Imatges de pàgina
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For mine enemies speak against me, and they that lay wait for PL71.10. my foul take counsel together,

Saying, God hath forsaken him, perfecute and take him, for there

is none to deliver him.

For they measure the light of Gods countenance according to

the fcantling of outward prosperity.

2. The wicked want the unity of the fpirit, which is the Reaf. 3. bond of peace; for the God of peace is not in their wayes, they love not, they call not upon God; Charity is a Theological vir

tue;

where there is not true Religion, there can be no true love. I am fure this is a true Rule in Divinity, whatfoever humane policie have to fay against it.

Chrift foretold his Difciples, in the world ye shall have affliction.
Thefe things I command you that ye love one another.

If the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world,the world would love his own.

Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace; and they that in Religion do fland in termes of contradiction, it is not poffible to fit them with a girdle,

This point is thus made profitable to us.

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Joh.is.17. Verf. 18. Verf. 19.

r.For our felves, feeing Religion is the best bond of brotheruse. hood, and where no Religion is, there can be no fincere love; let us labour to grow up more and more in the knowledge and love and obedience of the truth, that we may be fortified throughout both in our bodies and in our fouls and fpirits for this maketh - us all one body, and we can no more fall out then the members of our natural bodyes can difagree one with another; the Orator spake ignorantly of the union of affections by the fame Country. Patria omnes in fe charitates complexa eft, the love of charity comprehends all love; for we know that we have had many unnatural fugitives which have abandoned their Country, and plotted treatons abroad against it, and have returned full of forraine venome and poyfon to corrupt the affections of the natu ral fubjects of their Soveraign with hatred of Religion and peace. That is only true of Religion, for that fo fweetneth the affections of men, that as they are content to do any thing they can, one for another; fo they can be content to endure any thing one for another, to beare for one anothers fakes,and to put up at one S

anothers

anothers hands many things;to forgive not seven times,but seventy times (even times.

For the true Church, as Bernard faith, doth fufpendere verbera, producere ubera,hide the rod, and lay forth the breafts,

2.For our children we must inftru&t them betimes in the knowledge and fear of God, that they may learn the doctrines of piety & charity,and may be taught to be members one of another. 3. This fetteth a mark upon the enemies of God; because where there is ftrife and envying, where there is hatred and malice, are not they carnal ?

If it be our duty to rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and to weep m that weep; they belong not to the fold of Chrift, that rejoyce..the weepirg, or weep at the rejoycing of their bre thren.

4. This declareth the vary of the joy of the world; for feeing their rejoycing is evill, it cannot be long lived; and therefore it is faid, that the candle of the wicked shall be put out, but the joy of the elect fball no man take from them.

Therefore wo to them that laugh here for their Harp shall be turned into mourning, and their Organs into the voyce of them that weep, but bleffed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted; and the time shall come when they shall rejoyce over them who have joyed at their paines; and rejoyce over her O heaven, and ye boly ApoPro.18.20 files and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her.

2. They attribute the glory of the conqueft to themselves, they understand not who raised them up against the Jewes, who gave them ftrength to fight,and who gave them victory; there fore they burne incenfe to their own nets, and kiffe their own hands, and thank themselves for all.

Here is the growth of iniquity; for firft they exercifc all cruel inhumanity against the Jewes, then they rejoyce over them, and then doth their fin grow out of measure finful; for they forbear not to provoke God himself by their pride of heart, robbing him of the glory of his own work, and afcribing it to themselves.

This even the light of nature hath detected to be moft injurious to God, and most dangerous to men, for they that have any natural notion of the Deity, know that the whole glory of all atchievements belongs to that fupreme power which ruleth all.

In the great confultation wherein Xerxes made a Propofition Herod.1.7. of warre against Greece,having a fpecial grudge at the Athenians, Polyrrima Mardonius was an earnest perfwader to the attempt; but Artabanus the fon of Hiftafpes, the Uncle of Xerxes the King, a grave, aged man,diffwaded it.

His great argument was drawn from a confideration of the danger of greatneffe to which the King his Nephew afpired to be Lord of all, and urgeth that old obfervation which Horace the Poet fince used, Feriuntque fummos fulmina montes, the ligtning ftrikes the higheft tops: his rule is

Gaudet Deus eminentiffima quaque deprimere, quia Deus neminem alium quam feipfum finit magnifice de fe fentire.

The point here noteable, is,

The profperity of this world doth fill the hearts of men with Dod. pride and vaine eftimation of themselves.

At the first when things fucceeded well with the Chaldean, he gave the honour thereof to his Idol god, as you have heard; but now he taketh it all upon himself; his own net, that is, his wit and strength hath done all, and he is now his own god.

The Wiseman faith, The profperity of fools fhall destroy them. They that worship ftrange gods, and do afcribe all their faire betydings to them, do commit Idolatry, and fin grievously; yet thefe do confeffe a Deity, and acknowledge the power, though not the perfon of God in fupreme agencie; but they that affume all to themselves, deny a Deity, or difable it, fo as that they may work without any borrowed help from thence.

So that the greatest Idolatry that is, or can be committed, is that pride of heart which affumeth to it felfe the glory of profperous fucceffe

Prov.1.42

And let men take heed of this temptation, for it is flattering. and fair-spoken, and our corrupt nature is very prone to give it 8,9. entertainment; this is one of the two things that Agar the fon of fakeh did pray against;

Remove far from me vanity and lies: this opinion of our felves is well termed vanity; for nothing can be more empty and voyd then it is; and it is as well called yes; for nothing can be more untrue then that we should be able as of our felves to do any thing for our felves.

The danger, Leaft if I be full, I deny thee, and fay, who is the

Lord?

S2

Here

Tab 31.29

Verf 27.

Verf. 28,

Rev. 4.10.

Here be two things in the Chaldæans,which Iob doth proteft against, and imprecate himself if he be guilty of either of them. The former evil, if I rejoyced at the deftruction of them that bated me.

And this, If my heart hath been fecretly enticed, or my mouth bath kiffed my hand'› hands.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I should have denied that God that is above.

It is Saint Gregories note upon that text. Per manum operatio, per os locutio defignatur; manum ergo ofculatur ore fuo, qui laudat quod facit,& teftimonio propria locutionis foli virtutem tribuit operis.

Let us remember our Sicut in cælo, as in heaven. For in hea ven the twenty foure Elders caft their Crowns before the Throne; which as Saint Gregory faith, is,

Certaminum funorm victorias non fibi tribuere, fed authori, ut ad illum referant gloriam laudis, à quo fe fciunt accepiffe vires

certaminis.

To arrogate to our felves Gods glory, this in fobs judgment is iniquitas maxima, the greateft iniquity for peccatum ex infir mitate fpem non perdit, fin of infirmity lofeth not hope, but prefumption deftroyeth hope utterly, and fo faith alfo, for faith is the ground of things hoped for.

Againft this let us heare the Apoftle: Let us not be defirous of

· Gal. 5.26. Whin-glory.

This is that dangerous finne of pride, which doth put our into the place and roome of God, and ufurpeth his rights.

felves

Our Saviour hath fufficiently difcouraged this fin in a few words to fuch as do rightly understand him; for when the disciLuk. 10 17 ples returned to him, and fafd, Lord, the devils are subject to us through thy name, Chrift anfwered,

Ver 18.

1.beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Greg. Ut in di fcipulis fuis elationem premeret: judicium ruina retulit, quod ipfe magifter elationis accepit.

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The very way to begin the true worship and service of God in us, is to put off our felves by an humble and true Confeffion,that of our felves we are able for no good work; I do not fay to demerit God, but not to do our felves any good; the wifedome

that

A

that guideth us is from above, the ftrength that enableth, us is dextra excelfi, the right hand of the most High;this fhews which way the glory and praife of all must

go.

Confidering then the fault of thefe Chalda ans in this vanity of boasting themselves: l

1. Let us come to decline it as a difcale.

2. Let us embrace the remedies thereof..

LAW.
7. Decline ir,

Becaufevit trefpaffeth that fame primum & maguùm mandatum, the first and great Commandment; for it robbeth God of his glory, and affumech it to our felves;and God hath fworn that he will admit any Partner or sharer with him in glory.

2. It connuteth us with the children of Satan, for he is he father of all the fons of Pride.

3,It exterminates charity;for it maketh a mans own wil che rule of his actions, and not the wil of God:which maketh us the Præ varicators of the fecond likeCommandment to the first, diliges proximum ficut teipfum, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf.

4. It maketh us liable to the fevereft vengeance of God, for God refifteth the proud; and if they perish whom God doth not affift, what hope can they have whom God doth refifta, aid or

5, It ftrippeth us out of all thofe graces and common favours of the Holy Ghost which we have, for when God feeth that we employ his talent to our own advantage, he will furely take it from us, feeing he took from him that employed not his talent to his advantage; for it is a greater fin to be a falfe then to be an idle fervant.

6. There is no vice that becomes a man worfer then felf-opi nion; we efteem one poor and proud very odious, and fuch are they that alcribe any thing to themselves; becaufe we are not able of our felves, to think, to move, to live, to fubfift, without our God.h.

7.There is no vice that pleafeth Satan better then felf-confidence; for chat quitteth Gods part in us, and feparateth us from God, which is all that Satau leeks, for then he hath fire poffeffion, and all that he holdeth is in peace.o

8.A proud man that afcribeth all to himfelf muft needs be un thankful. I may stirre up all the inconveniences of felf-opinion,

with

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