no helpe, he is moft perfect, full of being,able to doe whatsoever he pleaseth.

Befides, confider with thy felfe, that if thoufand thousands perish, it is nothing to him; he cares no more for the deftruction of the whole World,than thou doeft for the throwing away of a little duft; he is full of excellencie and perfection: you fee how often hee fweepes away whole Kingdomes with the Beefome of destruction; nay, hee swept away the whole World by the Floud,as you doe fweepe a little duft out of your houfes. Therefore doe not you difpute with God, and aske why are fo many damned? why are fo many swept away? thinke with thy felfe, that he, that was before all things were, will be when they are gone: therefore learne with Paul,to reverence his judgement, to feare and tremble before him. He is full of being, and though thou perish,what is that to him? Wilt thou difpute with God?thou art but a particle of duft. What art thou that contendeft with him? Let the Potsheard strive with the Pot heards of the Earth, but not with God. Shall the Clay fay to him that fashions it, what makeft thou

Againe, if God be thus full,then confider why he hath laid fuch a Commandement on thee, to doe fuch and fuch things. Is it for himfelfe? O, for thy righteoufneffe, thy keeping of his Law reacheth not to him. What is it for then? Surely it is for thy felfe,and for thy good. If for thee he hath commanded, and every Commandement is for thy wealth; then confider, what reafon

thou

Vse 5.

That many thing to him. perish, is no

ve 6. His Commanfor thy good.

dements are

Deut.6.24

thou haft to walke in his wayes: he faith,as kind parents fay to their children, when they exhort them to good courfes; It will be for your owne good; and if you doe it not, it will be for your hurt: as it is faid of the Sabbath; It was made for man,and not man for the Sabbath; that is, God appointed the Sabbath for mans advantage, he would be undone elfe; he would grow wild,and forget God. And as it is faid of the Sabbath, fo it is true of every Commandement: therefore that is put to every Commandement; The Commandement which I command you for your wealth, Deut. 6.24. that is, when ever I command you any thing,it is not for mine owne fake; not,that I might be ferved and worshipped (though that is joyned with it) but it is for your profit, whatsoever I command. This then should stirre us up to goe about holy duties willingly, after another manner than we doe. No man will ferve himfelfe unwillingly, though it may be he will other men. Now,all the Commandements of God doe tend to our owne advantage; for to that end hath hee appointed them. Keepe the Commandements, and live in them: you live in them,as fire doth by Wood,and the creatures by their food. If a man did seriously confider this, he would doe it in another manner: We goe about our owne bufineffe with intention, becaufe it is ourowne; fo if you were perfwaded, that what God did command,were for our owne good, you would doe it with all diligence; you would not onely goe, but runne the wayes of his Commandements; you would nor onely take Hea

ven, but you would take it with violence, and with all your might and ftrength, you would doe whatfoever he commands,for it is for your owne profit, and not for his.

Laftly, If God be thus full,then you should give him the praile of his perfection, and stay your thoughts upon him. It is a thing that we come fhort of, for the most part, for wee are ready to aske,what is God to us? what profit,what good is he to us? (for that is the bafe nature of ours:)but grace teacheth us otherwife, wee must learne to know Go D, to honour and magnifie him in our thoughts for himfelfe. Some men have a greater knowledge of God,fome leffe,he that hath more, he is able to fet him up higher in his apprehenfion, and to give him the more praife, Pfal. 68. 1. Exalt him in his name Iah; that is,confider that he alone is ful of being, & gives being to all things: therefore (faith hee) praife him, and extoll him for this, and let your thoughts be upon him.

But muft it be a bare and emptie thought of him onely?

No, you fhall know it by thefe foure things, if you thinke aright of God indeed.

Thou wilt efteeme his enmity and friendship above all things, thou wilt not regard the crea. tures at all; either in the good,or hurt that they can doe thee: if thou canft fee the fulneffe of being that is in him, and the emptineffe that is in every creature; then, if he be thy friend, he is all in all to thee; and if hee be thine enemy, thou wilt confider that he that is full of all strength, power,'

K

ve 7. Topraife God

for himselfe, give him the

honour of his perfe&tion,

Pfal. 68. I.

Quest.

Answ.

I

Foure fignes of entitling

Gods perfecti.

on.

Dext, 28.

Nahum. I.

Signe

power,and being,that he is thine enemy,and that his enmity is heavie, for hee which is, is against thee.If the creature be fet against thee,it is but as a little clay or duft,they cannot hurt thee unleffe his arme go along with it;and then it is not that creature,but his arme that doth it: As when they came to take Chrift, it is faid, hee paffed thorow the midst of them; they were to him as a little duft, and as the army that came against David,ofbuah, and Elifba, they were to them as a little water; but when GoD comes against a man, then every little thing,if he pleaseth to extend and joine his power, is able therewith to quell the strongest man. Then, one man shall chase a thousand, and a thousand fball put ten thousand to flight, Deut. 28. He is a mighty River, that carries all before it, Nahum. 1. Therefore regard the enmity of the creature,as fmall things,his enmity is only to be refpected.

If thou thinkeft of him thus,then thou wilt be fatisfied with him, for thou haft him that is, and thou wanteft only the thing that is not; & therefore thou must say, when thou hast lost any thing, I have loft that which is nothing; when thou haft gained any thing, fay, that thou haft gotten that which is nothing:it is a hard thing to fay fo,but yet it is fo; as it is faid of riches in the Prov.23.5.fo it is true of honour, pleafure, profit,&c. Indeed riches to men are their fubftance; fo they call them, but to God they are nothing, and fo he cals them: riches,honor,&c. they have but a little diminutive being,as if they were no

thing. And they are nothing in two respects: 1 In comparison of God, they are nothing. 2 Because they are able to doe nothing. So other comparisons argue, as that they are flowers and falfe treasures, and fhadowes: now doth any man grieve, if his fhadow doth difappeare; or that he hath loft a flower. Therefore learne to magnifie God,for he is all, thou wantest nothing,if thou haft him, he is all in heaven, and why should hee not be fo here? Because when Peter faid they had left all, Chrift tells them they should have an hundred fold; and why? because they had a full communion with God; and therefore, they had all the comfort that friends or lands could afford; he was in ftead of al to them: as Paul, when he was in prifon, was not God all to him? and what need had he of riches, or lands, or friends? for friends are but to comfort a man; and money can doe no more than man can doe; and praise and honour doe but knit mens hearts to us; now if we have the light of Gods countenance, wee need not mans helpe; if God will forth his power for us, what need wee any thing elfe? if hee will heale us, what needs the Phyfitian? if he will cloath us, and give us meat and drinke, then what needs wealth? Therefore labour to bee fatisfied with him, to prize and efteeme him, and to thinke him to be all in all.

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put

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