of death in our selves ; i. e. we yielded our selves for dead men . but though they were sentenced to death , yea , though they sentenced themselves , this power which wrought above all their thoughts , and rational conjectures , reprieved them . and yet one step farther in ezek. . , , , . the people of god are there represented as actually dead , yea as in their graves , yea as rotted in their graves , and their very bones dry , like those that are dead of old ; so utterly improbable was their recovery : yet by the working of this almighty power which subdueth all things to it self , their graves in babylon were opened , the breath of life came into them , bone came to bone , and there stood up a very great army ; it was the working of this power above the thoughts of mans heart , which gave the ground of that famous proverb , gen. . . in the mount of the lord it shall ●eseen . and the ground of that famous promise , zech. . . at evening time it shall be light ; i. e. light shall unexpectedly spring up , when all men according to the course and order of nature , expect nothing but increasing darkness . how extensive is the power of god in its glorious operations ! sect . iii. let us view the power of god in its relation to the promises , for so it becomes our sanctuary in the day of trouble ; if the power of god be the chamber , 't is the promise of god which is that golden ' key that opens it . and if we well consult the scriptures in this matter , we shall find the almighty power of god made over to his people by promise , for many excellent ends and uses in the day of their trouble . as , . to uphold and support them , when their own strength fails , isa. . . fear thou not , for i am with thee , be not dismayed for i am thy god : i will strengthen thee , yea , i will help thee , yea , i will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness . and which of the saints have not sensibly felt these everlasting arms , underneath their spirits , when afflictions have pressed them above their own strength ? so runs the promise to paul in cor. . . my grace is sufficient for thee , for my strength is made perfect in weakness ; i. e. it is made known in thy weakness . our weakness adds nothing to gods power , it doth not make his power perfect , but it hath the better advantage of its discovery , and puts forth it self more signally and conspicuously in our weakness ; as the stars which never shine so gloriously , as in the darkest night . . to preserve them in all their dangers , to which they lie exposed in soul and body . pet. . . you are kept ( saith the apostle ) by the mighty power of god. kept as in a garison ; this is their arm every morning , as it is isa. . . o lord be gracious unto us , we have waited for thee , be thou their arm every morning , our salvation also in the time of trouble . the arm is that member which is fitted for the defence of the body , and for that end so placed by the god of nature , that it may guard every part above and below it ; but as good they were bound behind our backs , for any help they can give us in some cases : it is gods arm that defends us , and not our own . this invisible power of god makes the saints the worlds wonder . psal. . . i am as a wonder to many , but thou art my strong refuge . to see poor defenceless creatures preserved , in the midst of furious enemies , that is just matter of wonder ; but god being their invisible refuge , that solves the wonder ; to this end the power of god is by promise engaged to his people , isa. . . i the lord do keep it , i will water it every moment , lest any hurt it , i will keep it night and day . and thus they subsist in the midst of dangers and troubles ; as the burning bush ( the emblem of the church ) did amidst the devouring flames , exod. . . . to deliver them out of their distresses , so runs the promise , psal. . , . because he hath set his love upon me , therefore will i deliver him ; i will set him on high , because he hath known my name : he shall call upon me and i will answer him , i will be with him in trouble , i will deliver him , and honour him . and ier. . . alas , for that day is great , so that none is like it : it is even the time of jacob's trouble , but ye shall be saved out of it . and surely there can be no distress so great , no case of believers so sorlorn ; but , . it 's easie with god to save them out of it . are they to the eye of sense lost , as hopeless as men in the grave ? yet see ezek. . . o my people , i will open your graves , and cause you to come up out of your graves , and bring you into the land of israel . and he doth whatever he doth easily , with a word , ps. . . thou art my king , o god , command deliverances for jacob. and it requireth no more violent motion to do it , than he that swimeth in the water uses , isa. . . a gentle easie motion of the hand doth it . . and as the power of god can deliver them easily , so speedily . their deliverance is often wrought by way of surprizal , isa. . . behold , at evening tide trouble , and in the morning he is not . so the church prays , in p● . . . turn again our captivity , as the streams in the south . the southern countreys are dry , the streams there come not in a gentle and slow current , but being occasioned by violent sudden spouts of rain , they presently overflow the countrey , and as soon retire : so speedily can the power of god free his people from their dangers and fears . . yea , such is the excellency of his delivering power , that he can save alone without any contribution of creature aids . so isa. . . he wondered that there was no intercessour ; therefore his hand brought salvation unto him , and his righteousness sustained him . we read indeed iudg. . . of helping the lord , but that is not to express his need , but their duty ; we have continual need of god , but he hath no need of us ; he uses instruments , but not out of necessity , his arm alone can save us , be the danger never so great , or the visible means of deliverance never so remote . . once more , let us view this chamber of divine power , as it is continually opened by the hand of providence , to receive and secure the people of god in all their dangers . 't is said , chro. . . the eyes of the lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth , to shew himself strong in behalf of them , whose heart is perfect towards him . where you have an excellent account of the immediacy , universality , and efficacy of divine providence , as it uses and applies this divine power for the guard and defence of that people , who are its charge ; he doth not only set angels to watch for them , but his own eyes keep sentinel , even those seven eyes of providence mentioned zech. . . which never sleep nor slumber ; for they are said to run continually to and fro , and that not in this or that particular place only , for the service of some more eminent and excellent persons ; but through the whole earth . 't is an encompassing and surrounding providence which hath its eye upon all , whose hearts are upright ; all the saints are within the line of its care and protection ; the eye of providence discovereth all their dangers , and its arm defends them , for he shews himself strong in their behalf . the secret , but almighty efficacy of providence is also excellently described to us in ezek. . . where the angels are said to have their hands under their wings , working secretly and undiscernibly , but very effectually for the saints committed to their charge . like unto which is that in hab. . . where it is said of god , that he had horns coming out of his hands , and there was the hiding of his power . the hand is the instrument of action , denoting gods active power , and the horns coming out of them are the glorious raies , and beams of that power shining forth in the salvation of his people : o that we could sun our selves in those chearful and reviving beams of divine power , by considering how gloriously they have broken forth , and shone out for the salvation of his people in all ages . so it did for israel at the red sea , exod. . . so for iehoshaphat in that great streight , chron. . , . and so in the time of hezekiah , kings . . . yea in all ages from the beginning of the world the saints have been sheltered under these wings of divine power , isa. . . . thus providence hath hanged and adorned this chamber of divine power with the delightful histories of the churches manifold preservations by it . sect . iv. having taken a short view of this glorious chamber of gods power absolutely in it self , and also in relation to his promises and providences , it remains now , that i press and perswade all the people of god under their fears and dangers according to gods gracious invitation to enter into it , shut their doors , and to behold with delight this glorious attribute working for them in all their exigencies and distresses . . enter into this chamber of divine power , all ye that fear the lord , and hide your selves there in these dangerous and distressful days ; let me say to you as the prophet did to the poor distressed iews , zech. . . turn ye to your strong hold , ye prisoners of hope . strong holds might they say ; why , where are they ? the walls of ierusalem are in the dust , the temple burnt with fire , sion an heap , what meanest thou then in telling us of our strong holds ? why , admit all this , yet there is satis praesidii in uno deo , refuge enough for you in god alone , as calvin excellently notes upon that place . christian , art not thou able to fetch a good subsistence for thy soul by faith , out of the almighty power of god ? the renowned saints of old did so , abraham , isaac , and iacob met with as many difficulties and plunges of trouble in their time , as ever you did or shall meet with ; yet by the exercise of their faith upon this attribute , they lived comfortably , and why cannot you ? exod. . . i appeared ( saith god ) unto abraham , isaac , and jacob , by the name of god almighty . they kept house and feasted by faith upon this name of mine ; o that we could do as abraham did , rom ▪ . . we have the same attribute , but alas , we have not such a faith as his was to improve it . it is easie to believe the almighty power of god in a calm , but not so easie to resign our selves to it , and securely rest upon it in a storm of adversity : but oh what peace and rest would our faith procure us by the free use and exercise of it this way , to assist your faith in this difficulty wherein we find the faith of a moses sometimes staggered . let me briefly offer you these four following encouragements . . consider how your gracious god hath engaged this his almighty power by promise and covenant for the security of his people , god pawned it as it were to abraham in that famous promise , gen. . . i am the almighty god , walk thou before me , and be perfect . and gen. . . fear not abraham , i am thy shield . say not , this was abraham's peculiar priviledge , for if you consult hos. . . and heb. . , . you will find that believers in these days , have as good a title to the promises made in those days , as those worthies had to whom they were immeately made . . if you be believers , your relation to god strongly engageth his power for you , as well as his own promises , surely ( saith god ) they are my people , children that will not lie ; so he became their saviour , isa. . . we say relations have the least of entity , but the greatest of efficacy ; you find it so in your own experience , let a wife , child , or friend be in eminent danger , and it shall engage all the power you have to succour and deliver them . . this glorious power of god is engaged for you by the very malice and wickedness of your enemies , who will be apt to impute the ruine of the saints to the defects of power in their god ; from whence those excellent arguments are drawn , numb . . , . now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man then the nations which have heard the fame of thee , will speak , saying , because the lord was not able to bring this people into the land , which he sware unto them , therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness . and again , deut. . , . you shall find the lord improving this argument for them himself ; if they do not plead it for themselves , he will. i would scatter them into corners , i would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men , were it not that i feared the wrath of the enemy , left their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and lest they should say , our hand is high , and the lord hath not done all this . o see how much you are beholding to the very rage of your enemies for your deliverances from them ▪ . to conclude , the very reliance of your souls by faith upon the power of god , your very leaning upon his arm engages it for your protection , isa. . . thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee , because he trusteth in thee . puzle not your selves therefore any longer about qualifications ; but know that the very acting of your faith on god , the recumbency of your souls upon him , is that which will engage him for your defence , how weak and defective soever thou art in other respects . . having thus entered by faith into this chamber of divine power , the next counsel the text gives you is , to shut the door behind you , i. e. after the acting of your faith , and the quiet repose of your souls upon gods almighty power , then take heed lest unbelieving fears and jealousies creep in again and disturb the rest of your souls in god , you find a sad instance of this in moses , numb . . , . after so many glorious acts and triumphs of his faith , how were his heels tripped up by diffidence which crept in afterwards ; good men may be posed with difficult providences and made to stagger . the is●aelites had lived upon miracles many years , yet psal. . . can he give bread also ? good martha objects difficulty to christ. ioh. . . by this time he stinketh . o 't is a glorious thing to give god the glory of his almighty power , in difficult cases that we cannot comprehend . see zech. . . if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days , should it be also marvellous in mine eyes ? saith the lord of hosts . difficulties are for men , but not for god ; because it is marvellous in your eyes , must it be so in gods : various objections will be apt to arise in your hearts to drive you out of this your refuge . as , . objection . o but the long continuance of our troubles and distresses will sink our very hearts , isa. . . why sayest thou , o jacob , and speakest , o israel , my way is hid from the lord , and my judgment is passed over from my god ? sol. but o wait upon god without fainting , heb. . ▪ the vision is yet for an appointed time , but at the end of it shall speak and not lie : though it tarry , wait for it , because it will surely come , it will not tarry . . objection . o but our former hopes , and expectations of deliverance are frustrated , ier. . . we looked for peace , but no good came : and for a time of health , and behold trouble . sol. o but yet be not discouraged , see how the psalmist begins the psal with trembling , and ends it with triumph ; the husbandman waiteth , and so must you . . objection . but there is no sign or appearance of our deliverance . sol. what then , this is no new thing , psal. . . we see not our signs , there is no more any prophet , neither is there any among ●s that knoweth how long . . objection . but all things work contrary to our hope . sol. why , so did things with abraham , yet see rom. . . against hope , he believed in hope . . observe further with delight the out goings and glorious workings of divine power for you , and for the church in times of trouble ; this is sweet entertainment for your souls , 't is food for faith , psal. . . thou breakest the heads of leviathan in pieces , and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness , and here i beseech you behold and admire , . it 's mysterious and admirable protection of the saints in all their dangers . they feed as sheep in the midst of wolves , luke . . they lie among them that are set on fire , psal. . . their habitation is in the midst of deceit . ier. . . yet they are kept in safety by the mighty power of god. . behold and admire it in casting the bonds of restraint upon your enemies , that though they would , yet they cannot hurt you ; our dangers are visible , and our fears great , but our security and safety admirable , isa. . . thou hast feared continually every day , because of the fury of the oppressour , as if he were ready to destroy ; and where is the fury of the oppressour ? . behold its opening unexpected , and unlikely refuges and securities for the saints in their distresses , isa. . . let mine out-casts dwell with thee , moab , he thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler ; for the extortioner is at an end , the spoiler ceaseth , the oppressors are consumed out of the land . rev. . . the earth helped the woman , and the earth opened her mouth , and swallowed up the floud which the dragon cast out of his mouth . . behold it frustrating all the designs of our enemies against us , isa. . . no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper , and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn . behold , i have created the smith , isa. . . q. d. he that created the smith , can order as he pleaseth the weapon made by him ; hence our enemies are not masters of their own designs . o then depend upon this power of god , for it is your security ; there is a twofold dependence , the one natural and necessary , the other elective . . natural dependance , so all do and must depend upon him . . elective and voluntary , and so we all ought to depend upon him ; and for your encouragement take this scripture , psal. . , . the lord also wil● be a refuge for the oppressed , a refuge in times of trou●ble , and they that know thy name will put their tru●● in thee ; for thou lord , hast not forsaken them that seek thee . and thus of the first attribute of god , prepared for the safety of his people in times of trouble . chap. vii . opening that glorious attribute of divine wisdom as a second chamber of security to the saints in difficult times . sect . i. the next chamber of divine protection into which i shall lead you , is the infinite wisdom of god ; i call it the next , because i so find it placed in scripture , iob . . he is mighty in power and wisdom . dan. . . wisdom and might are his . this attribute may be fitly called the council chamber of heaven , where all things are contrived in deepest wisdom , which are afterwards wrought in the world by power , eph. . . he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. counsel in the creature implies weakness and defect ; we are not able at one thought to fathom the depth of a business , and therefore must deliberate and spend many thoughts about it , and when we have spent all our own thoughts we are oft times at a loss , and must borrow help , and ask counsel of others ; but in god it notes the perfection of his understanding , for as those acts of the creature which are the results of de●●beration and counsel , are the height and top of all rational contrivement ; so in its accommodation to god , it notes the excellent results of his infinite and most perfect understanding . now this wisdom of god is to be considered either , absolutely , or , relatively . . absolutely in it self , and so it is , that , whereby he most perfectly and exactly knows himself , and all things without himself , ordering and disposing them in the most convenient manner to the glory of his own name . wisdom comprehends two things , . knowledge of the natures of things , which in the creature is called science . . knowledge how to govern , order and dispose them , which in the creature is called prudence ; these things in man are but faint shadows of that which is in god in the most absolute perfection ; he fully knows himself , for his understanding is infinite , psal. . . and the thoughts he thinks towards us , ier. . . and as he perfectly understands himself , so likewise all things that are without himself , act. . . known unto god are all his works from the beginning of the world . together with all the secret designs , thoughts , and purposes which lie hid from all others in the inmost recesses of mens hearts , psal. . . and as he perfectly knows all things , so he fully understands how to govern and direct them to the best end , even the exalting of his own praise , psal. . . rom. . . for of him , and through him , and to him are all things . of him , as the efficient cause ; through him , as the conserving cause ; and to him as the final cause . and in this wise disposition of all things , he hath a gracious respect to the good of his chosen , rom. . . all things shall work together for good to them that love god. more particularly , the wisdom of god is to be considered by us in its excellent properties , amongst which these four following are eminently conspicuous , as it is the , . original . . essential . . perfect , and . only wisdom . . the wisdom of god is the original wisdom , from which all the wisdom found in angels or men is derived , and unto that fountain we are directed to go , for supplies of wisdom , iam. . . if any man lack wisdom , let him ask it of god. there is indeed a spirit in man , but it is the inspiration of the almighty that giveth understanding , iob . . the natural faculty is ours , but the illumination thereof is gods ; the understanding of the creature is as the dial which signifies nothing , till the sun shine upon it . . gods wisdom is essential wisdom . wisdom in the creature is but a quality separable from the subject ; but in god it is his nature , his very essence , he can as soon cease to be god , as to be most wise . . the wisdom of god is perfect wisdom , full of it self , and exclusive of its contrary ; the wisest of men are not wise at all times , the greatest wits are not without some mixture of madness ; it is an high attainment in humane wisdom to understand our own weakness and folly ; the deepest heads are but shallows , but the wisdom of god is an unsearchable deph , rom. . . o the depth of the riches , both of the wisdom and knowledge of god , how unsearchable are his judgments , and his ways past finding out ? . to conclude , the wisdom of god is the only wisdom ; there is no wisdom without him , none against him , he is the only wise god , iude v. . . the wisdom of god must be considered relatively , and that in a double respect : . to his promises . . to his providencs . sect . ii. let us view it in its relation to the promises , where you shall find it made over by god to his people for divers excellent uses and purposes in times of distress and danger . as , . it is made over to them in promises for their direction and guidance when they know not what to do , or which way to take . so psal. . . the meek will he guide in judgment , and the meek will he teach his way , and isa. . . the lord shall guide thee continually . and psal. . . i will guide thee with mine eye . and with this the psalmist encourages himself , psal. . . thou shalt guide me with thy counsel , and afterwards receive me to glory . o what an invaluable mercy is this ! we should make shipwrack both of our temporal and eternal mercies quickly , were it not for the guidance of divine wisdom . . to extricate them when involved in difficulties : so pet. . . the lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation . they know not how , but their god doth ; they are often at a lo●● , but he is never : so cor. . . there hath no temptation taken you , but such as is common to man , but god is faithful , who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able , but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it . . to over-rule and order all their troubles to their good , and real advantage : so runs that most comprehensive promise , rom. . . all things shall work together for good to them that love god. in the faith whereof paul concludes , phil. . . even this shall work for his salvation . thus the people of god were sent into captivity for their good , ier. . . and ioseph into egypt , gen. . . ye thought evil against me , but god meant it unto good , to bring to pass as it is this day , to save much people alive . . let us view the wisdom of god in its relation to his providences , for there it shines forth eminently , ezek. . . the wheels were full of eyes , i. e. the motions and providential revolutions in this lower world , are very judicious and advised motions ▪ non caeco impetu volvuntur rotae , it hath a fetch and design which no man understands till it open it self in the event . the enemies of the church are oft times men of the finest brains , and deepest policies : herod a fox for subtilty , luke . . iulian and ahithophel with many others , who have digged as deep as hell in their counsels , and laid their designs so sure , that they doubted not but to be masters of it , yet their hands could not perform their enterprize . the wisdom of providence hath still befooled them , and baffled the cunningest head-pieces that ever undertook any design against the church , as fast as ever they arose ; and here the wisdom of providence is remarkable in three things especially . . in revealing and discovering the secret conspiracies and counsels of the churches enemies , and thereby frustrating their designs , gen. . , . providence ( as one calls it ) is the bird of the air that carries tidings , and whistles deeds of darkness , iob . . he discovereth deep things out of darkness , and bringeth out to light the shadow of death . and this god hath done both immediately and mediately . . immediately , kings . . what counsel soever the king of syria took in his bed-chamber was still discovered by the lord to the prophet . so true is that iob . . there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves . thus the design of herod is revealed to ioseph in a dream . but commonly he doth it by means ; as . by giving knowledge of it to some that are under obligations of duty , or affection to reveal it to these that are concerned in the danger . so paul's sisters son , acts . . revealed the conspiracy against his life , and so the plot miscarried by revealing it before it was ripe for execution . . by the failure of some circumstance , the whole is brought to light ; there be many fine threds upon which the designs of politicians hang , if one break the whole design is unravelled . thus the wisdom of god sometimes prevents his peoples ruine , by taking away the speech of the trusty from him , and making their own tongues to fall upon themselves . . by their own confession ; so psal. . , , , . where you have the plot laid , ver . . they encourage themselves in an evil matter , they commune of laying snares privily , they say , who shall see them ? the deep contrivance of it , ver . . they search out iniquity , they accomplish a diligent search ; both the inward thoughts of every one of them , and the heart is deep . their plot destroyed , ver . . but god shall shoot at them with an arrow , suddenly shall they be wounded . the method or way of providence in destroying it , ver . . so they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves , all that see them , shall flee away . thus hath the wisdom of our god wrought for us this day beyond all the thoughts of our hearts ; and oh that it might make such impressions upon all our hearts , as follow in the , and . verses , all men shall fear , and shall declare the work of god , for they shall wisely consider his doing . the righteous shall be glad in the lord and shall trust in him , and all the upright in heart shall glory . . the wisdom of god discovers it self in behalf of that people who are his own , in diverting the danger from them , and putting by the deadly thrusts their enemies make at them ; thus it spoils their game by an unforeseen rub in the green , and that especially three ways . . by making their counsels to jar among themselves , in which jars is the sweetest harmony of providence ; thus the counsel of ahithophel jars with the counsel of hushai , sam. . . . by which means david escaped : the pharisees clashed with the sadducees , acts . . and by that means paul escaped . . by cutting out other work , and starting some new design which like a fresh scent puts the dogs to a loss . thus the people of god in ierusalem were delivered by a diversion , kings . . behold , i will send a blast upon him , and he shall hear a rumour and shall return to his own land , and i will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land , so rabshakeh returned . by this means also was david delivered from the hand of saul , sam. . . and in this method of providence , that scripture is often fulfilled , prov. . . the wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous , and the transgressour for the upright . . by cutting off the capital enemies of his church , by whose seasonable destruction they are delivered . thus fell iulian , that bitter enemy of the christians , when he was preparing to put his last and most bloudy design against them in execution . and thus fell haman , nero , and many more in the very height and heat of their designs against the church . . the wisdom of god gloriously displays it self in causing the designs of the wicked , like a surcharged gun to recoil upon and destroy themselves : it often falls out with the undermining enemies of the church , as it sometimes doth with them that dig deep mines in the earth , who are destroyed and buried in their own work ; psal. . , . the heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made , in the net which they hid is their own foot taken . the lord is known by the judgments which he executeth , the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands . higgajon , selah . there is a double ●ercy in this providence , one in delivering the saints from the danger , the other in causing it to fall upon the contrivers , and is therefore celebrated with a double note of attention ; in these observable strokes , the righteousness of god shines forth , in repaying his peoples enemies in their own coin . — nec lex est justior ulla , quam necis artifices arte perire su● . thus haman did eat the first-fruits of that tree which his own hands planted , and thus ierusalem becomes a burthensome stone to all that burthen themselves with it , zech. . . . admire and adore the wisdom of your god in those great and unexpected advantages , which arise to you out of those very dangers and designs of your enemies that threatened your ruine ; the very hands of your very enemies are sometimes made the instruments of your advancement and enlargement ; your persecutions become your priviledges , the motto of the palm tree fitly becomes yours , suppressa resurgo . in three things the wisdom of god makes advantage out of your troubles . . in fortifying your souls and bodies with suitable strength , when any eminent trial is intended for you : so it was with the apostles , cor. . . as the sufferings of christ abound in us , so our consolation by christ. god lays in suitably to what men lay on mercilesly : christ would not draw the poor timorous disciples out of ierusalem unto hard encounters , until first he had endued them with power from on high , luke . . . the wisdom of your god can and often doth make your very troubles and sufferings instead of so many ordinances to strengthen your faith and fortifie your patience . so the heads of leviathan became meat to his people inhabiting the wilderness , psal. . . and so the plots of balak and balaam were designed by god to be as a standing instructing ordinance for the encouragement of his peoples faith in future difficulties , micah . . o my people remember now what balak king of moab consulted , and what balaam the son of beor answered him from shittim unto gilgal that ye may know the righteousnes of the lord. q. d. you cannot but remember how those your enemies courted me with multitudes of offerings to deliver you up into their hands , and how faithfully i stood by you in all those dangers ; that plot discovered at once the policy of your enemies , and the righteousness of your god. . his wisdom is discovered to your advantage in permitting your dangers to grow to an extremity , on purpose to magnifie his goodness , and increase your comfort in your deliverance from it . psal. . . when the lord turned our captivity we were as them that dreamed . proportionable to the greatness of your dangers will your joys be . sect . iii. well then , if the wisdom of god shines forth so gloriously in the times of his peoples trouble ; be perswaded by faith to enter into this chamber also ; it is a chamber where a believing soul may enjoy the sweetest rest , and quietness in the most hurrying and distracting times ; shut the door behind you , and improve this attribute to your best advantage . . enter into this chamber by faith , believe firmly that the management of all the affairs of this world , whether publick or personal , is in the hands of your all wise god ; more particularly , exercise your faith about the wisdom of god in these things . . believe that the wisdom of god can contrive and order the way of your escape and deliverance , when all doors of hope are shut up to sense and reason ; we know not what to do , said good iehoshaphat , but our eyes are unto thee . q. d. lord though i am at a loss and see no way of escape , thou art never at a loss . the lord ( saith peter ) knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation : divine wisdom hath infinite methods and ways of deliverance unknown to man , till they are opened in the event . . believe that the wisdom of god can turn your greatest troubles and fears into the choicest blessings and mercies to you : i know ( saith paul ) that this shall turn to my salvation , phil. . . meaning his bonds and sufferings for christ. divine wisdom can give you honey out of the carcase of the lyon , cause you to part with those afflictions , admiring and blessing god for them , which you met with fear and trembling , as suspecting your destruction was imported in them . . in consideration of both these , resign up your selves to the wisdom of god , and lean not to your own understandings ; commit thy way unto the lord , and thy thoughts shall be established , prov. . . when melancthon was oppressed with cares and doubts about the distracting affairs of the church in his time , luther thus chides him out of his despondency , desinet philippus esse rector mundi , do not thou presume to be the governour of the world ; but leave the reins of government in his hand that made it , and best knows how to rule it : let god alone to chuse thy lot and portion , to order thy condition , and manage all thy affairs , and let thy soul take its rest in this quiet chamber of divine wisdom . but then , . be sure to shut thy door behind thee , and beware lest unbelief , anxieties , fears , and doubts creep in after thee to disturb thy rest , and shake thy faith in this point ; we are apt in two cases to be stumbled in this matter . . when subtle and cunning enemies are engaged against us ; this was davids case , sam. . . one told david , saying , ahithophel is among the conspirators with absalom ; and david said , o lord. i pray thee turn the counsel of ahithophel into foolishness . when he heard ahithophel was with the conspirators , it greatly puzled him . though a whole conclave of politicians be against us , yet if god be with us let us not fear . . when our own reason intrudes too far , and offers its dictates too boldly in the case , we are apt to say in the arrogancy of our own reason , we cannot be delivered ; but o that we would learn to resign it up to the wisdom of god. the lord knows how to deliver the godly . when the question was asked the prophet , ezek. . . can these dry bones live ? he answers , lord thou knowest . that 's excellent counsel , prov. . . trust in the lord with all thine heart ; and lean not to thine own understanding . . improve the wisdom of god for your selves in all difficult and distressful cases . . beg of god to exercise his wisdom for you when enemies conspire against you : so did david , sam. . . lord turn the counsel of ahithophel into foolishness ! o 't is the noblest and surest way to vanquish an enemy ; it was but asked and done . . comfort your selves with this whenever you are at a loss in your own thoughts and know not what to do , then commit all to divine conduct ; let god steer for you in a storm ; he loves to be trusted , psal. . . commit thy way unto the lord , trust also in him , and he shall bring it to pass . . encourage your selves from this when the church is in the greatest danger , and most sorely shaken ; o that is a blessed promise , zech. . . upon one stone shall be seven eyes . meaning christ , and the church built on him as the chief corner stone ; the seven eyes are the seven eyes of providence which are never all asleep . chap. viii . opening that glorious attribute of divine faithfulness as a third chamber of security to the people of god in times of distress and danger . sec● . i. having viewed the saints refuge in the power and wisdom of god , we next proceed to a third chamber of safety for the saints refuge . viz. the faithfulness of god. in this attribute is our safety and rest amidst the confusions of the world and daily disappointments we are vexed withal through the vanity and falsenes of the creature : as to creatures , the very best of them they are but vanity , yea , vanity of vanity , the vainest vanity , eccles. . . every man in his best estate is altogether vanity , psal. . . yea , those that we expect most from , give us most of trouble , micah . . nearest relations bring up the rear of sorrows , iob . . my brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook . especially their deceit appears most when we have most need of their help , psal. . . how great a mercy is it then to have a refuge in the faithfulness of god , as david had , i looked on my right hand , and beheld , but there was no man that would know me , refuge failed me , no man cared for my soul. and likewise the church , micah . . . i will look unto the lord , i will wait for the god of my salvation , my god will hear me . a time may come when you shall not know where to trust in all this world : let me therefore open to you this chamber of rest in the faithfulness of god , against such a day , and this i shall do in a two sold consideration of it . viz. . absolutely in its own nature . . relatively in the promises and providences of god. . absolutely , and so the faithfulness of god is his sincerity , firmness , and constancy in performing his word to his people in all times and cases . so moses describes him to israel , deut. . . know therefore that the lord thy god he is god , the faithful god. and ioshua appeals to their experience for the vindication of it , iosh. . . ye know in all your hearts , and in all your souls , that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the lord your god spake concerning you ; all are come to pass , and not one thing hath failed thereof . and it is also fully asserted , ier. . , , . and greatly admired even in the darkest day , lam. . . great is thy faithfulness . and it is well for us that his faithfulness is great , for great is that weight that leans upon it , even all our hopes for both worlds , for this world , and for that to come , tit. . . in hope of eternal life which god that cannot lie promised before the world began . it was a very dishonourable character that suidas gave of tiberius , eorum quae appetebat ne quicquam prae se ferebat , & eorum quae dicebat , ne quicquam facere volebat . i. e. he never made shew of having what he desired to have , nor ever minded to do what he promised to do : but god is faithful , and that will appear by these following evidences of it . . evidence . by his exact fulfilling of his promises of the longest date . so acts . . four hundred and thirty years were run out before the promise of israel's deliverance out of egypt was accomplished , yet acts . . when the time of the promise was come , god was punctual to a day : seventy years in babylon , and at the expiration of that time they returned , chron. . . men may forget , but god cannot , isa. . , . . evidence . by making way for his promise through the greatest difficulties , and seeming impossibilities . so to abraham when old , gen. . , . is there any thing too hard for the lord ? at the appointed time will i return unto thee , according to the time of life ; and sarah shall have a son . and likewise to the israelites , can these dry bones live ? ezek. . . difficulties are for men , not god , gen. . . what art thou o great mountain , zech. . . if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people , should it also be marvellous in mine eyes ? saith the lord of hosts . . evidence . by fulfilling promises to his people , when their hopes and expectations have been given up . so ezek. . . our bones are dry , our hopes lost , we are cut off for our part . and isa. . . zion said , the lord hath forsaken me , and my lord hath forgotten me . there may be much unbelief in good men , their faith may be sorely staggered , yet god is faithful , men may question his promises , yet god cannot deny himself , . tim. . . . evidence . by gods appealing to his people and referring the matter to their own judgments , micah . , , . o my people , what have i done unto thee , and wherein have i wearied thee ? testifie against me , for i brought thee up out of the land of egypt , and redeemed thee out of the house of servants , and i sent before thee moses , aaron , and miriam . o my people , remember now what balak king of moab consulted , and what balaam the son of beor answered him from shittim unto gilgal , that ye may know the righteousness of the lord. q. d. if i have failed in a punctilio of my promise , shew it ; did not balak and balaam court me , and try all ways to win me over to them by multitudes of sacrifices , yet i did not desert you . so ier. . . o generation , see ye the word of the lord , have i been a wilderness unto israel , a land of darkness ? wherefore say my people , we are lords , we will come no more unto thee ? isa. . . . evidence . the faithfulness of god is abundantly cleared by the constant testimonies given unto it in all ages by them that have tryed it , they have all witnessed for god , and attested his unspotted faithfulness to the generations that were to come . so did ioshua . . all is come to pass ; and so did daniel , chap. . . o lord the great and dreadful god , keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him : with ▪ which david's testimony concurs , psal. . . happy ●s he that hath the god of jacob for his ●elp , whose hope is in the lord his god , which made the heaven and earth , the sea and all that therein is , which keepeth truth for ever . thus his people have been witnesses in all generations , unto the faithfulness of god in his promises ; the consideration whereof leaves no doubt or objection behind it . sect . ii. and if we enquire into the grounds and reasons why god is , and ever must be most faithful in perfoming his promises , we shall find it is built upon stable and unshaken pillars : viz. . the holiness of his nature . . the all-sufficiency of his power . . the honour of his name . . the unchangeableness of his nature . . the faithfulness of god is built upon the perfect holiness of his nature , by reason whereof it is impossible for god to lie , tit. , . heb. . . the deceitfulness of men flows from the corruption of the humane nature , but god is not as man that he should lye , neither as the son of man that he should repent ; ●hath he said , and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken , and shall he not make it good ? numb . . . if there be no defect in his being , there can be none in his working ; if his nature be pure holiness , all his ways must be perfect faithfulness . . it is built upon the all-sufficiency of his power , whatsoever he hath promised to his people , he is able to perform it ; men sometimes falsifie their promises through the defects of ability to perform them ; but god never out-promised himself ; if he will work none can lett , isa. . . he can do whatsoever he pleaseth to do , psal. . . the holiness of his nature engageth , and the almightiness of his power enables him to be faithful . . the glory and honour of his name may assure us of his faithfulness in making good the promises , and all that good which is in the promises to a tittle ; for wherever you find a promise of god , you also find the name and honour of god given as security for the performance of it ; and so his name hath ever been pleaded with him by his people , as a mighty argument to work for them , ioshuah . . what wilt thou do to thy great name ? q. d. lord thine honour is a thousand times more than our lives , it is no such great matter what becomes of us ; but ah lord it is of infinite concernment that the glory of thy name be secured , and thy faithfulness kept pure and unspotted in the world . so again , exod. . , . and moses besought the lord his god , and said , lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people , which thou hast brought out of the land of egypt , with great power , and with a mighty hand ? wherefore should the egyptians speak and say , for mifchief did he bring them out to ●lay them in the mountains , and to consume them from the face of the earth ? turn from thy fierce wrath , and repent of this evil against thy people , q. d. it will be sad enough for the hands of the egyptians to ●all upon thy people , but infinitely worse for the tongues of the egyptians to fall upon thy name . . the unchangeableness of his nature gives us the fullest assurance of his faithfulness in the promises , mal. . . i am the lord , i change not , therefore ye sons of jacob are not consumed . gods unchangeableness is his peoples indempnity , and best security in the midst of dangers ; whilst there is not yea and nay with god , there should be no ups and downs , offs and on s in our faith ; that which gives steadiness to the promises , should give steadiness also to our expectations for the performance of them ; and so much briefly of the faithfulness of god absolutely considered in the nature and grounds of it . . next let us view the faithfulness of god , as it relates to the many great and precious promises made unto his people for their security both in their , concernments . . temporal . spiritual . we find the faithfulness of god pawned and pledged for the security of his people in their spiritual and eternal concernments , against all their dangers and fears , threatning them on that account , and that more especially in these three respects . . it is given them as their great and best security for the pardon of their sins , iohn . . if we conf●ss our si●●s he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse ●s from all unrighteousness . our greatest danger comes from sin ; guilt is a fountain of fears , a pardoned soul only can look other troubles in the face boldly : as guilt breeds fear , so pardon breeds courage , and gods faithfulness in the covenant is as it were that pardon-office from whence we fetch our discharges and acquittances , isa. . . i , even i am he , that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake . the promises of remission are made for christs sake , and when made , they must be fulfilled for his own , that is his faithfulness sake . . it is engaged for the perseverance of the saints , and their continuance in the ways of god in the most hazardous and difficult times ; this was the encouragement given them , cor. . , . who shall also confirm you unto the end , that ye may be blameless in the day of our lord iesus christ ; god is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his son iesus christ our lord. ah lord ! might those corinthians say , the powers of the world are against us , suffering and death before us , a treacherous and fearful heart within us . ay , but yet fear not , christ shall confirm you , whosoever opposes you ; though the world and your own hearts be deceitful , yet comfort your selves with this , your god is faithful . . the faithfulness of god is given by promise for his peoples security in , and encouragement against all their sufferings and afflictions in this world , ● thes. . , . that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men , for all men have not faith ; but the lord is faithful , who shall stablish you , and keep you from evil . he prays they may be delivered from absurd , treacherous and unfaithful men , who would trapan and betray them to ruine ; but this is proposed as their relief , that when the treachery of men shall bring them into trouble , the faithfulness of god shall support them under , and deliver them out of those troubles ; they shall have spiritual supports from god , under their deepest sufferings from men , pet. . . . gods faithfulness is engaged for his peoples indempnity and security amidst the temporal and outward evils whereunto they are liable in this world ▪ and that either to preserve them from troubles , psal. . , , , . or to open a seasonable door of deliverance out of trouble , cor. . . in both or either of which the hearts of christians may be at rest in this troublesome world ; for what need those troubles fright us , which either shall never touch us , or if they do , shall never hurt , much less ruine us . sect . iii. having taken a short view of gods faithfulness in the promises , it will be a lovely sight to take one view of it more as it is actuated , and exerted in his providences over his people ; believe it christians , the faithfulness of god runs through all his works of providence , whenever he goes forth to work in the world , faithfulness is the girdle of his loins , isa. . . it is an allusion to workmen who going forth in the morning to their labour , gird their loins or rein● with a girdle , now there is no work wrought by god in this world , but his faithfulness is as the girdle of his loins . the consideration whereof should make the most despondent believer , gird up the loins of his mind , that is , encourage and strengthen his drooping and discouraged heart . those works of god which are wrought in faithfulness and in pursuit of his eternal purposes and gracious promises , should rather delight , than affright us , in beholding of them . it pluckt out the sting of david's affliction when he considered it was in very faithfulness , that god had afflicted him , psal. . , . but more particularly , let us behold with delight the faithfulness of god , making good six sorts of promises to his people , in the days of their affliction and trouble , viz. . the promises of preservation . . the promises of support . . the promises of direction . . the promises of provision . . the promises of deliverance . . the promises of ordering and directing the event to their advantage . . there are promises in the word for your preservation from ruine , and what you read in those promises you dayly see the same fulfilled in your own experiences . you have a promise in psal. . . he shall send from heaven , and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up . selah . god shall send forth his mercy and his truth . say now , have you not found it so , when hell hath sent forth its temptations to de●ile you ? the world its persecu●ions to destroy your own heart , its unbelieving fears to distract and sink you , hath not your god sent forth also his mercy and his truth to save you ? hath not his truth been your shield and buckler ? psal. . . may you not say with the church it is of his mercy you are not consumed , his mercies are new every morning , and great is his faithfulness , lam. . . . as you have seen it actually fulfilling the promises for your preservation , so you may see it making good all the promises in his word for your support in troubles . that is a sweet promise , psal. . . i will be with him in trouble : i will deliver him , you have also a very supporting promise in isa. . . fear not thou , for i am with thee : be not dismayed for i am thy god : i will strengthen thee , yea , i will help thee , yea , i will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness . o , how evidently hath the faithfulness of god shone forth in the performance of his word to you in this respect ! you are his witnesses , you would have sunk in the deep waters of trouble if it had not been so . so speaks david , psal. . . my heart and my flesh faileth , but god is the strength of my heart ; and my portion for ever . have you not found it so with you as it is in cor. . . therefore i take pleasure in infirmities , in reproaches , in necessities , in persecutions , in distresses for christ's sake : for when i am weak , then am i strong . god's strength hath been made perfect in your weakness , by this you have been carried through all your troubles ; hitherto hath he helped you . . as you have seen it faithfully fulfilling the promises for your preservation , and support ; so you have seen it in the direction of your ways . so ●uns that promise , psal. . . i will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go : i will guide thee with mine eye . certain it is that the way of man is not in himself , jer. . . o how faithfully hath your god guided you , and stood by you in all the difficult cases of your life ! is not that promise , heb. . . faithfully fulfilled to a tittle ▪ i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee ? surely you can set your seal to that in ioh. . . thy word is truth : had you been left to your own counsels you had certainly perished ; as it is said of them , in psal. . . i gave them up unto their own hearts lusts : and they walked in their own counsels . . as there are promises in the word for your preservation , support , and direction ; so in the fourth place there are promises for your provisions , as in psal. . . the lord hath promised that they that fear him shall not want . when they are driven to extremity , he will provide , isa. . . when the poor and needy seek water , and there is none , and their tongue faileth for thirst , i the lord will hear them , i the god of israel will not forsake them . and is not this faithfully performed ? he hath given meat unto them that fear him : he will ever be mindful of his covenant , psal. . . in all the exigencies of your lives , you have found him faithful to this day ; you are his witnesses that his providences never failed you , his care hath been renewed every morning for you ; how great is his faithfulness ? . you also find in the word some reviving promises for your deliverances . you have a very sweet promise in psal. . . because he hath set his love upon me , therefore will i deliver him : and again , psal. . . call upon me in the day of trouble ; i will deliver thee ; you have done so , and he hath made a way to escape . our lives are so many monuments of mercy , we have lived among lyons , yet preserved , psal. . . the burning bush was an embleme of the church miraculously preserved . . there are promises in the word for the ordering and directing all the occurrences of providence to your great advantages ; so it is promised , rom. . . that all things shall work together for good , to them that love god. fear not christians , however you find it now , whilst you are tossing to and fro upon the unstable waves of this world ; you shall find to be sure when you come to heaven , that all the troubles of your lives were guided as steddily by this promise , as ever any ship at sea was directed to its port , by the compass or north-star . and now what remains , but that i press you as before , . to enter into this chamber of divine faithfulness . . to shut the door behind you . . and then to live comfortably on it in evil days . . enter into this chamber of god's faithfulness by faith , and hide your selves there . every man is a lye , but god is true , eternally and inchangeably faithful ; o exercise your faith upon it , be at rest in it ! now there are two great and weighty arguments to press you to enter into this chamber of divine faithfulness . . arg. is fetched from the nature of god who cannot lye , ti●●s . . he is not as man , that he should ●ye . numb . , . neither the son of man that the should repent : hath he said , and shall he ●ot do it ? or hath he spoken , and shall he not make it good ? remember upon what everlasting steddy grounds the faithfulness of god is built . these are immutable things , heb. . . this abraham built upon . rom. . . being fully perswaded , that what he had promised , he was able also to perform . he accounted him faithful that promised . what would you expect or require in the person that you are to trust ? you would , . expect a clear promise , and lo , you have a thousand all the scripture over ; fitted to all the cases of your souls and bodies . this you may plead with god , as david , psal. . . remember the word unto thy servant , upon which thou hast caused me to hope . so iacob pleaded , gen. . . thou saidst , i will surely do thee good . these are gods bonds and obligations . . you would expect sufficient power to make good what he promiseth . this is in god as a fair foundation of faith , isa. . . trust ye in the lord for ever : for in the lord iehovah is everlasting strength ; because of thy strength we will wait on thee . creatures cannot , but god can do what he will. . you would expect infinite goodness and mercy inclining him to help and save you ; why ? so it is here , psal. . . let israel hope in the lord , for with the lord there is mercy : and with him is plenteous redemption . so moses , exod. . . i beseech thee , shew me thy glory . the request was a view of god's glory . the answer is , my goodness shall pass before thee , which hints to us , that though all god's attributes be glorious , yet that , he most glories in , is his goodness : and then , . you would expect that none of his promises were ever blotted or sta●●ed by his unfaithfulness at any time , and so it is here , iosh. . . not one thing hath failed , all are come to pass , all ages have sealed this conclusion , thy word is truth , thy word is truth . . arg. besides all this you have the encouragement of all former experiences both others and your own , as a second argument to press you to enter into this chamber of safety , the faithfulness of god. . you have the experiences of others . saints have reckoned the experiences of others that lived a thousand years before them , as excellent arguments to quicken their faith. so hos. . . he had power over the angel and prevailed , he found him in bethel and there he spake , remember there was a ioseph with us in prison , a ieremy in the dungeon , a daniel in the den , a peter in chains , an hez●kiah upon the brink of the grave ; and they all found the help of god most faithfully protecting them and saving them in all their troubles . suitable so this is that in psal. . . . our father 's trusted in thee ; they trusted and thou deliveredst them , they cried unto thee and were delivered , they trusted in thee and were not confounded . . your own experiences may encourage your faith : so davids did , . sam. . . the lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lyon , and out of the paw of the bear , he will deliver me out of the hand of this philistine . so did paul's experience encourage his faith , in cor. . . who delivered us from so great a death , and doth deliver ; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us . thus enter into the faithfulness of god by faith. . let me beg you to be sure to shut the doors behind you , against all unbelieving doubts , jealousies , and suspicions of the faithfulness of god ; the best men may find temptations of that nature ; so did good asaph though an eminent saint , psal. . . will the lord cast off for ever ? and will he be favourable no more ? is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise fail for ever more ? these jealousies are apt to creep in upon the minds of men , especially when , . god delays to answer our prayers as soon as we expect the return of them , we are all in hast for a speedy answer , forgetting that seasons of prayer are our seed-times ; and when we have sown that precious seed , we must wait for the harvest , as the husbandman doth . even a precious heman may find a faint qualm of unbelief and despondency seizing him by the long suspension of gods answers , psal. . , , . . t will be hard to shut the door upon unbelief , when all things in the eye of our sense and reason seem to work against the promise . it will require an abraham's faith at such a time to glorifie god by believing in hope against hope , rom. . . if ever thou hop●st to enjoy the sweet repose and rest of a christian in evil times , thou must resolve whatever thine eyes do see , or thy senses report , to hold fast this as a most sure conclusion ; god is faithful , and his word is sure , and that although clouds and darkness be round about him , yet righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne , psal. . . o that you would once learn to keep house upon gods faithfulness , and fetch your daily reliefs and supports thence , whensoever you are pressed and assaulted , either , . by spiritual troubles . when you walk in darkness and have no light , then you are to live by acts of trust and recumbency upon the most faithful one , isa. . . or , . by temporal distresses , so did the people of god of old , hab. . , . he lived by faith on this attribute when all visible comforts and supplies were out of sight . but especially let me warn and caution you against five principal enemies to your repose upon the faithfulness of god , viz. . distracting cares , which divide the mind , and eat out the peace and comfort of the heart , and which is worst of all , they reflect very dishonourably upon god , who hath pledged his faithfulness and truth for our security ; against which i pray you bar the door by those two scriptures , phil. . . be careful for nothing , but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving , let your requests be made known unto god. and that in pet. . . casting all your care upon him , for he careth for you . . bar the door against unchristian despondency , another enemy to the sweet repose of your souls in this comfortable and quiet chamber of divine faithfulness ; you will find this unbecoming and uncomfortable distemper of mind , insinuating and creeping in upon you , except you believe and reason i● out , as david did , psal. . . why art thou cast down o my soul , and why disquieted within me ? hope thou in god for i shall yet praise him . . bar the door of your heart against carnal policies and sinful shifts , which war against your own faith , and gods faithfulness , as much as any other enemy whatsoever . this was the fault of good david in a day of trouble , sam. . . and david said in his heart , i shall now perish one day by the hand of saul ; there is nothing better for me than that i should speedily escape into the land of the philistines . alas poor david , nothing better than this ? time was when thou couldst think on a better way , when thou couldst say at what time i am afraid i will trust in thee . how dost thou forget thy self in this strait ? doth thy old refuge in god fail thee now ? can the philistines secure thee better than the promises ? wilt thou fly from thy best friend , to thy worst enemies ? but what need we wonder at david who find the same distemper almost unavoidable to our selves in like cases ? . shut the door against discontents at , and murmurings against the dispositions of providence , whatever you feel or fear ; i perswade you not to a stoical apathy , and senselesness of the evils of the times , that would preclude the exercise of patience : if the martyrs had all had the dead palsie before they came to the fire , their faith and patience had not triumphed so gloriously as they did ; but on the contrary , beware of grudgings against the ways and will of god , than which nothing militates more against your faith and the peace and quietness of your hearts . . to conclude , shut the door against all suspicions and jealousies of the firmness and stability of the promises , when you find all sensible comforts shaking and trembling under your feet ; have a care of such dangerous questions as that , psal. . . doth his promise fail ? these are the things which undermine the foundation both of your faith and comfort . . in a word , having sheltered your souls in this chamber of rest , and thus shut the doors behind you ; all that you have to do , is to take your rest in god , and enjoy the pleasure of a resigned soul into the hands of a faithful creator , by opposing the faithfulness of god , to all the fickleness and unfaithfulness you will daily find in men , mica . . , , yea to the weakness and fading of your own natural strength and ability , psal. . . my flesh and my heart faileth , but god is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever . and so much of the third chamber prepared for believers in the name of their god. chap. ix . opening to believers the vnchangeableness of god , as a fourth chamber of refuge and rest in times of trouble . sect . i. it is said , prov. . . wisdom hath builded her house , she hath hewen out her seven pillars . ( i. e. ) she hath raised her whole building upon solid and stable foundations , for indeed the strength of every building is according to the ground work upon which it is erected , debile fundamentum fallit opus . the wisdom and love of god have built an house for a refuge and sanctuary to believers in tempestuous and evil times , containing many pleasant and comfortable chambers prepared for their lodgings , till the calamities be over-past ; three of them have been already opened , viz. the power , wisdom , and faithfulness of god. the last of which leads into a fourth much like unto it , namely the unchangeableness of god ; wherein his people may find as much rest and comfort amidst the vicissitudes of this unstable world , as in any of the former . this world is compared , rev. . . to a sea of glass mingled with fire . a sea for its turbulency and instability , a sea of glass for the brittleness and frailty of every thing in it ; and a sea of glass mingled with fire , to represent the sharp sufferings and fiery trials , with which the saints are exercised here below . the only support and comfort we have against the fickleness and instability of the creature , is the unchangeableness of god. there is a two-fold changeableness in the creature : . natural , the effect of sin. . sinful , in its own nature . . natural , let in by the fall upon all the crea●ion ; by reason whereof the sweetest creature is but a fading flower , psal. . . time like a moth frets out the best wrought garment with which we cloath and deck our selves in this world , temporalia rapit tempus . our most pleasant enjoyments , wives , children , estates , like the gourd in which ionas so delighted himself , may wither in a night ; sin rings these changes all the world over . . sinful , from the falseness , inconstancy , deceitfulness of the creature ; solomon puts a hard question which may pose the whole world to answer it , prov. . . a faithful man who can find ? the meaning is a man of perfect and universal faithfulness , is a phoenix seldom or never to be found in this world ; for when a question in scripture is moved and let fall again without any answer , then the sence is negative ; but though the believer despair of finding an unchangeable man , it is his happiness and comfort to find an unchangeable god. the unchangeableness of god will appear three ways . . by scripture emblems . . by scripture assertions . . by convincing arguments . . by scripture emblems , remarkable to this purpose is that place , iam. . . where god is called the father of lights , with whom is no variableness , neither shadow of turning . no variableness the word is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an astronomical term , commonly applyed to the heavenly bodies which have their parallaxes , i. e. their declinations , revolutions , vicissitudes , eclipses , increases and decreases ; but god is a sun that never rises nor sets , but is everlastingly and unchangeably one and the same ; with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the sun in its zenith casts no shadow , it is the tropick , or turning of its course , that causes the shadow ; the very substance of turning is with man ; but not the least shadow of turning with god. and in deut. . . moses tells us , god is a rock , and his work is perfect . and indeed perfect working necessarily follows a perfect being : now there is nothing found in nature more solid , fixed , and immutable , than a rock ; the firmest buildings will decay , a few ages will make them a ruinous heap ; but though one age pass away and another comes , the rocks abide where , and what they were ; our god is the rock of ages ; and yet one step higher , in zech. . . his decrees and purposes are called mountains of brass , that is , most firm , durable , and unchangeable purposes : thus the immutability of god is shadowed forth to us in scripture emble●s . . the same also you will find in plain positive scripture assertions ; such are these that follow , mal. . . i am the lord , i change not , therefore ye sons of jacob are not consumed . and iob . . he is in one mind , and who can turn him ? men are in one mind to day , and another to morrow ; the winds are not more variable than the minds of men : but god is in one mind , the purposes of his heart never change . thou art the same , or as some translate , thou art thy self for ever , psal. . . thus when moses desired to know his name that he might tell pharaoh from whom he came ; the answer is , i am hath sent me , exod. . . not i was , or i will be , but i am that i am , nothing the absolute unchangeableness of his nature . . the unchangeableness of god is fully proved by convincing arguments which divines commonly draw from such topicks as these , viz. . the perfection of his goodness . . the purity of his nature . . the glory of his name . . arg. from the perfection of his goodness and blessedness , god is optimus , maximus , the best and chiefest good , and in that sense , there is none good but one , which is god , mark . . from whence it is thus argued , if there be any change in god , that change must either be for the better , or for the worse , or into a state equal with that he possessed before . but not for the better , for then he could not be the chief good ; nor for the worse , for then he must cease to be god , the perfection of whose nature is perfectfectly exclusive of all defects ; nor into an equal state of goodness with that he possessed before ; that notion would involve polytheism , and suppose two first and equal beings , besides the vanity of such a change would be absolutely repugnant to the wisdom of god. therefore with the father of lights can be no variableness nor shadow of turning . . arg. the unchangeableness of god may be evinced from the purity , sincerity , and uncompoundedness of his being , in which there neither is , nor can be the least mixture , he being a pure act . from whence it is thus argued ; if there be any change in god , that change must be made either by something without himself ; or by something within himself , or by both together . but it cannot be by any thing without himself ; for in him all created dependent beings live and move , and enjoy the beings they have ; and all the changes that are among them , are from the pleasure of this unchangeable being , he changeth them , but it is not possible for him , upon whose pleasure they so intirely and absolutely depend , both as to their beings , and workings , to suffer any change himself from , or by them . nor can any such change be made upon god by any thing within himself ; for that would suppose action and passion , movens & motum a mixture and composition in his nature , which is absolutely rejected and excluded by the simplicity and purity thereof : seeing therefore it can neither be from any power without him , nor any mixture within him , there can be no change at all made on him . . arg. that is by no means to be ascribed to god , which at once eclipses the glory of his name , and overthrows the hopes and comforts of all his people . but so would the supposition of mutability in god do , this would level him with the vain changeable creature ; whereas it is a principal part of his glory , that he is not as man that he should lie , neither the son of man that he should repent , numb . . . this also would overthrow the hopes and comforts of all his people , which are built upon this attribute as upon their stable and solid foundation : among divers other we find three principal priviledges of the people of god , built upon his immutability , viz. . their perseverance in grace . . their comfort in the promises . . their hopes of eternal life . . their perseverance in grace is built upon the foundation of gods unchangeableness ; one main reason why christians never repent of their choice of christ and the ways of godliness , is because the gifts and calling of god are without repentance , rom. . . should god but once repent of the gifts of grace he hath bestowed on us , and alter in his love towards us , how soon would our love to god , and delight in god vanish , as the image in the glass doth when the man that looked upon it hath once turned away his face ? . all their comfort in the promises is built upon gods unchangeableness . the promises are the springs of consolation ; should they fail and dry up , the whole world could not afford them one drop of spiritual comfort to refresh their thirsty souls ; the strength of our consolation immediately results from the stability and firmness of the scripture promises , heb. . . . their hopes of eternal life depends upon the unchangeableness of god that hath promised , tit. . . in hope of eternal life , which god that cannot lie , promised before the world began . take away then the immutability of god , and you at once darken and eclipse his glory , and overturn the perseverance , consolations , and hopes of all his people ; but blessed be god these things are built upon firm foundations . . his nature is unchangeable , thou art the same for ever , ps. . . the heavens though they be the purest , and therefore the most durable and unchangeable part of the creation ; yet they shall perish and wax old , and be changed as a vesture , but our god is the same for ever . . his power is unchangeable , isa. . . the lords hand is not shortened . time will enfeeble the strongest creature , and cut short the power of the hands of the mighty , they cannot do in their decrepit age as they were wont to do in their youthful and vigorous age ; but the lords hand never is , nor can be shortened . . the counsels and purposes of his heart are unchangeable , psal. . . the counsel of the lord standeth for ever , the thoughts of his heart to all generations . . the goodness , truth , and mercy of god are unchangeable , psal. . . the lord is good , his mercy is everlasting , and his truth endureth to all generations . . the word of god is unchangeable . though all flesh be as grass , and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field , yet the word of our god shall stand for ever ; all the promises contained therein are sure and stedfast : not yea and nay , but yea and amen for ever , cor. . . . the love of god is an unchangeable love , ier. . . yea , i have loved thee with an everlasting love . . in a word , all the gracious pardons of god are unchangeable , as they are full without exceptions , so they are final pardons without any revocation . i will be merciful to their unrighteousness , and their iniquities and sins will i remember no more , heb. . . and thus much briefly of gods unchangeableness absolutely considered in it self . sect . ii. let us next consider , and believingly view the unchangeableness of god in its respect and relation , . to his promises . . to his providences . . the immutability of god gives down its comforts to believers through the promises , there is no other way by which they can have a comfortable admission into this chamber or attribute of god ; and there are six sorts of promises in the word , by which it is highly improveable to their support and comfort in an evil day . for , . the unchangeable god hath engaged himself by promise to be with his people in all times and in all streights , heb. . . i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee . the life , joy , and comfort of a believer lies in the bosom of that promise , the conclusion of faith from thence is sweet and sure ; if i shall never be forsaken of my god , let hell and earth do their worst , i can never be miserable . . the unchangeable god hath promised to maintain their graces , and thereby his interest in them for ever , ier. . . and i will make an everlasting covenant with them , that i will not turn away from them to do them good ; but i will put my fear in their hearts , that they shall not depart from me . where the lord undertakes for both parts in the covenant , his own and theirs ; i will not turn away from them , o unexpressible mercy ! yea , but lord , may the poor believer say , that is not so much my fear , as that my treacherous heart will turn away from thee . no , saith god , i will take care for that also ; i will put my fear into thy heart , and thou shalt never depart from me . . the unchangeable god hath promised to establish the covenant with them for ever ; so that those who are 〈◊〉 taken into that gracious covenant shall never be turned out of it again , isa. . . the mountains shall depart , and the hills be removed , but my kindness shall not depart from thee , neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed , saith the lord that hath mercy on thee . . the unchangeable god hath secured his loving kindness to his people by promise under all the trials , and smarting rods of affliction , with which he chastens them in this world ; he hath reserved to himself the liberty of afflicting them , but bound himself by promise never to remove his favour from them , psal. . , . i will visit their transgression with the rod , and their iniquity with siripes , nevertheless my loving kindness will i not take from them , nor suffer my faithfulness to fail . . the promises of a joyful resurrection from the dead are grounded upon the immutability of god , matth. . . i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob ; god is not the god of the dead , but the god of the living . death hath made a great change upon them , but none upon their god ; though they be not , he is still the same , therefore they are not lost in death ; but shall assuredly be found again in the resurrection . . to conclude , the promises of the saints eternal happiness with god in heaven , are founded in his immutability , cor. . , . tit. . . by all which you see what a pleasant lodging is prepared for the saints in the unchangeable promises of god , amidst all the changes and alterations here below . . once more , let us view the unchangeableness of god in his providences towards his people , whatever changes it makes upon us , or whatever changes we seem to discern in it , nothing is more certain than this , that it holds one and the sam● tenor , pursues one and the same design in all that it doth upon us , or about us . providences indeed are very variable , but the designs and ends of god in them all are invariable , and the same for ever . it is noted in ezek. . . that the wheels went straight forward , whither the spirit was to go , they went , and they turned not when they went. as it is in nature so in providence , you have one day fair , halcyon , and bright , another dark and full of storm , one season h●t , another cold ; but all these serve to one and the same end and design to make the earth fruitful ; and the aim of all providences is to make you holy and happy : that is a sweet promise , rom. . . all things shall work together for good to them that love god. this is the compass by which all provi●ences steer their course , as a ship at sea , doth by the card ; but more particularly , let us note the unchangeableness of god in his providences of all kinds , effective and permissive , and see in them all his unchangeable righteousness and goodness . . it must needs be so , considering the unchangeableness of his decree , tim. . . the foundation of god standeth sure . providences serve , but never frustrate , execute but cannot make void the decree ; so that you may say of the most afflicting providences , as david doth of the stormy winds , psal. . . they all fulfil his word . . the wisdom of god proves it , he will not suffer his works or permissions to clash with his designs and purposes ; divine wisdom shews it self in the steddy direction of all things to the ultimate end . to open this in some particulars , consider , . doth the lord permit wicked men to rage , and insult , persecute , and vex his people ? yet all this while providence is in its right way , it walks in as direct a line to your good , as when it is in a more pleasant path of peace . ier. . . thus saith the lord the god of israel , like these good figs , so will i acknowledge them that are carried away captive of judah , whom i have sent out of this place into the land of the chald●ans for their good . israel was sent to babylon for their good . this improves your faith and patience , rev. . . here is the patience and f●ith of the saints . so r●m . . , . by whom also we have access by faith into this grace , wherein we stand , and rejoyce in hope of the glory of god ; and not only so , but we glory in tribulations also ; knowing that tribulati●n worketh patience . by this you are weaned from , and mortified to this world . . doth the lord in his providence order many and frequent , close and smarting afflictions for you ? why lo , here is the same design managing as effectually , as if all the peace and prosperity in the world were ordered for you : the face of providence indeed is not the same , but the love of god is still the the same , he loves you as much when he smites , as when he smiles on you ; for what are his ends in afflicting you , and what the sanctified fruits of your afflictions ? is it not ? . to purge your iniquities , isa. . . by this therefore shall the iniquity of jacob be purged , and this is all the fruit to take away his sin . . to reduce your hearts to god , psal. . . before i was afflicted i went astray , but now have i kept thy word . . to quicken you to your duties , let the best man be without afflictions and he will quickly grow dull in the way of his duty . . doth god let loose the chain of satan to tempt and buffet you ? yet is he still the same god to you as before ; for do but observe his ends in that permission , and you will find , that by these things the lord is leading you towards that desired assurance of his love which your souls long after . few christians attain to any considerable settlement of soul , but by such shakings and combates ; the end of these permissions is to put you to your knees , and blow up a greater flame and fervour of spirit in prayer , cor. . . so that eventually these permissions of providence prove singular advantages , and blessings to you . sect . iii. what remains then , seeing god is unchangeable in his love to his people , pursuing the the great ends of all his gracious promises in a steddy course of providence wherein he will never effect , or permit any thing that is really repugnant to his own glory or their good ; but that we enter also into this camber of rest , shut the doors about us , and comfortably improve the unchangeableness of god , while we see nothing but changes and troubles here below . . enter into gods unchangeableness by faith , take up your lodgings in this sweet attribute also ; and to encourage your faith thereunto , seriously consider a few particulars . . consider how constant , firm , and unchangeable god hath been to his people in all times and streights ; not one among the many thousands of his people that are passed on before you , but by frequent and certain experience have found him so . what a singular encouragement should this be to our faith in the case before us ? psal. . . they that know thy name , will put their trust in thee , for thou lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee . so isa. . . thou hast been a strength to the poor , a strength to the needy in his distress , a refuge from the storm , a shaddow from the heat , when the blast of the terrible ones is as the storm against the wall . neither is there any thing in your experience contradictory to the encouraging reports others have made of god ; you must acknowledge , that notwithstanding your own changeableness who have hardly been able to maintain your hearts in any spiritual frame towards god for one day together , yet his mercies towards you have been new every morning , and great hath been his faithfulness : you have often turned aside from the way of your duty , and have not followed god in a steddy course of obedience , and yet for all that , his goodness and mercy have followed you all the days of your life , as it is psal. . . . consider how often you have doubted and mistrusted the unchangeableness of god , and been forced with shame and sorrow to retract your folly therein ; god hath many times convinced you that his love to you is an unchangeable love , how many changes soever in the course of his providence have passed over you ; consult isa. . . and psal. , . and see how the cases parallel both in respect of gods constancy to them and you , and the inconstancy of his peoples faith then , and yours now ; your fears and doubts are the same with theirs ; though his goodness and love have been as unchangeable to you as ever it was towards them . . consider the advocateship and intercession of jesus christ in heaven for you ; by vertue whereof the favour and love of god becomes unalterable towards his people . if any thing can be supposed to cool or quench the love of god towards you , nothing in the world is more like to do it , than your sin , and this indeed is that , which you fear will estrange and alienate the heart of your god from you . but reader , if thou be one that sincerely mournest for all the grief and dishonour of god by thy sin , appliest the bloud of sprinkling to thy soul by faith , and makest mortification and watchfulness thy daily business ; comfort thy self against that fear from that singular encouragement given thee in this case , iohn . , . my little children , these things write i unto you that ye sin not , and if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father , iesus christ the righteous , and he is the propitiation for our sins . look as the death of christ healed the great breach betwixt god and thy soul , by thy reconciliation at first ; so the powerful intercession of christ in heaven effectually prevents all new breaches betwixt god and thy soul afterwards , so that he will never totally and finally cast thee off again . . shut the door behind you against all objections , scruples , and questionings of gods immutability , and by a resolved and steddy faith , maintain the the honour of god in this point by thy constant adherence to it and dependence upon it , and especially see that thou give him the glory of his unchangeableness . . when thou shalt see the greatest alterations and changes made by his providence in the world. what though thou shouldest live to see all things turned upside down , the foundations out of course , all things drawing into a sea of confusion and trouble ? yet in the midst of those publick distractions and distress of nations : encourage thou thy self in this , thy god and his love to his people is the same for ever . psal. . , , , , . god is our refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble . therefore will we not fear , though the earth be moved , and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea . god is in the midst of her , she shall not be moved . . live by faith upon gods unchangeableness under the greatest changes of your own condition in this world : providence may make great alterations upon all your outward conforts , it may cast you down , how dear soever you be to god , from riches into poverty , from health into sickness , from honour into reproach , from liberty into bondage ! thou mayest overlive thy comfortable relations , and of a naomi become a marah . thou hast lifted me up , and cast me down , said as good a man as you , psal. . . yet still it is your duty , and will be your great priviledge in the midst of all these changes , to act your faith upon the never changing god , as that holy man did , hab. . . although the fig-tree shall not blossom , neither fruit be in the vine ; the labour of the olive shall fail , and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no herd in the stalls ; yet will i rejoyce in the lord , i will joy in the god of my salvation . q. d. suppose a thousand disappointments of my earthly hopes , yet will i maintain my hope in god. o christian , with how many yets , notwithstandings , and neverthelesses , must thy faith bear up in times of trouble , or thou 'l sink ? . see thou live upon gods unchangeableness , when age and sickness shall inform thee , that thy great change is at hand ; though thy heart and thy flesh fail , comfort thy self with this , thy god will never fail thee , psal. . . o god , saith david , thou hast taught me from my youth , and hitherto have i declared thy wondrous works , now also when i am old and gray headed , forsake me not , psal. , , . . live upon the unchangeableness of god under the greatest and saddest changes of your spiritual condition , god may cloud the light of his countenance over thy soul , he may fill thee with fears and troubles , and the comforter that should relieve thee , may seem to be far off ; yet still maintain thy faith in the unchangeableness of his loves ; trust in the name of the lord , stay thy self upon the god when thou walkest in darkness and hast no light , isa. . . thus shut thy door . . improve the unchangeabless of god to thy best advantage in the worst times , by drawing thence such comfortable conclusions as these : . if god be an uchangeable god in his promises , and in his love to his people , what should hinder but the people of god may live happily and comfortably in the saddest times , and greatest troubles upon earth . as sorrowful , yet always rejoycing , as poor , yet making many rich , as having nothing , and yet possessing all things , cor. . . certainly nothing ought to quench a christians mirth that is not able to separate him from the love of christ , rom. . . . if god be an unchangeable god in his love to his people ; then it becomes all that have special interest in this god , to be unchangeable and immoveable in the ways of their obedience towards him : god will not cast you off , see that you cast not off your duties , no not when they are surrounded with difficulties ; he loves you , though you often grieve him by sin ; see that you still love him , though he often grieve and burden you by affliction : he will own you for his people under the greatest contempts and reproaches of the world ; see that you own and honour his ways and truths when you are under most reproach from a vile world. chap. x. opening the care of god for his people in times of trouble , as the fifth chamber of rest to believers . sect . . care in the general notion of it , as it is applyed to the creature , imports the studiousness , and solicitousness of our thoughts , for the safety and welfare of our selves , or those we love , and highly value . now though there be no such thing properly in god , at whose dispose and pleasure all events are , and to whose counsels and appointments all difficulties must give way , yet he is pleased to accommodate himself to our weakness , and express his regard and love to his people , by such things , as one creature doth to another to which it is endeared by relation or affection . to this purpose we find many significant , synonomous expressions in scripture , all importing the careof god over his people in a pleasant variety of notion and expression , as nah. . . the lord is good , a strong hold in the day of trouble , and he knoweth them that trust in him . he knoweth them , i. e. he hath a special , tender , and careful eye upon them , to see their wants supplyed , and to protect them in all their dangers ; for in the common and general sense , he knoweth them that trust not in him , as well as those that do ; and further to clear this sence of the place , it is said , ps. . . the lord thinketh on them . importing not only simple cogitation , but the immoration or abiding of his thoughts upon them , as our thoughts are wont to do , upon that which we highly esteem , especially when any danger is near it . and yet farther to clear this sense , it is said , iob . . he withdraweth not his eye from the righteous . as when moses was exposed in the ark of bulrushes , where his life was in eminent hazards by the waters of nilus upon one side , and the egypan cut-throats on the other ; his sister miriam kept watch at a distance , to see what would be done to him . her eye was never off that ark wherein her dear brother lay ; fear and care engaged her eye to keep a true watch for him . thus the lord withdraweth not his eye from the righteous . to the same purpose is that expression , deut. . . yoa he loved the people ; all his saints are in thy hand . that which we dearly love and prize above ordinary , we keep in our own hands for its security , as not thinking it safe enough in any other hand or place . and once more , isa. . . god is said to engrave them upon the palms of his hands , alluding to what is customary among men , who when they would charge their memories with something of special concernment , use to change a ring , or bind a thred about the finger , to put them in mind of it . thus is the care of our god expressed to us in scripture notions . the amount of all which , is given us in that one proper and full expression of the apostle , pet. . . he careth for you . to open this chamber of divine care as a place of sweetest rest , to our anxious and perplexed minds , in times of difficulty and hazard , it will be necessary that you seriously ponder ; of the care of god. . the grounds and reasons . the extent and compass . the lovely properties . the grounds and reasons of gods care for his people ; which are , . the strict and dear relations in which he is pleased to own them . believers are his children , and you know how naturally children engage and draw forth the fathers care for them . this is the argument christ uses , matth. . , . therefore take no thought , saying what shall we eat ? or what shall we drink ? or wherewithal shall we be cloathed ? for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things . children , especially when young , disquiet not themselves about provions for back or belly , but leave that to the care of their parents , from whom by the tye and bonds of nature and love , they expect provision for all those wants : every one takes care for his own ; much more doth god for his own children , and indeed he expects his children should live upon his care ; as our children in their minority , do upon ours . . gods precious estimation and value of them , engages his constant care for them . believers are his jewels , mal. . . his peculiar people , pet. . . his special portion or treasure in this world , deut. . . and as such he prizes and esteems them above all the people of the earth , and accordingly exerciseth his special care in all the dangers they are here exposed to . special love engageth peculiar care . . the dangers and fears of the people of god , in this world , are many and great , and were it not for the lords assiduous and tender care over them , they must necessarily be ruined , both in soul and body , by them . the church is god's vineyard , its enemies as so many wild boars to root it up : upon this account , he saith , isa. . . i the lord do keep it , lest any hurt it , i will keep it night and day . and indeed it is well for israel , that he that keepeth it , never slumbereth nor sleepeth , psal. . . that our houses are in peace , that we and our dear relations fall not as a prey , into cruel and bloody hands , skilful to destroy , that we find any rest , or comfort in so evil and dangerous a world , it is wholly and only to be ascribed to the care of god over us , and ours . . jesus christ hath solemnly recommended all the people of god , to his particular care . it was one of the last expressions of christ love to them at the parting hour , io● . . . and now i am no more in the world , but these are in the world ; and i come to thee : holy father , keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me , q. d. while i have been personally present with them , i took the same care of them ; as a shepheard doth of his flock , or a tender father of his children : but now i must leave them in the world , and in the midst of a world of dangers , fears and troubles , against which they can make no provision or defence themselves . father remember them , look after them , when i shall be removed from them , they are thine , as well as mine ; and i recommend them with my last breath to thy care and protection . this is a special ground also of gods care for them . . believers dayly cast themselves upon the care of god , and resign themselves unto it in their dayly prayers . and by their often renewed acts of faith , than which no act is found more engaging from the creature upon its god ; though there be nothing of merit , yet there is much of engaging efficacy in it , isa. . . thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee : because he trusteth in thee . we find it so among our selves , the more firmly and entirely any one trusteth to us , and dependeth upon us , the more he engageth us to protect or relieve him . now this is the dayly work of christians to trust god over all , and put all their concernments into his hand , which very trust and dependance draws forth the care of god for them . . in a word , the many promises god hath made to his people to preserve , support and supply them in all the times of need , engageth the c●re of god for them , as often as such wants , or dangers befal them ; for indeed herein , he at once takes care for their necessity , and for his own honour and glory . they trust to his word , and rely upon his promises which therefore he will be careful to make good . this was the argument , which the church pleaded in the time of eminent danger , to engage the care of god for them , psal. . . havs respect unto the covenant : for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty . q. d. o lord , thy people are in the midst of cruel enemies , take care for their protection , and though there be no worth in them , to which thou shouldest have respect , yet have respect unto thine own covenant : let the glory of thy name draw forth thy care to thy people . sect . ii. we have seen the grounds and reasons of gods care over his people , let us next view the extent and compass of this divine care ; and here methinks the lord saith to his people as he said to abraham , gen. . , . lift up now thine eyes from the place where thou art , northward , and southward , and eastward , and westward , for all the land which thou seest , to thee will i give it , and to thy seed for ever . so here , poor timorous , dejected believer , lift up thine eyes from the place where thou art , and take a view of all the promises in the scriptures of truth ; promises of supports under all burthens , supplies of all wants , deliverances out of all dangers , assistances in all distresses ; to thee have i given them all as a portion for ever . this care of god walks the round , and encompasseth the souls and bodies of them that fear him , day and night . there is no interest or concern of either found without the line of his all-surrounding care , and every one of his children are enfolded in his fatherly arms , deut. . . all his saints are in thy hand . all and every one of their wants and streights are observed by this care , in order to their supply , phil. . . my god shall supply all your wants . . great is the care of god over the bodies of his people , and all the dangers and necessities of them as they daily grow ; your meat and drink are daily provided for you by your fathers care. psal. . . he hath given meat unto them that fear him ; he will ever be mindful of his covenant . it is from this care of thy heavenly father , that necessary provisions have been made for thee , of which it may be thou hast had no foresight : this is the god that hath fed thee all thy life long , gen. . . it is from the same care thy body hath been cloathed , matth. . . how much more shall he cloath you , o ye of little faith ? it is through this care , you sleep in peace , and your rest is made sweet unto you , prov. . . when thou lyest down thou shalt not be afraid ; yea , thou shalt lie down , and thy sleep shall be sweet . in a word , thou owest all thy recoveries from dangerous diseases , and narrow escapes from the grave , to this care of thy god over thee , he is the lord that heal●th thee , exod. . . that the incensed humours of thy body had not overflowed their banks , like an inundation of the sea , when they raged in thy dangerous diseases , is only because thy god took the care of thee , and set them their bounds . . divine care extends it self to the souls of all that fear god , and to all the concernments of their souls ; and manifestly discovers it self in all the gracious provisions it hath made for them . more particularly , it is from this tender fatherly care that , . a saviour was provided to redeem them when they were ruined and lost by sin , ioh. . . rom. . . . that spiritual cordials are provided to refresh them in all their sinking sorrows , and inward distresses , psal. . . . that a door of deliverance is opened to them , when they are sorely pressed upon by temptations , and ready to be overwhelmed , cor. . . . that a strength above their own comes in seasonably to support them , when they are almost overweighed with inward troubles , when great weights are upon them , the everlasting arms are underneath them , psal. . . isa. . . . that their ruine is prevented when they are upon the dangerous and flippery brink of temptations , and their feet almost gone , psal. . . hos. . . cor. . . . that they are recovered again after dangerous falls by sin , and not left as a prey and trophy to their enemy , hos. . . that they are guided and directed in the right way , when they are at a loss , and know not what course to take , psal. . . psal. . . . that they are established and confirmed in christ in the most shaking and overturning times of trouble and persecution ; so that neither their heart t●●neth back , nor their steps decline from his ways , ier. . . ioh. . . . that they are upheld under spiritual desertions , and recovered again out of that dismal darkness into the chearful light of gods countenance , isa. . . . that they are at last brought safe to heaven through the innumerable hazards and dangers all along their way thither , heb. . . in all these things the care of their god eminently discovers it self for their souls . . once more let us consider the care of god for his people in the lovely properties thereof . as , . it is a fatherly care , than which none is more great or tender , matth. . . your father knoweth that you have need of all these things . and indeed the greatest and tenderest care of an earthly father is but a f●int shadow of that tender care which is in the heart of god over his children ; for to that end we find them compared , matth. . . if ye then , being evil , know how to give good gifts unto your children , how much more shall your father which is in heaven , give good things to them which ask him . the care of patents is carelesness it ●elf , compared with that care which god takes of his . . the care of god is a universal care , watching over all his people in all ages , places and dangers , chron. . . the eyes of the lord run to and fro through the whole earth , to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him . this was applyed by way of reproof to asa , who out of a sinful distrust of the care of god , relyed upon the help of syria , as if there had not been a god in heaven to take care of him and the people . . gods care over his , is assiduous and continual ; his mercies are new every morning , great is his faithfulness , lam. . , . he keeps his people night and day , isa. . . could satan , or his instruments find such an hour wherein the seven eyes of providence should be all asleep , that would be the fatal hour to our souls and bodies ; but he that keepeth israel slumbereth not . . gods care over his , is exceeding tender , far beyond the tenderness that the most affectionate mother ever felt in her heart towards the child that hanged on her breast , isa. . . can a mother forget her sucking child , &c. they may , yet will not i forget thee . the birds of the air are not so tender of their young in the nest , as god is of his people in the world , isa. . . mercy fills the heart of god , yea , tender mercy , yea , multitudes of tender mercies , psal. . . . the care of god is a seasonable care , which is always sure to nick the opportunity and proper season of relieving his people ; in the mount of the lord it shall be seen : the beauty of providence is much seen in this thing , wherever you feel a want , this care finds a supply ; and thus much briefly ▪ of the care of god absolutely considered in it self . sect . iii. it remains that we also consider the care of god in its twofold respect , viz. . to his promises . . to his providences . . there are multitudes of promises found in the scriptures , exactly fitted as so many keys to open the door of this comfortable chamber to receive , and secure all that fear god , whatever their wants , fears , or distresses are . these are reducible into two classes , or ranks . viz. . more general and comprehensive . . more particular promises . the general and more comprehensive promises are found in the general expressures of the covenant , as that to abraham , gen. . . i am god almighty , walk thou before me and be perfect . q. d. let it be thy care to walk exactly in the paths of obedience before me , and i will take care to supply all thy wants from the never failing fountain of my al-sufficiency ; and of the same tenour is that , cor. . . i will be to them a father , and they shall be my sons and daughters , i. e. expect your provisions and protections from my care , as children do from their father . more particularly , there are six sorts of promises , wherein the care of god is particularly made over to his people in the greatest hazards and difficulties in this life . viz. . it is assigned and made over to them to supply all their needs , so far as the glory of god and advancement of their spiritual and eternal good shall require it , ps. . . they that fear the lord shall not want any good thing . all your livelihood is in that promise ; thence comes your daily bread ; your own and your families meat is in that cupboard . . it is made over to the church and people of god for their defence against all dangers , isa. . . no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper . this promise wards off all the deadly blows , and puts by all the mortal thrusts that are made at you ; here the care of god forms it self into a shield for your defence . . the care of god is engaged by promise for the moderation and mitigation of your afflictions , that they may not exceed your abilities to bear them , isa. . , . in measure when it shooteth forth , thou wilt debate with it ; he stayeth the rough wind in the day of the east-wind . if the wind blow from a cold corner , this promise moderates it , that it blow not a storm ; all the sparing mercies and sweetning circumstances , which gracious souls thankfully note in the sharpest trials come from this promise , wherein the care of god is ingaged for that purpose . . divine care is put under the bond of a promise , for the direction and guidance of all their troubles and trials to an happy issue , rom. . . all things shall work together for good . from what quarter soever the wind bloweth , god will take care that it shall be useful to drive you to your port ; the very providences that cast you down , by vertue of this promise prove as serviceable and beneficial as those that lift you up . . the care of god stands engaged in the promise for the help and aid of his people in all the extremities and exigencies of their lives , psal. . . god is our refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble . never is the care of god more visible and conspicuous , than in such times of need . . lastly , the care of god is ingaged to carry his people safe through all the dangers of the way , and bring them all home to glory at last , ioh. . . i give unto them eternal life , and they shall never perish , neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand . this care of god thus engaged for you is your convoy to acompany and secure you till it see you safe into your harbour of eternal rest . . you have heard how the ●are of god is engaged for you by promise ; now see how it actuates , and exerts it self for the people of god in the various methods of providence ; and here , oh here is the sweetest pleasure of the christians life , a d●l●ght far transcending all the delights of this life . sit down christian in this chamber also , and make but such observations upon the care of thy god as follow , and then tell me whether the world with all its pleasures and delights can give thee such an other entertainment . . reflect upon the constant , sweet , and suitable provisions that from time to time have been prepared for thee and thine , by this care of thy god ; from whence soever thy wants did come , i am sure from hence came thy supplies , it hath enabled thee to return the same answer the disciples did to that question , luke . . lacked ye any thing , and they said nothing . . reflect with admiration upon the various difficulties of your lives , wherein your thoughts have been entangled , and out of which you have been extricated and delivered by the care of god over you : how oft have your thoughts been like a ravelled skeyn of silk , so entangled and perplexed with the difficulties and fears before you , that you could find no end , but the longer you thought , the more you were puzled , till you have left thinking , and fell to praying ; and there you have found the right end to wind up all your thoughts upon the bottom of peace and sweet contentment , according to that direction , psal. . . commit thy way unto the lord , trust also in him , and he shall bring it to pass . . observe with a melting heart how the care of thy god hath disposed and directed thy way to unforeseen advantages ; had he not ordered thy steps when , and as he did , thou hadst not been in possession of those temporal and spiritual mercies that sweeten thy life at this day . surely the steps of good men are ordered by the lord ; and as for thee christian , what reason hast thou with an heart overflowing with love and thankfulness to look up and say , my father thou art the guide of my youth ? it is sweet to live by faith upon divine care . oh what a serene life might we live , careful for nothing , but making known our request unto god in every thing , phil. . . casting all our care on him that careth for us , pet. . . perplexing our thoughts about nothing , but rolling every burthen upon godly faith. thus lived holy musculus when reduced to extreme poverty , and danger at the same time ; then it was that he solaced his soul with that comfortable distich , a good lesson for others , est deus in coelis , qui providus omnia curat , credentes nusquam deseruisse potest . the provident care of his heavenly father , made his heart as quiet as the child at the breast christian , thou knowest not what distressful days are coming upon the earth , nor what personal trials shall befal thee in this world ; but i advise thee as thou valuest the tranquility and comfort of thy life : shut up thy self by faith in this chamber of divine care , it is thy best security in this world : reflect frequently and thankfully upon the manifold supports , supplies , and salvations thou hast already had from this fountain of mercies , and be not discouraged at new difficulties . when an eminent christian was told of some that way-laid him to destroy him ; his answer was , si deus mei curam non habet , quid vivo ? in like manner thou mayest say , if god had not taken care for thee , how couldst thou have lived till now ? how couldest thou have overlived so many troubles , fears , and dangers as thou hast done ? chap. xi . opening the sixth and last chamber , viz. the love of god , as a resting place to believing souls in evil times . sect . i. though all the attributes in the name or chambers of this house of god are glorious , and excellent ; yet this of love is transcendently glorious : of this room it may be said as it was of solomon's royal chariot , cant. . . the midst thereof is paved with love . in this attribute the glory of god is signally and eminently manifested , iohn . , . and upon this foundation the hopes and comforts of all believers are built and founded , rom. . . who shall separate us from the love of christ ? shall tribulation , or distress , 〈◊〉 persecution , or famine , or nakedness , or peril , or sword ? he defies and despises them all , because neither of them alone , nor all together by their united strength , can unclasp the arms of divine love , in which believers are ●afely enfolded . in this attribute gods people by faith entrench themselves , and of it a believer saith , hic murus a●enus esto , this shall be my strong hold and fortress in the day of trouble , and well may we so esteem and reckon it , if we consider , . that wherever the special love of god goes , there the special presence of god goes also , iohn . . he shall be loved of my father , and we will come unto him , and make our abode with him . and o how secure and safe must those be ( however times govern ) with whom god himself maketh his abode ! for as the psalmist speaks , psal. . . he that dwells in the secret place of the most high , shall abide under the shadow of the almighty . and he that is overshadowed by an almighty power , needs not fear how many mighty enemies combine against him . . wherever the special love of god is placed , that person becomes precious and highly valuable in the eyes of god ; he appretiates and estimates such a man as his peculiar treasure , which naturally and necessarily draws and spreads the wing of divine care over him for his protection , deuteron . . . the beloved of the lord shall dwell in safety by him , and the lord shall cover him all the day long . things of greatest value are always kept in safest custody . . upon whosoever the special love of god is se● , there all events and issues of troubles are sure to be over ruled to the eternal advantage of that soul , rom. . . which consideration alone is sufficient to unsting all the troubles in the world , and make the beloved of the lord shout and triumph in the midst of tribulations . but let us enter yet further into this glorious chamber of divine love , and more particularly view the admirable properties thereof , though when all is done , it will be found a love passing knowledge ; our thoughts may admire , but can never measure it . . and first you will find it an ancient love , whose spring is in eternity it self . believer , god is thine ancient friend , who foresaw and loved thee , before thou , yea , before this world was in being ; the fruits and effects thereof thou gatherest in time , but the root that produces them was before all times , prov. . , . the lord possessed me in the beginning of his way , before his works of old . i was set up from everlasting , from the beginning , or ever the earth was . thus was the love of god contriving , and providing the best of mercies in christ for us ; while as yet there were no such creatures in the world , nor a world prepared to receive us . the love of god to his people is a free , and altogether undeserved love ; it must needs be so seeing it prevented our very being , which had it not done , yet no motives had been found in us , to allure it to us more than others , deut. . . the lord did not set his love upon you , nor chuse you , because ye were more in number than any people , ( for ye were the fewest of all people ) but because the lord loved you . so that we cannot find one stone of our own merit in the foundation of this love ; for those whom it embraceth in its arms are , immerentes , & malè merentes , ill deserving as well as undeserving , we were loved of god , before we were lovely in our selves ; it is freely pitched upon us , not purchased by us , isa. . . . the love of god to believers is a bountiful love , streaming forth continually mercies both innumerable and invaluable to their souls and bodies , pet. . . christian , it would quickly weary thine arm , yea , let me say the arm of an angel ; but to write down the thousandth part of the mercies which have already flowed out of this precious fountain to thee ; though all thou hast received , or shalt receive in this world , are but the beginnings of mercy , and first-fruits of the love of god to thee ; 't is the love of god which daily loads thee with benefits , as the expression is , psal. . . and if thou art daily loaded with mercies , what an heap of mercies will the mercies of thy whole life be . . the love of god to believers is a distinguishing love , not the portion of all , no , nor yet of many besides thee , cor. . . the generality of the world dwell in the room of common providence , not in the chamber of special love into which god hath admitted thee ; this consideration should make thee break out in admiration , as it is , iohn . . lord , how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to me , and not to the world . . the love of god to believers , is a love transcendent to all creature love , it moves in an higher sphere than the love of any creature doth , rom. . , , . we read of iacob's love to rachel , which is so celebrated in the sacred story for the fervour of it , and yet all that it enabled him to suffer was but the summers heat and the winters cold ; a trifle to what the love of christ engaged , and enabled him to suffer for thy sake . we read also of the love of david to absalom which made him wish , would god i had died for thee , o absalom , my son , my son . this love was only manifested in a wish , which haply might have been retracted too , had there been an exchange to be made indeed ; but the life of christ , wort● millions of his life , was actually and willingly staked down for thy soul. we read of the love of one disciple manifested to another disciple in a cup of cold water ; but christ hath manifested his love to thee in pouring out his warmest heart bloud for thy redemption . oh what a transcendent love is the divine love ! . to conclude , ( though alas little is said of the love of god , ) it is an everlasting and unchangeable love . hills and moutains shall sooner start from their bases , than his loving kindness depart from his people , isa. . . though he afflict us , still he loves us , psal . , . nay , though we grieve him , yet still he loves us , mark . . tell the disciples , and tell peter . peter had grieved christ , denied christ , yet will he not renounce nor cast off peter . sect . ii. well then , if god have opened to your souls such a chamber of love , where your souls may be ravished with daily delights , as well as secured from danger and ruine : o that you would enter into it by faith , and dwell for ever in the love of god! i mean , clear up your interest in it , and then solace your souls in the delights of it . need i to use an argument , or spend one motive to press you to enter into such an heaven upon earth ? if the deadness of thy heart doth need it , take into consideration , reader , these few that follow . . motive . ponder with thy self how sad and miserable the case will be with thee in the days of calamity and distress , if the love of god shall then be clouded to thy soul ; in those days such as love thee will either be absent from thee , or impotent to help thee , all thy friends and familiars may be removed far off , and whither then wilt thou turn should god be far off too ? this was that evil which ieremiah so vehemently deprecated , chap. . v. . be not a terrour unto me , thou art my hope in the day of evil . q. d. o lord my soul depends upon refreshment , and comfort from thee , when all the springs of earthly comfort are dried up . shouldest thou be a te●rour to me in the day of evil , it will be the most terrible disappointment that ever befel my soul ; if thou be kind , i care not who be cruel if i have the love of god , i value not the hatred of men ; but if god be a terrour , who or what can be a comforter ? the love of god is the alone refuge to which the gracious soul retreats upon all creature disappointments , and failings . this therefore is the main thing to be feared against the evil day . . mot. the knowledge and assurance of the love of god is a mercy attainable by a gracious soul , notwithstanding the imperfections of grace . peter had his falls and failings as well as other christians , yet when christ puts the question home to him , ioh. . . simon son of jonas lovest thou me more than these , he was able to return a clear positive answer ; yea , lord thou knowest that i love thee . study thy heart christian , and study the scriptures ; if thou canst find the sincere love of god in thy heart , that scripture will clear the love of god to thy soul , iohn . . we love him because he first loved us . if thou lay thine hand upon a stone wall , and feel it warm , thou mayest conclude the sun beams have shone upon it ; for warmth is not naturally in dead stones . our love to god is but the reflex beam of his love to us , and we know there can be no reflex without a direct beam . thousands of christians do at this day actually possess the ravishing sense of divine love , whose fears and complaints have been the same that thine now are ; that god who indulged this favour to them , can do as much for thee . . mot. think how well thou wilt be provided for the worst and difficultest times , when the love of of god shall be well secured to thy soul ; when the love of god , i. e. the sense of his love is once shed abroad in the heart by the holy ghost , which for that end , among others , is given unto us , we shall then be able to glory in tribulation , rom. . , . we may then bid defiance to all the adverse powers of hell , and earth , and say , now do your worst : we are out of your reach , and above all your terrors and affrights . be advised then to sit close to this work : clear but this point once , and the worst is past . o lye at the feet of god night and day , give him no rest , take no denial from him , fill thy mouth with pleas and arguments ; tell him , lord , it is neither for corn nor wine that i seek thee , but only for thy love ; bestow thy other gifts upon whom thou wilt , only seal up thy love to my soul. and lastly , i advise thee , reader , to be exceeding careful , when god admits thee into the sense of his love , to shut the door behind thee , lest thy soul be soon expelled thence , by the subtlety of satan , who envies nothing more , than such an happiness as this : that envious spirit totally despairs of the least drop of such a mercy , and therefore swells with envy at thine enjoyment of it ; but if ever thou fasten thy hand of faith upon this mercy , loose not thy hold by every objection with which he will rap thy fingers . . if he object the many sharp afflictions , and manifold rods of god upon thee , call not the love of god in question for that ; but remember what ●he saith , heb. . . whom the lord loveth , he chasteneth , and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth . fatherly corrections are so far from being inconsistent with the love of god , that his love is rather questionable without them , than for them ; they are love tokens , not marks of hatred . . yield not up thy claim and title to the love of god , because he sometimes hides away his face from thee ; thou knowest the sun is up , and going on in its regular course , in the darkest and closest day . my god , my god , saith christ himself , why hast thou forsaken me ? believe he is still thy god , and his love immutable , when the sense and manifestations thereof do fail . . call not the love of god into question , because of thy great vileness and unworthiness ; say not when thou most loathest thy self , god must needs loath thee too ; he can love where thou loathest . return , return , o shulamite , return , return , that we may look upon thee : what will ye see in the shulamite ? as it were the company of two armies . the spouse was exceeding beautiful in the eyes of others , when most base and vile in her own : what would you see in the shulamite ? alas , there is nothing in me , at the best , but conflicts , and wars , betwixt grace and corruption , as it were betwixt two armies , cant. . . . quit not thy claim to the love of god , because he seems to shut out thy prayers , and delays to answer the long continued desires and importunities of thy soul in some cases . david would neither censure his god , no nor call in question his interest in him , because of such a delay and silence , psal. . , . my god , my god. the claim is doubled , ver . . and yet in the next breath he saith , i cry in the day time , but thou hearest not , and in the night season , and am not silent . thus i have offered you some advice and assistance , how to secure your selves in these divine attributes , viz. the power , wisdom , faithfulness , unchangeableness , care , and love of god , as in so many sanctuaries , and comfortable refuges in the days of common calamity . it is noted even of the egyptians , when the storm of hail was coming upon the land , exod. . . he that feared the word of the lord among the servants of pharaoh , made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses . let not an egyptian take more care of his beasts , than christians of their souls . stormy days are coming , god hath provided you a refuge , and given you seasonable praemonitions , and calls from heaven , to hasten into them , before desolations come . the lord help us to hear his calls , and comply with them , which will be as much our priviledge , as it is our duty . and so much of the fifth proposition , viz. that god's attributes , promises , and providences , are prepared for the security of his people in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world . proposition vi. that none but god's own people are taken into these chambers of security , or can expect his special protection in evil times . sect . i. this proposition describes and clears the qualified subject of this priviledge . god's own people , and none but such can warrantably claim special protection in evil times , and this is consonant to the current account of scripture , isa. . , . say ye unto the righteous , it shall be well with him . wo to the wicked , it shall be ill with him . he speaks concerning the day of ierusalem's ruin , and iudah's fall , as appears , ver . . so great a difference will god make even in this world , betwixt the righteous , and the wicked . in nah. . you have also a terrible day described , wherein bashan , carmel , and lebanon , the most pleasant and fruitful places of the land shall languish . ver . . the mountains shall quake , the hills melt , the earth , and those that dwell therein burnt up . ver . . the indignation and fury of god poured out like fire . v. . the priviledged people in this terrible day are god's own people , they only are taken into security . ver . . the lord is good , a strong hold in the day of trouble , and he knoweth them that trust in him , i. e. he so knoweth them , as to care and provide for them in that evil day , and so throughout the whole scripture , you shall find the promises of protection still made to the people of god. when the chaldean army , like a devouring fire , was ready to seize upon the land , the sinners in sion were afraid , fearfulness surprised the hypocrites , for who among us ( say they ) shall dwell with devouring fire , and everlasting burning . yes , saith god , some there are that shall abide that day , viz. he that walketh righteously , and speaketh uprightly ; he shall dwell on high , his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks . i. e. god will be a sanctuary to them , when others shall be as stubble before the flames , isa. . , , . but for the right stating of this proposition , three things must be heedfully adverted . . that all good men are not always exempted from the stroke of outward calamities ; in that sense the righteous may perish , and merciful men be taken away , yea , they may perish in love , and be taken away in mercy from the evil to come , isa. . . . mica . . , . . that all wicked men are not all always exposed to external miseries , but a just man may perish in his righteousness , and a wicked man prolong his life in his wickedness , eccles. . . . but in this sense , we are to understand the proposition , that none , but the people of god , have right , by promise , to his special protections in evil days , and that all such shall either be preserved from the stroke of calamities , or from the deadly sting , namely eternal ruin , by them ; though they should fall by the hands of enemies , yet they die , as iosiah did , in peace , king. . , . if they be taken away , it is but out of the way of greater mischiefs ; death doth but lay the saints in their beds of rest , when it hurries away others into everlasting miseries : if they be not excused from troubles , yet their troubles are sure to be sanctified to their eternal good , rom. . . and the lord will be with them in their troubles , psal. . . isa. . . two things remain to be considered , before we finish this last proposition : viz. . who the people of god are ? . why this priviledge is peculiar to them ? . who are the people of god ? the scripture describes them two ways ; negatively , and positively ; negatively , in opposition to those who are not the people of god , but are ( . ) the servants of sin , obeying it in the lust of it , which the people of god neither are , nor dare to do , rom. . , . &c. ( . ) the men of this world , who have the portion in this life , savouring , and minding the things of the world only , whereas the people of god are called out of the world , ioh. . . and principally study , and labour after the higher concernments of the world to come , rom. . . ( . ) the vassals of satan doing his lust , and in subjection to his power , acts . . ephes. . . from which bondage the people of god are made free . ( . ) nor yet are they their own , living wholly to themselves , and seeking only their own ends , as others do , cor. . , . these , all these are not the people of god ▪ god will not own them for such ; they but deceive themselves in thinking , and calling themselves so : but then positively . they are ( . ) a people regenerated , and born again , ioh. . . their regeneration gives them both the essence and denomination of the people of god : it is as impossible to be the children of god , without regeneration , as it is to be the children of men without generation . ( . ) they are a people in covenant with god , ezek. . . i entered into a covenant with thee , and thou becamest mine . for in this covenant they give themselves to the lord , cor. . . they avouch the lord to be their god , and make over themselves to him to be his people , ier. . . devoting unto god all that they are , their souls , and bodies , with every faculty and member inclusively , rom. . . luk. . . all that they have , rom. . . all is dedicated , and devoted to the lords use and service , and these only are the people of god. . the last thing to be cleared is , why the people of god , and none beside them , have this peculiar priviledge of an hiding place in the day of trouble ; and the grounds of it are : . because they only have special interest in god , and propriety is the ground on which they claim and expect protection , i am thine , save me , ps. . upon this very ground it was , that david encouraged himself in one of his greatest plunges , and distresses of his whole life , sam. . . but david encouraged himself in the lord his god. . the people of god only are at peace with god ; and where there is no peace , there can be no protection : the harbours and garrisons of one kingdom never receive into their protection , the subjects of another kingdom , that are in open hostility against them . now there is open war betwixt god , and the wicked , psal. . . zech. . . till they have peace with god , they can claim no protection from god. . the promises of protection are made only to gods people , and where there is no promise , there can be no warrantably claim to protection , cor. . . pet. . . common providence may shelter them for a time , but the saints only have the keys of the promises which open the chambers , or attributes of god , to them . . none but the people of god walk in the ways of god , and none but those that walk in his way can groundedly expect his protection ; for so runs the promise , chron. . . i am with you , whilest you are with me . i. e. i am with you , by way of protection , direction , supportation , and salvation : whilest you are with me in the duties of obedience , and exercises of your graces , see that you love , fear , and obey me ; and then depend upon it , i will look after , and take care of you . . to conclude , the people of god only flee to god for sanctuary , and cast themselves upon him for protection , psal. . . at what time i am afraid , i will trust in thee , psal. . . the lord is my rock , and my fortress , and my deliverer ; my god , my strength , in whom i will trust , my buckler , and the horn of my salvation , and my high-tower . this their confidence in god , and reliance upon him , engages him to protect them in their dangers , isa. . . all others put themselves out of god protection , by making flesh their arm , and so giving the honour of god to the creature , ier. . . and thus much for clearing this last proposition also . all that remains , will be dispatched in brief and close application of the point thus opened and confirmed . chap. xii . containing the first vse of the point , in several informing consectaries , and deductions of truth from it . sect . i. consect . . from the whole of this discourse , we may be informed , what a miserable , and shiftless people all those will be , in times of trouble , who have no special interest in god or the promises . sad and lamentable was the case of saul , as it is by himself expressed , sam. . . i am sore distressed , for the philistines make war against me , and god is departed from me , and answereth me no more . it is a wonderful , and unaccountable thing , how carnal men and women subsist , and bear up , when their earthly props , and hopes , sink under , and fail them ; so long as any creature-comfort is left , thither they will retreat , for relief , and succour ; but if all fail , as quickly they may , whither will they turn for comfort , having not a god , nor a promise to flee to ? which the people of god can do , when all things else fail them , heb. . . their different conditions in the day of trouble , is clearly expressed in zeph. . , . seek ye the lord , all ye meek of the earth , which have wrought his judgment , seek righteousness , seek meekness , it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the lords anger . there is gods may be , which is better security than mans shall be , for their temporal deliverance ; but what shall become of others , that have no refuge , but in the creature ? why , the misery and shiftlessness of their condition , follows in the next words ; gaza shall be forsaken , and ashkelon a desolation , they shall drive out ashdod at noon-day , and ekron shall be rooted up . i. e. all their earthly securities shall fail them ; their strong hold shall not secure them , they shall find no shelter in the scorching heat of the day of trouble . moab , ashdod , and ekron , have no more benefit , by the promises made to sion , than the inhabitants of rome , can claim by the charter of london . if a wicked or hypocritical person cry to god in his distress , he will not hear him , prov. . , . iob . . but will bid him go to his earthly refuges , which he hath chosen ; if he go to the promises , knock at those doors of hope , they cannot relieve him , being all made in christ to believers ; if to the name and attributes of god , all the dores are shut against them , psal. . . there are seven dreadful aggravations of a wicked man's troubles ; ( ) when troubles come upon him , the curse of god follows him into his carnal refuges , ier. . . cursed be the man , that trusteth in man , and maketh flesh his arm , and whose heart departeth from the lord. trouble is the arrow , and this curse the venom of the arrow , which makes the wound incurable . . when troubles fall upon him from without , a guilty conscience will terrifie him from within . so that the mind can give no relief to the body ; but both sink under their own weights ; it is not so with the people of god , they have inward relief under outward pressures , cor. . . . the gusts and storms of wicked mens troubles may blow them into hell , and hurry them into eternal destruction : if death march towards them upon the pale horse , hell always follows him , rev. . . . if troubles and distresses overwhelm their hearts , they can give them no vent or ease by prayer , faith and resignation to god , as his people use to do , sam. . . . when their troubles and distresses come , then comes the hour , and power of their temptation , and to shun sorrow they will fall into sin , having no promise to be kept in the hour of temptation , as the saints have , rev. . . . when their troubles come they will be left alone in the midst of them ; these are their burthens , and they alone must bear them . gods gracious , comfortable supporting presence , is only with his own people , . if trouble or death come upon them as a storm , they have no anchor of hope to drop in the storm , the wicked is driven away in his wickedness : but the righteous hath hope in his death , prov. . . by all which it appears that a christless person is a most helpless , and shiftless creature in the day of trouble . . consect . secondly , hence it follows , that christians ought not to droop like other men in the day of trouble . a wicked mans boldness , and a christians cowardliness in times of affliction , are alike ungrounded and uncomly ; why should thy heart christian despond and sink at this rate , upon the prospect of approaching troubles ? are there not safe and comfortable chambers taken up , and provided for thee against that day ? is not the name of the lord a strong tower into which thou mayest run and be safe ? the heart of a good man , saith chrysostome , should at all times be like the higher heavens , serene , tranquil and clear , whatever thunders and lightnings , storms and tempests , trouble and terrifie the lower world. if a man have a good roof over his head , where he can sit dry and warm , what need he trouble himself , to hear the winds roar , the lightnings flash , and the rains pour down without doors ? why , this is thy priviledge , christian , a man ( to wit , the man christ jesus ) shall be as an hiding place from the wind , and a covert from the tempest : as rivers of water in a dry place , as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land , isa. . . art thou in christ and in the covenant , give me then one good reason for thy dejections in a day of trouble , or if thou hast none to give , hearken to these reasons against it . . if thou be in christ , thy sins are forgiven thee , and why should not a pardoned soul he a chearful soul in adversity ? afflictions may buz and hum about thee , like bees that have lost their sting , but they can never hurt thee . . if thou be in christ , thy god is with thee in all thy troubles , and how can thy heart sink or faint in such a presence ? let them that are alone in troubles fail under them , but don't thou do so , that art surrounded with almighty power , grace and love , isa. . , . . if thou be in christ , thy greatest afflictions shall prove thy best friends and benefactors , rom. . . sure then , thou art more afraid than hurt , thou mistakest thy best friends , for thy worst enemies ; thou and thy afflictions shall part more comfortably than you met . . if thou be in christ , thy treasure is safe , thy eternal happiness is out of the reach of all thine enemies , luk. . . luk. . . and if that be safe thou hast no cause to be sad ; to droop , and tremble at the hazard of earthly comforts , whilest heavenly and eternal things are safe , is as if a man that had gotten his pardon from the king , and had it safe in his bosom , should be found weeping upon the way home , because he hath lost his staff or glove . these reasons are strong against the dejections of gods people under outward troubles ; but yet i am sensible that all the reasoning in the world will not prevent their dejections , except they will take pains to clear up their interest in god against such a day , psal. . . and will act their faith , by way of adherence and dependance upon god in the want of former light and evidence , isa. . . and lastly , that they keep their consciences pure and inviolate , which will be a spring of comfort in the midst of troubles , cor. . . . consect . thirdly , it hence appears to be the greatest folly , and vanity in the world to make any thing but god , our refuge in the day of trouble . this practice as you heard but now , is under gods curse , and that which is cursed of god , can never be comfortable to us . it is an honour peculiar to god , the right of heaven , and therefore cursed sacriledge to bestow it on the creature . we read of some that make lies their refuge , and hide themselves under falshood , thinking when the overflowing scourge comes it shall not come nigh unto them , isa. . . they will trust to their wits and policies , they will fawn and flatter , lye and dissemble , cast themselves into a thousand shapes and forms to save themselves ; but all in vain , the flood shall sweep away their refuge of lyes . others make riches their trust and confidence , prov. . . the rich mans wealth is his strong city . if enemies come their money shall be their ransom ; but oh , what a poor refuge will this be ? it may betray but cannot secure them , behold , saith god , i will stir up the medes against them , which shall not regard silver , and as for gold , they shall not delight in it , isa. . . riches profit not in the day of wrath , prov. . . iob blessed god in the day of his adversity , that he had not made gold his hope , or the fine gold his confidence , iob . . bless not thou thy self that thou hast such things to bestow thy hope and trust upon . others make men their refuge , especially great and powerful men , but to how little purpose is it ! put not your trust in princes , nor in the son of man , in whom there is no help , psal. . , . they cannot keep their crowns upon their heads , no , nor their heads upon their shoulders , the greatest men are but dust , and what can dust do to dust ? three things aggravate their misery , who misplace their confidence by bestowing it on any creature . . that creature will certainly deceive them , men are deceitful men , psal. . . riches are deceitful , riches , tim. . . every thing you lean on , beside god , will start aside , like a deceitful bow , psal. . . ( . ) the disappointment of your hopes from the creature , will enflame your affliction , and greatly aggravate your sorrow , king. . . the broken reeds of egypt will not only fail , but pierce you . ( . ) in a word , god will take none into his protection , who make any thing besides himself their hope and confidence ; if we fly from god to the creature , god will say to the creature , thou shalt go , except i have thy dependence , thou shalt never have my protection ; where i have no honour , thou shalt have no comfort . . consect . fourthly , the former discourse , yields us also this comfortable conclusion , that what ever confusions , desolations , and troubles be in the earth , the church and people of god can never be wholly exterminated , and destroyed , seeing such a secure refuge is prepared for them of god , psal. . . the children of thy servants shall continue , and their seed shall be established before thee . which is assigned as the true reason of its perpetuity and safety , psal. . . god is known in her palaces , for a refuge . the church's enemies have tried the utmost of their policies and powers in all ages against it , but to no purpose : whilest they have been plotting and persecuting , the preserved remnant have been singing their song upon alamoth , even praises to their great preserver ; though they have no external visible defence , yet are they as safe , as salvation it self can make them , for salvation will god appoint for walls and bulwarks , isa. . , . four things are exceeding remarkable in the churches preservation : ( . ) no people were ever so fiercely opposed by the powers of this world , the kings of the earth have set themselves , and the rulers have taken counsel together , psal. . . all methods and artifices have been tryed , sometimes to jeer and scoff them out of the religion : so did the apostate iulian , and sometimes by cruel tortures , to affright them from their religion ; the variety and more than barbarous inhumanity , whereof the church histories give us a sad and amazing account . ( . ) under these cruel persecutions , they have seemed to be utterly lost , to the eye of sence and reason ; i am left alone , said elijah , and they seek my life , king. . . by whom , lord , shall jacob arise , said amos , for he is very small ? amos . . ( . ) notwithstanding all which , the church hath overlived all its dangers ; it is the true phoenix , which hath outlived the deluge . ( . ) such deliverances are proper and peculiar to the church alone : no people , besides the people of god , have such salvations upon record . the great and famous monarchies of the world , have dashed one another to pieces , like earthen potsheards — sic medus ademit assyrio , syroque tulit moderamina perses . and all this by vertue of that promise , ier. . . for i am with thee , saith the lord , to save thee , though i make afull end of all nations , whither i have scattered thee , yet will i not make a full end of thee . ● . consect . fifthly , to conclude : if this be so , then it is a deep and dangerous policy of satan , to shut up our refuge in god against us , as much as may be in times of trouble . satan , like a cunning fowler , despairs of getting the birds in his net , except he can beat them out of their coverts ; it is therefore his great design , to estrange and alienate the saints from their god , as much as he can , thereby to cut off their retreat to him in times of trouble ; a mischief which the people of god have always vehemently deprecated , psal. . . ier. . . and o that we would be ware of it ! and shun this mischief , by our seasonable preventing watchfulness . there are , among others , three special projects of satan , whereby he manages this mischievous design against the people of god. . by drawing their consciences under guilt , on purpose to destroy the liberty , freedom , and child-like confidence of their souls , in their addresses to god. this , if any thing in the world , will do it , iob . , . what a loss will that poor soul be at , in times of trouble , whose grumbling and condemning conscience will not suffer him to look up chearfully and believingly in the face of its god , and father , having lost its ancient freedom at the throne of grace ? . by prevailing with them to neglect and intermit the course of their daily duties , and thereby to let down their communion with god , and in a great measure lose their acquaintance with him . this is a dangerous policy of the devil , and an unspeakable prejudice to the soul : oh christian , take heed of a lazy sloathful spirit , or a vain and earthly heart , which will easily suffer the duties of religion to be jostled aside , and put by for every trivial occasion ; especially beware of slight , formal , superficial , and dead-hearted performances of duty , which is little better than the intermission of them , it may indeed prevent the scandal , but can never give thee the comfort of religion . . by beclouding their interest in god , and darkening their titles and evidences , by thick clouds . of doubts and fears . this is the sad case of many a poor christian , in a day of trouble , with out-fightings , with in-fears . brethren , i beseech you , think often what those things are , which usually put men into such frights and streights , when eminent dangers stare them in the face , what it is that daunts and damps the hearts of christians at such times ; and as you value the peace and freedom of your souls with god , give not matter for your consciences to reproach you with mis-spent time , indulged sins , neglected duties , formality or hypocrisie in duties , sinister , and by-ends in your transactions with god or man : preserve the purity and peace of your consciences , as you would preserve your two eyes ; if by such wiles the devil cannot bar you from your god , or shut up your refuge in him , your outward troubles can do you no hurt . sect . ii. the second vse , of direction and advice . the providence of god in these days , giving us such loud warnings of approaching judgment ; how are all that are wise in heart , and of understanding of the times , now more especially concerned to clear their interest in these blessed attributes of god , which have here been opened , as their only refuge in the evil day . let me therefore persuade , and press you to betake your selves to god , your refuge , and strong hold in trouble , and that more especially in these two great duties : viz. . of fervent supplication . . of universal resignation . . betake your selves to god by fervent prayer and supplication . let me say of these times , as holy mr. perkins did of his , non sunt ista litigandi , sed orandi tempora , these are no times for christians to contend and strive one with another , but with their united cryes to strive with god , and , among other requests , strongly to enforce and follow home , that of david , psal. . , . deliver me in thy righteousness , and cause me to escape , incline thine ear unto me , and save me , be thou my strong habitation , whereunto i may continually resort . that 's a true and weighty observation of austine , non facilè inveniuntur praesidia in adversitate , quae non fuerint in pace quaesita . a refuge is not to be found in trouble , except it be provided before-hand in peace . for this , saith the psalmist , shall every one that is godly , pray unto thee , in a time when thou maist be found , surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him , psal. . . had not noah prepared and secured himself in the ark , before the floods of great water came , he had not sate , as he did , medis tranquillus in undis : sleeping quietly , when others were perishing in the waters . gather your selves therefore together , before the decree bring forth ; seek the lord , all ye meek of the earth , be more frequent , and more ●ervent in prayer , now than ever ; you have all the encouragements in the world , to incite you to this duty : the nature of your god is exceeding pitiful ▪ tender , and compassionate , iam. . . the endeared relations betwixt god and you , gives singular encouragement of success : shall not god hear his own elect , which cry unto him day and night ? luk. . . the sweet returns and answers of former prayers , are so many motives and encouragements , to follow close that thriving trade , psal. . , , . and above all , your prevalent advocate in the heavens should encourage you , to come frequently , and boldly , to the throne of grace , that you may obtain mercy , and find grace , to help in the time of need , heb. . . in two things , i shall briefly offer a little direction here : viz. of prayer . . as to the matter . as to the manner . as to the matter of prayer , i mean such as the state and condition of the times , now more especially suggests . ( . ) unite your prayers , and cry mightily to the lord , that if it be his good pleasure , this cup of wrath which seems to be mingled and prepared , may pass from his people . now cry to god , as they are directed to do , ioel . . spare thy people , o lord , and give not thine heritage to reproach , that the heathen should rule over them : wherefore should they say among the people , where is their god ? o pray , that england may not be delivered into the hands of blood-thirsty papists , that the golden candlestick may not be removed , that idolatry may not return into those places where god hath been so sweetly worshipped ; that a land so peculiarly blessed with gospel-light , wherein so many thousand sons , and daughters , have been born to god , may not at last become an aceldama , a great shambles , to quarter out the limbs of his dear saints ; that the pleasant plant of reformation , planted with his own right hand , and watered with so many tears , yea with so much blood , may not at last be rooted up by the wild boar out of the forrest ! ( . ) pray indesinently , that you may be kept from the sins and temptations of the times . o watch and pray , that you enter not into temptation ; if you cannot prevail with god , to turn away his anger , yet be importunate with him , that you may be kept from sin , that if you lose your outward peace , you may be able to keep inward peace , that you may never sacrifice your consciences , to save your flesh , that you may never fall under the displeasure of god , to avoid the rage of men . ah friends , we little think what a fearful havock an hour of temptation will make in such a professing nation as this is ; then shall many be offended , matth. . . o pray , that you may never give offence to others by scandal , or take offence your selves at the ways of god , whatever sufferings and sharp tryals shall come . ( . ) pray earnestly for the sanctification of all your troubles , to your eternal good ; an unsanctified comfort never did any man good , and a sanctified trouble never did any man hurt ; be more earnest therefore with god , rather to have your troubles sanctified , than prevented ; to get the blessing , than to avoid the smart of them ; if they cannot be turned away from you , pray they may be turned to your salvation . . betake your selves to god your refuge by faith , resigning and committing all into his hands , now the just shall live by faith , heb. . . the more you can trust god , the more you secure your selves from danger ; he that can live by faith , shall never die by fear , and be sure to inform your selves well in two things , viz. . what it is to trust god over all . . what grounds you have so to do . . be well instructed in the nature of this duty , there are six things imported in such acts of resignation . . an awakened sense of our dangers and hazards . at what time i am afraid i will trust in thee , psal. . . suffering times are resigning times , pet. . . let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing ; as unto a faithful creator . and the greater and nearer our dangers are , the more frequent and vigorous should the actings of our faith this way be ; be not far from me , for trouble is near . . resignation to god necessarily implies our renunciation , and disclaiming of all other refuges . ashur shall not save us , we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands , ye are our gods , for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy , hos. . . he that relies upon god , must cease from man ; resignation to god excludes not the use of lawful means , but it doth exclude dependence upon them . . resignation to god is always grounded upon an interest in god , we have no warrant , nor encouragement to expect protection from him in trouble , except we can come to him as children to a father : it is the filial relation that gives encouragement to this fiducial resignation , and the clearer that relation and interest is , the more bold and confident those acts of faith will be , psal. . . preserve my soul , for i am holy , o thou my god save thy servant that trusteth in thee . and again , psal. . . i am thine , save me . i speak not here of the first act of faith , which flows not from an interest ; but gives the soul an interest in god. nor do i say that poor doubting and timorous believers whose interest in him is dark and dubious , have no warrant to resign themselves and their concernments into his hands , for it is both their right and duty to do it : but certainly the clearer our interest is , the more facile and comfortable will those acts be . . the committing acts of faith imply a full acknowledgement and owning of gods power to protect us , be the danger never so imminent , psal. . . my times are in thy hand , deliver me from the hands of mine enemies , and from them that persecute me . q. d. o lord i am fully satisfied , my life is not at the dispose of mine enemies , 't is not in their hands , but in thine ; all the traps and snares they lay for it shall not shorten one minute of my time , i know thine hand is fully able to protect me , and therefore into thine hands i resign my self , and all i have . . resignation involves in it an expectation of help and safety from god , when we see no way of security from men . o lord , saith iehoshaphat , we have no might nor no strength , neither know we what to do , but our eyes are unto thee , chron. . . so david , psal. . , . my soul wait thou only upon god , for my expectation is from him , he only is my rock and my salvation , he is my defence i shall not be moved . . resignation to god implies the leaving of our ●elves and our concernments with him to be disposed of according to his good pleasure ; the resigning soul desires the lord to do with him what he will , and is content to take what lot divine pleasure shall cast for him , sam. . . and the king said unto zadok , carry back the ark of god into the city , if i shall find favour in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation ; but if he thus say , i have no delight in thee , behold , here am i , let him do to me as seemeth good unto him . and so much of the nature of this duty , that we may understand what to do . . next let me shew you what encouragements you that are the people of god , have to this duty , and they will appear to be great and many . . the sovereignty and absolute dominion of god over all creatures , is a singular encouragement to commit our selves into his hands and trust him over all , psal. . . because of his strength will i wait upon thee , for god is my defence . if a man were in danger amidst a great army of rude and insolent souldiers , and were to put himself under the protection of any one , it should be the general of that army , to chuse in such a hand he cannot but be safe , all the souldiers being at his beck . christian , the god into whose hands thou committest thy self , is lord general of all the hosts and armies in heaven and earth ; how safe must thou then be in his hands ? . the unsearchable and perfect wisdom of god is a mighty encouragement to commit our selves into his hands , with him is plenteous redemption , psal. . ult . i. e. choice and variety of ways and methods to save his people ; we are , but god never is at a loss to find a door for our escape , pet. . . the lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation . . the infinite tenderness and compassionateness of our god is a sweet encouragement to resign and commit our selves and all we have into his hands , his mercy is incomparably tender towards his people , infinitely beyond whatever any creature felt stirring in its own bowels towards another that came out of its bowels , isa. . . this compassion of god engageth the two forementioned attributes , viz. his power and wisdom , for the preservation and relief of his people : as often as distresses befall them . yea , . the very distresses his people are in , do , as it were , awaken the almighty power of god for their defence and rescue ; our distresses are not only proper seasons , but powerful motives to his saving power , deut. . for the lord shall judge his people , and repent himself for his servant , when he seeth that their power is gone , and there is none shut up or left . god makes it an argument to himself and his people , plead it as an argument with him , be not far from me , for trouble is near , for there is none to help . . we have already committed greater and weightier concernments into his hand than the dearest interest we have in this world , we have intrusted our souls with him , pet. . . . tim. . . well therefore may we commit the lesser , who have intrusted the greater with him ; what are our lives , liberties , estates , and relations , compared with our souls , and the eternal safety and happiness of them ? . the committing act of faith is the great and only expedient to procure and secure the peace and tranquillity of our minds , amidst the distractions and troubles of the present world ; the greatest part of our affliction and trouble in such days , is from the working of our own thoughts ; these torments from within are worse than any from without ; and the resignation of all to god by faith is their best and only cure , proverbs . . commit thy works unto the lord , and thy thoughts shall be established . a blessed calmness of mind , a sweet tranquillity and settlement of thoughts follows immediately hereupon , psal. . . oh then , leave all with god , and quietly expect a comfortable issue ; and for the better settlement , and security of thy peace in times of distraction and trouble , i beseech thee reader , carefully to watch and guard against these two evils . . caution . beware of infidelity and distrustfulness of god and his promises which secretly lurks in thy heart , and is hugely apt to bewray it self ; when great distresses and troubles befall thee , thou ▪ wilt know it by such symptomes as these . . in an over hasty and eager desire after present deliverance , isa. . . the captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed , and that he should not die in the pit , nor that his bread should fail . the less faith , always the more impatience , and the more ability to believe , the more patience to wait . . it will discover it self in our readiness to close with and catch at sinful mediums and methods of deliverance , isa. . , . and this is the handle of temptation and occasion of apostacy . but he that believeth will not make haste , isa. . . no more hast than good speed . . it will shew it self in distracting cares and fears about events which will rack the mind with various and endless tortures . . caution . beware of dejection and despondency of mind in evil times , take heed of a poor low spirit that will presently sink and give up its hopes upon every appearance and face of trouble ; it is a promise made unto the righteous , psal. . . he shall not be afraid of evil tidings , his heart is fixes trusting in the lord. the trusting of god fixes the heart , and the fixing of the heart , fortifies it against fear , but i know what many poor christians will say in this case , their timorousness and despondency arises not so much from the greatness of outward evils , as from the darkness and doubtfulness of their spiritual and inward condition , which doubtless in the very truth of the case , which brings me to the last use of this point . vse the third . search and examine your hearts christians , whether those graces and qualifications to which god hath promised protection in evil times may not be found upon an impartial search in your hearts , amongst which i will single out three principal ones as the proper matters of your self examination , viz. . uprightness of heart and way . . humiliation for your own and others sins . . righteousness in doing and meekness in suffering the will of god. . uprightness and integrity of heart and way . to this qualification belong many sweet promises of protection , such is that prov. . . he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly , psal. . . my defence is of god , which saveth the upright in heart . if your hearts be true to god , these promises shall be truly performed to you , but beware you deceive not your selves in so great a point as this is ; thy heart cannot be an upright heart , except . it be a renewed heart ; the natural heart is always a false heart , 't is only regeneration that gives the heart a right temper and frame ; all the duties and labours in the world can never keep that heart right in its course , which is not first set right for god by a principle of renovation . ( . ) we cannot judge our selves upright , except uprightness be the setled frame and standing bent of our hearts , psal. . , . it is not our integrity in one or two single actions , but in the general course , and complex frame of our lives and ways , that will prove our integrity to god. ( . ) then may we reckon our selves upright , when the dread and awe of god's all-seeing eye keeps our hearts and steps from turning aside to iniquity , gen. . . cor. . . that 's a sincere and upright heart indeed , that finds it self at all times , and in all places overawed from sin , by the eye of god upon him . ( . ) that man's heart also is upright with god , who purely aims at and designs the glory of god , as the scope and end of his life and actions , who lives not to himself , neither acts ultimately and principally for himself , but lives to god as a person dedicated and devoted to him , rom. . . ( . ) that heart also is upright with god , which governs it self and its ways by the directions and rules of the word , psal. . , , . happy is that soul that finds such evidences of integrity in it self , when it is brought to the trial of it at the bar of the word , heb. . . at the bar of conscience , cor. . . at the bar of afflictions , psal. . . and at the bar of strong temptations , gen. . . the eyes of the lord shall run to and fro through the whole earth , to shew himself strong in the behalf of such whose hearts are thus perfect towards him . . another gracious qualification , intitling the soul to god's special protection in the worst and most dangerous times , is the true humiliation for our own and other mens sins ; go , set a mark , saith god , upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof , ezek. . . these that thus mourn , when others laugh , shall laugh when others mourn . lot was the only mourner in sodom , and he was the only person exempted from destruction in the ruine and overthrow thereof , pet. . . that 's a sweet and blessed priviledge , mentioned in isa. . . rejoyce ye with jerusalem , and be glad with her all ye that love her , rejoyce for joy with her , all ye that mourn for her , that ye may suck , and be satisfied with the ●reasts of her consolations , that ye may milk out , and be delighted with the abundance of her glory . be contented , christians , to bear your part in sions groans and sorrows , you may live to bear your part in her triumphs and songs of deliverance ; it is an argument of the true publickness , and tenderness of your spirits for present , and as sweet a sign as can appear upon your souls , that you are reserved for better days . . righteousness in doing , and meekness in suffering the will of god , is another mark or note , distinguishing and describing those persons whom god will preserve in the evil day . you have both these together , in zeph. . . seek ye the lord , all ye the meek of the earth , which have wrought his judgments , seek righteousness , seek meekness , it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the lords anger . the eyes of the lord are over the righteous , and his ears are open unto their prayers , pet. . . if righteousness bring you into danger , the righteous god will take care of you in that danger , and bring you out of it . o 't is a singular comfort , when a man can say , it was not my sin , but my duty , that brought me into trouble ; this affliction met me in the path and way of my duty ; 't is for thy sake , o lord , that i am in trouble : as the martyr that held up the bible at the stake , saying , this hath brought me hither . to conclude , manage all your sufferings for christ , with christian meekness ; as righteousness must bring you into them , so meekness must carry you through them : if you avenge your selves , you take the cause out of god's hand , into your own , but the meek christian leaves it to the lord ; and shall never have cause to repent of his so doing . if thou have an upright heart with god , a tender and mournful heart for sin , and thou suffer with meekness , for righteousness sake , thou art one of these souls to whom that sweet voice is directed in my text , come , my people , enter thou into thy chambers , and shut thy doors about thee ; hide thy self , as it were , for a little moment , until the indignation be over-past . finis . mr. flavell's two treatises , . a teatise of fear . . the righteous man's refuge . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e psal. . notes for div a -e hos. . . asyli loco . praestabit vos inaccessos , & inviolabiles ab his regibus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fugio , perfect ▪ med . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timor , fuga . rector in incerto est , nec quid fugiatve petatve , invenit . ovid. pavidi semper consilia in incerto . dux quidam indigno mortis metu , adeo concussus fuit , ut sanguineum sudorem toto corpore fudit . hist. lib. . iuvenis ob levem causam à sixto v● damnatus , prae doloris vehementia fertur lacrymas cruentes fudisse . lib. . dr. reynolds . epist. ad melanc . an. . illyr . cat. test. lib. . est timor instar frae●i quo equus regitur , hic metus si toleretur , omnia conciderent . lavat . in pro. . v. . intellectualis creatura eò ipso quòd creatura est , superiorem habet , cujus providentiae & ordinationi subjaceat : & qua intellectualis est capax est gubernationis moralis , qua dirigatur ad bonum , & arceatur à malo , & talis lex est illi simpliciter necessaria , ut convenienter suae naturae vivere possit . suarez de leg . lib. cap. . calamitosus est animus futuri anxius , & ante miserias miser . senec. crabrones per metaphoram repentinum terrorem significant , qui in animos malè sibi conscios a deo immissus fuit . lavater in loc . sapores rex persarum cum urbem nisib in qua erant christiani , obsedisset , eamque affligeret , magna vis crabronum , & culicum repenté venit , & in promuscides cavas elephantorum consedit , complevitque aures equorum , ita ut sessores excusserint , & turbatos ordines in fugam converterint . hist. lib. . cap. . isai. . . tertul. de fuga . times hominem christiane , quem timeri oportet ab angelis , siquidem angelos judicaturus es : quem timeri oportet à demoniis , siquidem & in demoniis , accepisti potestatem : quem timeri oportet ab univers● mundo , siquidem & in te mundus judicatur . malè facinorum conscientia flagellari , & plurimum illi tormen torum esse , eo quod perpetuo illam solicitudo urget , ac verberat quod sponsoribus securitatis suae non potest credere . senec. epist. . si recludantur mentes tyrannorum posse aspici laniatus & ictus . annal. in metu & periculo plura & majora videntur metuentibus , cum creduntur facilius , tum singuntur impunius . cicero . fernel . pathiol . lib. . c. . corporis habitus siccus & macilentus , aspectus inconstans , horridus ac moestus , in morbis animimetus & moestitia , taciturnitas , solitudo , inanis rerum commentatio somnus turbulentus , horrendis i●somniis fluctuans , & agitatus spectris rerum nigrarum ; &c. multa fidem promissa levant . august . decivit . dei , lib. . c. . nonnullos ob timorem morte subitanea periisse refert galenus . quod igitur homo , timore mortis quae est terribilissima , ex sententia aristotleis aliorumque penè omnium , moriatur , mirandum non est . fuga mali , ipsum interdum accersit , quod liquet exemplis eorum , quorum metus mortem à judice ipsis designatam prevenit . stern . de mort . p. . cicer● tusc. q. . ep. ad melanct. anno . anno . clarks examp . p. . dr. edw. reynolds . epictet . rev. . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . socrat. hist. l. . c. . theod. lib. . cap. . spangenberg . ad an. . cur me non quoque torque donas , & illustris illius ordinis militem non creas ? quas non oportet mortis praeeligere , quod non supplicium potius ferre , imo inquam profundum inferni abyssum non intrare , quam contra conscientiam ●ttestari ? potius nobis deliciae quam tormenta sunt . basil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meditor , operam do . gerson . anno . acts and mon. v. . p. . it was common with the martyrs to sweeten death to themselves by reckoning what infirmities it would cure them of , one of his blindness , another of his lameness , &c. notes for div a -e plerumque in qua simul●c pedem posui , foribus pessulum abdo , & in ipso eternitatis gremio inter tot illustres animas sedem mihi sumo ; cum ingenti quidem animo , ut subinde magnatum me misereat qui felicitatem hanc ignorant . epistola primira . mr. r. a. of godly fear . p. . notes for div a -e ezek. . . * * mr. strong . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iosephus de bel . iud. lib. . c. . tac. lib. . and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an onely &c, and shall be in bitterness for him as one is in bitterness for his first born. eleanor, lady, d. . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing d ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an onely &c, and shall be in bitterness for him as one is in bitterness for his first born. eleanor, lady, d. . p. s.n., [s.l. : ?] caption title. attributed to lady eleanor douglas by wing. at head of title: zach. . imprint suggested by wing. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng judgment of god. a r (wing d ). civilwar no sions lamentation lord henry hastings his funerals blessing / by his grandmother the lady eleanor. douglas, eleanor, lady a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion zach. . and they shall look upon him , whom they have pierced : and they shall mourn for him , as one mourneth for an onely , &c. and shall be in bitterness for him , as one is in bitterness for his first born . these as by way of comparison set forth : this prophesie appointed for a sign also requisite , since faith in high things always slow . ionas as alotted then for the resurrections sign , of which took essay : such a three days rest and nights three ; and the suns retiring so many degrees that high favor to hezekiah , likewise of the leavings in the cup , happy hastings this first born , an onely son , partakes one of no inferior family : taking his leave of this life , whose first days rest taken , on the lords day ; saying my lovers and friends hast thou put away far from me ( psal. ) whose death and obsequies ( bewaild of no few ) assigned for a warning piece of those very perilous days stoln upon us : when say peace and safety , then sudden destruction , thes. x. and they shall not escape even the general day of iudgements forerunner : whereof apocalips thus , behold he cometh in the clouds , and every eye shall see him ; and they also that have pierced him ; and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail , &c. and thus of one so hopeful committed to no simple doctors , through too much suddenness or ignorance , as that way who can plead not guilty , by letting blood was cast away ; upon whom because of this cast suit of cloths bestowed on him of his masters , they shall look upon him whom they have pierced , &c. let none with an evil eye look thereon : and so passing on with several coats of houses born inclusive , adorning the herse , as dedicated to our jerusalem of the gentiles , and in that day there shall be a great mourning in ierusalem , as the mourning in hadadrimmon , in the valley of megiddon , the house of huntingdon of which participates : also in london , every family apart mourning and their wives , &c. of the royal branches , like the house of david , all of them be wayling apart , &c. likewise from that ominous name , called megiddon impart , it is done , behold he comes making the sable clouds his chariot : solemnized heaven and earths funerals , these great lights extinguished , the sun become as sackcloth of hair , the moon as blood , the stars falling , &c. answerable to that loud voice , revel. . done it is , gathered in that place called in heb. armagedon , when every yle fled away , &c. from whose name importing diligence , hastings who lost no time himself , declares much more what hastning required , and looking unto that day , at whose appearing heavens and elements dissolves and melts , &c. vvherefore , for instruction sake adds , when ye see these come to pass , and i will pour upon the house of david , and upon the inhabitants of ierusalem , the spirit of grace . so be sure then time to look up , &c. and this for another , and in that day i will make ierusalem a heavy stone for all people , &c. as extraordinary blessings rejected , no ordinary corrections incurring inseparable evermore , besides such distraction so giddy , that plague increasing daily too , or curse of tax leavied , as witness whether fullfilled : and in that day ( saith the lord ) i will smite every horse with astonishment , and the rider with madness : and in that day will i seek to destroy all nations , that come against ierusalem , &c. and in that day ( saith the lord ) i will cut off the names of the idols out of the land . and such like demonstrations shewing out of request , the name saint drownd in oblivion , such an eye sore at this time unto many . and passing forward also , whether that waiter on the latter days , esdras testimony , termd apocrypha , or miscalled , speaks not the present condition presaging , the sons of the church , sion her sons cut off that fraternity ; whilst deeply musing upon their departure from the law , grown to such a low ebbe or degree , the law though still in force , like the spirit of prophesie supposed transmitted not beyond the primitive times , as gross as romish miracles , without tryal esdras informs , saw such a mournful mother , chang'd his cogitations , she replying , sir let me alone ; yet afterward thus after so long time , that had a son then nourished by her with so much travel , grown up , came to take him a wife , when fell down and died , the house turnd upside ( as though ) overthrew the lights fleeing the city , &c. into which park or field fled , purposed to take up her rest ; whereupon her passion to divert , spreads that catalogue of confusion the present case greatest of all sion , the mother of all , delivered into hands of hateful iaylors a captive : spoken to sion her self , at whose fearful voice cast out the earth shook , which besides her sons farewel , some future thing reveals , a prophetical voycc , &c. and new jerusalem in her place , &c. vvhereupon vriel the angel signifying light , shews unto him . he in need of comfort himself the solution , thrice over , who repeats these and thirty years , ver. but after thirty years , &c. lucy lady of huntingdon , the sackcloth and ashes hers. ashbeys mourning for him , he born anno . about nineteen years of age , whose epithalamiums to lamentations exchanged for epitaphs : the saffron robe for sable mourning , whose mother coming to his bedside , a little before his death , thus quomodo vales ? quomodo non possum bene valere cum proximus sim deliciis meis ? aluding partly to her name of lucia , &c. and for the vissage mard or disfigured , wiped off so soon by the resurrection hope , as matters not , though obvious to beholders at such time ; vvhen beauty turnd into ashes , which light about ten extinguished at night , injoyed no small happiness , in this the time of sickness , in scarce complained of pain , heretofore inclining to the royal party : hastings prophesied of by esdras the prophet , as josias his birth , so long before concerning that reformation , when those priests cut off , foreshewed their judgement , &c. and for esdras that new song of his , so much suffice : and new ierusalem at hand , no material city , whose face all light and lustre : and for these useful materials , giving all warning not unprovided to be of the wedding garment ; threatning the downfal of the rough garment from head to foot , soars and blains their candlestick reward : and so make haste lord god , amen . finis . one warning more to the hypocrites of this generation swinton, john, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). b wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. b ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) one warning more to the hypocrites of this generation swinton, john, ?- . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [scotland? : ] caption title. signed at end of first column: j. swintoune. place and date of publication suggested by wing ( nd ed.). imperfect: stained, faded with some loss of text. place and date of publication suggested by wing ( nd ed.). reproduction of original in: national library of scotland. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian life -- scotland -- early works to . judgment of god -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one warning more to the hypocrites of this generation friends , yet once more am i to ●ppear before you a reprover , in the name of the lord , who is greatly provoked to jealousie , by your growing still worse and worse in the fumace under your trials and affictions . oh! who doth lay to ●he art ? who doth consider , who doth understand the work of this day ? oh! my bowels , my bowels ! my lam●●t●tions , my distresses what they have been and are in the behalf of this generation of hypocritical professor , who grow still worse ? so that in the name and dread and authority of the living and eternal god , i am to declare unto you , and yet once more to warn you , that the dreadful cup of vengeance that you are to drink , and must drink , and cannot escape , can not be measured by any thing that is past . you are gazing after changes . as you grow worse and worse by all the changes and revolutions your eyes have seen , and your ears have heard of ; so the changes that shall be , shall be still worse and worse for you . ye who are seated in unrighteousness , who have a lie in your right hand , in whom the love of the earth , and vanity , and the sensual spirit is so strong , that after your lovers ye will go ; your minds abroad after a dead carcass of words , of forms , of ordinances ( as you call them ) and all your scope , expectations and desires , to have these restored to you and your discontents , grudgings and murmurings , because the● are not oh! the dreadful day of vengeance , the dreadful day of vengeance that yet abides such , whose hopes whose desires , whose expectations are after any thing as a covering , as salvation , but the life , the spirit of righteousness , to flow down as a mighty stream , so as to burn up , lay naked and open , make desolate all flesh . this is the day of god , the desirable blessed day ; and this is come , and coming yet more and more abundantly in power and great glory ! but wo to the hypocrite , to the mind that saies and does not , filled with swelling words and expectatious ; and the life , the seed of righteousness , that wherein is the restauration of all things , opppressed , burdened in their particulars , above their measures exalted ; such shall be , shall be abundantly filled with the fruit of their own way . oh! that all herein concerned could read their name , and hear and fear , and consider , and forbear , ere it be too late , the day of their visitation past over , night come on wherein none , can work ; their judgment sealed , god ceased to be a reprover in them , till the day of vengeance overtake as a whirlwind ; as in the name , and dread , and power of the living and eternal god i do declare , it shall this hypocritical generation of professors , of all ranks , forms , sorts and sizes , in a way can not be measured by any thing that is yet past . this is the word of the lord god to you , whether ye will yet hear or forbear . th of the th month , . j. suintoune . you who speak of a deliverance , and loo●… for a day of deliverance , are you delivered from the bondage of corruption ? then are you free ●●…eed then ye need not look out for a day of deliverance , you know the liberty of the sons of god ; then ye know the patien●e , ye know the faith that makes not haste . ye know the will of god , and know it to be your place to lie d●wn in it as to whatsoever he shall permit man , or men , to do unto you : oh friends , this is the deliverance to be minded , to be delivered from the power of the evil one within yau , not to come under me evil spirit at home nor abroad , to be preserved faithful in an evil day , do ye believe god , the just holy god that rules in heaven and earth and do you think be will deliver you out of the hands of unreasonable men , when ye provoke him to jealousie through your treachery and rebellions ? and shall you be delivered while you become worse and worse come to minde the inward deliverance , the inward liberty . freedom , to have a conscience in all things clear and free towards god and man : then shall you witness the deliverance , you shall be more than conquerors , overcome your enemies with patience with love , with forgiveness , with seeking their good ; and yet bear witness against their evil deeds and spirit in not coming under in a tittle , yeelding in one hoof or hand ●readth ; but the more opprest , the stiffer , bold and val 〈…〉 couragious in following the lord , in what he doth or must require of you , in the fear and dread of the living god standing over the fear of man. were not this deliverance enough , to be preserved faithful ? yea , and this is the deliverance , and not another , to be brought here , and to be pr 〈…〉 ved here , to be minded by all the single-hearted . as for he hope ; the expectation of the hypocrite , it shall perish at noon day . th th month , . j. s. one of the songs of zion . sing , o heavens and be astonished o earth ! for the lord god is come down to judgment : therefore , o ye inhabitants of the earth , mourn ; for the day of your judgment is come , wherein nothing ca●● over , but that of the spirit . wo , wo , wo to the mind that is joyned to any other covering but this alone : all flesh gather paleness , for the terrible judge or the whole earth is come , from whom nothing can be hid . oh! sing and rejoyce , o heavens , ye lambs and little ones , whose life and salvation , and covering , the lord god alone is : he will , he will appear to your joy , and to the confusion , the utter-confusion and desolation , and desolating of all that love not his appearance , but gainsay it , and contradict it , oh! where will you stand ? whither will ●e run , w●●re will you find a covering , that will not be 〈◊〉 narrow 〈…〉 this day , that is for the making desolate all flesh ? and is ●●●●efore therefore , even therefore , the blessed ; in which , and because of which , all the single-hearted shall rejoyce , and shout for , joy and gladness of heart ; because , even because the lord god alone , and none besides him , is , or shall be exalted in the day that is come and coming with power and great glory , to the mind that seeks its habitation , its covering , its salvation , its redemption in god alone ; to be covered with the light that makes manifest the deeds of darkness , from which nothing can be hid . this is the salvation , the covering of the children of the day ; glory , glory , glory for ever to the lamb , the light , the covering , the salvation , the saviour . this is the day that is come , for which many have waited , and many , many have rejoyced in it , seeing it afar off , this is the day that makes all odds even , and answers all , and brings into the perfect rest and peace , satisfaction and contentment ; while the joy , the expectation of the hypocrite perisheth at noon day . th th mon. . j. s. a looking-glass for persecutors containing multitudes of examples of god's severe, but righteous judgments, upon bloody and merciless haters of his children in all times, from the beginning of the world to this present age : collected out of the sacred scriptures, and other ecclesiastical writers, both ancient and modern / by sam. clarke ... clarke, samuel, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a looking-glass for persecutors containing multitudes of examples of god's severe, but righteous judgments, upon bloody and merciless haters of his children in all times, from the beginning of the world to this present age : collected out of the sacred scriptures, and other ecclesiastical writers, both ancient and modern / by sam. clarke ... clarke, samuel, - . [ ], , [ ] p., leaf of plates : port. printed for william miller ..., london : . advertisement: p. [ ]-[ ] at end. errata: p. [ ] at end. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng judgment of god. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion viou here his shadowe whose laborious quill by sacred chymistry doth balm distill to calm the persecuting spirits rage and mixe delight with profitt in each page walter binneman sculp a looking-glass for persecutors ; containing multitudes of examples of god's severe , but righteous judgments , upon bloody and merciless haters of his children in all times , from the beginning of the world to this present age. collected out of the sacred scriptures , and other ecclesiastical writers , both ancient and modern . by sam. clarke , minister . god judgeth the righteous , and god is angry with the wicked every day : if he turn not , he will whet his sword : he hath bent his bow , and made it ready : he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death : he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors , psal. . , , . london , printed for william miller , at the sign of the gilded acorn , near the little north door in st. paul's church-yard , . to the christian reader . i know well that this is a very tender subject about which i am now writing . for , — the ancients made divine revenge to be a child of night , shut to the earth , but ope ' to heavens sight . there are two sorts of persons which err about the judgments of god : the one of such who will not take any notice of them , be they never so plain and conspicuous . of such the prophet complains , esay . . lord , when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see : but they shall see . these are stupid , and blockish persons : for ( saith the prophet , verse . ) when thy judgments are in the earth , the inhabitants of the world will ( or at least should ) learn righteousness . the other sort are of such as are too critical , and censorious in judging of god's providential dispensations , as if they were punishments for sin , when god hath other excellent ends in them : this was the fault of christ's disciples , john . . when they saw a man that was blind from his birth : master ( say they ) who did sin ? this man , or his parents , that he was born blind ? to whom our saviour answered , neither hath this man sinned , nor his parents : but that the works of god should be made manifest in him . but notwithstanding these errors , both on the right and left hand , there must be an humble , sober , and prudent taking notice of god's judgments that we may make a right construction of them . the apostle st. paul , having recorded the dreadful examples of god's wrath upon the sinful israelites in the wilderness ( cor. . . &c. ) concludes ( verse . ) now all these things happened unto them for ensamples : and they are written for our admonition , upon whom the ends of the world are come . god himself also hath appointed the recording and observation of such judgments , that all israel may hear , and fear , and do no more any such wickedness , deut. . . obj. but do we not often see , that great and violent persecutors live long , and prosper in the world , as if they rather merited a reward , than procured god's wrath against them for it ? ans. it 's true . . god's judgments upon many persecutors are more spiritual , and so less conspicuous , and visible to the eye of the world : as when god gives them up to blindness of mind , hardness of heart , a cauterized conscience , and a reprobate sence , which of all other judgments are the most dreadful , hos. . . . all the while they escape with impunity , they are but treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous judgment of god , rom. . . for it 's a righteous thing with god to recompence tribulation to them that trouble and persecute his people , thes. . . hence , job . . is not destruction to the wicked ? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity ? god doth record and register such wicked mens sins against the day of judgment . he writes them in a book with a pen of iron , and the point of a diamond , jer. . . he seals them up in a bag , job . . as a clerk of the assizes seals up the indictments , and at the assizes opens his bag , and produceth them , deut. . . yet god in all ages hath taken some of these persecutors , and hung them up in chains , as spectacles of his wrath , for a warning unto others . and howsoever such , by reason of god's patience and forbearance , may dream of impunity ; yet let them know that judgments are never nearer than when they are least feared . a great càlm is many times the fore-runner of a storm , when men cry peace , peace , then comes sudden and swift destruction , thes. . . when agag said in his heart , surely the bitterness of death is past ▪ then came samuel and hewed him in pieces . when the old world was eating , drinking , buying , building , persecuting , and snorting in security ; then came the flood , and destroyed them : when men be at case in sion , there is a wo denounced against them , amos . . to the . when men look at judgments as a far off , then god will defer no longer , ezek. . . . when the philistins met together to be merry and to sport themselves with sampson , ( whose eyes they had put out ) he brought the house upon their heads , and slew them all . now god executes judgments upon some wicked persecutors ; but these are but praeludia futuri judicii , tokens and fore-runners of that great and general judgment . some are now punished ( saith one ) as the old world , sodom , egypt , jerusalem , &c. that we may know that there is a providence taking notice of all : yet all are not punished , that we may know there is a judgment to come , to which the wicked are reserved , pet. . . here god's way is in the clouds , we see not the reason of many things , but then his justice and righteousness shall be gloriously apparent to all the world , rev. . . here they live longest , many times , that deserve not to live at all , job . . the israelites are oppressed whilst the egyptians live at ease . good david is in want , and persecuted , whilst wicked nabal abounds . sion is oft captive to babylon : but there is another day , and another reckoning , when all shall be set to rights : when the righteous shall rejoyce , and the wicked shall mourn , esay . , . god will not alwayes suffer his jewels to be trampled in the dirt under the feet of pride and malice ; but he will vindicate the injuries that are now done unto them , luke . . now men curse , but christ will then receive such , with a come ye blessed of my father , &c. matth. . . o how singularly foolish than are you , that seek to root out , and to rid the saints out of the world , as the heathen emperors did . these resemble the stag in the emblem , that fed upon the leaves , which hid him from the hunter . and sampson - like , by pulling down the pillars , they bring the house upon their own heads . but i will enlarge no further . if ( through god's blessing ) this little book may prove useful to the deterring of wicked and malevolent spirits from all kinds of persecution , though but in words and gestures , esay . , . and to the encouraging of the godly persecuted , to bear their sufferings meekly , referring their cause wholly unto god , who saith , vengeance is mine ; i will repay , saith the lord , rom. . . i have mine end , who am thy friend and servant to thy faith sam. clarke . from my study in hammersmith , april . . god's judgments upon persecutors recorded in the books of the old testament . the first persecutor and murtherer was the devil , as our saviour christ testifies ▪ john . . he was a murtherer from the beginning : he murther'd the souls ( the most noble and divine part ) of our first parents , and in them of all their posterity , had not god ( of his infinite goodness and mercy ) made a balsom of the blood of christ , for the healing of that deadly wound . see the devil's punishment for it , gen. . . . the two first men that were born into the world were cain and abel ; and long they had not lived together before cain , when they were in the field together , rose up against his brother abel , and slew him , gen. . . and wherefore slew he him ? because his own works were evil , and his brothers righteous , john . . but the righteous god would not suffer him to go away with impunity . for saith god to him , gen. . . when thou tillest the ground , it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength . a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth ; in which condition he suffered many thousand deaths ( by reason of his horrors and terrors of conscience ) before he came to die , as is implied , verse . from thy face shall i be hid , and i shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth , and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me . . though the scripture mentions particularly no other persecution before the flood , yet gen. . . it 's said , the earth was corrupt before god , and the earth was filled with violence : which violence certainly was chiefly practised by the wicked cainites against the church of god : for which sin ( among others ) god brought that general deluge which destroyed them all , gen. . . god said unto noah : the end of all flesh is come before me : for the earth is filled with violence through them : and behold i will destroy them with the earth . . when the world was reduced to a very small number , yet then had satan a wicked ham to persecute and mock his godly aged father ; for which he was cursed , and his posterity doomed to bondage and servitude , gen. . , , . cursed be canaan : a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren , &c. . in holy abraham's family there was a persecuting ishmael , as the apostle paul testifies , gal. . . he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit : but though he was abraham's son , god would not suffer this sin to go unpunished : for , verse . — what saith the scripture ? cast out the bond-woman and her son : for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman . and sure it was no small punishment to be cast out of the church of god , and not to be suffered to partake of the blessings promised thereunto . . when the church of god , the children of israel were in egypt , they were persecuted by pharaoh king of egypt , and his people , who set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens , exod. . . thinking thereby to eat them up and wear them out : and when that prevailed not , they made them serve with rigor , and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar , and in brick , and in all manner of service in the field : all the service wherein they made them serve , was with rigor , verse . . and when yet they still multiplied , the king commanded the midwives , siphra and puah , when they did the office of a midwife to the hebrew women , and saw them upon the stools , if they were delivered of a son , they should presently kill him , verse . . and when these midwives neglected his commands , he charged all his people that every son that was born to the israelites , should be cast into the river nilus , verse . . and when god sent moses into egypt to deliver his people out of the house of bondage , pharaoh raged more against them : he caused straw to be taken from them , and yet the number of bricks to be continued ; and when that task was not done , the officers of the children of israel were cruelly beaten , exod. . . but the justice of god slept not all this while : they had shed the blood of the people of god , and god turned all their waters into blood : they had killed all the males of the israelites , and god's destroying angel killed all their first-born : they had drowned multitudes in the river , and pharaoh and his army were all drowned in the red sea. poena venit gravior quo magè sora venit . justice though slowly , yet doth surely tread , and strikes with iron though she walks with lead . . saul the first king of israel was a cruel persecutor of david , and the priests of the lord ; of whom ( upon a false suggestion ) he slew fourscore and five persons that did wear a linnen ephod ; and not satisfied with their blood , he went to nob , the city of the priests , and smote it with the edg of the sword , both men and women , children and sucklings , and oxen , and asses , and sheep , sam. . , . but see the end : his country being invaded by the philistins , he goes to the witch of endor , where he complained to the devil in samuel's mantle , that god had forsaken him when he was sore distressed by the philistins , and answered him no more , neither by prophets , nor by dreams , sam. . . and a few dayes after , when he had lived to see his army routed , three of his sons slain , and himself sorely wounded , in despair he fell upon his own sword , and died , sam. . , , , . . asa ( though a good king ) being reproved by the prophet hanani , for relying upon the king of syria , and not upon the lord his god , was wrath with him , and put him in prison , and oppressed some of the people at the same time , chron. . , . but god would not suffer this sin to go unpunished : for , verse . he was diseased in his feet ( probably of the gout , ) and his disease was exceeding great , which in the end took away his life . . king ahab persecuted the prophet micaiah , who dealt plainly and faithfully with him , and sent him to amon the governour of the city , and to joash the king's son , saying , put this fellow in the prison , and feed him with bread of affliction , and with water of affliction , until i return in peace , chron. . . but notwithstanding all his policy in disguising himself , he was slain in that battle , verse . . . jesabel his wife slew the prophets of the lord , kings . . and persecuted elijah : but jehu being made king when he was come to jezreel , jezabel painted her face , and tired her head , and looking out to jehu said , had zimri peace that slew his master ? jehu seeing her , commanded her to be thrown down out of the window , which was accordingly done by some of her own servants ; by the fall she was slain , and trampled under horses feet , and her body was torn , and devoured by dogs , kings . , , . . manasse persecuted the ancient and noble prophet isaiah , ( who probably was of the royal blood ) for his free reproofs for all his wickedness , who thereupon caused him to be sawn in sunder with a wooden saw ( as josephus saith : ) but not long after the lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the king of assyria , who took manasse among the thorns , and bound him in fetters , and carried him to babylon , where he was cast into a dungeon , chron. . . . the wicked jews grievously persecuted the prophet jeremiah : first , they smote him with the tongue , jerem. . . come , say they , let us devise devises against jeremiah — come and let us smite him with the tongue , and let us not give heed to any of his words . afterwards pashur the priest , smote him , and put him in the stocks ; whereupon jeremiah denounced this judgment against him : the lord hath not called thy name pashur , but magor-missabib . for thus saith the lord , i will make thee a terror to thy self , and to all thy friends , and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies , and their eyes shall hehold it . — and thou pashur and all that are in thine house shall go into captivity , and thou shalt come to babylon , and their thou shalt die , jerem. . , , , . which grievous threatnings were without all question performed . . after this the priests , and the prophets , and all the people took jeremiah , and said , thou shalt surely die , jer. . . to whom jeremiah said , as for me , behold , i am in your hand : do with me as seemeth good unto you : but know ye for certain , that if you put me to death , ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your self , and upon this city , and upon the inhabitants thereof , &c. verse , . . when jerusalem was besieged by nebuchadnezzar's army , king zedekiah caused jeremiah to be cast into prison for foretelling the destruction of jerusalem , & the captivity of zedekiah , jer. . , . &c. but god suffered him not to go unpunished . for not long after , the city ( according to jeremiah's prophecy ) was taken , & zedekiah was , in his flight , overtaken , and carried to the king of babylon , who slew his sons before his eyes , & that that dreadful sight might be the last thing that he should ever see he immediatly put out his eyes , and bound him with chains , and carried him to babylon , jer. . , , . and zedekiah's princes , & nobles , who had smitten jeremiah , and put him into prison , jer. . . & did afterwards cast him into a dungeon , where he did stick in the mire , jer. . . when the city was taken , they also being over-taken , were carried to the king of babylon , who slew them all , jerem. . . . afterwards when the people were carried into captivity , jeremiah being ( according to his own desire ) left in the land of juda , he with the rest of the people , was carried perforce by johanan , and some other wicked captains into egypt , unto whom he foretold that they should their perish by the sword , and by the famine , and by the pestilence , for which plain and faithful dealing , they stoned him to death ( as josephus reports : ) but it was not long before nebuchadnezzar came , and overcame the egyptians , and plundered the country , at which time those predictions of jeremy were fulfilled upon his persecuting enemies , jerem. . , . and . , . &c. . and that the destruction of jerusalem , and the babylonish captivity ( which continued seventy years ) was in a special manner inflicted upon them for their crying sin of persecuting the ministers and people of god , appears plainly , chron. . . where it is said : they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his words , and misused his prophets , until the wrath of the lord arose against his people , till there was no remedy . therefore he brought upon them the king of the chaldees , who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary , and had no compassion upon young man , or maiden , old man , or him that stooped for age , &c. . during the captivity , haman the agagite ( a deadly enemy to the church and people of god ) had got a decree from king ahasuerus , upon a certain day to destroy , to kill , and to cause to perish all jews both young and old , little children and womon , and to take the spoil of them for a prey , esther . . but god wonderfully defeated this design , preserved his people , and turned the mischief intended against them , upon their enemies pates . for this wicked haman was himself hanged upon the gallows , fifty cubits high , which he had prepared for mordecay , esther . . his ten sons also were slain , esther . . and all others that rose up against them . . sometime after the return of the jews from the babylonish captivity , antiochus epiphanes , or the vile rather , was a cruel and merciless persecutor of the godly among them : but being in straits for want of mony , he went into persia to gather up some : and being there , he heard that in a wealthy city , called elymais , there was a very rich temple dedicated to diana : thither therefore he went , and besieged it ; but the inhabitants , sallying out , drave him away with great shame and loss : and when he came back to babylon he heard of the overthrow of his captains and armies in judaea : which news ( together with his late defeat ) so wrought upon him , that he fell sick , and finding no hope of recovery , he called his most familiar friends unto him , and told them that his disease was violent and desperate , and that he was justly plagued by god , with this grievous sickness , for that he had tormented the people of the jews , destroyed their temple and committed horrible sacrilege , and for contemning the majesty of of god : but now he vowed , that if it would please the lord to receive him , he would become a jew , and do many great things for the people of god : as also that he would go through all the known world to declare the power of god : notwithstanding which ( the lord knowing his hypocrisie ) continued to plague him after a very grievous and terrible manner . for he had a remediless and incessant pain in his bowels , and intollerable torments in all his inward parts . his body bred abundance of worms , which continually crawled out of the same : yea , he so rotted above ground , that whole flakes of flesh fell from his body , which was accompanied with such an intollerable stink that none were able to come near him , neither could he himself endure the same , which forced him to say , it is meet to submit to god , and for man which is mortal , not to set himself in competition with god. thus this vile person , who formerly in a proud and insolent manner had protested that he would make jerusalem a common burying place , and the streets thereof to run with the blood of god's people , by god's just judgment ended his life in extream misery in a strange land , upon the mountains of parata , near babylon . . probably under him it was that the saints endured most of those persecutions which are mentioned by the apostle in that little book of martyrs , heb. . , , . others had trial of cruel mockings , and scourgings ; yea , moreover of bonds , and imprisonment . they were stoned : they were sawn asunder ; were tempted ; were slain with the sword : they wandred about in sheepskins , and goatskins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented : of whom the world was not worthy : they wandred in desarts , and mountains , and in dens , and caves of the earth . of god's judgments upon persecutors under the new testament . herod , surnamed the great , hearing by the wise men that came out of the east , that there was one , who was born king of the jews , and being informed by the chief priests and the scribes that the place of his birth should be bethlem of judah , he sent forth his soldiers , and ( to make sure work ) he slew all the children that were in bethlem , and in all the coasts thereof , from two years old and under , hoping thereby to have destroyed christ. but presently after , the lord gave him over to a spirit of phrensie , that he slew maryamne , his beloved wife , and his children ( which made augustus caesar say , that it was better to be herod's dog than his son ) and his nearest kinsfolk , and familiar friends . and shortly after , god's terrible judgment fell upon him by a grievous disease , which was a slack and slow fire in his inward parts : he had also a greedy and dog like appetite after food , which yet was insatiable : he had also a rotting in his bowels , and a grievous flux in his fundament : a moist and running humor in his feet , and the like malady vexed him about his bladder : his privy members putrified , engendring abundance of worms , which continually crawled and swarmed out of the same . he had a short and a stinking breath , with a great pain in breathing : and through all the parts of his body such a violent cramp , as no human strength was able to endure . yet longing after life , he sent for physicians from all parts , by whose advice he went to the hot baths at calliroe : but finding no ease by the use thereof , and his torments still encreasing , he endeavoured to lay violent hands upon himself , had he not been prevented by his friends about him ; and so at last ( having had some foretastes of the torments of hell ) in extream anguish he ended his wretched life . . herod the less , surnamed antipas , having married the daughter of aretas , king of arabia , after a while , put her away , and took herodias , who had forsaken her husband philip , herod's brother : for which incestuous , and adulterous marriage , john the baptist plainly reproved him , saying , it is not lawful for thee to have her , matth. . . hereupon , at the instigation of herodias , he first cast john into prison , and afterwards cut off his head. but the lord suffered not this wicked murther to go long unpunished : for aretas , raising an army against herod , for his ignominious dealing with his daughter , in a pitch'd battle , wholly overthrew him , and cut off his whole host. and not long after herod falling into disgrace with augustus , the roman emperor , he , together with his incestuous herodias , were banished to vienne in france , where they ended their wretched lives with much shame and misery . . after this there arose a third herod , surnamed agrippa , who ( not taking warning by his predecessors calamities ) fell to persecuting the church of christ , and conventing james the brother of john , before him , he condemned him to be beheaded : and seeing the death of james pleased the jews , he took peter also , and delivered him to four quaternians of soldiers to keep him in prison , intending after the passover to put him to death , acts . . &c. but neither did this bloody persecuting herod escape any better than his predecessors had done : for upon a great festival day , he being arraied in glittering and royal apparel , sat upon his throne , and made an oration to the people , which being ended , the people gave a shout , saying , it is the voice of a god , and not of a man : whereupon the angel of god's immutability smote him , and he was eaten of worms , and gave up the ghost , in the fifty fourth year of his age , and the seventh of his reign under claudius caesar. . now the sins of the jews being ripe , especially that heynous sin of persecuting the prophets , and messengers of god ; cried aloud for judgment ( according as christ had foretold them ) matth. . , , . &c. behold ( saith he ) i send unto you prophets , and wise men , and scribes , and some of them you shall kill and crucifie , and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues , and persecute them from city to city , that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous abel , unto the blood of zacharias , son of barachias , whom ye slew between the temple and the altar : verily i say unto you all these things shall come upon this generation . and that you may know more particularly what those judgments were , our saviour christ sets them down , matth. , . your house is left unto you desolate : and more plainly , chap. . , . then shall be great tribulation , such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time : no , nor ever shall be : and except those dayes should be shortened , their should no flesh ( to wit , of the jews ) be saved : but for the elects sake those dayes shall be shortened . . these predictions of our saviour were fulfilled by the roman armies under vespasian , and titus his son : for besides the afflictions which befel them in divers other countries , being tossed up and down by the roman deputies , there were slain in caesarea twenty thousand in one day : at alexandria fifty thousand another day : at zabulon and joppa eight thousand and four hundred : at damascus ten thousand had their throats cut . in the siege of jerusalem , they were so miserably pinched with famine , that oxen's dung was accounted good meat : others fed upon old leather , and some women boiled their own children , and did eat them . many hoping to save their lives by flying to the romans , had their bowels ript up , to search for gold and jewels in their stomacks and guts : two thousand of them thus perished in one night . ninty seven thousand of them were taken prisoners ( besides what fell under the sword ) when jerusalem was taken by storm , and eleven hundred thousand perished by the sword , famine , and pestilence , during the siege , and at the taking of the city . some of the prisoners were carried to rome to grace their triumph : others were slain in divers places at the conquerors will : some were torn in pieces and devoured by wild beasts : others were compelled to march in troops against their fellows , and to kill one another to make the spectators sport . the reliques of this wretched people were dispersed into all nations under heaven , having no magistrates of their own to protect them ; but were , and still are altogether at the will and discretion of the lords of those countries where they sojourn : so that no nation under heaven is so vile and contemtible as the jews . . yet here was not an end of their misery : for in the reign of the emperor trojan , these wretched people rebelled against the romans in egypt and cyprus , and falling upon the inhabitants , used unheard-of cruelties towards them ; whereupon trajan sent against them martius turbo , who slew many thousands of them . and fearing lest the jews in mesopotamia should break forth into the like outrages , he commanded lucius quintus to destroy them utterly , who so diligently executed his will , that the emperor , to recompence his service , made him president of judaea . dion . . after him adrian the emperour sent severus his general against these wretched jews , who ( by reason of their multitude ) would not trie it out in a pitched battle , but proceeding more warily , and taking his opportunities , he by degrees , took fifty of their strong castles , razed nine hundred and fourscore of their best towns , and slew five hundred and eighty thousand of them : besides multitudes that perished by famine , diseases and fire , so that almost all judea was made desolate : he also by an edict prohibited the jews from coming near to jerusalem , or from any high place to look towards the same . dion . . salmaticensis testifieth that this adrian destroyed twice as many jews as moses brought out of egypt . that he razed jerusalem , and not far from it , built another city , which after his own name he called aelia , and over the gates of it he placed statues of swine , which were faithful porters to prohibit the superstitious jews from entrance . . st. hierom tells us , that in his time , on that day wherein jerusalem was taken by the romans , you might see decrepit women , and old ragged women , and old ragged men , and many wretched people ( but pitied of none ) with blubbered cheeks , black arms , dishivelled hair , howling , and lamenting for the desolations of their sanctuary , in their bodies and habits , bearing and wearing the sad characters of divine vengeance , of whom also the soldiers exacted their fees for granting them liberty of farther weeping : so that they who formerly sold the blood of christ and his members , were then fain to buy their own tears . gods judgments on persecutors during the ten primitive persecutions under the heathen emperors . . nero ( that monster of men ) that raised the first bloody persecution against the christians , caused them to be clad in the skins of wild beasts , and torn in pieces with dogs : others he crucified : of some he made bone-fires to light him in his night-sports . in brief , such horrible cruelties he used against them , as made them to be pitied of their very enemies . but god at last found out this wretched persecutor . for being adjudged by the roman senate to be an enemy to mankind , he was condemned to be whip'd to death ; to avoid which shameful end , he cut his own throat . . domitian the author of the second persecution against the christians , grew to that prodigious height of pride , that he would be adored as a god : but god raised up his own houshold servants against him , who ( by the consent of his wife ) slew him with daggers in his privy chamber . his body was buried without honour : his memory accursed to all posterities , and his arms , and ensigns were thrown down and defaced . . trajan , though a prudent prince , and good civil magistrate , yet by the instigation of satan and his instruments , raised the third persecution against the church : for which the vengeance of god , and his heavy hand fell upon him . for first he fell into a grievous palsie : then lost the use of his senses : and lastly fell into a dropsie , and dyed in great anguish and misery . . adrian , who raised the fourth persecution , causing ten thousand christians to be crucified in armenia , and afterwards stirred up a hot and cruel persecution against them in other places , was stricken by god with an issue of blood from his lungs which exceedingly disquieted and weakened him : then he fell into a consumption of the lungs , which he spat out continually : and in the mean time he was afflicted with an insatiable dropsie , whereupon , finding himself so variously tormented , he would have taken poison ; or cut his throat with a knife : but his friends preventing him , he was forced to die a lingering and painful death . . marcus antonius verus , who continued the fourth persecution , exercising exceeding great cruelties against the christians in all parts of his empire , especially at lions , and viene in dalphine : for which cause , the lord struck him with a grievous apoplexy , of which , after he had lain speechless three days , he dyed . . comodus the emperor , who continued also this fourth persecution against the christians , was given over to such abominable wickedness , that he kept three hundred concubines , and as many boys for unnatural and delectable uses : and for his cruelty was poisoned by his friend marcia , which caused him to fall into extreme and deadly vomiting , in which he was slain by narcissus , one of his chamberlains . . severus , the author of the fifth persecution , never prospered after he began the same , but fell into diverse calamities : and at length was stricken by god with such an extreme pain through all the parts of his body , that being in misery therewith , he would fain have poisoned himself ; but being prevented by his friends , he dyed a languishing and painful death . . under him , claudius herminianus , governour of cappadocia ( out of hatred to his wife who was a christian ) extremely persecuted , and afflicted many of gods children : he was stricken by god with a pestilential carbuncle , and had vermine bred in his bowels which devoured him alive , after a most horrible manner , which extorted a confession from him , that those plagues fell justly upon him for his persecuting the christians . . maximianus the empreor , who raised the sixth persecution against the people of god , especially against the pastors of the church , was himself together with his son slain by his own soldiers . . decius who raised the seventh persecution , labouring by all means utterly to destroy the church of christ , exercising all the cruelty and torments that the wit of man could invent against them . for this cause god raised up the scythians against him , who in a bloody battel , routed and overthrew his army , and himself , and son were cruelly slain : or as others say , to avoid falling into his enemies hands , he leap'd his horse into a whirlpit , after which his body was never found . . presently after the death of this tyrant , a grievous plague and pestilence fell upon the bloody persecuting gentiles in every of the roman provinces , which lasting ten years together , made such havock among them , as is horrible to hear , and almost incredible to believe . and it was observed , that where the emperors edicts had been put in execution with most severity , there it raged most , insomuch that many places became utterly desolate . . gallus the emperor who continued the seventh persecution , was himself with his son slain by one of his own captains . . valerian the emperor , in the beginning of his reign was very mild towards the christians : but afterwards ( being stirred up by the devil and his instruments ) proved a terrible persecutor of them in all his dominions : but not long after , he was overthrown by the persians in a bloody battel ; wherein himself was taken prisoner , being seventy years old , and made so vile a slave , that sapores the king of persia , used his back as a block whereby to mount on horse-back , and afterward he caused him to be flayed alive , and powdered with salt , so that he dyed in cruel torments . eusebius . . claudius a president , and one of his ministers of cruelty , was possessed by the devil , and so grievously tormented , that biting off his tongue in small bits , he dyed miserably . this was the eighth persecution . . aurelian who raised the ninth persecution , being about to send out an edict for renewing the persecution against the christians , as he was about to sign it , a thunderbolt fell at his feet , which so terrified him , that for the present he forbore : but afterward , renewing it again , god stirred up his servants to cut his throat . niceph. eutropius . . dioclesian the author of the tenth persecution , first used all politick ways to cause all the christians in his armies to renounce their faith. then by proclamation he commanded all their churches to be beaten down ; their bibles to be burnt , or torn in pieces : that all christians in any office should be ejected : that christian bondmen who would forsake their profession should be made free : but when , notwithstanding this , he saw that the number of christians still increased , being satiated with blood , he resigned , and gave over the empire : but shortly after god struck him with diverse and strange diseases : his house was burnt down by lightning from heaven : and himself was so affrighted with a dreadful thunder that he ran mad , and killed himself . ruffinus . . maximinian also , his fellow-emperor raged exceeding cruelly , and outragiously against the christians . for when twenty thousand of them , upon a solemn festival day , were assembled in a temple at nicomedia , to serve god , he caused it to be environed with some bands of soldiers , to be set on fire , and to be burnt with all that was in it . and a city of christians in phrygia , taking it after a long siege , he caused it to be burnt , and razed to the ground , with all that were in it . but shortly after god struck him with a grievous and incurable disease , wherein vermin bred abundantly in his body , which was accompanied with such an horrible stink , that , not being able to endure it , he hanged himself . . maximinus that next succeeded in the eastern empire , was a cruel and implacable persecutor of the saints . for which god struck him with an uncoth and loathsome disease . in his privy members there grew a sudden putrefaction , and at the bottom of the same there arose a botchy corrupt bile , with a fistula consuming and eating up his entrails , out of which came swarming and innumerable company of lice , which was attended with such a pestiferous stink as none were able to abide it . and being a corpulent man , all his fat so putrified , and stank so horribly , that some of his physicians , not being able to endure it , he commanded to be slain : and others of them were cruelly put to death , because they could not cure him . but at last being told that it was gods just revenging hand upon him for persecuting his people , he seemed to relent , and commanded the persecution to cease : and god was pleased in some measure to ease him of his grievous torments . but about six months after , he sent forth a new proclamation for the utter rooting out of the very name of christians , whereupon his disease returned again , and assaulted him in greater extremity than before ; so that his body being all rotten and full of corruption and worms , he dyed an accursed and miserable death . chrysostom saith , that the apples of his eyes fell out before he dyed . . galerius a chief instrument of the persecution under dioclesian fell into a grievous disease : in the nether part of his belly there arose a spreading sore which consumed his privy members , from whence there crawled abundance of worms , bred of the putrefaction , which neither chyrurgeons , nor physicians could cure . this made him to acknowledge that it was a just hand of god upon him for his cruelty to the christians , and so he dyed miserable ▪ or as others write , he flew himself . languets chron. . licinius the eastern emperor , a bloody and merciless enemy to the christians , was in two great battels overthrown by constantine the great , and slain by his soldiers . . antiochus , who passed sentence upon agapetus , a godly young man , that was but fifteen years old , fell down suddenly as he sate upon the seat of judicature , crying out , that all his bowels burned within him , and so he dyed in great torment . . mamuca , a saracen , being a cruel persecutor of the people of god , like unto pharoah , met also with the like stroke of gods vengeance . for as he was returning by sea , with his army in a hundred ships , from the slaughter of the christians , god sent such a storm upon them , that few or none of them escaped drowning . paulus diaconus . lib. . c. . julian , surnamed the apostate , was first a christian , yet afterward became a heathen , and proved one of the most dangerous and deadly persecutors that ever the christian church had . first , he began to undermine the christian religion by policy , and afterwards proceeded to downright blows , letting loose the gentiles , and his governours upon the christians , wherein neither arian , nor orthodox is spared from imprisonment , banishment , tortures , and what not ? and when complaints were made hereof to the emperour , he answered , that their religion taught them to bear all patiently . he would not endure that christians children should be trained up in humane learning , because he saw the christians did beat the gentiles with their own weapons , and made philosophy an instrument to serve divinity : he took away the ministers maintenance , thereby destroying not so much presbiters , as the presbytery . but whilest he was thus busie against the church : he was called to an expedition against the persians : whereupon he made a solemn protestation , that when he returned from this war , he would utterly root out christianity , and so proceeding in his journey , he beat the enemy to a confused retreat ; whereupon , that he might pursue them with the more speed , he threw off his armor , but as he was posting on , he was met by a dart , or arrow that pierced through his arm , and entred into his side , and whilest he endeavoured with the other hand to draw it out , he received another wound , and thereupon fell from his horse , and receiving his blood , gushing from his wound into his hands , he threw it up into the air , saying , vicisti galilaee , vicisti : o thou galilaean ( so he called christ in scorn ) thou hast overcome me : and nazianzen saith , that his body was carried away in a tempest , without lamentation , and without burial . gods judgments upon persecuting hereticks . . arius the first great disturber of the peace of the christian church , was sent for by constantine the great , who asked him what the matter was that where-ever he went , still tumults and slaughters followed him . and whether he did really agree with the nicene faith ? arius did professedly avow that he did full agree thereto . the emperor commanded him to set the same down in writing under his hand , which he did in the emperors presence . then the emperor required his oath to manifest that he was reall in the same : and he readily made oath , that what he had written , was according to the truth , and that it was his reall judgment and opinion . the emperor now having his subscription and oath , was satisfied , and would have him first to communicate with the orthodox church at constantinople , that he might be the better qualified for communion with the church at alexandria , where athanasius had mightily opposed him : and accordingly he wrote to alexander the bishop of constantinople to receive arius into communion . . alexander , laying aside all further disputes ( by which hitherto he had mightily opposed the arian party ) betook himself wholly to prayer , wherein he continued fervently for diverse days and nights : but more especially that next day before the lords day , wherein arius was to be admitted to the sacrament : the sum of which prayer was this , it must needs be thus , o lord , that arius must communicate with this people to morrow . let thy servant , o lord , now depart in peace , and never see that day : and destroy not thou the righteous with the wicked : but if thou wilt spare thy church , ( as thou wilt spare it ) remember the words of eusebius ( an arian bishop ) and give not over thine inheritance to destruction and contempt , and take arius out of the way , lest he being admitted into communion , heresie should seem also to be received into communion with the truth , and wickedness be accounted godliness . this eusebius , bishop of nicomedia at constantinople had now the whole conduct of the matter concerning arius , and sent word to alexander that unless he would receive arius into communion , he would banish him from constantinople , and put another into his place that should do the work. but eusebius for all his threats , missed his expectation . for the lords day being come , arius with the emperors authority , marched forth in state out of the emperors hall , with eusebius and other bishops in his train : and passing along the streets in pomp ( a strange manner of address to the sacrament ) came to the common market place , where a sudden fear fell upon him , and therewithal , he was surprised with a flux , which enforced him to retire into a house appointed for such a purpose , and there suddenly his speech failed him : his excrements and blood ran out , his belly brake , his guts fell out , and his spleen and liver followed . the people staying long in expectation of him , and he not coming , they entred the house , and found the sad spectacle of him lying dead in that manner . constantius , one of the sons of constantine was himself an arian , and a great favourer of diverse arian bishops , by whom ( by his countenance and authority ) the orthodox christians were grievously persecuted . and thus this emperor , who would be stiled eternal emperor , and yet would not allow christ to be eternal god , and instead of being exceeding great , became odious to all good men , was abhorred by his own soldiers : and lastly was loathed by himself ; he saw his honour buried before he dyed : became a tormentor to himself by jealousies , fears and vexations , and these brought on a fear , which soon put a period to his life . . in the reign of julian , one george an arian bishop of alexandria , having raged exceedingly against the orthodox : yet would also shew his zeal against the heathen temples , which did so vex and exasperate the gentiles , that they , taking advantage of julian's coming to the crown , rose in a tumult , and seized upon bishop george , tyed him to a camels tail , and dragged him through the streets of alexandria , and then they burnt both bishop and camel in one fire . and thus god rendred to this heretical bishop a recompence for all his villanies , and outrages done to the orthodox . . valence , another arian emperor , was a great countenancer and encourager of the heresie , and a persecutor of the orthodox ; insomuch as when athanasius was dead in alexandria , the persecution broke in like a torrent , so that no man could stand before it : the orthodox churches both in city and country were swallowed up , and destroyed by it . yet this flood stopped not there , but brake ( as it were ) out of the world into the wilderness among the monks , where this persecution raged most of all , till the heathen goths paid the debt of the people of god , by the death of the emperor valence , somewhat like that of julian , saving that after his wounds received in the battle , with much ado he got into a town for succor , wherein , together with the whole town , he was by the pursuing goths burnt alive . . another constantine , a monothelite , being a cruel persecutor of the orthodox , was slain by one of his own servants as he was washing himself in a bath . hist. magd. gensericus , an arian king of the vandals , used a great deal of cruelty against the orthodox ; and in the end , he was possessed by an evil spirit , and dyed miserably . p. melan. chron. . hunricus , a son to a king of the vandals , being an arian , was a merciless persecutor of the orthodox , banishing five thousand of them at one time , among whom , some of them being unable to travel , he caused cords to be tyed to their legs , and to drag them through stony and rough places , whereby many of them perished . but not long after , god struck him with venomous biles all over his body , and in the end he was consumed by lice . h. magd. anastasius the emperor , a patron of the eutychian heresie , was a bloody persecutor of godly christians , and was slain by a thunderbolt . . arcadius the emperour , having by the perswasion of eudoxia , his empress , who was a violent arian , banished chrysostom from constantinople : the very next night there was such a terrible earthquake , that the emperor and all the people being extremely frighted , sent one post after another to fetch him back again . . theodoricus , an arian king of the goths , persecuted the sound christians with all rigor and hostility , among whom he slew two noble senators , symmachus , and boetius ; but not long after the lord stroke him with madness : and as he was sitting at his table , he had the head of a great fish set before him , which he imagined to be the head of symachus , whom he had slain , and thereupon he fell into such fear and astonishment , that he soon after dyed . evagri . . ehe arian vandals in africk were cruel persecutors of the orthodox , whereupon justinian the emperor sent against them his brave general belizarius , who overthrew them in several battels , took gilimer their king prisoner , and wholly subverted the empire of the vandals in africk , after they had reigned there by the space of ninety years , wherein , for the most part they had been merciless persecutors of the true christians . gods judgements upon popish persecutors . . about the year some popish bishops in bohemia , stirred up the queen , who was then great with child , to move the king uladislaus , severely to punish the piccards , as the godly christians were then called : and the queen much pleased her self in thinking what grateful spectacles she should have , when she should see some of them burnt , others beheaded , and others drowned in the river : but it pleased god that before she could see it effected , she fell in travel , and could by no means be delivered of her burden ; whereupon the physicians advised that the child should be cut out of her womb , which being done accordingly , the child lived , but the mother dyed . . two years after , the bishops by their importunity prevailed with the king to use sharp remedies against those growing evils , as they called them : whereupon an edict was drawn up , that all the piccards in the kingdom , without distinction of age , sex , or quality should be slain . this was brought to the assembly of states , then met at prague , to be confirmed by them . many of the nobles opposed it ; but by the subtilty of the chancellor , and his associats , it was at last agreed upon by the major part : and the chancellour as he returned homeward from the parliament , visited a nobleman of his acquaintance , and told him with much joy , what they had resolved upon . the nobleman had a servant standing by , who was a great favourer of the brethren , he asked him , how he liked this decree ? the servant answered , that sure all parties were not agreed . the chancellour , suspecting some secret treachery , asked him , who durst oppose the states of the kingdom ? the servant answered , there is one in heaven , who , if he were not present at your counsels , you have consulted but in vain . the chancellour replyed , thou knave , thou shalt find that , as well as the rest : and so , rising up in a fury , immediately a carbuncle arose upon his foot , which turned to a disease called ignis sacer , whereby he dyed in much misery . . another who was a great stickler in promoting this decree , in his return home-wards , as he was alighting out of his chariot to make water , struck his member on a sharp nail that was in the boot , whereby , as he went forward , he drew out his entrails , and not long after gave up the ghost . also one dr. austin , who by slanderous libels had stirred up the king to this persecution , dyed suddenly as he sate at supper . . another noble-man who promoted the aforesaid decree , as he was a hunting , his horse threw him , and his own arrow ran into his thigh , and came out at his loins , whereby he dyed a very painful death . and many others of them met with the like judgments from god , whereupon it grew into a proverb : if you be a weary of your life , attempt something aganst the piccards , and you shall not escape a year to an end . . the year after two german tradesmen were apprehended at prague , and by the monks there , were accused of lutheranism , for which they were condemned and burnt : but one of their chief persecutors , who wished that all the piccards were hanged , burned , or beheaded by his hands ' it pleased god that all these evils befell himself : for , being exceedingly in debt , for very vexation , he hanged himself : and when his friends had buried him privately , the common people , hearing of it , dig'd up his carcass , and threw it away , which , by the magistrates command , was ordered to be burnt : but when the wood was consumed . and the body only scorched , his head was by one stricken off . . as john huss was going to constance , there was one stanislaus znoma , a bohemian , who , as he was travelling toward the council to accuse him , was stricken by god with a deadly impostume whereof he dyed in his journey . this huss though he had the emperors safe conduct , was condemned and burnt there : shortly after whose death the bohemians rose in arms under their undaunted general zisca , and had admirable successes against the emperor , and popish party . for they maintained war against the emperor sigismund by the space of seventeen years together , wherein he spent an infinite treasure , lost many brave armies , and gallant men . and during these wars a thousand monasteries were overthrown and destroyed , many stately castles demolished , and cities plundered and burnt , which was gods just revenging hand upon him for his perfidiousness . . in the late bohemian persecution , one dr. knapper , a great . persecutor of the godly protestants , was slain by conspiracy of his own wife , who was an adulteress ; for which she was hanged . . another of those persecutors vomited out his ungodly soul together with his blood. . another ran mad , and threw himself down from his own house , and so roaring fearfully , breathed his last . . another shot himself dead with his own pistol . . another ran mad , and withal fell into so loathsome a disease , that none could endure his stink , and at last he was choaked in vomiting up of abundance of blood. . another was seized with a strange disease , wherein his body turned as black as a coal , and he uttered his speech like the barking of a dog , and within the space of three days , dyed in terrible pains . . another by the breaking of a great gun was torn all to pieces . . another was taken with a terrible disease in the throat , so that his tongue rotted in his mouth , and many holes were eaten in his throat , by which both food , and physick came forth , so that he dyed in much misery . . ladislaus king of bohemia , together with diverse other popish princes had conspired together , utterly to root out the protestants in that kingdom , which should have been put in execution at the time of the kings marriage : but a little before , in the middle of his great preparations , he fell sick , and within the space of six and thirty hours , he dyed of a pestilent sore in his groin . . in france , minerius governour of provence was sent with an army by the king against those ancient christians , the waldenses , who used much cruelty against them , burning some , killing others , driving others into woods , and mountains , whereby they perished of famine , and depopulated whole towns and villages . not long after the lord smote him with a terrible disease , so that he felt like a burning fire within him from the navel upward : and his lower parts rotted and were consumed with vermin , which mortification was attended with a grievous stink : he had also a profusion of blood instead of his urine , and in those extreme torments , he ended his wretched life . . simon monfort , earl of leicester , was a cruel persecutor of the godly albingenses under the king of france , and by the instigation of the pope ; but as he was besieging some of them in tholous , his head was stricken off by a stone , which a woman let flye out of an engine . . lewis , king of france , besieging avignion , a city of the albingenses , vowed that he would never depart till he had taken it : but suddenly after , god sent a dreadful pestilence into his army , which daily wasted great numbers of his men : and the king himself was forced to quarter at a distance in an abby , to avoid the infection , where shortly after he dyed out of his wits . . truchetus an old expert captain was imployed by the duke of savoy against the waldenses , who were a naked and unarmed people : but whilest he was prosecuting of them , he was first sore wounded with stones , and afterwards , slain with his own sword by a poor shepherd , who was keeping cattel in the field . . the lord of revest , chief president of the parliament at aix in france , put many godly persons to death : but shortly after , himself was put out of his office , and was stricken by god with such an horrible disease as made him run mad , that none of his friends durst come near him , and so he perished miserably . . after him succeeded in his office one bartholomew cassinaeus , who proved also a pestilent persecutor , whom the lord struck with a fearful and sudden death . . johannes de roma , a monk was a bloody and implacable persecutor of the waldenses . his manner was to fill boots with boiling oil and put their legs into them , tying them backward over a form , their legs hanging down over a soft fire , and afterwards cruelly to put them to death , and seized upon their goods . but not long after his own servants rob'd him of those ill-gotten goods : and he fell into a horrible disease unknown to any phisician ; the pains and torments whereof did so incessantly vex him , that he could , by no means have one minutes rest , neither could any endure to come near him by reason of his horrible stink . his body was full of sores and ulcers , which swarmed with vermin , so that rotting , his flesh fell of by piece-meal . in which torment he often cryed out , o! who will deliver me , who will kill me , and deliver me out of these intollerable torments ? and so languishing in anguish and despair , he ended his cursed life . . john martin , another great enemy to the waldenses , used to boast every where that he would slit the nose of one of their chief ministers : but before he could effect it , a wolf meeting him , bit off his nose , whereupon he ran mad , and died miserably . . the cardinal of lorrain , a principal pillar of the house of guise , a crafty and cruel persecutor of the people of god , as he was coming from rome with a purpose of stirring up the kings of france and poland utterly to root out the protestants in their dominions : it pleased god to work so ▪ wonderfully for his peoples safety , that by the way he fell mad at avignion , and dyed in the flower of his youth . at the instant of whose death , there fell out such a dreadful tempest as made all to be amazed at it . . bellemont , a counsellor of the parliament of provence , was so hasty to condemn the poor people of god , that he went not from the judgment hall from morning till night , causing his dinners to be brought to him . but whilest he was so busie in this way of persecution , there began a little sore to rise upon his foot , which quickly grew red , and full of pain , and so encreased the first day , that by judgment of chyrurgeons , there was no hope of cure but by cutting off his foot , which he refusing , they used all other means they could devise , yet the second day the whole leg was infected , and the third day his whole thigh , and the fourth day his whole body , upon which day he dyed . his dead body was all over parched as if it had been roasted by a fire . . a judge of the city of aix , who was a great persecutor of the protestants , drowned himself in the river . a chief judge , who was a principal instrument in condemning the waldenses in merindol , and cabriers , died suddenly , not living to see his bloody sentence executed . . john cranequin , a lawyer of bourges , who was a great informer against the people of god , to bring them into the cruel inquisition , was stricken by god with a marvellous strange phrensie , so that whatever he saw seemed to him to be crawling serpents : and having in vain used all sorts of medicines , yea , and wicked sorcery too , at length was quite bereaved of his senses , and so ended his wretched life in much misery . . chancellour prat , who put up the first bill in the parliament of france , against those of that religion , and gave out the first commissions for the putting of them to death ; dyed himself not long after , fearfully swearing , and blaspheming the name of god , and had his stomach gnawn in pieces by worms in a strange manner . . john morin , a mighty enemy to the professors of the truth , who made it his whole business to apprehend and accuse them , dyed himself in most grievous , and horrible torments . . the chancellor oliver , who had been himself a professor of the truth , apostatizing from the same , was restored to his office , in which he spared not to shed much innocent blood : but whilest he was thus busied ▪ a fearful judgment befel him ( as was foretold by some of those innocents whom he condemned ) for falling into extreme terrors of conscience , he betook himself to his bed , sighing and sobing without intermission , and breathing forth murmurings against god ; yea , his horrors were so violent that he shaked the bed under him , as if a young man with all his strength had done it . and a certain cardinal coming to visit him , he could not endure his sight , crying out , that it was that cardinal that had brought him to damnation . he continued long under these dreadful torments , and dyed at last in despairing fear and anguish . . poncher , arch-bishop of tours , who condemned many godly persons to the fire , was himself seized upon with a fire from god ; which , beginning at his heel , could by no means be cured , till one member after another being cut off , he dyed in much misery . . an austin friar called lambert , a dr. and prior in the city of lieg , and one of the bloody inquisitors , as he was one day preaching bitterly against the protestants , was stricken speechless , and being carried out of his pulpit into his cloister , he was shortly after found drowned in a ditch . , augustine marlorat , a learned , painful , and holy preacher in roan , was condemned to be hang'd , and drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution : the constable of france loaded him with a thousand reproaches and outrages , as also did monsieur monbrun , the constables son , who shortly after was slain in the battel of dreux : also one villibon gave him a switch with a wand , adding many reproachful speeches therewith , which marlorat bore with admirable patience and meekness : and when he was executed and dead , the malice of his adversaries rested not there : for one of the soldiers struck on his legs with his sword : but speedy vengeance from god pursued his persecntors : for the popish captain that apprehended him was slain within three weeks after , by the basest soldier in all his company : and two of his judges dyed very strangely soon after ; namely , the president of the parliament , by a flux of blood , which could by no art , nor means be stopped : the other being a counsellor , voided his urine at his fundament , which was accompanied with such an intollerable stink , that none could endure to come near him . villebon also who switched him , sped no better . for a while after the marshal vielle ville , coming to roan about publick affairs , invited villebon to dinner , and in discourse , lamenting the miseries of that city , he exhorted him to reform many abuses , seeing he was the kings lievtenant there . villebon took this so ill , that he said , if any man dare tax me for not behaving my self as i ought in my place , i would tell him to his face that he lyed . these words he repeated over so often , that the marshal being much urged , struck at him with his sword , with such violence , that , had he not received the blow with his arm , his head had been clest to the teeth . thus for the present he escaped with the loss of that hand wherewith he had stricken marlorat in so disgraceful a manner at the place of execution . . a young gentlewoman of about three and twenty years old , came from gascoine to paris , to join her-self to the protestant church there : and after a while , she among others , was apprehended , imprisoned , and condemned to be burnt , which she endured with admirable patience and constancy , but presently two of them that bore witness against her , falling out , the one slew the other with a knife . . gharles cominck who had been a friar in the city of gaunt , after his conversion , was apprehended , and condemned , but after his execution , one of his greatest adversaries , who had a chief hand in his death , fell into such grievous horrors and terrors of conscience , that he dyed within a few days . . dr. aegidio , a godly preacher in sevil , being brought into the inquisition , and used miserably by them , before they proceeded to condemn him , it pleased god , that three of the inquisitors , who were his greatest adversaries , dyed , by which good providence , he was released , and lived some years after . . the emperor ferdinand the second , was a great persecutor of the protestants in bohemia and germany , who after his victory over frederick , prince palatine , and the bohemian states , made it his work to root out the protestant religion in those countries , and turned them into a very shambles of blood , sparing neither age , sex , nor rank that refused to abjure the truth . but whilest he was in his full carier , god brought in against him a contemptible people [ the swedes , ] under whose swords most of those bloody wretches fell ; who were the bohemian scourges , so that much of germany , and of the emperors country was a very aceldama , a field of blood. the emperor 's great army , consisting of twenty four thousand , that had given laws to germany for many years together , and were looked upon as so many captains by reason of their long practice and experience , was broken in the plain field . and the emperor himself being broken with breach upon breach , was forced to such terms as the enemies could be drawn to . examples of gods judgments upon popish persecutors in england , and scotland . . sir thomas moor , and fisher , bishop of rochester , who were great persecutors of the protestants in the reign of king henry the eighth , were themselves not long after condemned for treason , and beheaded . . philips , who betrayed mr. tindal to the emperors secretary , fell into a grievous disease , and was caten up of lice . . pavier , the town-clerk of london , a cruel enemy to the true professors of the gospel , swore a great oath , that if he thought the king would set forth the scriptures in english , rather than he would live to see it , he would cut his own throat . but he brake promise ( saith the author ) for instead thereof he hanged himself . foxford , chancellour to stokesley , bishop of london , a bloody persecutor , and the common butcher of gods saints , dyed suddenly , sitting in his chair , his belly breaking , and his guts falling out before him . . rockwood , who was a great stirrer up of the persecution against gods people in calis , suddenly fell sick , staring , raging , and crying out , all to late : for i have maliciously sought the death of many godly persons , and that against mine own conscience : and therefore all to late ; all to late : and thus he continued unto his end . . the under marshal also , who at the same time was a persecutor , fell down dead in the council chamber , and never spake word after . . adam damlip , a godly preacher in calis , was falsly accused of treason , for which he was condemned , and executed ; and when he would have purged himself , sir ralph ellerker would not suffer him to speak , but commanded him to be carried away to execution , saying , that he would not depart till he saw the traitors heart out : but shortly after , in a skirmish against the french , this ellerker was slain , and after they had stripped him naked , they cut off his privy members , and pulled out his heart , which they did not to any other of the slain . . dr. story , a bloody persecutor in queen marys days , when queen elizabeth came to the crown , could not forbear to curse her dayly in his grace at board ; for which trayterous practice he was deservedly hanged . . john twiford , a furious papist , that used to set up stakes for them that were burnt in smithfield , dyed , rotting above ground , so that none could endure to come near unto him by reason of his horrible stink . . william gardiner , an english merchant , being present in lisbon at the marriage of the king of portugal's son with the king of spain's daughter , and seeing the abominable idolatry then used in the presence of the king ; and of all the states there assembled , he stepped to the cardinal , who was celebrating of mass , and plucked the cake out of his hand , and trampled it under his feet , and overthrew the chalice : for which , by most exquisite torments in a horrible manner they put him to death by degrees , and then burned him , a spark of whose fire , was driven by the wind a great way into one of the kings ships lying in the haven , and quite consumed it : and within half a year after the new married prince dyed ; and the year after the king himself dyed also . . cardinal woolsey , after much opposition against the light of the gospel which brake forth in his time , and much cruelty used against the professors of it , fell into disgrace with king henry the eighth , who sent for him up out of yorkshire , and in his journey ( suspecting the issue ) he took such a strong purge , as his rotten body not being able to bear , he dyed at the abby of lecester . his dead body was as black as pitch , and so heavy that six men could scarcely bear it , and it stank so intollerably that they were fain to hasten the burial of it in the night , at which time there was such an hiddeous tempest , as blew out all the torches , and the storm was accomponied with such a stink , that they were glad to throw him into his grave , and so to leave him . . judge morgan who passed sentence of condemnation upon the incomparable lady jane dudley , shortly after ran mad , and in his raving fits , cryed out continually to have the lady jane taken away from him , and so he continued till he dyed . . morgan , bishop of s. davids in wales , who condemned the blessed martyr mr. ferrar , and unjustly usurped his bishoprick , not long after was stricken by god in a most strange manner . for his food would not go down , but pick up again , sometimes at his mouth , sometimes blown out at his nose , most horrible to behold : and thus he continued a spectacle of gods displeasure , till he dyed . . mr. leyson also who was sheriff at the burning of mr. ferrar , having fetched away his cattle , and put them into his own grounds , diverse of them would never eat any meat , but continued bellowing and roaring till they dyed . . dr. duning , chancellour of norwich , who was a bloody persecutor in the reign of queen mary , was stricken suddenly as he sate in his chair , and dyed . . berry , commissary of norfolk , another bloody persecutor , as he was walking with one of his concubines , fell down suddenly with a heavy groan , and never stirr'd after . . a persecuting suffragan of dover , having been with cardinal pool for his blessing , coming out of the cardinal's chamber , fell down the stairs , and brake his neck . . bishop thornton , another cruel persecutor , as he was looking upon his men at bowls upon a sahbath-day , fell suddenly into a palsie , and being carried to his bed , and willed to remember the lord : yea , ( said he ) so i do : and my lord cardinal too : and so he dyed . . dr. jeffery , chancellour of salisbury ; a wretched persecutor , who had appointed to call before him ninety godly persons , and to examine them by inquisition , the day before , as he was looking upon his buildings , fell down suddenly and dyed . . thomas blaver , a privy counsellor to the king of scots , was a great persecutor of the faithful in that land : but being by god struck with sickness , he fell into despair , crying out that he was damned , and a cast-away : that he was damned without remedy . in which miserable condition he dyed without any sign of true repentance . . henry , arch-bishop of mentz , a godly , and religious man , was accused as being guilty of heresie to the pope , who sent two of his cardinals to examine the matter : and they most unjustly deposed him , and cast him out of his place , whereupon he said unto them : if i should from your unjust sentence appeal unto the pope , 't is like i should find no redress from him ; wherefore i appeal to the lord jesus christ , that just and righteous judge of all the world , and cite you to answer me before his judgment seat , for this unjust act of yours . to which they scoffingly answered , go you first , we will follow after . not long after this , the good arch-bishop dyed , which , when the cardinals heard of , they said jestingly one to another : behold , he is now gone before , and we must follow after according to our promise . and indeed shortly after they both dyed upon one day . the one , sitting upon a jakes voided out his entrails : the other , gnawing his own fingers , and having made himself deformed with devouring himself ; he dyed miserably . . about the year . there was at chipping sadbury a godly woman convented before the chancellour [ dr. whittington ] by whom she was condemned to be burnt . and against the day of her execution , multitudes of people flocked to the town , and among the rest , dr. whittington came to see her burnt . at the same time there was a butcher in another part of the town that was killing a bull : but the butcher , somewhat missing his blow , the bull broke loose just as the people were coming from seeing the execution of the martyr : the people , seeing the bull coming , divided themselves , and made a lane for him to pass through , the bull went through , without hurting , man , woman , or child , till he came to the place where the chancellour was , against whom he ran very furiously , and with his horns , hitting him on the belly , ran through it , and tearing out his guts with his horns , trailed them about the streets , to the great astonishment of all that beheld it . . at the burning of alexander goug , and alice driver , martyrs , there was one bate , a barber , that was a very busie man about burning them : but presently after gods severe judgment fell upon him , so that within three or four weeks after , he dyed in much misery . . in the reign of queen mary , one of the sheriffs of london , called mr. woodrose , used mr. bradford very churlishly at the time of his execution , as he had dealt with mr. rogers before . he used also to laugh , and make himself sport at the sufferings of these innocent persons , and used to beat away the people who were desirous to shake them by the hand before their death : but the lord ( who usually punisheth such bloody persecutors ) shortly after struck him with lameness upon one side , that he could never after turn him in his bed. he had also a dog-like appetite , that could never be satisfied with food : and in this misery he continued by the space of eight years , even till he dyed . . adam foster of mendlesham in suffolk , was apprehended by one thomas mouse , and george rivet for not coming to mass , and by them was carried before sir john tyrel , who sent him to the bishop of norwich . but it pleased god that mouse , was immediately after stricken with a grievous disease , whereof he shortly after dyed : and rivet ( not warned thereby , but ) persevering in his persecuting ways , had a great swelling that rose in his legs , which grievously vexed , and tormented him ; and at last , falling into a fearful disease , he dyed miserably , and in so impatient a manner , as terrified all that heard thereof . . george eagles , martyr , who was hanged at chelmesford in fssex , was cut down before he was dead , and sadly mangled by one william swallow , bayliff of chelmesford : his body being opened , they pulled out his heart , and quartered him , and set up his quarters in several places . but shortly after , gods terrible judgments fell upon this swallow , so that his hair fell from his head , his eyes were so closed that he could scarce see , the nails fell off from his fingers and toes , and a leprosie over-spread his whole body , and his estate so melted away that he fell into beggary , and dyed in much misery . , william seaman , thomas carman , and thomas hudson were apprehended in norfolk : their persecutor was sir john tyrel , who commanded his servants to search for seaman : one of their names was robert baldwin , a neighbour to seaman , and one in whom he put much confidence . yet this treacherous person ( to gratifie his mr. ) searched seamans house in the night , and finding him at home , carried him prisoner to his master . as they went in the way a strange light fell from heaven betwixt them : after which , this baldwin , though then in the flower of his age , never enjoyed good day , but pined away till he dyed . . mr. william brown , minister of little-stanham in suffolk , for preaching boldly , and faithfully against the mass , was persecuted by on robert bloomsield , constable there . but the terrible hand of god fell upon him , both by sickness , and consumption of his estate , so that , being rich before , he became poor . his wife also , and his son dyed of pining sickness . and though he thought to repair his estate , by marrying a rich widdow , yet god still blowed upon it . his body also was full of botches and sores , and being thus afflicted in body , and impoverished in his estate , he dyed in misery . . there was in lancashire , one justice leland , who was a great persecutor of the godly in those parts : he one day as he was sitting in his chair , and discoursing with his friends , fell down suddenly and dyed , never so much as once stirring after . . ralph lardin , the betrayer of george eagles aforementioned , was himself arraigned , condemned , and hanged . as he stood at the bar , he said publickly , this is justly faln upon me for betraying the blood of that just and holy man , george eagles , who , through my means was condemned , and i sold his life for a little money . . mr. swingfield , a deputy in thames-street , hearing that mrs. angel , a midwife , and a gracious woman , was at a gentlewomans labour in crooked-lane , taking three others with him , he beset the house , and apprehended her , and carried her unto some of bishop bonner's officers , who put her into lollards tower. this mrs. angel was great with child , and by reason of the fright , and a fall which she caught at her apprehension , she fell into labour the next day , and was delivered in prison , having no woman with her , to help her in her extremity . but within ten weeks after , deputy swingfield , and all the other three that came with him to assist him , all of them dyed . . there was one burton , the bayliff of crowland in lincolnshire , who in king edward the sixth's time , was a seemingly zealous protestant : but when queen mary came to the crown , he soon turned papist , and endeavoured to stir up his neighbours to introduce the mass. they , not being forward in it , the sabbath following this burton went to the church , and when the curate was beginning to read the english service , burton went to him , saying , sirrah , will you not say mass ? buckle your self to it , you knave , or by gods blood , i will sheath my dagger in your shoulders . the poor curate , being affrighted herewith , betook himself to read mass : but shortly after , as this burton , with one of his neighbours , rode together upon the fen-bank , a crow , ( with her usual note ) flew over his head , and voiding her excrements , it fell on his nose , and ran down upon his beard , and stank so horribly as set him a vomiting in a most violent manner : whereupon , hasting home , he betook himself to his bed , but could eat nothing : and the stink , and vomiting still continuing , with fearful oaths and execrations , he cursed the crow for thus poisoning of him ; and so continued in extreme torments till he dyed . . there was one james abbes burnt at bury for religion : as he went to the stake , some poor people met him , begging his alms , and because he had no money to give them , he plucked of his apparel , to his very shirt , and distributed it among them , exhorting them to be strong in the lord : and ( as faithful followers of jesus chlist ) to stand stedfast in the truth of the gospel , which , ( said he ) with gods assistance , i will now , in your sight , seal with my blood. whilest he was thus exhorting them , there came one of the sheriffs men , who , hearing what he said , cryed out to the people most blasphemously , saying , good people , believe him not , for 't is heresie that he speaketh . and as abbes continued his godly exhortations , so this wicked wretch belched out his blasphemous exclamations , till they came to the stake . as soon as the fire was kindled . gods fearful vengeance fell upon this wicked wretch ; who , immediately , in all the peoples sight , fell distracted , wherewith ( a little before ) he had charged this blessed servant of jesus christ : and in a furious manner , pulling off his cloaths , he said , thus did james abbes , the true servant of god , who is saved , but i am damn'd . and so he ran about the town , still crying out , james abbes was a good man , and is saved , but i am damn'd , hereupon his master caused him to be bound , clothed , and kept in a dark room , but as soon as the company was departed he tore off his cloths , still raging , and crying out , james abbes was the true servant of god , and is saved , but i am damned : and thus he continued till he dyed . . one dale , a promoter and persecutor in queen marys days , was eaten up by lice , and dyed miserably . alexander , the keeper of newgate , a merciless enemy to those that lay there for religion , and who used to go to bishop bonner , and his officers , crying out , rid my prison : rid my prison : i am too much pestered with these hereticks : by gods just judgment he fell into a grievous disease : his body was so much swoln that he was more like a monster than a man , and his entrails so rotted that none could endure the stink of him . and his son james , to whom he left a great estate , soon consumed it , saying in a jeering manner , ill gotten , ill spent . at last , as he went through newgate-market , he fell down suddenly and dyed . . also john peter , alexander's son in law , was an horrible blasphemer , and used upon every occasion to say , if it be not so , i pray god , i may rot before i dye . he was also very cruel to the poor servants of god in prison . and god paid him home in his own coin : for according to his imprecation , his body rottted away by piece-meal till he dyed . . one lever of brightwel in barkshire , , jeeringly said , that he saw that ill-favoured knave . latimer , when he was burned at oxford : and that he had teeth like an horse : but the lord suffered not this profane scoff to go unpunished . for about that very same hour wherein lever spake those words , his son hanged himself . . all ages have cause to admire , and adore the exemplary judgments of god poured out upon stephen gardiner , bishop of winchester , in queen marys days ; who upon the day wherein reverend latimer , and learned ridley were to be burnt at oxford , ( though some great peers came to dine with him that day , yet ) would not sit down to dinner , till one of his servants about four a clock in the afternoon , coming post from oxford , brought word that execution was done upon them . then did he hast to dinner , and was very merry , but ere he had eaten many bits , a sudden stroke of gods hand fell upon him , so that he was carried immediately to his bed , in which he continued for fifteen days in intollerable anguish and torments , rotting above ground , during all which time he could void nothing that he received , neither by stool , nor urine , his tongue also hung out of his mouth swoln , and black , and so he languished and pined away in great anguish and misery . . king james the fifth of scotland , by the instigation of the popish clergy , was a great persecutor of the truth that then brake forth in that kingdom : and for that end he gave commission to sir james hamilton , natural brother to the earl of arran , who was his treasurer , to call , and convent all that were suspected of heresie , and to inflict upon them the punishment , which , after tryal , they should be found to deserve : in execution of which commissiion he was most fierce and cruel , not sparing some that were of his near kindred . but when he was in his greatest heighth , and made it his work to suppress the gospel , one of his own friends , whom he pursued upon the account of religion , accused him of treason , and notwithstanding the mediation of the popish clergy for him , as their greatest patron , he was arraigned , condemned , executed , and quartered in the streets of edenburg . this king james also was heard to say , that none of that way should expect any favour at his hands , nay , nor his own sons if they should be found guilty . but shortly after , war breaking forth with england , he found his nobility averse to those incursions which he intended to make into england , which much vexed him . these thoughts , and some fearful visions which he had by night , terrified him exceedingly . for at linlithgow , on a night as he slept , it seemed to him that thomas scot , justice clerk , came unto him , with a company of devils , crying , wo worth the day that ever i knew thee , or thy service : for serving thee against god and his servants , i am now adjudged to hell torments . hereupon awaking , he called for lights , and told his servants what he had heard and seen . the next morrow , by the light of day , news was brought him of the death of the said justice clerk , which fell out just at the same time when the king had this vision , and almost in the same manner : for he dyed in great horror , often reiterating those words , by the righteous judgment of god , i am condemned . and this manner of his death , answering so exactly to the kings dream made it the more terrible . the king also had another dream in the same place a few nights after , which did more affright him . whilest he lay sleeping , he thought that sir james hamilton aforesaid , came unto him with a naked sword in his hand , and therewith cut off both his arms ; threatening to return within a short time , and to deprive him of his life . with this he awaked , and as he lay musing what this dream should import , news was brought him of the death of his two sons , james , and arthur , the one dying at s. andrews , the other at strivling , at one and the very same hour . the next year , which was . being overwhelmed with grief , he dyed at falkland in the two and thirtieth year of his age. a little before he dyed , word was brought him that his queen was delivered of a daughter ; whereupon he brake forth into a passion , saying : it came with a lass , ( meaning the crown ) and will go with a lass. fie upon it . . one friar campbell in scotland did bitterly rail upon that man of god , mr. patrick hamilton whilest he was burning at s. andrews : to whom mr. hamilton said with much earnestness : thou wicked man , thou knowest the contrary , and hast sometime made a profession of the truth : i appeal thee to answer it before the judgment seat of christ : a few days after campbel fell sick , and in great horror of conscience dyed distracted . . anno . there was in breda one peter coulogue , a godly man , who , by his popish adversaries was cast into prison , and his maid-servant daily carried him his food , confirming and comforting him out of the word of god as well as she was able ; for which they imprisoned her also . not long after peter was put to the torment of the rack , which he endured patiently . after him the maid was fetch'd to be racked , whereupon , she said ; my masters , wherefrre will ye put me to this torture , seeing i have no way offended you ? if it be for my faith-sake , ye need not torment me : for , as i was never ashamed to make a confession thereof , no more will i now be at this present before you ; but will if you please freely shew you my mind therein . yet for all this they would have her to the rack : whereupon she again said , if i must needs suffer this pain , pray you give me leave to call upon my god first . this they assented to ; and whilest she was fervently pouring out her soul unto god by prayer , one of the commissioners was surprised with such fear and terror that he fell into a swoon , out of which he could never be recovered , by which means the poor maid escaped racking . . in the reign of king henry the second of france , there was a godly tailor condemned to be burnt for religion , and some about the king would needs perswade him to be present , and to see the execution himself : and god gave the tailor such strength and conrage in the fire as astonished the king to behold it : and the poor tailor , having espied the king in a window where he sate , fixed his eyes so stedfastly upon him , as they were never off , and the king was thereby constrained to leave the window , and to retire into his chamber , and was so affected therewith , that he confessed the shadow of the taylor followed him whither soever he went , and for many nights after he was so terrified with the apparitions of the taylor , that he protested with an oath , that he would never hear , nor see any more of those lutherans burned . . in the late rebellion , and persecution of ireland , john nicholson , and anne his wife were received into the protection of one fitz-patrick , who would have perswaded them to change their religion and to go to mass : but they professed that before they would do that , they would dye upon the swords point . then he laboured to prevail with the woman to burn her bible , but she said , that before she would do it , she would dye the death : whereupon the sabbath morning following , they were both of them cruelly murthered : but he that acted that villany , was so tormented in conscience : and dogged with their apparitions , that he pined away and dyed . . in the late irish massacre , wherein the bloody papists spared none of what age , sex , or quality soever ; o! how visibly did the judgments of god follow them ? and for that savage blood-shed , gave them blood to drink in great measure : for mac-guir mac-mahun , and sir philem oneal , being taken prisoners , were publickly executed . most of the rest were consumed by the sword , either in their own countrey , or in foreign parts , and their spirits were generally so debased , and their courage emasculated , that a few english , or scottish soldiers would chase multitudes of them ; and gods judgments did so eminently follow them , that within a few years most of that cruel generation were rooted out . of gods judgments upon persecutors in germany , spain , and france . . the electoral house of saxony , upon the devesting of that brave and pious prince john frederick , the true heir , by the emperor charles the fifth , and the investing the younger house to usurp that honour , hath ever since proved a greater friend to the popish party , than to the purer church of the french , and helvetick confession . maurice that usurped the dutchy and electorate , upon the captivating of the said john frederick , his cousin , first ruined the princes of the smalcaldick union , to which himself had subscribed ; and then ( casting an ambitious eye upon the empire it self : ) broke his faith with the emperor that had raised him ; and having patched up the defection by the help of ferdinand of austria , king of bohemia ( afterwards emperor ) he lastly perished by a violent death in a pitch'd battel fought against his fellow-protestants . a just judgment of god upon him . . charles the fifth , having obtained the empire by the help and monies of our king henry the eighth , was the most potent emperor that ever germany had as long as he maintained the peace of religion : but having yielded to the popes instigations , and prospered a while in his intended extirpation of the truth , he found at last by sad experience , what his brave , and valiant general [ castaldus ] had foretold him , that these violent proceedings would in the end prove fatal to himself : for having first fled away at midnight , in a cold and rainy season from onspurch , for fear of the protestant army , he was afterward ( instead of setling his son philip in his imperial throne , as he had intended ) forced to surrender the empire to his brother ferdinand , who diverse years before had entred into a secret league with the protestant princes of germany , and so having lived a few years in a despised , and disconsolate condition , he at last ended his life most ingloriously in a monastery . . his son philip the second , king of spain , the most inveterate enemy of the gospel that ever lived , did not only erect shambles for gods saints in most of his large dominions , by his bloody inquisitors , but still aided the rebels in france , england , and ireland against their lawful sovereigns , and plotted to invade all other protestant dominions in christendom , so at last by one general carriage of them all , he and his holy father the pope , might have shared the christian world by a double monarchy , of the church and empire between them . but did this bloody prince prosper in these his ambitious and cruel designs ? nothing less . for what got he by his invading france by land , and england , and ireland by sea , and by his large pensions conferred upon the traitors and secret enemies of either states ? truly nothing . for having wasted about thirty millions of money upon those fruitless designs ; and not gained a foot of land in any of those realms , but the loss of a great part of the seventeen provinces , with whom , having broken his oath solemnly sworn to them in his inauguration , they ( by the aid of england and france ) freed themselves from his unjust oppression and tyranny . neither did the divine justice suffer him so to escape , but raised a fire in his own house . for whereas he had issue by his first wife mary , the daughter of john the third , king of portugal , one only son , called charles ( a prince of admirable towardliness ) he ( during the life of our queen mary , his second wife ) treated a marriage for his son with elizabeth , the eldest daughter of henry the second , king of france ; during which treaty , our queen mary dying , he himself married her who was designed for his son ( a lady of admirable beauty and parts : ) they often in private , never forgetting their old affections , lamented their unhappy loss each of other . the son also detested his fathers cruelty , and butchery by the merciless inquisitors ! this so enraged his jealous father , that he imprison'd him , and delivered him over into the inquisitors hands , by whom he was condemned , anno christi , . and a few days after he sent to him to choose his own death , who in a warm bath caused his veins to be opened , and so dyed . a while after ( though she was great with child ) he caused his queen to drink a cup of poison , which soon dispatched her . . king philip's fourth wife was anne , the daughter of mary , the empress , his own natural sister , by whom he had issue ferdinand and james ▪ both cut off by death in their infancy , and philip , who being the only surviving issue of this incestuous match , succeeded his father in his dominions , but not altogether in his cruelties . . rodulph the second , emperor of germany , not following the steps of the wise maximilian his father , but of the aforesaid philip his brother in law , sought by all secret and hostile means to enervate , and root out religion in the empire : what got he by it , but to have gods curse denounced in scripture fulfilled upon him ? that the elder should serve the younger . for mathias the arch-duke of austria , raising an army in the year . and joining his forces with those of the oppressed protestant in bohemia , hem'd up his brother rodulph in prague , got the kingdom of hungary from him in present possession , and the empire in reversion , leaving him nothing but the complement of majesty , which he did not long survive , and could never revenge that affront . . we need not look into ancient histories of gods judgments upon heathen persecuting emperors : we may see the sad successes of the princes of the house of valois in france . king henry the second of france was meanly married to katherine de medices ( the niece of pope clement the seventh ) during the life of the dolphin his elder brother , who was afterwards poisoned . and francis the first , his father deceasing , he succeeded , and swayd the french scepter for diverse years , with much tranquility and happiness , till ( loathing the coiture of his queen , unfit indeed for a princes bed ) he grew highly enamoured on piciavia of valence , a woman of exquisite beauty , and good extraction , with whom he long after lived in continual adultery , and was by her enticed to persecute and slay the protestants , anno ghristi . that so by the confiscation of their lands and goods , she might enrich her self , and her kindred . this persecution put a period to all his former victories , and the next year was followed with the loss of the city of seins in italy to the spaniard : the death of the old gallant general leo strozzi by a base hand , and the overthrow of his french army by james de medices . . anno christi . the violence of persecution was again renewed against the protestants , and the very next year after ( as before ) god again gave up the french army to the slaughter of the spaniards and dutch at the siege and battel of s. quintins , in which were above three thousand slain upon the place , and many of them men of note , and soon after the town was taken by storm : also annas duke de memorancy himself , the constable of france : the marshal of s. andrew : the duke of longevile , gaspar de coligne , earl of castilion and admiral of france , and a number others of the great peers were all taken prisoners . in sum , the loss and slaughter was so great , and fatal to the french , as it well-near equalled that victory obtained by the duke of bourbon at the battel of pavia in italy against francis the first , his father . yet henry the second still shut his eyes against the cause of these losses , and having his heart cauterized by his lusts , he not only caused the godly to be committed to the flames , but himself would needs be a spectator of their torments as a pleasing sight , and had combined with philip king of spain , his new son in law , for the utter ruine and final subversion of geneva . nay , but a few hours before his death , anno . lodovick faber , and annas burgus , two senators of paris , because they had spoken a little freely in defence of the innocency and piety of the protestants in the open senate , were cast into prison by his special command , in the bastile of the same city , by gabriel earl of mongomery , one of the captains of his guard. and the persecution of all others of the same profession grew so hot and furious : when the king june the nine and twentieth , the same year , running at tilt with the very same earl of mongomery , and near the very bastile where the said senators were prisoners , was struck with a splinter of mongomery's spear , through the eye into his brain , and never had the happiness to speak one word after , though he survived the wound a few days ; nor to acknowledge his former lust and cruelty . . and if we farther look to gods hand that followed this prince in his posterity , it will yet seem the greater miracle . for of five sons that he had , all save one dyed without lawful issue to survive them , ad three of them by violent deaths , and in his posterity ended the valetian line , the crown thereupon devolving to the royal branch of cleremont , commonly called bourbon , whom his sons had most bitterly hated and persecuted . and of all his five daughters , three dyed issueless , and the eldest ( the queen of spain aforementioned ) that had issue was cut off by poison . nay , his very bastard son , henry of engolism , a great actor in the parisian massacre , perished also by the stab of philip altovit , a florentine , his old and mortal enemy , anno christi . during the reign of henry the third , his brother . . charles the ninth ( third son of the said henry the second ) who succeeded his brother francis the second , anno christi . had he continued his reign with as much mercy and wilsdom as he began it , when he followed the grave and seasonable advise of michael hospitalius , his chancellor , probably he had lived more virtuously and dyed less miserably . but he had scarce raigned two years in peace and plenty , when katherine de medices , his mother ( desiring to get the regency into her own hands by raising combustions in the kingdom ) perswaded this her son to revive those persecutions against the protestants which his father had begun . she also reconciled her self to charles lorainer , duke of guise , whom a little before she had feared and hated , being a secret enemy to lewis de cleremont , prince of conde . he and the marshal of s. andrew having gained annas momorancy , constable of france to their party , they all conspired together for the ruine of the truth . the protestants in the mean time , seeing the king in his minority , held ( as it were ) captivated by this triumvirate , took up arms by the queen-mothers own instigation , to maintain the kings edict of pacification , which was published anno christi . commonly called , the edict of january . the year following , by the instigation of the said triumvirate , not only the queen-mother , but anthony de cleremont , king of navar also ( who yet dyed a protestant ) was drawn on to assail those of the religion with open force , they in the mean time filling the queen-mothers ear with these vain flatteries , that she should soon see the utter ruine of all the hereticks in france : from which time that goodly , rich , peaceable , and flourishing kingdom , for almost forty years together ( some short pauses excepted ) was filled with cruelties , ravages , ravishments , murthers , battles , fires , slaughters , and all other calamities that attend a civil war : in the end of all which , the protestants being increased in their strength and numbers , obtained a more firm and advantagious peace than ever they had before : whereas those three incendiaries who had been the authors of all these miseries , perished within a few years after , by the just judgment of god in the very act when they were pursuing the godly party . for the marshal of s. andrew was slain in the battle of dreux : annas de momorancy under the very walls of paris , and francis lorainer , duke of guise , was pistoled by john poltrot whilest he besieged orleans . king charles seeing that by open force he could not eradicate and destroy the truth , nor root out the professors of it , about two years before the hellish massacre begun at paris , and prosecuted ( to the perpetual infamy of france ) in diverse other cities , held a secret council in the castle of blois , with katherine de medices , his mother , alexander , and hercules ( called also henry and francis ) his brothers , and henry lorainer , heir to the said duke francis aforementioned , by what means they might best draw the protestants into their toil to murther and destroy them . the same council was again held in the house of hieronimo de gondy at s. clou , and the time and order of the bloody marriage banquet to be served in at the nuptials of the king of navar with the lady margaret , the french kings sister , almost in the same manner and order as it was afterwards put in execution on bartholomews day , anno christi . in which were most inhumanely murthered , of men , women , and children ( many also of them being great and honourable personages ) of either sex about thirty thousand . and while the duke of guise was prosecuting that most inhumane butchery , a cabinet council was held in the queen-mothers chamber , whether it were not necessary that both the duke , and the rest of his family who were then present , should not be dispatched at the same time in that disorderly tumult . king charles himself never saw good day after this bloody massacre , though the court-sycophants had promised him that it should prove the first happy day of his absolute monarchy . for though he had been long drenched in lust ( a sin seldom separated from a persecutor ) by his ordinary adultery with a mean wench of orleance , of whom he begat charles of engolism , afterwards earl of auvern : and though he had been trained up by his mother to see the slaughter of beasts ; and ever in his chases had been accustomed to bath his hands in the blood of the slain game ( which might have served to stupifie his conscience , as they did inflame his fierce and cruel nature , yet ) a very stinging remorse in his conscience , did ever pursue and haunt him after that merciless slaughter , brought about , chiefly by his own swearing and forswearing , ( by which the king of navar , and the admiral coligni were deceived ) his eyes ever rolled up and down uncertainly in the day-time with fear and suspition , and his sleep was usually interrupted in the night with dismal dreams and apparitions ( like our king richard the third of england after he had murthered his two nephews in the tower ) nay , though he survived that massacre not fully two years , yet had he in that time plotted the death of the said henry , duke of guise , and the removal of the queen-mother , and her instruments from the helm of state : but as he , a little before the massacre had poisoned that incomparable princess for learning and piety , joan , queen of navar : so did his mother , or the duke of guise ( by way of prevention , or anticipation ) minister to him his fatal sharp phisick , of which ( after many and grievous torments ) he deceased upon whitsunday , anno christi . being not full twenty five years old . . the queen-mother , the kings two brethren , the cardinal , and the duke of guise , that had not only joined with him in his persecution , but encouraged him to it , they still survived , and for ought men saw , were firmly setled in peace and prosperity : though guise might have taken warning by the death of claude , duke of aumal , his brother , slain with a musket-bullet from the walls of rochel , as he lay in siege before it , anno christi . . henry his brother , who succeeded king charles , was not long before chosen king of poland , where he then was ; but hearing of the death of his brother , he clandestinly stole away from that kingdom to return to france . in his return the good emperor maximilian the second , and the venetian state , earnestly advised him to maintain the former edicts of pacification inviolably , and not force the consciences of men in matters of religion ; of the same opinion also were all his wisest councellors , who saw plainly that the encreasing of the protestants was the only means now left under heaven to draw the pope and his conclave to yield some reformation of the church , which it needed exceedingly . but his mother advised him by all means to root out the professors of the truth by fire and sword. and others there were of loose and atheistical lives , as henry duke of guise ; lewis the cardinal of guise ; renalt villoclare ( a man , saith the incomparable monsieur de thou , fatally preferr'd to be an attendant upon this king by his mother ) and diverse others , who perswaded the king to break the aforesaid edicts for pacification , and never to sheath his sword till he had utterly ruined all the protestants in france : and the king , being of a weak , and degenerate spirit , the house of guise ( being the arch-enemies of the gospel ) became at length so potent , and triumphed so notoriously over the impotency of the king , that at last they forced him to seek to those very protestants for support , against whom he had taken a solemn oath for their utter destruction . infinite almost were the treasures which he spent upon his minions and pleasures ( his expenses upon his dogs only , amounted in those times to twenty thousand pounds yearly at the least ) but most was exhausted in the prosecution of his wars against the protestants . . guise , and his faction now grown strong , and assured of support from king philip the second of spain , after he had expelled his king out of paris , and heaped a world of other insolent affronts upon him , was drawn by him , anno christi . to the assembly then held at blois . he came thither with his brother lewis lorainer , cardinal of guise , and charles , prince of ionvile , his son , upon the same royal assurance of safety , with which charles the ninth , had ( by his advise ) deceived the protestants before the abhorred massacre in the year . but during this assembly this duke of guise was slain , against the publick faith given him , not only within the castle of blois , but in that very room , wherein sixteen years before he had advised the bloody massacre of paris to be executed . two circumstances also do add much horror to the punishment it self : one was that he was but newly risen from the bed of his adulterate lust , having not been able before this night , to conquer the chastity of a gentlewoman that waited on the queen-mother : and therefore was so eager in reaping the fruits of his long siege , that he came not to the council chamber , till he was oft sent for , and even then scarcely ready : the other was in the manner of his first wound , which was given him in his throat , and immediately caused the blood so abundantly to stream out of his mouth , as he never had time so much as to call upon god for mercy or forgiveness , but spent his last minute in endeavouring to revenge himself upon his murtherers . . a while after the cardinal of guise , his brother ( who had been a great gamester at cards and dice ; perished also in the same castle of blois by a violent death . katherine de medices , the queen-mother , who had been the chief cause for thirty years together of the shedding of so much innocent blood , being present at the same time in the said castle , stormed secretly that so great an action should be entred into , and effected without her advice : and when she heard that charles lorainer , duke of main was escaped , ( being the younger brother to the murthered duke of guise ) she presaged to the king her son , the sad issue of that rash attempt , which he ( as it seems ) interpreting to be rather the expression of her wishes than her fears ; and having by many woful experiences , seen the effects of her revengful italian spirit , took a course to pacify her wrath : for not long after , she there ended her unhappy life , by poison ( saith elias reusner ) in the same castle also , where she held the first secret and bloody council for the execution of the aforesaid bloody massacre . francis her youngest son dyed before her , june the tenth , anno . in the one and thirtieth year of his age , of a violent poison , probably ministred to him by some of the hispaniolized guisards , so that it caused very much blood to issue out of his body in several places , the sight of which purple streams might well call upon him to remember with what inhumane pride he trampled upon the bloody streets of paris in the great slaughter committed upon gods saints and martyrs about twelve years before . . there now only remained henry the third , the french king , alive , of all the first contrivers , and principal executioners of that inhumane massacre , which no age , no time , no action of the most barbarous nations of the world could ever parallel , till that horrid massacre of the bloody irish upon the english protestants in the year . october . wherin above one hundred and fifty thousand perished in one of the four provinces of that kingdom , after the most savage and barbarous manner that ever was read of . . charles lorainer , duke of main was presently upon the death of his brother made general of the holy league , ( as they stiled it ) and paris it self , and in a manner all the popish cities beyond the loi● giving up their names and forces to that faction , supported from rome by pope sixtus the fifth , and from spain by philip the second . . when the king saw that neither his acting the monk with the flagellators , nor his playing the devil against the prostants , could secure him from a speedy ruine by the violent hands of rebels ; he sent to the victorious king of navar ( his brother in law ) and to the protestant army , before whose known valour the popish forces hastened back from the loyer to the seine ; henry the third pursued them , and pitched his royal pavilion at s. clou , not far from the gates of paris . but his former cruelties , and persecutions of the godly , were doubtless the hinderances of his new expected victories , and the divine providence so ordered it that in the very place where the last resolution was taken by himself , his mother , his brethren , and others for the speedy execution of that brutish massacre , about seventeen years before , nay in the very same house of jerom de gondy , and in the very same room and chamber ( saith john de serres ) was murthered by james clement , a jesuited monk , anno christi . and in the nine and thirtieth year of his age. this assasination was promoted by pope sixtus the fifth , by the seditious sermons of jesuits , priests , and friars , and by the persecution of katherine mary , duchess of mompensier , sister of the slain duke of guise , who was so horribly transported with malice against the protestants , and with desire of revenge upon the king , as she prostitued her body to that jesuited goat , to encourage him the more to that horrid murther , and by that means to stupify and harden his soul by his filthy lust , that it might not startle at any other wickedness whatsoever . yet as this king some months before his death had altered his former bloody resolution against the protestants ; so did the divine providence at his death afford him some hours of repentance , after the bloody knife had been sheathed in his belly ; in which time he acknowledged his sin , and his error in having been so long miss-lead by his ambitious and malicious counsellors , and his sin in having persecuted his protestant subjects , and for having enforced the conscience of many to submit to popery against the known truth by threats and cruelty . . our queen mary began her reign with the breach of her publick faith. . for whereas the crown was set upon her head by the gentry and commons of suffolk , ( although they knew her to be a papist ( which shews that the godly protestants , whatsoever is suggested to the contrary by lustful , prophane , and popishly affected persons , are the best subjects that any sovereign can be happy in ) yet she , in one of her first acts of council , took order for their restraint , long before the mass and latine service were generally received in london , and caused that diocess to tast the sharpest inquisition , and persecution that raged during her reign , which was happily shortened by her husbands contemning her person , and her enemies conquering her dominions , neither of which she had power either to recover , or revenge : so that though she dyed not by any outward violence , yet was her end as inglorious and miserable , as her reign had been turbulent and bloody . she might have taken warning by the sudden , and immature death of king james the fifth of scotland , her cousin german , who , raising a persecution there , against his loyal and innocent subjects that were protestants , anno christi . burning some , exiling , and imprisoning others , and forcing many to blaspheme , in abjuring the known truth ; and all by advice and procurement of james beaton , arch-bishop of s. andrews , and david beaton , abbot of arbroth , his brother , never saw good day after : for two brave young princes his sons , were the year following , cut off by untimely ends in their cradles : wars to his great disadvantage and loss were raised between him and our king henry the eighth , his uncle , and all things fell out so cross to his haughty and vast mind as that it hastened his death , which fell out anno christi . see more of him before . many also are the examples of gods severe , but righteous judgments of god upon popish persecuting prelates , whereof you have store of instances in my two martyrologies , and in my two vollumes of examples . i shall content my self for the present with two or three , which though briefly set down there , yet here more largely . . thomas arundal , arch-bishop of canterbury , having been the successful traytor , by the help of his reverend follow-bishops , to estabish henry the fourth in the throne of king richard the second , his liege lord , and cousin german , pressed the new king ( whose broken title needed the supportments of his prelates ) to use his temporal sword for the destruction of the disciples of john wickliff , whose numbers at that time were so encreased that they even filled the kingdom : the king assented . and having by their cruel instigation , shed the blood of many of gods saints , his reign proved neither long nor prosperous . . king henry the fifth . his son , a brave and marshal prince , succeeding him , the protestants began to meet more publickly , and to profess the truth more openly than before . the arch-bishop thereupon renews his former suit to the son , as he had before successfully pressed upon the father . in particular , he first aimed at the destruction of sir john oldcastle ( see his life in my second volume of lives ) who had most affronted him . he , by reason of his great alliances , and the favour of his king , who called him his knight , might have expected exemption from their tyranny : but they prevailed with the king ( as saith arch-bishop parker ) rex virum clarum , sibique familiarissimum , episcoporum potestati , & carnisioinae permisit : the king gave up this famous man , and who was dear to himself , to the power , and destruction of the bishops : and yet it pleased god that he outlived this persecuting arch-prelate two years at least . for the arch-bishop having murthered many godly saints in king henry the fourths time , and being a great stickler in state affairs , having long before procured himself to be made lord chancellour of england , and lastly ( in a synod held by himself at rochester ) having forbidden the reading of the scriptures in english , and limited preachers , under an heavy censure , what they should treat of in the pulpit , was soon cut off himself by the immediate hand of god , after he had condemned that warlike kinght , sir john old-castle , lord cobham , before he could see him executed . for his tongue was so swoln , and benummed that he could neither swallow , nor speak , some days before his death : it being ( saith one ) the just judgment of god upon him ( and may be a warning to all other wicked popish prelates ) that as he had muzled up the mouths of preachers , and kept the scriptures from the knowledge of the people , being their spiritual food . so he should neither be able to swallow nor speak , from that very minute that this judgment fell upon him , and so he dyed within a few days after , in great torment , and extremity , by a languishing silence and famishment . a later example we have in the admirable punishment of james beton , arch-bishop of s. andrews in scotland , who was also a member of the purpurated conclave at rome . he had for diverse years been an inveterate enemy to the gospel , and the professors of it in that kingdom under king james the fifth : and after his death , taking the advantage of the infancy of the princess mary , the hereditary queen of that realm , he thought it a work worthy of himself , to double die his purple robes in the blood of the saints : and to make a full and clear way for that his sanguinary project , he forged a will of the deceased king , whereby he was established the chief regent there , during the young ladies incapacity to reign : from which yet , his false play being discovered , he was removed , and for a while imprisoned : yet was he no sooner delivered , but he presently endeavoured to raise a new and a fatal war between england and scotland , and to root out the professors of the truth by a violent and bloody persecution . and among others whom he cited , imprisoned , or exiled in the year . he seized upon mr. george wiseheart ( a very eloquent and learned preacher ) who by the latin writers of that age is called sophocardius , and contrary to their own popish canons , adjudged him to present death himself , which is never done , except by the hellish inquisition of spain , but by delivering the martyrs into the power of the civil-magistrate ; and in his court before the castle of s. andrews , caused that bloody sentence to be executed , the said mr. wiseheart being first strangled , and his body afterwards burnt to ashes ; the cardinal in the mean time had a chamber prepared for him , with carpets and cushions in the windows , out of which he was a triumphant spectator of this godly mans martyrdom : from which window he departed , not more delighted , than ( as himself thought ) secured ; and presently he began to fortify his castle against all assaults . but gods judgment from eternity awarded against him , for this later , as well as former cruelties exercised upon his faithful servants , slep'd not . for within a few weeks after , the cardinal having falsified his promise to the lord norman lesly , son of the earl of rothsay , a zealous romanist ; he upon the thirteenth day of may , the same year , with about fourteen resolute gentlemen in his company , entred the said castle of s. andrews , where the cardinal lay ( having had a whore with him all that night ) and having first assured himself of all within , and the gates without , he slew the bloody prelate by his bed-side without law or justice , who had but a little before , most unjustly condemned and murthered the aforesaid mr. wiseheart , and being willing to expose the dead carcass of that cruel persecutor ( all weltring and besmeared with blood ) unto the view of the people ( who abhorred his butcheries , and rejoiced at his fall ) casually they laid it along , to be seen of all men in that very window , out of which a little before , leaning at his ease upon rich cushions , he had proudly beheld the death of that precious martyr . . it s very observable which historians take notice of , that generally the greatest persecutors are most drenched in the sin of uncleanness , and epicurism . what was escovedo , that great instrument of the king of spain's cruelties against the evangelical party in the low-countries , but a a very lump of lust , which in the end proved fatal to him ? . peter espinac , a bishop of lions in france , was a great persecutor , and one that lived in incest with his own sister . . john arch-bishop of s. andrews in scotland , spent the greatest part of the revenues of his see , and the seisure of the protestants estates ( whose mortal enemy he was ) upon his whores and revellings . . the cardinal of granvels veneries were so manifest and numerous , as when anno christi . the kingdom of tunis , and the strong fort of gulette ( formerly esteemed impregnable ) were won by the turks ; the spaniards made a jest of it , & said openly , that the cardinals breeches , had occasioned that loss , meaning thereby , that king philip the second , relying chiefly upon his advice in that , and in most of the rest of his important affairs , the cardinals lusts so took him up , that he had not leisure to advise the king for the best . . cardinal beton ( aforementioned ) wallowed at home with pollution among his harlots , and raged abroad with the blood and slaughter of the innocent servants of christ. . in that hellish massacre on s. bartholomew's day , in paris it self : the murtherers there , were for the most part , brutish and lustful soldiers , or profane varlets of the scum of the city , and though their leaders were more noble , yet less virtuous . the duke of guise , and aumale , albert , gondy , earl of rets , tavanne , and others of them that were bred up in lust , revellings , and all manner of debaucheries . . the next place that came nearest to the cruelties exercised at paris , was the city of lions , where the numbers of the slain and massacred was so great , that their bodies being thrown into the river rhodanus , or rosne , stained and corrupted the water , the violence of which stream , carrying them down by heaps to tornou , ( where the inhabitants , not knowing what they were , but fearing that it proceeded from invasion by enemies , and robbers , assembled themselves in arms together for their mutual defence . ) the chief ring-leaders , and abettors of which butchery ( monsieur de thou , a papist , yet an incomparable historian , confesseth ) to have been boidon , mormieu , and clou , three of the most wicked , and vilest varlets that a kingdom could harbour ; which boidon was afterwards executed at clermont in auvergne : and if mormieu escaped a shameful end , yet surely he deserved it as well as his fellow persecutor , having before ( as semanus confesseth ) procured the murther of his own father ? at tholous also , a few days after , a great slaughter of the godly was committed ; not by the better sort of citizens , or sober , or morally virtuous papists ; but by one turry , and a number of other infamous , and lewd persons like himself , who joined themselves together for the effecting of that bloody execution . the like villany was perpetrated and done at the great city of roan in normandy , by one maronie , a most infamous ruffian , and a great many of other base varlets , who flocked to him as to their chief ringleader . . but in none of them were these two hellish sins of adultery and blood more eminently coupled together than in paygillard , the master butcher at angiers , who having long continued in the sin of adultery , was at last enticed by his harlot , to murther his own wife . . in france , after this barbarous and cruel massacre , the eighth day of november following , there appeared a dreadful comet , concerning which , a learned protestant , presently after published an elaborate poem , wherein he presaged , that it was gods herald or messenger to denounce his judgment quickly to ensue upon that kingdom for their late inhumane butcheries . these verses were scarcely come abroad , when there suddenly broke out in poictou , a new , dreadful , and before unknown disease , commonly called the poictovinchollick , which miserably wasted that goodly kingdom for above thirty years after . this disease was accompanied with many extreme pains and torments , not only in the outward parts of the body , but also in the inward and vitals , insomuch as it drew on diverse horrid convulsions , and in many , blindness before it killed them . the strange original , the hidden nature , and those unparallel'd torments which it produced , sometimes resembling the very stabs , and gashes made with swords , and ponyards , gave all impartial judgments just ground to conclude , that it was the finger of god himself in punishing the merciless murthers of his dear saints . . but though the brutish , goatish papists were so cruel and inhumane , yet others there were of more moral and moderate princiciples , who in their very souls abhorred and detested those barbarous practices . monsieur de thou in his unparallel'd ▪ history tells us , that himself was about nineteen years old when that horrible and hellish massacre was committed in paris on s. bartholomews day , which fell out that year on the lords day , and did in his very soul abhor the cruelty and savageness thereof , when in his passage through the streets to mattins that morning , he met with diverse villains , dragging along the dead body of hierom grolet , late governour of orleance , all weltring with gastly wounds in his own blood : at which sight his heart relenting , and mourning inwardly , not daring to shed tears publickly , he hastened home to the house of christopher de thou , his father , who at that time was the chief president of the parliament in paris , there freely to deplore that execrable butchery ; as did also the said christopher , his father . . vidus faber pibratius , john merviller , belleureu , all eminent men , with all the judicious , and morally virtuous papists in that city , did christianly hide , and so preserved many protestants from a wretchless massacring . nay , arman guntald , the old marshal biron ( father of charles , duke of biron , that was beheaded in king henry the fourth's time ) when the deputies of rochel came to him , some few weeks after that bloody execution , to treat of a peaceable accomodation of their affairs , he shed many tears in their presence upon his execrating the authors of that cruelty , and acknowledged the great mercy of god to him that he neither knew of it , nor had any hand in it . at the city of lions also , where the inhumanity of the murtherers almost equalled that of paris , mandelot the governor there , did his best to have prevented it , and in his heart ( with many other grave and sober gitizens of the romish religion ) utterly detested it . and when the slaughtered bodies that were tumbled into the river of rosne , were carried down with the stream to tornou , valence , vienne , and burg , contiguous to the same river , the papists there , generally detested the cruelty thereof : and at arles , where for want of springs , and ponds they had most use of that river water ; yet they so much abhorred that butchery , as they would neither drink thereof , nor yet eat any of the fish taken therein , for diverse days after : and generally in all provence , those of the romish religion drew the mangled bodies out of the water , and with great humanity interred them . . monsieur carragie , a noble gentleman , who was governour of the great city of roan in normandy , did likewise oppose the massacres there to the utmost of his power . as did also james benedict largahaston , the prime senator of burdeaux , who thereby became himself in danger to have been slain by those seditious varlets , who at first had been stirred up to commit those outrages by the seditious sermons of a lustful jesuite , called eminund auger . . claudus , earl of tende , a descendant of the illustrious house of savoy , governour of provence , monsieur de gordes , governour of daulpbany , monsieur sauteran , governour of auvergne , and francis duke of memorancy , absolutely refused to suffer any massacres to be committed in such places as were under any of their governments : so as the rochellers in their declaration set out the same year , do acknowledge that all such romanists , who had but any humanity left in them , did in their hearts abhor , and with their mouths detest those abominable outrages and hellish cruelties . . and as the soberer and modester sort of papists abhorred such brutishness , so also they disswaded from the same . that noble gentleman david hamilton gave this advice to james , earl of arran , then regent of scotland anno . when cardinal beton would have perswaded him to have joined with him in the persecution and slaughter of the godly in that kingdom : i cannot but wonder , said he , that you should give up the innocent servants of god , against whom no crime , is objected , but the preaching of the gospel , into the hands and power of men most infamous for lust , cruelty , and all other wickedness ; which in the mean time those very enemies of the truth themselves cannot deny that the lives of such as profess this doctrine which they so hate , are full of integrity and virtue : and therefore although the profane and bloody prelates could never be drawn to pity gods children , much less to love them for their piety and innocency ( being therein more inhumane than diverse of the heathen emperors themselves , who , upon the information of the virtuous and harmless deportment of the christians , by their governours of provinces , caused their persecutions to be slacked and ceased ) yet diverse princes and moderate pontificians , have been moved by the upright and honest lives of gods children to further their liberty of conscience , and to abhor the cruelties which other papists have practised upon them . . maximilian the emperour , son of ferdinand the second , and francis the first , the french king were hence perswaded to grant unto their own subjects freedom of conscience . . the earl of egmont , and horn ( though zealous papists ) laboured with the dutchess of parma , that the low-country protestants might be free from fines , imprisonments , and all other manner ●f persecutions in respect of religion . . under francis the second , the french king anno christi . by the excellent and learned speeches of charles marillack , arch-bishop of vienne , and john de monlu , bishop of valence freely spoken before the king himself in behalf of the french protestants , all persecution against them was restrained . the said bishop among other particulars , affirming boldly , that a great encrease of the sectaries proceeded from the ignorance and evil lives of the bishops , who having laid aside the care of their flocks , had , for many years made it their business to enhanse their fines , and rents , and to live deliciously , and loosely ; so as there were sometimes forty of them seen at once together , wasting their time in luxury and idleness in paris : the care of their churches being in the mean time turned over to young and ignorant fellows . and so the bishops becoming blind and useless ; the parish priests also , following the example of their diocesans , were only intent upon spoiling and vexing their people about their tithes , but were wholly unskilful and negligent in preaching to them : and that therefore it was no wonder , though diverse of the nobility as well as of the common people , did so readily hearken to new opinions , and doctrines . the same counsel , that the conscience ought not to be forced , nor any to be persecuted for matters of religion meerly , did michael hospitalius , chancellour of france , give unto charles the ninth , the same year that he succeded to the crown , after the death of the said francis , his brother . . by these foregoing examples we may plainly see , that their self-love , and wallowing in all manner of sensuality , is the great cause of their hatred to the godly , whose lives and principles oppose their wickedness and errors . the persecutions of the arrians against the orthodox , exceeded the cruelty of the heathen emperours , but this of the romanists far surpasseth and exceeds them both being joined together . . pope paul the third , left this bloody legacy to his conclave when he dyed anno christi . ( as is testified by mounsieur de thou ) for having called diverse of the cardinals into his bed-chamber , he exhorted them by all means to continue and maintain the office of the inquisition , as the only means left upon earth to establish the romane religion . . it may cause wonder in any serious man to consider that amongst the turks , jews , indians , yea , and the papists themselves , the most zealous , strict , and precise in their several religions , are the most esteemed and honoured ; and only in the greater part of the protestant churches , the most knowing and resolute retainer , of the truth , and the most strict and godly in their lives , are most hated , nick-named , disgraced , and persecuted : and grace which should add a lustre to learning , riches , honours , noble extraction , and all other outward endowments , whether natural or acquired , that alone obscures all the rest , and brings the contempt , not only of great ones , but even of the scum , and dregs of the multitude upon the persons so qualified . . sir john oldcastle , lord cobham , in the reign of our king henry the fifth , being convented before thomas arundel , arch-bishop of canterbury , and diverse other lustful and bloody bishops , spake thus unto them : whilest i was , said he , a swearer , a rioter , and every way else vicious , you never reproved me , nor questioned me : but since i have embraced this despised doctrine of john wickliff , which hath taught me how to conquer my sins , and to lead an honest and a godly life , now you are enraged against me with malice , and seek my destruction . . the same observation was made by annas du bourg , that brave senator of paris anno christi . under king henry the second of france : that there were many adulteries , perjuries , oaths , and other infamous offences dayly committed , and already punishable by the laws , and yet such as were guilty of all , or any of those crimes were countenanced and advanced : but against the professors of the truth all cruelty was practised , who were guilty of no other offence , but of embracing the truth of the gospel revealed unto them by the spirit , and word of god , and of discovering , by the same light , the horrible vices , and errors of the popish power that so there might follow an amendment . . experience sufficiently manifests that persecution hath never been a way to suppress the truth ; and surely it s against the dictates of charity and christianity to enforce the conscience without a full and clear conviction . this was confessed by king henry the third of france ( one of the most impotent princes ( saith a learned gentleman ) that ever swayed that scepter , and the most inveterate enemy that ever the protestants had , having been instructed to hate , betray , and persecute them , by katherine de medices ▪ his bloody mother , even from his very cradle , ) yet when james clement , a jesuited monk , had sheathed a knife in his bowels , and that he saw himself near to the minute in which he was to give an account of all his cruelties to the supreme judge of heaven and earth , he made an effectual speech to the chief commanders of his army , being most of them papists : wherein he exhorted them to acknowledge and obey the king of navar ( then a protestant ) as their lawful soveraign , and the undoubted heir of the french crown : and to know this undoubted truth for the future : that religion which is instilled into the souls of men by god himself , cannot be forced by man. . the same truth also , and almost in the same words did the lord brederode , and the other protestants in the low-countries alledge for their just excuse in their joint apology , published in the year , and farther added : that if the papists did conceive their religion to be the truth , they should instead of blood , fines , imprisonings , and banishments , take the good , and seasonable counsel of the learned gamaliel , and try a while , whether the protestants separation from them , were of god or no. for otherwise , if by force , and tyranny they should compel them to profess and practice those actions in gods worship , which they accounted abominable ; and should also restrain them from the practice of those duties towards god , wherein they were convinced the truth of his service consisted , their consciences must needs be shipwrack'd and undone , and so instead of making them new converts , they should leave them atheists and libertines . a table of the names of the persecutors , visibly plagued by god. satan pag. cain pag. old world pag. ham pag. ishmael pag. pharaoh pag. saul pag. asa pag. jesabel pag. manasse pag. jewes , and pashur pag. false prophets , &c , pag. zedekiah , and his princes pag. johanan , and his companions . pag. haman pag. antiochus the vile pag. herod the great pag. herod the less , or antipas pag. herod agrippa pag. jewes pag. nero pag. domitian pag. adrian pag. marcus antonius verus pag. commodus pag. severus pag. claudius herminianus pag. maximianus pag. decius pag. gallus pag. valerian pag. claudius pag. aurelian pag. dioclesian pag. maximian pag. maximinus pag. ib. galerius pag. licinius pag. antiochus pag. ib. mamuca pag. ib. julian apostata pag. arius pag. ib. constantius pag. george of alexandria pag. valence pag. ib. constantine pag. gensericus pag. ib. hunricus pag. ib. anastasius pag. ib. arcadius , and eudoxia pag. theodoricus pag. ib. arian vandals pag. ib. uladislaus and his queen pag. popish bishops pag. ib. popish lords pag. dr. austin pag. popish monks pag. ib. stumislaus znoma pag. emperor sigismund pag. ib. doctor knapper , and some others pag. ladislaus king of bohemia pag. minerius pag. ib. simon monfort pag. lewis , king of france pag. ib. truchetus pag. ib. lord of revest pag. bartholomew cassinaeus pag. ib. johannes de roma pag. ib. john martin pag. cardinal of lorain pag. ib. bellemont pag. ib. a judge of aix pag. a chief judge pag. ib : john craenequin pag. ib. chancellour prat pag. john morin pag. ib. chancellour oliver pag. ib. poncher pag. lambert a friar pag. ib. monbrun pag. villibon with others pag. popish witnesses pag. ib. popish informers pag. popish inquisitors pag. ib. emperour ferdinand the second pag. ib. sir thomas moor pag. bishop fisher pag. ib. philips pag. ib. pavier pag. ib. foxford pag. . rockwood pag. ib. an under marshal pag. ib. sir ralph ellerker pag. doctor story pag. john twiford pag. ib. kings of spain and portugal pag. cardinal woolsey pag. ib. judge morgan pag. bishop morgan pag. ib. mr. leyson pag. ib. doctor dunning pag. ib. commissary berry pag. a suffragan of dover pag. ib. bishop thornton pag. ib. doctor jeffery pag. ib. thomas blaver pag. ib. two cardinals pag. doctor whittington pag. bate pag. ib. mr. woodrose pag. thomas mouse pag. ib. george rivet pag. ib. william swallow pag. robert baldwin pag. robert bloomfield pag. ib. justice leland pag. ralph lardin pag. ib. mr. swingfield pag. ib. bayliff burton pag. a serving man pag. dale , a promoter pag. alexander a jailor , and his son pag. john peter pag. lever pag. ib. stepen gardiner pag. ib. king james the fifth of scotland . pag. sir james hamilton pag. friar campbel pag. a popish persecutor pag. king henry the second of france pag. ib. irish persecutors pag. maurice duke of saxony pag. charles the fifth emperor pag. philip the second , king of spain pag. rodulph the second , emperour pag. henry the second , king of france pag. french persecutors pag. ● charles the ninth , king of france pag. queen mother of france pag. french persecutors pag. henry the third , king of france pag. , duke of guise pag. cardinal of guise pag. queen mary of england pag. thomas arundel pag. , henry the fourth , king of england pag. james beaton pag. escovedo pag. peter espinac pag. cardinal granvel pag. boidon pag. puygillard pag. errata . in the epistle , page . line . read they for you . in the book , p. . l. . r. selves for self . p. . l. . r. recover for receive . p. . l . r. god immediately for gods immutability . p . l. . r. trajan for trojan . p. . l. . r. causing for caused . p. . l. . r. thunderclap for thunder . p. . l. . r. miserably for miserable . p. l. . r. fully for full p. . l. . r. feaver for fear . p. . l. . r. charles conink . p. . l. . r. that so carnage for carriage . p. . l . dele god p. l. . dele that . p. . l. . r. when for which . p. . l. . r. monluc . books printed for , and sold by william miller , at the gilded acorn , in s. pauls church-yard , near the little north-door . juvenal with cuts , by sir robert stapylton , knight , in large folio . elton on colossians folio . cradocks knowledge and practice , quarto . his principles . octavo . dod on the lords prayer . quarto . medice cura teipsum , or the apothecaries plea against doctor christopher merret . quarto . richard ward , his two very useful and compendious theological treatises , the first shewing the nature of wit , wisdom and folly. the second describing the nature , use , and abuse of the tongue & speech , whereby principally wisdom and folly are expressed ; wherein also are diverse texts of scripture , touching the respective heads explained . octavo . templum musicum , or rhe musical synopsis . octavo . fettiplace's christian monitor , earnestly and compassionately perswading sinners unto true and timely repentance , by the serious view of the seven following weighty considerations . . the stupendious love of god unto man in christ jesus . . the great danger of despair , and greater of presumption . . the sweetness , easiness and pleasantness of the ways of god. . falshood and flattery of the ways of sin . . safe , joyful and blessed state of the righteous . . dangerous and most deplorable state of the wicked . . shortness and uncertainty of life , terrors and amazement of an unprepared death , and eternity of punishments after death . twelves . fettiplace's souls narrow search for sin . octavo . english dictionary , or expositor . twelves . complete bone-setter . octavo . the famous game of chesse-play . octavo . shelton's tachygraphia , latine . octavo . emblems divine , moral , natural and historical , expressed in sculpture , and applyed to the several ages , occasions and conditions of man , by a person of quality . octavo . clark of comfort , which gods children have , or at least earnestly desire and long after , whilest they are in this world , together with the obstructions of comfort , and the removal of them . twelves . jeofferies new-years gift . twelves . divine examples of gods severe judgments upon sabbath-breakers , in their unlawful sports , collected out of several divine subjects , viz. mr. h. b. mr. beard , and the practice of piety , a little monument of our present times , &c. a brief remembrancer , or the right improvement of christ's birth-day . a second sheet of old mr. dod's sayings , or another posie gathered out of mr. dod's garden . hunting for money , the first part . the hunting match for money , the second part . bishop hall's sayings , concerning travellers , to prevent popish and debauched principles . the whole duty of man , containing a practical table of the ten commandments , wherein the sins forbidden , and the duties commanded , or implied , are clearly discovered by famous mr. william perkins . at which place you may be furnished with most sorts of bound or stitch'd books ; as acts of parliament , proclamations , speeches , declarations , letters , orders , commissions , articles with other state matters ; as also books of divinity , church-government , sermons , and most sorts of histories , poetry , plays and such like , &c. books formerly published by this author . folio . a general martyrology containing an historical narration of all the chiefest persecutions , which have been in the world from the creation to our present time ; whereunto are annexed the lives of sundry eminent divines , and some others . an english martyrology of all the chiefest persecutions which have been in england from the first plantation of the gospel , to the end of queen marys reign : whereunto are annexed the lives of sundry eminent divines . the first volume of cases of conscience . a mirror , or looking-glass both for saints and sinners , &c. in two volumes ; with a geographical description of all the known world , &c. quarto . the marrow of ecclesiastical history contained in four volumes of lives . diverse other single lives in quarto . octavo . the history of eighty eight : the powder plot : and of the fall of the house in black friars . finis . strange and true nevvs from staffordshire, or, a true narrative concerning a young man lying under almighty gods just vengeance, for imprecating god's judgment upon himself, and pleading his innocency though he knew himself guilty written by w. vincent minister of god's word at bednall, in the county of stafford aforesaid; who saw and discoursed the said person upon the . day of april, . the saddest spectacle that ever eyes beheld. licensed, may . . roger l'estrange. vincent, william, or - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing v b estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) strange and true nevvs from staffordshire, or, a true narrative concerning a young man lying under almighty gods just vengeance, for imprecating god's judgment upon himself, and pleading his innocency though he knew himself guilty written by w. vincent minister of god's word at bednall, in the county of stafford aforesaid; who saw and discoursed the said person upon the . day of april, . the saddest spectacle that ever eyes beheld. licensed, may . . roger l'estrange. vincent, william, or - . p. printed for e.r., london : in the year, . reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng judgment of god -- early works to . god -- wrath -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion strange and true news from staffordshire , or , a true narrative concerning a young man lying under almighty gods just vengeance , for imprecating god's judgment upon himself , and pleading his innocency though he knew himself guilty . written by w. vincent minister of god's word at bednall , in the county of stafford aforesaid ; who saw and discoursed the said person upon the . day of april , . the sadest spectacle that ever eyes beheld . licensed , may . . roger l'estrange . london , printed for e. r. in the year , . strange and true news from staffordshire . though the sad examples of gods justice upon notorious offenders have been many , in the several parts of the world , yet men are not deter'd from but persist in perfidiousness and villany : when satan has by his temptations got once an advantage , he never leaves tempting such vanquished sinners , till he has drawn them from less sins to greater , and so brought them to shame and destruction either in this life , or that which is to come ; as by this sad example , of which i am about to discourse , will more fully appear . one mr. william vincent , a minister , hearing a report that a mans hands and feet should rot off , and yet the said man not at all sick , but could eat and drink and speak heartily , and having an account where this man lay , could not be satisfied , but made it his business to ride to the place , which was about or miles distant from bednal , where the said minister liveth ; and coming to some few houses adjoining to a heath side in the county of stafford aforesaid , in a little shed or barn , there he finds this subject of gods wrath and object of every eyes pity that beheld him : and at that time there were a great many both men women and children beholding of him . the person so afflicted lying there upon a pad of straw between a pair of sheets , not being able to help himself , neither one way or other , more than what the person that looked after him did for him ; for there is a man hired onely to tend him . as to the miserableness of his condition it is this , several of his members consume away and rot ; one hand being rotted from the wrist that you may not only see through the master bones , but also the bones for half a handful between the knuckle-bone of the wrist and upwards , towards the elbow , hath neither vein , flesh , nor sinew left , but is as bare as any bone can be : one hand is as black as a beasts-hoof , and drawn together in the form of the same , so that the said minister upon the first sight of it , did conclude that it had been a beasts-hoof that had lain by him , till his keeper shewed him to the contrary , by moving his arm ; by which it did appear , that that was his hand , and did join to his wrist , that was bare to the bone for above four inches : the flesh that next appeared towards his elbow was ulcerous and in a rotten condition , and one of his knees rotted , so that his leg was ready to drop off ; yet all this while the said afflicted person eating and drinking and speaking heartily . now you have heard in what a miserable and dreadful condition this sad subject of gods just wrath now lies . let us proceed to give you an account of his own conjectures of the cause of his so exemplary punishment . the said person stealing a bible , being accused of the fact , did absolutely and impudently deny it ; not only so , but imprecating sad judgments against himself , in these and such like words , saying , that he desired that god might make him an example if he were any ways guilty of that crime laid to his charge ; and that his hands might rot off if he stole it , and he might rot alive if he had it , or medled with it : notwithstanding he knew himself to be guilty of the stealing of it . all which you may more fully understand by this following confession from his own mouth to the said minister , the author of this present narrative . this minister when he came to him propounded several questions to him , after he had bewailed the lamentable condition of the said person . . he asked him whether he did not look upon the hand of divine vengeance to be upon him , in an extraordinary manner ? he answered , he did . . the said minister asked him , whether he did apprehend for what that so sore a judgment was for , that he then lay under ; whether he were guilty of any particular sin , ( that his conscience accused him withal ) which did provoke gods wrath in so high a nature against him . he said that his particular sin was stealing a bible , for which he apprehended this sore judgment of god upon him . the said minister said further to him , did you steal a bible ? he answered , yes . the minister told him , though he did , that was a sin pardonable upon repentance ; that god was a merciful god. but the afflicted person further added , that when he was questioned for it , he positively denyed it , and wished that he might rot alive , and that his hands might rot off if he ever touched it ; and all this while knew himself guilty of the crime . the minister asked him how long since this fact was committed ? he answered , about six weeks . the minister asked him how long after that he had wished those sad wishes to himself , it was before he apprehended that hand of gods wrath to be upon him ? he answered , not long . the minister asked him , after what manner he found himself alter , as to any distemper that seized upon him ? he answered , he was taken with an aguish and feverish condition , and immediately his hand began to rot , and then he looked upon it to be the hand of god upon him , in punishing him for those sad vvishes he wished upon himself : and he further added , that he desired all good people to pray for him . having given you an account of the confession of this miserably afflicted person , without any alteration , as it was taken from his own mouth ; give me leave to admonish the reader seriously to consider , that if we by continuance in sin shall provoke god to withdraw his sustaining providence , our flesh and bones presently consume and crumble into dust and rottenness . hast thou not seen in a charnel-house the unvailed mysteries of humane nature , bones rudely thrown upon heaps , naked skulls with hollow eye-holes , yielding a dreadful and deformed spectacle ? hast thou not beheld their grinning mouths , and gastly looks , and the rest of their members carelesly dispersed and scattered ? such thou mayest consider will every person suddenly be , from whom god shall at any time withhold his providential supports . let this sad spectacle of divine vengeance move us to consider , with what a god we have to do : be not deceived ; god will not be mocked . let every one consider and admire god's free grace and mercy , that he hath not been made a subject of god's immediate wrath , instead of being a living monument of gods long suffering and patience . let no man presume to take gods name in vain ; much more not dare to challenge gods vengeance upon himself . this sad example ( being well considered ) may deter all that hear of it from such notorious sins . let every man take the advice of moses , deut. . . to be wise , to understand , and to consider their latter ends : which being done , will bring us to the knowledge of god , our selves , of heaven and hell , and prevent from being unhappy or miserable , either in body or soul. vvhich is the hearty desire of your humble remembrancer . w. v. finis . a correct copy of some notes concerning gods decrees especially of reprobation / written for the private use of a friend in northamptonshire ; and now published to prevent calumny. pierce, thomas, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing p ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a correct copy of some notes concerning gods decrees especially of reprobation / written for the private use of a friend in northamptonshire ; and now published to prevent calumny. pierce, thomas, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by e. cotes for r. royston, london : . "epistle dedicatory" signed: t.p. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. eng god -- wrath. judgment of god. theology, doctrinal. a r (wing p ). civilwar no a correct copy of some notes concerning gods decrees, especially of reprobation. written for the private use of a friend in northamptonshire pierce, thomas f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a correct copy of some notes concerning gods decrees , especially of reprobation . written for the private use of a friend in northampton-shire . and now published to prevent calumny . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . isocrat . london , printed by e. cotes for r. royston at the angel in ivie-lane , m. dc . lv . to a person of honour and integrity , who was the principal perswader to this publication . though i could not well answer your former reasons why i should publish a true copy to anticipate a false one , yet i was willing to be obstinate in a case of this nature ; wherein to vindicate my credit , did seem ( to me ) too great a prejudice to my ease ; and was thought ( by some friends ) to be a hazarding of my safety . and as i have never been delighted to lye busking in the sun , so of late ( more especially ) i have been even so amorous of living retiredly in the shade , that i would fain have provided for my peace and quiet , as more considerable to me then my reputation . not that i dare be so wedded to ease , or safety , as guiltily to court them by sloth , or cowardize ; nor that i dare be so indifferent to the good opinion of good men , as not to desire to be very well thought on ; but because i had resolv'd to sit and smile upon my sufferings , and to purchase the continuance of my beloved obscurity and repose , by that which i thought a lawful means ; even the burying my self amongst my books , and living under the protection of passive silence . but having put my judgement into other mens hands , and more especially into yours , and being perfectly conquer'd by your this weeks letter , who was but disorder'd by your last , ( against which i must confesse i did rather stand out , by an affected deafnesse , then any real dissent ) and being now no longer threatned by bare report , but by one who professeth ( under hand and seal ) to have been writing against papers which he cals mine , ( adding , that he intends to make them publick ) i finde my self brought to such an unfortunate dilemma , ( either of having a false copy printed , or else of printing a true copy to discountenance the false , ) that i must pitch upon this latter as the lesser evil . and so your wishes and my fears are come upon me ; whilest i lie under a necessity of going abroad into the world , meerly in order to my very privacy and peace . for the very same letter which threatens the publishing of papers falsly bearing my name , cals me the grandchilde of pelagius , the enemy of god , of christ , and of his church , with more such {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , then i will ever repay in kinde . the greatest revenge that i will seek , shall be ( in love to his person ) to conceal his name . i hope my soul hath been dieted with cleaner food , then to break out at the mouth into such exulcerate erysipelas . and that i shall get moderation by those very means , by which i finde some men have lost it . and though i hope it doth not lie in the power of any man to infect my name with such a leprosie , as to make it loathsome to such persons by whom i desire to be approved , yet have i hated the publication of this my scribling , for fear some young or old trojan should make it an apple of altercation . for you know this age is full of salamanders , who never live so pleasantly as in the fire of contention : in hopes to expire and to be buried ( like some pausanias or herostratus ) in the armes of fame , though not of glory . and truly this is the reason , why i have suffer'd so long in so deep a silence ; even hating the means , because abhorring the effects , of a vindication ; and desiring that what i built upon such controverted subjects , might be ( like solomons temple ) without the least noise of axe or hammer . if i had lookt upon my self with so much reverence , as to have made my self beleeve i could be publ●ckly useful , i would have fasten'd upon a subject which should have been fitter , and more easie , more profitable and pleasant , and every way more acceptable to my self , and others . i have been very attentive to that preaching of siracides , search not the things that are above thy strength , but what is commanded thee think thereupon with reverence , &c. and whilest i consider , that god will render to every man ( not according to his opinions , but ) according to his works ; i do not think it so good a task , to make men orthodox christians , as to make them honest and sincere ones . if i had been one of those , who prefer the truth of opinion to the truth of practise , and hate a man more for the least error of his judgement , then for the greatest obliquity of his will , i might indeed have been forward on such a subject . but because i have seriously observed , that whilest men scamble too eagerly after the truth of religion , they ( in the heat of contention ) do lose the practise of it , i have passed the hardest censure upon my present necessity , and have been ( hitherto ) the unkindest man in the world to mine own publication . but you ( sir ) are to thank me for my misfortune , in submission to whose judgement , i have offered violence to mine own . i may be a stranger to my self through the deceitfulnesse of my heart , but if my heart doth not deceive me , no man living hath gone to presse with greater vanity , then i go now with self-denial . i am sure my aversenesse to this publication hath extorted from me an unproportionable length both of this my letter to your self , and of my paraenesis to the reader ; which makes a portal too large for the littlenesse of the cottage to which it leads . which as i first submitted to your judgement , so must i now commit it to your disposal , and withal commend it to your protection . i say to your protection , because ( whilest the presse is so prostituted , and the age so prurient ) it is not likely to be the safer for being innocent . it was not the modesty of susanna that was able to secure her from the indictment of the elders ; and 't was the innocence of joseph , which made his mistresse pronounce him guilty . but had i imagined ( as i did not ) that my private notes would have been so vitiated and exposed , when i deliver'd them as whispers into one man's ear , i would infallibly have us'd them as virginius did his vertuous daughter ; that at least they might have gone unpolluted out of the world . but since they are unhappily condemn'd to live in spight of all my endevours to have supprest them , ( pro supplicio est , non potuisse mori , ) and that you will have them rather to be shew'd by me , in their natural shape , then by any strange man , in any uncharitable disguise ; i hope that you will secure me from farther trouble , by undertaking its vindication against any pragmatick person , who shall possibly abuse either them , or me . for the temptation must be greater , and the necessity more urgent then i hope it will be , if i draw at either end of the saw of strife . but you have leisure as well as skill ; and you are able to forget your rank and quality , in favour to him , who does honour your vertues and erudition , above your fortune and your bloud . and who is not more by obligation of duty , then by the peculiar inclinations of his soul , sir , your most affectionate , obliged , and humble servant , t. p. a paraenesis to the reader . ( shewing the first occasion of this following discourse , and the author's necessity to make it publick . ) sect. . that i am subject to errors , it is no humility to acknowledge ; it being no more then to confesse , that i carry about me the infirmities of a man ; which whosoever doth not , let him cast the first stone at me . but whether or no i am an heretique , or a dangerous person , i d●…sire my censors may be my iudges ; and do therefore addresse this present apologie and appeal , not to the kindnesse and partiality of my dearest friends , but to the very jealousies and prejudices of my severest enemies . i bar the suffrage of none , but the accuser of the brethren , that abaddon or apollyon , so very skilfull to destroy , who is the father of lies , and was a murderer from the beginning . . i do professe in the presence of that punctuall register within me , ( to which i bear a greater reverence then to affront it with a premeditated and wilfull lie ) that i do not unsheath my pen , to wound the reputation of any man living . but since mine own lies bleeding in the mouths of some , whose very tongues have teeth , which bite much harder then i will ever allow mine , ( and if there happen to be any in all my papers , i shall not think it painful to have them drawn ) it is but needful that i be clothed at least with armour of defence . i meant indeed at the first , only to have armed my self with silence , that my reservednesse and obscurity might keep me safe : and even now that i am forced and as it were drag'd into the field , i contend not for victory , but for an honourable retreat . and if after i have suffer'd , i may be competently safe , i will thank my buckler , but not my sword . even now that i am writing , it is with a kinde of willingnesse to blot it out ; and do only so do it , as preferring an inconvenience before a mischief . . there had been a private conference betwixt a gentleman and my self , which ( for his further satisfaction ) i threw hastily into a paper ; every whit as incohaerent , as it had been in our oral and extemporary discourses : a discourse which of necessity was forc'd to be without method as without premeditation ; because ( in my answers to his objections ) i was bound to follow after the measure that i was led . i thought the thing so inconsiderable , as not to vouchsafe it a reading over , but just as it was written , delivered it instantly to my friend , to be returned ( when he had used it ) unto the usual place of my forgetfulnesse . and forgotten it was so long , that truly i know not how long it was ; till discoursing with another gentleman upon the very same subject , i found my memory awak'd by that sleeping scribble ; but ( forgetting that secrets do cease to be so , when they are told though but to one , and that with strict conjurations of greatest secrecy ) i gave him leave to peruse it as his leisure serv'd him . it seems this gentleman had a confident , as well as i ; and so my original increas'd and multiplied into many false copies , of which not one was like the mother . now that my paper went abroad by the help of more hands then one , was against my knowledge , against my will , against my precept , against my care , and lastly against my best endevours to recal it . it having been absolutely impossible , that i should love the publication of my poor abortive , who never esteemed my ripest and most legitimate productions to be any way worthy of publique view . so far was i from an ambition of being known by a disfigured and mis shapen childe , that when i first heard of its travels , it was faln out of my memory ; and when it came to me in a disguise , it was quite out of my knowledge . . i do acknowledge the great abstrusenesse of the whole subject on which i treated , and the disproportion of my faculties to undertake or manage it . for if the learned bishop andrewes did choose with s. austin , much more may i with bishop andrewes , rather to hear then to speak of these insearchables . i do not hope to fathom either the bathos of the apostle , or the psalmists abysse . but i expect to be pardon'd , if when my way is slippery , i take heed to my footing ; and so eschew the precipice , as not to run upon the wolfe . it is not the businesse of this paper , either to state an old question in a new found way , or to publish my judgement as a considerable thing . who am i , that i should moderate between the remonstrants and anti-remonstrants ? betwixt s. austin and other fathers ? betwixt him and himself ? betwixt the synod of dort , and that other at augusta ? betwixt the dominicans and the iesuites ? arminius and mr. perkins ? twisse and bellarmine ? or betwixt whitaker and baro ? much indeed may be excus'd , because much may be look't for , from such reverend prelates , as were overall , and davenant . but i beleeve , amongst the clergy there is not one in a hundred fit to speak of these mysteries ; and amongst the laity not one in a thousand , that 's fit to hear them . hence was that silence first , and afterwards that secrecie , wherein i fain would have buried mine own conjectures : and even now that i am forc'd to be more publique then i meant , ( by the many false copies of my discourse , whereof one of the falsest is now preparing for the presse , by one , who it seems is at very great leisure ) it is not at all from any ambition to be follow'd , but from an humble desire to be rightly understood ; and do therefore only pretend to an apologie , and an appeal . first , an apologie for my imprudence ; that i could think such a secret might be communicated to one ; and so betray those papers to the light , which belonged only to the fire . secondly , an appeal , whether i am a pelagian , or whether so much as a massilian : or whether indeed i am not rather a very orthodox protestant of the church of england . i have managed my discourse , as i ground my faith , not from the hidden mysteries of god's secret will , but from the clearest expressions of his written word . where , of divers interpretations , ( as often as they are divers ) i love to pitch upon that , which i finde agreed upon by the wisest and the best ; and which , in my shallow judgement , ( which yet is the deepest that i have ) doth seem the safest , and the most sutable to the analogie of faith . even babes and idiots have this advantage of their betters , to be afraid of that fire where wiser men have been burnt . and sad experience hath taught me , ( who am a babe and an idiot in respect of the aged and the wise ) to steer aloof in my doctrines from those fatal shelves whereon my own small vessel hath been soundly dashed , and many others ( much greater ) as it were shipwrackt before mine eyes . this entirely is the reason , why i have hovered a long time betwixt the absolutenesse of a decree , and the liberty of a will ; like a trembling needle betwixt two loadstones ; or rather like a man newly walking upon a rope , who so ballanceth his body with his two hands , that his continual fear of falling down is the only tenure by which he stands . i dare not , for my life , be so bold as the pelagians , nor yet so bloudy as the manichees . i would not split my judgement on the symplegades of two intolerable mischiefs , either by robbing god of his efficiency in any one act which is naturally good ; or by aspersing his holinesse in any one act which is morally evill . i do endevour to keep my self , ( and others committed to my keeping ) both from the rock of presumption , and from the gulf of despair . i steer as carefully as i can ( in this so dangerous archipelago ) betwixt the nature of gods will , and the condition of mine own ; that so my confidence may well consist with my humility . i dare not impute to god what is unworthy for him to own ; nor arrogate to my self what is god's peculiar : and therefore settle my minde and my judgement upon these two grounds . i. that all the evil of sin which dwelleth in me , or proceedeth from me , is not imputable to god's will , but entirely to mine own . the serpent and the protoplast were promoters of my guilt , but my god was no promoter either of their guilt or mine . when the serpent speaketh a lie , he speaketh of his own ; he is the father of lies , and the works of your father ye will do , joh. . . ii. that all the good which i do , i do first receive ; not from any thing in my self , but from the special grace and favour of almighty god , who freely worketh in me , both to will and to do of his good pleasure . phil. . . chap. i. . if these are principles to be granted , my work is done ; for these are the grounds on which i build my judgement , and these are the touchstones by which i try it . whatsoever i beleeve concerning election or reprobation , and those other questions which are depending , i do infer from these truths , which ( as i suppose ) cannot possibly deceive me . and whilest i stand to these grounds , i am not able to quit my judgement , how little soever it shall be liked by such as are wittily unreasonable . so that my principles be right , i care not whither they carry me , whilest scripture and my best care are both guides in my conveyance ; for where the premises are true , the conclusion cannot be false : all that needeth to be car'd for in the progresse of my search , is the legality of the deduction ; which , if it be wrong , i shall be glad to hear of it for my instruction ; and if it be right , it cannot choose but be truth which leaps naturally forth from the womb of truth . . if by any inadvertency ( either in me , or the reader ) my words seem to clash with my belief , it is by no other misfortune then befell s. austin , when he used such expressions against the pelagians , as seemed to contradict what he had spoken against the manichees ; and yet he professeth it was not his judgement , but his style only that was changed . the saying of bucer is remarkable , ( and the more because it was bucer's ) that there was no such harm in what was said by the learned , both ancient and modern , concerning the freedome of the will , if things were taken as they were meant , ( that is to say ) by the right handle : and that would oftner be done , if the persons of some men were not a prejudice to their cause : for i finde the same words may passe with favour from one , which would not be endured should they be spoken by another . one short example will not be burdensome to the reader . doctor twisse himself hath said expresly , that the justice of god doth not appear in the absolute or simple condemnation of his creature , but in the condemnation of it for sin . thus he speaketh in his preface , which is most of it spent against arminius . i did but say the same words to some admirers of dr. twisse , and yet was counted an arminian ; which makes me heartily desire , that i may meet with unbyas't and impartial readers ; that whatsoever i shall say in these following papers , may be compared with the two principles which i have just now laid : i disallowing all that disagreeth with those principles , as the unhappinesse of my pen , or the unsteadinesse of my brain . i desire all may go for no more then it is worth . if i seem to any man to be overtaken in a fault , he shall do well to restore me in the spirit of meeknesse , remembring himself lest he also be tempted . if i am thought to be in the wrong by those that think themselves only in the 〈◊〉 , they can conclude no worse of me , then that i am not infallible : if in any thing i erre , it is for want of apprehension , not my unwillingness to apprehend ; nor am i severely to be censur'd , for being every whit as dull , as those thousands of thousands who have thought as i do . i hope my reasons will make it appear , that if i erre , i am not affectedly , but invincibly ignorant ; and so for being most unpassionately , i am most pardonably erroneous . or if i am thought not to be so , i desire one favour from them that so think , even that all my faults ( whether real or supposed ) may rather be laid upon my person , then imputed to my cause . . before i come to prove any thing from the first of my principles , i foresee a necessity to prove my principles to be true ; for though the foolishnesse of man perverteth his way , yet his heart fretteth against the lord . there are men in the world of no small name , who have told the world both out of the pulpit , and from the presse , that all the evill of sin which is in man proceedeth from god only as the author , and from man only as the instrument ; whether or no i am deceived , let the reader judge by this following catalogue of expressions . i forbear to name the authors in meer civility to their persons : but i have them lying by me very particularly quoted , and will produce them , if i am challenged by any man's doubt or curiosity . the expressions are such as these : ( to begin with the mildest . ) that all things happen , not only by god's praescience , but by his expresse order and positive decree . whereby many from the womb are devoted to certain and inevitable destruction , that by their misery god's name may be glorified . that god directeth his voice to some men , but that they may be so much the deafer ; he gives light unto them , but that they may be so much the blinder ; he offers them instruction , but that they may be the more ignorant ; and he useth a remedy , but to the end they may not be healed . that a wicked man , by the just impulse of god , doth that which is not lawful for him to do . that the devil and wicked men are so restrained on every side with the hand of god , as with a bridle , that they cannot conceive , nor contrive , nor execute any mischief , nor so much as endevour its execution , any farther then god himself doth ( not permit only , but ) command : nor are they only held in fetters , but compelled also as with a bridle , to perform obedience to such commands . that theeves and murderers are the instruments of the divine providence , which the lord himself useth to execute his judgements which he hath determined within himself ; and that he works through them . that gods decree , by which any man is destined to condemnation for sin , is not an act of his iustice , nor doth it presuppose sin . or if damnation doth presuppose sin , it doth not follow , that the praescience of sin doth precede the will or decree of damning ; or if the will of damning any man is an act of vindicative iustice , it doth not follow that it praesupposeth sin . that god can will that man shall not fall , by his will which is called voluntas signi , and in the mean while he can ordain that the same man shall infallibly and efficaciously fall , by his will which is called voluntas beneplaciti . the former will of god is improperly called his will , for it only signifieth what man ought to do by right ; but the latter will is properly called a will , because by that he decreed what should [ inevitably ] come to passe . that when god makes an angel or a man a transgressor , he himself doth not transgresse , because he doth not break a law . the very same sin , viz. adultery or murder , in as much as it is the work of god the author , mover , and compeller , it is not a crime ; but in as much as it is of man , it is a wickednesse . that they are cowards and seek for subterfuges , who say that this is done by god's permission only , and not by his will . if the ex●…aecation and madnesse of ahab is a judgement of god , the fiction of bare permission doth presently vanish ; because it is ridiculous , that the judge should only permit , and not also decree what he will have done , and also command the execution of it to his ministers . that god's decree is not lesse efficaeious in the permission of evill , then in the production of good . ( nay ) that god's will doth passe , not only into the permission of the sin , but into the sin itself which is permitted . ( nay ) that the dominieans do imperfectly and obscurely relate the truth , whilest besides gods concurrence to the making way for sin , they require nothing but the negation of efficacious grace , when it is manifest , that there is a farther prostitution to sins required . ( nay afterwards ) that god doth administer the occasions of sinning , and do so move and urge them , that they smite the sinners minde , and really affect his imagination , according to all those degrees , whether of profit or pleasure , represented in them . if my hand were not weary , if my heart did not tremble , if both my ears did not tingle , i could reckon up many more such frightfull sayings , from mine own knowledge and inspection , which i have quoted to the very page , and can do to the very line of their several authors : besides a cloud of blasphemies which i could name from other compilers , if i either listed or had need to take up any upon trust . now by all this it appears , ( as well as by many too literal expositions of some texts in scripture , which make god ( blessed for ever ! ) to be the tempter , the deceiver , and the father of lies ) there is a necessity lying upon upon me to prove my first principle , before some readers will dare to trust it , viz. that all the evill of sin which dwelleth in me , is not imputable to god's will , but entirely of mine own . adam and the serpent may be allowed as sharers , but my god ( blessed for ever ! ) is none at all . . this is plain by scripture , and by the evidences of reason : ( to which anon i shall adde antiquity . ) and first for scripture , though the force of a negative argument is not irrefragable , yet it is not unworthy to be observed , that god is no where affirmed to predestine sin : and therefore the word predestination is us'd without any epithet , to signifie nothing but election in the ordinary sense : and it is set by divines ( both ancient and modern ) as an opposite member to reprobation ; which cannot be done from the bare nature of the word , but from the use of it in scripture : and why should that be the sole use of it ( when the word it self is as fit to signifie the contrary ) but because god is the author of all the good we do , and of all the good that we receive , whereas man is his own author of all the evil which he committeth , and of the evil which he suffereth for such commissions ? . and though this bare negative proof might seem sufficient in such a case [ that god doth no where professe he wil's or decrees the sin of man ] yet ( to make us inexcusable when we excuse our selves , like adam , by any the least accusation of him that made us ) god doth every where professe , that he wil's it not : as when he forbids it by his lawes , when he provides against it by his discipline , when he shews us how to avoid it , when he tels us he cannot endure it , when he wins us from it by promises , when he frights us from it by threats , when he professeth that it is to him both a trouble , and a dishonour . how doth he wish that his people had walked in his wayes ? how doth he expostulate and make his appeal , whether he had omitted any thing , which might tend to the conversion of a sinful israel ? in the whole . chapter of ezekiel , god is pleased to make his own apologie and appeal , even to them that had accus'd him in an unworthy proverb : [ the fathers have eaten sowre grapes , and the childrens teeth are set on edge ] are not my waies equal ? and are not your waies unequal ? sure their waies had been his , if he had absolutely contriv'd them . the soul that sinneth it shall die , vers. . and why will ye die o house of israel ? vers. . which was virtually to aske them , why they would sin too ; which they ought to have done , if he had will'd it : for the positive will of god must and ought to be done ; and can any man be punisht for doing that which he must ? must any man be punisht for doing that which he ought ? 't is but an ill {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( which some men use ) to say that god hath a double will , of which the one is secret , and the other revealed ; the revealed will not only diverse , but even opposite to the secret one : god ordaining sin with the one , whilest he forbids it with the other ; and not alwaies willing in secret what he reveals himself to be willing to , for this is a salve ( {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) a great deal worse then the wound which it fain would cure . gods will indeed is divided amongst orthodox divines in respect of several acts , and in relation to several objects , or to the very same object at several times , and in several qualifications , into his first will , and his second will , his antecedent and consequent , his secret and revealed will : but to affirm two wils in simplicity it self , the one contrariant to the other about the very same act , ( the one decreeing that very act which is prohibited by the other ) seemeth a greater blasphemy to me , then that which the gnosticks , and the marcionites , and the manichees were guilty of , when they affirmed two gods , as the different fountains of good and evil . for by what i finde in tertullian ( who was best acquainted with marcion's heresies ) those two principles of good and evil were found out as a refuge for those other opinions , against which it is , that this my scribble was first design'd . and what tertullian speaks against marcion , might very well be repeated against the absolute reprobatarians : it having been better and more reasonable ( in that father's iudgement ) that god should never have forbid what he determin'd should be done , then that he should determine to be done what he forbid . and so 't is the lesser blasphemy of the two , to ascribe holinesse to one principle , and unholinesse to another ( in the marcionite's sense ) then both to him who is the spirit of holinesse ; who therefore cannot so irrespectively decree the punishment of his creature , as to necessitate his sin , and so be the author of his impenitence . . let no man say then when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ( as our modern ranters are wont to do ) for every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed . so far is god from being the author of any man's sin , that he is faithfull ( saith the apostle ) and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able , but will be sure to make a way either for conquest , or for escape . i dare not say then ( with him in the comedian , who had been a great sinner ) quid si haec quispiam voluit deus ? what if some god hath so decree'd it ? for s. iames makes me beleeve , that sin is both ingendred and conceived within me : when my lust hath conceived , it bringeth forth sin : and if my lust is the mother of it , sure the father is my will . it was david's saying of wicked israel , that they provok'd god to anger ( not with his will , but ) with their own inventions : there are contrivers of mischief , ( ps. . ) devisers of lies , ( eccles. . . ) such as weary themselves to commit iniquity ( jer. . . ) which cannot possibly be imputed unto an absolute decree . how many volumes have been written de arte magica ? de arte meretricia ? de arte lenonum ? with such others as would blush to be nam'd in english ; and dare we say they are decreed , to be mysteriously wicked ? or that their destruction was irrespective , and unconditionall ? i am in such disorder and discomposednesse of minde , whilest i only repeat these bold expressions , that were it not to good purpose ( as i conjecture and intend ) i durst not venture to repeat them . o lord , righteousnesse belongeth unto thee , but unto us confusion of face . for thou hast made man upright , but we have found out many inventions . after scripture i come to reason ; by which i hope to make it appear , that god almighty is so far from being accessary to sin , and does so many things to hinder it , that he doth not permit it but in an aequitable sense : and amongst many reasons which may be given , i shall ( in civility to my reader , and for the love of brevity ) content my self with that one , which to my seeming is the best ; and i the rather think it the best , because i ground it upon a notion which i have formerly learnt from most judicious mr. hooker : that which assigns to every thing the kinde , that which moderates the power , and appoints the form and measure of working , that we properly call a law . hence the being of god is a kinde of law to his working ; because that perfection which god is , giveth perfection to that he doth . so that being nothing but what is good , he can work nothing that is otherwise . it is therefore an errour ( saith that man of judgement ) to think there is no reason for the works of god , besides his absolute will , ( although no reason is known to us ) for the apostle tels us , he worketh all things ( not simply and meerly according to his will , but ) {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , according to the counsel of his will : and because he doth voluntarily set himself a law whereby to work , it followes that that law is no abatement to his freedome . if he is pleas'd to set himself a law or rule , not to reprobate any but upon praescience of sin , ( because that is most conformable to the nature of his goodnesse ) can this be any praejudice to the perfection of his being ? is his nature the lesse absolute , because it pleases him that his will be conditionall in some things , as it is absolute in others ? does he lose any praerogative , by being unable to be the author of sin ? or is not that rather a very great argument of his power ? such an ability as that being meer infirmity . we are god's creatures , but sin is ours . god saw every thing that he had made , and behold it was very good . we see the things that are made by the fiat of our will , and behold they are very evil . this creative power of ours we justly reckon as the sequel of humane weaknesse , and shall we heedlesly affirm it to be a iewel in the glorious diadem of god's almightinesse ? the apostle indeed hath told us , that god worketh all things , ( eph. . . ) but first he speaks it of god's election which he praedestin'd in his son , and the means conducing to such an end , which are none but good ; not at all of reprobation , the means in order to which are none but evill . secondly , even * beza himself doth so interpret that place , as not to annihilate , or stupefie , but rather to strengthen and to rectifie our wils . god makes an ill will a good one , not no will at all ; ( as * beza elsewhere speaks , and it were heartily to be wisht that he had never spoke otherwise ) according to that of austin , ex nolentibus facit volentes . he saies facit , not adigit , cogit , compellit . he makes us willing who were unwilling , but does not force us to be willing whilest we are unwilling ; ( that is to say , to be willing against our wils , or whether we will or no . ) . but i finde that i have shot somewhat farther then i aim'd ; it being only my design , and the proper businesse of this place , to shew , that the words of the apostle , [ he worketh all things ] are infinitely far from being meant either of sin , or reprobation . so far from that , that god almighty does not permit sin , as permission signifies connivence or consent ; but he permits it , as that signifies [ not to hinder by main force . ] if i see a man stealing and say nothing to him , i so permit as to be guilty : but if i warn and exhort , if i promise and threaten , and do all that may avert him ( besides killing him ) i so permit as to be innocent . in like manner , all that is done by god almighty by way of permission , is his suffering us to live , and have that nature of the will with which he made us . whereas to destroy us for the prevention of sin , or to make us become stocks ( as beza phrases it ) or like wooden engines , ( which are moved only by wires at the meer pleasure and discretion of the engineer ) were by inevitable consequence to * uncreate his creature , which to do were repugnant to his immutability , as tertul. shewes . this is all that i am able to apprehend , or pronounce , [ that god permits our sins in this sense only ; and that he disposes and orders them to the best advantage . ] . having proved my first principle by scripture and reason , it will be as easie to confirm it by the common suffrage of antiquity ; and to avoid the repetition of so long a catalogue , which i suppose will be as needlesse , as i am sure it will be nauseous to a considerable reader , i refer him to the citations which will follow my first inference sect. . i will content my self at present to shut up all with that article of the augustan confession , ( to which our articles have the greatest regard and conformity , and which for that very reason is to me the most venerable of any protestant confession except our own ) that though god is the creator and preserver of nature , yet the only cause of sin is the will of the wicked ( that is to say , of the devil and ungodly men ) turning it self from god to other things against the ( will and ) commandements of god . and the orange synod doth pronounce an anathema upon all that think otherwise . if any will not subscribe to this confession , i will leave him to learn modesty both from arrian the heathen , and from philo the iew . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . arrian . in epictet . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . philo {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . p. . chap. ii. my first demand being fully granted ( as in the mathematicks 't is usual to build upon certain postulata ) it doth immediately follow , that [ man himself is the sole efficient cause of his eternal punishment ] ( i say the sole cause , as excluding god , but not the devil ; whom yet i also exclude from the efficiency of the cause ; because he can only incite , and propose objects , and adde perswasions to sin , but cannot force or cause it in me without my will and consent : so that the devil being only a tempter and perswader , cannot for that be justly styled an efficient . or if he were , sure for that very reason god himself cannot be so : but only man and the devil must be the concauses of man's destruction . ) which is the second thing i am to prove both by scripture , and reason , and the whole suffrage of antiquity . . and sure i shall not be so solicitous as to rifle my concordance , but make use of such scriptures as lye uppermost in my memory , and so are readiest to meet my pen . these i finde are of two sorts , negative on god's part , and affirmative on man's . god gives the first under his oath . ( ezek. . . ) as i live , saith the lord , i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye , turn ye from your wicked waies , for why will ye die , o house of israel ? in the . chapter of the same prophesie , the latine translation is more emphatical then the english : for there it is not [ non cupio ] but [ nolo mortem morientis ] not that he doth not will the death of a sinner , but that he wils it not ; he doth not only not desire it , but ( which makes the proof more forcible ) he desires the contrary , even that he should turn from his wickednesse and live : ( chap. . v. . ) not willing ( saith s. peter ) that any should perish , but ( on the contrary ) that all should come to repentance . and so ( tim. . . ) he will have all men to be saved , and to come unto the knowledge of the truth . where it appears by the context , that the apostle does not only speak of all kindes of particulars , but of all particulars of the kindes too : for he first of all exhorts them , that prayers , and supplication , and giving of thanks be made for all men , ( vers. . ) secondly , he does instance in one sort of men , for kings and all that are in authority , ( vers. . ) thirdly , he addes the cause of his exhortation , for this is good and acceptable in the sight of god our saviour , who will have all men to be saved , ( vers. , . ) and if the spanish frier said true , that few kings go to hell , ( giving this reason ) because all kings are but few , the apostles way of arguing will be so much the stronger ; for when he speaks of all men in generall , he makes his instance in kings , in all kings without exception , thereby intimating nero the worst of kings , under whom at that time the apostle liv'd . and he uses another argument ( vers. . ) because christ gave himself a ransome for all . this is yet more plain from rom. . , . despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse , and forbearance , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodnesse of god leadeth thee to repentance ? but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath ? observe who they are whom god would have to repent ; even the hard hearted and the impenitent . but i have stronger proofs out of scripture , and lesse liable to cavil then any of these , which yet i thought fit to use , because i finde they are the chief of those that vossius relies upon , and expounds to my purpose from the authority of the ancients . i will adde to these but three or four texts more , of which the one will so establish and explain the other , as to leave no place of evasion to the gainsayer . first our blessed saviour is call'd by the apostle , the saviour of all men , especially of them that beleeve , ( tim. . . ) as if the apostle had foreseen an objection , that the word [ all ] might be restrained unto the houshold of faith , he prevents it by a distinction of general and special : for if he is a special saviour of beleevers , he is a general saviour of those that are unbeleevers ; not that unbeleevers can be saved , whilest they are obstinate unbeleevers , but upon condition they will repent and beleeve : else why should the apostle affirm the saviour to be of all , and then come off with an [ especially ] to them that beleeve ? certainly if it is every man's duty to beleeve in christ , christ dyed for every man . and this very argument is not easily answered in the very confession of dr. twisse ; who yet by and by saies 't is easily answered , and yet he leaves it without an answer , he only scornes it and lets it passe . twiss. in respon. ad armin. praefat. p. . col . . this is secondly confirm'd from the apostle's way of arguing ( cor. . . ) if one died for all , then were all dead . this is the major preposition of a hypothetical syllogisme ; in which the thing to be proved is , that all were dead ; and the medium to prove it is , that one died for all . now every man knows ( that understands how to reason ) that the argument of proof must be rather more , then lesse known , then the thing in question to be proved : so that if it be clear , that all men were dead by the fall of the first adam , it must be clearer ( as s. paul argues ) that life was offered unto all , by the death of the second adam ; and if none were died for but the elect , then the elect only were dead : for the word [ all ] must signifie as amply in the assumption , as it does in the sequel ; or else the reasoning will be fallacious and imperfect : the apostle thus argues , if one died for all , then were all dead ; but one died for all ; ( that must be the assumption ) therefore all were dead . whosoever here denies the minor , does ( before he is aware ) condemn the sequel of the major ; and so gives the lie to the very words of the text ; which i can look from none but some impure helvidius , who would conclude the greatest falshoods from the word of truth . this is thirdly confirmed from the saying of the apostle , ( rom. . . ) that god concluded all in unbelief ( the gentiles first , vers. . and afterwards the iewes , vers. . ) that he might have mercy upon all ; from whence i inferre , that if this last [ all ] belong to none but the elect , then none but the elect were concluded in unbelief . but 't is plain that all without exception were ( first or last ) concluded in unbelief , therefore the mercy was meant to all without exception . lastly , it is confirm'd from those false prophets and false teachers , ( pet. . . ) who though privily bringing in damnable heresies , even denying the lord that bought them , and bringing upon themselves swift destruction , yet it seems they were such whom the lord had bought . so far is god from being the cause of mans destruction , by an absolute , irrespective , unconditional decree , that he gave himself a ransome even for them that perish . they were not left out of the bargain which was made with his iustice , but the apostle tels us they were actually bought ▪ he whose bloud was sufficient for a thousand worlds , would not grudge its extent to the major part of but one : he was merciful to all men , but the greatest part of men are unmerciful to themselves . he is the saviour of all , but yet all are not saved ; because he only offers , does not obtrude himself upon us . he * offers himself to all , but most refuse to receive him . he will have no man to perish , but repent by his antecedent will , but by his consequent will he will have every man perish that is impenitent . which is sufficient to have been said for the negative part of my undertaking , [ that the cause of damnation is not on god's part ] in which , if any one text be found of power to convince , let no man cavil at those others which seem lesse convincing . if any one hath an objection , let him stay for an answer till his objection is urged . it might seem too easie , to solve objections of my own choice , or confute an argument of my own making ; and therefore i passe ( without notice of common shifts , and subterfuges , till i am call'd to that drudgery ) to the second part of my enterprise , which is the affirmative . . [ that man himself is the cause of his eternal punishment . ] which though supposed in the negative , must yet be proved to some persons , who are prevailed upon by fashions , and modes of speech ; and will deny that very thing when they see it in one colour , which they will presently assent to , when they behold it in another . he who is very loth to say , that god is the author of sin and damnation , will many times say it in other terms ; and therefore , in other terms , it must be proved that he is not . o israel thou hast destroyed thy self , but in me is thine help , ( hosea . . ) they that privily bring in damnable heresies shall bring upon themselves swift destruction . the foolishnesse of man perverteth his way : and as when lust conceiveth it bringeth forth sin , so when sin is finished it bringeth forth death , ( iam. . . ) if death is that monster , of which sin is the dam , that brings it forth , how foul a thing must be the sire ? and can there be any greater blasphemy , then to bring god's providence into the pedegree of death ? death ( saith the apostle ) is the wages of sin , ( rom. . . ) and wages is not an absolute but a relative word . it is but reason he should be paid it , who hath dearly earn'd it by his work . it is the will of man that is the servant of sin . disobedience is the work ▪ death eternal is the wages , and the devil is the pay-master ; who as he sets men to work to the dishonour of their creator , so he paies them their wages to the advancement of his glory . from whence i conclude ( with the book of wisdome ) god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living : for he created all things that they might have their being , and the generations of the world were healthful , and there is no poyson of destruction in them , nor the kingdome of death upon the earth . but ungodly men with their words and works call'd it to them , and made a covenant with it ; because they are unworthy to take [ {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ] part with it . . i will confirm this truth by no more then one reason ; which , if it is not the best , doth seem to me to be the fittest ; as being aptest to evince both the connexion and necessity of my first inference , from my first principle . it is taken from the nature and use of punishment ; which as soon as it is nam'd , doth presuppose a guilt ; for as every sin is the * transgression of some law , so every punishment is the revenge of some sin : upon which it followes , that if a mans sin is from himself , 't is from himself that he is punisht . and as the law is not the cause , but the * occasion only of sin ; so god is not the cause , but the inflicter only of punishment : for so saies the apostle , sin taking occasion by the commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence : for without the law sin was dead . that which is good not being made death , but sin working death by that which is good god and his law , are , each of them , the causa-sine-qua-non ▪ the condition without which , sin and punishment could not have been , ( for without law no sin , and without god no reprobation ) but not the energetical efficient cause , of which sin and punishment were the necessary effects . for if god had made a hell by an absolute purpose , meerly because he would that some should suffer it , and not in a praevious intuition of their sins ; damnation had been a misery , but not a punishment : as if a p●…tter makes a vessel on purpose that he may break it , ( which yet none but a mad man can be thought to do ) or if a man meerly for recreation cuts up animals alive , ( which yet none ever did that i can hear of , except a young spanish prince ) it is an infelicity and a torment , but no more a punishment then it is any thing else . indeed the common people , who do not understand the just propriety of words , make no distinction many times betwixt pain , and punishment ; not considering that punishment is a relative word ▪ of which the correlative is breach of law ; and therefore is fitly exprest in scripture by the mutual relation betwixt a parent and a childe : when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin ; sin being perfected bringeth forth death ▪ * ( iam. . . ) which is as much as to say ( according to the propriety of the apostles words ) sin is the parent , and death is the childe . now there cannot be a childe without a parent ; ( for they are relata secundum esse ) much lesse can the childe be before the parent ; ( for sunt simul naturâ , & dicuntur ad convertentiam ) upon which it followes , that punishment could not be ordained by god , either without sin or before it , or without respect and intuition of it , ( which yet the great * mr. calvin does plainly say . ) i say it could not , because it implies a contradiction . for though god could easily make adam out of the earth , and the earth out of nothing , yet he could not make a sinful cain to be the son of sinful adam ▪ before there was an adam , much lesse before there was a sinful one : because it were to be , and not to be at the same time ; adam would be a cause , before an entity ; which god almighty cannot do , because he is almighty . so that when the romanists assert their transubstantiation , or the posterity of marcion their absolute decree of all the evil in the world , ( both pretending a reverence to god's omnipotence ) they do as good as say , those things which are true may therefore be false , because they are true ; or that god is so almighty , as to be able not to be god : that being the result of an ability ▪ to make two parts of a contradiction true : ( so said austin against s. faustus , and origen against celsus . ) whensoever it is said , [ god can do all things ] 't is meant of all things that become him : so isidore the pelusiote . but ( to return to argument in the pursuit of which i have stept somewhat too forward ) if gods praeordination of mans eternal misery were in order of nature before his praescience of mans sin , as mr. calvin evidently affirms in his [ ideo * praesciverit , quia decreto suo praeordinavit , ] setting praeordination as the cause , or reason , or praevious requisite to his praescience ) either mans reprobation must come to passe without sin , or else he must sin to bring it orderly to passe ; which is to make god the author either of misery by itself without relation to sin , or else of sin in order to misery . the first cannot be , because god hath * sworn , he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner , ( ezek. . . ) much lesse in his death that never sin'd . and because , if it were so , the scripture would not use the word wages , and the word punishment , and the word retribution , and the word reward . hell indeed had been a torment , but not a recompence ; a fatal misery , but not a mulct ; an act of power , but not of vengeance ; which yet in many places is the style that god speaks in , vengeance is mine , and i will repay , rom. . . nor can the second be lesse impossible , it having formerly been proved , that god is not the author of sin ; * he hath no need of the sinful man , whereby to bring mans ruine the more conveniently about ; and most of them that dare say it , are fain to say it in a disguise . some indeed are for [ ligonem ligonem ] but the more modest blasphemers are glad to dresse it in cleaner phrase . a strange {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} in divinity , to put the childe before the parent , the wages before the work , the end before the means , the reprobation before the sin ! yet so they do who make the decree of reprobation most irrespective and unconditional ; and after that , say , that whom god determines to the end , he determines to the means . to put the horse upon the bridle , is a more rational hypallage : for by this divinity , eternal punishment is imputed to gods antecedent will ( which is called the first ) and sin to his consequent will , ( which is the second . ) the first {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and the other only {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , punishment chiefly , and sin by way of consecution . men are bid not to sin ex voluntate signi , or revelata ; but are determin'd to it ex voluntate occultâ , or beneplaciti . distinctions very good , when at first they were invented for better uses . the former by s. chrysostome , from whom it was borrow'd by damascene , and from him by the schoolmen . but i say they all were us'd to very contrary purposes , by them , and by these , who endevour'd to repel those fathers with their own weapons , ( as the elaborate gerard vossius does very largely make it appear . ) i am sorry i must say , ( what yet i must ( saith * tertullian ) when it may tend to edification ) that the lord god merciful , and gracious , long-suffering , abundant in goodnesse and truth , who is all bowels and no gall ; who hateth nothing that he hath made , who in the midst of iudgement remembreth mercy , ever forgiving iniquity , transgression and sin , is exhibited to the world by the authors and abettors of unconditional reprobation , as a kinde of platonick lover of so excellent a creature 's everlasting misery . which if mr. calvin himself confessed to be a * horrible decree ( who yet beleev'd it ) how frightful must that opinion appear to me , who did therefore leave it , because it frighted me into my wits ? for to say that god is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , a slayer of men from all eternity , ( who is the lamb slain , that is , a saviour , from the foundation of the world , ( rev. . . ) is to affirm that of him , which he affirmed of the devil , who is called by our saviour , a murderer from the beginning , ioh. . . which the devil could not be ; if god had absolutely willed the death of any , without respect or relation to the snares of the devil , it being impossible to murder the dead ; or to slay those that were killed long before they were born . i know by whom it is answered , [ that god doth will sin , not as it is sin , but as it is a medium for the setting forth of his glory ; and so damnation . ] but whilest men finde out distinctions to excuse god almighty , they do imply him to have offended . which i am so weary even to think on , that i hasten , for some refreshment , to my third proof of this inference , from the suffrage of antiquity . . before i name any particular , i will take the confidence to say in general , that all the greek and latine fathers before s. austin , and even austin himself before his contention against pelagius , ( and even during that contention in some places of his works ) besides those many fathers who lived after him , were unanimously of this judgement , that god did not absolutely decree the reprobation of any creature , but upon praescience and supposition of wilful rebellion and impenitence . i have not liv'd long enough to read them all , but i have dipt into the most : and by the help of such collectors as i have gotten into my study , ( whereof vossius hath good reason to be the chief upon this occasion : and i the rather use him , because i find him so very punctual in every one of the quotations , which i have had means and opportunity to make trial of ) i say , by the help of such credible compilers , i shall give in a cloud of witnesses ( i hope ) sufficiently authentick . i do as little love to be voluminous as callimachus would have me , ( {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) and therefore shall set down only the substance of what the fathers have said , referring the reader , by my citations , to the larger fields of their discourses . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . pluribus pereuntibus , quomodo defenditur perfecta bonitas ? ex majore parte cessatrix , paucis aliqua , pluribus nulla , cedens perditioni , partiaria exitii ? quòd si plures salvi non erunt , erit jam non bonitas , sed malitia perfectior . — magis autem non faciens salvos , dum paucos facit , perfectior erit in non juvando . — suae potestatis invenio hominem à deo constitutum , — lapsúmque hominis non deo , sed libero ejus arbitrio deputandum . ( i wonder vossius did not remember tertullian , then whom there is not any one more directly for this purpose . iustin martyr also was ill omitted ; and so was s. ignatius . ) {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . ignem autem aeternum non illis , quibus dicitur [ discedite à me maledicti ] paratum ostendit , sicut regnum justis , sed diabolo , & angelis ejus : quia quantum adse , homines non ad perditionem creavit , sed ad vitam aeternam & gaudium . ( note that chrysostome , theophylact , and euthymius , interpret those words of christ , as origen doth . ) {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ideo venit dominus iesus ut salvum faceret quod perierat . venit ergo ut peccatum mundi tolleret , ut vulnera nostra curaret . sed●…quia non omnes medicinam expetunt , sed plerique refugiunt , — ideo volentes curat , non adstringit invitos . non injustè judicat , quia omnes vult salvos fieri , manente justitia . — deus utique vult omnes salvos fieri . cur non impletur ejus voluntas ? sed in omni locutione , sensus est , conditio latet . vult omnes salvos fieri , sed si accedant ad eum : non enim sic vult , ut nolentes salventur , sed vult illos salvari , si & ipsi velint : nam legem omnibus dedit , nullum excepit à salute . * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} miseratur humano generi deus , & non vult perire quod fecit . vult deus quaecunque sunt plena rationis & consilii . vult salvari omnes & in agnitionem veritatis venire . sed quia nullus absque propriâ voluntate servatur , ( liberi enim arbitrii sumus ) vult nos bonum velle , ut cum voluerimus , velit in nobis & ipse suum implere consilium . constat deum omnia bona velle , sed homines suo vitio praecipitantur in malum . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . duae sunt voluntates in deo. una misericordiae , quae non est cogens , nec aliquid libero arbitrio aufert . quâ omnes homines vult salvos fieri , quod tamen in liberâ voluntate illorum positum est . est alia , quae est de effectibus rerum , de quâ dicitur , [ omnia quaecunque voluit , fecit . ] huic nemo potest resistere . de quâ dicitur , voluntati ejus quis resistit ? ( atque haec est duplex , permittens , respectu mali ; approbans , respectu boni . ) itaque homines resistunt voluntati misericordiae , & non resistunt voluntati justitiae . ( postea in hunc sensum . ) orat ergo , fiat voluntas tua , sicut in coelo ( ubi non resistitur ) sic & in terris , ubi resistitur . deus ex se sumit seminarium miserendi . quod judicat & condemnat nos , eum quodammodo cogimus , ut longè aliter de corde ipsius miseratio , quàm anivadversio procedere videatur . — omnibus offertur , & in communi posita est dei misericordia ; nemo illius expers est , nisi qui renuit . if after all these testimonies , i have s. austin and prosper to side with me in my assertion , i know not why i may not seem , to those who think me in an error , at least to have rationally and discreetly erred : and though grotius gives a reason why s. austin is the unfittest to be a iudge in these matters , yet if prosper ( who best knew him ) may be allowed for his interpreter , i am very well content that he be one of my iury ; for of four expositions which that father made ( in several parts of his writings ) upon tim. . . [ god will have all men to be saved , ] i finde one very directly just such as i would have it ; and it is even in those writings which he pen'd after the heresie of pelagius was on foot ; which is therefore with me of very great moment and authority . to this question , de bonâ voluntate unde sit , si naturâ , cur non omnibus , cùm sit idem deus omnium creator ? si dono dei , etiam hoc quare non omnibus , cùm omnes homines velit salvos fieri ? he thus answers , vult deus omnes homines salvos fieri , non sic tamen ut eis adimat liberum arbitrium , quo vel bene vel malè utentes justissimè judicentur . quod quum sit , infideles quidem contra voluntatem dei faciunt , cùm ejus evangelio non credunt : nec ideo tamen eam vincunt , verùm seipsos fraudant magno & summo bono , malisque poenalibus implicant , experturi in suppliciis potestatem ejus , cujus in donis misericordiam contempserunt . inevitabilis illa sententia , [ discedite à me maledicti ] à piissimo deo ideo multo antè praedicitur , ut à nobis totis viribus caveatur : si enim nos deus noster vellet punire , non nos ante tot secula commoneret . invitus quodam modo vindicat , qui quomodo evadere possimus , multo antè demonstrat : non enim te vult percutere , qui tibi clamat , observa . 't is very true that s. austin did sometimes let fall such expressions , ( transported sometimes in the heat of his dispute ) as rais'd some calumnies after his death , as if he had thought that god created the greatest part of mankinde on purpose to do the will , not of god , but of the devil . but prosper made it appear , in his answers to that and the like objections , that they who censur'd austin's iudgement , were seduced to it by his style : and that ( notwithstanding the misfortune of his expressions ) austin's judgement and his owne , was clearly this ( and so * fulgentius doth professe to understand it . ) — syncerissimè credendum atque profitendum est , deum velle ut omnes homines salvi fiant . siquidem apostolus , cujus ista sententia est , sollicitissimè praecipit , ut deo pro omnibus hominibus supplicetur : ex quibus quòd multi pereunt , pereuntium est meritum ; quòd multi salvantur , salvantis est donum . — nemo ab eo ideo creatus est , ut periret : quia alia est causa nascendi , alia pereundi . ut enim nascantur homines , conditoris est beneficium ; ut autem pereant , praevaricatoris est meritum . — insanum omnino est dicere , voluntatem dei ex dei voluntate non fieri ; & damnatorem diaboli ejúsque famulorum , velle ut diabolo serviatur . — nullo modo credendum homines — ex dei voluntate cecidisse , cùm potius allevet dominus omnes qui corruunt , & erigat omnes elisos . — dei ergo voluntas est , ut in bonâ voluntate maneatur . qui & priusquam deseratur , neminem deserit . et multos desertores saepe convertit . — deus nec quae illuminavit , obcaecat ; nec quae aedificavit , destruit ; nec quae plantavit , evellit . quia praesciti sunt casuri , non sunt praedestinati . essent autem praedestinati , si essent reversuri , & in sanctitate ac veritate mansuri : ac per hoc praedestinatio dei multis est causa standi , nemini est causa labendi . — hi cùm à pietate deficiunt , non ex dei opere , sed ex sua voluntate deficiunt . casuri tamen & recessuri ab eo , qui falli non potest , praesciuntur . — denique qui voluntatem spreverunt invitantem , voluntatem dei sentient vindicantem . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . theodor . heracl . in joh. . . anathema illi qui per dei praescientiam in mortem hominem deprimi dixerit . synod . arelatensis . suo prorsus decipiuntur arbitrio , suâ voluntate labuntur , & si in hac desidiâ perseverent , ipsi se his quae accepere , despoliant . scriptor de vocat . gent. l. . cap. . quos praescivit deus homines vitam in peccato terminaturos , praedestinavit supplicio interminabili puniendos . fulgentius ad monimum . l. . * lastly , that this is precisely the judgement of the church of england , i cannot better prove then by that sense and apprehension which bishop overal had of it ; who does professedly interpret the minde of her articles in this particular , and was as well able to do it as any man that ever lived . — sub generali promissione & praecepto tutò quisque potest indubi●… fide se includere : & cum certâ spe ac fiduciâ ad thronum gratiae accedere , veréque cognoscere , si non confidat deo promittenti , & mandanti obsequatur , suam culpam esse , non dei : idque per negligentiam suam , non gratiae divinae defectum accidere . — ordo divinae praedestinationis nostrae in articulo septimo iste videtur intentus ; deum praescium lapsûs generis humani ad remedium ejusdem filium mittendum decrevisse , in eóque salutis conditionem statuisse ; tum ad eam in animis hominum producendam necessaria & sufficientia media & auxilia omnibus generatim secundum magis & minus ordinâsse , quae magis speciatim his quos in christo elegit ex reliquo hominum genere pro suo beneplacito cumularet , quibus hi ad fidem , perseverantiam & aeternam salutem certissimè perducantur , & reliqui nihil habeant quod conquerantur , &c. de morte christi tam plena & ubique sibi constans ecclesiae nostrae sententia , pro omnibus omnino hominibus , sive pro omnibus omnium hominum peccatis , iesum christum mortuum esse , ut mirandum sit ullos ex nostris id in controversiam vocare . pro omnibus actualibus hominum peccatis , non tantùm pro culpâ originis . aeterna vita humano generi est proposita . oblatio christi semel facta perfecta est redemptio , propitiatio & satisfactio pro omnibus peccatis totius mundi tam originalibus quàm actualibus . it is farther observed by that most moderate and learned man , that mr. calvin himself , however rigid he was in some places , did yet so soberly contradict himself in others , that those very texts of scripture in which it is affirmed [ christ dyed for many ] he so interprets as to say , the word [ many ] is put to signifie [ all ] as heb. . . and that many are not saved is ( saith he ) for this reason , [ quia eos impedit sua incredulitas ] because they are hindred by their own incredulity . . i have not translated these authorities , because they are principally meant for such as are able to understand them . and if any plain reader shall desire to have them in the grosse without being troubled to suffer them over in the retail , he may be pleas'd to receive it in these following words : that god did not absolutely , irrespectively , unconditionally decree the everlasting misery of any one , but in a foresight and intuition of their refusing his proffer . that he sent his son to dye for all the sins of the whole world , inviting and commanding all men every where to repent [ and be forgiven ] ( act. . . ) but that most , like the slave in exodus , are in love with their bondage ; and will be bored through the ear . that everlasting fire was prepared especially , ( not for men , but ) for the devil and his angels ; nor for them by a peremptory irrespective decree , but in praescience and respect of their pride and apostasie . that christ came to save that which was lost , and to call sinners to repentance , and to have gather'd them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , but they would not . that god gave his law , his rule , his promises to all , and excepted none in the publishing of either ; but so as he expected they should be willing as well as he ; for he would not save any whether they would or no . that god almighty made no man on purpose to torment him , but that he might participate of his goodnesse . that so many as perish may thank themselves ; and that so many as live forever , are beholding to nothing but the grace of god . that god decreed the fall of none , but the raising up of those were down : and that those very men who are reprobated had been predestin'd to salvation , if they would have return'd and remain'd in truth and holinesse . gods decrees being to many the cause of their rise , but to none of their downfal . lastly , that they who have despis'd the will of god which did invite them to repentance , shall feel the terrors of his will , which is to execute vengeance upon the children of disobedience . . from all this together which hath been said from scripture , the result of all . from reason , from the authority of the ancients ( who are the fittest of any to interpret scripture ) i thus conclude within my self . that god almighty is the author of men and angels ; that wicked angels and wicked men are the authors of sin ; and that the sin of men and angels is the author of unexpressible and endlesse punishment . that sin is rebellion against the majesty of god ; that hell was made to punish rebels ; and that god never decreed any rebellion against himself . upon which it followes , that as i look for the cause of my election in the sole merits of my redeemer , so for the cause of my reprobation , in the obliquity of my will : because the reason of my punishment is to be taken from my sin ; and the reason of my sin is to be taken from my self : from whence there followes ( and follow it will , do what i can ) a second inference from my first , compared with my first principle , viz. chap. iii. . that every reprobate is predetermin'd to eternal punishment , not by gods irrespective , but conditional decree . god doth punish no man under the notion of a creature , but under the notion of a malefactor : and because he does not create a malefactor , but a man , he hateth nothing that he hath created , but in as much as it hath wilfully ( as it were ) uncreated his image in it . so that no man is sinfull , because ordain'd to condemnation ; but ordain'd to condemnation , because he is sinful . sin is foreseen , and punishment is foreappointed ; but because that sin is the cause of punishment , and that the cause is not after , but before the effect ( in priority of nature , though not of time ) it followes that the effect is not foreappointed , until the cause is foreseen . so that god damns no man by an absolute decree , ( that is to say ) without respect or intuition of sin ; but the praescience of the guilt , is the motive and inducement to the determining of the iudgement . and yet however my second inference is depending upon my first by an essential tye , ( which gives it the force and intrinsick form of demonstration ) yet because some readers will assent much sooner , to a plain reason lesse convincing , then to a more convincing reason lesse plain , ( and that some are wrought upon , by an argument exactly proportion'd to their capacities or tempers , rightly level'd and adapted more by luckinesse then design , whilest another argument is displeasing they know not why , but that there is an odnesse in the look and meen , which betokens something of subtilty , and makes them suspect there is a serpent , though they see not the ambush in which it lurks ) i will gratifie such a reader by a proof of this too ; first from scripture , then from reason ( grounded upon scripture ) and last of all by an addition to my former suffrages of antiquity : in which s. austin more especially shall speak as plainly , and as strongly in my behalf , as any man that can be brib'd to be an advocate , or a witnesse . . that my proof from scripture may be the more effectual , i shall first desire it may be consider'd ; that since god is affirmed to have a secret and a revealed will , we must not praeposterously interpret what we read of his revealed will by what we conjecture of his secret one : ( for that were to go into the dark to judge of those colours which are seen only by the light ) but we must either not conjecture at that which cannot be known ( as gods secret will cannot be , but by ceasing to be secret ) or if we needs will be so busie , we must guesse at his secret will by what we know of his revealed one , that so at least we modestly and safely erre . upon which it followes : that we who meekly confesse we have not been of gods councell , must only judge of his eternal and impervestigable decrees by what we finde in his word concerning his promises and his threats : which are fitly called the transcripts or copies of his decrees . such therefore as are his threats , such must needs be his decrees , ( because the one cannot praevaricate or evacuate the other ) but his threats ( as well as promises ) are all conditional , therefore his decrees must be so too . thus in his covenant with adam ( and indeed the word covenant doth evince what i am speaking ) he threatens death , or decrees it , ( not with that peremptory reason , which is the redoubling of the will only , i will therefore because i will , but ) on supposition of his eating the forbidden fruit . which was not therefore forbidden , that adam might sin in the eating , ( man was not so ensnared by the guide of his youth ) but adam sin'd in the eating , because it had been forbidden . such immediately after was gods language to cain . [ if thou do well , thou shall be accepted , and if thou doest not well , sin lyeth at the door . ] again ( saith god by the mouth of moses ) behold , i set before you this day a blessing and a curse . a blessing , if ye obey ; and a curse , if ye will not obey . that is the form of making covenants betwixt god and man every where throughout the scripture : and according to the fulfilling or not fulfilling of the condition , the righteous iudge of all the world proceeds to sentence . which that we may not so much as doubt of , he ( by a merciful anthropopathia ) is pleased to speak like one of us . i will go down now and see , whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it , and if not , i will know . there is an expression of god to eli ( sam. . . ) which shewes his will sometimes is either not absolute , or not immutable . i said indeed that the house of thy father should walk before me forever . but now the lord saith , be it far from me . which words do not argue any ficklenesse in his will , but demonstrate his promise to have been conditionall : there was an [ if ] impli'd , though not expressed , and so it appears by the very next words . this is also the style that is used in the new testament . if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord iesus , and shalt beleeve in thine heart , &c. thou shalt be saved . from whence it followes , that if thou shalt not confesse with thy mouth , nor beleeve in thine heart , &c. thou shalt be damn'd . if we forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses . if we suffer , we shall also reign ; if we deny him , he also will deny us . i will cast her into a bed , and them that commit fornication with her , into great tribulation , except they repent ( rev. . . ) if ye beleeve not that i am he , ye shal dye in your sins , joh. . . in a word , the very end of christs coming into the world , was to save us from our sins , ( mat. . . ) to redeem us from all iniquity . ( tit. . . ) he came to deliver us indeed out of the hand of our enemies , but to the end that we might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our lives . ( luk. . . . ) now the end ( we know ) is the prime condition , the greatest requisite of all : which to neglect without repentance , is the true cause of condemnation : for so runs the sentence of our saviour ( mat. . . ) depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire . why ? for what reason ? he gives the true reason in the next verse , ( not because ye were reprobated by an absolute decree ; not because ye were ordain'd to be vessels of wrath by a meer irrespective and inexorable will , but ) because i was hungry and ye gave me no meat , because i was thirsty and ye gave me no drink . ( which yet they could not have given him , if it had not been given them from above to give . ) from which and a thousand such texts besides , i do thus state the matter betwixt me and my self . that no man is infinitely punisht by an unavoidable necessity , but for not doing his duty ; nor because he cannot , but will not do it . impossibility is not a sin , and therefore no man is punisht for not doing that , which it is impossible for him to do . it was the cruelty of adonibezek , to cut off mens thumbs , and then to make it their task to gather up meat under the table . a greater cruelty in pharaoh to require a tale of brick , where he gave no straw . whereas the master we serve , will render to every man according to his works . with him there is no respect of persons . but whatsoever a man soweth , that shall he reap . and therefore let us not sin , under pretence that all we do is by an absolute decree : ( an opinion brought , amongst other merchandise , out of turkie into christendome , and would be rooted out in the next reformation ) for every such sinner is his own worst satan , he seeks out death in the errour of his way , and puls upon himself destruction with the works of his hands . other proofs out of scripture , ( and perhaps , to some , more convincing ) will be found interweaved in my followlowing proofs . . i must next confirm this truth by reason ; and because this reason will be manifold , i will make it my endeavour to be brief in each . whereof the first shall be taken from the nature of punishment , which ( as before i signified ) does praesuppose a sin ; sin does imply a breach of law ; and this again does imply at once , a rational and a voluntary agent . which seems to me to be the reason , why god is not offended with the cruelty of the bear , or with the pride of the peacock , or with the theevery of the fox . this is the reason , why the earth does not sin by breeding thornes and thistles against its primitive institution . for the ground cannot be punisht , and was not cursed for its own , but for adam's sake . ( gen. . . . ) and lastly , this is the reason , why the tower of siloe was not damn'd for committing murder . man is an agent very capable of a law , and so of sin , and so of punishment ; and is therefore punisht , not because he could not , but because he could help it , by that goodnesse of god which would have led him to repentance , if he had not despis'd the riches of his goodnesse . man is punisht because he would sin , and not because he could not but sin . . my second reason is taken from the nature of a covenant ; which ever implies a condition : now when the first covenant was broken , god immediately made a second ; not with a part , but with all mankinde . and this is observable in the title of our gospel ; [ {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ] which though we render the [ new testament ] we might better render the [ new covenant , ] which cannot be without conditions . heaven and hell are set before us ; the performance of faith and obedience , is that important condition ; without which , as the former will not be had , so cannot the latter be avoided . . my third reason is taken from the unlimited generality whereby promises and threats , rewards and punishments , exhortations and dehortations , are exhibited to all . the gospel is commanded to be preached to all ; and it is published in writing , that all might read and beleeve ; baptisme , repentance , and remission of sins are commanded to be offered to all in general , even to them that refuse both the word and the preachers . who when they are refus'd ( and not before ) are to shake the dust off their feet for a testimony against them . now preachings would be vain , and exhortations would be deceitful , if life and death did not depend upon submitting or refusing to be amended by them . . my fourth reason is taken from the degrees of damnation . some shall be beaten with many stripes , and some with fewer ; some shall have a lesse , and some a greater condemnation . it shall be worse for chorazin then for tyre , worse for bethsaida then for sidon , worse for capernaum then for sodom , worse for the iewes then for the ninevites ; which is not because one had a greater necessity of sinning then the other , but one was guilty of the greater contempt . not because god had absolutely decreed a greater punishment to the one , but because the one had means of sinning lesse then the other . for our saviour sayes expresly , that if the mighty works which were done in tyre and sidon had been also done in chorazin and bethsaida , they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes . which was as much as to tell them , that it was not at all for want of means and mercy on gods part , but for want of will on theirs , that they did not do what was commanded to be done . and therefore our saviour did upbraid them , because they repented not , ( mat. . . ) which he could not have done , had it been impossible for them to have repented . our blessed saviour was too pitiful , and of too sweet a disposition , to jee●… a poor creature for being such as god made him , or for being such as he could not but be , whether by fatal , or by natural infirmity . we esteem it an ill nature to upbraid a stammerer for not speaking plain ; nor is any man reproached for being naturally , but wilfully blinde ; nor for being born deaf , but for being like the adder that stoppeth her ears . he that bindes my feet , and then invites me to come to him , intends me nothing for entertainment but a salted sarcasme , or bitter iest ; for if he were serious , he would set my feet at liberty , that i might come in good earnest ; and not say to me , as we say to a childe that is fallen down , [ come hither to me and i will lift thee up . ] and yet this mr. calvin is fain to say , ( having been first of all ingaged in that opinion ) that so many nations of men together with their infants were involved without remedy in eternal punishment , by the fall of adam , for no imaginable reason , but that so it seemed good in the sight of god : and being pincht with that text ( ezek. . . ) have i any pleasure at all that the wicked should die , and not that he should return from his waies and live ? he is fain to say , that god wils not the death of a sinner so far forth as he wils his repentance . which experience teacheth us he doth so will , as not to touch his heart that he may repent . which is all one as to say , he wils it so , as to command it ; but he does not will it so , as to leave it possible : ( that is ) he wils it in shew , but not in reality . nor do i know any way possible for mr. calvin to escape those ugly sequels , but by saying [ that the sinner may repent by the strength and force of nature , without the touch of his heart by the grace of god , ] which is to shelter himself under the heresie of pelagius . solomon gives us a more rationall accompt , why wisdome one day will laugh at mens calamities , and mock when their fear cometh ; even because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the lord . . my fifth reason is taken from the nature of death , as that does signifie privation , and as privation supposes a former habit. a stone is said to be not alive , because it suffers the negation of life ; but a stone cannot properly be said to be dead , because it doth not suffer the privation of life . so that when a man is said in scripture to be spiritually dead in trespasses and sins , he is imply'd by that expression to have been spiritually alive . and no man is damn'd for the negation , but the privation of grace ; because the negation of grace would be gods work , whereas the privation of it is his own . it having formerly been shew'd , that god doth not punish his own work in man , but man is punisht for his own work ; not for gods illiberality , but for his own being a prodigal ; not because no talent was given him , but because he squander'd it away . sin is properly the death of grace ; death is a privation , a privation is of a habit . so that every sinner had grace , for this very reason that he hath lost it ; he was alive , for this very reason that he is dead . he came alive out of gods hands , but he fals desperately by his own . a man may be dead born , but he cannot possibly be dead begotten ; deprived of life he cannot be in the very act of his conception . a man can no more be created a sinner , then he can be generated a dead man : which infers the condition of gods decree . . my sixth reason is taken from christs having bought those very men ( pet. . . ) whose damnation did not slumber . ( vers. . ) i have proved already , christ died for all that were dead in adam , from ( cor. . . ) and from several other texts . which he could not be truly affirm'd to do , if any one had been past by , by an absolute praeterition . for that any man doth perish for whom christ dyed , is from his own sin , and not from adams , if to free us from adams it was that christ died . which as it hath been already proved , so it may be confirmed from other scriptures : as from joh. . . where he is called the propitiation , not for our sins only , but also for the sins of the whole world . the apostle foresees and confutes the heresie of christs dying only for the elect , with a not only , but also . he died for infidels and impenitents , as the whole stream of the fathers conclude from those words , destroy not him with thy meat for whom christ died . and shall thy weak brother perish for whom christ died ? that this was the judgement of the primitive church , i can prove by an induction , and though i now spare my reader , yet i shall trouble him hereafter if i am challeng'd to it . i shall at present refer him to the article of our church of england . [ the oblation of christ once made is a perfect redemption , propitiation , and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world , as well original as actual . ] i had almost forgot a special testimony of s. iohn , who cals the messias [ the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world . ] so that if any man is in the dark , it is not for want of light , but because he will not see , ( as s. chrysostome infers ) which is the very interpretation that s. iohn himself gives it ( chap. . vers. . ) this ( sayes he ) is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men loved darknesse rather then light , because their deeds were evil . sure that which is the reason of their condemnation , was the condition upon which they were determin'd to be damn'd : then which i know not what can be said either more plainly , or more convincingly of any subject whatsoever . . my seventh reason is taken from the conditional decrees of temporal death , and other temporal punishments ; which are so evidently conditional , as i cannot beleeve any creature will deny it . for the denuntiations of destruction to nineveh , and of certain death to hezekiah , do put this quite out of all scruple : for the first was not destroyed , and the second did not die , at that determinate time when god had threatned they should . of which no reason can be given , but that gods purposes , and decrees , and threats were conditional , on supposition of their impenitence he threatned to destroy , and therefore on sight of their repentance he promis'd to preserve . and from hence it is natural to argue thus . is god so merciful to bodies ? and is he lesse merciful to souls ? does he decree temporal iudgements conditionally , because he is pitiful ? and will he decree eternal ones absolutely , meerly because he will ? is he so unwilling to inflict the first death , and will he shew his power , his absolute power in the second ? did he spare the ninevites in this life , because they were penitents ? and will he damn them in the next , because they were heathens , by his peremptory decree ? is he milde in small things , and severe in the greatest ? is there no other way to understand those texts in the . to the romans , then by making those texts which sound severely , to clash against those that sound compassionately ? is it not a more sober and a more reasonable course , to interpret hard and doubtful texts by a far greater number more clear and easie , then perversly to interpret a clear text by a doubtful one , or an easie text by one that 's difficult ? which is to shew the light by the darknesse . or if some texts have two senses , if some texts are liable to many more , must we needs take them in the worst ? and that in meer contradiction to the universal church ? if i had no other argument against an absolute reprobation , this one were sufficient to prevail with me , that that father of mercies and god of all consolation , who spareth when we deserve punishment , did not determine us to punishment without any respect to our indeservings . he that had mercy upon wicked ahab meerly because of his attrition , did not absolutely damn him before he had done either good or evill , before the foundations of the world were laid . he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men , ( lam. . . ) much lesse doth he damn them for his meer will and pleasure . when god doth execute a temporal punishment , upon such as already have deserv'd it , he comes to it with reluctation , ( {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) and therefore cals it his * strange work , a work he loves not to be acquainted with , a work which he doth sometimes execute , because he is iust ; but still * unwillingly , because he is compassionate . and he therefore so expresses it , as we are wont to do a thing we are not us'd to , and know not how to set about , [ how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turn'd within me , my repentings are kindled together . i will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger , for i am god , and not man . ] now that god doth professe to afflict unwillingly , and many times to repent him of the evil which he thought to do unto his people , is a demonstrative argument of his conditional decrees in things temporal , and by a greater force of reason in things eternal . . my eighth reason is taken from the little flock which belongs to god , and the numerous herd , which belongs to belial . which would not have been , if they had both been measur'd out by a most absolute decree . for when it pleas'd the divine goodnesse to suffer death upon the crosse for all the sins of the world , ( the every drop of whose bloud had been sufficiently precious to have purchased the redemption of ten thousand adams , and ten thousand worlds of his posterity ) he would not yeeld the major part unto his rival rebel , the black prince of darknesse ; reserving to himself the far lesser portion ; and all this irrespectively , meerly because he would . he would not absolutely determine such a general harvest of wheat and tares , as freely to yeeld the devil the greater crop . he would not suffer his iustice so to triumph over his mercy , who loves that his mercy should rejoyce against iudgement . it was not for want of a new instance to shew his power , or his iustice ; for they were both most eminent in the great mysterie of redemption . much greater instances and arguments then an absolute decree ; as i could evidently shew , if i were but sure of my readers patience . my ninth reason is taken from the reprobation of angels , which was not irrespective , but in regard to their apostasie , as is and must be confessed by all who place the object of reprobation in massâ corruptâ . for the overthrowing of which tenent ( in all the sublapsarians ) dr. twisse himself does thus argue . si deus non potuit angelos reprobare , nisi ut contumaces , ergo nec homines nisi ut in contumaciâ perseverantes . de praedest . digres . . § . c. . . my tenth reason is taken from the absurdities which have , and still must follow , if gods eternall decree of mans misery is not conditional but absolute . and those absurdities are discernible , by this following dilemma . let dives be suppos'd to be the man that is damn'd . it is either because he sins , or meerly because god will have it so . if for the first reason , [ because he sins ] then sin is the cause of his damnation , and consequently before it . from whence it followes , that dives is not damn'd meerly because god will have it so ; but that god will have it so , because he sins . ( which plainly shewes the conditional decree . ) but if it be said that it is for the [ second reason , meerly because god will have it so ] then that absolute decree to have it so , doth either necessitate him to sin damnably , or it does not . first , if it does , then how can dives be guilty of that thing , of which gods absolute decree is the peremptory cause ? or how can that be guilt , which is necessity ? ( dives could as little have cherisht lazarus , as the tower of siloe could have spared the galilaeans , if his will had been no more free , then that tower had a will . ) and secondly if it does not necessitate him to sin damnably , then dives who is damn'd might possibly have not been damn'd . from whence it follows , that dives is not damn'd absolutely , but in regard to his sins . ( which had they not been his choice , they had not been his , but his that did choose them . and it is a contradiction to say , a man chooses any thing without a free will , or by an absolute necessity , which is , whether he will or no . ) besides ; if god did absolutely decree the end , which is damnation , and consequently the means , which is final impenitence ; these absurdities would follow . first , it would be a reprobates duty to be damn'd . and to endevour his salvation would be a sin . because 't were striving against the stream of gods absolute will . if all men are to choose , and withall to execute the will of god , and that it is gods will the greatest part shall be damn'd ; it will then be a duty in the greatest part of men , to go industriously to hell . and to do good will be a vice , because it tends heaven-wards , and so to the crossing of an absolute irreversible decree . which since i have considered , i have lesse wondred then i was wont , at the conclusion of carpocrates , that the very worst of actions are out of duty to be performed . and that the soul shall be punisht with its imprisonment in the body , untill she hath fill'd up the number of her iniquities ; according to that text mat. . . which we call iniquities , but they duties . and so indeed they would be , if every thing in the world ( the means as well as the end ) were absolutely ordain'd , and by consequence effected by god ( blessed forever ) who can ordain nothing but good . and such sin and hell must be [ exceeding good ] if they could possibly be ordain'd by as absolute a decree , as the heavens and the earth , the water , and the air , of which god said , they are very good . secondly , gods revealed will being that all should repent , and his secret will being that very few shall ; it followes thence , that it is his will that his will should not be done . and that god hath one will which is the same with the devils ; and that when a reprobate saies in the pater noster [ thy will be done ] he vehemently prayes for his own damnation . which things , as they were falsly objected in france against s. austin , so prospers way to excuse him , was to make protestations against any such tenent , as unconditional reprobation . he sayes the very things in his masters vindication , which i have said in my own . and cals the sequels of that opinion which he disowns ; most sottish blasphemies , and not only prodigious , but devilish lies . but he denies not that such ill consequences will follow upon the bold assertion of irrespective reprobation , which he does therefore very distinctly and very earnestly disclaim . and he doth so much speak the very minde of s. austin , that he seems sometimes to speak out of his mouth too : it being hard to say , whether the answers to the objections of vincentius do truly belong to the master or to the scholar , they being inserted in both their works . and that which is called prospers by vossius , is ascribed to s. austin by ludovicus lucius . if i have made any unfriendly or injurious inference , i will instantly retract it upon the least conviction that it is so . but truly the reasons which i have given , have serv'd to confirm me in my adhaerence to my second inference . which i yet farther prove by the the remaining votes of antiquity . for though my former citations are all to this purpose , yet i will not repeat them , but adde some others , ( perhaps more fully and indisputably ) to the number . . * and first i will set down the confession of mr. calvin , that the schoolmen and ancients are wont to say , [ god's reprobation of the wicked , is in praescience of their wickednesse ] but he professes to beleeve ( with one more modern ) that god foresaw all future things , by no other means , then because he decreed they should be made , or done . nor ought it ( saith he ) to seem absurd , that god did not only foresee , but by his will appoint the fall of adam , and in him of his posterity . the ancients , he confessed , were quite of another minde , but because he addes [ dubitanter ] and would have it thought that s. austin was for his turn , i will set down some of their words , and begin with austins . . no man is chosen unlesse as differing from him that is rejected . nor know i how it is said [ that god hath chosen us before the foundation of the world ] unlesse it be meant of his praescience of faith and good works . — iacob was not chosen that he might be made good , but having been seen to be made good was capable of being chosen . if s. austin was so distinctly for conditional election ( and in those very works too , which he afterwards writ as very sufficient to confute pelagius ) he was infinitely rather for conditional reprobation . as any man knows that knows any thing of him ; and may be seen in the same book to simplician . esau would not , and did not run . for if he had , he had attained by the help of god ; unlesse he would be made a reprobate by a contempt of his vocation . it seems unjust that without the merits of good or evil works , god should love one , and hate another . wicked men had no necessity of perishing from their not being elected ; but they were therefore not elected , because they were foreseen to be wicked through their own wilful prevarication . god foresaw that they would fall by their own proper will , and for that very reason did not separate them by election from the sons of perdition . god is the creator of all men , but no man was created to the end that he may perish , . i have given the more testimonies out of prosper , because he is known to have been the scholar and vindicator of s. austin . and to produce their suffrages is to imply all the rest . they having been the only ancients whom their contentions against pelagianism made to speak sometimes to the great disadvantage of their own opinion : as they do not stick to confesse themselves . and we ought in all reason to take that for their iudgement , which we finde delivered by themselves by way of apologie and vindication . but though i need not , i will adde some others . he therefore brought the means of recovery to all , that whosoever perisht might impute it to himself who would not be cur'd , when he had a remedy whereby he might . even they that shall be wicked have power given them of conversion and repentance . god's love and hatred arises from his praescience of things to come , or from the quality of mens works . if the day is equally born for all , how much rather is jesus christ ? — when every man is call'd to a participation of the gift , what is the reason , that what god hath equally distributed should by humane interpretation be any way lessen'd ? * the fountain of life lies open to all . nor is any man forbid or hindred from the right of drinking . let d. twisse himself be heard to speak in this matter , and that against piscator ( both antiarminians ) damnatio est actus iudicis , & procedere debet secundum justitiam vindicativam : at ne vestigium quidem iustitiae apparet in damnatione reproborum . ( he speaks of absolute irrespective reprobation which piscator set up ) nam justitia neminem damnat nisi merentem . at esse reprobum , nequaquam significat mereri damnationem . sola damnatio peccatoris splendere facit dei iustitiam . twissus in vind. gr. de praed. l. . digr. . § . . p. . . time and paper would fail me , and sufficient patience would fail my reader , if i should make repetition of all i finde to my purpose . for whatsoever hath been spoken by the fathers , of universal redemption , doth diametrically oppose the irrespective reprobation . and to reckon up their verdicts in that behalf , were to ingage my self and my reader in a new ocean of employment . i hope the account that i have given of my belief in this matter is a sufficient apologie for my belief , and may at least excuse , though not commend me . rather then offend any man who takes me upon trust to be unsound in my principles , i have made this excuse for being orthodox . and do humbly desire to be forgiven if i still adhaere to that doctrine , which by scripture , and reason , and the authority of my teachers , i am verily perswaded is the truest and the most safe : ( to wit , ) . that man himself is the cause of his sin . . that sin is properly the cause of its punishment . and by consequence , . that man is the procurer of his own misery . and by consequence , . that reprobation is a conditional thing . not decreed by god almighty to shew his absolute power , but to shew his power in the exercise of his iustice . not determin'd before , but because of his praescience . nor without regard or respect , but in relation to sin , in foresight , and hatred , and requi●…al of it , as of an injury ; on which damnation is praeordain'd , by way of recompence and revenge . and therefore the last day is call'd a day of iudgement , as well as of perdition . and the judge himself is called the lord god of recompence . and when the lord jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire , it shall be to take vengeance on them that know not god , and that obey not the gospel of jesus christ . now that which is the motive to the taking of vengeance , was also the motive to the making of the decree . he who therefore takes vengeance , because they obey not the gospel of christ , did for the very same reason , decree to take it . whi●…h to me is demonstration that the decree is conditional . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . . i have nothing now of duty that lies upon me to be done , but that i descend to the second ground of my belief . but for the love of charity and reconcilement , i will endevour to take a course of making some composition with my dissenters . if they will but come up to my most reasonable demands , we will not strive about words and phrases ; so small a thing shall never part us . i will swallow the word [ necessity , ] so i may take it down with a grain of salt . i will say with mr. whitaker ( in his . article at lambeth ) that they who are not praedestin'd to salvation shall be necessarily damn'd ( but ) for their sins . ( as he himself speaks . ) i allow my self to be no wiser then bishop andrews , ( the strings of whose books i am not worthy to untie ) who interprets necessariò , not by an absolute necessity , but by a necessity which followes sin . they shall be damn'd for their sins ; that is , for that very reason , because they have sin'd , not for that only reason , because they are not praedestin'd . and because that reverend , ( i know not whether more learned , or saintlike ) man , allow'd himself to be no wiser then all the fathers and schoolmen that went before him , he thought 't was fit to abstain from [ such {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ] such new phrases and waies of holding forth and making out the ancient doctrines of the church ; and therefore in stead of [ necessity ] to say [ without doubt . ] and for my own part , i desire to be no deeper , and to speak no better language , then all the fathers of the church ( who have gone to heaven with those opinions , for which i am censur'd by some to hell , ) i choose to say [ a conditional , not an absolute necessity . ] . if i may guesse ( without censure ) at the cause of other mens mistakes , by that which once was mine own , i shall ascribe much of it to the vulgar misconception of gods praescience or foresight . which being constant and infallible , seems to give a necessity to all events , which are the objects of that praescience . and this must certainly be the reason , ( i at least must so conjecture , who can think of no better , and did my self once stumble upon this very stone ) why mr. calvin will have gods praescience to succeed his praeordination . the ground of which error does so border upon truth , as to lessen the wonder why men of good parts should so frequently mistake it for that truth it self , on which it borders . ( and does unluckily verifie the italian proverb , troppo confina la vertù col vitio , ) gods praescience indeed doth imply a necessity , which it is mistaken to have effected . and again necessity is not by every body distinguisht , as by the admirable boethius : ( to whom i owe my greatest light in this particular . ) for if it were , i beleeve many others might be converted , as i have been . but before i mention , ( much lesse insist on the distinction ) i shall choose to say something in preparation to it . it is briefly this . . that the knowledge of the eternal far transcending all motion and succession of time , does abide in the simplicity of its present being ; beholding all past and future things in his simple knowledge , as just now done . and therefore boethius will have it call'd not praescience , but science . not praevidence , but providence : which doth not change the natures and proprieties of things future , but considers them as they are , in respect of himself ; which is as they shall be , in respect of time . for as the knowledge of things present doth import no necessity on that which is done ; so the foreknowledge of things future layes no necessity on that which shall be : because whosoever either knowes or sees things , he knows and sees them as they are , and not as they are not . gods knowledge doth not confound things , but reaches to all events , not only which come to passe , but as they come to passe : whether contingently , or necessarily . as ( for illustration ) when i see a man walk upon the earth , and at the very same instant , the sun shining in the heavens , i see the first as voluntary , and the second as natural . and though at the instant that i see both done , there is a necessity that they be done ( or else i could not see them when i do ) yet there was a necessity of one only , before they were done , ( viz. the suns shining in the heavens ) but none at all of the other , ( viz. the mans walking upon the earth . ) the sun could not but shine , as being a natural agent ; the man might not have walked , as being a voluntary one . upon which it followes , . there is a twofold necessity . whereof one is absolute , and the other on supposition . the absolute is that , by which a thing must be moved when something moves it . the suppositive is that , by which a man shall be damn'd if he die impenitent . the latter necessity ( though not the first ) does mightily well consist both with the liberty of man's will , and god's conditional decrees . e. g. i am now writing , and god foresaw that i am writing , yet it does not follow that i must needs write ; for i can choose . what god foresees must necessarily come to passe , but it must come to passe in the same manner that he foresees it . he foresees i will write ; not of necessity but choice ; so that his foresight doth not make an absolute and peremptory necessity , but infers a necessity upon supposition . ( we must mark , in a parenthesis , how great a difference there is betwixt the making , and the inferring of a necessity . ) whatsoever i do , there is an absolute necessity that god should foresee ; yet god foreseeing my voluntary action does not make it necessary , but on supposition that it is done . if all things are present to god , ( as indeed they are ) his foresight must needs be all one with our sight . as therefore when i see a man daunce as he pleases , it is necessary that he do what i see he does ; but yet my looking on does not make it necessary ; so gods foreseeing that man would sin , implyed a certainty that so it would be , but did not make it an absolutely necessary or involuntary thing . for that a thing may be certain ( in respect of its event ) and yet not necessary ( in respect of its cause ) is no newes at all to a considering person , who will but duly distinguish : gods omniscience from his omnipotence , and his foresight from his decreè , and infallible from necessary , and spontaneous from voluntary , and that which follow's as a consequence only , from that which follow's as a consequent . if i may judge by those errors which i convince my self to have been in , when i was contrary minded to what i am , i see as many mistakes in other men arising from the misfortune of confounding those things which i just now distinguisht , as from any one unhappinesse that i can think of . and from all that i have spoken upon this last subject , it seems inevitably to follow , that a suppositive necessity , and none else , is very consistent with a free and contingent action . whilest i see a man sitting , it is necessary that he sit , but upon supposition that i see him sitting . his posture is still a voluntary contingent thing . for he sate down when he would , and may arise when he pleaseth . ( but still with a proviso of god's permission . ) i desire to be taught what is , if this is not , exact speaking , viz. that god by his prohibition under penalty makes my disobedience become liable to punishment . and by his decree to permit , or not hinder me , he leaves me in the hand of mine own counsel , and so in the state of peccability , that i may sin and perish if i will . so that by his praescience that i will sin he hath no manner of influence or causality upon my sin ; which infers my destruction to be entirely from my self . i am a little confident , that whosoever shall but read boethius his fifth book , and reading shall understand it , and understanding shall have the modesty to retract an error , he will not reverence the . section of the . chapter of the . book of institutions , because it is mr. calvins , but will suspect mr. calvin because of that section . the question there is , [ whether reprobates were praedestined to that corruption which is the cause of damnation ] to which he answers with a [ fateor ] i confesse that all the sons of adam , by the expresse will of god , fell down into the misery of that condition in which they are fetter'd and intangled . and a little after he professeth , that no accompt can be given , but by having recourse to the sole will of god , the cause of which lies hidden within it self . and that we may not think he speaketh only of the posterity of adam , he telleth us plainly in the close of that section , that no other cause can be given for the defection of angels , then that god did reprobate and reject them . in this place i would aske , was the angels defection or apostasie their sin , or no ? if not , why were they reprobated and cast into chaines of darknesse ? and if it were , how then is god's reprobation not only the chief , but the only cause of such a sin ? this is the sad effect of being enslaved to an opinion , and of being asham'd of that liberty which looks like being conquer'd . i beleeve the love of victory hath been the cause of as many mischiefs as have been feigned to leap forth from pandora's box . whereas if every one that writes , would but think it a noble and an honourable thing , to lead his own pride captive , to triumph over his own conceitednesse and opiniastrete , and to pursue the glory of a well natur'd submission ; there is perhaps hardly an author of any considerable length , but might think he had reason to write a book of retractations . and sure it will not be immodesty for a young man to say , that many old men might have done it , with as much reason as s. austin . . but as i have learnt of boethius ( that most excellent christian , as well as senator ; and profound divine , as well as philosopher ; who lived a terror to heresie , and died a martyr for the truth ) to distinguish of necessity ; so have i learn't from other antients , to distinguish better of god's will , then i was wont to do before the time of my retractation . first , i distinguish ( with s. chrysostome ) of a first and second will . gods first will is , that the sinner should not die , but return rather from his wickednesse and live . his second will is , that he who refuseth to return receive the wages of iniquity . secondly , i distinguish ( with damascene ) of an antecedent and a consequent will . the antecedent is that , by which he wils that every sinner should repent . his consequent is that , by which he preordaineth the damnation of the impenitent . which distinction is not made in respect of gods will simply ( in which there cannot be either prius or posterius ) but in respect of the things which are the object of his will . for every thing is will'd by god so far forth as it is good . now a thing consider'd absolutely may be good or evill , which in a comparative consideration may be quite contrary . e. g. to save the life of a man , is good ; and to destroy a man , is evil , in a first and absolute consideration . but if a man secondly be compared with his having been a murderer , then to save his life , is evil ; and to destroy it , good . from whence it may be said of a just iudge , that by his antecedent will he desires every man should live ; but by a consequent will decrees the death of the murderer . and even then , he doth so distinguish the murderer from the man , that he wisheth the man were not a murderer . whom he condemns as murderer , and not as man . for whilest he hath a will to hang the murderer , he hath a merciful woulding to save the man . he doth not hang the man , but only because he is a murderer . and ( if it lay in his power ) he would destroy the murderer , to save the man . both the one and the other is not an absolute , but a conditional will . he would save the man , ( with an ) [ if ] he were not a murderer . and doth destroy the murderer ( with a ) because he is a malefactor . just so , god's antecedent will is , that every man would repent that they may not perish . it is his consequent will , that every one may perish who will not repent . both the one and the other is respective and conditional . thirdly , i distinguish ( with prosper ) of an inviting and revenging will . the inviting will is that , by which all are bidden to the wedding feast ; his revenging will is that , by which he punisheth those that will not come : or fourthly , i distinguish ( with reverend anselme ) of the will of god's mercy , and of the will of his iustice . it is the will of his mercy , that christ should die for the sins of all ; but 't is the will of his iustice , that all should perish who come not in to him , when they are called , or who only so come , as not to continue and persevere unto the end . . all these distinctions come to one and the same purpose , and being rightly understood , as well as dexterously used , do seem to me a gladius delphicus , sufficient to cut asunder the chiefest knots in this question . for the first will of god may be repealed , whereas the second is immutable . which is the ground of that distinction betwixt the threats and promises under god's oath , and those other under his word only . of which saith the councel of toledo , iurare dei est , à seipso ordinata , nullatenus convellere . poenitere verò , eadem ordinata , cùm voluerit , immutare . when he is resolv'd to execute his purpose , he is said to swear ; and when it pleaseth him to alter it , he is said to repent . for there are some decrees of god which ( being conditional ) do never come to passe ; as he thought to have done an evil of punishment unto israel , which yet he did not . exod. . . and the reason of this is given us from that distinction before mentioned . which also serveth to reconcile many seeming repugnances in scripture . for when it is said , that god repenteth ( sam. . ) it is meant of the first nill ; and when it is said he cannot repent ( sam. . . ) it is meant of the second . in respect of the first , we are said to grieve , to quench , to resist the spirit of god , ( thes. . . ) but when it is said , who hath resisted his will ? ( rom. . . ) it is meant of the second . god's mercy is above and before his iustice , and therefore that is his first will , that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth ( tim. . . ) but yet so , as that his iustice is not excluded by his mercy , and therefore that is his second will , that so many should be damned as hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the lord . ( prov. . . ) the will of his mercy , that all should live , is from nothing but his goodnesse ; whereas the will of his iustice , that some should die , depends upon something in the creature . ( so that both parties may be gratified , they that are for the dependence , and the independency of his will . ) that the reprobate is invited , is from the mercy of god's will ; but that he is punished for not accepting , is from the obliquity of his own . in respect of the first , it is the man that refuseth god ( ier. . . ) but in respect of the second , it is the god that doth reprobate man . ( rom. . . ) the free love of the creator is the only motive to his first will ; but man's ingratitude and rebellion is his impellent to the second . the first shewes him a tender and compassionate father ; the second speaks him a righteous and an impartial iudge . both proclaim him a powerful and a provident god . now can any distinction be better chosen , can any word that is aequivocable be more safely understood , can any opinion ( of god's will , or mans ) be more rationally , or more warily , or more religiously entertain'd , then that wherein god's mercy doth greet his iustice ? and wherein his love doth kisse his power ? i appeal to any man living , whether this be an error , or if it is , whether it is not a very safe one ; and if it is so , whether it is not a very small one ; and if so safe , that no body can suffer by it ; if so smal , that no body can see it ; whether the author of this appeal is not very excusable , both for not being able to see his own eyes , nor to see his own error with other mens . as much as in me lies , i would live peaceably with all men . with those especially , who when i speak unto them thereof , make them ready to battle . and in order to that peace , i desire them to lay this one thing to heart . that as , if i were as they , i would quit my opinion ; so , if they were as i , they would not long keep their own . chap. iv. . having proved hitherto , that sin is really the cause of punishment , that man is really the cause of sin , and therefore that man is the grand cause of punishment , ( as being the cause of the cause of his damnation ) intending thereby to secure my self against the errors and blacker guilt of the manichees , the marcionites , the stoicks , and the turks , who do all affirm ( some directly , some by necessary consequence ) that god's absolute will is the cause of sin , and man's only the instrument ; the second part of my task is to be an advocate for the pleading and asserting the cause of god too ; and that against the opiners of the other extreme , to wit , the pelagians and the massilienses ; who , to be liberal to nature , do take away from grace ; and to strengthen the handmaid , do lessen the forces of the mistresse . and though i think the latter to be the milder heresie of the two , it being lesse dangerous to ascribe too much goodnesse to the power of nature , ( which very power is undoubtedly the gift of god ) then the very least evil to the god of all grace , ( and this according to the judgement of the synod at orange , which pronounced an anathema upon the first heresie , whereas it did but civilly reject the second ) yet in a perfect dislike and rejection of this latter extremity , as well as of the former , my second principle is this . that all the good which i do , i do first receive ; not from any thing in my self , but from the special grace and favour of almighty god . who freely worketh in me , both to will , and to do , of his good pleasure , phil. . . . that i may not be suspected of any secret reservation within my self , in the laying down of this principle ; i will endevour to speak out , and make my reader my confessor , by revealing the very utmost of what i think in this businesse . i beleeve , that no man can come to heaven any otherwise then by christ ; nor to christ , unlesse it be given ; ( that is , unlesse the father draw him . ) first the father loves the son ; next he loves us in the son ; then endowes us with his spirit ; so endow'd he elects us ; so elected he praedestines us ; so praedestin'd he will glorifie us ; by crowning his gifts and graces in us . i say his graces , because they are not acquired by us , but infus'd by him . nor so properly given , as lent us . lent us as talents , not to hide , but multiply . we owe it wholly to god , not that he gives us his his grace only , but that he gives us the grace to desire his grace , as well as to use it to the advancement of his glory . and we are to thank him , as for all other mercies , so for this also , even that we have the grace to thank him . so far am i from that pelagianism whereof i have wrongfully been accused , ( i beseech god not to lay it to my accusers charge ) that i have never lain under any the least temptation to any degree of that heresie . no , no more , then fulgentius , or prosper , or s. austin himself . it not only is , but ever hath been my assertion , that as we cannot spiritually be nourished unlesse the father of mercies doth reach out unto us the bread of heaven ; and as we cannot take it when it is offered , unlesse he give us the hand of faith ; so cannot we possibly desire to take it , unlesse he gives us our very appetite and hunger . we cannot pant after the waters of life , unlesse he give us our very thirst . he stirs us up , when we are sleeping , that we may seek him ; and shews himself , when we are seeking , that we may finde him ; and gives us strength , when we have found him , that we may hold him fast unto the end . there is no good thought arising in us , unlesse suggested by his preventing grace . no nor increasing , unlesse strengthned by his subsequent grace . no nor consummate , unlesse perfected by his grace of perseverance . if i am better then any man , it is god that makes me differ . every good gift is from above , and cometh down from the father of lights . and therefore he that will glory , let him glory in the lord , saying with the psalmist , not unto us o lord , not unto us , but unto thy name give the praise . . having thus secur'd my self from giving the will of man a sacrilegious liberty ; i must withall provide , that i be able to answer the objection of the marcionites ; which tertullian could not do , but by asserting the liberty of the will . which grace doth correct , but not destroy . grace doth strengthen , but not compell . grace doth guide , but not necessitate . grace makes able to choose good , but not unable to refuse it . marcion objected thus . if god is good , and praescient of all the evil which is to come , and withal able to prevent it , why did he suffer mankinde to fall ? why did he not hold him fast by irresistible grace ? tertullian answered , that god made man in his own image , and that in nothing more lively , then in the liberty of a will . and to that it is to which his fall must be imputed . but ( saith marcion ) man ought to have been made of such a frame , as not to be able to fall away . marry then ( saith tertullian ) man had not been a voluntary , but a necessary agent . ( which is as much as to say , a man should not have been a man . ) nor could have been a right object of reward and punishment . . before i venture on any rational , or scholastical way of arguing , i must first enlighten my self out of some clear places of scripture . amongst which there is none that seems more proper , then that of s. paul to the philippians . workout your salvation with fear and trembling . for it is god which worketh in you , both to will , and to do , of his good pleasure . he bids them work , because god worketh , which they needed not have been bid to do , if god had workt after a physical irresistible manner . that they might not be betray'd into a yawning reliance upon their being superacted to the working out of their salvation , he bids them work it out with fear and trembling . ( as our saviour bids us , strive to enter in at the strait gate , because many shall strive , and shall not enter . ) which they needed not have done , had their salvation been ( not only certain , but withall ) a necessary unavoidable thing , and so inconsistent with choice and option . but the apostle tels them ( in the next verse ) that it is god which worketh in them , not only to do , but to will , and to do ; by his preventing grace he worketh in them to will ; by assisting grace he worketh in them to do : by neither so irresistibly , but that they must work it out themselves too ; and that not only with expectation and hope , but with fear and trembling . god worketh in us to will ( saith the apostle ) not without , or against , but according to the nature of that very will with which he made us . grace doth not destroy , but establish , and strengthen , and perfect nature . shall we say that we do a thing without liberty and choice , because god worketh in us to will and to do ? ( that is ) to do it by choice and option ? is the liberty lost , because it is guided and enabled to do that which is good ? if i can do all things through christ that strengthens me , then can i ( through him ) both refuse the evil , and choose the good . which would not be choice , if it were whether i would or no . and so it would be , were i unable to resist it . ( as i shall shew by and by in the open confession of d●… . twisse , whose favourers cannot be angry with one that speaks his language . ) i can do all things through him that strengthens me , ( saith the apostle ) now to strengthen , is not to necessitate . for then to strengthen would be to weaken . because to necessitate or compel with an irresistibility , is to vanquish , and over-master ; not to give strength , but rather to take it away . again , our saviour is said to tread down satan under our feet . to what end doth he tread the serpent down , but that we may have the freedome to trample on him ? and though he doth it with his own feet , yet it is under ours . this liberty and freedome of the regenerate will , is at once expressed and expounded in those words of the psalmist , i will run the way of thy commandements , when thou shalt set my heart at liberty . to which is agreeable that of our saviour , and the truth shall make you free . it being a great absurdity ( in the opinion of tertullian ) that a man should have his happinesse forced on him by god almighty . so far is god from prostituting his blessing , by such a controlling of the will , and such an ob●…ruding of the object , as makes the object unavoidable , that he doth not only offer and propose it to his peoples choice , but desires them also to choose it . i call heaven and earth to record this day against you ( saith god by moses ) that i have set before you life and death , blessing and cursing . therefore choose life , that thou and thy seed may live . but choose we cannot , if god works in us irresistibly ; as i will farther prove by reason . * that is properly called irresistible , which is of such an over-ruling and prevailing force , that a man cannot withstand it , although he would . ( and thus dr. twisse hath well defin'd it ) upon which it followes , that to choose irresistibly , is a contradiction in adjecto . for it is to will a thing whether one will or no . he that saith , god worketh in us to choose irresistibly , doth say in effect , he so worketh in us , as that we cannot choose but choose . which is as much as to say , not only that we do , what we cannot do , but that we therefore do it , because we cannot do it . he that cannot choose but choose , doth choose because he cannot choose . which is as bad as to say , that the thing is necessary , because it is impossible . to make this plain to my plainest reader , i will shew the legality of my deduction by these degrees . first , he that is wrought upon by god ( to believe , obey , or persevere ) irresistibly , cannot possibly do otherwise ( then beleeve , obey , or persevere . ) secondly ▪ he that cannot possibly do otherwise then he doth , cannot possibly choose but do what he doth . thirdly , he that cannot choose but do what he doth , doth clearly do it whether he will or no . fourthly , he that doth beleeve , obey , or persevere , whether he will or no , doth do it by as evident undeniable necessity , as that by which a stone tends downward . ( which tendency of the stone , though it is spontaneous , yet is it not voluntary , and as it is not by violence , so it is not by choice neither . ) fifthly , he that willeth to beleeve , obey , or persevere , whether he will or no , doth do it by a necessity , by which a stone tends upwards , when it is thrown . ( which tendency of the stone is so far from voluntary , that it is not spontaneous . it is not only an irrational , but an unnatural thing . ) and besides implies a contradiction in a voluntary agent , which cannot take place in an involuntary stone . for to say , a man willeth to obey or beleeve , whether he will or no , is to say he willeth it either without his will , or against his will , or else not having a will at all . which is as bad as to say , that he must needs will it because he cannot any way possible . i know not any trick imaginable to escape the odium of these absurdities , unlesse by denying the definition of irresistible . which were not to escape , but to commute absurdities . and not only the authority of dr. twisse , but the very force of the word would cry it down . and so little is my deduction in a capacity to be blamed , that doctor twisse saith expresly of irresistibility , it hath no place in the act of willing . and though he pleadeth for a necessity which he will have to follow gods operation upon the soul , yet he will have that necessity to be no other , then what may very well agree with the liberty of the will . so that if that doctor , in that his skirmish with arminius , had not confounded a necessity with a certainty of event , and used that word in stead of this , his antagonist and he ( in that particular ) must needs have wrangled into friendship . for arminius denieth the irresistible working of grace upon the will , and so doth dr. twisse . again dr. twisse affirmeth , that the liberty of the will doth agree with the working of grace upon the will , and so doth arminius . and therefore i hope for no hard usage from such as are haters of arminius , whilest i say the same things with them that hate him . . me thinks the principal ground of my mistakes heretofore in this businesse , ( if i may be allowed to passe a conjecture upon my self ) is the misapprehension of certain texts , the cause of whose misapprehension is the illogical confounding of two things , which though they look like one another , are yet exceedingly different . e. g. from [ ezek. . . cant. . . ioh. . . i will cause you to walk in my statutes , &c. draw me , we will run after thee . whosoever is born of god cannot sin , because he is born of god , and the like ] many conclude that gods working upon the wils of his elect , is by such a physical immediate immutation of their wils , as doth not only produce a certain , but a necessary effect . and being forgetful ( rather then ignorant ) to distinguish necessity from certainty of events , they call that necessary which is but certain and infallible , and so ( through hast or inadvertency ) they swallow down the error of irresistible grace ; using the word irresistible in stead of efficacious . and this is a second inadvertency begotten of the first ; as commonly one error loves to draw on another . now because a fallacy undiscerned in the praemises cannot possibly be discover'd by gazing only on the conclusion , ( just as an error in the first concoction is hardly mended in the second ) i must mark out the difference betwixt infallible and necessary , before i can usefully distinguish betwixt effectual and irresistible . . infallible properly is that , that cannot erre , or be deceived . that is properly necessary , which cannot but be . the first relates to the perfection of the knowledge of god , but the second to the almightinesse of his will . the first is properly applyed unto the object of god's foresight , ( and though 't is otherwise used , yet 't is by such a catechresis , as i humbly conceive to be a stone of stumbling . ) but the second more precisely unto the object of his decree . the first is consistent with those contingent events , to which the second is diametrically opposed . e. g. that i am now writing is but contingent , because i do it upon choice . yet gods foreknowledge of this my writing from all eternity did infer that this my writing would infallibly come to passe . this event is contingent , for i can choose ; but yet infallible , for god cannot erre . this contingent therefore doth infallibly come to passe , not by way of a consequent , but by way of consequence . my writing being not the effect , but the object only of god's omniscience . which is , in order , before the act. god foresees a contingent will contingently come to passe , and therefore we infer it will infallibly come to passe , because he foresees it who is infallible . so that his praescience is a consequent of the thing 's coming to passe ; and its infallibility of coming to passe is inferr'd from his praescience only by way of consequence . it is one thing to follow as the effect of a cause , in order of nature ; and quite another , to follow as the sequel of an antecedent , in way of argumentation . the short and plain upshot of all is this . the precious vessels of election do very certainly and infallibly persevere unto the end , and that by reason of god's omniscience which cannot be deceived ; but not of necessity and irresistibly , by reason of his omnipotence which cannot be frustrate nor defeated . what god foresees shall come to passe shal infallibly come to passe , and that because he cannot erre who is omniscient . ( on the other side ) what god decrees shall come to passe must come to passe of necessity , because he cannot be resisted who is omnipotent . . hence it is easie to distinguish betwixt the other two things , which have been so often , and so unhappily confounded ; i mean sufficient , effectual , and irresistible , applyed to grace . sufficient grace is that , which possibly may produce that effect for which it is given . effectual is that , which certainly will . irresistible is that , which necessarily must . that which is irresistible doth carry away its object to what it pleaseth , like a mighty torrent , by indisputable force , malgre the greatest opposition that can be made , and therefore cannot take place in the elections of the will , which ceaseth to elect after the nature of a will , in case it be made to do any thing whether it will or no . ( as hath already been shew'd from no lesse a concession then that of doctor twisse . ) but that which is only effectual is quite another thing , and doth prevail upon the will not ineluctably , but infallibly . it doth so strongly and effectually incline the will , at such critical opportunities , and by such congruous means , as that the will doth very certainly and undoubtedly assent . but it doth not so irresistibly and compulsively necessitate , as to take away the freedome and possibility of assenting , by making it do what it doth , even whether it will or no . . i discern the truth of this distinction with greater ease , by having alwaies in my prospect the very great difference betwixt the generical notion of acting or taking , and the specifical notion of willing or choosing . god indeed ( if it please him ) can by his absolute power over his creature , make him act this thing , or take that thing , by ineluctable necessity , and whether he will or no . but then that acting is not volition , and that taking is not choice . for the very word choice cannot be apprehended but it must carry along with it a sound of freedome . optio must be optimorum , and so duorum at least . it is of two things or more , that we choose the best , whether in reality , or in appearance . and this liberty of the will , by which we choose , being acknowledged on all sides , ( as well by mr. perkins and dr. twisse , as by bellarmine and arminius , as every man knows that hath but read and compar'd them ) that famous {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of a twofold necessity , the one of coaction , and the other of infallibility , ( being built upon a manifest and grosse mistake both of the word necessity , and the word infallibility , ) seems to me to be serviceable to no other end , then to cover a wound , which 't is impossible to cure . but admit of that distinction of a twofold necessity , or admit a necessity be twentifold , yet still it ceaseth not to have the nature of a necessity . if it is absolutely necessary that i must go to london , it doth not cease to be necessity , because i am drawn rather then driven . coaction and infallibility , if they do both imply an absolute and peremptory necessity , ( and so by consequence an irresistibility , and so by consequence are opposed to the elective faculty of the will , ) it is no matter how they differ in their syllables and their sounds . shall i declare my iudgement then , ( although in weaknesse , yet in sincerity ) how freewill is necessary to the choosing of good , to which , without grace , it is altogether insufficient ? my judgement is , that it is necessary , not as a cause , but as a condition . not as that , by vertue of which , we can do any thing that good is ; but as that , without which , we cannot choose it . god's grace alone is the cause of the good , but man's will is as really the instrument of the choice . we can do good , as god's engines , without a will ; and so did balaams asse without a reason . but we cannot choose good , without a freewill , as that asse could not possibly understand what she spake , without a ratiocination . this seems to me to be as plain as the light . and now i speak of the light , ( if my reader please ) by that light i will make it plain . we know the sun is the fountain or cause of light . and light the only means by which we see . but yet the opening of the eye-lid is a necessary condition , because if i wink , i am dark at noon . and if my eyelid is held open by such a power as i cannot resist , my eye in that case cannot choose but see , and therefore cannot choose to see . my sight may be with delectation , but not properly with that which is call'd election . thus if a man be never so much delighted in doing good , but ( by reason of necessity ) cannot possibly but do it , it is god that chooseth that good , and the man doth only act it . i say god chooseth , by a catachrestical way of speaking , meerly the better to shew my thoughts . for though god did choose to make a world , and one world , because it was in his power to have made many worlds , or none at all ; yet i conceive it absurd , to say that god did choose to be good , or that he chooseth to do good , ( in opposition to evil ) because he is good , and doth good by an absolute necessity ; he cannot choose to be , or to do , any otherwise . and so he loves , but doth not choose it . for if that were true speaking , it would be as true speaking to say , that god doth will his being and doing good whether he will or no ; or that he cannot choose but choose . which is sure very childish untoward speaking . only he chooseth to enable us to do it , because he can choose , whether he will so enable us , or not . when he giveth us his grace , he hath the power to withhold it ; when he continueth his grace , he hath the power to withdraw it ; therefore doth he choose both to give and to continue it . the goodnesse of his essence is not arbitrary and elective , but spontaneous and natural . whereas the goodnesse of his effects in all his creatures is not naturally necessary in respect of him , but arbitrary and elective , meerly depending upon his choice and pleasure . for he gave us our goodnesse when we would , and may take it away when he pleaseth . to understand this the better , and to hold it the faster in my understanding , . i must carefully distinguish betwixt spontaneum ( that which is of its own accord ) and voluntarium , ( that which is freely and upon choice . ) the first is agreeable to inanimate creatures , the second only to rational . that is properly oppos'd to violence , but reconcilable with necessity , to which this is oppos'd . e. g. a stone tends downwards by a natural , and necessary , and spontaneous motion . it tends downwards of necessity , because it cannot but do so . and yet spontaneously , because it doth it without violence , and of its own accord . but yet that motion is not voluntary , nor doth the stone choose that kinde of tendency ; because it could not refuse it , as not being furnisht with the liberty of a will . thus when i made my entrance out of the womb into the world , i did not choose to go forwards , because i had not the power to stay behinde . i did it as a spontaneous , not as a voluntary agent . but now that i am capable either of virtue , or of vice , and do pursue the one , in refusal of the other , i do it not only in a spontaneous , but in a voluntary manner . we have the perfect character of a voluntary agent in that admirable {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of the son of syrach . the lord left man in the hand of his counsel ; if thou wilt , to keep the commandements . he hath set fire and water before thee ; stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt . before man is life and death , and whether him liketh shal be given him . i dare not ( like marcion ) be more inquisitive , why god made man with such a freedome of willing or nilling , then why he made the hand with those two muscles , whereof the one doth move to the taking of a thing , and the other , to the throwing of it away . . having spoken all this in order to the clearing of resistibility of the working of grace in god's elect , i think i cannot do better then to apply my reasoning to two examples ( at least as much of it as shall be needfull ) whereof one must be the protoplast before his fall , and the other must be one of his posterity whom we are very well assur'd to have been one of god's elect. adam was made in a state of innocence , and ( god not requiring any impossibilities , as brick without straw ) had grace enough to have performed a most adaequate obedi●…nce to god's command . which if he had not resisted , how could he have sin'd ? and if that measure of grace was lessen'd before he sin'd , how was the taking away of grace any punishment of his fall ? or how was he then in the state of innocence ? if he was not , then was he sinful before he sin'd . god doth not take away his grace , unlesse to punish the abuse of it . but adam did not abuse it before he sin'd ; and by our saviour's rule [ to him that hath shall be given ] god would rather have given him more , then have taken away any . from whence it followes , that though the working of grace in the heart of adam was so strong and so perfect , as to enable him to stand , and that in no lesse then ●… state of innocence , yet was it also so resistible , as to suffer him to fall , and that into no lesse then a state of perdition . and although he had the favour to be rais'd again in some measure , yet it was not to that innocence from whence he fell . so that as to his first covenant , and his first pitch of perfection , his fall was not only total , but final too . and indeed i would know , why our saviour hath told us , that from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath , if it is not for this reason , because he hath lavisht out his talent , and hath resisted that power of doing well which was offer'd him . sure there is no better arguing then ab actu ad potentiam . man can resist , because he doth . and i may wonder , as well as grotius , why such men are not confuted by their own experience , who say that grace in the elect is unresistible , unlesse they will deny themselves to be of the number of the elect . david hath grace to have done better then he did in the double matter of uriah , but he resisted it with a witnesse , and that for some moneths together . he was a vessel of election ; how then did he resist the grace of god , so as to fall into those damnable and killing sins , in which , if he had been snatcht away , he had perished irreversibly ? it was not without grace , ( for he was one of the elect ) nor by its concurrence , ( for god was not guilty ) it was therefore against the working and means of grace . indeed if god did his utmost , such as david could never sin . or if they could , it would argue god to be conquer'd either by man , or devil . unlesse we should say , that such omnipotent grace doth come , and go , and come again , after the measure that god is willing a man should sin and repent , and sin again . and therefore it is evident , that god almighty , in his elect , doth shew the congruous efficacious power , but not the irresistibility and almightinesse of his grace . sure david ( and solomon ) did fall from grace , by resisting it , in both acceptions of the word grace ; ( as it is taken for gracious living , and as it is taken for the favour of god ) and this invincibly conclusible even from that very answer which is wont to be alledged for irresistibility . for they say that god had decreed the repentance and return of david , and that therefore he could not die , until he had repented . which is spoken by them for this reason , because if david had not repented , he must have perisht . which yet he could not have done , if he had continued in the state of grace . . if against this it is excepted , that though a vessel of election may fall damnably from grace , yet he cannot finally , this is unworthy for a sch●…lar to speak , or hear ; for who ever was so silly , as to say or think , that the precious vessels of election can fall away finally ? this is not answering the argument , but forsaking the question . the question is , whether the grace of god doth work irresistibly in the elect ? not , whether or no it brings them to a most certain and infallible degree of blisse . ( for they that dispute against the first , affirm the second , ) grace is proved to be resistible in gods elect by such examples as david . and to that it is answer'd , he could not so resist as to fall away finally . which is first a skipping from the first question to the second , and secondly , it is to say ( what no man living doth gainsay ) that such as persevere unto the end can never fall away finally . a grosse identical proposition , which doth not only betray the weaknesse of that opinion which it asserteth , but doth establish the truth of this very cause which i am pleading . for it confesseth , that grace is resistible , and only denies that it is finally resisted . david was able to resist it , but he did not resist it unto the end . and every technical grammarian can distinguish the act which is imply'd in the participle , from the aptitude which is couched in the adjective in bilis . but ( to hasten towards the conclusion of my readers sufferings ) there is also a final as well as total resisting of such a grace as is sufficient for the attainment of glory . for ( not to speak of those men who resisted and sinned against all the means that could be used , isa. . . and who alwaies resisted the holy ghost , act. . . and who would not be gathered , after never so many essays , mat. . . ) how many christian professors are now in hell , who when they were infants were fit and suitable for heaven ? shall not i spare nineveh , in which are above souls , which cannot distinguish betwixt the right hand and the left ? ion. . . god speaks there of heathen infants , toward whom his bowels did yearn within him , and that upon the impendence of but a temporal destruction . but i speak here of infants born and baptized into a membership of the church . how many are there of such who in their harmlesse nonage were babes of grace , and yet have outlived their innocence , so as at last to be transformed into vessels of wrath ? i will shut up this paragraph with the words of tertullian . saul was turned into a prophet by the spirit of holinesse , as well as into an apostate by the spirit of uncleannesse . and the devil entred into judas , who for some time together had been deputed with the elect . and with the saying of s. augustine , that if the regenerate and justified shall fall away into a wicked course of living by his own will and pleasure , he cannot say , i have not received , because he hath wilfully lost that grace of god which he had received , by that will of his which was at liberty to sin . and how exactly that father doth speak my sense of this businesse , i leave it for any one to judge who shall consult him de praed. sanct. l. . c. . de bono persev . l. . c. . & . & l. . c. . & . and i would very fain know , whether the lost groat , the lost sheep , and the prodigal son , do not signifie ( in our saviours parables ) that a true beleever may be lost , and being lost may be found , and again become a true beleever . which is as much as i desire to prove the thing under consideration . chap. v. . having evinced to my self ( and that is all that i pretend to ) first , that my will of it self is inclinable to evil ; and that , secondly , of it self it is not inclinable to good ; and that , thirdly , it is inclined by the singular and special operation of grace , to the refusing of evil , and to the choosing of good , and that therefore in the fourth place , that singular grace doth not work so irresistibly as to compel an unwilling will , but yet so strongly as to heal a sick one ; not so necessitating the will of god's elect , as that inevitably it must , but yet so powerfully perswading , as that it certainly will , both believe and obey , and after repentance persevere unto the end ; i should in civility to my reader conclude his trouble , if i were sure that some men would not call it tergiversation ; and if i were not obliged by those papers , which have been so frequently , s●…falsly ( that i may not say so maliciously ) transcribed , and are threatned to be laid very publiquely to my charge , ( and which i plead in the defence of this mine own publication , which i should never have ch●…sen upon such a subject , as i have least of all studied , and am least delighted in of any other ) to remonstrate the utmost of what i think in these matters . for i do stedfastly beleeve ( what i also asserted in that extemporary discourse , which was the innocent cause of this unacceptable effect ) that ▪ gods decree of election from all eternity , was not absolute and irrespective , but in respect unto , and in praescience of some qualification , without which no man is the proper object of such decree . and this i prove to my self from these waies of reasoning . . first , i consider with my self , that there is no salvation but only to such , as are found to be in christ iesus , in the day of death and of iudgement . which no man living can be , unlesse he be qualified with such conditions , as without which it is impossible to be so found ; ( such as are faith , and obedience , and repentance , after sin , bringing forth such fruits as are worthy of repentance , and perseverance in weldoing unto the end . ) that god will save none but such , is all men's confession . and that he saves none but such whom he decrees to save , is every whit as plain . therefore none but such are the object of such decree . for if he decreed to save any without regard or respect to their being such , he might actually save them without regard or respect to their being such . because whatsoever is justly decreed , may be justly executed as it is decreed . but it is granted on all sides ( as i suppose ) that god will save none except such as are found to be in christ with the aforesaid qualifications ; and therefore it should be agreed on all sides , that he decreed to save none but such as they . and what is that but a respective and conditional decree ? made in intuition of our being in christ , and of our being so qualified to be in christ ? so that although our election is not of works , but of him that calleth , yet good works are required as a necessary condition , though utterly unworthy to be a cause of our election . nor can it be without respect to the condition of the covenant , that the covenant is made , and the promise decreed to be fulfilled . . secondly , i consider , that the decree of the father to send the son to be a second adam , was in respect and regard to the backesliding of the first adam . without which it was impossible that the son of god should have been sent to be the saviour of the world . and the decree of god almighty to save the first adam , was in regard of and respect to the meritoriousness of the second adam . for god adopteth never a childe , nor doth acknowledge him for his own , so as to give him eternal life , unlesse it be for the sake of his only begotten son . first god pitied a woful world , then he loved what be pitied , next he gave his own son to save what he loved , and upon the condition of beleeving in his son , he gave it a promise of eternal life . for so beleeving is interposed betwixt love and life , in the . of s. iohn vers. . god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever beleeveth in him , should not perish , but have everlasting life . from this text it appeareth , that god loved the world before he gave his son to it ; for therefore gave he his son , because he loved it . but it was not a love by which he loved it to life everlasting ; for with such love he only loved it in his son . and the world is not capable of such a love without the condition of beleeving . it was therefore in praescience of our beleeving in christ , that god elected us to life eternal . for christ is not only the means , ( as some affirm ) but the meritorious cause , and the head of our election . christ was foreknown , pet. . . and we in him , rom. . . christ was praedestin'd , and we by him , eph. . . . thirdly , i consider , that there must be a difference before there can be an election . love indeed is an act of favour , but election is properly an act of iudgement ; a preferring of the better before the worse . they that say god elected such a number of men without the least intuition of their qualifications by which they are differenced from the reprobated crew , do speak illogically ( to say no worse . ) how much safer is it to say , that because such men as are in christ by faith are better then such as are out of christ by infidelity , therefore those are taken , and these are left ? nor doth this derogate from god , or arrogate to man , to say , he chooseth his own gifts , any more then it doth , to say , he crowns them . for god doth give us the advantage of our being in christ , as well as choose us for that advantage . first he giveth us his son , next he giveth us his grace whereby to enable us to believe in his son , and so beleeving he doth elect us . so that here is no matter for man to boast on ; he having nothing which he hath not received , no not so much as his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} it is god that makes the difference , as well as god that chooseth . and it seems this very argument from the nature and use of the word election , did prevail with s. austin and oecumenius . s. austin saith expresly , that iustification precedeth election ; and his reason is , because no man is elected unlesse he differ from him that is rejected . . fourthly , i consider , that the whole tenor of the scriptures , in the iudgement of all the fathers , who are best able to understand them , teacheth no other praedestination , then in , and through christ , which is respective and conditional . first the scripture gives us none but conditional promises , such as , if any man keep my saying , he shall never taste death . whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap . and we shall reap if we faint not . if any man will hear my voice , and open the doore , i will come in to him , &c. nay even the very texts which are wont to be urged for irrespective election do seem very precisely to evince the contrary . for when god is said to praedestine according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself , the word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} rendred good pleasure , doth not signifie the absolutenesse , but the respectivenesse of his will . for it relateth to something in which god is well pleased , and that is christ . it being impossible for god to please himself with mankinde , or for men to be acceptable and well pleasing to god , any otherwise then in him , of whom it was said , this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased . besides , all those scriptures which do●… teach universal grace , and redemption , ( which i suppose hath been proved in the prosecution of my first principle ) do seem to me most clearly to inferre a respective and conditional election . for if it is true , that christ did offer up himself , not only sufficiently , but intentionally for all ; if he did earnestly desire that every one would come in , upon the preaching of his word , and receive the benefit of his death and passion ; if his warnings were not in jest , and his invitations serious ; if [ depart from me ye cursed ] was therefore foretold , that every one might beware and not obtrude himself upon that sentence ; if he is unwilling that any one should be caught in the serpents snare , who shewes to all ( without exception ) a certain way to escape ; if ( as s. austin speaks ) he is desirous not to strike , who bids us look to our posture , and stand upon our guard ; if ( as s. austin speaks again ) he shews his power to punish none but only those that refuse his mercy ; and would not damn any one without respect to sin , who gave his own son to die for all ; then his refusing of the goats in respect of that which makes them differ from sheep , infers his election of the sheep , in respect of that which makes them differ from goats . and i have made the more haste to make this inference , because as the respectivenesse of election needs not otherwise to be proved then by the respectivenesse of reprobation ; so they are both taken for granted , upon the supposition of christ's having dyed not only sufficiently , but intentionally for all . towards which ( having discoursed so largely of it already ) i will only offer this one consideration which meets my pen as i am writing , and even obtrudes it self upon me to be delivered . it is briefly this . that since our saviour upon the crosse , did very heartily pray , even for those very homicides , and parricides , and deicides that kill'd him , we have no reason but to beleeve , that he laid down his life even for them that took it away ; and that he dyed for all for whom he prayed . and yet we reading of their murders , but not of their repentance , i should be loth to tell my people , that those crucifying wretches , were precious vessels of election , ( in complyance with that opinion , that christ died only for the elect ) lest they should comfort up themselves in the most ●…rimson sins that can be named ( like some in the world ) as well consisting with their pretensions to the kingdome of heaven . and yet in my shallow iudgement , ( which because it is shallow , i do submit to those of deeper and profounder reach , how dogmatically soever i may seem to have spoken in many places of this discourse ) i say in my shallow judgement , christ dyed for all for whom he prayed ; and he prayed for them that curst themselves . his bloud be upon us ( said they ) and yet ( said he ) father forgive them . he made his murderers execration become his prayer . he took the poyson out of their curse , and made it wholsome for them . he wished , as well as they , that his bloud might be both upon them and upon their children ; but in his own most merciful , not in their barbarous and cruel sense ; for they meant the guilt , he the benefit of his bloud ; and would have it ●ight on them , not to accuse , but cleanse them . and yet i dare not affirm , that they were all a portion of god's elect. . lastly , i consider , that the main stream of the fathers doth run this way . and not to trouble my reader with such a catalogue of particulars , as i gave in before , for a conditional reprobation , ( which yet i think were very easie upon a very smal warning ) i will content my self at present to prove what i say from the confessions of beza , and doctor twisse . first beza in his comment upon rom. . . rejects the judgement of the fathers , because they are not ( as he would have them ) for the absolute , irrespective , unconditional way . and dr. twisse confesseth , that all the ancients , before s. austin , did place the object of god's election in fide praevisâ . at which s. austin was so far from being any way displeased , as that ( with very great reverence to their authority ) he made it appear to be an innocent and harmlesse tenent . he affirmed that all the fathers , who lived before himself , agreed in this , that the grace of god is not prevented by humane merits . which one profession he thought sufficient for the asserting of the free grace of the divine praedestination . to which saying of s. austin , because i finde that dr. twisse doth very readily subscribe ; i ought in reason to be secured from any very hard censure , because i am not an affirmer of humane merits , much lesse do i place them in a precedency to grace . . i conclude with a desire of so much liberty of conscience , as to beleeve with s. paul , that god is a respecter , not of * persons , but of * works . that my sins are perfectly and entirely mine own . and that if i do any thing that is good , it is not i that do it , but the grace of god that is in me . yet so , as that i can do all things through him that strengthens me . and who doth so strengthen as that i may do them , but not so force me as that i must . in this , and every other thing , i have been long since taught by vincentius lirinensis , ( whom i shall ever observe to the utmost of my discretion ) ▪ to opine with the most , and most iudicious , rather then with the fewest , and least discerning . opinionastrete is a fault , but fallibility is none . if my teachers are in the right , they have knowledge enough to make me moderately instructed ; if they are anywhere in the wrong , they have authority enough to make me pardonably erroneous ; if i have not perspicacity to comprehend them as they deserve , it seems they have depths enough to prove , i am invincibly ignorant . the end . errata's . pag. . lin. . read extemporary discourse , p. . l. . r. and doth so move , p. . l. . dele upon , l. . for of r. to mine own , p. . l. . f. sure r. here . p. . l. . f. preposition r. proposition , l. . after look adde for , p. . l. . f. unworthy r. worthy , p. . l. . after ret●…rn to adde that , p. . l. . f. joh. . r. joh. , p. . l. . after we adde may , p. . l. ult. r. gallorum , p. . l. . after id . r. ibid. p. . l. . f. aequivocable r. aequivocal , p. . l. . f. cant. . . r. cant. . . l. . f. efficacious ▪ r. effectual , p. . l. . f. catechresis r. catachresis , p. . l. . f. eleget ●… elegit . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- ecclesiasticus , , , . rom. . . notes for div a e- joh. . ●… . rev. . . . . joh. . , . episc. winton . in iud. de art . lamb . rom. . . psal. . . the two principles or grounds of my belief in this businesse . sic proponam , sic asseram , ut verita●…i quae nec fallit , nec fallitur , semper inhaream , sempe●… obediens consentiénsque reperiar . fulgent . ad monim . l. . sub init . nec inest iis quae de libero arbitrio patres quidem & neoterici asseruerunt , ea quam olim non nulli putant impietas , si haec rite modò accipiantur , & sicut ipsi scriptores ea accipi voluerunt . apud cassand . consult . p. . in praefat. ad vind. grat. p. . gal. . . prov. . . l. . c. § . p. . l. . c. . § p. . l. . c. . § ▪ ☜ p. . l. . c. . § . p. . ☜ l. . c. . § . p. . l. . part . . digr. . c. . § . p. . ☜ ibid. § . p. . ☞ ☞ in serm. de prov. c &c. . & sic citatur l. . part . . p. . l. . c. . § . p. . ☞ ☞ l. . part . . p. , , , , &c. ☞ the first principle proved by scripture . praedestinare deum homines ad peccata , aut poenas , in s. scripturis non dicitur , sed eos ad vitam aeternam praedestinare dicitur , quos v●…care decernit . grot. in riv. ap. disc. p. . quatuor priores articuli lambethani sunt de praedestinatione , & reprobatione , quarum illa significatur rom. . . haec psal. . . epis. wint. de artic. judi●… . psal. . . isa. . , . ezek. . vers. , . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . 〈◊〉 . in . c. . 〈◊〉 eph homil. ●… . p. . augustir . 〈◊〉 . . tertull. adversus mar. l. . c. . duos d●…os adf●…rt tanquam duas sy●…plegadas naufragii sui . quis iste deus tam bonus , ut ab illo malus ●…iat ? ibid. c . ibid. c. . jam. . , . cor. . . terent. in eunuch . jam. . . ps. . . vide cornel. agrip. de vanit . scient. dan . . eccles. . . proved secondly by reason . hocker eccl. polit. l. . eph. . . gen ▪ . ▪ * n●…c tamen 〈◊〉 sumus stipites ; ea enim nobis ut v●…limus & possimus concedit . beza . in eph. . . * bene volumus , non quidem naturâ , sed quia deus ex malâ voluntate bonam fecit . ad philip . . . * liberum & sui arbitrii & suae potestatis invenio hominem à deo institutum ; nullam magis imaginem & similitudinem dei in illo animadvertens , quàm ejusmodi status formam . tertull . advers. marc. lib. . c. . see also cap. , . proved by antiquity § ●… . tametsi deus ●…reat & conservat naturam , tamen causa p●…ccati est voluntas malorum viz. diaboli & impiorum hominum quae avertit se à deo ad alias re●… , con●…ra mandata dei . august . confess . artic. . aliquos ad 〈◊〉 divinâ potestate 〈◊〉 esse , non solùm non cre●… , sed etiam si sint qui tantum m●…lum cred●…re ve●…int , cum omni detestatione in illis anat●…ema dicimus . synod . arausic . can. . the first inference . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . ammonius in ioh. . our selves we condemn as the only causes of our own misery . hook . l. . § . proved by scripture . in the negative . ezek. . . c. . v. . pet. . . rom. . . veteris haec ecclesiae sententia suit , velle deum conversionem ad salutem omnium , non tantùm genera singulorum , sed singulos generum intelligens . gerard . voss. in pelag. hist. l. . thes. . tim. . . cor. . . rom. . ▪ pet. . . * gratiam salutarem non existimo conferri omnibus , sed tamen omnibus offerri ; & praesto esse deum ut conferatur . episc. wint. de artic . lamb . omnibus offertur dei misericordia . nemo illius expers est , nisi qui renui●… . bernard . serm. . in purif. . mar. in the affirmative . hos. . . ▪ pet. . . prov. . . jam. . . rom. . . vers. . wisd. , , , . proved secondly by reason . * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . * rom. . . vers. . * jam . . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . apud lucianum dr * ideo praesciverit , quia decreto suo sic ordinavit . and for no other reason , nisi quia deo ita visum est . cal vin . instit. l. . cap. . p. . non percipit se dicere , ea quae vera sunt , eo ipso quòd vera sunt , falsa sint . august . contra faustum . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . origen . contra celsim . l. . isido●…us pelusiota 〈◊〉 , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , respondit , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . * loco superi●…s paulò citato . * idcirco jurat , ut si non credimus promittenti deo , credamus salum p●…o salute juran●…i . hieron. epist. . o beatos nos , quorum causa deus jurat ! o mise●…rimos si nec juranti credimus ! tertul. l. de poe●…it , cap. . * eccles. . . jam. . . rom. . rom. . ●… . poterit deus velle voluntate signi & approbante , ut ●…ono non 〈◊〉 ; interea voluntate beneplaciti statue●…e 〈◊〉 gratiam efficacem negare , ex quo insallibiliter & efficaciter sequetur ut labatur . twiss. in vind. grat. l. . de praed. § . p. . voss. pelag. hist. l. . thes. . * quod dicere periculosum , ad aedificationem proferendum est . tertul. depoen . cap. . * decretum horribile quid●…m fateor , inficiari tamen nemo poterit . calvin . instit. l. . c. . § . l. . part . . § . p. . proved thirdly by antiquity . ignatius in cp. ad magnes . p. . edit. usser . iustin. martyr . in apolog. prima pro christianis pag. . edit. sylburg . . tertull. contra ma●…cion . l. . c. edit. iun. a.d. . lib. . cap. . . clemens alex. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} p. . edit. 〈◊〉 . vide & clem. rom. l. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , cap. . theophil . ad au●…ol . l. p. . edit. basil. . origen . tract. . in matth. p. . athanas. orat . de incarn. v●…rbi dei . t. . p. . macarius homil. . p. . homil. . p. . basil. homil. in psal. . p. . ambros. l. . de secundâ interpellat . david . c. . hilarius diacon . in epist. pauli in rom. c. . & idem ad tim . * ch●…ysost . in tim c. . p. . idem ad ephes. c. . hom. . p. . hieronymus advers. pelagianos l. . sub finem . & ad eph. c. . primosius in tim. . damascenus l. . orth . sid . c. . idem contra manichaeot p. edit. basil . . oecumenius ad tim. . anselmus in matth. c. . bernardus serm. . in natal . dom. idem serm. . in purif. . mar. grotius in rivet . apolog. discus . p. , . augustin in lib. de spiritu & lite●â ad marcellinum c. . idem serm. . de sanctis . * nihil aliud accipiendum in isto augustini sermone existimo , quo ad interitum quosdam praedestinatos firmat . &c. fulgent . ad monim . l. . prosper ( s●…u august ) ad object . vic●…n ▪ artic . . & seqq . * causā rep●…obationis certum est hanc esse , viz. peccatum in hominibus . melancthon in locis theolog. de praedest . idem ubique ait perrus molinaeus in sua anatome arminianismi . d. overallus theol. cantab. professor de 〈◊〉 ecclisiae anglic. &c. cap. . cap. de morte christi . artic. . artic. . artic. . calvin . ad heb. . . idem ad rom. . the total sum of the citations . the english reader may be pleas'd to observe , that these last words are translated out of prosper in his vindication of august●…ne his dearest friend , who is : he only father ( i can hear of ) whom our adversaries are willing to be tryed by in this businesse . ( see the confession of dr. twiss. in vind●…c . grat. l. . dign . . § . p. . ) {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . plotin. enn. l. . p. . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . hierocl {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . p. . the second inference , explain'd . proved by scripture . gen. . chap. . v. . deut . , . gen. . . rom. . . mat. . . tim. . . mat. . . tit. . . luk. . , . mat . , . judg. . ●… . rom. . . . gal. . . wisd. . . proved secondly by reason . gen. . , . rom. . , . mat. . . luk. . . joh. . . luk. . . luk. . . cap. . v. . mat. . , , , . mat. . . joh. . psal. . . calvinus in institut . l. . cap. . § . mortem non vul●… deus , in quantum vul●… poenitentiam . sed experientia docet , ita eam velle , ut cor peccatoris non ●…angat . idem in ezek. . prov. . . . joh. . . rom. . . cor. . . joh. . . cap. . v. . jonah . , . kin. . . kin. . . * isa. . * lam. . . hos. . , . exod. . . jam. . . ineptissimae blasphemiae . prodig●…osa mendacia . diabolicus mendacio●…um indiculus . leguntur apud . prosp. in praesat . respon. ad object . vinc. * proved thirdly by antiquity . solent veteres &c. & scholastici in eâ acquiescunt &c. non aliâ ratione quae futura sunt , praevideat , nis●… quia ita ut fierent decrevit . calvin . instit. l. . c. . §. . nec absurdum videri debee , deum non modò primi hominis casum & in co posterorum ruinam praevid●…sse , sed a●…bitrio quoque suo dispensasse . idem ibid. § . nemo eligitur nisi jam distans ab illo qui rejicitur . unde quod dictum est , [ quia elegit nos deus ante mundi constitutionem ] non video quomodo sit dictum , nisi de praescientiâ fidei & operum pietatis . & mox — iacobus non electus est ut fieret bonus , sed bonus factus eligi potuit . augustia . ad . simplicianum l. . quaest. . noluit ergo esau , & non cucurrit . sed et si voluisset , & cucurrisset , dei adjutorio pervenisset , nisi vocatione contemptâ reprobus fieret . id. in lib. ad simpl. num quid iniquitas est apud deum ? absit . iniquum enim videtur , ut sine ullis bonorum malorúmve operum meritis , unum deus eligat , odiátque alterum . id. in enchirid. cap. . non necessitatem percundi habue●…unt , quia praedestinati non sunt ; sed ideo praedestinati non sunt , quia tales futuri ex volunta●…iâ pr●…vaticatione praes●…iti sunt . prosper . ad galorum cap. . edit. basil. ●… . illos 〈◊〉 propriâ ipsorum volunta●…e praescivit , & ob hoc a filiis perditionis nullâ praedestinatione discrevit . id. idem . ad . cap. . omni●…m quid●…m hominum deus creator est , sed nemo ab eo ideo creatus est u●… pereat . idem . ad object . vinc. . ideo omnibus opera sanitatis de●…lit , ut quicunque perierit , mortis suae causas sibi ascribat , qui curari noluit , cùm remedium haberet quo posset evadere . ambros. l. . de cain & abel cap. . etiam his qui mali sint futuri , datur potestas conversionis & poenitentiae . hieron. l. . adversus pelagianos . dilectio & odium dei vel ex ▪ praescientiâ nascitur futurorum , vel ex operibus . idem , ad malach. . si dies aequaliter nascitur omnibus , quanto magis christus ? — cum singuli ad donarium vocentur , quid est ut quod à deo aqualiter distribuitur , humanâ interpretatione minuatur ? cyprian . epist. . * patet omnibus fons vitae , neque ab ju●…e potandi qui●…quam prohibetu●… , aut ●…elli u●… . arnob. adversus nat. lib. . the sum of all that hath been said . pet. . . jer. . . thess. . . an obvious expedient to reconcile dissenters . qui non sunt praed●…stinati ad salu●…em , necessario propter p●…ccata condem . nabuntur . art. lamb . . atque id necessariò ( si sic loqui placeat ) sed necessitate ex hypothesi , non absolu â. id est , ideo quia peccarunt , non autem ideo , quia non sunt praedestinati . epist. wint jud. de art lamb . the probable cause of the dissension is a mistake of gods praescience . the mistake is endevoured to be rectified . boethius de consol. philosoph. lib. . by the co●…sideration of a twofold necessity in 〈◊〉 . duae sunt necessitates . simplex una , veluti quòd necesse est omnes homines esse mortales . altera conditionis , u●… si aliquem ambulare scias , cum ambulare necesse est . boeth . de con . phil. l. . ecclus. . . and by a right . application of a twofold will in the almighty . chrysost. in epist ad eph. c. . homil. . damascen . l . orth. fid. c. . prosper . in respon. ad objec . vincen . sub finem . anselmus in mat. cap. . concil. tolet. . ●… . . rom. . the second principle or ground of my belief in this businesse . explained . act. . . joh. . . . cor. . . jam. . . cor. . ●… . psal. . . reconciled with choice , which is irreconcilable with irresistibility . object . . si deus benus & praescius mali , & potent depellere , cur hominem lab●… passus est ? resp. liberum & sui arbit●…ii & suae potestatis invenio hominem . & s●…qq . object . . homoita d●…uit institui , ut non posset cadere . resp. ergo bonum suum haberet 〈◊〉 sibi à deo. e●… bonus aut malus necessitate fuisset inventus , non voluntate . nec boni nec mali merces iure pensaretur ei . tertull . advers. marc. l. . c. ▪ . . proved by scripture . phil. . , . liberi arbitrii nos condidit deus . nec ad virtutes 〈◊〉 ad vitia necessitate 〈◊〉 . alioqui ubi necessitas , ibi nec damnatio , nec corona est . hieron. contra jovinian . l. . valet liberum arbitrium ad bona , si divinitus adjuvetur ; qued fit , humili●…er petendo & faciendo . august . epist. . psal. . . joh. . . tertull. loco citato . deut. . , . * . . proved by reason . illud propri●… dicitur ●…resistibile , cui resistere nemo potest , quamvis vellet . twiss. in praef. ad vin . grat. §. ●… . p. . in act●… vol●…di locum non habet . in loco citato . ex hujusmodi autem operatione divinâ existit necessitas offect●…s , cum ips●… libertate voluntatis con sen●…iens . ibid. the ground of the opposite mistake removed . by rightly distinguishing betwixt infallible and necessary . betwixt sufficient , effectual , and unresistible . betwixt action in general , and volition in particular . betwixt taking and choosing . betwixt voluntary and spontaneous . ecclesiasticus , , , , . a result of the whole in two examples ▪ mar. . ●… . and that cleared from an exception . jonah . . saulem tam dei spiritus vertit in prophetam , quàm & malus spiritus postea in apostatam . iudam aliquandiu cum electis deputatum postea diabolus intravit . tertul. de animâ . c. . si regeneratus & justificatu●… in ●…alam vitam suâ voluntate relabitu●… , certò is non potest dicere , non accepi , quia acceptam gratiam dei suo in malum arbitrio libero amisit . aug. de grat & correp . c. . &c. . the decree of election conditional and respective . quá gratiâ non nova voluntas creatur , neque invita voluntas cogitur , sed infirma sanatur , depravata corrigitur , & ex malâ in bonam convertitur , ac interiore quodam modo tra●…itur , ut ex nol●…nte volens effi●…iatur , & divinae vocationi libenter consentiat , &c. august . de grat . & lib. arb. ad valent . c. . sicut praf●…it , praedestinat , & propterea prae ▪ destinat , quia quale futurum sit , praescit . mala tantùm prae ▪ s●…it , & non praedestinat . aug. in resp. ad calum . pelag . sub initium l ▪ . hypognostic●…n . proved by reason , from its being respective of our being in christ , and of the conditions by which we are so . eph. . , . rom. . . cor. . . and from the nature of election . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} oecum . apud episc. wint. de artic. lam. iud. non ta●…en electio praecedit iustificationem , sed electionem iustificatio . nemo enim eligitur , nisi jam distans ab illo qui rejicitur . unde quod dictum est , quia el●…get nos deus an●…e mundi constitutionem , non video quomodo sit dicendum nisi praesc●…entiâ . august . ad simpl. . . proved by scripture . joh. . . gal. . , . rev. . . eph. . . aug. in serm. . de sanct. idem contr●… epist. pelag. l . c. . idem de sp. & lit. ad marcell . c. . and by antiquity , from the concessions of anti remonstrants . patres hîc nullo modo audiendi , qui ad praevisionem hoc referunt . beza in rom. . . edit. . twiss. in vin. gr. l. . part . . digr. . sect. . p. . august . de bono persever . c. . & . twiss. loco citato . the conclusion . * rom. . . * vers. . cor. . . sermons upon death and eternal judgment by william bates. bates, william, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sermons upon death and eternal judgment by william bates. bates, william, - . [ ], , p. printed by j.d. for brabazon aylmer, london : . "sermons upon eternal judgment" has separate t.p. and paging. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng death -- sermons. judgment of god -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sermons upon death , and eternal judgment . by william bates , d. d. london ; printed by j. d. for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil . . to the right honourable rachel lady russel . madam , of all affairs for the compassing whereof men are so diligent and sollicitous , there is none of that absolute necessity , and high importance , as the preparation for death and judgment . this requires the whole man in his best vigour , and should be the work of the day , but 't is usually delayed till the melancholy evening of age , or the twilight of death . the trifles of this world divert them from that main business , to which all other things should be subordinate . it equally deserves wonder and compassion , that death which is so constantly in mens view , should be so seldom the matter of their application , when all are of the same glass , made of the same frail natural principles ; and no argument is more frequently and pathetically urged upon them . 't is not strange that deep truths , that by the strength and exercise of the mind are drawn like gold out of the mines , have no efficacy upon those that are not capable of understanding them : but the doctrins of death , and judgment after it , are plain truths , by natural , moral , and divine evidence known to all , yet no more affect men , than a paradox of incredible novelty . if the doctrine of eternal judgment were but a probable opinion , controverted with equal arguments , yet 't is a matter of such vast concernment , that reason requires all our possible diligence to avoid an eternal evil that may be , the loss of coelestial glory , and the torments of hell : but since 't is an infallible truth , as certain as the word of god , 't is a miracle to astonish heaven and earth , that men live as carelesly as if they should never die , and die as securely as if they should not live in the next state , to receive the just punishment of their sins . they are fearless whilst death is far off in their thoughts : and when age has snowed upon their heads , that no marks of decaying nature should appear , make their own winter to flourish with another spring . but 't is in vain , for death knows them under their disguise , and will not stay beyond the appointed time . and in that decisive hour , infidelity or presumption hardens men to pass as quietly and boldly in appearance into another world , as unfeigned faith , and a regular lively hope in the promises of the gospel . but as deceitful physick stops the fit for the present , that will return more violently and fatally afterwards : so a counterfeit short peace transmits them to everlasting sorrows . the design of the following sermons is to awaken men , that they may be wise and consider their latter end : to secure an interest in our redeemer , who has disarmed death of its sting , and made that enemy our friend : and to practise dying every day , by withdrawing their hearts from the vanities of this transient world , that have such a pernicious influence to excite the carnal appetites , and stupify the conscience , which are the true causes of their sin and misery . and what can be more powerful to render them temperate and sober in the use of present things , vigilant and serious in their preparations for their great and final change , than the remembrance that death is immediately attended with judgment , and judgment with blessedness or misery for ever . i know this argument is naturally displeasing , but the usefulness should recommend it to our most solemn and composed thoughts , before all the vain entertainments of the fancy and sensual affections . as herbs of medicinal virtue , that are not pleasing to the sight or smell , yet are valued by the skilful as treasures of health ; and preferr'd before the fairest flowers that are perfum'd and painted by nature , so as to excel the richest lustre of solomon's glory . the body is in a continual consumption , and no art can long preserve it : but whilst the outward man is irrecoverably declining and wasting , if the inward man be ascending and renewing to perfection , the advantage is incomparable . o how comfortable is it to a holy believer in the parting hour to commit his spirit into the hands of his heavenly father ! ( for thus he is authorized and encouraged by our saviour's example ) and lay down the flesh to rest in hope : for christ is the guardian of the grave , has the keys of death , and will revive the bodies of his saints incorruptible and immortal , the copies of his own glorious body . madam , i shall not attempt the celebrating your ladiships vertues , that render you a bright ornament of your sex , and more truly honourable than your noble descent and alliance : but direct my best desires to god , that your family may be a singular and eminent example of the divine favour : that the fading gloss of this world may not deceive you , but your heart may be above where your treasure is ; that you may live to god and your soul , for heaven and eternity . i am , madam , your honours very humble and faithful servant , william bates . sermons upon death . heb. . . and deliver them , who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage . in the first chapter of this epistle , the proofs of the eternal deity of christ are produced with that evidence of scripture-light , that only a vailed heart , obstinate infidelity can resist . the medium which the inspired pen-man makes use of is , the comparing him with the angels , the most noble flower of the creation , and shewing that he is infinitely dignified above them . this he does by a strong connexion of arguments : first , by his title that is divinely high and peculiar to himself . he is declared by the testimony of the eternal father to be his son , in the most proper and sublime sence : begotten of him , and therefore having the same essential perfections of the god-head in their uncreated glory . but the angels are not dignified with this name in any places of scripture , where the excellency of the angels is in the fullest terms expressed . and that this name is taken from his nature , is clearly proved : because adoration is due to him upon this account , even from the angels of the highest order . when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world , he saith , and let all the angels of god worship him . divine worship is a prerogative inseparably annext to the deity , both upon the account of the supream excellencies of the nature of god , and his relation to angels and men as creator , and preserver , the fountain of their being and happiness . this without the most open defiance of his authority , cannot be given to a mere creature ; and by the command of god himself , is to be performed as a respect due to the filial god-head . the argument proceeds from the name to the offices . of the angels he saith , who maketh the angels spirits , and his ministers a flame of fire . they are the prime instruments of his providence , most zealous and active to accomplish his pleasure . but the son is god , not by analogy and deputation as princes are , nor with a limitation and diminution , as moses was made a god to pharaoh , but absolutely and really as subsisting in the divine nature : and consequently he is the supreme king , and to him the ensigns of majesty divinely royal are ascribed . but unto the son he saith , thy throne , o god , is for ever and ever , a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom : whereas the scepters of earthly kings are often unrighteously manag'd , and their thrones ruinously fall . there is a further confirmation from his works , that are divinely great and glorious , wherein no creature has any share of efficiency . the making of the world , is ascrib'd to him . thou lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth , and the heavens are the works of thy hands . the divine attributes , the peculiar character of the deity belong to him : eternity and immutability . the most solid parts of the visible creation shall perish and be changed : but thou remainest , and art the same . his life is an intire , uniform , unchangable perfection . his glory and felicity are in the same invariable tenor for ever possest by him . lastly , the son sits in that quality at the right hand of the father , in the society of empire , as equal to him in power and honour , commanding all in the visible and invisible world , most easily and irresistibly , tho' gradually subduing his enemies to a consummate victory . but the angels , so numerous and powerful , are ministring spirits , employed for the defence and benefit of the church . from this summary account we may understand how firmly the divinity of christ is establish'd in the scripture . for those passages of the prophets , that speak of the god of israel as creator , and the sole object of adoration are directly referr'd to jesus christ. and the name jehovah , the majesty of which consists in its being incommunicable is attributed to him . this is the foundation upon which that whole fabrick of the gospel is built . the office of mediator in the prophetical , priestly , and regal administration is necessarily join'd with the divinity of his person . and the revelation of it from heaven , is as clear as the sun is visible in the firmament . all the difficulties in our conceiving this great mystery of godliness , are but like the shadows that attend the light. and all the heretial subtilties to pervert the sence of such plain and positive texts , are as impertinent as impious . this being establish'd , the apople proceeds to give an account of the son of god's assuming the humane nature , and submitting to sufferings and death . this is a divine secret so miraculously strange , that the contrivance was without the compass of the angelical minds , and the discovery of it , is only by supernatural revelation : but when revealed , the account of it is so open and consentaneous to reason , as being the most congruous means for the illustration of god's glory in the saving lost men , that the humane mind , if not deeply corrupted with the tincture of prejudice , must consent to it as worthy of all acceptation . the substance of his reasoning is this , that it was the product of the most wise , merciful , and righteous counsel of god , that the saviour of men should have communion with them in their nature , that he might have a right to redeem them by his alliance and propinquity : for he that sanctifies , and they that are sanctified , are all one : and that he should undergo sufferings , even to death , for the price of their redemption , and the remedy of their infirmities : forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood , he also likewise took part of the same , that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death , that is the devil : and deliver them who through fear of death , were all their lives subject to bondage . the devil is said to have the power of death . . because he induces men to commit sin , that meritoriously renders them liable to death . he tempted the first man cum effectu , and was a murderer from the beginning . . in that he inspires them with furious thoughts , and inflames their passions , from whence proceed strifes and wars , that efficiently cause death . he is supreme in all the arts of mischief , and always intent upon evil . 't is by his instigation that men become like raging beasts , animated and bent on mutual slaughter . . because he is many times the executioner of god's wrath , and inflicts death upon rebellious and incorrigible sinners . 't is recorded by the psalmist , that god cast upon the egyptians the fierceness of his anger , wrath , indignation , and trouble ; by sending evil angels : those princes of the air , the instruments of the thunder and fiery storm of hail that destroyed them . . because he makes death more formidable to sinners , by heightning their guilty fears of god's tribunai . the false spirit , in tempting men to sin , puts on blandishments , but afterward he is a severe accuser of them to god , and to themselves . lastly , this title may signify his tormenting sinners with unrelenting cruelty in hell , which is the second death . now these evils being the penal consequence of sin , our saviour by his death appeas'd the injur'd justice of god , and thereby destroyed the cruel tyranny of the devil . as the lamb of god , in the notion of a sacrifice , he overcomes our spiritual enemies . sin , satan , and death , lie vanquisht at the foot of his cross. besides , our saviour having felt such sorrows and infirmities as are usual to his people , by that correspondence and resemblance between them , is compassionately inclin'd to relieve them . i shall now insist upon the blessed privilege of believers set down in the text , viz. that jesus christ by his death , frees his people from the servile tormenting fear of death . in prosecuting the point , i shall , . consider the account the scripture gives of death's entrance into the world. . shew what the fear of death includes , and the bondage consequent to it . . how the death of christ frees us from the thraldom of that fear . . who are partakers of this blessed privilege . and then apply it . i. the scripture gives an account of death's entrance into the world , in a three-fold respect . . as the desertt of sin. . as the effect of the divine decree . . as the sentence of the law. . as the desert of sin. the first design of the creator was his own glory in conjunction with the happiness of man. he was made accordingly holy in perfection , placed in paradise , and his state contained all the ingredients of felicity proper to his nature . he was capable of dying , as sad experience proves , yet no accident from without , no distemper from within had impair'd his vigour , and made him actually subject to death without sin . whilst innocent he was immortal , not from everlasting principles of nature , but by divine preservation , of which the tree of life was the ordained means and sacramental pledg . for god unchangably loves his own image : and tho' by his sovereignty and absolute power he may resume the being he gives , yet his goodness and covenant were a sacred assurance that man's happy life should run parallel with his perseverance in his duty . this immortality was not the singular privilege of adam's person , but had been the inheritance of all his progeny . but he soon revolting from his just obedience , of immortal became mortal , and according to the original establishment of propagation , transmitted his nature with the guilt and poison of sin to all his posterity . thus by one man sin entered into the world , and death by sin , and so death passed upon all men ▪ for that all have sinned . as his obedience had been rewarded , so his rebellion is punisht in all that naturally descend from him . from hence it is , that so numerous a part of man-kind are cut off before the commission of actual sin. death enters into the forge of life , and destroys the conception that newly began to live . and what is more righteous than that man when he disobeyed the author of life , should forfeit his life and blessedness . the soul voluntarily lost the spiritual life by forsaking god , therefore unwillingly loses the natural life by expulsion from the body . the apostle declares , the wages of sin is death , not only that of the body , but the death of the soul , which is a dreadful concomitant of it . and from hence we may discover the false philosophy of the wisest heathens in their opinion of death . they judged it to be the primary necessity and condition of nature , fixt by irresistible fate : and not understanding the true and just reason of its coming into the world , they could not apply a sufficient remedy against its evil. . as the effect of the divine decree respecting sin. this is discovered by revelation in the word of god , and by the real execution of it . it is appointed to men once to die . this decree is universal and unrepealable . one generation passeth away , and another generation cometh : like the ebbing and flowing of the sea in its stated periods . nothing can interrupt or frustrate this appointment . there are divers conditions of men , and various ways of living in the world ; some are high in dignity , others are level with the earth : some walk in a carpet-way smooth and easy , others in a thorny and troublesom : some walk on the golden sands , others on the mire : but the same uncontroulable necessity of dying involves all . and what-ever the way be , whether pleasant or doleful , yet every one passes in it with equal steps , measured by the same invariable spaces of hours and days , and arrive at the same common end of life . those who are regarded as visible deities amongst men , that can by their breath raise the low , and depress the lofty , that have the lives of millions in their power , yet when the ordained time is come , as they cannot bribe the accusing conscience for a minutes silence , so neither delay death . i have said ye are gods , but ye shall die like men. . death is to be considered as the sentence of the law. the reasonable creature was made under a law the rule of his actions . the moral law directed him how to continue in his holy and blessed state : to which was annext the precept of not eating of the tree of knowledg of good and evil , only as a mark of his subjection , and for the trial of his obedience . this precept had an infallible sanction by the most high law-giver : in the day thou eatest thereof , thou shalt die the death . man did not keep this command of so easy observation , and justly incurr'd its doom . as sin is the violation of the law , so death is the violation of the sinner in his nature and felicity retorted from the law. the deaths of men are very different in their kinds ; and are comprised in the words of david concerning saul ; the lord shall smite him , or his day shall come to die , or he shall descend into the battel , and perish . sometimes they are cut off by the immediate flaming hand of god , for the more exemplary revenge of sin ; sometimes by surprising accidents ; sometimes by bloody contentions ; sometimes consuming diseases . but tho' death be not uniform , yet 't is always the execution of the law upon offenders . as of those who are condemned by humane justice , some suffer a more easy and honourable death , others a more disgraceful and torturing , some are beheaded , others are crucified , yet all die as malefactors . thus some die a natural death , others a violent , some by a gentle preparing sickness without reluctation , others die upon the rack by sharp pains : some die attended with their friends , and all supplies to sweeten their passage , others forsaken of all comforters : yet death is the same sentence of the law upon all men. and this if duly considered , makes it terrible in whatever shape it appears . ii. the next thing to be considered is , what the fear of death includes , and the bondage that is consequent to it . this i shall explain and amplify , by considering four things . . the nature of fear in general , as applicable to the present subject . . the particular causes that render death so fearful . . the degree of this fear exprest by bondage . . how it comes to pass that men are not always under the actual fear of death , but subject to the revolutions of it all their lives . . i will consider the nature of fear in general , as applicable to the present subject . fear is a passion implanted in nature , that causes a flight from an approaching eye . three things are requisite to qualify the object and make it fearful . ( . ) the evil must be apprehended . knowledg , or at least suspicion , excites fear , by representing an evil that is likely to seize upon us . till the mind discern the danger , the passions are unmoved : and imaginary evils by the mere apprehension , are as strongly fear'd as real . ( . ) the evil must be future . for the naked theory of the most pernicious evil does not wound the soul , but the apprehension of falling under it . if reason can open an expedient to prevent an evil , this passion is quiet . and fear precisely regards its object as to come . present evils induce grief and sorrow : past evils by reflection affect with joy , and give a quicker relish to present felicity . approaching evils alarm us with fear . ( . ) the evil must be apprehended as prevalent to make it fearful . for if by comparison we find our strength superior , we either neglect the evil for its levity , or determine to encounter it ; and resistance is the proper effect of anger , not of fear . but when an impendent evil is too hard for us , the soul shrinks and recoils from it . now all these qualifications that make an object fearful concur in death . . 't is an evil universally known . the frequent funerals are a real demonstration that speaks sensibly to our eyes , that death reigns in the world. . 't is certainly future . all the wretched accidents of this life , such as concern us in our persons , relations , estates , and interests ; a thousand disasters that a jealous fear and active fancy will extend and amplify ; as they may , so they may not happen to us . and from this mixture of contrary possibilities , from the uncertainty of event , hope that is an insinuating passion mixes with fear , and derives comfort . for as sometimes a suddain evil surprises not fore-thought of , so often the evil that was sadly expected , never comes to pass . but what man is he that lives , and shall not see death ? who is so vain as to please himself with an imagination of immortality here ? . 't is a prevalent evil , from hence the proverbial expression , strong as death that subdues all , cruel as the grave that spares none . 't is in vain to struggle with the pangs of death . no simples in nature , no compositions of art , no influence of the stars , no power of angels , can support the dying body , or retain the flitting soul. there is no man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit ; neither hath he power in the day of death : and there is no discharge in that war. the body sinks in the conflict , and death feeds on its prostrate prey in the grave . . i shall consider more particularly the causes that render death so fearful to men. . in the apprehension of nature . . in the apprehension of conscience . in the apprehension of nature , death hath this name engraven in its forehead , ultimum terribilium , the supreme of terrible things , upon several accounts . . because usually sickness and pains languishing or tormenting , make the first changes in the body , and the natural death is violent . this hezekiah complained of with a mournful accent , he will cut me off with pining sickness : from day even to night thou wilt make an end of me . i reckoned till morning , that as a lion , so will he break all my bones . a troop of diseases are the forerunners of this king of terrors . there is a preceding encounter , and sometimes very fierce , that nature feels the cruel victory before it yields to this enemy . as a ship that is lost by a mighty tempest , and by the concussion of the winds and waves loses its rudder and masts , takes in water in every part , and gradually sinks into the ocean : so in the shipwrack of nature , the body is so shaken and weakened by the violence of a disease , that the senses , the animal and vital operations decline , and at last are exstinguish'd in death . . death considered in the strictest propriety , as destructive of the natural being , that is our first and most valuable good in the order of nature , is the just object of fear . the union between soul and body is very intimate and dear , and like david and jonathan they part unwillingly . nature has a share in the best men , and works as nature : st. paul declares , we would not be uncloathed , not finally put off the body , but have it glorified in conjunction with the soul. our blessed saviour , without the least impeachment of the rectitude and perfection of his nature , exprest an aversness from death , and with submission to the divine will desired a freedom from it . his affections were holy and humane , and moved according to the quality of their objects . . the natural consequents of death render it fearful . life is the foundation of all natural enjoyments , and the loss of it induces the loss of all for ever . 't is from hence that such evils that are consistent with life , and deprive us only of some particular content and pleasure , are willingly chosen rather than death . the forfeiture of estate , the degrading from honour , the confinement to a perpetual prison , the banishing from our native country , are less penalties than death . there is a natural love of society in man , and death removes from all . the grave is a frightful solitude . there is no conversation in the territories of darkness . this also hezekiah in his apprehensions of death speaks of with tears . i shall see man no more in the land of the living . as in the night , the world is an universal grave , all things are in a dead silence ; palaces , courts of justice , temples , theaters , schools , and all places of publick conversation are shut up : the noise and rumour that keeps men in continual observation and action ceases . thus when the sun of this present life is set , all the affairs and business , all the vain joys of company , feasting , dancing , musick , gaming , ceases . every one among the dead is confined to his sealed obscure cell , and is alone an entertainment for the worms . the psalmist saith of princes , their breath goeth forth , they return to the earth , in that very day their thoughts , their glorious compassing thoughts , perish . this the historian observes was verified in julius caesar : after his assuming the imperial dignity , he thought to reduce the numerous laws of the romans into a few volumes , comprising the substance and reason of all ; to enrich and adorn the city of rome , as was becoming the regent of the world : to epitomise the works of the most learned grecians and romans for the publick benefit . and whilst he was designing and pursuing these , and other vast and noble things , death surprised him , and broke off all his enterprises . at the terrible gate that opens into eternity , men are stript of all their honours and treasures , and as naked as they come into the world , go out of it . be not thou afraid when one is made rich , when the glory of his house is encreased . for when he dieth , he shall carry nothing away ; his glory shall not descend after him . death equally vilifies , makes loathsom and ghastly the bodies of men , and reduces them to sordid dust. in the grave the * dust is as precious and powerful of one as of another . civil distinctions are limited to the present time . the prodigious statue in nebuchadnezzar's vision , dan. . , , , . while it was upright , the parts were really and visibly distinct : the head was of fine gold , the breast and arms of silver , the belly and thighs of brass ; the legs of iron , the feet part of iron and part of clay : but when the stone cut out without hands , smote the image upon the feet , then was the iron , the clay , the brass , the silver , and the gold , broken to pieces together , and became like the chaff the wind carries away . who can distinguish between royal dust taken out of magnificent tombs , and plebean dust from common graves ? who can know who were rich , and who were poor ; who had power and command , who were vassals , who were remarkable by fame , who by infamy ? they shall not say this is jezebel : not know this was the daughter and wife of king. the king of babylon , stiled lucifer the bright star of the morning , that possest the first empire in the world , was degraded by death , humbled to the grave , and exchanged all his glorious state for worms and putrefaction . the worm is spread under thee , and the worms cover thee . in short , death separates men from all their admired charming vanities . . death is fearful in the apprehension of conscience , as 't is the most sensible mark of god's wrath , that is heavier than death , and a summons to give an account of all things done in this life , to the righteous judg of the world. 't is appointed to all men once to die , and afterward the judgment . the penal fear is more wounding to the spirit , than the natural . when the awakened sinner quietly expects the citation to appear before the tribunal above , where no excuses , no supplications , no privileges avail , where his cause of eternal life or death must be decided , and the awards of justice be immediately executed ; o the convulsions and agonies of conscience in that hour ! when the diseased body cannot live , and the disconsolate soul dare not die , what anxieties surround it ? this redoubles the terrors of death , that the first transmits to the second that was figured by it . o the dismal aspect of death riding on a pale horse , with hell the black attendant following . this fear surprised the sinners in sion ; who among us can dwell with devouring fire ? who among us can remain with everlasting burnings ? this made a heathen , the governor of a province , to tremble before a poor prisoner . while paul discoursed of righteousness , temperance , and judgment to come , foelix trembled . 't is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god , who lives for ever , and can punish for ever . none is so powerful as god , nothing so fearful as the guilty conscience . . the degrees of this fear is exprest by bondage . this passion when regular in its object and degree is excellently useful : 't is a wise counsellor and faithful guardian , that plucks off the mask from our enemies , and keeps reason vigilant and active to prevent a threatning evil , or to sustain it in the best manner . 't is observable in the brute creatures , that the weak and fearful , are most subtile and ingenious to secure themselves , and supply the want of strength with artifice . but when fear is inordinate , 't is a tyrannous master , that vexes the weary soul , and hinders its free and noble operations . caesar chose rather to be expos'd to suddain death , than to be continually harrast with fears how to avoid it . the greek word implies the binding of the spirit , that causes an inward slavery . and in the apostles writings , ‖ the spirit of fear , and the spirit of bondage , are equivalent . ishbosheth , when abner provok'd by the charge about saul's concubine , imperiously threatned to translate the kingdom to david , was struck with such a fear , that he could not answer abner a word , sam. . , . the suddain passion stifled his replie , and reduc'd him to a defenceless silence . now the fear of death , as 't is remiss or vehement , such are the degrees of bondage from it . . it embitters the enjoyments of the present life , and makes the most prosperous in the world , even in the fulness of their sufficiency to be in straits . tho' the senses are pleased with the quick sweetness of change from one object to another , yet the soul cannot have a delightful undisturbed fruition , foreseeing that the stream of pleasure will issue into the dead sea. truly light is sweet , and 't is a pleasant thing to behold the sun. but how short is this life with all its pleasures , in comparison of the days of darkness that follow . now tho' 't is our best wisdom and truest liberty , to rejoice in this world , as if we rejoiced not , and frequently to meditate on the cooling doctrines of death and judgment , to repress the transports of the voluptuous appetite ; yet since the comforts of this life are liberally indulged to us by the love of god , to be the motives of our grateful and affectionate obedience , to sweeten our passage to heaven , we may with tranquillity of spirit make a pure and chearful use of them in his service ; and 't is an oppressing bondage , when the disquieting anxious fears of death hinders our temperate enjoyment of his favours and blessings . . the fear of death oppresses the souls of men under a miserable bondage to the devil ; for his dominion is maintain'd by the allurements and terrors of the world. tho men do not explicitly acknowledg his soveraignty , yet by voluntary yielding to his pleasing temptations , they are really his slaves . and the apprehension of temporal evils , especially of death , drest up in a frightful representation , with its bloody pomp , is the strongest snare to the soul. the faint-hearted prove false-hearted in the time of trial : for the timerous spirit being wholly intent how to avoid the incursion of a present evil , forgets or neglects what is indispensibly to be done , and thinks to find an excuse in the pretended necessity . how many have been terrified from their clearest duty , and resolved constancy ? to escape death , they have been guilty of the most insufferable impieties , by renouncing god their maker and saviour , and worshipping the devils for deities . every age presents sad spectacles of many that chuse iniquity rather than affliction , that relinquish their duty , and by wicked compliances save their lives and lose their souls . carnal desires , and carnal fears , are the chains of hell that retain men satan's captives . but what folly , what madness is it , for the avoiding the impotent fury of the creature , to venture on the powerful wrath of god , that exceeds all the terrors that can be conceived by fear . this renders them more bruitish than the horse , that starting at his shadow , springs over a desperate precipice . the fearful are excluded from heaven , and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone for ever . . the extream fear of death and judgment , dejects and discourages the soul from the use of means to prevent eternal misery , and induces a most woful bondage . fear anticipates and exasperates future evils : for as knowledg excites fear , so fear encreases knowledg , by the uncessant working of the thoughts upon terrible objects . the fearful mind aggravates the foreseen evil , and distils the poison from all the circumstances and consequences of it . and when the evil is apprehended as insuperable and indeclinable , all endeavours to escape are cut off . what a philosopher observes of an earthquake , compared with other destructive evils , is true in this case . there may be a safe retreat from fire , from inundations , from storms , from war , from pestilence , but an earthquake astonishes with so violent a perturbation , that stops our flight from the imminent danger . so the vehement impressions of fear from the approaches of death , and the severe executions upon the sinner after it , distracts the mind , and disables from flying from the wrath to come . these fears are more heavy by the suggestions of satan , who represents god so terrible in his majesty , inexorable in his justice , and dreadful to death , that all hopes of obtaining his favour are lost . as the egyptian darkness was not meerly from the absence of the sun , but from feculent vapours condensing the air , that it might be felt . so these dark and fearful expectations of the divine wrath , are not only from the withdrawing the light of god's countenance , but from the prince of darkness that foul spirit . and as we read of the egyptians , that no man arose from his place for three days , as if they had been buried in that darkness , and deprived of all active power and motion : so the despairing soul sits down mourning at the gates of death , totally disabled from prosecuting the things that belong to its peace . 't is hope inspires and warms us with alacrity , encourages our endeavours , despair is without edg and industry . the soul suffers the hardest bondage , and the condition is inexpressibly sad under the tyranny of this fear . o how enthralled , how desolately miserable ! for despair doth meritoriously and effectually ruin the soul. for whereas there is no attribute more divine , no clearer notion of the deity than love and mercy ; this passion disparages his mercy , as if sin were more omnipotent , than his power to pardon ; and all the tears that flow from it , are so far from expiating , that they encrease guilt : and whereas the believing view of christ would as compleatly and presently recover the soul-wounded sinner , as the israelites were by looking to the ordained visible sign of their salvation ; despair turns away the eye from our deliverer , and fixes it upon misery as remediless and final . . how comes it to pass that men are not always under the actual fear of death , but subject to the revolutions of it all their lives . the seeds of this fear , are hid in the guilty breasts of men , and at times , especially in their calamities , break forth and kindle upon them . in their leisure and retirement , intercurrent thoughts of death and judgment sting them by fits , and make them uneasy . the flashes of conscience , like moments of lightning , startle them , but they relapse into their habitual stupidity . and the account of it will be clear , by considering the following particulars . . men are apt to flatter themselves with the hopes of long life , and look upon death at a great distance . tho' there be a dying disposition in the youngest and strongest persons , tho' we live in a world of casualties , and death lie in ambush to surprize us every day , yet we are secure : because evils affect us according to their apprehended nearness . a petty constable that is troublesom and vexatious , is more fear'd by his neighbours , than the grand signior with all his executioners . as remote objects , though of vast bigness , are lessen'd to our sight , so through the supposed interval of many years , death is lookt on with a diminution of its terror . but when death presents it self before men ready to dispatch them , how formidable is its appearance ! saul tho renouned for his valour , yet when he understood by revelation , that to morrow he and his sons should be in the state of the dead , there was no strength in him , but he fell straight-way all along on the earth ; struck through with fear before he was wounded by the arrows of the philistins . belshazzar in the midst of his luxury and jolity , attended with a thousand lords , and his herd of concubines , inflam'd with wine , and therefore less capable of fear , yet upon the sight of the fatal hand writing on the wall a few unknown characters , which his guilty conscience ( before the prophet daniel came ) interpreted to be the sentence of present death , how fearfully was his countenance changed pale as a carcass ? how suddainly did his blood congeal , and his warmest quickest spirits die in his heart ? his whole body was seized by such a vehement trembling , that his joints were loosed , and his knees smote one against another . this is a representation of those who bid defiance to death at a distance ; but when the fatal hour is come , and they hear the sentence decreed against them , god has numbred thy days , and finish'd them : thou art weighed in the ballance ( all thy words and actions , thy thoughts and affections ) and art found wanting : and thy soul shall be divided from thy body , the one sent to hell to suffer the undying worm of conscience , the other to the grave , to be a prey to the worms of corruption ; how are they overcome with horror ! . the continual succession of the pleasures and business of the world divert the mind from the attentive strong contemplation of death , and the consequences of it . pensive thoughts are unwelcome , and we studiously endeavour to cancel the memory of such things as afflict us . 't is said of the wicked , that god is not in all their thoughts : the consideration of the holy inspector and judg of their actions is tormenting , therefore they fill their minds with earthly imaginations , to exclude the divine presence . we read of those , who to put far away the evil day , chaunted to the sound of the viol , and drank wine in bowls . they are rock'd asleep with the motion of phantastick vanities . and sleep takes away fear , but gives no safety . 't is recorded of marius , that after his overthrow by scylla , he was always in consternation , as if he heard the sound of the trumpets , and the noise of the victorious army pursuing him : and his fears were no longer quiet than whilst charm'd with wine and sleep . he therefore was continually drunk , that he might forget himself , his enemy , and his danger . thus men make a pittiful shift to forget their latter end : and whilst they are following either secular affairs , or sensual pleasures , are unconcerned for what is to be hereafter . but this diversion will shortly be at an end , for in their languishing hours , when the wasted body fails the carnal mind , and sensual desires fail the man , then conscience that spoke with a low voice before , is loud and terrible , and like the rigid exactor in the parable , that took his debtor by the throat , requires them to pay what they owe. . some are so hardned in infidelity , that the powers of the world to come make no impression on their hearts . they mind but little , and are less affected with invisible things . they fortify themselves with gross thoughts , that the spirit of man vanishes with his breath , that death is the end of this life , and not the beginning of another , and feed without fear . place one in the midst of destructive evils , but unseen or not believed , and he is as fearless as a blind person walking on the brink of a deep pit. indeed there are none less disturbed with the terrors of death , than the eminently good , or the extremely bad : for the one sort have a blessed hope that death will be to them an entrance into life , and live like the angels , with a joy unspeakable and glorious . the others are as sensual and secure as the beasts that perish , having extinguish'd the fear of eternal future evils , which is the proper passion of reason . the apostle declares , that knowing the terror of the lord , we perswade men to be reconciled to him , before the season of mercy be expir'd . but those who have supprest the natural notions of eternal judgment , as they think it beneath their wisdom to be perswaded by the promises of heaven , so beneath their courage to be terrified with the threatnings of hell , and triumph over the ruins of conscience . but tho' wicked infidels slite the threatnings , they shall not escape the vengeance of god. we read of noah , that being warned of god of things not seen as yet , moved with fear , he prepared an ark for the saving of his house . his fear was the native issue of his faith. but the profane world , in whom sence was predominant , that despised the oracle , and trembled at no judgments but what were acting on the visible stage , they eat and drank , married , and were given in marriage , till swept away by the unfeared inundation . we read that lot being certified by an embassy of angels , that a deluge of fire would in a few hours pour down from heaven upon sodom , he most earnestly solicited his sons-in-law , arise , depart out of this place , for the lord will destroy this city : but they entertained his compassionate advice with derision , he seemed to them as one that mocked , and were surprised by those fearful flames that dispatch'd them from a temporal hell to that which is eternal . thus 't was prophesied , that in the last days there shall come scoffers , walking after their own lusts , and saying , where is the promise of his coming ? but let them blaspheme and scorn the most sacred and terrible truths , let them perpetuate their excess of riot , and wild mirth while they live , death will come , and judgment as sure as death . iii. i now come to shew how the death of christ frees us from the tormenting fear of death . for the clearing this , we are to consider , that sin , satan , and death , are enemies in combination against man in his mortal state ; and the destructive power of satan , and death , is from sin. when man renounc'd his creatour and natural lord , he was judicially given up to satan as the executioner of vengeance , and to the power of death . such is the order , rather the confusion in the world by sin. the empire of satan and death is built on the ruins of our innocence . now the son of god came from his throne in heaven to deliver us : and whereas there are two ways of obtaining freedom from captivity , either by ransom , or by power and rescue , in both respects our deliverance from bondage , to these capital enemies , is ascribed to the death of christ. 't is called our ransom , and that in its strict notion has a respect to captivity . there is one god , and one mediator between god and man , the man christ jesus : who gave himself a ransom for all . his life was the full price of our liberty and salvation . god does not pardon sin , and release from punishment by a pure absolute act of his will and authority , as a creditor forgives a debtor ; but in such a way as to preserve the rights of justice inviolate . therefore when man was devoted to death , our redeemer exchang'd conditions with him , and offer'd up his precious blood , as our ransom to god , in the quality of the king and judg of all . such was the dignity of his person , that the entire world , the heavens and the earth with all their inhabitants , are of less value to him , than the basest dross to refined gold. such was the greatness of his sufferings , in which the highest degree of obedience , and the lowest degree of humility were conspicuous , as to be a valuable compensation , to obtain eternal redemption for us . now when god the supreme judg is satisfied , satan forfeits the right he had to torment us , and is devested of his dominion over our wills ; which tho' justly permitted , was an usurpation upon god's right in man that can never be extinguish'd . 't is said by the apostle , that our saviour blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us , which was contrary to us , and took it out of the way , nailing it to his cross : he abolish'd the use of the ceremonial law , that was an evidence and enditement of their guilt who performed it , and the curse of the moral law : it follows , and having spoiled principalities and powers , he made a shew of them openly , triumphing over them in it . our saviour died victoriously ; the tree of infamy on which he suffered , was the trophy of his conquest . his death disarm'd satan of his weaponswhere by he subdued us , sin , the law , and death ; for tho' his actual triumph was in his resurrection and ascension to glory , yet it is justly ascribed to his death : for that meritoriously open'd the grave at his resurrection , and heaven at his ascension . and here by the way 't is most worthy of observation , that our deliverance from our spiritual and most deadly enemies is equally righteous , as admirable and glorious : for our suffering saviour appeas'd the wrath of god , and broke the powers of darkness . the wisdom and love of god had their designs in his death , as well as the malice and rage of satan , as lines , that are opposite in the circumference , meet in the centre . and as from the tyranny of satan , so the death of our redeemer is our redemption from death , as to the curse and final dominion of it ; nay , has made it a blessed advantage to us . . the curse is removed . death considered as the wages of sin , is all sting and poison , the consequent of the spiritual death , and the introduction to eternal death . the sting of death is sin , and the strength of sin is the law. death hath its wounding power from sin , and sin from the law , that forbids it , the discovers its nature , and enhanses the measure of its guilt , and denounces condemnation for it . now our saviour having in our stead , subjected himself to death , the penalty of the law for sin , there is no condemnation to those that are in christ jesus . christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law , being made a curse for us . death inflicted on the saints , has not that relation to the guilt of sin , as to be properly satisfaction to revenging justice . there are no petty payments to be made by our sufferings after his compleat satisfaction to god. the lord laid on him the iniquities of us all . 't is indeed still a declaration of god's holy displeasure against sin , for that originally open'd the way of its coming into the world ; and sometimes by the immaturity or manner of it , 't is a chastisment upon good men for sin ; that is , to make them renew their repentance , and mortify their carnal affections that fasten them to the world. for tho' after the last act of expiration there is no place for repentance ; yet in the approaches of death , the soul is strongly excited by the call of god to review its state , and make solemn preparation to be found of him in peace . but 't is not in a strict sence the malediction of the law , and divine revenge upon them . the serpent is turn'd into a rod of correction in the hands of our heavenly father for their good . as the apostle , speaking of some that for their profaning the lord's table , were fallen asleep , adds , that when we are judg'd , we are chastened of the lord , that we way not be condemned with the world. a believer shall not be hurt of the second death . from hence it is , that in the book of life , the scriptures , the death of the saints is called a sleep . st. paul argues , if we believed that jesus died and rose again ; even so them also that sleep in jesus , will god bring with him . 't is observable how the apostle varies the expression , jesus died , and the saints sleep in him : for he sustained death with all its terrors , that it might be a calm sleep to his people . they enjoy as perfect a rest in the beds of dust , as ever in the softest down . stephen in the midst of a showr of stones fell asleep . believers die in peace . the righteous is taken from the evil to come : he enters into peace . being reconciled to god through the blood of christ , they are not terrified at his call , but with sweet tranquillity resign their souls unto him . lord , now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . there is a vast difference in god's account , between the death of righteous and the wicked . as the tabernacle in the wilderness was taken down with care upon their change of station , and delivered to the levites charge , in order to the raising of it again with honour ; but the house incurably infected , was pluck'd down with violence , and thrown into an unclean place with execration : thus the death of the saints is precious in the sight of the lord , their bodies are kept in the bosom of the earth , to be raised in glory ; and the death of the wicked is accurst . in short , as the wood that moses cast into the waters of mara , by a miraculous virtue sweetned them : so the cross of christ has taken away the malignity and bitterness of death . . death is a blessed advantage , and enriching gain to a believer : it brings him to the possession of that good that incomparably exceeds the evil that remains in it . for the death of a saint is not total ; but as in the ceremony of purification from leprosy , one bird was killed , and the other let fly in the open air , the mysterious shadow of the lepers being restored to a state of liberty : thus when the body dies and returns to the earth , the spirit returns to god , the father of spirits , and fountain of life . our saviour told the jews , i am the living bread that came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread , he shall live for ever ; and the bread that i will give is my flesh , that i will give for the life of the world. the heavenly divine life , that is communicated by the spirit of christ to believers , remains entire when the sensitive life is lost . the natural order is , there is a time to be born , and a time to die : the supernatural is , there is a time to die , and a time to be born . the death of a saint is a ‖ new birth ; the pains of the dying body are as throws , whereby the ripen'd soul is delivered into the land of the living . the happiness of a saint after death , more particularly will appear by considering ; . the place to which he ascends the highest heaven . this inferiour world is fram'd with exquisite order , the earth is full of the glory of the lord ; yet 't is but the sediment of the creation , the habitation of birds and beasts , nay of rebellious sinners ; and by this we may raise our thoughts to conceive something of the seat of life and blessedness above . 't is for its amplitude and excellency called the heaven of heavens , which is the highest comparison to instruct and astonish us with the glory of the place . the shining firmament , with all the luminaries that adorn it , are but the frontice-piece to it . all the lustre of diamonds , the fire of carbuncles and rubies , the brightness of pearls are dead in comparison of its glory . 't is called by our saviour his fathers house , and he is the god of glory ; 't is his temple , wherein his sacred presence is fully exhibited : his throne , wherein his majesty is revealed in the most illustrious manner . for pleasantness ; 't is called paradise , in allusion to the delicious garden planted by the hands of god himself for adam , his favorite , whilst innocent . there is the tree of life indeed , and rivers of pleasure ever springing from the divine presence . 't is the inheritance of the saints in light ; to signify literally and allegorically the glory and joy of the place . for light gives splendor to things ; and conciliates chearfulness , and is a fit emblem of both . as on the contrary , hell is described by the blackness of darkness for ever ; to signify the sadness and despair of the damned , and because in that centre of misery , a perpetual night and invincible darkness increases the horror of lost souls . heaven for stability is called , a city that has foundations , whose builder and maker is god. the present world is like a tent or tabernacle set up for a time , and with all its perishing idols shall shortly fall ; all this beautiful scene shall be dissolved : but the supreme heaven is a kingdom that cannot be shaken . our saviour tells us , in my father's house are many mansions , to signify the amplitude and durableness of it . . in that blessed place there is a freedom from all afflicting evils , that are numberless here . the present world is a labyrinth of thorns , in every state we meet with something to vex us . you may as well count the waves of the sea when inraged by a tempest , as the troubles to which in this mortal open state we are expos'd . man that is born of a woman , is of few days , and full of trouble . a short life , and many miseries . o our unhappy capacity ! the body is liable to as many diseases as there are members ; and the soul to as many perplexities as passions . how often are the scenes and habits chang'd in the time of one man ? he that lives in pleasures , must act the mourner's part . our sweetest comforts have hidden stings : and whatever is most pleasing may occasion bitter grief . and usually holy men have a greater portion of afflictions here : sometimes by the malignity and violence of the wicked ; as under the law , the lamb and the dove were sacrifices , the emblems of innocence , and purity , and meekness , whilst the vulture and the lion the greedy devourers escap'd . this the apostle declares of the elect , they are predestinated to be conform'd to the image of god's son , who trac'd out the way to heaven in his own blood , and by the cross ascended to the throne . sometimes more immediately divine providence afflicts them , to preserve their spirits from the tainted pleasures of the world , and other holy ends : but there is a rest for the people of god in heaven . besides , there are reliques of sin in the best of the saints here . indeed sin is depos'd from sovereignty and rule ; the imperious lusts are crucified , but not quite expir'd . as those that were nail'd to the cross in their hands and feet , the parts least vital and most sensible , died a painful lingring death . still the flesh lusts against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh . as there is a complexion of humours in humane bodies , always jarring when they are in the soundest health ; and where there is not this active contrariety , either the body is without a soul , a mere carcass , or a glorified body in heaven . so where there is not this internal combat between grace and sin , either the man is wholly ‖ carnal , dead in sins and trespases ; or wholly spiritual reigning in heaven . and there is nothing more works on the tender affections of a saint , than to find in himself what is displeasing to god ; that still he is under a sad necessity of sinning . what is said concerning an old man wasted and decayed in his drooping years , that the grashopper is a burden to him ; is true , of the new man in a christian , the sins that are counted light in the valuation of the world , are a heavy weight to him . vain thoughts , idle words , irregular passions , unprofitable actions , are motives of heart-breaking sorrow . now death is to a believer a universal remedy against all the evils of this life : it frees him from all injuries and sufferings , and from sin in all its degrees , from all inclinations and temptations to it . he that is dead , ceaseth from sin. death is the passage from this wilderness to the true canaan the rest above , that flows with better milk and hony , with innocence and happiness for ever . there nothing can disturb the peace , or corrupt the purity of the blessed . . besides the privative advantage , the freedom from all the effects of god's displeasure , and the resentments of it , there is the highest positive good obtained by death ; the spirits of just men are made perfect in heaven . the soul is the glory of man , and grace is the glory of the soul , and both are then in their exaltation . all the faculties of the soul are rais'd to the highest degrees of natural and divine perfection . in this life grace renews the faculties , but does not elevate them to their highest pitch : it does not make a mean understanding pregnant , nor a frail memory strong , nor a slow tongue eloquent , but sanctifies them as they are . but when the soul is releas'd from this dark body of earth , the understanding is clear and quick , the memory firm , the will and affections ardent and vigorous . and they are enrich'd with divine light , and love , and power , that makes them fit for the most noble and heavenly operations . the lineaments of god's image on the soul are first drawn here , but then it receives his last hand . all the celestial colours are added , to give the utmost life and lustre to it . here we are advancing , but by death we arrive at perfection . we shall in heaven be join'd to the assembly of saints and angels , our best friends . love is the law of that kingdom , and perfectly obeyed there . now how charming is the conversation of one that is wise and holy , especially if the sweetness of affability be in his temper ? how pleasantly does time slide away in the company of our beloved friends ? we are not sensible of its flight . but what dear satisfaction is it to be united to that chosen consecrated society above , who love one another as themselves . tho' the angels and saints have different degrees of glory , yet every one is perfectly happy and pleased . as the strings of an instrument differ in the size and sound , some are sharp and high , some grave and deep , others a mean , and from that variety results the harmony and musick , so that if every string had judgment and election , it would chuse to be what it is : so from the different degrees of glory in heaven , the most amiable and equal order of the divine wisdom appears , that satisfies every one . we shall be in the glorious presence of god and christ , where is fulness of joy , and infinite pleasures for ever . 't is said of abraham , he rejoic'd to see the day of christ , two thousand years before his coming . when by faith he saw the incarnation of the son of god , in order to the redemption of men , it put him into an extasy . yet then our saviour was born to sorrows and miseries . but how ravishing is the sight of our redeemer , set down on the right hand of the majesty on high , having purged our sins by himself , and accomplish'd our salvation . now we are absent from god , yet in believing his infallible promises , we rejoice with a joy unspeakable and glorious ; but how much more joyful is the fruition of them ? here the divine goodness is derived to us through secondary means , that weaken its efficacy , but in heaven the consolations of the creator are most purely dispensed , and his immediate excellencies are made known . this blessedness exceeds all our thoughts and explicit desires , and requires the eloquence and experience of an angel to set it forth . the bright sum of it is this , we shall see god in his glory , face to face , in the most perfect manner : the sight of his glory shall transform us into his likeness ; we shall be like him , for we shall see him as he is : this shall produce in us the most pure and ardent love ; and love shall be attended with inexpressible joy , and that with the highest praises of the blessed god , whose influxive presence is the heaven of heaven . and that which crowns all is , that the life above is eternal . this satisfies all our desires , and excludes all our fears : for unchangeableness is an inseparable attribute of perfect felicity . the blessed are in full communion with god , the fountain of life , and christ the prince of life . because i live , saith our saviour , ye shall live also . what can interrupt , much less put an end to the happiness of the saints ? the love of god is immutably fix'd upon them , and their love upon him . here their love is subject to decays , and gradual alienations ; as the needle in the compass , tho' it always has a tendency to the north pole , yet sometimes it declines and has its variations . but in heaven the love of the saints is directly and constantly set upon god. the light of his countenance governs all their affections . 't is as impossible to divert their desires from him , as to cause one that is inflam'd with thirst , to leave a clear flowing spring for a noisom puddle . in short , heaven is filled with eternal halelujahs : for there is no appearance of sin , no shadow of death there : all miseries are vanish'd , and all that is desireable is possess'd by the saints : the circle of their employment is to enjoy and praise the divine goodness for ever . now is not the blessed exchange a christian makes of the present life , for that which is infinitely better , sufficient to make death not fearful , nay desirable to him ? and this happiness was purchas'd for us by the everlasting treasure of our saviour's blood. the satisfaction of his sufferings was meritorious , as the merits of his active obedience was satisfying . before i proceed to the third head , i shall resolve a question , how it comes to pass , since believers are freed from the sting of death , that they die , and remain in the state of death for a time . for this there are several reasons . . by this means all the sinful frailties that cleave to the saints in this life , are abolish'd . the body is dead because of sin : and what is more becoming the wise and holy providence of god , than that as by sin man was at first made subject to death , so by death sin dies entirely for ever . thus as in sampson's riddle , out of the devourer comes meat ; and our worst enemy is conquer'd by his own weapons . . death is continued to the saints , for the more eminent exercise and illustration of their graces , for the glory of god , and in order to their future reward . ‖ faith , and love , and patience , are declared in their most powerful operations in our encounter with death . if every saint were visibly and entirely translated to heaven , after a short course of holy obedience ; if the wicked did visibly drop down quick into hell , faith would be resigned to sight here . this would confound the militant state of the church with the triumphant . therefore now death happens to the good as well as to the wicked . in the next state they shall be separated by a vast gulph , and an amazing difference . now faith , what-ever the kind of death be that a christian suffers , sees through the thickest clouds of disgrace and misery , the glorious issue . as the illustrious confessor who was crucified with our saviour , proclaim'd his eternal kingdom in the midst of insulting infidels . and our love to god then appears in its radiancy and vigour , when we are ready for the testimony of his truth , and advancing his glory , to suffer a violent death : or when it comes in a gentler manner , for 't is even then terrible to nature , we are willingly subject to dissolution , that we may be united to god in heaven . and our patience has never its perfect work , and is truly victorious , till this last enemy be subdued . death is the seal of our constancy & perseverance . now the righteous rewarder will crown none but those that strive lawfully , and are compleat conquerors . and how wise and sweet is the oeconomy of the divine providence in this , that the frailty of our nature should afford us a means of glorifying god , and of entitling our selves by his most gracious promises to a blessed reward . . our saviour by his unvaluable obedience and sufferings , has procur'd for believers a celestial divine life , of which the natural body is not capable . the apostle saith , flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven . the exigencies and decays of the sensitive nature require a continual relief by food and sleep , and other material supplies : but the life above is wholly spiritual , and equal to that of the angels . therefore till this earthly animal body be reformed and purified , 't is not capable of the glory reserv'd in heaven . this is so absolutely requisite , that those believers , who are found alive at the last day , shall in the twinckling of an eye be changed , that they may be qualified for it . now herein the wisdom of god is wonderful , that death which by the covenant of works was the deserved penalty of sin , by the covenant of grace should be the instrument of immortality . that as joseph by a surprising circuit was brought from the prison to the principality ; so a believer by the grave ascends to heaven . this the apostle in his divine disputation against infidels , proves in a most convincing manner ; thou fool , that which thou sowest , is not quickned except it die . as the rotting of the corn in the earth is necessary to the reviving and springing of it up : so we must die , and the image of the earthly adam be abolish'd , that we may be transformed into the image of the heavenly one. and to the other part of the question , why the saints remain in the state of death for a time ? there is a clear answer . the resurrection of the saints is delayed till christ's coming to judgment , partly for the glory of his appearance : for what an admirable sight will it be , that the saints of all ages shall at once arise glorified and immortalized to attend upon our saviour in the last act of his regal office , and then to make a triumphant entry with him into heaven : and partly , that the establish'd order of providence may not be disturbed : for the changing of our nature into glory , in a suddain and inexplicable manner , cannot be without miraculous power ; and if every believer presently after death , were in his glorified body translated to heaven , the world would be always filled with miracles , which were to cease after the sufficient confirmation of the gospel by them . but how long soever the interval be to the resurrection , it shall be with them that sleep in jesus , as 't is with those that awake out of a quiet natural sleep , to whom the longest night seems but as a moment : so when the saints first awake from death , in the great morning of the world , a thousand years will seem no more to them than to god himself , but as one day . i now come to prove the third thing , that our saviour will abolish the dominion of death over the saints . whilst the bodies of the saints remain in the grave , they seem to be absolutely under the power of death . the world is a golgotha , fill'd with the monuments of its victories . and it may be said to this our last enemy , in the words of the prophet to the bloody king , hast thou killed and taken possession ? but we are assur'd by an infallible word , that the power of death shal be abolish'd , and the bodies of the saints be reviv'd incorruptible and immortal . the resurrection is a terra incognita to the wisest heathens ; a doctrine peculiar to the gospel : some glimmerings they had of the soul's immortality , without which all vertue had been extinguish'd in the world , but no conjecture of the reviving of the body . but reason assists faith in this point , both as to the will of god , and his power for the performing it . i will glance upon the natural reasons that induce the considering mind to receive this doctrine , and more largely shew how the resurrection of the just is assured by our redeemer . . the divine laws are the rule of duty to the entire man , and not to the soul only : and they are obeyed or violated by the soul and body in conjunction . therefore there must be a resurrection of the body , that the entire person may be capable of recompences in judgment . the soul designs , the body executes : the senses are the open ports to admit temptations . carnal affections deprave the soul , corrupt the mind , and mislead it . the love of sin is sounded in bono jucundo , in sensible pleasures : and the members are the servants of iniquity . the heart is the fountain of prophaneness , and the tongue expresses it . and the body is obsequious to the holy soul in doing or suffering for god ; and denies its sensual appetites and satisfactions in compliance with reason and grace . the members are the instruments of righteousness . it follows then there will be an universal resurrection , that the rewarding goodness of god may appear in making the bodies of his servants gloriously happy with their souls , and their souls compleatly happy in union with their bodies , to which they have a natural inclination , and his revenging justice be manifest in punishing the bodies of the wicked with eternal torments answerable to their guilt . and of the possibility of the resurrection , the circular and continual production of things in the world , is a clear demonstration of the power of god for that effect . there is a pregnant instance that our saviour and the apostle made use of as an image of the resurrection : a grain of corn sowed in the earth corrupts and dies , and after springs up entire : its death is a disposition to life . the essays of god's power in the works of returning nature , flowers and fruits in their season , instruct us how easily he can make those that are in the dust to awake to life . if the art of man , whose power and skill 〈…〉 ●●rrow and limited , can refine gold and silver to such a luster , as if their matter were not ‖ earth digged out of the mines : if from black cinders it can form chrystal glasses so clear and shining , how much more can omnipotency recompact our dust , and reanimate it with a glorious life ? death that dissolves our vital frame , does not abolish the matter of our bodies : and tho' 't is corrupted and chang'd by a thousand accidents , yet 't is unperishing ; and under whatsoever colours and figures it appears , god perfectly discerns and will seperate it for its proper use . more particularly , i will shew how the resurrection of christ is an assurance of the resurrection of believers to glory . as our surety he was under the arrest of death ; it becoming the holy majesty of god , and conducing to the ends of his government , not to derogate from the dignity of his law , but to lay the penalty upon his son , who interposed for us . now having finish'd the work of our redemption by his sufferings , his resurrection was the just consequent of his passion . and 't is observable that his resurrection , tho one entire act , is ascribed as to himself , so to his father , by whose consent and concurrence he rose again . therefore 't is said , whom god raised up , having loosed the pains of death : since it was impossible he should be holden by it . 't was naturally impossible upon the account of the divine power inherent in his person , and legally impossible , because divine justice required that he should be raised to life ; partly to vindicate his innocence , for he was reputed , and suffered as a malefactor , and principally because he had fully satisfied god. accordingly the apostle declares , he died for our sins , and rose again for our justification . having paid our debt , he was releas'd from the grave , and the discharge was most solemnly publish'd to the world. 't is therefore said , the god of peace raised him from the dead : the act is most congruously ascribed unto god , invested with that title , because his power was exerted in that glorious work , after he was reconciled by the blood of the covenant . briefly , our saviour's victory over death was obtained by dying , his triumph by rising again . he foil'd our common enemy in his own territories the grave . his death was a counter poison to death it self : as a bruised scorpion is a ‖ noble antidote against its venom . indeed his death is incomparably a greater wonder than his resurrection . for 't is apparently more difficult that the son of god , who originally possesses immortality , should die , than that the humane body united to him , should be raised to a glorious life . it is more conceivable that god should communicate to the humane nature some of his divine perfections , impossibility , and immortality , than that he should submit to our lowest infirmities , sufferings , and death . now the resurrection of christ is the argument and claim of our happy resurrection . for god chose and appointed him to be the example and principle from whom all divine blessings should be derived to us . accordingly he tells his disciples in a fore-cited scripture , because i live , ye shall live also . our nature was rais'd in his person , and in our nature all believers : therefore he is called the first fruits of them that sleep ; because as the first fruits were a pledge and assurance of the following harvest ; and as from the condition of the first fruits being offered to god , the whole harvest was entitled to a consecration ; so our saviour's resurrection to the life of glory is the earnest and assurance of ours . he is called the first-born among the dead , and owns the race of departed believers as his brethren , who shall be restored to life according to his pattern . he is the head , believers are his members , and therefore shall have communion with him in his life . the effect is so infallible that now they are said to be raised up together , and made to sit in heavenly places in christ jesus . if his victory over our enemies had been imperfect , and he had saved himself with difficulty and hazard , [ as it were by fire , ] in the apostle's expression , our redemption had not been accomplish't : but his passion was triumphant , and is it conceivable that he should leave the saints , his own by so many dear titles , under the power of death ? if moses the deliverer of israel from the tyranny of pharaoh , would not suffer any thing of theirs , not an hoof to remain in the house of bondage ; will our great redeemer be less perfect in his work ? shall our last enemy always detain his spoils , our bodies , in the grave ? this would reflect upon his love and power . 't is recorded , to confirm our hopes , how early his power was displaid in forcing the grave to release its chained captives : and many bodies of saints which slept arose , and came out of the graves after his resurrection , and went into the holy city , and appeared unto many . what better earnest can we have that the strength of death is broken ? from what he has done to what he is able to do , the consequence is clear . the apostle tells us , he will raise our vile bodies , and change them like unto his glorious body , by that power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself . our redemption will then be compleat , and all the bitterness of death past . the redemption of the soul is accomplish'd from sin and misery immediatly after death : but the redemption of the body is the last in order , and reserved to crown our felicity at the great day . then death shall be swallowed up in victory , abolish'd for ever . and o the joyful reunion of those dear relatives after such a divorce ! when the body that was so long detained in the loathsome grave , shall be reformed with all glorious perfections , and be a fit instrument for the soul , and partaker with it in blessedness and a consummate immortality . 't is said that those that wear rich clothing are in kings houses : but what are all the robes of costly folly wherein earthly courtiers appear , to the brightness and beauty of the spiritual body wherewith the saints shall be clothed , to qualify them for the presence of the king of kings , and to be in his house for ever ? but o the miserable condition of the wicked in that day ! death now breaks their bodies and souls into an irreconcilable enmity , and how sad will their conjunction be ! the soul will accuse the body to have been sins solicitor , continually tempting to sensualities : and the body wil upbraid more than ever it allur'd the soul , for its wicked compliance : then the sinner shall be an entire sacrifice burning but never consumed . now from the assurance of a blessed resurrection by christ , the foremention●d fear of death is conquered in beleivers . if the doctrine of the ‖ transmigration of souls into other bodies ( the invention of pythagoras ) inspired his disciples with that fiery vigour , as to encounter the most present and apparent dangers , being fearless to part with the life that should be restored ; how much more should a christian with a holy confidence receive death , knowing that the life of his body shall not be finally lost , but renewed in a blessed eternity ? the fourth general to be considered is , the persons that have an interest in this blessed priviledg . this inquiry is of infinite moment , both for the awakning of the secure , who vainly presume upon their interest in the salvation of the gospel , and for the confirming and encouraging the saints . and we have an infallible rule of trial declared by st. john : he that hath the son , hath life , and he that hath not the son , hath not life . all the excellent and comfortable benefits procur'd by our saviour are communicated only to those who are united to him . particularly with respect to the present subject : justification , that great blessing of the gospel , the compleat pardon of sins , that disarms death of its sting , is not common to all that are christians in title , but is a priviledge with a limitation ; there is no condemnation to those that are in christ jesus , vitally as their head from whom are derived spiritual influences , and judicially as their advocate in judgment ; and such are described by this infallible character , who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit . the blessedness after death that is assured by a voice from heaven , is with this precise restriction , exclusive of all others : blessed are the dead that die in the lord ; they rest from their labours , and their works follow them . the glorious resurrection at the last day , when the bodies of the saints that now rest in hope , shall be incorruptible and immortal , is the consequence of union with him . thus the apostle declares ; as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive . as all that were naturally in and from adam the corupt fountain of mankind , are under the sentence of death ; so all that are in christ the head of the regenerate , shall partake of his blessed life . others shall be raised by his power , as their judg , but not as their head : rais'd to be more miserable than death can make them , not be transform'd into his glorious resemblance ; made capable of suffering an ever-dying death , not revived to eternal life . now the bond of our union to christ , is the holy spirit derived from him , as the head of the church , and is the inward , powerful ▪ and lasting principle of holiness , and new obedience in believers . he that is joined to the lord , is one spirit : that is , by the spirit of holiness has a real participation of his life , is both quickned and united to him . when the prophet elisha by the outward applying the parts of his body to the dead child , inspir'd life into him , there was no real union between them : but christ is by his spirit so intimately united to believers , that he lives in them , and they in him . the sanctifying spirit renews the directing and commanding faculties , the fountains of moral actions ; enlightens the understanding with saving knowledge , rectifies the obliquity of the will , purifies the affections , and reforms the life , so that the same mind is in christians as was in christ ; and as his conversation was , such is theirs in the world. this divine change is not wrought by natural reason , tho assisted by the most powerful arguments . the breath of a man may as easily dispel a mist , or thaw a frost , as humane directions and motives to vertue can renew the mind and heart , and produce a holy frame of soul towards god. renewed christians are said to be in the spirit , illuminated , inclin'd and enabled by the spirit to do god's will ; and the spirit of god to dwell in them , by his peculiar and eminent operations . they live in the spirit , and walk in the spirit . an angel may assume a body , and act by it : but the humane soul enlivens it , and performs sensible operations by it . and such a principle is the holy spirit to the soul , gives it spiritual life , activity and power for good works . by what application of the spirit 's power this is produc'd is mysterious and inexplicable : but as the apostle speaks of his rapture into the third heavens , that he knew it was real , and heard unutterable things , tho how it was performed , whether in the body , or out of the body , he could not tell : thus when a natural man , the current of whose thoughts , and affections , was to the things of this world , becomes spiritual , when the carnal appetite is subdued , and sanctified reason has the throne , when he feels such strong and sweet impulsives to holiness as engage the will , when the stream of his desires ascend to the things above , and his life becomes holy and heavenly , he feels and knows this wonderful change , tho the manner how it was wrought he cannot tell i will shew more fully this sanctifying work of the spirit , that we may the better understand our state . the spirit of god is denominated by various titles , the spirit of truth , the spirit of holiness , the comforter , and represented by various types , by an ointment that clarifies the eye to see things aright , by cleansing refreshing water , by purifying refining fire , correspondent to his sacred operations in the soul. as the spirit of truth , he illuminates the understanding to see the reality and excellency of supernatural and heavenly things , of the great mysteries of godliness , of eternal glory ; so that a christian in his most deliberate , solemn and composed thoughts , in his exactest valuation infinitely prefers them before the gaudy vanities of this transient world. when the eyes of the mind are truly enlightned , present things appear , or rather disappear , as shadows . as the spirit of holiness he renews the will and affections , inspires the soul with divine and unutterable desires after the favour and grace of god , and communicates spiritual power for the prosecution and obtaining those desires . the holy spirit raises such a love to god , that habitually and strongly inclines the soul to obey his commands . this is the most clear and essential character of a christian , the special and most excellent property of a saint , upon which all other holy qualifications depend . as reason is the first and chief excellence of man , from whence his other perfections are derived , that distinguish him from the brutes , and give him a natural and regular preheminence and dominion over them , so that a man is most properly defined a reasonable creature : thus the love of god is the most divine grace , the true form of holiness , the root from whence all other vertues spring and flourish , and most peculiarly distinguish a saint from unregenerate men , however adorn'd and accomplish'd ; so that a saint is most properly defined to be a lover of god. this is the principle of true holiness inherent in the soul , and shining in the conversation , that distinguishes the sincerity of a saint from the art of hypocrisy , an affected appearance of religion for carnal sordid respects : and from civil vertue , that restrains from what is ignominious and disgraceful to our reputation , and makes obnoxious to penalties of the laws , and excites to praise-worthy actions , upon worldly motives : and from philosophical morality , that forbids vice as contrary to reason , and commends vertue as the chief ornament and perfection of humane nature , without a regard to please and glorify god. and divine love is the principle of universal holiness . love is called the fulfilling of the law , as 't is a comprehensive grace , & as it draws forth all the active powers of the soul to do god's will in an exact manner . universal obedience is the exercise of love in various instances . as the spouse in the song of solomon is transform'd in divers representations ; sometimes as a sister , sometimes as a warriour , sometimes as the keeper of a vineyard , but she always acted as a lover , and her cheif business was to please her beloved . this allegorical description of the church , signifies that when the soul is inflamed with the love of god , that affection will be active and discover its self in all it does or suffers in the service of god. this will make a christian very desirous and diligent to please god in all things , and careful not to displease him in any thing ; for that is the inseparable effect of love. the felicity of the natural temper , and the force of education , may cause a loathing of some evils , and dispose to some good works , but with a reserved delight in other sins , and a secret exception against other duties . servile fear is a partial principle , and causes an unequal respect to the divine precepts : it restrains from sins of greater guilt , at which conscience takes fire : it urges to some duties , the neglect of which causes disquiet : but the love of god causes the hatred of sin , and therefore 't is against all sin , not only to prevent the exercise of it , but to eradicate it out of the soul. all the fearful consequences of sin do not render it so odious to a gracious spirit , as its own proper idea and intrinsick evil , as 't is contrary to the holy nature and law of god. love unites the soul to god , and turns the thoughts continually to him : and the lively sense of his majesty and presence , who is so pure that he cannot behold iniquity , causes an aversion from all that is dispjeasing to his divine eyes . and from hence it is that a zeasous lover of god is frequent and strict in reviewing his heart and ways , and upon the discovery of sinful failings , renews his repentance , which is the exercise of grief and love , and renews his purposes of more care and circumspection for the future ▪ love aspires to be like god in all possible degrees of purity : for it inflames our desires after his favour , as that which is better than life , and all the sweetest enjoyments of it , and hoiiness is the powerful attractive of god's delightful love to us . love is the principle of free , ingenuous , and joyful obedience . 't was our saviour's meat and drink to do the will of his father . for love is the fountain of pleasure , it moves the soul with election and liberty , and makes every thing grateful that proceeds from it . therefore the apostle declares , that the law is not made for a righteous man : that is , as it is enforc'd by terrible penalties , to constrain rebellious sinners to obedience : for love is an internal living law in the heart , and has an imperial power over his actions . and this also distinguishes the renovation of one sanctified by the spirit , from the imperfect change that is made in the unregenerate . they may stop the eruption of corrupt nature , but are like swine that being wash'd , have an inclination to wallow in the mire : they may by strong impressions of fear be urged to do many good things ; but in this they are like a boul that is thrown with such violence , as controuls the drawing of the bias , & makes it run contrary to it . but love enclines the soul to obey the holy motions of the spirit with facility : as the wheels in ezekiel's vision turned every way with readiness as the spirit mov'd them . and with holy love there is a spiritual power cōmunicated , that both the natural averseness & impotence to what is good may be healed . by the virtue of the sanctifying spirit , the soul that was dead , absolutely unable to perform spiritual and supernatural acts , is revived to a kind of omnipotence , it can do all things , required by the evangelical covenant , by the new law that is in the hands of our merciful mediator for salvation . 't is true , there are reliques of sin in the best , and the flesh and spirit are repugnant principles warring against one another : but the holy spirit will make no capitulation or composition with sin , but is so predominant that sin is gradually subdued , and does not so freely and frequently break forth , as it does from the unrenewed . by the accession of his strength we are enabled to mortify the deeds of the body , to crucify the flesh with the affections and lust thereof : and to perform holy duties , with freedom , alacrity and zeal , in such a manner as is acceptable to god. in short , saving grace is distinguisht from that which is common to the unregenerate , by its prevalency and constancy . there may be a declination in the saints tending to a downfal ; but the seed of god , that supernatural grace that remains in them , will by the power of the holy spirit recover the supremacy . others may be enlightned , and feel some good motions , and transient touches , as saul had his rapture among the prophets ; but they are not truly , entirely , and perseveringly converted to god. they are not proof against the allurements or terrors of the world. they make a fair profession till they are try'd by temptations . congealed drops of water appear like solid chrystal , till the warm beams of the sun dissolve them , and discover the hypocrisie of the chrystal . false jewels may seem to have the luster of diamonds , till they are broke by a fall , and discovered to be glass . thus the riches , the honours and pleasures of the flesh melt some , and temporal evils break the resolutions of others , and make it evident they were not sincere converts . but where the holy spirit savingly works , he is said to dwell : he is not like a passenger , or a tenant at will , that neglects the house , and suffers it to fall into ruine , but as the proprietary and owner he keeps perpetual residence in true christians , and by his continual influence preserves them from final apostacy . now from hence we may judg whether we have an interest in christ and his benefits . for the apostle clearly tells us , that if any man have not the spirit of christ , he is none of his . by this sacred signature , we are appropriated to christ , and visibly distinguish'd from the world. for tho the secret and pure influences of the spirit in the soul are only known to the person that feels them , yet his active inspirations are declarative of his presence and power in the outward conversation . as the wind that is of so thin and subtil a nature that 't is invisible in it self , but we certainly know from what point it blows by the course and way that the ship makes : thus the spirit of god , who is compared to the wind , is discovered by an infallible indication , his fruits and effects in a holy life . and those who have communion with christ by his spirit , have a share in his victories , and may with confidence meet the last enemy death : for we are assured , if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwell in us , he that raised up christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies , by the spirit that dwelleth in us . a preparative conformity to christ in grace , will be followed with a consummate in glory . but those who never felt the sanctifying efficacy of the spirit in their hearts and lives , tho they are christians in profession , yet they have no other union with christ , than a dead branch with a tree that receives no sap and virtue from it ; or an artificial member joyned to the body , that may have the outward clothing and ornaments proper to that part , but derives no life and sense from it . whoever is in christ is a new creature . and only those who partake in the first resurrection from sin , shall be exempted from the power of the second death , and upon just grounds are freed from the terrors of the first . to apply this point , let us , . consider our dear obligations to our blessed saviour , who to free us from the sting and enslaving fear of death , submitted to it with all its terrors from god and wicked men. he felt a sadness to an agony in his soul , and suffered the equal extreamities of ignominy and torment in his body . the favour of god was intercepted from him , that it may shine upon us in that gloomy hour . and all his terrible sufferings , tho foreknown by his enlightened mind , could not weaken his determined will to undergo them for us : but when peter regarded with a more tender eye his life than our salvation , he was repell'd with indignation . unparallell'd love ! no less than divine , transcending all the instances of humane affection . the highest kind and excess of love amongst men is to die for another , and the highest degree in that kind is to die to save an enemy ; and of this our saviour is the singular example . love incomprehensible ! it passes knowledge , and all understanding but his who exprest it . his love was equal to the heighth of his glory from whence he descended , and the depth of his sufferings that he sustained in our stead . by washing us from our sins in his blood , he makes us kings , dignifies us with spiritual soveraignty over not only defiling , but disturbing passions . the freest and most confident sinner in the world , that rebels against the divine laws without restraint , is a slave not only under the chains of his imperious lusts , but in that he is liable to the scourgings of conscience when ever awaken'd , and to the servile fear of death every day . but the sincere christian has a clear and sweet peace , a blessed tranquillity from the tormenting apprehensions and fears of death , that are the just consequents of guilt . one of the ancient romans highly celebrates the astronomers who discover'd the true causes of the eclipses of the sun and moon , and freed the world from the double darkness of ignorance and fear , which believed the obscuring of those great lights were the fainting fits of nature , and mortal symptoms threatning an universal calamity . but what praise and blessing is due to our saviour , who hath given us infallible assurance that the death of the righteous is not as the heathen world imagin'd , an irreparable loss of life , but a short eclipsing of this low and mean light that is common to sensitive creatures , to be restored more excellent and permanent in heaven ; where those stars shine in the divine presence for ever . thanks be to god which gives us the victory through our lord jesus christ. this should render him infinitely precious to us , and inflame our hearts with desires equal to our obligations to serve him . . let us make it the main business of our lives to remove from our souls the just fears of death . 't is one of the solemn follies of the world to fear where there is no cause ▪ as if a sentinel should mistake gloworms in the night for lighted matches , and give a false alarm : but 't is a worse folly , tho pleasing , not to fear when there is the greatest reason to excite it . and 't is so in the present case : for the most are without the fear of death , that should make them serious in preparing for it : nay to maintain their security , are as unwilling to hear conscience declare the wretchedness of their condition with respect to eternity , as ahab was the prophet michaiah , who always foretold evil things to him . 't was the chief design of the philosophers by principles of reason to fortify themselves against all frightful accidents , and with a masculine mind , and an heart ardent with generous spirits to ‖ encounter this inevitable evil. when one of them was threatned by the emperor antigonus with present death , he boldly replied , threaten this to your dissolute courtiers that are softned and melted by sensual pleasures , and easily receptive of terrible impressions , not to a philosopher to whom death is contemptible in any appearance . this was a piece of affected bravery , for pagan philosophy could never furnish them with armor of proof against the dart of our last enemy . but the gospel assuring us that death is an entrance into immortality , makes that to be the reality of a christian , that was a vain boast of the philosophers . now that we may be establish'd in that blessed tranquillity that death cannot discompose , the following directions are infinitely useful . . we must give all diligence to be in a state of reconciliation with god. the things requisit to that are , as the apostle declares , repentance towards god , and faith in the lord jesus christ. repentance includes a godly sorrow for sins past , with a detestation and forsaking them sincerely , without hypocrisy , and entirely , without partiality in the heart and conversation . 't is call'd repentence from dead works : the proper name of our sins , that deserve eternal death ▪ by repentance we return to obedience that is due to god our maker and lawgiver . faith respects the redeemer , who by his blood shed on the cross , and pleaded in heaven , reconciles god to penitent sinners . the belief of his merciful and powerful mediation for our acceptance and pardon , works by love , and constrains us to dedicate our selves in a devoted propriety to his glory and service , and to live according to that dedication . these two are absolutely necessary to the vital and salvifical state of a christian. and as soon as a person sincerely repents and believes , he is justified before god , and if he dies will certainly obtain eternal glory . this should be the early and most speedy work of our lives : for the delay of repentance , and neglect of securing the favour of god , arms death with more stings and terrors . ( . ) 't is direct rebellion against god , who commands us to hear his voice to day , obediently and immediately , upon no less penalty than being excluded from his blessed rest for ever . yet the self-flattering sinner preaches another gospel to himself , and runs in hazard of damnation and the eternal curse every hour . ( . ) 't is the most provoking abuse of his mercy and patience that should lead men to repentance . he can in the twinkling of an eye , in the beating of a pulse , cut off the sinner : 't is as easy to his power as to will it . and there 's no consideration should be so meltting and moving as his clemency . we reade of david that he had more than once in his power saul his unjust and implacable enemy , and spared him : the effect of it was , that saul became so softned , and under such compunction of spirit , that he wept , confest his guilt , and desisted from persecuting him , overcome by that unexampled love : if a man find his enemy , will he let him go ? and yet men take advantage from the goodness of god securely to despise his laws . ( . ) how justly will this render divine mercy inexorable to their prayers and tears in their extremity ? when a roman gentleman , that had wasted a great estate by luxury , and was wont to revel in the night and sleep in the day , petitioned the emperor tiberius to relieve his poverty , he was dismist with this upbraiding answer , sero experrectus es , you are risen too late . he never opened his eyes to see his condition till it was past remedy . this is the sad case of many souls that waste the seasons of grace , and are careless of their duty till they are upon the point of perishing , and then address themselves to god for his favour and pardon , but are justly rejected with the reproaches of their obstinate neglect of salvation in the time of their lives . ( . ) repentance that is indispensibly required to qualify us for mercy , is far more difficult and hazardous by mens deferring of it . the last guilty disposition that seals up the damnation of the sinner , is impenitence . now he that delays the returning to his duty , shall have more cause to repent hereafter , but less will and power . for the continuance in sin hardens the heart , and that which is indisposition , will become averseness and obstinacy . the heart with difficulty changes its last end : actions may be suddenly changed , when there is a disability to perform them , but the inward inclination to sin , without supernatural grace , remains . and is it reasonable to expect the least breathings of the spirit , any divine assistance , after long resisting his holy excitations ? god threatens , my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man ; and to the forsaken sinner the seasons of grace are as irrevocable as his wasted mis-spent time . the delayer does not trust , but tempt divine mercy . ( . ) the numerous examples of those who have deferred repentance and reconciliation with god , and at last died in their sins , should terrify men , if they are not wrought on in a more excellent way . . some presume upon the vigour of their youth or complexion , and think when they have satiated themselves with the pleasures of sin , when they have the freest vacancy , and are retir'd from the affairs of the world , there will be a convenient season for making their peace with god. and how often are they suddenly cut off , the first symptom of their sickness is death , and what the angel with such solemnity declared , that time should be no more , is verified concerning them , by an unexpected dissolution . . some that continue a while in sickness and languishings , do not apply themselves seriously to god , upon the hopes of recovery . and this hope is cherish'd by the mortal love , the cruel deceit of friends , who are unwilling to let them see their danger , lest their spirits should sink under it . and thus many die in an unprepared state . . others that are guilty , and graceless , tho distant from death and hell but a few hours , are secure as jonah , who slept in the midst of a tempest at sea. the tenour of their lives discovers this to be divine vengeance , they are seiz'd with a spirit of slumber , and pass without fear into the state of everlasting desperation . . others who have lived in careless security , as if they had made a covenant with death , yet upon the near approaches of it , when they see death before them attended with judgment , and judgment hell ; as we read of sisera , who from extream fear past to extream security : so on the contrary , these self-deceivers from extream security have fallen into extream fear . then truth and conscience , that were so long under unrighteous restraints , break the fetters , and terribly charge the sinner . then innumerable acts which they thought to be innocent , appear to be sins , and sin that they made light of , to be infinitely evil , and in the highest degree hateful to god. and sometimes by the suggestions of the enemy of souls , they are overwhelm'd with despair , and their last error is worse than the first . . others are deceived with things that are short of true repentance , and mistake a false peace for a true , and asswage the anguish of conscience by palliating remedies . their sorrowful sense of sin , their prayers , their resolutions of amendments , are the product of servile fear , that is ineffectual to salvation . and as 't is with crafty tradesmen that take up much upon trust when they are ready to breaking ; so they are very liberal of their promises of reformation , when in their own apprehension near dying . but how often does experience convince us of the inefficacy of a sick-bed repentance ? how many that were very penitent and devout , with one foot as it were in the grave , and another in hell , and were as a brand pluck'd out of the fire , and the fear of death being removed , all the pangs of conscience , the religious affections that were felt and exprest by them vanish as the morning dew ? now converting grace is distinguish'd by its radication and efficacy , not only from the meer pretences of those who know their own insincerity , but from the real workings of conscience , and the imperfect dispositions to good that are in the unrenewed . and those persons who with the return of health have returned to their sins again , if they had died with their religious resolutions , would have presum'd that their repentance was unto life , and of their interest in the divine mercy . the heart is deceitful above all things , and above all things deceitful to it self . . but supposing in the last hours there be an unfeigned closing with christ according to the gospel-covenant , and a cordial change from the love of sin to the love of holiness , this person shall certainly not miss of heaven , but death will be less comfortable , than if he had in the course of his life declared the truth and power of grace in such acts and fruits as are suitable to it . the sum is this : the vain hope of living long , and being reconciled to god when they please , is the fatal foundation of mens sins and misery . they apply the word of god against the mind of god , and securely provoke him , as if they could take heaven by violence in contradiction to the gospel . but they usually dispose of that time they shal never injoy , or presume upon that pardoning mercy and assisting grace they shall never obtain . we are commanded to seek the lord while he may be found , a sad intimation that 't is not in our power to find him to our comfort when we please . he spares long , but abused patience will deliver sinners to revenging justice . sampson was three times in the chamber of his lust exposed to treachery and escap'd , but the fourth time he said , i will arise , but was surpriz'd by his enemies , and lost his strength and sight and liberty . i doubt not that some are wonderfully converted and saved at last , but these special mercies are like our saviour's passing in the way , and by his miraculous virtue healing the two blind persons , when great numbers remain'd uncured . we read a prodigious story in the book of kings , that a captain and his fifty went to elias to command him to come to the king ; and immediately a tempest of lightning destroyed them . now who would think it possible that another captain and his fifty should be so desperate , that having the ashes and reliques of these miserable carcases smoking before their eyes , as to make the same citation to the prophet : yet they did , and provok'd the justice of heaven to consume them . and this is verified in thousands every day : for notwithstanding they see sinners like themselves suddenly cut off in their evil ways , they persist unreformed as if they were fearless of hell , nay as if resolved to secure their own damnation . i have insisted the longer on this , because 't is so universally useful . . the careful preserving our selves from wilful presumptuous sins , is an happy means to render death comfortable to us . the spirit seals our pardon and title to heaven as the holy spirit , his testimony that we are the children of god , and heirs of glory , is concurrent with the renewed conscience , and distinguish'd from the ignorant presumptions , blind conjectures , and carnal security of the unholy . as the sanctifying spirit he distinguishes true christians from the lost world , appropriates them to god , confirms their present interest in the promises of the gospel , and their future hopes . briefly , grace is the most sensible effect and sign of god's special favour , the fruit of election , and the earnest of glory : and the truth of grace is most clearly and certainly made evident by the continual efficacy of it in the conversation . the observation of our hearts to suppress unholy affections , and of our senses to prevent them , a constant course of holiness in our lives , ( tho many frailties will cleave to the best ) is usually rewarded with greate peace here . god has establish't a connexion between our obedience and his comforts . those that keep themselves pure from the defilements of the world , have the white stone promised , the bright jewel of assurance of god's pardoning and rewarding mercy . we read of enoch that the walk't with god , was a star shining in a corrupt age , the tenour of his life was holy , and he was translated to heaven without seeing death . tho this was an extraordinary dispensation , yet there is a peculiar reward analogical to it , for those who walk circumspectly : they shall not see death with its terrors , but usually have a holy chearfulness , a peaceful joy , in their passage through the dark valley to heaven . but presumptuous sins against external and internal restraints , the convincing law of god , and the directions of conscience , grieve the holy spirit , and wound our spirits , and , if continued , sequester us from the comfortable priviledges of the gospel , and render us unfit for the kingdom of heaven . and when they are retracted by repentance , yet there often remains a bitter remembrance of them : as deep wounds , tho cur'd , yet are felt in change of weather . and somtimes a spring-tide of doubts and fears breaks into humble penitent souls , in the last hours : tho death brings them safely , yet not comfortably to heaven . . the zealous discharge of the duties of our place and calling , the conjunction of our resolutions and endeavours to glorify god , and do good according to our abilities and opportunities of service , sweetens the thoughts of death to us . for the true end and perfection of life is the glory of god , and when with fidelity it is employed in order to it , death brings us to the blessed rest from our labours . our saviour when he was to leave the world , addrest himself to his father , i have glorified thee on earth , i have finish't the work thou gavest me to do . and now father glorify me with thy self , with the glory which i had with thee before the world was . a christian that imitates and honours christ , and with diligence perseveres in weldoing , may with an humble confidence in the divine mercy expect the promised reward . the reflection upon a wel-spent life is joyn'd with a joyful prospect of god's favour and acceptance above . but the careless and remiss , those who are wilfully negligent of their duty , how fearful is death that summons them to give an account of their talents to the righteous lord ? . a holy indifference of affection to present things , makes it easie to part with them , and death less fearful to us . david , tho a king , declares he was a stranger on earth , not only with respect to his transient condition , but his inward disposition ; and that he was as a weaned child from the admir'd vanities of the world. chrysostom in a letter to ciriacus who was tenderly sensible of his banishment , wrote to him , you now begin to lament my banishment , but i have done so for a long time : for since i knew that heaven was my country , i have esteemed the whole earth a place of exilement . constantinople , from whence i am expell'd , is as distant from paradise as the desert to which they send me . but when our affections are set upon external things , and we are irregular in our aims , intemperate in our use , and immoderate in our delights , how sensible & cutting is the division from them ? how bitter is death that deprives a carnal wretch of all the materials of his frail felicity ? what a storm of passions is rais'd to lose all his good things at once ? for 't is a rule in nature , what is possest with transporting joy , is lost with excessive sorrow . as the ivy that twines so closely about the tree , and is intimately fastned by so many roots as there are branches , cannot be pluck'd away without rending the bark with it ; so when the world , that was as it were incarnated with the heart , is taken away , the heart it self is grievously rent by the violent separation . and the infelicity of carnal and worldly persons is heavily aggravated , in that the guilt in procuring or abusing those treasures and delights that they leave here with so great sorrow , will cleave to them , and give testimony against them before their judg. but when the affections are loose to the world , and set upon heaven , the separating with the earth , is no loss but gain , and with that alacrity , as the putting off a vile garment to be clothed with a royal robe . 't was the wise counsel of tertullian to the women of the first ages of the church , not to value and love the jewels and ornaments of gold , that they might be more ready and resolved to obtain by death martyrdom , and by martyrdom eternal glory . and that we may disentangle our souls from those voluntary bands that fasten us to present things , we must have a sincere uncorrupted judgment of their meanness . the apostle exhorts christians to moderation in their temper and conversation with respect to the business and enjoyments here , that they who have wives , be as tho they had none ; that those that rejoice , be as tho they rejoiced not ; and they that buy , as tho they possessed not ; and they that use the world , as not abusing it : for the fashion of the world passeth away . to a wise and pondering observer , what comparison is there between shadows and dreams , and substantial everlasting blessedness ? if men had the same opinion of this world whilst they live , as they will have when they are to die , they would not set over it . they who have magnified temporal honours and riches , and lived in pleasures without remorse , yet in their dying hours , when men speak with most feeling and least affectation , how have they vilified those empty appearances of happiness ? with what moving expressions declared the vanity and brevity of worldly things ? as when the israelites were to go through the river jordan , that opened it self to make a free and dry passage for them ; the lower part of its waters ran into the dead sea , and utterly fail'd : but the waters that came from above , rose up and appear'd like a mountain ; thus when men come to the universal passage , from this to the next life , inferiour things absolutely fail , and are lost in the dead sea , but the things above , that are eternal , then appear in their true greatness , exceeding all humane comprehension : from hence is the change of mind and language concerning the one and other . . solemn , affectionate , and frequent converse with god in religious duties will render death not fearful to us . the whole life of a christian , as such , is a continual communion with the father , and with jesus christ. for he performs all good works by divine grace communicated from above , and refers all to the divine honour . as in a pair of compasses , one foot is fixt in the center , whiles the other moves in the circumference : so the heart of a christian is in heaven , his aims are for god , whilst he is active here in the world. his natural and civil actions are heightened to a supernatural end : and thus his conversation is in heaven . but this was spoken of before : and that which is now specified is the more immediate service of god in holy meditation , prayer , and the ordinances of the gospel , which is the noblest part of the spiritual life . our blessed saviour who was a comprehensor upon earth , always saw the face of god , and invariably sought his glory in all things , yet had his special times of prayer and heavenly-communion with god , and the most glorious testimonies of his favour in those times . our communion with god here is as true as in heaven , but the influence and fruition is different according to our capacity . when the soul feels the vigorous exer●ise of the thoughts & affections upon god , and the raised operations of grace in holy duties , 't is as certain a sign of god's favour and acceptance , as when fire descended from heaven to consume the sacrifice . and often our affe●tionate duties are rewarded with sensible consolations , and holy souls are dismist from the throne of grace as they shall be received at the throne of glory , with the reviving testimonies of god's approbation . now the assurance of god's love conquers the fear of death . this communion must be frequent . as love and respects between friends are maintained by constant visits and letters , and mutual confidence arises from acquaintance : so by the interchange of holy duties and divine favours we preserve a lively sense of god's love , and an humble familiarity with his majesty , that his presence is not a terror to us . a christian that walks with god here , when he leaves the world , ( to use the words of a dying st. ) changes his room , but not his company . god was always with him on earth , and he shall be ever with god in heaven . but cold and seldom converse begets strangeness , and that makes us shy of god. when religious duties are performed as a complemental visit without zealous affections , or used only in times of affliction and exigency , as cordial waters in swooning fits , the divine presence is uncomfortable to us . they who prefer carnal sweets before acquaintance with god , cannot with peace and joy think of appearing before him . o how unwelcome is death to such , for then the spirit returns to god that gave it . . let us strengthen our belief of the blessed state after death . divine truths lose their influence and efficacy when they are not stedfastly believed . faith is the substance of things not seen , and the evidence or conviction of things hoped for . the spirit confirms our faith not by a pure physical act , but by convincing reasons of the truth of the gospel . the life of christ so glorious in holiness , his doctrine so becoming the wisdom and other excellent attributes of the deity , his miracles so great , numerous , open , and beneficial , not meerly to surprize the spectators with astonishment , but to touch their hearts ; his death foretold by the prophets , and exactly agreeing in all the circumstances of the predictions ; his resurrection the most noble operation of the divine power , are the strong●st proofs that what he has reveal'd as the counsel of god for our redemption , and the preparations of glory for the saints in heaven , are divine truths . and the efficacy of the spirit of christ in sanctifying his disciples in all ages , is a continual and as satisfying an argument that the gospel is derived from god the fountain of truth , as extraordinary miracles . for holiness is as ●●●parable a property of the divine natu● 〈…〉 the sancti● 〈…〉 divine an ef●ect 〈…〉 of the body . now , 〈…〉 god enters into covenant with obedient believers , to be their god , a title and relation , that supposing them the most happy here , all the enjoyments of this world cannot fulfil . this covenant is not dissolv'd by death , for he uses this stile after the death of his faithful servants : and from hence it follows they are partakers of his glory and joys in the next life . for the honour of his veracity is most dear to him . the psalmist declares , that he has magnified his word above all his name . no perfections of his nature are more sacred and inviolable than his truth . the foundations of nature shall be overturn'd , and the most solid parts of the creation destroyed , but his promises shall be compleatly accomplish'd . we are assured by his infallible authority , that there remains a rest for the people of god. and he that receives this testimony , sets to his seal that god is true : honours the truth of god's word , and binds himself more firmly to his service , and is encouraged to leave this sensible world , for that which is infinitly better . our confidence and patience in well-doing , and in suffering the utmost evil to nature , is from the pregnant apprehensions of the reality of eternal things . we know , saith the apostle , if our earthly tabernacle be dissolved , we have a building not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . this fortified him against the terrors of death . when stephen saw the heavens open , and the son of god ready to receive him , with what courage and constancy did he encounter the bloody rage of his murderers ? faith supplies the want of vision , it pierces the clouds , opens a window in heaven , sees the crowns of righteousness prepared for the saints , and sweetens the bitterest passage to it . but if our faith be weak and wavering , our courage will decline in the needful hour . 't is with christians in their last passage from earth to heaven , as with the apostle walking upon the waters to christ : whilst his faith was firm in christ , he went upon the waves as on the firm land : but upon the rising of a storm his faith sunk into fear , and he sunk in the waters ; till our saviour upon his earnest prayer , lord , save me , took hold of him , and rais'd him with that compassionate reproof , o thou of little faith , wherefore didst thou doubt ? the last use is , to excite the saints to die with that courage and chearfulness as becomes the gospel of christ. the encouragement of joshua to the israelites against the giants that terrified them from entring into the land of canaan , the type of heaven , be not afraid of them , they are bread for us , we shall obtain an easy conquest over them , is applicable to this purpose : do not fear death the enemy that interposes between us and the true canaan ; for our conflict shall be the means of our victory , and triumphant possession of the holy and blessed land above . this is very honourable to our redeemer , and recommends godliness to the judgment , affections , and practice of others . s. basil tells of a custom to annoint the tops of doves wings with some fragrant liquor , that mixing in company with other doves , they might by the scent allure them to follow to the dove-houses . thus when holy persons live and die with peaceful joy , those that converse with them , are drawn by that fragrance of paradise to apply them to serious religion . 't is the apostle's consolatory advice to believers , not to be sorrowful for those that sleep in jesus , and those that are without hope . when jacob saw his beloved son's coat rent and stain'd with blood , he abandoned himself to desperate sorrow , and mourned for his death , when joseph was advanc'd in authority and dignity next to pharoah in the kingdom of egypt . thus when we see the garment of mortality rent by diseases , we mourn for departed saints , as if death had absolutely destroyed them , when their souls are reigning in glory . this immoderate sorrow is an heathenish passion , suitable to their ignorance of the future happy state , but very unbecoming the plenary assurance the gospel affords us of it . so for the wicked to die with fears and palpitations of heart , to be surrounded with impendent horrours , when such a precipice and depth of misery is before them , is very just and reasonable ; but for the saints to die uncomfortably under inordinate fears , is a disparagement to the blessed hope establish'd upon the revelation of life and immortality by the gospel . now in three things i shall propound the duty of dying christians . . to submit to the divine pleasure with resigned spirits , as to the means , the manner , and time of death . god has a sovereign right and dominion over us . the present life is his most free favour , and he may justly resume it when he pleases . his will should be the first and last rule of ours . whether he gently untwines the band of life , or violently breaks it , we must placidly , without reluctation , yield up our selves . by what means soever death comes , all second causes are moved by an impression from above , in what age of life soever , all our times are appointed by the divine counsel : and a saint ought with that readiness and submission receive it , as if he heard an express voice from heaven calling him to god , and say in his heart with samuel , here i am , thou didst call me . this is the last act of our obedience , and very pleasing to god. we read of the marvelous * consent of abraham and his son isaac , the father to offer up his son , and the son his life , ( that were both the gifts of god ) in compliance with the divine command , and from heaven he declared his high approbation of it . this is to make a vertue of necessity , and turn nature into grace . but discontent and reluctancy , as if our lives were our own , and taken from us unjustly or unseasonably , is rebellious unthankfulness , unbecoming a creature , much more a true christian , who exchanges a perishing life for that which is eternal . . to receive death not only with patience , but earnest desires to be with christ. i know death is naturally unwelcome . our saviour tells st. peter , when thou art old , another shall bind thee , and lead thee where thou wouldest not : signifying his martyrdom . the circumstance [ when thou art old ] is remarkable , and intimates the natural unwillingness to die , when there was little time to live . but his rational sanctified will was superiour and prevalent . the universal desire of the saints is to be happy in the presence of god. for the divine nature communicated to them is intelligent and inclining towards its chief good : and if the obtaining it , were not by being uncloathed , but clothed upon by an imediate translation to heaven , how willingly would they leave this world ? but there is a bitterness in death that makes it unpleasant , and many holy souls that desire the glorious liberty in heaven , yet are loth to leave their prison . now there are so many arguments to make the saints desirous of dying , that methinks since life is cheifly valued and dear to them , as it is the way to heaven , when they are come to that blessed end , it should not be longer desirable . what is this lower world that chains us so fast ? 't is the devil's circuit wherin he ranges seeking whom he may devour : 't is the theater of contentions : the low aspire to rise ; the exalted fear to fall . the poor envy the rich ; and the rich despise the poor . 't is a foreign countrey to the saints , and as pilgrims and strangers , they are liable to reproaches , injuries , and hard dealings from the wicked , the natives of the earth . what is the present momentany life that so enamours us ? 't is surrounded with temptations , opprest with fears , ardent with irregular desires , and continually spent in vanity or vexation . in adversity 't is deprest and melancholy : in prosperity foolish and proud . 't is a real infelicity under the deceitful appearance of felicity . but above all other motives , the evil of sin from which we cannot be clearly exempted here , should render death desireable . the best suffer internal divisions between the law of the flesh , and the law of the mind ; as rebecca felt the twins , esau and jacob , repugnant in her womb , how hard is it to be continually watching the heart that corruptions do not break out , and the senses that temptations do not break in ? how difficult to order the affections , to raise what is drooping , and suppress what is rebellious ? for they are like the people of whom the historian speaks , qui nec totam servitutem pati possunt , nec totam libertatem . how many enemies of our salvation are lodg'd in our own bosoms ? the falls of the saints give sad evidence of this . if the body were unspotted from the world as in the creation of man , there might be a just plea of our unwillingness to part with it , but since it is the insentive and instrument of sin , we should desire to be desolved that we might be perfectly holy . death is the final remedy of all the temporal and spiritual evils to which we are liable here . and the love of christ should make us willing to part with all the endearments of this life , nay desirous to enter into the caelestial paradice , tho we must pass under the angels sword the stroke of death to come into his presence . he infinitely deserves our love , for we owe our salvation and eternal glory , to the merit of his humiliation and the power of his exaltation . with what earnest affections did st. paul desire to be dissolved and to be with christ ? love gave wings of fire to his soul , ardent desires mounting to heaven . how valiant were the martyrs in expressing acts of love to christ ? how boldly did they encounter death that interpos'd between them and the sight of his glory ? their love was hotter than the flames that consumed them . they as willingly left their bodies , as elias let fall his mantle , to ascend to heaven . and how does it upbraid the coldness of our love , that we are so contented to be here , absent from our saviour . that the moles of the earth who never saw the light of the sun , and feed on bitter roots , are pleas'd in their dark receptacles is no wonder ; but if birds that are refresht with his chearful beams , & feed on sweet fruits , should willingly be confin'd in caverns of the earth , it were unnaturally strange : thus if pagans , and those who are so in heart , tho different in profession , that are so short-sighted , and depraved , that only present and sensible things are perceived and affect them , that they are unwilling to die is no wonder ; for then all that is valuable and delightful to them is lost for ever : but for those who are inlightned by the revelation of god so clearly concerning the state of glory , and have tasted the goodness of the lord , and know the incomparable difference between the mean and frail felicity here ; and the inestimable immutable felicity hereafter , for them to be unwilling to leave this world for that which is infinitely better is astonishing . such was the love of our saviour , that his personal glory in heaven did not fully content him , without the saints partaking of it with him : father i will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where i am , that they may behold my glory : if our hearts do not answer his , 't is a sad indication that we have not an interest in him : for the application of his merits is alwayes joyn'd with the imitation of his vertues , and the reflection of his love. the lovers of christ will joyn with the inflamed spouse , draw us and we will run after thee : o loosen our affections from this world that we may readily ascend to thee : they will renew the sighs of holy david in his banishment , o when shall we come and appear before god! lastly , to die with thanksgiving and joy . 't is usual to compare this life to a voyage ; the scripture is the chard that describes the coasts we must pass , and the rocks we must avoid ; faith is the compass that directs the course we must steer ; love is the rudder that governs the motion of the ship ; hope fills the sails : now what passenger does not rejoice at the discovery of his country where his estate and heart is , and more at the near approach to the port where he is to land ? is not heaven the countrey of the saints ? is not their birth from above , and their tendency to their original ? and is not the blessed bosom of christ their port ? oh what joyful thanksgivings are due to god , when by his spirit and providence they have happily finish'd their voyage through such ‖ dangerous seas , and are coming into the land of the living ? how joyful was to noah the coming of the dove with an olive branch , to shew him the deluge was asswaged , and the time was come of his freedom from the troublesom company of animals , and from the straitness and darkness of the ark , to go forth and possess the world ? how joyful should death be to a saint , that comes like the dove in the evening , to assure him the deluge of misery is ceas'd , and the time is come of his enlargement from the body , his deliverance from the wretched sinful society here , and his possessing the divine world ? holy souls are immediately transported by the angels to christ , and by him presented to his father , without spot or wrinkle , compleat in holiness , and prepared for communion with him in glory . how joyfully are they received into heaven by our saviour and the blessed spirits ? they are the reward of his sufferings , the precious and dear purchase of his blood : the angels that rejoice at the conversion of a sinner , much more at the glorification of a saint : and the church of the first-born who have before us enter'd into glory , have a new accession of joy , when their younger brethren arrive to the undefiled immortal inheritance . and is it not very becoming believers joyfully to ascend to the seat of blessedness , to the happy society that inspires mutual joys for ever ? for our encouragement there are numerous instances of believers that have with peace and joy , tho in various degrees , past through the dark valley to the inheritance of light. some have died with more joy than they lived , and triumph'd over the last enemy with the vocal praises of god : others with silent affections have quietly commended their spirits into his hand . some have inward refreshings and support ; others exuberant joys and ravishments , as if the light of glory shined into them , or the veil of flesh were drawn , and their spirits were present with the invisible world. some of the martyrs in their cruellest sufferings felt such impressions of confidence and alacrity , that as in the house of lamech there was accorded at the same time two discordant callings by the two brothers ; jubal the inventer of the harp and organ , and tubal-cain the first artificer in brass and iron : the one practised on instruments of musick , breathing harmonious sounds and melodies , the other used hammers & anvils making noise and tumult : so in some persons whilst the heaviest strokes fell on their bodies , their souls were ravish'd with the sweetest joy and exultation . indeed 't is not thus always with the saints : for tho sin be pardoned , yet the apprehensions of guilt may remain . when a stream is disturbed it does not truly represent the object : when the affections are disordered , the mind does not judge aright of a christian's state . a serpent may hiss when it has lost its sting . death may terrify when it cannot hurt us . i doubt not but some excellent saints have been in anxieties to the last , till their fears were dispell'd by the actual fruition of blessedness . as the sun sometimes sets in dark clouds , and rises in a glorious horizon . we reade our evidences for heaven by the light of god's countenance : his image is made visible in our souls by the illustration of his spirit : and he exercises prerogative in the dispensation of his comforts . 't is his pleasure to bestow extraordinary favours on some , and deny them to others that are as holy . but every penitent believer has just cause of joy in death : for jesus christ has reconciled god , destroyed satan , and conquered death : and the last day of his life is the first of his glory . finis . errata of the sermons on death . page . line . for should , r. might . p. . l. . f. lost , r. tost . p. . l. . f. quietly , r. guiltily . p. . l. . f. impassibility , r. impossibility . the sermons on judgment . p. . l. . dele only . — l. . r. not only the angels . p. . l. . f. attaque , r. attach . sermons upon eternal judgment . by william bates , d. d. london ; printed by j. d. for brabazen aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil . . sermons upon eternal judgment . acts . . because he hath appointed a day , in the which he will judg the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained : whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he raised him from the dead . saint paul had this title of honour eminently conferred upon him , the apostle of the gentiles : this office he performed with persevering diligence , diffusing the light of life to those that sate in darkness , and in the shadow of death . in this chapter we have recorded the substance of his sermon to the athenians ; wherein his admirable zeal and prudence are remarkable , in the matter and order of his discourse , to convince and perswade them to receive the saving truth of the gospel . he first lays down the principles of natural religion , to prepare them for the more easy belief of supernatural revealed religion . the depravation of the minds of men was in no instance more prodigious than in their vilifying conceits of the deity : they attributed his name and honour to various idols , and ascribed to him their own figure , and which was infinitely more unworthy and dishonourable , their own passions and vices . they adored their own vain imaginations . the idols of their hearts were erected on their altars . venus was a goddess , because impure love reigned in their brests . bacchus had religious rites , because sensual pleasures as sweet as wine intoxicated their spirits . these errors , as gross as impious , were universal : the philosophers themselves were not exempted from the contagion . the apostle therefore makes use of the clearest arguments , to give authority to the plain conspiring voice of nature , that had so long in vain recall'd them from idolatry to the worship of the only true god. he therefore declares , that the divine maker of all things , the father of spirits , could not be represented by corporeal and corruptible things , but was to be acknowledg'd and ador'd in a manner becoming his spiritual and infinite perfections . that he made all nations of one blood , tho' distinguish'd in their habitations and times , that they might seek and serve the one universal creator . and though the pagan world for many ages had lived in an unnatural oblivion of god , and he seem'd unconcerned for their violation of his laws , yet it was not from the defect of justice , but the direction of his wisdom , that his patience was so long extended to them . and this he proves by the new and most express declaration of his will : but now he commandeth all men every where to repent ; because he hath appointed a day , in which he will judg the world in righteousness , by the man whom he hath ordained : whereof he hath given assurance to all men , in that he raised him from the dead . in the words , the eternal counsels of god are revealed in two great things . . the determining a time wherein he will righteously judg the world : he hath appointed a day . . the designation of the person by whom he will perform that eminent part of soveraignty : by jesus christ whom he hath raised from the dead . in order to the handling of the main point , it is requisite to premise briefly some propositions . . that god is the universal monarch of the world , and has supreme authority to govern reasonable creatures , antecedent to their election and consent . the psalmist calls to the heathens , know ye that the lord is god : that is , the most glorious being , and absolute sovereign ; for it is he that made us , and not we our selves . he formed all things by his almighty goodness , and is king by creation . . the two principal and necessary parts of his soveraignty are , to give laws for the ruling of his subjects , and to pass final judgment upon them for their obedience or disconformity to his precepts . mere natural agents are regulated by a wise establishment , that is the law of their creation . the sun and stars are moved according to the just points of their compass . the angels are under a law in heaven , and obey his commandments . the humane nature of christ , though advanced to the highest capacity of a creature , yet received a law. and his whole work upon earth for our salvation , was an act of obedience to the will of god. if a prince out of affection to his friend will leave his own dominions , and live privately with him in a forreign country , he must be subject to the laws of the place . indeed it is not conceivable that a creature should be without a law ; for this is to make it supreme and independent : supreme , in not being liable to a superior power to confine and order it : independent , as to its being and operations ; for dependance necessarily infers subjection . there is a visible connexion between those titles ; the lord is our judg , the lord is our law-giver , the lord is our king. and sometimes in scripture his soveraignty is intimated in the title of judg : thus in that humble expostulation of abraham for sodom ; shall not the judg of all the world do right ? he addresses his request to god under that title , to soften his power , and incline his clemency to save the wicked for their sakes who were comparatively righteous , that is , innocent of their crying sins . . as his right to govern and judg the world is natural , so are his attributes , his wisdom , holiness , justice , and power , that qualify and render him most worthy to exercise this government . these are finite separable qualities in angels or men , but essential perfections to the deity . 't is more rational to conceive that things may be congeal'd by the heat of fire , or turn'd black by whiteness , than that the least act of injustice can be done by the righteous lord. the apostle rejects with extreme detestation , the blasphemous charge of unrighteousness in god's proceedings : is god unrighteous that taketh vengeance ? god forbid : for then how shall god judg the world ? he may as soon renounce his nature , and cease to be god , for as such he is necessarily judg of the world , as violate his own perfections in his judicial proceedings with us . . god being invisible in his own nature , hath most wisely ordained the last judgment of the world to be transacted by a visible person : because men are to be only judged , and not the angels , and the whole process of it with them , will be for things done in the body . the person appointed for this great work , is jesus christ the son of god united to the humane nature . the father judgeth no man : not as if he descended from the throne , and devested himself of his supremacy , but not immediately ; but hath committed all judgment to the son. and it follows , as the father hath life in himself , so hath he given to the son to have life in himself : and hath given him authority to execute judgment also , because he is son of man ; that is , as mediator . the quality of this office requires no less person for the discharge of it . . upon the account of its superlative dignity . no mere creature is capable of such a glorious commission . to pass a sovereign sentence upon angels and men , is a royalty reserv'd for god himself . we read that no man in heaven , or earth , was able to open the sealed book of his eternal counsels , as unsearchable as deep : only jesus christ who was in the bosom of the father , the seat of his counsels and compassions , and was acquainted with all his glorious secrets , could unfold the order of the divine decrees about the church . and if no creature was worthy to be admitted into god's counsel , much less to be taken into his throne . the eternal son , the express image of his person , is alone fit to be his authorised representative in judgment . our saviour declares , that the father invested the son with this regal power , that all men should honour the son , with the same religious reverence , and supreme adoration , as they honour the father . . upon the account of the immense difficulty , no mere creature is able to discharge it . to judg the world , includes two things . . to pass a righteous and irrevocable judgment upon men for all things done in this life . . the actual execution of the sentence . and for this no less than infinite wisdom , and infinite power are necessary . if a select number of angels of the highest order were deputed , yet they could not manage the judicial trial of one man. for besides the innumerable acts and omissions in one life , the secrets of the heart , from whence the guilt or goodness of moral actions is principally derived , are not open to them . he alone that discerns all things , can require an account of all . . the son of man is invested with this high office as the reward of his sufferings . we must distinguish between the essential and oeconomical power of christ. the son of god , considered in his divine nature , has an original power of judgment equal with the father , but considered as mediator , has a power by delegation . in the quality of the son of man , he is inferior in dignity to the father : the apostle declares this in that scale of subordination , of the creatures to believers , and of believers to christ , and of christ to god. all things are yours , and you are christ's , and christ is god's . aud observing the beautiful order that arises from the superiority and dependance between things , he saith , the head of every man is christ , and the head of the woman is the man , and the head of christ is god. now this power by commission was conferr'd upon him as the reward of his sufferings . the apostle expresly declares it , that christ being in the form of god , and without any usurpation truly equal to him in divine perfections and majesty , humbled himself , and came obedient to the death of the cross. wherefore god hath highly exalted him , and given him a name above every name : that at the name of jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven , and things in earth , and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord , to the glory of god the father . his victorious sufferings are the titles of his triumphs , his being so ignominiously deprest and condemn'd by men , is the just reason of his advancement to judg the world. . there is a day appointed wherein the son of man will appear in sensible glory , and exercise his judicial power upon angels and men. he is now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high , and the celestial spheres are under his feet : universal nature feels the power of his scepter : he reigns in the hearts of the saints by his word and spirit , and restrains the fury of his enemies in what degrees he pleases : but still his servants are in distress , and his rebellious enemies insolently break his laws ▪ and the curtains of heaven conceal his glory from us : therefore a time is prefix'd , when in the face of the world he will make an eternal difference by rewards and punishments between the righteous and the wicked , and his government shall have its compleat and glorious issue . this is stiled the judgment of the great day . . with respect to the appearance of the judg. when the law was given from mount sinai , the mountain was covered with fire , and the voice of god as loud as thunder proclaimed it from the midst of the flames , so that the whole army of the israelites was prostrate on the plain , struck with a sacred horror , and almost dead at the amazing sights and sounds . from hence 't is said , that in his right hand was a fiery law. and if the law-giver appear'd in such terrible majesty at the proclaiming the law , how much more when he shall come to revenge the transgressions of it ? 't is set forth in scripture in the most lofty and magnificent expressions . he shall come in his father's glory , and his own glory , and the glory of the angels . a devouring fire shall go before him , to consume all the works of the universe . he shall descend from the highest heavens , glorious in the attendance of innumerable angels , but more in his own majesty , and sit on a radiant throne high above all . . 't is great , with respect to the appearance of those who are to be judg'd : all the apostate angels , and the universal progeny of adam . the bowels of the earth , and the bottom of the sea , and all the elements shall give up the dead . the mighty angels the winged ministers of justice , shall fly to all parts , and attaque the wicked to bring them as miserable prisoners before that high tribunal . and those blessed powerful spirits shall congregate the righteous , to present them at his right hand . . 't is great with respect to what shall be then done : he shall perform the most glorious and consummate act of his regal office , after a righteous trial pronounce judgment , upon which the eternal destiny of the world depends . and immediately the saints shall ascend with him to the everlasting mansions of glory , and the wicked shall be swallowed up in the fiery gulph for ever . to define the particular time when this shall be accomplish'd , is beyond the knowledg of the angels of highest dignity . 't is inter arcana imperii , among the secrets of the kingdom of heaven . 't is observable that god has revealed the times precisely wherein some great events should come to pass : after how many years the israelites should be freed from egyptian bondage : after what space of time they should be restored from the captivity of babylon : when the messiah should die for the expiation of sin : but there is no designation by certain characters of the particular day , nor year , nor age , in any prophecy of our saviour's coming to judgment . and of this an account may be given . the special end of those predictions was , that those who lived to see their accomplishment , notwithstanding the seeming impossibilities , might believe the truth and power of god to fulfil the revelation of his purposes for the time to come . but at the last day , all the promises and threatnings will be fulfilled , nothing will remain to be the object of faith , and consequently it was superfluous to declare the certain time , since the exact accomplishment of it according to the prediction , will neither be useful to confirm believers or convert infidels . lastly , the resurrection of jesus christ is the most convincing and commanding evidence of this doctrine , that he shall judg the world. for he was charged with blasphemy deserving of death for this testimony : i say unto you , hereafter shall you see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power , and coming in the clouds of heaven . he dedicated martyrdom in his own sufferings . now god in raising him from the dead , confirmed the truth of his testimony by that visible miracle , and the belief of it converted the world to christianity . i will now proceed to illustrate and prove the main point , which is this : that god will judg the world in righteousness by jesus christ. the mediator , who shall be judg in the union of both natures , considered as the son of god , is essentially holy and righteous , and considered as the son of man , was holy , harmless , undefiled , and separate from sinners . in him all vertues shin'd in their absolute purity : and who is so worthy and qualified to reward holiness and punish wickedness , as the holy one of god ? 't is said of him , thou hast loved righteousness , and hated iniquity , therefore thy god hath anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy fellows : consecrated him to the regal office , and enrich'd his humane nature with endowments suitable to it . 't was prophesied of him , the spirit of the lord shall rest upon him , the spirit of wisdom and understanding , the spirit of counsel and might , the spirit of knowledg , and of the fear of the lord ; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the lord , and he shall not judg after the sight of his eyes , neither reprove after the hearing of his ears . but with righteousness shall he judg the poor , and reprove with equity . humane judgments are often unrighteous from vicious respects and affections that pervert the will , or fair appearances that deceive the understanding : by gifts or guile , innocence is cast , and guilt acquitted : but the judg of the world is inflexible to partiality , and all things are entirely open to his sight . in the act of judgment he is represented sitting on a white throne , the emblem of unspotted holiness . the righteousness of god's judicial proceedings will appear by considering three things . . the equity of his law the rule of the great and final judgment . . the evidence of the facts and matter , which shall be produc'd as the reason of the judgment . . the impartiality of the sentence . . the equity of the law which shall be the rule of the last judgment . this will appear by considering the law of nature , and the law of faith , in their precepts and penalties , annext to enforce the observation of them . . the law of nature , which is the rule of man's duty , will be the rule of judgment : for without the law there is no transgression ; and consequently a person is unaccountable for his actions . this law is composed of such rules as are most becoming the wise and gracious creator to give , and the reasonable creature to receive and obey : for they entirely agree and concenter in his glory and the good of his subjects . the apostle adorns the law with the most excellent elogy , 't is holy , just , and good. holy as it enjoyns all acts of piety to god : the adoration of his majesty resulting from his inexpressible divine perfections , the imitation of his purity , a reliance on his goodness , a resignation to his most wise providence , and a dutiful obedience to his will. such a sense of our dependance and subjection to god , is the proper character of the reasonable creature , as dignified above inanimate and mere sensitive beings . the law is just , as it directs us how to demean our selves in our various relations . justice is the cement of societies , without which they disband and fall into confusion . and the sum of the law is virtually comprised in one rule , to do to others as we would they should do to us , than which nothing is more equal . 't is good to man that keeps it , commanding nothing but what is influential upon his well-being here and for ever . it does not infringe his true freedom , but allows him unstain'd delights , and enjoyns what is proper to advance and secure his dignity , felicity , and perfection . it forbids every thing that defiles and debases him , and causes a degeneration from his native excellency . if we prescind in our thoughts the sacred authority of the law-giver , all the precepts of the law for their moral goodness , deserve our esteem and choice , and entire observation . the sanctified mind approves them universally . i esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right , saith holy david . nay , in the wicked there is an intellectual assent to the goodness of the law , tho' the corrupt will doth not embrace it : there are some inclinations and wishes to obey it , but controll'd by vicious desires . 't is said of the convinced sinner , thou knowest his will , and approvest the things that are more excellent . it may be objected , that the law being pure , and man in a frail state , surrounded with innumerable temptations , to require perfect obedience from him , and condemn him for his failings , seems hard . the law lays a restraint upon all the senses , and forbids all fleshly lusts ; this may be easy to separate souls , but for men to live in the body , as if they were out of it , to be always vigilant against the insinuations or attaques of sin , is impossible . thus the carnal mind is apt with some colour , to traduce the righteousness of god's government . but it will be clearly vindicated , by considering , . the law supposes man in a state of integrity , furnish'd with sufficient power to comply with every precept , tho' free to fall from his duty and happiness . to command absolute impossibilities , is tyrannical , and utterly inconsistent with the nature of the blessed god. . the first man wilfully transgrest the law , and lost his holiness : and nature being poison'd in the fountain , is corrupt in all the descendants from him . mankind was justly degraded in rebellious adam , and is destitute of spiritual strength to perform all that the law requires . . this disability is vicious and culpable , and can be no pretence against the rights of the law-giver . a natural disability from the want of requisite faults is a just excuse . 't is no fault that a man cannot stop the sun as joshua did , nor calm a tempest as our saviour did by his word . but the disability that arises from a depraved disposition , renders a person more guilty . and this is the present case . the will of man is disobedient and perverse , and as soon as it can exercise el●ction , chooses evil : and by custom in sin becomes more hardened and obstinate . and from hence the prophet charges the contumacious jews ; behold their ear is uncircumcised , and they cannot hearken . were they uncapable of hearing the divine commands ? no , but the word of the lord was to them a reproach , they had no delight in it . and our saviour upbraids the pharisees , how can ye believe , which receive honour one of another , and seek not the honour that comes from god only . they were in high reputation for their holiness , which made it impossible for them in an humble penitent manner to submit to our saviour . in short , the primary end of the law was the happiness of man in the performance of his duty , and his first sin , and consequent impotence to fulfil it , was by his own fault . as the obliquity of a line cannot be ascrib'd to the strait rule , but to the error of the hand that draws it . and from hence 't is clear , that if god should with a terrible exactness require of men unsinning obedience upon the pain of damnation , he could not be taxt with unrighteousness . but god has been pleased to mitigate and allay the severity of the law by the gospel ; so that although the least breach of it makes a person an offender and obnoxious to judgment , yet the law of faith propounds such merciful conditions to the guilty , that upon the performance of them , they may plead their pardon seal'd with the blood of their redeemer , and shall be saved and crown'd in the day of judgment . we are commanded so to speak and do , as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty . thus the gospel is stiled , in that it frees the conscience , tho' not from the obedience , yet from the terrors and condemnation of the law ; for there was not the least signification of mercy by it . but in the gospel , the grace of god most illustriously appears . . in that when our innocence was lost , there may be a renovation of the sinner by repentance : to which the plenary pardon of sin is assured , wash ye , make ye clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes : cease to do evil , and learn to do well , saith the lord : and tho' your sins be as scarlet , they shall be white as snow ; tho' they be red like crimson , they shall be white like wooll . god will not pardon those who forgive and flatter themselves in their sins ; but those who confess and forsake them , shall find mercy . . sincerity of obedience is accepted where perfection is wanting . when a person with consent of heart and serious endeavours strives to obey the holy will of god , without the exception of any known duty , or the indulgence of any sin , god will spare him , as a father spares his son that serves him . 't is not so much the matter as the allowance that makes sin deadly . where there is guile in the heart , it will be severely imputed . 't is not according to some particular acts of sin , but the tenor of the life , that the state of men will be decided . . unfeigned faith in the lord jesus , that is , such a belief of the truth and goodness of his promises , as induces us to receive him as our prince and saviour , as purifies the conscience , the heart , and life , will free us from hell , and entitle us to heaven , according to the covenant of grace . in short , the final resolution of a man's trial and case will be this ; either he has performed the gracious conditions of the gospel , and he shall be saved ; or rejected them , and he shall be damned . if it be objected , that the terms of evangelical justification , tho' in themselves comparatively easy , yet are of impossible performance to men in their natural sinful state . the answer is clear ; . that although the natural man be dead in sin , without spiritual strength to resolve and perform his duty , and holy heat of desires to it ; and nothing is alive in him but his corrupt passions , that are like worms generated in a carcase ; yet by the grace that is offered in the gospel , he may be enabled to perform the conditions of it , for in this the gospel excels the law : the law discovers sin , but affords no degrees of supernatural power to subdue it , and directs to no means for the expiation of its guilt . as the fire in the bush discovered the thorns without consuming them . but the sanctifying spirit , the true spring of life and power , is the concomitant of the gospel , as st. peter declares , with the preaching of the gospel the holy ghost was sent down from heaven . and the spirit by illuminating , preventing , and exciting grace , assists men to repent and believe ; and is promised in rich and liberal supplies to all that humbly and ardently pray for it . this our saviour assures to us by a most tender and endearing comparison : if ye that are evil know how to give good things to your children , how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those that ask it ? . from hence it follows , that 't is from the perverseness of the will , and the love of sin , that men do not obey the gospel . for the holy spirit never withdraws his gracious assistance , till resisted , grieved , and quenched by them . it will be no excuse that divine grace is not conferr'd in the same eminent degree upon some as upon others that are converted : for the impenitent shall not be condemned for want of that singular powerful grace that was the priviledg of the elect , but for receiving in vain that measure of common grace that they had . if he that received one talent had faithfully improved it , he had been rewarded with more , but upon the slothful and ingrateful neglect of his duty , he was justly deprived of it , and cast into a dungeon of horrour , the emblem of hell. the sentence of the law has its full force upon impenitent sinners , with intollerable aggravations for neglecting the salvation of the gospel . concerning the heathens , the scripture declares , . that although the law publish'd by moses was not communicated to them , yet there was a silent , though less perfect impression of it in their hearts . the law of nature in the fundamental precepts of religion , and society , and temperance , was better known than obeyed by them . therefore the apostle endites them for atrocious crimes , such as natural conscience consenting with the law of god , severely forbids upon the pain of damnation . thus 't is said of the heathens , who knowing the judgment of god , that they which commit such things are worthy of death ; not only commit the same , but have pleasure in them that do them . and at the last day , as many as have sinned without the law , as delivered to the jews , shall be judged and perish , not according to that law of moses , but the law of nature that obliged them to do good , and restrain themselves from evil ; of which the counterpart was not totally deleted in their hearts . . although the revelation of christ in his person , office , and benefits , is not by the preaching of the gospel ( that is necessary for the begetting of faith ) extended to all nations ; yet the grace of the redeemer is so far universal , that upon his account the indulgent providence of god invited the heathens to repentance . his renewed benefits that sweetned their lives , and his powerful patience in forbearing so long to cut them off , when their impurities and impieties were so provoking , was a testimony of his inclination to clemency upon their reformation . and for their abusing his favours , and resisting the methods of his goodness , they will be inexcusable to themselves , and their condemnation righteous to their own consciences . we are next to consider the sanction of the law that enforces obedience , and it will appear that god is not extream , but wisely and justly ordained eternal death to be the punishment of sin. this will appear by considering , . the end of the sanction is to preserve the authority of the law in its full vigour , to render it most solemn and awful ; and consequently the punishment must be so heavy , as to overpoise all temptations that might otherwise induce the subjects to transgress its precepts . therefore to adam the first and second death was threatned upon his disobedience ; and fear as a sentinel was planted in his breast , that no guilty thought , no irregular desire , no deceitful suggestion should enter to break the tables of the law deposited therein . now since notwithstanding the threatning , man was so easily seduc'd by the insinuations of the tempter to break the law , and disorder the government of god in the world , 't is evident that such a restraint was not over-rigorous to secure his obedience . i shall not insist on what is sadly visible since the first apostacy , that there is in mankind such a prodigious propensity to sensual things , that without the fear of hell , no arguments are strong enough to prevent the bold violation of the divine law. . 't is consented to by common reason , that there ought to be a proportion between the quality of the offence , and the degrees of the punishment . justice takes the scales into its hand before it takes the sword. now sin against god is of such an immense guilt , that an eternal punishment is but equivalent to it . this will appear by considering , . the perfections of the law-giver who is infinitely above us . one act of sin is rebellion against god , and includes in it the contempt of his majesty , before whom the highest angels cover their faces with reverence and adoration , as unworthy to behold his glory , and cover their feet as unworthy that he should behold them : the contradiction of his holiness that is his peculiar glory : the denial of his omniscience and omnipresence , as if he were confin'd to the superior world , and busy in regulating the harmonious order of the stars , and did not discern and observe what is done below : the defiance of his eternal power , and provoking him to jealousy , as if we were stronger than he . . if we consider the obligations of the reasonable creatures to obey his commands , the guilt of sin rises prodigiously . they were made by his power with this special character of excellency , according to his image : they were happy in his love : they were endowed with intellectual faculties capable to understand and consider their obligations to their bountiful lord. from hence it appears that sin is the most unnatural rebellion against god , and in it there is a concurrence of impiety , ingratitude , perfidiousness , and whatever may inhance a crime to an excess of wickedness . . the meanness of the motives that induce men to prefer the pleasing their depraved appetites before obedience to his sacred will , extreamly aggravates the offence . of this we have a convincing instance in the first sin committed upon earth . deceitful curiosity , flattering pride , a secret pleasure of acting according to his own will , join'd with the low attractives of sence , blinded and transported adam to eat the mortal fruit , against the express command of god. and ever since , the vanishing shadows of honour , or gain , or pleasure , are the only perswasives to sin. and what can be more provoking , than for a trifle to transgress the law of god , and equally despise his favour and displeasure ? can any punishment less than eternal expiate such impieties ? the rules of humane justice may discover to us the equity of the divine justice . 't is ordained by the wisest states , that many crimes which may be done in a few minutes , shall be punish'd with death , and the offender be deprived of his natural life for ever : and is it not most just that treason against the great and immortal king , should be revenged with everlasting death ? . that which farther clears the divine justice in punishing sin with hell , is this , that god by his infallible promise assures us , that all who sincerely and uniformly obey him , shall be rewarded with heaven for ever : a blessedness most worthy the greatness and love of the eternal god to bestow upon his servants : a blessedness that surpasses our most comprehensive thoughts . now if everlasting glory be despised , what remains but endless misery to be the sinner's portion ? the consequence is remediless . if sin with an eternal hell in its retinue be chosen and embrac'd , is it not equal that the rational creature should inherit his own choice ? how just is it that those who are the slaves of the devil , and maintain his party here , should have their recompence with him for ever ? that those who now say to the almighty , depart from us , we desire not the knowledg of thy ways , should hear the dreadful depart from me into everlasting fire ? as there will be no vain-boasting in heaven , where the reward is the gift of pure bounty ; so there will be no righteous complaint against god in hell , where the punishment is inflicted by powerful justice . he that voluntarily sins , by consequence chuses the punishment due to it . . the estimation of an offence is taken from the disposition of him that does it . when 't is done with pleasure and obstinacy , there is no place for favour . now final impenitence alone makes sin actually and eternally damning to the sinner . those that , notwithstanding all gracious means , live continually in rebellion against god , those that impenitently die in their sins , those that desire to live here for ever , that they might enjoy their sweet sins ; those that are so hardned and naturaliz'd in their vices , that if they were revived and brought again into this world of temptations , would certainly return to the pleasures of sin ; is it not righteous that their incorrigible obstinacy should be punish'd for ever ? is it not just that those who would continue under the dominion of sin , should forfeit all their claim to the divine mercy ? for if we consider them as unrepentant and irreclaimable from their wickedness , there are in them the just provocations and true causes of god's final rejection and hatred : and if we consider god as revealed in his word and works , his essential properties , wisdom , purity , justice , necessarily work upon such objects in such a manner . how zealous an indignation did the son of god express against the obdurate pharisees ? you serpents , you generation of vipers , how should you escape the damnation of hell ? they in despite of all his miracles , the equal expressions of his goodness and power , resisted his authority , blasphemed his person , and slighted his salvation . now tho' other sins are of an inferior nature , and weaker evidence , yet obstinacy added to them , makes a person unworthy and uncapable of mercy . from hence the misery of the damned is without redemption , without hope , without allay for ever . . i shall now proceed to consider the evidence of the facts that is produc'd as the reason of that judgment . the temper of divine justice is very observable in the particular judgments recorded in scripture . in the first process of justice on earth , we read , that god made the enquiry of adam , hast thou eaten of the tree whereof i commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat ? and by palpable evidence convinc'd him before he condemn'd him . thus before the fiery vengeance upon the wicked cities , the memory of which will never be extinguish'd ; the lord said to abraham , because the cry of sodom and gomorrah is great , and because their sin is grievous , i will go down now , and see whether they have done according to the cry of it , that is come up unto me : viz. whether they were so numerously and excessively wicked : if not , i will know . god is pleased to incarnate himself in man's expression , to declare more sensibly to us , that he never punishes with precipitation , but after an equal trial of the cause . thus we read of that prophane king of babylon , belshazzer , that he was weighed in the ballance , and found wanting , before he was sentenc'd to be deprived of his kingdom and life . and the destruction of the antichristian state is attended with solemn halelujahs for the righteousness of that judgment . and in the last day the righteousness of god's proceedings shall be universally manifest and magnified . 't is therefore called the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. now in order to this , the scripture informs us , that all the works of men shall be brought in to judgment , even every secret thing , whether good or evil . and the apostle saith , that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , that every one may receive the things done in his body , according to that he hath done , whether it be good or bad . all sins , whether secret or openly visible , shall be accounted for . those sins that have been acted in the most secret retirement , so that no eye of man could take cognizance of them ; nay , the sins of the thoughts and affections , of which satan could not accuse men , when the inward fire of lust or malice is not discovered by the least smoke or sparkles , by no expressions , all those shall be brought to judgment : god will judg the secrets of men by jesus christ. the sins of omission of our duty that are so numerous , from carelesness and diversions , from slothfulness and delays , and that now so little affect us ; for we are more sensible of what we do , than of what we have not done ; the guilt of all these shall then be heavily charged on the conscience of the sinner . the neglect of improving all the means , advantages , and opportunities of doing or receiving good , will be a great part of that judgment . the lord called his servants to an account for the talent committed to their trust , and required profit in proportion to their number and worth . all sins of commission in youth and age , whether gross sensuality , as lasciviousness , lusts , excess of wine , revellings , banquetings , and abominable idolatries , and all excess of riot , shall be accounted for to him who is ready to judg the quick and the dead : or acts of unrighteous-to others . he that doth wrong , shall receive according to the wrong he has done . and sins of a lesser guilt , for which the most are not touch'd with grief or shame , shall then be produc'd in judgment . all the sins of our words , so easily committed , and not so easily observed , shall then be called to a heavy remembrance . the judg himself tells us ; i say unto you , that every idle word that men shall speak , they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment . and if vain words , the signs and immediate effects of a vain mind , shall sadly encrease our accounts , how much more all the contentious , fierce and revengeful words , the detracting , false , contumelious and injurious words , the impure , filthy , and contagious words , the prophane , blasphemous , and impious words that flow from the evil treasure of the heart ? o their dreadful number , and oppressing weight ! and all the aggravations and circumstances of mens sins , that raise their guilt to such fearful heights , shall be enumerated in order to judgment . for thus 't was foretold ; behold , the lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints , to execute judgment upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed ; and all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him . and all the good works of the saints shall then be remembred , even to the least work of piety , the giving of two mites to the treasury of the temple ; and the least work of charity , the giving a cup of cold water to a disciple , upon the account of his relation unto christ. all their secret graces and duties shall then be rewarded . the manner of this judicial evidence is set forth to us in scripture , by the opening the books ; congruously to proceedings in humane judgment , wherein the information and charge is produc'd from writings for the conviction of the accused . thus it was represented to st. john in a vision ; i saw the dead , small and great , stand before god ; and the books were opened , and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books , according to their works . . the books of the law and gospel shall then be open'd in all the injunctions and prohibitions , and our lives compar'd with them . our saviour told the jews , do not think that i will accuse you to my father , there is one that accuseth you , even moses , in whom you trust : not the person , but the law of moses . and he denounced against those that reject the gospel ; the word that i have spoken , the same shall judg them in the last day . the law is the exact transcript of god's sacred will , the natural and immutable rule of righteousness ; 't is pure , forbids all sin , and enjoyns universal holiness ; 't is spiritual , requires not only a conformity in words and actions , but inward sanctity in mind and heart : for the soul is the principal part of man , entirely open to god's eye , the maker and judg of it . and the most enlightned saints have but an imperfect knowledg of it here . this made holy david , after his meditation upon its purity and perfection , to cry out in an agony , who can understand his errors ! cleanse thou me from secret sins . this when opend in its spiritual and comprehensive nature , by a wise and zealous preacher , darts a light into the conscience , and discovers many secret sins , that like so many serpents were still and quiet in the dark ; but upon the suddain breaking in of the light , fly upon the sinner , and torment him with their mortal stings . but when the law-giver himself shall expound the law in its full extent and perfection , with respect to all the duties it commands , and sins it forbids , how guilty will men appear ? how unable to answer one article of a thousand charg'd upon them ? . the omniscience of god will give most convincing evidence of all our works . all things are naked and open to his eyes , with whom we have to do in judgment . the psalmist declares the infinite perspicacity of his sight : the darkness hides not from thee , but the night shines as the day . as his light and transcendent brightness is invisible to us , so our thickest darkness is visible to him . we cannot see things in the night , because it hinders the reception of the rays , that insinuate into the eye and causes sight : but the eyes of our judg are like a flame of fire , dispelling all darkness . from his throne in heaven , his piercing eye sees through all the concealments of mens sins . thou hast set our iniquities before thee , and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance . he discovered the sacrilege of achan , the lie of gehazi , the deceit of ananias . saul's disobedience in sparing the amalekites devoted to destruction , had the colourable pretence of piety , and , as a sacrifice , was laid on the altar . and david's murder of uriah was imputed to the chance of war as a sufficient excuse . but tho' they might have deceived others , they could not deceive god. he is intimately present with the souls of men , that are unsearchable to the most discerning angels of light , and knows all their most secret designs and desires . the pharisees in whom pride was the first property , and hypocrisy a second nature , could not , with all their saintly shews , impose upon our saviour : for he knew what was in man. he discover'd their alms to be not the effect of charity but ostentation , and their specious acts of devotion to be a train to surprise some rich prey . and this divine knowledg of men and their actions is in order to judgment . thus the wise king declares , doth not he that ponders the heart consider it ? and he that keepeth thy soul , doth not he know it ? and shall not he render to every man according to his works ? and god himself testifies , i the lord search the heart , even to give to every man according to his works . for this reason he is said to keep a register of mens sins . thus he speaks of the impure idolatries of the jews ; behold , it is written before me , to signify his exact and actual knowledg , i will not keep silence , but will recompense , even recompense into their bosoms . and at the day of judgment he will declare his knowledg of their sins before all , and the most secret shall be made evident , as if written in their foreheads in the most plain and legible characters . and all the goodness of the saints shall then be revealed by the judg. * their greatest excelcellencies are invisible to the eyes of men : the sanctity of their aims and affections , which gives life and value to all the acts of obedience , their secret duties , wherein the sincerity and ardency of their souls is most exprest , are only known to god. and such is the excellent humility of the saints , that the more they are enrich'd , and abound with the gracious influences of the spirit , the less they discover to the world : as the celestial bodies , when in nearest conjunction with the sun , and most fill'd with his light , are least in appearance to the inhabitants of the earth . but there is a book of remembrance before him , for them that feared the lord , and thought upon his name . and they shall be mine , saith the lord of hosts , in the day when i make up my jewels : and i will spare them as a man spares his son that serves him . . the conscience of every man shall then be open'd , and give an accusing or excusing testimony of all things : for these acts of conscience in the present life , have a final respect to god's tribunal . and tho the accounts are so vast , there shall be an exact agreement between the books of god's omniscience and of conscience in the day of judgment . now indeed the conscience of man , tho never so inquisitive and diligent in examining and revising his ways , is unable to take a just account of his sins . as one that would tell the first appearing stars in the evening , before he can reckon them others appear and confound his memory with their number : so when conscience is seriously intent in reflecting upon it self , before it can reckon up the sins committed against one command , innumerable others appear . this made the psalmist , upon the survey of his actions , break forth in amazement and perplexity ; mine iniquities are more than the hairs upon my head , therefore my heart fails me . but it will be one of the miracles of that day , to enlarge the view of conscience to all their sins . and o the formidable spectacle , when conscience enlightned by a beam from heaven , shall present to a sinner in one view the sins of his whole life ! now conscience is a notary in every man's bosom ; and tho 't is not always vocal , yet writes down their actions . the sin of judah is written with a pen of iron , and with a point of a diamond 't is graven upon the tables of the heart . but then it shall be compell'd to give a full charge against the guilty . of this we have an infallible presage in this world , when conscience turns the point against the brest of a sinner , and enforces the tongue , by a secret instigation to accuse the person . and this information of conscience at the last will make the sinner speechless : for the book of accounts with divine justice , was always in his own keeping ; and what-ever is recorded there , was written with his own hand . and how will those hardned sinners that now kick against the pricks of conscience , be able to repel its strong and quick accusations before that terrible tribunal ? . other numerous witnesses will appear to finish the process of that day . not as if god , that knows all things , wants information , but for the publick conviction of the wicked . satan will then bring a bloody charge against them . such is his malignity , that he is a complainer of god to man , and by calumniating the blessed creator , seduc'd our first parents ; and he is the accuser of men to god. he is stiled the accuser of the brethren before god day and night . sometimes falsly , as when he taxed job , that his piety was mercenary ; and often truly to provoke the divine displeasure . but tho his charge be just against them as sinners , yet as penitent sinners they are absolved by the judg upon the throne of grace . this we have represented to the prophet zechary , joshua the high priest , a type of the church , standing before the angel of the lord , and satan standing at his right hand to accuse him ; for that was the place of accusers . but christ the blessed reconciler interposed . and the lord said to satan , the lord rebuke thee , o satan , even the lord that hath chosen jerusalem rebuke thee . but he will principally act the part of an accuser at the last judgment . this is intimated in that fearful imprecation , let satan stand at his right hand ; when he is judged , let him be condemned . he is now an active watchful spirit , whose diligence is equal to his malice , and by glittering snares , or violent temptations , draws men to sin . but then he will be their most bitter accuser , not from zeal of justice , but pure malignity . then he will aggravate their crimes by the most killing circumstances ; tho in accusing them he endites himself , their sins being usually done by his sollicitations . and the wicked themselves will accuse one another . in this world fellow-sinners usually conceal one anothers wickedness , restrain'd by their own obnoxiousness . but then all that have been jointly engaged in the commission of sin , will impeach each other . the voluptuous sinners that have excited one another to lust or luxury ; come let us take our fill of love till the morning : come , i will fetch wine , and we will fill our selves with strong drink , for to morrow shall be as to day , and much more abundant : all the charming companions and associates will with fierceness charge one another . and the malicious cruel sinners that say , come let us lay wait for blood , let us swallow them up quick as the grave , will then like enraged furies fly upon one another . in all sins of combination , the inferior instruments will accuse their directors for their pernicious counsel , and the directors will accuse the instruments for their wicked compliance . and all the holy servants of god , who by their instructions , counsels , admonitions , examples have endeavoured to make the world better ; especially those who by their place and relation were more concerned , and more zealously & compassionately urged and perswaded those under their care to reform their lives , and save their souls , will give a heavy testimony against them . indeed the very presence of the saints will upbraid the wicked , for their resisting all the warming , melting intreaties , all the grave and serious reproofs , all the tender earnest expostulations , that were ineffectual by the hardness of their hearts . briefly , the scripture attributes to the signs and circumstances of mens sins , a vocal evidence against them . thus the prophet speaking of the house built by rapine and extortion , the stones of the wall cry , and the beams answer them ; and with concurrent testimony accuse the unrighteous builder . and st. james declares , that the wages of the hireling , kept back by fraud , cry against the oppressor . and the rust of gold and silver treasured up , is a witness against the covetous . and this by the recognition of conscience will be a memorial against them hereafter . to what the scripture speaks of this kinde of evidence of mens sins , i shall add a useful representation fram'd by a heathen , to signify that wickedness , how secretly soever committed , shall be brought to light in judgment . he tells us , that the soul of a very guilty wretch , was after death arraigned before one of the severe judges below . and at his tryal , because his atrocious crimes were done in secret , he stood upon his defence , denying all . the judg commanded his lamp to be produc'd , that was an eye witness of his wickedness . the lamp appear'd , and being demanded what it knew of him , answered with a sigh , would i had been conscious of nothing , for even now the remembrance of his villanies makes me tremble . i wish my light had been extinguish'd , that the oil that maintained , had quench'd it . but i burnt with disdain , and cast about some sparks to fire his impure bed , and was grieved that my little flame was so weak as not to consume it . i said within my self , if the sun saw these villanies , it would be eclips'd , and leave the world in darkness . but i now perceive why i was constrain'd to give light to him , that being a secret spy of his uncleanness , his thefts and cruelties , i might reveal them . but we that are enlightned by faith , and know that god is omnipresent , and that what-ever sin is done , tho' in the deepest and darkest recess , is manifest to him , ‖ have no need of lucian's lamp to make our judg to be feared by us . . the impartiality of the sentence will make the justice of god conspicuous before the whole world. this consists in two things . . there will be no distinction of persons . . there will be a distinction of causes in that judgment ; and according to their nature , the sentence will pass upon all . . there will be no distinction of persons . in humane courts , the judges sometimes extend and amplify , sometimes contract or smother the evidence , and are more rigorous or favourable in their sentence , as they are byast towards the persons before them . but the righteous judg of the world is uncapable of being inclin'd to favour or severity upon such base motives . this is frequently declared in scripture , to possess us with his fear . if ye call upon the father , who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work , pass the time of your sojourning here in fear . no spiritual priviledges upon which men are so apt to presume , viz. that they are members of the reformed church ; that they are enrich'd with excellent gifts ; that they enjoy the ordinances in their purest administration , will availe them without real holiness in their hearts and lives . the being united to societies of the most glorious profession , of strictest purity , and sublime devotion , does no more prove one to be a real saint , than the being of an eminent company of merchants proves one to be a rich citizen . those that bow the knee and not the heart in faithful reverence , that give the empty title of lord to christ , without the tribute of obedience , will be rejected by him . many shall say at the day of judgment , lord , lord , we have prophesied in thy name , and done many wonderous works . then will the judg say , i know you not : depart from me ye workers of iniquity . no degrees of civil greatness will be of any moment and advantage in that day . st. john testifies , i saw the dead , small and great , stand before god , in an equal line , to receive their trial. kings shall then be devested of their imperial titles , of their crowns and scepters , and their robes of state , and only be accompanied with their works . of this we have an undoubted proof , in that they are no more exempted from the common law of dying than the meanest slave . death , that rugged officer arrests them without ceremony , and summons them to appear before that tribunal . the royal purple could not protect herod from being devoured by worms . the apostle speaks indefinitely in the forecited place ; he that does wrong , shall receive for the wrong he has done ; and there is no respect of persons . no circumstantial accidents can derive true worth , or truly debase persons , but inherent qualities , and the actions that flow from them : and accordingly , the high and holy god will accept or disapprove them . what st. paul observes of the saving grace of the gospel being indifferently offer'd to all , is applicable in this case . he tells us , there is neither greek nor jew , barbarian nor scythian , bond nor free , that are prefer'd or excluded upon a carnal account , but that all may equally partake of spiritual blessings . thus the difference of nations will be no priviledg or prejudice to any in the day of judgment . the most rude and contemptible shall have as fair and equal a trial , as the most polite and civiliz'd . the ignorant barbarians , as the learned grecians , that so much boasted of their vain excellencies above them . the negroes in africa , as the people of europe : for they have the same relation to god their maker , and as truly bear the impression of god stamped upon the humane nature in the creation , and therefore common to the whole species of mankind : an image may be fashion'd in ebony , as well as in ivory . briefly , all men are equally subject to his laws , and shall be equally accountable for their actions . the rich and the poor shall then meet together , without d●stinction , before god the marker and judg of them all . . there shall be a distinction of causes , and every man be judged according to his works , the tenor of good works , and the desert of bad . the apostle assures us , that whatsoever a man sows , that shall he reap : he that soweth to the flesh , shall of the flesh reap corruption : but he that soweth to the spirit , shall of the spirit reap life everlasting . the harvest shall be according to the seed , both in kind and measure . . those who by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory , and honour , and imortality , shall obtain eternal life . indeed , eternal life is the gift of infinite bounty , nay of pure mercy , and mercy excludes merit . 't is said of the blessed martyrs , who contended for the truth and purity of the gospel to the death , that their robes were wash'd white in the blood of the lamb , not in their own blood ? their right to heaven was from the application of his merits to them . but the reward is dispens'd from god according to the evangelical law ; not only as a magnificent prince , but as a righteous judge . all those whom the gospel ordains to eternal life , shall infallibly obtain it , and none that the gospel excludes . those who were sensible of their sins , and cordially forsaking them , did humbly and entirely depend upon the grace of god , through the blessed reconciler and saviour , shall be justified and glorified . then the judg will discern between unfeigned faith and vain presumption , and will justify the faith of the saints by the genuine fruits of it , the godliness , righteousness , and sobriety of their lives , and a victorious perseverance in their duty , notwithstanding all the pleasing temptations or tortures to withdraw them from it . thus the apostle expresses his humble confidence ; i have fought the good fight , i have finish'd my course , henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness , which god the righteous judg will give me at that day : and not only to me , but to all that love his appearance . we read in the description of the last judgment , that the book of life was opened : the names of all that were written in heaven , shall then be declared , that it may appear they are saved by grace . for it was his most free pleasure to select some from the common mass of perdition , who were naturally as guilty and corrupted as others , and to predestinate them to eternal glory , and effectual persevering grace to prepare them for it . the saints are created in christ jesus unto good works which god hath before ordained , that they should walk in them . and the new creation is as undeserved and entire an effect of god's love as the first was . but 't is said , that every man was judged according to his works . for eternal election does not entitle a person immediately to heaven , but according to the order establish'd in the gospel . thus the king at the last day speaks to the elect ; come , ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom , prepared for you before the foundation of the world : for i was hungry , and ye fed me ; naked , and ye clothed me . and according as the saints have excell'd in fidelity and zeal in god's service , they shall be rewarded with a more excellent glory . the stars of paradise are of a different brightness and greatness , as the stars of the firmament . indeed all are perfectly happy , without * jealousie , that any is equal or superior to them in that kingdom . but god will crown his own graces as the saints have improved them . our saviour valued the widows two mites , as transcending all the magnificent gifts of others ; because of the degrees of love in the giver . there was a richer mine of affection in her heart , gold of a more noble vein , more pure and precious than all their riches . this was of greater price in god's account , who weighs the spirits in his ballance . god will accept and reward according to what a man has , and not according to what he has not . he that improves but two talents with his best skill and diligence , shall have a greater reward than another that had ten talents , and was remiss and less careful to employ them for his masters profit . the rule will be exactly observed , he that sows bountifully , shall reap bountifully ; and he that sows sparingly , shall reap sparingly . and if god will be thus impartial in rewarding the saints , much more in punishing the wicked . for the renumeration of our duty is the effect of his most free favour ; but the recompences of sin are due , and decreed by justice , in number , weight , and measure . the severity of the sence will be in proportion , as mens sins have been more numerous and heinous . altho ' all the damned shall be equally miserable in dispair , all broken on an endless wheel , yet the degrees of their torment are different . sins of ignorance are extenuated in comparison of rebellious sins against knowledge . the first are like a servant's dashing against his master in the dark ; the other like the insolent striking of him in the light : and as they incur greater guilt , will expose to greater punishment . accordingly our saviour predicts , that the servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes . but he that knew not , and did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . unactive knowledge is worse than ig●orance . for this reason the case of heathens wil be more tolerable than of the jews : for tho' some natural principles were strong and quick in their minds , that made them sensible of their duty and danger , yet they were not so clear and perfect as the law delivered by moses . those sins that were infirmities in a pagan , were presumptuous in a jew . and the case of the jews will be more tolerable than of disobedient christians , who enjoy the gospel less charged with ceremonies , and more abundant in grace than the mosaical dispensation . those that have set before them the life of christ , the model of all perfection , that are excited by such lowd calls to flee from the wrath to come , and yet are deaf and regardless to the commands , nay to the melting invitations and precious promises of the gospel , shall have a more intolerable judgment than the most guilty sinners , even the sodomites and sidonians that were strangers to it . the precious blood of the son of god despised , induces a crimson guilt . and as sins are committed with pride and pleasure , with eager appetite and obstinacy , the revenge of justice will be more heavy upon persons . more particularly , sins of consequence , whereby others are drawn to sin , will heighten the guilt , and the retribution of justice will be to every man according to his ways , and according to the fruit of his doings . this will principally concern superiours in eminency of place , whose dignity has always a concomitant proportion of duty . their vicious actions are examples , and their examples more powerful rules than their laws , and give countenance to others to sin licentiously . they sin with an high hand , and involve the ruine of innumerable persons that depend upon them . as the dragon in the revelation , whose fall from heaven drew a train of lesser stars with him . and all inferiour magistrates , who by personal commission , or partial connivance , encourage and harden others in sin , and by their power discountenance serious religion , and obstruct the progress of it , heap up damnation to themselves . and the ministers of the word , who are obliged to watch for the souls of men ; and should , like the heavens , by their light , influence , and motion , their doctrine and lives , guide and quicken others in the ways of holiness , if by their neglect and wickedness others are lost for ever , their account will be most heavy and undoing . of this number are those , who by their unholy conversation weaken the authority and efficacy of the word , and more successfully perswade men to do evil , than by their preaching to do well : for we are apt to take deeper impression through the eye than through the ear , and to follow the physician 's practice rather than his counsel . these perish not alone in their iniquity . and such who are unfaithful dispensers of the treasures of their lord , and by loose doctrines corrupt the minds of men , to fancy a mercy in god derogatory to his holiness , that altho they live indulgently in sin , they may obtain an easy pardon and happiness at last . and such who employ their high commission for low and base ends : those who instead of preaching jesus christ , and him crucified , the pure and saving truths , derived from the fountain of the gospel , entertain their hearers with flashy conceits , and studied vanities , to give a relish to curiosity , and to have the applause of fools , and obscure the native majesty of the word , enervate its force , and render it powerless to conscience . and those who spend their zeal in things of no moment to salvation , and let fly bitter invectives against those that dissent from them in unconcerning matters , by which they harden atheistical scorners in vilifying the office of the ministry as a carnal invention , set up and used for secular ends ; and induce ot●●●s to place religion in formalities and slight colours of it , as if conformity to needless rites would exclude the defects of substantial holiness . 't is observ'd in the chaldee-paraphrase , when god was inquiring of cain concerning abel , that he charges him , the voice of thy brother's bloods cries unto me . as if cain were a murderer not of a single man only , but of a numerous race that might have descended from his brother . thus a wicked minister will be charg'd not only for murdering himself , but as many precious souls as might have been converted and saved , if he had faithfully performed his duty . and parents that should instil the principles of godliness into their children in their early age , and season their minds with the knowledge of the divine laws , to regulate their lives , and make them sensible of their obligations to obey them , that should recommend religion to their affections by an holy and heavenly conversation , if by the neglect of their duty their children are exposed as a prey to the tempter , and ruin'd for ever , it will enhance their last reckoning , and encrease the score of their guilts beyond expression . and masters of families , and all others that have authority and advantage to preserve or reform from evil those that are committed to their care , and to instruct and command them to do what is pleasing to god and profitable to their souls , will be sadly accountable for those that perish by their neglect . in short , we see by common experience , that company and mutual consent is a usual motive to sin ; and many persons that alone would with abhorrence reject some temptations , yet are sociably sinful . now all those who by excitation or example , lead others to destruction , as they are first in sin , will be chief in the punishment . we reade in the parable of the rich voluptuary , that being in hell , he desired a messenger might be dispatch'd from the dead to warn his brethren , left they should come to that place of torment . is there such charity in hell to the souls of others ? ‖ no , that furnace always burns with its proper flames , there is not a spark of that divine fire there . but remembring how guilty he had been of their sins , feared that his torments would be encreased by their coming thither . society in endless sorrows does not divide but reflect them . now if damnation for sin be such a misery as is exprest in the scripture by the most violent figures and words of the heaviest signification ; if all the possible tortures suffered here are but a lenitive to the preparations of wrath in hell , how miserable shall those be , who , as if a single damnation were a light matter , do not only commit sin in their own persons , but are in combination with satan to corrupt and destroy others , and multiply the sentences of damnation against themselves ? these treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. briefly , the whole process of that day , the arraignment and sentence are so ordered , as to clear the judge , and confound the guilty . god will be justified in his sentence , and overcome when he judgeth . i shall now come to apply this great doctrine . . let us from what has been discours'd of judgment to come , be excited to confirm our faith in this great and useful doctrine ; and by serious and frequent thoughts to apply it to our selves . some within the church have only a superficial belief of this , as a point of the religion wherein they were educated , but carnal affections , fear , hope , love , and desire , controul their assent , as to its operation upon them . they believe in the general that god is the judge and rewarder of our actions , and in the absence of temptation resolve to obey him : but when a strong tryal comes from some temporal good or evil that is present , their faith is negligent , and unactive to keep them from sin. now to make our faith powerful , we must , first , confirm it by convincing arguments , that it may be an undoubted assurance , a certain light , directive and perswasive in the course of our lives . some doctrines of religion , that are of an incomprehensible nature , and should be received with silent adoration for the authority of the revealer , are obstinately contradicted by some , upon a vain pretence that nothing is to be believed that will not endure the rigorous inquisition of reason , and be comprehended by our narrow minds : but reason , tho darkned , sees the necessity of a future judgment . nature and scripture testify there is a god , and that he has a right , and power , and will to distribute the rewards of vertue , and the penalties of vice to his subjects . to deny this , is directly against the implanted notion of the deity in the heart . there is a real difference between moral good and evil , not depending upon opinion , but arising from the immutable nature of things , and the eternal law of god. otherwise , considered in it self , it were no more faulty to murder a parent , than to kill a fly ; nor to rob a travellor , than to chase a deer . but the conscience of the most profligate wretch would startle at such an assertion . the disposition and admirable order of the world in its various parts , and the vicissitude of seasons , declare to the obsering mind , that a most wise , good , and powerful god governs and preserves all things by his vigorous influence . and can it be that the divine providence , so visibly wise and good in regulating the course of nature , should be defective towards man , the most noble part of the world ? and can it be extended to humane affairs , if there be no other than the present state , wherein the righteous are afflicted , and the wicked prosper ? where sins of the deepest stain and the lowdest cry are unpunish'd ; and the sublime and truly heroick vertues are unrewarded ? nay , where vice receives the natural reward of vertue , honour and felicity , and vertue the just wages of vice , disgrace and sufferings . 't is necessary therefore that there be a future state , and a righteous distribution of rewards , according to the good and evil of men's actions here . the heathens disguised this terrible truth under the fictions of the infernal judges , minos , and rhadamanthus , and eacus . and the furies and vultures , and fiery lake , which they thought tormented the wicked in the next world , discover what apprehensions they had of the desert of sin , and the punishment that certainly attended it . the guilty would fain be freed from the terrours of it , and strangle conscience , that is bound over to give testimony in the day of judgment , that they may sin without scruples . but tho fear be a troublesom and involuntary passion , they cannot totally extinguish the internal sense and presages of future judgment ; but as the motions of courage came upon sampson at times ; so conscience awakened by sharp afflictions , by sudden dangers , and the approaches of death , makes a sad deduction of past sins , and sorecasts cruel things . it cites the offender before the enlightened tribunal of heaven , scourges with remorse , and makes him feel even here the strokes of hell. tho' the sin be secret , and the guilty person powerful , not within the cognizance or reach of humane justice , yet conscience has a rack within , and causes pain and anxiety , by fearful expectations of judgment to come . and divine revelation is most express in declaring this great truth . the light of faith is more clear and certain from the infallible word of god , than the light of reason . before the flood , enoch in the early age of the world foretold it ; behold , the lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints , to execute judgment upon all . solomon under the law repeats this doctrine , that every secret thing shall be brought into judgment , whether good or evil . and god himself speaks in the sublimest stile of majesty , and swears by himself , for our firmer belief , as i live , saith the lord , every knee shall bow to me , and every tongue confess to god , the glory of his justice . from whence the apostle infers , so then every one of us shall give an account to god for himself . in the gospel we have distinctly described the person of the judge , the glorious attendants of his coming , and the manner of his proceedings in that day . now the many predictions in scripture so visibly accomplish'd in the person of jesus christ , and by him , give infallible assurance , that all his promises and threatnings are equally certain , and shall be fulfilled . as sure as our saviour is come in his humble state , and has accomplish'd the prophecies of his sufferings , he will come in his glory to judg the world. . that the belief of eternal judgment may be powerful in our hearts and lives , it must be actuated by frequent and serious thoughts . faith gives life and efficacy to our notions of eternal things , and consideration makes our faith effectual . as the natural life is preserved by the activity of the vital principles , the circulation of the blood , the drawing of the breath , the motion of the pulse ; so the spiritual life is maintained by the exercise of grace . the carnal affections dare not appear before reason and conscience , when awakened by the serious believing consideration of eternal judgment . the evangelists relate , that when our saviour was asleep in the ship , a sudden tempest arose that was likely to over-set it in the sea : but awakened by the cry of his disciples , lord , save us , we perish ; he presently rebuked the wind , and a calm ensued . thus whilst the habit of faith is asleep in the soul , there will be great danger from the concurrent violence of temptations and corruptions ; but when 't is awakened by lively and powerful thoughts , it does miracles in subduing the strongest lusts. 't is monstrous and beyond all belief , did not sensible experience make it evident , that notwithstanding the minds of men are convinc'd of the certainty of the divine judgment , and the recompenses that immediatly follow , yet their wills remain unconverted , and their affections cold and unactive in their preparations for it : that such numbers who have so much christianity as to believe that an irrevocable doom will pass upon the wicked , and so little christianity , that they cannot justly hope to escape from it , yet are so careless of their duty , nay joyful in their sinful courses , as if judgment were a dreadless thing . what is the cause of this prodigious security ? 't is the neglect of considering , that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , to receive according to the things done in the body , whether good or evil . their senses and faculties are so imployed abroad in the world , they have neither leisure nor desire to think seriously of it . their hearts are so ravisht with dreams of sensuality , and engaged in terrene affairs , that they are very averse from exercising their minds upon such displeasing objects . i have read of an excellent preacher , that in a sermon described the last judgment in all its terrors , with such ardent expressions , and those animated with such an affecting voice , such an inflamed countenance and action , that his hearers broke forth into passionate crys , as if the judg himself had been present to pass the final sentence upon them . in the heighth of their commotion the preacher bid them stop their tears and passions , for he had one thing more to add , the most afflicting and astonishing consideration of all the rest , that within less than a quarter of an hour , the memory and regard of that which so transported them would vanish , and their affections return to carnal objects in their usual manner . the neglect of consideration makes even the doctrin of judgment to come to be without efficacy . 't is necessary therefore that the belief of this be so firmly seated in the heart as its throne , that it may comānd the thoughts to be very attentive to it , and may have regal power over our wills and affections , that our lives may be ordered according to its rules . . the consideration of eternal judgment will vindicate the proceedings of divine providence , and the honour of god's governing this world , from the imputations of unrighteousness . god is provoked every day , yet spares the wicked , and heaps an abundance of favours on them . his patience and goodness they prophanely abuse , and become more obdurate and inflexible . they are apt to blaspheme the excellency of his nature in their hearts , thinking that he is ignorant or careless , impotent or unjust . they implicitly deny his providence and judgment , that he does not observe their sins , and will not require an account for them . or else they interpret his permission to be an approbation of their sins . these things hast thou done , and i kept silence , thou thoughtest i was such an one as thy self . thus the heathens transplanted the vices of earth to heaven , and represented their gods to be sensual , jealous , furious as men , and accordingly expected an easy absolution for their sins . or else the distance of judgment to come so hardens them , that they hear god's thunder with less fear , than boys do their squibs and crackers . because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil . but how desperate is the madness of sinners ? god now seems to wink at their sins , but hath appointed a day of accounts . he suffers them to live in prosperity , but they are reserved to the day of judgment to be punish'd , and possibly sooner : for sometimes they are cut off by visible vengeance , to convince the world that the supream judg does not bear the sword in vain . but tho 't is delayed for a time , yet he declares , that their sins are laid up in store with him , and sealed up among his treasures . to him belongs vengeance and recompence . he is a mild judge now , and his clemency suspends their punishment ; but ‖ justice will not forget it . he threatens the secure sinner , i will reprove thee , and set thy sins in order before thine eyes . how will the scornful obstinate sinner change complexion & tremble , when an army of sins more terrible than so many furies , shall be ranged in battel , and with fiery darts wound his naked soul ? how will the stubborn atheist , that pleases himself with vain imaginations of the eternity of the world , and the mortality of the soul , be confounded when he feels the truth of scripture-threatnings , to his eternal sorrow ? then all their ralleries will be turn'd into lamentations . 't is not for * want of power that god spares the wicked , but because they are alwayes in his hands , and he can make them as miserable as they are sinful when he pleases . 't is not through the neglect of justice , but for most wise and holy reasons , as shall appear in the last day , when a decisive irreversible judgment shall be propronounc'd , and immediately ininflicted upon them before the world. when an actor at athens spoke with admiration of riches , as the most valuable acquisition , and of the felicity of rich men : the people were in an uproar at the immorality of the speech , and were ready to chase him from the stage . but the poet himself appeared , and desired them to stop their fury till they saw the catastrophe , the wretched end of that sordid miser . thus we are apt to accuse the ways of god when the wicked flourish ; but we should stop our tumultuous thoughts , for their end will absolve divine providence from all undue reflections upon the account of their temporal happiness . and the sound belief of this will rectify all mistaking apprehensions , and clear all perplexing appearances about the sufferings of the righteous here . indeed if we consider the holiest men as they are sinners , their afflictions are so far from blemishing the justice of god , that they are the signs of his mercy : for all is a favour on this side hell to those that deserve it . david an excellent saint , acknowledges the righteousness of god's judgments with respect to himself . but when the saints suffer for a righteous cause , and , as the psalmist expresses it , for thy sake are we killed all the day long , and are counted as sheep for the slaughter ; there is not a visible correspondency between the providence of god in his governing the world , and the unchangeable rules of justice , that those who do evil should suffer evil , and those who do well should be happy . as the apostle speaks to the persecuted christians , it is a righteous thing with god to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you , and to you who are troubled rest with us . now there is a day coming , when the persecutors shall be punish'd , and the saints be rewarded for all their sufferings , and the distribution of recompences shall be in the presence of the world , for the glory of divine justice . for the distinction that is made between men at death is private and particular , and not sufficient for the honour of god's government . but at the last day all men that have lived in several successions of ages shall appear , and justice have a solemn process and triumph before angels and men. as some excellent piece that is to be expos'd to publick view , is covered with a traverse , to prevent the disturbance in the working , and the discovery of the work till brought to such perfection as will surprise with wonder those that see it : so god is pleased to cover his proceedings for a time , but in the last day there will be such a revelation of the righteous judgment of god , that those who now doubt , or complain of his justice , shall admire and adore it . . the belief of this doctrine as it vindicates divine providence , so 't is powerful to comfort the saints under persecutions for righteousness sake ; especially when innocence is wounded with slanderous darts , and calumnies are joyned with cruelties , representing them as worthy of publick hatred . it was one of the subtile artifices of julian the apostate , to mingle the images of the heathen gods with those of the emperours , that the doing reverence ( as the christians were commanded ) to all together , might imply a dereliction and renouncing of their religion , and their simplicity seem impiety : or if , jealous of slipping from their profession , they refused to do it , they might seem to deny the expressions of honour due to their emperours , and be reputed to suffer not as christian martyrs , but as rebels . but the believing consideration of god's righteous judgment will make them despise the censures & reproaches of malicious adversaries . with me , saith the apostle , it is a very small thing that i should be judged by man's judgment ; he that judgeth me is the lord. the severest censure was of no more weight compar'd with the approbation of god , than the lightest feather that flies in the air , put in the scales against the globe of the earth . the assurance of a righteous cause , and a righteous judg , will preserve an inward and joyful tranquillity of soul in the midst of all the storms of reproach and scandalous imputations ; like the calmness of a haven when the sea is tempestuous without . and this will fortify believers to bear with an invincible courage all the violence that is offered to them for their fidelity to god. all the wrongs and injuries they endure , shall be redrest with infinite advantage . the extreamest evils to which they are exposed for christ , are like the chariots of fire sent from god , not to consume but conduct elias in triumph into the highest heaven . god will give them present support , inward consolations , and a future crown . there is an appointed day when oppressed innocence shall obtain the noblest victory ▪ and disgraced godliness the most publick and highest honour . the faith of sincere christians shall be found to praise and glory . they may suffer under the tyranny of time , but shall reign in the kingdom of eternity . the belief of this , when firmly radicated in the heart , is so powerful as to make them glory in the sharpest tribulations , and joyfully triumph over satan , with his perverted malignant world. cantando rumpitur anguis . but alas , the sin , and a great part of the trouble of the saints , arises from their weakness of faith , and not patient waiting for the day of the lord. when heavy persecutions and great distresses are continued by the restless adversaries , they are apt through impatience and instability of mind , to be full of sorrowful complaints that god delayes their particular deliverance . and as sometimes the clock out-runs the motion of the sun , that is the true measure of time ; so their hasty desires prevent the eternal counsel of his will , that has determined the period of the miseries of his people , and of the prosperity of the wicked in the fittest time . and that he suspends his glorious coming to judg the world in righteousness , discourageth weaker christians , and makes them ready to faint in the day of adversity . but the lord is not slack in performing his promise , as men count slackness . there is not the least reason to question his fidelity and power , or to suspect his love and remembrance of his people . and as the stars of heaven enlighten the earth , but the candles on earth cannot enlighten the heavens : so the wisdom of god's counsel and providence should direct us patiently to expect his appointed time , but our glimmering reason cannot direct him . . the serious belief of future judgment is the most effectual restraint from secret sins . men are apt to encourage themselves in evil upon the account of secrecy : 't is the usual tinder of temptations . if solitude and silence , if the darkness of the night , or any disguises may conceal their wickedness from humane eyes , they are bold and secure as to god. the psalmist declares what is the inward principle that acts them , what is the language of their hearts : all the workers of iniquity boast themselves , they say , the lord shall not see , neither shall the god of jacob regard it . but o the brutish folly of men , to think , that because they do not see god , that he does not see them . as if one should shut his eyes in the face of the sun , and do some foul abominable thing , thinking himself to be unseen , because he sees no person . how vain is the impure diligence of the adulterer , the crafty diligence of the deceiver , the sollicitous diligence of other sinners to hide things from the judge of all ? shall not god search it out , for he knows the very secrets of the heart ? what a confounding discovery will be made of secret wickedness at the last day ? here obscurity is the mask of shame that conceals it from the world. or if only children and fools that are not capable to judg of the indecency and turpitude of actions , be spectators , men are not touch'd with shame for foul things . but then their wickedness shall be displayed before god , the holy angels and saints . the actual belief of this would deprive satan of one of his greatest advantages , and be a blessed preservative from many sins that allure the consent by the temptation of secrecy . a considering christian will reject them with indignation , saying with joseph , how can i do this great wickedness , and sin against god ? the sins undiscovered and unpunish'd by temporal tribunals , shall then receive a just recompence . . the remembrance of that strict judgment , is the most natural and powerful remedy against sensual temptations that so easily insinuate and engage the hearts of men. s. peter reckoning up the heathen sins , lasciviousness , lusts , excess of wine , revellings , and abominable idolatries , tells the christians , that the gentiles thought it strange that they did not run with them to the same excess of riot ▪ as the disciples when our saviour walkt upon the waters , thought he had been a spirit , judging that no real body could tread on them without sinking : thus men are apt to think it impossible to restrain their carnal appetites when allured by pleasing objects . but the belief of the terrors of the lord , will damp the sensual affections when most strongly enclin'd to forbidden things , and extinguish delight in sin : for delight and fear are inconsistent . therefore the wise preacher gives this counsel , rejoice o young man in thy youth , and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth , and walk in the ways of thy heart , and sight of thine eyes : but know thou for all these things god will bring thee to judgment . this will change the apprehensions of the mind , and alter the taste of the appetite , and make the most enticing and irresistible lusts , the objects of our greatest detestation . . the consideration that the son of god , clothed with our nature , shall judg the world , affords strong consolation to his people , and is a motive of great terror to the wicked . how comfortable is it to his people that he who loved them above his life , and was their redeemer on the cross , shal be their judg on the throne ? he is the same jesus christ , yesterday , to day , and for ever ; the same indulgent saviour , in the exaltation of his glory , as when under sufferings , reproach and shame . he is described in that glorious appearance , by the conjunct titles of his majesty and power , the great god , and of his compassion and mercy , our saviour , to signify his ability and affection to make them happy . when he comes with a heavenly train of angels to judgment , he will be as tender of his servants , as when he suffered for them in his humble state . he that paid their debt , and seal'd their pardon with his own blood , will certainly publish the acquittance . how is it possible he should condemn those for whom he died , and who appear with the impressions of his reconciling blood upon them ? how reviving is it that christ , whose glory was the end and perfection of their lives , shall dispose their states for ever ? that he , who esteems every act of their charity and kindness done to his servants as done to himself , shall dispense the blessed reward ? then the king will say to them plac'd on his right hand , come , ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. o the transports of joy to hear those words from his life-breathing lips ! the prophet breaks forth in an extacy , how beautiful are the feet of the messengers of peace , those that bring glad-tidings of salvation ? but how much more beautiful is the face of the author of our peace and salvation ? o how full of serenity , and clemency , and glory ! the expectation of this makes them languish with impatience for his coming . tho the preparations of that day are so dreadful , when the sun shall be darkned , and the moon turned into blood , and the stars fall like leaves in autumn , yet 't is stiled a day of refreshment to the saints . but how dreadful will his coming in majesty to judgment be to the wicked ! they shall see him whom they have pierced , and with bitter lamentation remember the indignities offered to him . what excuses can they alledg , why they did not believe and obey the gospel ? our saviour revealed high mysteries , but confirm'd them with great miracles . he requir'd strict holiness , but offer'd divine grace to enable men to do his will. he poured forth his spirit upon them , but their hearts were as hard as the rocks , and as barren as the sands . then he will reproach them for their undervaluing neglect of the great salvation , so dearly purchased , and so freely and earnestly offered to them : for their obstinacy , that the purple streams that flow'd from his crucified body , that all the sorrows and agonies of his soul were not effectual perswasives to make them forsake their sins : for their preferring the bramble to reign over them , satan the destroyer of souls , and ungrateful rejecting the true vine , the blessed saviour , who by so many miraculous mercies sollicited their love and deserved their service ; this will make the sentence as just as terrible , and the more terrible because just . this will exasperate the anguish , that the gospel shall be a savour of death to them ; and the blessed redeemer pronounce them cursed , and dispatch them to everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels for ever . the judgment of the redeemer will be more heavy than that of the creator . for all the riches of his goodness which they despised , shall be the measure of their guilt and woes . all the means of grace used for their conversion , but frustrated by their perversness , shall rise up in judgment against them . justice will revenge the abuse of mercy . do they hope to soften the judg by submissions and deprecations ? alas , he will be inflexible to all their prayers and tears . the lamb will be then a lion arm'd with terrours for their destruction . or can they appeal to an higher court to mitigate or reverse the sentence ? no , his authority is supream , and confirm'd by the immutable oath of god. or , do they think to resist the execution of the sentence ? desperate folly ! the angels , notwithstanding their numbers and strength , could not for a moment escape his revenging hand . the whole world of sinners is of no more force against his wrath , than the light dust against a whirl-wind , or dry stubble against devouring fire . or do they think by a stubborn spirit to endure it ? self-deceiving wretches ! if the correction of his children here , tho allayed , and for their amendment , make their beauty and strength consume away as a moth , how insupportable will the vengeance be on his obstinate enemies ? who knows the power of his anger ? who can found the depths of his displeasure ? . the consideration of eternal judgment should be a powerful incentive to prepare our selves for it . 't is the inference the apostle makes from the certainty of our appearing before the righteous judge , wherefore we labour that whether present , or absent , in this or the next life , we may be accepted of him . this was his great design , his chief care , his duty and his glory : never did any person more ardently aspire , and ambitiously endeavour for the obtaining a kingdom , than he did to secure his own acceptance with the lord. in order to this i will lay down the rules of our acceptance in that day , and conclude the argument . . unfained faith in the lord jesus is absolutely necessary , that we may be accepted . this is such a belief of his all sufficient merits , and his merciful inclination to save us , that the guilty and self-condemned sinner entirely consents to the terms of the gospel , as well as to the priviledges of it , with a reliance upon his merits , and a resolution to obey his precepts . he is a priest on a throne , a prince , and a saviour , and so must be acknowledged and received . upon this condition his righteousness is freely imputed to us for our justification unto life , without which we must perish in our sins . for , . the best saints are guilty and deeply obnoxious to the law , and the judgment of god is invariably according to truth ; so that appearing in their sins , they will be cast for ever . god's tribunal , like that of the severe roman judg , is reorum scopulus , a rock that dashes in pieces all the guilty that come to it . therefore the psalmist so earnestly deprecates , enter not into judgment with thy servant , o lord ; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified . and the aposte , tho' a transcendent saint , devests himself of his own righteousness , that he may be entirely covered with the righteousness of christ , and renounces all things , that he may be found in him as his surety in that day of accounts , and obtain pardon by virtue of his satisfaction for sin. we cannot perfectly obey the commands , nor appease the displeasure of god : but the expiatory sacrifice of christ propitiats the divine justice . this alone can make us stand in judgment before the fiery law , and the fiery tribunal , and the judg who is a consuming fire , to all the guilty that appear in their sins before him . the blood of the mediator has sprinkled the throne of god in heaven , and our consciences being sprinkled with it by a purifying faith , we may appear before god the judg of all with an humble confidence , and enter into the holy of holies , the celestial sanctuary with joy . . not only the pardon of our sins , but the acceptance and rewarding of our services with eternal glory is upon the account of our saviour's compleat righteousness . there are defilements in the persons , and defects in the works of the saints . their most holy and fervent prayers are perfum'd by the incence of his intercession , and so become grateful to god. our best vertues are mix'd and shadowed with imperfections ; but in him all graces were conspicuous in their consummate degrees . our obedience , supposing it perfect , is of no desert : when we have done all , we are unprofitable servants : but his obedience was infinitely meritorious by the union of the deity with his humane nature , and is the foundation of the excellent reward . not that his merits derive a value to our works to make them worthy of eternal glory : as some noble mineral infused into water , that is in it self without taste or efficacy , gives it a medicinal tincture and virtue ; for this is impossible , since the infinite dignity of his person , and his most perfect habitual and actual holiness , that are the fountains and reasons of his merits , are incommunicable to our persons and works . for this would render us equal to our saviour , and our works to be divine as his . but the active and passive righteousness of christ is so satisfactory and meritorious , that god is pleased graciously to reward with the crown of life the mean services of those who are by a lively and purifying faith united to him . . sincere obedience , that is , an uniform and entire respect to all the commands of god , will alone be accepted in that day : for his authority runs through all , and binds them on the conscience . david had this testimony from god himself , that he was a man after his own heart , that fulfilled all his will. and st. john refers the decision of our state to this , if our hearts condemn us of any allowed sin of omission or commission , much more god will , who is greater than our hearts , and knows all things . but if the illuminated tender conscience condemns us not of insincerity , we have confidence towards god , that he will spare and accept us notwithstanding our frailties , and give free and safe access into his presence . the lives of many are chequer'd with a stran● disparity , they are restrain 〈…〉 some sins of apparent odiousness , but indulgent to others ; they are strict in some duties , but loose and slack in others , as if they hop'd by way of commutation to be accepted of god ; to expiate their delinquencies in one kind by supererrogating in another . some are painted pharisees in the duties of the first table , very exact in the formalities of outward devotions , but gross publicans in the duties of the second : careless of justice and equity , and charity to men : others are in appearance strictly moral in the discharge of their duties to men , and negligent of their obligations to god. but partial obedience can never endure the trial of conscience , much less of god. for what is the weak light of our minds , to the pure eyes of his glory ? it will make us liable to inward rebuke now , and to open confusion at the last . st. paul's rejoycing was from the testimony of his conscience , that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world : and , as he expresses it in another place , it was his daily exercise to have a conscience void of offence towards god , and towards men. tho our conquest of sin be not compleat , yet our resolution and endeavours must be to mortify it in every kind . tho' our obedience has not the perfection of degrees , we must be equally regarding the divine law. if there be any secret-favoured sin either of omission or commission , it will render our petitions unacceptable at the throne of grace , and our persons at the throne of judgment ; if i regard iniquity in my heart , the lord will not hear my prayer . the law requires the performance of our duty without abatement , or denounceth the penalty without allay or mitigation : the gospel has not relax'd the strictness of the law as 't is the rule of life , but as it was the condition of obtaining life . sincere obedience is accepted by that gracious covenant , where the legal perfection is wanting : but that is indispensibly required of all . i may illustrate this by a passage of alexander the great , who being desirous to learn geometry , applied himself to a skilful instructer in it . but his warlike disposition made him more capable to conquer than to measure the earth , so that tired with the first propositions , he desir'd his master to make the scheme more clear and plain , and easy to him : ‖ to whom the master replied , that the theorems of that science were equally difficult to all and requir'd the same attention of mind to understand them . thus the gospel of mercy requires of all sincere sanctification , and serious endeavours to perfect holiness in the fear of god , and without this none shall be exempted from condemnation . to the sincerity of obedience , i shall add a more restrained notion of it as respecting religion . the duties of piety consist of an outward and inward part ; and the one without the other is but as a carcass without a quickning soul. now there will be an exquisit anatomy of the heart in that judgment , a discovery of all the principles and motives by which men were acted , and then he that is a saint inwardly , in the spirit , who with pure aims and holy affections hath served god , shall have praise of him . and those who have us'd god to injoy the world , that have assumed pretences of piety for secular ends , shall be reproved . this will be a cause of wonder in that day , that many who are highly esteemed by men as excellent saints , shall be an abomination to god. that in the broad way to hell thousands go thither is sad beyond expression , but not strange at all : but that in the path of heaven any should descend to hell , is astonishing . that those who live without god in the world , in the prophane neglect of his worship , in a dissolute disorderly course , should fall under condemnation , is believed of all : but that those who have appeared zealous in religion shall be at last rejected , is contrary to universal expectation . and not only the gross hypocrite that deceives others , but he that deceives himself by the external practice of holy duties without correspondent lively affections ; that prayes with that coldness as if he had no desire to be heard , and hears with that carelesness as if he had no desire to be sanctified by the word , and is conversant in other parts of divine service in that slight manner , as if he had no design to be saved , shall by a convincing upbraiding light see his wickedness in dishonouring that god whom he pretended to worship , and neglecting his soul. when the upright as pure gold shall be more radiant by the fire , the insincere like reprobate silver shall not endure that severe trial . . the frequent discussion of conscience , and reviewing our ways , is necessary in order to our comfortable appearing before our judg. this is a duty of constant revolution : for while we are in flesh , the best saints , notwithstanding all their vigilance and diligence , are overtaken by surprisal , and sometimes overborn by strong temptations ; and 't is more necessary to beg for daily pardon , than for our daily bread . under the law if any one had by touching a dead body contracted uncleanness , he was to wash his cloaths in the evening , and not to lie down in his uncleanness . this was typical of our duty , that we should wash away our sinful defilements every day in the purifying fountain of christ's blood , that is set open for sin and for uncleanness . and the method of the gospel to obtain the grant of pardon , and our comfortable sense , and the blessed effects of it is this , there must be a mournful sight , and serious acknowledgment of our daily sins , and a judging our selves by the domestical tribunal in our breasts as worthy of condemnation : for tho we cannot satisfie divine justice for the least sin , we must glorify it : and with humility and fervency desire that god would graciously forgive our renewed sins , with unfeigned resolutions and care against them for the future . thus we are to sue out our pardon for sins committed every day . and whereas many errors in regard of our frailty , and their fineness , do slip from us , we should with contrite spirits implore the divine majesty to cleanse us from our secret sins , such as through ignorance or inadvertancy escape from our observation . if we are obliged to be reconciled to an offended or offending brother before the night , and the sun must not go down upon our wrath , much more to be reconciled to an offended god , that his displeasure may be atoned . the morning and evening sacrifice was a figure of the constant use of christ's merits and mediation for us ; the secure neglect of renewing our repentance for our renewed sins , deprives us of the comforts of the covenant , and will make the thoughts of judgment as heavy as mountains upon the conscience , when 't is awakened out of its slumber . but when the soul's accounts are kept clear with heaven every day , o what a blessed rest does the penitent believer enjoy in the favour of god! o the divine calm of conscience when our debts are cancell'd in the book of god's remembrance ! if we should be unexpectedly summoned to appear before the judg of all , the sight of our sins will rather excite thankful affections , and joyful praises of god for his mercy , that he hath pardoned them ; than fearful despairing thoughts of his mercy , that he will not pardon them . and as this considering our ways leads to repentance , and is a remedy for past sins , so 't is a powerful preservative from sins afterwards . for as in war the greatest care is to fortify the weakest part of a besieged town , and make it impregnable ; so a christian by the experience of his infirmity and danger , will be more wise and wary , more circumspect and resolved against those sins whereby he has often been foil'd , to prevent the daily incursion , and sudden surreption by them . and according to the degrees of our innocence , we have confidence of acceptance with god in judgment . . let us improve with a wise and singular diligence the talents committed to our trust : for in that day we shall be responsible for all that we have received . all the blessings we possess , whether natural , our life , our faculties , our endowments , our health and strength ; or civil , honour and dignity , riches and reputation ; or spiritual , the gospel in its light and power , the graces and assistance of the holy ghost , as they are gifts from god's love , so they are talents to be imployed for his glory . we are stewards , not proprietaries : for the supream lord does not relinquish his right in our blessings , that we may dispose of them at our own pleasure , but hath prescribed rules for our using them in order to his glory , our own good , and the benefit of others . and 't is sad to consider that usually those who enjoy the greatest gifts render the least acknowledgments , and the most abundant in favours are most barren in thankfulness . time , that unvaluable treasure , that is due to god and the soul , the price of which arises from the work of salvation to be done in it , how is it squander'd away ? conscience would blush at the serious reflection that every day so much is spent in the business of the world , or pleasures , and so little redeemed for communion with the holy god : that as in the prophetick dream the lean kine devoured the fat , so unconcerning vanities take up that time that should be employed for our last and blessed end. while time is miserably wasted , the soul lies a bleeding to everlasting death . more particularly , we shall be accountable for all the days of the son of man that we have seen , all the special seasons of grace : these we should improve for our eternal advantage , to prepare us for the divine presence above . but alas , the lord's day that is consecrated for the immediate service of god , and should be entirely spent in it , and in things that have a necessary subordination to it , yet neither the enforcement of duty , nor incitations of love prevail upon the most , conscienciously to imploy it in spiritual affairs . if they afford their presence at the publick worship 't is thought enough , and , as if the rest of the day was unsanctified time , they waste it in either complemental visits , or secular business , in recreations , or things impertinent to their salvation . riches are an excellent instrument of doing good : gold is the most precious and extensive metal , and by a marvellous art an ounce may be beaten out into some hundred leaves : but 't is a more happy art by giving it , to enrich our own souls , and supply the necessities of many others . but great estates are often used to foment mens vicious guilty affections , pride , and sensuality ; and 't is called ‖ greatness & magnificence to waste them in sumptuous vanities . i instance in these talents , because they are usually abused to the dishonour of the donor . if the slothful servant that hid his single talent in a napkin , and returned it without advantage to his lord , was cast into outer darkness , where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth , a fearful image of what will befal all unprofitable persons , how severe will their accounts be who lavish out their numerous talents to gratify their carnal appetites , and betray the blessings of god to his enemy the devil ? only the wise and good servant that with prudent contrivance and zealous endeavours improves his talents , shall from the gracious lord , in whom are all attractives and remuneratives of our service , receive an excellent reward . . another rule of our acceptance at the last day is , that we must with courage and zeal maintain in our rank and places the cause of christ. for thus he declares expresly , whosoever shall confess me before men , him also will i confess before my father which is in heaven . but whosoever shall deny me before men , him also will i deny before my father which is in heaven when the truth , purity , and power of religion , in doctrine , worship and practice , is discountenanc'd and over-born , our saviour commands , and will reward our undiscouraged visible constancy in it . he will not only reign in our hearts , but be honoured with our lips , and in our conversations . we usurp the title of christians unless we adhere to our duty in despite of all opposition . the temptations that usually withdraw men from confessing and glorifying christ , are such as work upon the passions of fear and shame . and the consisideration of the last judgment will fortify us against both . . sometimes religion exposes the professors of it to the loss of all temporal enjoyments , and of life it self . and when the honour of our saviour requires such a service of us , when that confirmation is necessary to recommend divine truth to the belief & affections of others , when our chearful and couragious example in suffering would animate those that are fearful to constancy of confession , then from cowardise to withdraw our testimony , is to betray him again . when our duty is attended with extream dangers , then the sincerity and perfection of our love to christ is brought to the strictest trial . as true carbuncles are discovered in the night , for the darkness redoubles their splendor : so the fidelity of christians is evident in persecutions that enflame and excite their zeal to magnify the name of christ unto the judgment of the world. there is no fear in love , but perfect love casts out fear . but fearfulness hinders the expressing acts of love to christ , and betrays to apostacy . for as every passion is a perturbation , so especially carnal fear that blinds and disturbs the mind , and hinders the serious consideration of the reasons of our duty , and those motives to persevere in it , that are the fountains of our strength . from hence the timerous are often treacherous , and faith lies buried under the cold pale ashes of fear . now the irregularity of this passion is best cured by directing it to the most powerful object . as the rod of moses swallowed up the rods of the magicians , so a stronger fear will subdue that which is in a weaker degree . our saviour therefore threatens those that for the fear of men ( who can but kill the body ) dare not own and defend his truth and cause , that he will renounce them before his father in the great day , the immediate consequence of which will be the destruction of body and soul in hell. if earthly potentates had a jurisdiction over heaven , if men were to be tried by their laws at the last day , if their power extended to eternity , they might exact unlimited obedience to their wills , but conscience is a more desirable friend and terrible enemy than caesar , and all temporal tribunals are subordinate and accountable to the supream and eternal : there is one lawgiver and judg , who is able to save , and to destroy for ever . it is the worst perdition to secure our selves by the neglect of our duty , when we ought to perish for the glory of our saviour . he that saves his life shall lose it . . shame wounds deeper the breasts of some than violence . zedekiah would rather expose his kingdom and life to the fury of the chaldean armies , than be himself exposed as an object of derision by surrendring it . and satan who understands the temper of mens spirits , suits his temptations accordingly . the purity and holiness of religion , exprest in the actions of the saints , is by the scurrilous reslections and bitter sarcasms of prophane persons made contemptible . this is as foolish and malicious , as if a slave should reproach the son of a king that he was like his father in his countenance and actions ; for by how much the resemblance of god's holiness appears with more evidence and eminence in their lives , their divine relation is more certainly and justly to be acknowledged . yet how many are ashamed of this glory ? and zeal to vindicate the honour of religion is traduc'd and vilified either as the effect of designing faction , or of the indiscretion and rashness of a weak judgment and strong passions . in every age the faithful servants of god are by scornful titles despised : we are accounted , saith the apostle , the off-scouring of the world. but a generous christian looks upon disgrace for the sake of christ as his honour . the apostles rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his name . 't is said of the baptist , he was not that light , but came to bear witness to that light : intimating as if that were the next degree of dignity to it . and our saviour , speaking of the proofs of his divine mission , reckons up the witnesses of such dignity , that 't is not possible for sacred ambition to aspire to higher honour than to be in conjunction with them : they are john the baptist , his miracles , his father , and the scriptures . let us appeal then from the light depraved fancies of carnal men , to the wise and faithful judgment , and authority of the son of god. he will at the last day in the presence of his father and all the court of heaven , give an incomparable crown to all that have despised shame for his sake . but those vile spirits , whose courage of straw is quell'd by vain opinion , and the reproaches of fools , and have deserted the cause of christ , shall then be clothed with confusion ; for this we are assured by our judge , that whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words , in this adulterous and sinful generation , of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father , with the holy angels . if the unnatural brothers were astonish'd when the governor of egypt told them , i am joseph whom ye sold , how much more will false christians , when the lord of glory shal tell them , i am jesus whom for base shame ye denied ? how will it confound those abject wretches to be a spectacle of abhorrence and scorn before that universal glorious confluence ? they would chuse rather to be covered under the ruins of the world. if we value and desire the approbation of the king of angels , if we fear a final rejection from him , to obtain the one , and avoid the other , we must entirely adhere to his interest , without any respect to the eyes and esteem of the perverse deceived world. . a cordial beneficent love to the saints , is a requisit qualification of our acceptance in the day of judgment . then shall the king say to them on his right hand , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. for i was an hungry , and ye gave me meat ; i was thirsty , and ye gave me drink ; i was a stranger , and ye took me in ; naked , and ye clothed me ; i was sick , and ye visited me ; i was in prison , and ye came unto me . the union and endearments betwixt christ and his people are mutual and reflexive ; as they are extreamly tender of his glory , so he is concern'd in all that is done to them . and tho the perfection of love consists more in the affection of the heart than in outward offices , yet our saviour most congruously produces in judgment the conspicuous effects of love to them , the supplying their wants , allaying their sorrows , owning them when obscured and deprest by afflictions , and injuriously treated by others . this love of service that is directed and exercised towards the saints , for the image of god shining in them , because they are the children of god , and members of christ , and therefore extended to all in whom the reason of that love appears , shall be gloriously rewarded : for he interprets what is done upon his account to those who are his own by so many dear titles , as done to himself . and what is more becoming his excellent goodness than to reward his works of mercy with saving mercy ? but those who when christ presents himself to them in his poor distressed members , and solicits their assistance , to protect them from injuries , to refresh their sorrows , to support them in their exigencies , those that have ability but want affection to do them good , and incompassionately neglect the suffering saints , shall be sentenc'd to be tormented with the apostate angels for ever . what indignity is it to the son of god , that those for whom he shed his divine blood , should be in less value and regard with many , than the dogs and horses maintained for their pleasure ? and if those on the left hand shall be condemned to eternal fire , for the coldness of their love , how terrible will the judgment bet of those that from the heat of their enmity outragiously persecute the servants of christ for his sake , in their persons , estates , reputations , that with a worse than barbarous inhumanity seek their ruine ? is there any sin of a more mortal guilt ? the infernal furnace is seven-fold heated for the punishing such wickedness . to conclude this argument , let us observe the command of our saviour , to watch and pray always , that we may be counted worthy to stand before the son of man. these are duties of universal influence into our lives , the one prevents carelesness , the other vain confidence in our selves , and the consideration of judgment to come , is the greatest motive to them , and the first principle of holiness . this should work more powerfully in us , considering the day of death is equivalent to the day of judgment to every person ; for then a particular sentence decisive and irrevocable passes , that shall be publish'd at the last day . methinks the terrors of the lord should engage our souls and senses to a continual preparation for his coming . 't is represented so as to affect the eye , and keep it vigilant : behold , the lord comes with ten thousand of his saints , to execute judgment upon all . behold , he comes in the clouds , and every eye shall see him . and to call the ear , and make it attentive ; the lord himself shall descend from heaven , with the voice of the arch-angel , and with the trump of god. how circumspect should we be in all our ways , since every action shall be reviewed by our judg. st. peter strongly infers from the dissolution of the world , as a most cogent argument , that we should be exactly and universally holy : seeing then all these things shall be dissolved , what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness ? but the consideration of the eternal judgment immediately succeeding the destruction of the world , o how powerful should it be upon conscience and the affections to regulate the whole course of our lives with a final respect to god's tribunal . in short , that which we read of the success of the apostle's preaching to the athenians upon the present subject , the immortality of the soul , comprised in the resurrection of the body and the future judgment , is the same in all times and places : and when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some mocked ; and others said , we will hear thee again of this matter ; and others believed . there are three differences of the hearers of this doctrine of so great importance : some deride it as an extravagant fancy : some believe it , and yield up themselves entirely in obedience to it : others do not absolutely reject it , as the first , nor accept it , as the second , but have a conjecture , or slight superficial opinion of it , or a speculative assent as to a history of things that do not concern them , and defer the serious consideration and applying of it to themselves . and of this third sort ( o grief ! ) are the most of those who are christians in name . they delay till death , the solemn reflecting upon the final judgment , and the inevitable consequence of it , a blessed or miserable estate for ever . and whereas the apostle , who had infallible assurance of god's love , did with an holy severity and self-denial abstain from all carnal complacencies that might hazard the never-fading crown ; i keep under my body , and bring it into subjection , lest by any means when i have preached to others , i should be a cast-away . ‖ yet the most live and die in a secure state , without preparation to appear before the presence of his glory . finis . some books printed for brabazon aylmer in cornhill . the harmony of the divine attributes , in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the lord jesus christ. or , discourses , wherein is shewed , how the wisdom , mercy , justice , holiness , power , and truth of god are glorified in that great and blessed work. by william bates , d. d. in quarto . considerations of the existence of god , and of the immortality of the soul , with the recompences of the future state . to which is now added , the divinity of the christian religion , proved by the evidence of reason , and divine revelation : for the cure of infidelity the hectick evil of the times . by william bates , d. d. in octavo . the soveraign and final happiness of man , with the effectual means to obtain it . also the joys of heaven , and torments of hell are discoursed of . by william bates , d. d. in octavo . several sermons upon death , and eternal judgment . by william bates , d. d. in octavo . a funeral sermon , preached upon the death of the reverend and excellent divine , dr. thomas manton , who deceased october . . by william bates , d. d. to which is now added , the last publick sermon dr. manton preached . in octavo . one hundred and ninety sermons on the whole th psalm , by the late reverend and learned divine , thomas manton , d. d. in folio . twenty select sermons upon choice subjects , preached by thomas manton , d. d. in quarto . eighteen sermons on the d chapter of the d epistle to the thessalonians , containing the description , rise , growth , and fall of antichrist . with divers cautions and arguments to establish christians against the apostacy of the chnrch of rome . by tho. manton , d. d. in octavo . the gospel-method of god's saving sinners by jesus christ : practically explained in xii propositions . or , a discourse of the new covenant . by the late learned dr. abraham clifford . to which is prefixed a preface , by dr. manton , and mr. richard baxter . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vers. , . vers. . deut. . . & . . vers. . vers. . vers. . vers. . vers. . psal. . . chap. . . psal. . . rom. . . anima volens perdidit vivere , nolens ergo perdat & vivificare . rom. . . hac lege intraverant , ut exirent . senec. heb. . . eccles. . . gen. . . sam. . . psal. . . cant. . . ecclesiast . . . isa. . isa. . . dies moritur in noctem , & tenebris usquequaque sepelitur ; funestatur mundi honor , omnis substantia denigratur , sordent , silent , stupent cuncta : ubique justitium est . tertul . de resurrec . car. talia agentem atque meditantem mors praevenit . sueton. psal. . , . * as our divine poet expresses it . the brags of life are but a nine days wonder ; and after death the fumes that spring , from private bodies make as big a thunder , as those that rise from a huge king. herbert . kings . . isa. . . heb. . . acts . . heb. . . praestat semel mori quam semper timere . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . tim. . . eccles. . . prov. . job . . rev. . senec. nullum malum sine eifugio . timor fugam perdidit . sam. . dan. . , , , . amos . , . aelian . cor. . . heb. . tim . . pet. . . phil. . . col. . cor. . gal. . isa. . heb. . cor. . . rev. . thess. . annon longe gloriosius fuit , quandoquidem totum pro nobis agebatur , ut non modo passio corporis , sed etiam cordis affectio pro nobis faceret ? et quos vivificabat mors , nihilominus & trepidatio robustos , & maestitia laetos & taedium alacres & turbatio quietos sacecet , & desolatio consolatos ? bern. serm. . de st. andr. isa. . , . luk. . john . . ‖ dies iste quem tu tanquam supremum reformidas , aeterni natalis est . senec. col job . . tempus angustatur ad vitam , dilatatur ad miseriam . ‖ omnes homines aut sunt penitus caro , & nihil habent spiritus , ii sunt insidele ; sine regeneratione . aut sunt tantum spiritus sine carne . li sunt sancti ; qui jam in coelo aeterna fruuntur pace sine pugna . aut sunt partim spiritus , partim caro . li sunt omnes renati per spiritum sanctum in christo. aug. cont . jul. cor. . john . rom. . ‖ poterat autem christus etiam hoc donare credentibus , ut nec istius experirentur corporis mortem : sed si hoc fecisset carni quaedam faelicitas adderetur , minueretur fidei fortitudo . quid enim magnum erat vivendo eos non mori qui crederent credere se non moriturum ? quanto est majus quanto fortius quanto laudabilius ita credere , ut se speret moriturus sine fine victurum ? aug. de pecc . mort. lib. . exercitia nobis sunt non funera , dant animo fortitudinis gloriam : contemptu mortis praeparant ad coronam . cypr. de mortal . ‖ nomen terrae in igni reliquit . tertul. rom. . . acts. . . rom. . heb. . ‖ qui sibi ipse pulcherimum medicamentum . celsus . ephes. . . exod. . matth. . , . phil. . . rom. . . cor. . cor. . mark . ‖ felices errore suo quos ille timorum maximus , haud urget leti metus , inde ruendi in ferrum mens prona viris , animaeque capaces mortis , & ignavum rediturae parcere vitae . lucan ▪ joh. . . rom. . . revel . cor. . cor. . . joh. . . kin. . . gal. . . joh. . . rom. . . rom. . . rom. . . cor. . . revel . . macti ingenio este coeli interpretes , rerumque naturae capaces , argumenti repertores , quo deos hominesque vinxistis . plin. lib. . ‖ foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas : atque metus mortis & inexorabile fatum subjecit pedibus . virgil. act. . . heb. . . cor. . . heb. ▪ , . quis enim satis explicet verbis quantum mali sit non obedire tanto potestatis imperio , et tanto terrenti supplicio ? sam. . . king. . joh. . haec enim est infaelicitas hominum , propter quae peccant morientes his dimittunt , et ipsa pellata secum portant . aug. stemus expeditae ad omnem vius , nihil habentes quod relinquere timeamus ; retinacule ista sunt spei nostrae . de cult . foem . josh. . . ad instar montis intumescentis , apparebant procul . john . heb. . . cor. . . epist. jul. thess. . * ille excrit gladium , ille cervicem , uno voto , una devotione : sub tanto non dic●m humanitatis , sed potius naturae ipsius ●etu , laeti sunt . john . . secutus a corpore volebat esse cum christo , sed si sicri posset prater mortis molestiam . nolens ad c●m venit , sed volens c●m vicit . aug. tract . in joan. phil. . john . cant. . ‖ quamdiu in salo isto , tamdiu inter naufragia . accitus sum ad id miraculi , videri exultantem in mor●● hominem 〈◊〉 insultan●●● morti . bern. serm. in cant. gen. . notes for div a -e vers. . vers. . psal. . isa. . . rom. . , . joh. . . vers. , . rev. . john . ▪ luk. . ▪ mat. . , . heb. . esa. . , , . rev. . . rom. . . psal. . . rom. . . jer. . . joh. . . james . . 〈…〉 mal ▪ . . tim. . . pet. . . luk. . . rom. . , . rom. . . rom. . rom. . . acts . . — adsit regula peccatis , quae poenas irroget aequas . horat. isa. . , . job . . paenae aequalitas non nude spectanda ut in ponderibus & mensuris , sed expenso proposito , & voto ejus qui deliquit . grot. mat. . . gen. . . gen. . , . dan. . . rev. . , . rom. . . eccl. . last . cor. . . rom. . . pet. . . col. . . mat. . . jud. , . luk. . , . mat. . . rev. . . john . . john . . psal. . heb. . . psal. . tim. . . rev. . . psal. . . sam. . . sam. . mat. . . mat. . . mat. . . prov. . . jer. . . isa. . . * o si nobis animam boni viri liceret inspicere , quam pulchram faciem , quam sanctam , quam ex magnifico , placidoque fulgentem videremus ! senec. mal. . , . rom. . , . psal. . . jer. . . rev. zech. . , , . ps. . , prov. . . isa. . . prov. ● . hab. . . jam. . , . ‖ ipse timendus est in publico , ipse in secreto . lucerna ardet ? videt te . lucerna extincta est ? videt te . in cubile intras ? videt te . in corde versaris ? videt te . ipsum time . pet. . . mat. . . col. . last . col. . . gal. . , . rom. . . rom. . last . jude . rev. . . tim. . , . rev. . . mat. . , . * plus amant illud regnum in quo ●on timent habere confortes . aug. de civit. dei. cor. . . luke . . . jer. . . luke . . ‖ non orat pro fratrum salute qua non tangitur reprobus , sed pro se ne ipsius tormenta ex consortio fratrum a●geantur . brugen . testimonium animae naturaliter christiana . tert. jude , . eccles. . isa. . . rom. . , . mat. . , . & . , . an verè extribuit nobis omnia quae promisit , & de solo die judicii nos fefellit ? aug. psal. . . psal. . eccl. . . acts . . pet. . . deut. . ‖ amos . . psal. . . * cum habeat in potestate vindictam mavult diu tenere patientiam . cyprian . de bon . patient . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. cum hi novissimi versus in tragoedia euripidis pronuntiati essent , totus populus ad ejiciendum & actorem & carmen consurrexit uno impetu : donec euripides in medium prosiluit petens ut expectarent , viderentque quem admirator auri exitum faceret . senec. epist. . psal. . thess. ▪ ● rom. . . cor. . . inter judicem justum , & conscientiam tuam , noli timere nisi causam tuam . aug. pet. . . pet. . . psal. . . . pet. . , . eccles. . tit. . . phil. . mat. . acts . videtis vulnera quae inflixistis , agnoscitis latus quod pupugistis , quoniam & per vos , et propter vos apertum est , nec intrare voluistis . aug. rom. . cor. . . cor. . . rev. . . john . , . cor. . . ‖ ●ui praecep●or : ista inquit omnibus eadem sunt , aeque difficilia . senec. epist. . psal. . . ‖ nullis vitiis desunt pretiosa nomina . plin. lib. . matth. . , . rom. . joh. . . matth. . , , . jam. . mark . . jer. . . cor. . . acts . . john . , , , . mark . . matth. . , , . jude . rev. . . thess. . . pet. . , . act. . , . cor. . . ‖ vae miseris nobis qui de electione nostra nullam aedhuc dei vocem cognovimus , et jam in otio quasi de securitate torpemus . greg. lib. . moral . cherubims. cherubims. rofe, george, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing r estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) cherubims. cherubims. rofe, george, d. . sheet ([ ] p.). printe[d] for robert wilson, london, : . signed: geo. rofe. imperfect: folded and torn with some loss of text. reproduction of original in the friends' library (london, england). created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng judgment of god. angels. broadsides -- england -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion cherubims . cherubims . vvhen man first transgressed and was driven out from god , god placed cherubims , and a flaming sword , to keep the way of the tree of life : mark , to keep the way of the tree of life from the transgressor ; for , against him that did transgress , was the flaming sword and the cherubims , which god placed to keep the way of the tree of life ; for then man had no right to the life , but condemnation ; the cherubims and the flaming sword is against him , through which he must come before he comes to life again . now moses ( who was commanded to do all things according to the patern which he saw on the mount ) when he prescribes a way to god , and to the mercy , even in the first covenant , he speaks of the cherubims , and describes them to be two , beat out of one piece of gold , and made of the mercy-seat : now mark , that out of which the cherubims were beat , out of the mercy-seat , to over-shadow it ; and the mercy-seat is over-shadowed while the cherubims remain ( while the transgression is ) and the condemnation to the transgressor ; for that spreads it self over the mercy-seat , and the mercy-seat that is not known , nor the golden-pot where manna is , while man continues in the transgression : for the seed , which is the seat of mercy ( was figured forth by the piece of gold , and the mercy-seat of gold , out of which the cherubims were ) that lies under , and the tabernacle of the testimony , or witnessing for god ( out of which the judgment , and the burning which delivers from the transgression comes ) that is not known , and the way unto the tree of life again , is by that which brings out of those things which the cherubims and the flaming sword were against , which remained even through moses ; for the ordinances and service which he prescribed , could not take away sin to the purifying the conscience , for which cause the cherubims over-shadowed the mercy-seat ; for the way was not yet prepared , until christ came : so , though they had ordinances of divine service , and a worldly sanctuary , and the tabernacle of the testimony , which was called the holiest of all ; yet notwithstanding these things , ( which were but shadows of good things to come ) the mercy-seat was over-shadowed , ( the vail remained over peoples hearts , and they could not approach near unto god without a sacrifice for sin , for fear of wrath ) and they could not see through the cherubims of glory , but perished in that they abode in sin , and that which the cherubims of glory , 〈…〉 sword was against , that which the law and the condemnation was again●t , which keeps them from the tree of life : so they being out of the righteousness and obedience , they were out of that unto which the mercy is . well , but some men may say , these things were indeed added after transgression , and spoken of by moses , but since christ came , they are taken away , so that we have the seat of mercy , and can see it with open face . to thee , whosoever thou art that shalt say thus , i give answer ; the apostle , who spake of those things , said , the sum of all is christ ; and that which was directed by moses , was but the shadow of good things to come , but the body is christ . now mark , christ sayes , i come not to bring peace on earth , but a sword , and a fire ; and what will i , if it be already kindled ? and this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , joh. . . so that his coming , is not to destroy the law , but to establish it , and to destroy that which the law is against : now the curse of the law is taken away by christ , for them that believe ; but the flaming sword and the cherubims remain in the condemnation ; for the cherubims are two , made of the mercy-seat , even the condemnation of the law and of the gospel , which remains , and are continued and established by christ , against transgression ; and none can have the mercy while they continue in their transgression : alas for thee , that thinkest these things can be taken away , so long as sin remains ; thou canst not see into those things which concern thy peace ; for the condemnation and the death will take hold of thee while thou art in thy sins , and the seed thou canst not see , which is the true seat of mercy , and the tabernacle of the testimony for god , which the law and moses spake of , which is the fulfilling of all those things , and the way to god , and the life which is to be come into , through the condemning and destroying the sins , and the sinful part ; so by the gift of god , all these things are seen , and read through ; which gift is light , which as all come to see , and wait in it , in obedience to its working against sin , it will make way into the holiest of all , and raise up the seed , which is the seat of mercy , and the tabernacle of witness for god ( in which the life is , which is the hidden manna , answering to the golden pot , in which the manna was , and he is the minister of the sanctuary , and the true tabernacle , confirmed by a greater thing than aarons rod which budded , by him that said , the lord sware , and will not repent , thou art a priest for ever , after the order of melchizedec ; and this is he alone , which god hath chosen for salvation ; who consecrateth a new and living way into the holiest of all ; even through his blood by which he sanctifieth ) even for him of whom the mercy is , who said , i will have mercy on whom i will have mercy . this is that which bringeth through the cherubims and the flaming sword , unto the life , and through its working brings out of the transgression , the cause why the judgment and the condemnation was first set to take hold of man , and to keep the way of the tree of life ; which no man can come to feed of , but through the witnessing that to be wrought out , which the condemnation and the fiery law first passed against ; for which cause man was first separated from the life ; and being separated , they are changed from the garden , into an howling wilderness and a desart , and a dry and thirsty land , having death and condemnation passed over them . but the lord promised the wilderness and the islands of the sea should be converted , and he would make rivers in the wilderness , and pools in the desart , and the wilderness should become as a fruitful field , and as the garden of god : but alas for me , i am as one almost amazed , for i look and see that multitudes are not yet come to see themselves changed , from being the garden of god ( in which he dwelt ) to be a wilderness and as a howling desart , and a dry and thirsty land , bringing forth nothing but bryars and thorns , who are rejected , and nigh unto cursing : and how should they seek to be converted unto god ? or , how should they seek to know the rivers in the desart , or springs in the wilderness , and themselves to become as a fruitful field , and to be replenished as ●he garden of god ? for ignorance hath over-shadowed them , so that t●ey are not yet come to know the flaming sword , and the cherubims , even the condemnation to take hold of them , which is glorious , and worketh for the destruction of sin : nor to know the gift of god , to work unto condemnation , and unto their purging and cleansing ; that the seed which is the seat of mercy might be raised up , and spring forth as rivers ; which christ said , he that believeth in me , out of his belly shall flow 〈…〉 ●●vers of living waters ; and the waters that i shall give him , shall 〈…〉 him as a well of water , springing up unto eternal life : but no 〈…〉 to know this , but they that come to wait in the judgment , 〈…〉 condemnation for the gift of god , that works unto judge 〈…〉 so long as the s●n i● given place unto and the transgression lived in : so , who come to know the gift of god , christ the seed , they must wait to feel obedience brought forth , and righteousness lived in , else it will work unto condemnation ; and the flaming sword , and the cherubims will remain , which keeps the transgressor from the tree of life : so the way through the flaming sword , the cherubims , the condemnation , is the obedience of the life , and the obedience will bring through the condemnation , to see the seed , the seat of mercy raised up , and to behold it with open face ; and in this the tree of life is , and the testimony of god , and the pleasant springs of life and vertue : so the obedience and the righteousness being dwelt in , then the gift of god worketh unto life and vertue , bringing the soul and the creature out of sin , the cause why the fiery law and the cherubims was placed against man unto condemnation , and brings him through these things , unto god , the life of all , and to feel him unto consolation . and now all you that know the gift of god , wait in it , that you may have unity with it , and unity with the judgment and condemnation ( which is of it ) against sin , and so ye may be kept out of those things which it condemns , and then the way will be opened freely to the tree of life ; and the condemnation which is glorious , that will pass away , and the glory of the life remain , unto nourishment ; which none can feel , but as they dwell in that , which the condemnation cannot take hold upon : so let all wait to have unity with that which condemns the sin , and every appearance of evil , that the gift of god may be retained unto life and immortality , and to the mercy which continues beyond the condemnation , the cherubims , and the flaming sword. great and wonderful are thy works , thou king of saints , and thy wayes past finding out ; oh the depth of the wisdom , and the riches , and the glory that is in thee ! lord , how do all the world grope like blind men , and have not the knowledge of thee ! but thou manifests thy self to thy servants , so that hand is not able to write , nor tongue to express the multitude of thy revelations ; yet thou fillest thy children with good things . geo. rofe . written in barbados th of the th month , . and is to go abroad into the world. london , printe● for robert wilson , .