Fearefalnelle in profeffion whence it is, with Gop then must they beare no weight at all:) and thus becaufe difgrace and difparagement, &c. feemed but little to Paul, he defpiled them all. So from this weakeneffe of mind arifeth that cowardlineffe which wee fee often in men. Whence is ti that men are fo fearefull to hold out the light of a holy profeffion? is it not from hence, that they are pufillanimous, that they doe too much efteeme the face and fpeeches of men? A Lion, because he knowes himselfe to be a Lion, if the dogs barke, he walkes in the street and regards them not; he turneth not his head afide for them: So a magnanimous man, that knowes himfelfe in GODS favour, will paffe by the obloquies of men. You fhall fee David did fo: hee went on in a courfe like a Lion, when shimei railed against him, fo that the two fonnes of Zerviah would have cut off his head: No, let him alone, faith he, the Lord then raised him up to a greatneffe of minde. So was it with Paul, hee passed paffed through evil report, and good report, and never turned afide for any. So Mofes and Teremy, They fball fmite thee with the tongue of men, &c. fayes Gon, but I am with thee, and I will make thee a brazen wall, and an iron pillar. And fo, if wee could fee God in his greatneffe, all these outward things would feeme nothing to us. As an hundred Torches appeare to be nothing, when we looke upon the Sunne: fo, if we could confider aright of the greatneße of God, all the faire fpeeches of men would be as nothing. Now the way way to get this magnanimity, is to beleeve this greatnelle of God, and to confider that wee are the fons of God, and heires of heaven: the cause of this pufillanimity is the want of faith. If wee did beleeve that wee were the fons of God, and did beleeve that God would bee with us, that he was fo great a God, and that he did ftand by, and fecond us, we would not be fo fearefull as we are. Therefore ftrengthen your faith, that you may have your mindes inlarged, that fo you may walke without impediments, and be perfect with him. This was the argument ufed to Abraham, that made him perfect with God in all his wayes; that God was Al-fufficient, and his great. reward, THE SIXTEENTH SERMON. EXOD VS 3. 13,14. 13 And Mofes faid unto GOD; Behold, when I come unto the Children of Ifrael, and ball fay unto them; The GOD of your Fathers bath fent mee unto you, and they fhall fay unto me, What i bis Name? what fball 1 fay unto them? 14 And GOD faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT F you aske the queftion, How a man First, it arifeth thus from it. Queft. Ani W How a man hall come by this greatneffe of mind, and what rise it hath from God's greatneffe. I The fight of Geds greatnes makes a man despite all o ther things Phil 3.8. Tam. 1.10, He is able to gainft all-op pofitions. defend us a Heb. 12 ding great, and that he hath intereft in him, this wil make him to defpife all other things,as fmall things in comparison of him.Indeed, though God were great, yet if we had no interest in him, then there was no caufe why wee fhould take to our felves this magnanimity upon any fuch ground: but feeing that he is fo great, and that this greatneffe fhall be improved to our advantage, what addition can any thing elfe make unto us? You fhall fee that Paul raised up his heart upon this ground: Phil. 3.8. confidering the priviledges that he had in Chrift,this makes him to account other things as nothing. Hence in Iam.1.10.Let him that is of a high degree, rejoyce in that he is made low that is, let him rejoyce that hee is inabled to looke upon his riches which he did fo high ly magnific before, to thinke them as nothing, but as fading flowers, let him rejoyce in it, because now hee is made a greater man, because hee is made too bigge for them;they are no fuch things, as before hee thought them to bee: not that they are made leffe, but because hee is exalted and lifted above them. Secondly, fo likewife there is a rife for it in this regard, because God is able to defend us, and protect us, and beare us out against all oppofition. You fee that men looke great, because they have got great men or Princes to reft themselves upon; much more then when men confider that they have the great God on their fide, to beare themfelves upon, why fhould not they have great mindes & Thus Mofes, Heb. 11. regarded not |