not the wrath of a King, because he did fee that GOD that was invifible: that is, when hee confidered God in his greatneffe, the King and his wrath were nothing to him. So that the way to get this magnanimitie, is, to beleeve that GOD is our GOD: and according to the greatnefe of a mans faith, fuch will bee this greatneße and magnanimitie of minde that wee commend to you. Saul, when he was a King, had a new heart and another fpirit, becaufe when hee beleeved in earnest that hee was a King, hee looked upon things after another manner; hee had other thoughts and other affections than hee had before: and so would any man else, if hee were advanced from a meane eftate to a Kingdome. In like manner if wee did beleeve that wee were the fons of the great God of heaven and earth, we would have great mindes; therefore the ftronger our faith is, the greater our winde is. Onely this is to bec added, that this thy faith must not be in the habit onely, but it must bee exercised and renewed continually: there must not be onely «««<, but ss, the actuall ufe of it. And were that which GOD fayd to Abraham (I am thy exceeding great reward,) truely beleeved of any of us, that God is fo great, and that his greatnese is our exceeding great reward, then all other rewards would feeme but fmall things. You fhall fee what David did upon this ground, in Pfal.27.1. The Lord is my light and my salvation, Pfal. 27.2. whom shall I feare? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? See, here are two things! things: First, he confiders that God is his; He is my falvation; Secondly, he confiders the greatneffe, and ftrength and power of God, and from thence hee drawes this conclufion: whom sball 1 feare? For in thee doe I truft; that is, in this power and greatneffe of God; and the intereft that Pfal.46.1,2,3. I have in him, Pfal. 46. 1,2,3. God is our refuge and ftrength, a very prefent helpe in trouble: Therefore will wee not feare though the earth be removed, and though the Mountaines bee carried into the midst of the Sea: though the waters thereof roare and be troubled, and though the Mountaines shake with the fwelling thereof: that is, when God is seene in his greatneffe, when wee looke upon him, and beleeve him to be fuch a God, and that wee have interest in him, in the greateft trouble and confufion that can befallus: though the earth be fbaken and the Mountaines caft into the midst of the Sca, yet the minde will not bee fhaken, but still remaines the fame. They beare out all, because they have a great God to beare themfelves upon, who will protect and defend them upon all occafions. him for his greatneffe. If God be fo great and infinite, (as he is) hence Learn to feare we fhould learne to feare him, and to tremble at his word. A great and potent enemy, men will feare: Wherefore this is one ufe that wee are to make of the greatnefse of God in that his wrath is exceeding great, and fo is his goodneffe, and both are to be feared. Wee ought to feare his wrath, left it come upon us, and his goodneffe left wee lose it for hee is a great God, and his wrath wrath is able to crush in pieces, and to confume us; fuch he expreffed it to be, when he put for th but fome part of his ftrength, as when he confumed them with their Cenfers,even the company of Corak, Dathan, and Abiram. who can dwell with everlasting burnings? As if he fhould fay, He is a great Go D, who can come neere him? who can converfe with him? how fhall men deale with him? Some of them there made an evill ufe of it; but we must learne to make use of it for our owne advantage,to take heed how we provoke him: for, is it a fmall thing to have the great God of Heaven and Earth our enemie? Let them confider this, that live without GoD in the World; that finne, and will finne; they are told of their particular faults,of their idleneffe, &c. and they are fo, and will be fo ftill: but let them confider that which is fpoken in 1.Cor. 10. 22. Doe we pro- 1 Cor.10.22. voke the Lord to jealouße? Are we stronger than he? He fpeakes it to them that receive the Sacrament unworthily: As if he should fay; Both in this, and in all other finnes that you doe commit, you doe as it were contend with the great God; which is a vaine thing, if you confider his greatneffe: for, are you stronger than he? So Pfal.90. Who Pfal. 90, knowes the power of his wrath? And fo thould we doe in regard of his goodneffe, Hof.3. ult. Men fball feare his goodneffe: that is, if his goodneffe be fo great and infinite, as himfelfe; then the loffe of it, is a loffe above the loffe of all things in the World. Whatfoever is precious to us, that we feare the loffe of; as of our liber To feare his goodneffe. Hof. 3. Vse 3. That no affe tion or obedience in us is for him, and ties and lives; and all other things, as they are more precious to us,fo the more we feare the loffe of them. Now the goodneffe of God is greater than all other things, it is beyond all thefe,as having all these in it: therefore we are to feare the loffe of it,as the greatest evill in the world. Furthermore, if we could fee the extenfion of his wrath,and goodneße; the loffe of the one,would be the greateft loffe, and the having the other,the greatest croffe to us; the enjoying of the one, the greatest good; and the enduring of the other, the greatest evill in the world, in our esteeme. The confideration of this, fhould helpe us to guide our hopes and feares aright; for a great cause of mif-leading us in our wayes, are the vaine hopes and feares that wee are fubject to: wee feare the loffe of friends,and loffe of lives and liberties; but thefe, in comparison, are not to be feared. This ufe Christ makes of it; Feare not those that can kill the body, but feare the great God, that can destroy both body and foule. The greatneffe of his wrath we should feare as the greatest evill; and his goodneße, as the chiefest good: and our thoughts and intentions being taken up about thefe two, it would fet our hopes and feares aright; and worldly things, as credit,and profit,&c.would feeme nothing to us, and prevaile nothing with us. If God be fo exceeding great, then there is no great enough love enough, no affection, no defire anfwerable to him. If our love were perfe&t,yet it could not reach to him, whofe greatneße doth farre exceed it: 'but being imperfect,as it is, it falls exceeding therefore not to limit our felves in cither. fhort fhort of him. Therefore let no man doubt that hee can goe too farre,that there can be too much holineffe and ftri&neffe in his wayes, but let him remember the great GoD of Heaven and Earth, and what is due to him,and then thinke how farre thou fallest short of that which thou shouldeft doe to him. It is an expreffion of Christ, Luke Luke 14-16. 14.26. Math.10. 27. He that loveth father or mo- Matb. 10. 37. ther more than me, is not worthy of me. That which I would have obferved out of these places,is, He is not worthy of me: that is, if men confidered my Greatneße, and excellencie, they would easily fee me worthy of more love, than this of friends, or than any that are dearest to thee: and except you can doe fo, except you can prize my love above these things, yea, even hate them all, if they come into competition with me, you are not worthy of me. Confider therefore, how much love he is worthy of; and fee if there be not reafon for that Commandement, where wee are commanded to love the Lord with all our firength: that is, if you would love God with that love that hee is worthy of, you would love God with all your Strength: that is,what foever ftrength a man hath, his love fhould cause him to put it forth, to doe fervice to God. If a man be rich,hee is able to doe more for God, than a poore man; if hee be a Magiftrate, hee can doe more than a private man; if hee hath learning and knowledge, hee hath much more strength than another: now the improvement of thefe to the glory of God, that is, to love him with all thy ftrength. And if you |