1. In heauen.

By heauen, I vnderstand whatsoeuer is aboue the earth: Paul I remember makes 1. Particular. [Page 3] mentiō of three heauens, a first, a second, & a third heauens; like Noahs Arke that was contriued with a first, second, and third roome.

1 The first, reaches from the earth to the moone.

2 The second, from the moone to the third heauen, which by the learned is cal­led coelum empyreium, comprehending the seauen planets, & the firmament, which is the receptacle of all the fixed starres.

3 And the last, is that which Paul calleth the highest heauens, the Paradise of god, and the seate of the blessed.

I might take occasion to shew you that God doth what hee pleases. 1. In the first heauens. 2. In the second heauens. 3. In the third heauens.

But least I should seeme rather curious then profitable, I will handle this point generally, that God doth what he plea­ses in heauen. The heauen is the Lords throne, 1. King. 8. 27. the Angels at his command, as diligent as the seruants of the Centurion, Matth. 8. 9. if hee saith to one, goe, he goeth; to another, come, he comes; to a third, doe this, he doth it: If to destroy Sodome, readie to destroy: [Page 4] if to preserue Lot, they can doe nothing, til Lot be come out of Sodom. Knowest thou not, said Christ, to him that smot off the high Priests seruants ear, that I could pray to my father, and hee would giue me more then twelue legions of Angels? Matth. 26. The sunne, and the moone, and the starres, the orbs and arches of heauen, obey his voyce: hee caused the sunne and moone to stand stil till Ioshua preuailed ouer his enemies, Iosh. 10. 13. and the starres from heauen to fight a­gainst Sisera, Iudg. 5. 20. Hee commands the winds and storms, and the winds and stormes obey him, Mark. 4. 36. The thun­ders, and they are obedient to him: Hee sent thunder to plague the hard hearted Egyptians, Exod. 9. 23. Hee sent thunder at the prayer of Samuel, 1. Sam. 12. 18. The winds were his seruants to bring in quayles to the Israelites, Numb. 11. 31. And when Ionah fled from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish, he raysed vp a mighty tempest, Ion. 1. 4. The swift and speedie lightnings are his attendants. When he came to deliuer the law to Mo­ses, he came in a terrible manner with lightnings, Exod. 19, 16. Hee couereth [Page 5] the heauens with clouds, and prepareth raine, Psal. 147. 8. In the time of Noah the Lord opens the windows of heauen, and commanded the clouds to raine, and then the earth was couered with water, Gen. 7. 19. Againe, he commanded that it should not raine for the space of three yeers and vpwards, in the time of Eliah, 1. King. 17. 1. and then the windowes of heauen were shut vp, and the riuers were dried vp, 1. kin. 17. 7. He giues snow like wooll, & scattereth the hoare frost ashes. Psal. 147. 16. Hee tames the birds of the ayre, euen the wilde rauens: the wild ra­uens fed the Prophet Eliiah, 1. Kin. 17. 6. In a word, all things in heauen obey him, the Angels, the Sunne, the moone, the starres, stormes, tempests, thunders, light­nings, raine, snow, hayle. Hee giues by his voyce, the multitude of waters in the heauens, hee causes his clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth, hee turnes his lightnings to raine, and brings forth the wind out of his treasure, Ierem. 10. 13. Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord, that doth hee in heauen.

In the earth.

As he ruleth all things in heauen, so he 2. Particul [...] [Page 6] ruleth all things in earth, mooueable and immooueable, man and beast: hee ruleth all men, yea the very steppes of a man are ruled by the Lord, Prou. 20. 24. he fashi­ons the heart of euery man, and vnder­stands their works, Psal. 33. 15. by him Kings reigne, and Princes decree iustice; by him Princes rule, and all the Iudges and Nobles of the earth, Prou. 8. 15. It is hee that giueth deliuerance vnto Kings, and rescueth his seruants from the hurt­full sword, Psal. 144. 10. he pulleth down Princes, and raiseth vp Princes, accor­ding to his pleasure. He chased the Amo­rites, Exod. 34. 11. he fought for Israel, Ios. 10. 42. he gaue Hezekiah victorie, 2. King. 19. 34. hee giues the victorie, he giues the ouerthrow; in a word, he rules all men, the mightie of the earth, Empe­rours, and Kings: The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, Prou. 21. 1. and not only so, but whatsoeuer is in the earth besides, with life or without life, * e­uen [...]en and [...]attel. [...]. 8. 8. from the lion to the creeping thing: he caused a lyon to destroy the disobedi­ent prophet, 1. King. 13. 24. so he gaue Samson victory ouer a lyon, Iudg. 14. 12 and likewise Dauid victory ouer a lyon, [Page] 1. Sam. 17. 34. He sent two be [...] stroy the fortie two children that [...] ked the Prophet Elisha, 2. King. 2. [...] Frogs, flies, lice, and grashoppers are t [...] Lords mightie armie: he spake the word and they mustred themselues vp against Pharaoh, and made war against the wic­ked Egyptians, Exod. 8. 5. 9. 1. 10. 28. The wormes likewise obey the voice of God: he sent a worme to destroy Ionah his gourd, Ion. 4. 7. and so doe the ser­pents, for he sent fierie serpents amongst the children of Israel, that stang them so as many died, Numb. 21. 6. The Lord is he that causeth [...] trees of the earth to flourish, euen th [...] [...] Cedars of Leba­non, and the tree [...] earth to wither, like the wild figg [...] [...] [...]at [...]. 21. 19. he raised vp a wild gourd [...] comfort Ionah, and the next morning he caused it to die away, Ion. 4. 7. Hee causeth the earth to bring forth the bud of [...]he herb, that see­deth seede according [...] his kind, Gen. 1. 11. he, I say, ruleth the earth, men, beasts, trees, plants. The earth is the Lords, and all that therein is, the round world, and they that dwel therein, Psal. 24. 1. What­soeuer pleaseth the Lord, that doth hee in [Page] [...] in earth.

In the seas.

Thirdly, God doth that which hee pleaseth in the sea: The sea is his, and he made it, and his hands prepared the drie land, Psal. 95. 5. he diuided the red sea, so as the Israelites passed through vpon dry land, Exo. 14. 23. He commands the sea, yea the fishes of the sea are commanded of God from the greatest to the least: He caused a whale to swallow vp Ionah, and the same whale to cast him vp againe vp­on the drie land, Ion. 2. 10. and when Si­mon had gone a fishing all night, and could catch nothing [...] at length Christ caused him to lau [...] [...] to the deepe, and then he encloas [...] [...] [...]ole multitude of fishes, Luk. 5. [...] God, saith Da­uid, rulest the raging of the sea, when the waues thereof arise, thou stillest thē, Psa. 89. 9. his wayes in the sea, and his pathes in the great waters, and his footsteps are not knowne, Ps [...]. 77. 19. When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Ia­cob from the barbarous people, the sea saw it and fled, Iordan was turned back­ward, Psalm. 117. Thou hast, faith the Psalmist, placed the earth vpon her foun­dations, [Page 9] thou couerest it with the deepe as with a garment: the waters would stand aboue the mountaines, but at thy rebuke they flie, Psal. 104. 5. as if he had said, If thou, O God, didst not curbe in and bridle the raging of the sea, it were impossible but that the whole world should be ouerwhelmed with water, the waters would stand aboue the moūtains, but at thy rebuke they flie: and Psal. 33. 7. He gathereth the waters of the sea toge­ther as vpon an heape, and layeth vp the deepes in his treasure: and yet in another Psalme, The voice of God is vpon the waters, he fittes vpon the floods, and re­maines king for euer and euer, Psal. 29. 10. Whatsoeuer pleases the Lord, that doth he in heauen, in the earth, and in the sea.

And in all deepes.

1 First, in the deepes of the sea: and thus 4. Particular he deliuered Ionah beeing incompassed with the deepes, Ion. 1. 2. hee makes the deepes to boile like a pot, Iob. 41. 22.

2 Secondly, in the deepes of the earth: The graue is naked before him, Iob 26. 6. There is nothing hidden, no not in the bottome of the earth, but he seeth it.

3 Thirdly, in the deepe of all deepes: in [Page 10] the bottomlesse pit, Reu. 20. his power is deeper then hel, Iob 11. 8. hell and de­struction are before the Lord, Pro. 15. 11.

4 4. But the meaning of the place is this, God ruleth not only the seas and salt wa­ters, but all fresh riuers, ponds, and lakes, euen the deepes that spring out of the vallies and mountaines, Deu. 8. 7. Oh God, saith Dauid, Let not the wicked haue their desire: Oh cast them into the deepe pits that they rise not. Psal. 104. 10 Hee claue the rockes in the wildernesse, and gaue the children of Israel drinke as out of the great deepes. Psal. 78. 15. Hee spake the word, and the fountaines of the great deepe were broken vp. Gen. 8. 11. The riuers of Egypt hee turned into blood, Exod. 7. 17. and caused the aunci­ent riuer, the riuer Kishon to sweepe a­way Sisera with his mightie hoast. Iudg. 5. 21. Hee turnes the floodes into a wil­dernesse, and springs of water into dry­nesse: againe, he turnes the wildernesse into pooles of water, and the drie land into water springs, Psal. 107. 33. What­soeuer pleases the Lord, that doth hee in heauen, in earth, in the sea, and in all deepes.

Whatsoeuer pleases the Lord that he doth, The limitati­on of this doctrine. &c. Yet this must be vnderstood with li­mitation: for som things there are which God cannot doe. God cannot lie, Tit. 1. 2. God cannot deceiue, God cannot sin, God cannot deny himselfe, &c. here then arises the difficulty, how can it be said, that God doth whatsoeuer hee pleases, since you haue named particulars, that he cannot effect nor bring to passe? God cannot sinne, God cannot cause that which is done to be vndone, &c. and therfore God is not omnipotent, neither doth hee whatsoeuer hee wills. But the answer is easie: 1 First, God doth whatso­euer hee pleases, but to sinne, to lie, &c. these are not pleasing to his Maiestie, 2 Secondly, these are opera non potentiae sed impotentiae, to sinne, to die, &c. these pro­ceed from weaknesse and infirmitie, and therefore if God were subiect to these, he were not Almightie: for to sinne is a to­ken of imperfection, yea of slauery: know you not saith Paul that his seruants you are whom you obey. Ioh. 8. 34. If God could be ouercome by sinne, hee should be the seruant of sinne, and if hee could subiect himselfe to the bondage, and sla­uerie, [Page 12] and seruice, and dominion of sinne, and be vanquished and ouercome by it, hee were not Almighty: for this would derogate from his omnipotency, because it implies a contradiction, to be omnipo­tent, and yet to yeeld to the conquest of sinne: and therefore here rather appeares the mighty power of God, that hee is not subiect to these infirmities, it is the great power of God, that hee cannot lie, and so for sinne in generall, therefore it is not in God, because he is Almighty and om­nipotent. But I leaue the doctrines, and hasten to the vse. I will first deliuer one vse in generall, and so wee will come to more particular application.

Since God rules all things in heauen, The generall vse. and earth, &c. therefore nothing comes to passe, without his speciall notice and prouidence, nothing comes by accident, nor nothing comes by chance. The lot is cast into the lappe, but the whole dis­position is of the Lord, Prou. 16. 33. who saith a thing comes to passe, & the Lord hath not done it? out of the mouth of the most High proceeds euil and good, Lam. 3. 37. The Lord saueth man and beast, Psal. 36. 6. God careth for the birds of heauen and feeds them, Matth. 6. 26. and [Page 13] hee numbers our hayres, Matth. 10. 30. Nay, takes notice of euery teare that is shedde by the faithfull, and puts them in a bottell, Psal. 56. 8. Nay, his prouidence extends to the lilies of the field, and to the birds of heauen, euen to the little sparrow. The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh away, as it pleaseth the Lord, so come things to passe, Iob. 1. 21. Indeede ordinarily we ascribe whatsoeuer betides vs, to fortune, and chance, and to the in­fluences of the starres, as if God were not the disposer and ruler of all his workes: there can be no euill in the citie, saith A­mos, but the Lord hath done it, Amos. 3. 6. plagues come from God, punishments from God, crosses from God: the coue­tous man imputeth his losses to fortune, his encrease to fortune, & generally vn­timely deaths, burnings, blastings, &c. these are imputed to accident & chance, when indeed sinne is the cause, and God is the author of punishment. Man suffers for sinne, Lam. 3. 39. our sinnes are the cables, and cartropes, that hurries down Gods vengeance vpon vs. I kill, saith God, and I giue life, I wound and I make whole, Deut. 32. 39. I forme the light, I [Page 14] create darkenesse, I make peace, and I create euill, I the Lord doe all these things, Isai. 45. 7. This in generall.

Now in particular this doctrine may serue, First for terror to the wicked. Se­condly, for comfort to the elect.

Terror to the wicked. 1. In regard of this life. 2. In regard of a better life.

Consolation to the elect. 1. for this life. 2. for a better life.

Vse. 1 How can a wicked and a godlesse per­son harbour any quiet in his breast, since God rules in all places? how can they promise themselues any safety, since God doth whatsoeuer hee pleaseth in heauen, in the earth, in the sea, and in all deepes? how can they promise peace to them­selues, when the Lord of heauen is able to muster vp al his heauenly powers, and set legions of heauenly and celestiall sol­diers in battell array against them? nay how can they euer thinke to be saued, since God is the Lord of the heauens, that excludeth and admitteth whomsoe­he pleases? how can they thinke to pros­per vpon the earth, or to be safe vpon the sea, since God rules in both these; when his power reaches higher then the hea­uen, [Page] deeper then hell, since the measure of it is longer then the earth, and broader then the sea, Iob. 11. 8. If they looke vp to heauen, the mighty God of heauen their enemy, Christ their enemie, archan­gels, and Angels, the orbs and arches of heauen, the starres and the planets, all things in heauen ready at Gods com­mand to bandy against thē, nay the gates of heauen bard vp against them, as it was against the fiue foolish virgins, Math. 25. 12. If they looke downe to the earth, the earth is weary of bearing so vile a bur­then: if they flie to the sea, that swells and rages against them: if they flie to the East, God is there, if to the West God is there, if to the North hee workes in the North, if to the South hee hides himselfe in the South, Iob. 23. 8. So as the estate of a wicked man, is like the estate of him that the Prophet Amos speakes of, that flew from a lion, and a bare met him, A­mos, 5. 19. Or like Plinies flying fish, which beeing in the sea, is chased by the fishes, and flying into the ayre is pursued by the birds, which way soeuer they go they runne headlong to their destructi­on: if they take the wings of the morning [Page] and flie to the sea, God commands the sea, and that makes warre against them, as it did against the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 28. If they returne to the earth, the earth shal be cursed to them as it was to Cain, Gen. 4. 12. If they looke vp to heauen, they flie from a lion to a beare, God like­wise ready to execute vengeance vpon them for their wicked courses. And ther­fore truly said the Deuil to Saul, Doest thou aske counsell of mee, and God is thine enemy? 1. Sam. 28. 16. It is vaine to consult or aske counsell, if God opposes, if God takes in against vs, it is a vaine thing to trust in charrets or horses: woe to the rebellious children, saith the Pro­phet, that strengthen thēselues with the strength of Pharaoh, and trust in the sha­dow of Egypt: for the strength of Pha­raoh shall be their shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt their confusion, Isai. 30. 1. 2. Though hand ioyne in hand, saith Dauid, nation ioyne with nation, kingdome with kingdoms, though hand ioyne in hand, yet shall not the wicked escape vnpunished: I kil, saith God, nei­ther is there any that can deliuer out of my hands, Deu. 32. 39. Though they dig [Page 17] downe to hell, thence shall mine hand take them, though they climbe vp to hea­uen, thence I will bring them downe: though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them thence, and though they be hidden in the bottome of the sea, I will command the serpent and he shall bite them, Amos 9. 2. 3. This then is the estate of a wicked man, but I purpose to handle this point more particularly.

First, God doth what hee pleaseth in In heauen. the heauen, and therefore in what a dan­gerous, in an vncertaine, and slipperie e­state is euery wicked person, that stands not in good grace & tearmes with God, but stands in the estate of rebellion, and is out of his fauour, which way soeuer hee turnes, encompassed about with as many enemies as God hath creatures. For euen as Princes out of their absolute au­thoritie leauie vp forces, in the court, in the citie, in the countrie, amongst their subiects superiour and inferiour: So I say the Lord hath, as the earth and sea at his command, so likewise all his celestiall courtiers the Angels, as it were his No­bles, whereof one is able to ouerthrow an [Page 18] hundred fourescore and fiue thousand, 2. King. 19. 39. and as he hath his no [...]es, so hath hee his inferiour officers, the sun [...], the moone, all the planets and starres, whereby he can and doth astonish and a­maze wicked and godlesse and rebellious people. He binds the waters in the cloud, and the cloud is not broken vnder [...]. The pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe, hee hath garnished the heauens, & framed the crooked serpent, Iob. 26. 11. 12. 13. Hee commands the sunne, and it riseth not, [...]e closes vp the starres as vnder a signe [...], hee maketh the starres Arcturus, Pleyades, & Orion, and the starres of the South, Iob. 9. 7. 8. 9. He commaunds the pillars of heauen, the sphear [...] and constellations, the planets and starres, Arcturus, Pleyades, and Ori­on, all these are readie to obey the voyce of God, and if hee please to commaund them to plague the vngodly: and there is not the least of the Lords army, not the least Angel, starre, not the least meteor, but is able, if God but speake the word to destroy, I say not an Egypt, an Asia, or a world, but ten thousand worlds. Sure­ly, it is a wonder that any wicked man [Page 19] should dare to sleep vpon his bedde, that they should giue sleepe to their eyes, or number to their eyelidds, Prov. 6. 4. bee­ing so infinitly beset with millions of en­emies: how miserably was the poore ser­uant of Elisha affrighted, when hee saw that an hoast of men had incompassed the [...], and cried out to Elisha, alasse master what shall we do? 2. king. 6. 15. And how feareful were the children of Israel when they departed Egypt, and were pursued by their enemies, they were sore afraid saith the text and cried to the Lord, Ex­od. 14. 10. A [...] so I say it is a wonder of wonders, that men should be so secure, that they should not tremble euen as Bel­thazar trembled, when hee saw the hand writing vpon the playster of the wall, Dan. 5. 5. that their hearts should not faile them, that dismaiednes and fear [...] [...]ould not swallowe them vp: When [...]mies, not of Egyptians, but Angels [...]ursue them, nay when as all things created from the earth, to circumference of hea­uen, the lion & the beare, the great beare & the lesser beare, the crooked serpent, Pleyades, and Orion: all [...]ods hea­uenly hoast, bidde them battell, and set [Page 20] themselues continually in battell array a­gainst them.

Secondly, how can they thinke to be In earth. safe vpon the earth, or to prosper vpon the earth, since God is the ruler of the earth; methinkes euerie vngodly wretch should bee of Cains minde, that feared least euery man hee met with, were ap­pointed for his executioner, Gen. 4. 14. May they not iustly feare that the earth will take part with her Lord and maker, and swallowe them vp, as it did Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numb. 16. 1, 2, 3. yea, that the least worme and creeping thing should be made strong enough to destroy them: thus proud Herod was worried with wormes, Act. 12. 23. and so we reade in Ioel, that the Lord plagued the nation of the Iewes with most con­temptible creatures, grashoppers, can­kerwormes, catterpillars, and palmer­wormes, Ioel 2. 25. Pope Adrian was slaine by a gnat, others with the stone of a raison, some with an hair in their broth, some one way, some an other, and me­thinkes then that euery vile person, should feare the vilest and basest of Gods creatures, euen frogs, flies, and lice, least [Page 21] these should be appointed for their de­struction, that they should feare to walk in the aire for feare of infection, or yet to remaine in their houses, for feare least their houses should reuenge Gods quar­rell vpon them: may they not feare that euery morsell they eate should bee their bane, and euery droppe of liquor they drinke should be their poyson? but what saith Salomon, Sentence against euill is deferred, and therefore the heart is fully bent to doe wickedly, Eccles. 8. 11. God doth not open the sluces and floodgates of heauen vpon vs as he did vpon the old world, Gen. 7. 17. the earth doth not o­pen her mouth to deuoure, as in the time of Moses, Numb. 16. 1. God raineth not downe vpon vs fire and brimstone, as he did vpon Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19. 24. We see many an old sinner, many an olde adulterer, many an old swearer, many an old drunkard, and therefore men draw on sinne with cords of vanitie, Isa. 5. 18. and commit all manner of wicked­nesse with all greedinesse; these let them know (though God bee patient waiting for their conuersion) yet as he is patient, so he is iust, and therefore though he for­beares [Page 22] long (as he is slow to anger, Exo. 34. 6.) yet euen as a streame beeing stopt carries all before it, or as wet wood being once kindled burns the faster; so though his wrath hath beene a long time kept in with the floodgates of his mercy, yet in the ende his furie shall breake out, like a violent streame, to the vtter destruction of the wicked. Long did hee beare with the olde world, long did his spirit striue with man, Gen. 6. 3. but in the ende hee turned the whole world into an Ocean, Gen. 7. 17. long did he striue with Ieru­salem, but at length, she was made a prey to the teeth of her enemies, Psal. 124. 6. & not one stone left vpon another: long may the Lord beare with the wicked, but as sure as God is iust, so assuredly in the ende his wrath and iealousie shall smoake against them, Deut. 19. 20. how then can they sooth vp themselues, and flesh vp themselues in their sinnes? how can they think to be safe vpon the earth, since the righteous Iudge of the whole world, Gen. 18. 25. is Lord ouer the earth? or how can they think to thriue and pro­sper vpon the earth, since the earth is the Lords, and the plentie of the earth? Psal. [Page 23] 24. 1. Gold is mine, saith God, and siluer is mine, saith the Lord of hostes, Hag 2. 9. Except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vaine that build it; except the Lord keepeth the city, the keeper watch­eth in vaine, Psal. 127. 1. what a madnes is this in a besotted worldling, to carke and to care, and to digge, and ditch, and delue, and beat his braines, and rise early, and goe to bed late, Psal. 127. 2. as if they would command the earth in despight of heauen? I tel thee whosoeuer thou art, if God but command, the heauens aboue shall be as yron, and the earth as hard as brasse, your land shall not giue her en­crease, nor your trees their fruit, Leu. 26 19. and therefore cease from your immo­derate labour, and sue for Gods blessing, for without it you sow much, but bring in but little, and put all your earnings in­to a broken bagge, Hag. 1. 4.

Thirdly, how can a reprobate thinke In the sea. to bee safe vpon the sea, since God like­wise rules the seas. I remember what I read of Ionah: When Ionah fled from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish, he be­tooke him to the sea, Ion. 1. 3. but as soon as euer God gaue commission to his crea­tures, [Page 24] the winds broke forth, and made warre vpon Ionah, Ion. 1. 4. the waters encountered with the winds, and made warre vpon Ionah: nay the fish, the whale opened his mouth, and lay wayting to deuoure Ionah, the marriners that were to land him safely in Tarshish, conspired to cast him into the sea: nay, if God but set against vs, then shall we euen like Iu­das set against our selues, Mat. 27. 5. Io­nah did not in this extremitie plead for, but against himselfe; Take me, saith he, and cast me into the sea, and so shall the sea be calme vnto you, Ion. 1. 12. & how can wicked persons hope for the least safetie vpon the sea: if the Lord but com­mand the stormes and winds, they obey him, and these shall worke their ouer­throw; if hee but command, the sea, the ship, the pirats vpon the sea, the rocks, these shall worke their destruction.

But suppose that neither heauen, nor earth, nor sea sets against them, yet hath In the deeps the Lord an other army, and when hee armes himselfe to vengeance, euen the sweet waters, and delightfull springs shal runne vpon the world as it were with drawne swords: and hath not the Lord [Page 25] infinitely fought against vs with his wa­trie armie, witnes our late floods and in­undations, breaking downe banks, carri­yng away mils, bridges, &c. the Lord ar­med these fresh water soldiers with such strength and power, that nothing was a­ble to resist them: and therefore still see the miserable estate of an vnsanctified man, if hee escapes one euill he meeteth with an other, if he escape a first, he mee­teth with a second, for the Lords quiuer is full of arrowes, and his thunderbolts are neuer spent, if neither heauen, nor earth, nor sea, yet shal the deepes reuenge Gods quarrell vpon them: euen thus mi­serable are they in this life, euen as Ionah in the whales belly was compassed with waters, so are these with enemies aboue, beneath, and round about them.

And yet behold, this is but their mise­rable The 2. vse [...] the 1. part f [...] terror to th [...] wicked. estate in regard of this world: see a­gaine their miserable estate in regard of a better life. Is it possible that an vnclean person should euer thinke to dwell with God, so long as God rules in heauen? consider this point in the name of God, and let it be a doctrine to worke terrour and amazement in vs. God hath said it in [Page 26] his word, that neither buggerers, fornica­tors, nor adulterers shal inherit the king­dome of heauen, Eph. 5. 5. God that hath the keyes of heauen, and hath the keyes of hell, this God hath spoken it, and how canst thou then that runnest to the har­lots house, and makest thy selfe a slaue to vncleannesse, how canst thou euer thinke to dwell with God, that euer ab­horred vncleannesse: and so for couetous persons, that forsake the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof, to surfet vpon filthie Mammon, how can they ouer thinke to dwell with that God that euer abhorred couetous persons, ma­licious persons, drunkards, swearers, li­ars? how can they euer hope to dwel with that God, that abhors malice, abhors ex­cesse, abhors swearers, and liars? how can such deuillish and damned persons euer thinke to bee saued, since the heauen of heauens is the Lords? Deut. 10. 14. God he is holy, God he is righteous, God he is pure: how canst thou then, thou that art vnholy, thou that art vnpure, thou that art vnrighteous, how canst thou e­uer think to set thy foot within the gates of the new Ierusalem? a stinking carkasse [Page 27] stinkes not more vilely in the nostrils of man, then an abhominable sinner stinkes odiously in the nostrils of God. Let all sinnefull wretches know this, that God is their mortall enemie, hee will wound the head of his enemies, & execute ven­geance vpon his enemies, Deut. 32. 41. we loath not a toad nor a scorpion worse then the Lord hateth them; we hate not the deuill, nor the deuill hateth not man worse then God hateth them, and there­fore questionles the Lord will neuer ad­mit them into his holy kingdome, nei­ther couetous earth-wormes, beastly drūkards, hellish blasphemers, extorting vsurers, God will neuer receiue these in­to his sacred presence, but shal send them packing with the wicked and the repro­bate into euerlasting damnation: whoso­euer worketh abomination and lyes, shal haue no part in the kingdome of heauen, Reu. 21. 27. the frogs of Egypt stanke not more rankely in the Egyptians noses, Ex. 8. 14. then these smell rankely in Gods nosthrils: and therefore I say, God will stop his nose against them, and giue them their portion with hypocrites. All the fearefull, all the vnbeleeuing, and abho­minable [Page 28] murderers, whoremongers, sor­cerers, idolaters, and liars shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone, Reu. 21. 8. And therefore now The conclu­sion of the vse in gene­rall. to drawe to a conclusion, as Peter saith, humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God, 1. Pet. 5. 6. so say I, humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God: God he is a mighty God, able to worke your ruine vpon earth, and to cast both bodie and soule into hel fire: hum­ble your selues therfore before the thron of his grace; for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God. Thou drunkard that destroiest the tem­ple of God, and the good creatures of God by thine intemperancy, and runnest into all manner of enormities, that thy drunken humour hurries thee into, that makest streets and townes ring of thine vnrulines, thou that art mighty to drinke wine and strong drinke, how darest thou rise early, and goe to bed late, to follow drunkennes, since God hath denounced a woe against drunkards? Isa. 5. 11. and that God that hath denounced a woe a­gainst thee, is able to cast both body and soule into hell fire.

Thou couetous earthworme, that ma­kest a god of thy goods, that diggest downe to hell for riches, and eatest the poore as men eat bread, that art choaked with the loue of the world: thou greedie catterpiller, how darest thou continue in this sinne, since God hath said it, That neither theeues, nor railers, nor couetous persons, shall inherite the kingdome of God? 1. Cor. 6. 10. and this God is able to cast both bodie and soule into hell fire.

Thou blasphemer of the name of God, that rentest and tearest the name of God in peices, and spewest forth blacke, and feareful, and damnable oaths, and makest swearing, and cursing, and deuillish spea­king, thy best language: how darest thou take the name of the Lord in vaine, since God hath said it, that he wil not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine? Exod. 20. 7. and this God is able to cast both bodie and soule into hel fire. Dares a sonne offend his father? durst Pilate of­fend Caesar, Ioh. 19. 13. dares the borro­wer offend the lender? no man will wil­lingly offend him that is able to worke him an inconuenience; and thinke wee then that it is a safe thing to offend the [Page 30] liuing Lord of heauen and earth, that is able doubly and redoubly, and trebly to requite vs, and to render vengeance to those that know him not. If you wil not be reformed, saith the Lord to the obsti­nate Iewes, but walke stubbornly against me, then will I also walke stubbornely a­gainst you, and I wil smite you yet seuen times for your sinnes, Leuit. 26. 24. I re­member what I read in the 2. Sam. 16. 6. concerning Dauid & Shemei: when Da­uid went downe, the winde and the peo­ple encreased with Absalom, then indeed Shemei cared not for Dauid, but railed on him, and curst him, & cast stones at him: Dauid preuailed against Absalom, then he hasts to Dauid with his thousand peo­ple, trembled and quaked before him, O saith he, let not my Lord impute wicked­nesse vnto me, I knowe that I haue done amisse, I know that I haue offended, &c. so truely if God had not an ouerruling hand, if he were not able to recompence euill to his aduersaries, then there were some reason that we should be secure and carelesse of his maiestie; but since his might is so boundlesse, that it reacheth from heauen to the earth, from the earth [Page 31] to the lowest hel, so as hee is able to de­stroy the mightiest euen with the breath of his nosthrils, oh therefore let vs hum­ble our selues before his Maiestie, let vs cry out with the poore Publican, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner, Luk. 18. 9. or with the prodigall sonne, Father, I haue sinned against heauen, and against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne, Luk. 15. 21. let vs cry out with Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shal deliuer me from this body of death? Act. 7. 24. let vs with the Nineuits flie to God, with prayer and fasting, Ion. 3. 5. let vs with Manasseh, humble our selues greatly before God, 2. Chr. 33. 12. with Daniel, confesse our sinnes, and seek the Lord, Dan. 9. 3. with Peter, let vs weepe bitterly, Matth. 26. 75. let teares runne downe our cheeks like a riuer, let vs take no rest, neither let the apple of our eyes cease, Lam. 2. 18. vntill wee haue recoue­red the fauour of God, and found rest to our soules, Mat. 11. 29. What man dares presume to mooue the wrath of a King? The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death, Prou. 16. 14. or as the roaring of a lyon, Prou. 20. 2. Indeede there are [Page 32] many court claw-backs and Parasites, to humour and flatter a king, to crie out vp­on euery occasion, as Herods auditors did, The voice of God and not of man, Act. 12. 22. ready to bowe to him and a­dore him like a God: but who dares come to him, as Eliiah did to Ahab, and confront him to his face, 2. King. 18. 1. and how then should we dare to offend the king of kings, whose lordship is hea­uen, and earth, and sea, and hel: for hee filleth all places, Ier. 23. 24. the landlord of the whole world, the God of gods, & Lord of lords, Isa. 41. 2. whose face is as a flame of fire, his voice as the roaring of many waters, that hath charets innume­rable, and rides vpon the wings of the wind, that measures the waters in his fist, that compts heauen with his span, & cō ­prehends the dust of the earth in a mea­sure, and weighs the mountaines in a weight, and the hils in a ballance, Isa. 40. 12. If we dare not offend a King whose breath is in his nosthrils, that shall die like a man, nay if he do wickedly shal pe­rish like a beast, Psal. 49. 12. & be cast in­to the burning Topheth, which is prepa­red for the king, Isa 30. how then should [Page 33] wee dare to sinne against the almightie God of heauen and earth, which hath his way in the whirlwind, that as it was said of the monster Leuiathan, esteems iron as straw, and brasse as rotten wood, Iob 41. 18. that puts his hands to the rocks, and ouerthrowes the mountains, Iob 28. 9. Before whom the earth trembles, and the mountaines melt, Iudg. 5. 5. Oh let vs cast our selues downe before this God, for hee is a great God, and a great king aboue all gods. This of the first vse.

2. This doctrine of Gods omnipoten­cy, The 2. vse fo [...] consolation to the godl [...] may serue for the comfort of the E­lect: for since God rules all things, ther­fore they may be assured, that none of all Gods creatures shal hurt them: what saith the spirit of God, concerning the righte­ous; they shall laugh at destruction, and death, and shall not be afraid of the beast of the earth: The stones of the field shall be in league with them, and the beast of the field shall be in league with him, Iob. 5. 22.

First, God rules in heauen: this may ad­minister In heauen▪ infinite comfort. For by this they may be assured, that none of all Gods creatures in heauen shall hurt them. The [Page 34] winde shall not blow vpon them, nor a cloud shall not rise but for their good, a droppe of raine falls nor, stormes nor winds nor lightnings happen not but by the appointment of God, and therefore hee is said to make the chambers in his clouds, and to ride vpon the wings of the winde, and to breake the bottles of raine, Iob. 38. 38. to haue his treasures of haile, and his treasares of snow, Iob. [...]8. 22. He causes the sweete influences of the Pley­ades, and looses the bands of Orion, he brings forth Mazaroth in their time, and guides Arcturus with his sonnes, Iob. 38. 32. If then (as it is said in an higher sense) if God be on our side, who can be against vs? so if God the generall of the armie be on our side, which of all his creatures can be against vs? no, if he be with vs, he shall open his treasures of snow, he shall cōmand his clouds to poure down their [...]rst raine, and their latter raine, and the grasse shall grow vpon the mountaines, Psal. 147. 8. the elementarie regions the starres, and the planets, shal fight for vs: The Sunne shall stand stil in Gibeon, and the moone in the valley of Aylon, Iosh. 10. 12. the sunne and moone stood still [Page 35] at the prayer of Ioshua, the sunne in Gi­beon and the moone in the vally of Ay­lon; the sunne shall forsake her wonted race, and the moone shall cease from her course, for the good and benefit of Gods Church & people. Nay, the Angels Gods domesticall seruants, in the check roule, that weare Gods liuerie after a speciall manner, these shal attend vpon the elect. The Angels of the Lord pitch round a­bout them that feare him, and deliuereth them, Psal. 34. 7. and the writer to the Hebrewes, Are they not all ministring spirits, sent foorth to minister for their sakes, which are heires of saluation, Heb. 1. 14. nay, they are not only guarded by Angels, but by armies of angels: an hoast of Angels met with Iacob, Gen. 32. 2. & an army of Angels with chariots of fire were ready to protect Elisha, 2. King. 6. 17. an Angel were sufficient to protect the whole Church: one army might be sufficient, but not one angel, not one ar­my, but legions, millions, and mirriads of heauenly souldiers, pitch their tents, a­bout euery one that feares the Lord. May we not say of this doctrine, as was said of Goliah his sword, there is none to it: this [Page 36] this, is a machlesse doctrine for a woun­ded spirit: fal in with God, and make thy peace with him, and not only his other creatures, but euen Archangels, and An­gels shall guard thee.

2. God ruleth the earth, and therfore In earth. this may administer further comfort. God raiseth vp states, & he casteth down states, for the Lord is Iudge, Psal. 75. 7. It matters not then how grieuous thy distresses be, nor how many thine ene­mies be, for the Lord can raise the poore out of the dust, and the needie out of the doung, that hee may set them with the Princes, euen with the Princes of the people. Psal. 113. 7. That child that hath a wealthy, and powerfull, and potent fa­ther, feares neither pouertie nor enemies: and what need we then that haue the Al­mighty Iehouah for our Lord and father, that lookes downe with vs or against vs, Psal. 33. 12. and binds all his other crea­tures to their good-abearing, Hos. 2. 21. what need we feare so long as God rules the earth: Let God take in with Sam­son, not a band of Philistines can preuaile against him: nay Samson without sword, or speare, (when the spirit of the Lord [Page 37] came vpon him) he slew a thousand men with the iawbone of an asse, Iud. 15. 15. Gideons three hundred men, shal (with the knocking of potsheards) chase their enemies that lie as thick vpon the ground as grashoppers, Iudg. 7. 22. Ionathan and his armour bearer shall terrifie an hoast, 1. Sam. 14. 15. little Dauid, with a sling and stone, shal vanquish mighty Goliah that was harnised with an helmet of bras 1. Sam. 17. 5. and had boots of brasse vp­on his legges, and a sheild of brasse vpon his shoulders, v. 6. If the Lord be with Ia­cob, Esau shall haue no power to bid him battell, Gen. 34. 4. If the Lord be with Abraham, Pharaoh his cruell enemie shal enrich him, Gen. 22. 19. Thus doth the Lord, order all things for the good of his people: hee makes their enemies their freinds, and deliuers them in battell from the power of the sword, Iob. 5. 20. God is my shepheard, saith Dauid, and how can I want? Psal. 23. how can hee want that hath God for his shephard: lift vp thine eyes, said the Lord to Abraham, Eastward, Westward, Northward, and Southward, all the land that thou seest wil I giue thee, Gen. 13. 14. Gods wealth [Page 38] is not in the East only, or the West only, but Eastward, Westward, Northward, & Southward: and therfore no good thing can be wanting to those that feare God: Psal. 34. If you keepe my Commaunde­ments (it was the Lords promise to the Iewes) I will send you raine in due sea­son, and the land shal yeeld her increase, and the trees of the field shall giue their fruite, your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage, and your vintage to the sowing time, and you shal eat your bread in plenty, and dwell in your land safely, you shall chase your enemies, and they shal fall before you vpon the sword: fiue of you shal chase an hundred, & an hun­dred shal put fiue thousand to flight: Leu 26. 4. 5. 6. In the name of God, and feare of God, let vs consider this point: doe thine enemies rise vp against thee? and thine adversaris encrease, Ps. 3. 1. as God said to Abraham, feare not Abraham, I am thy buckler, Gen. 15. 1. so say I, feare nothing, God is thy buckler: be thine enemies neuer so malicious, God that is greater then thine enemies, he shall cause those that rise against thee, to fall before thy face. If they come against thee one [Page 39] way, they shall flie before thee seauen wayes, Deu. 28. 7. Yea, doth their malice reach to blood; do they lead thee before Kings and Rulers for Christ his sake? still trust in God, that God that deliuered Daniel out of the lions iaws, preserued Shadrach, Meshack, & Abednego amidst the fierie fornace, that deliuered the children of Israel with an high hand a­gainst Pharaoh king of Egypt, Exod. 14. 8. this God is able to preserue thee in spight of thine adversaries: and hee hath said it, that hee will neuer forget thee. Isa. 49. 15. If the Lord sustaine thee, what needest thou be affraid of ten thousand people though they should beset thee round about, Psalm. 3. 6. Againe, for the things of this life, how canst thou want, since God ruleth the earth. That God that gaue riches, and treasures, and hon­ours to Salomon, so as he gaue gold and siluer as stones, 2. Chron. 1. 15. That God that chose Dauid from a sheepfold to a kingdome, Psal. 78. 70. this God is able to supply thy wants, & he hath promise to make thee plentifull in goods, Deut. 28. 11. Let vs seriously consider this point: when thine enemies rise vp against [Page 40] thee, thinke of Gods power: when the world frownes vpon thee, thinke of Gods power: when the streames of af­fliction overwhelme thy soule, thinke of Gods power: nay resolue with Iob, though hee should slay mee, yet will I trust in him, Iob. 13. 15. no question the thought of it shal be as comfortable vnto thee, as the coole water to the weary pas­senger, Prov. 25. 25.

Thirdly, to proceed to further matter of comfort: God ruleth the sea, and ther­fore In the sea. the child of God shall be safe as well by sea as by land: no place is more full of perrill and daunger then the sea, daunge­rous for pirats, daungerous for stormes, daungerous for rocks, yet notwithstan­ding, there doth the Lord mightily vp­hold his people, euen amidst the billows and stormes of the sea. Excellent for this purpose is that in the 107. Psalm. 2. 3. 4. when the stormes rise, and lift vp the waues of the sea, when they mount vp to the heauens, and descend to the deep, so as their souls melt for trouble, when they are tost to & fro like a drunken man, and all their cunning is gone, &c. when those that are vpon the sea, are in this [Page 41] feare & perplexitie, ready to be deuou­red by the seas, to be swallowed vp in the sands, and to dash against the rockes: when the winds whistle, & the sea roars, and swells, and darkenes ouerspreads al: when euery one is at his wits end with astonishment, why then saith Dauid in the same Psalme, they cry vnto God in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresse, hee turnes the storme into a calm, so as the waues of the sea are stil, and they come to their desired hauen, v. 30. Thus you see, sea and land, euery place is a place of Sanctuary, of rest, and refuge, to the righteous man, according to that, Deut. 8. 3. thou shalt be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field: or that in the Psalmist, blessed in thy going out, & comming in, Ps. 121. 8. Lo surely thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord, Psal. 128. 4. abroad, at home, by sea and by land. Thus God dealt by the Is­raelites, when they trauailed by land: he guides them when they came to the sea: he diuided the red sea, and ledde them through it, Psal. 78. 13. when they did trauell in the day time, he led them with a cloud, and when they went in the night [Page 42] he led them with a pillar of fire, v. 14. whē they were thirstie, hee gaue them water out of the hard rocke, v. 16. When they were hungrie, he sent them Manna from heauen, and rained downe flesh vpon them like dust, vers. 27. Thus the Lord dwels with his seruants, Ioh. 14. and not only so, but he followes them wheresoe-they goe. Ios. 1. 9. The Lord is their kee­per, the Lord is their shaddow at their right hand, so as the sunne shal not smite them by day, nor the moone by night. Psal. 121. 5. 6. 7.

Lastly, God rules the deepes, therfore In the deeps shall hee likewise curbe the fresh waters, that they shal not ouerflow thee, Iob. 21. 11. Let Sisera oppose himselfe against the Church, and the riuer Kishon shall sweepe away Sisera, that auncient riuer the riuer Kishon, Iud. 5. 21. And the wa­ters of Marah, though neuer so bitter, yet at the prayer of Moses shal the waters of Marah be made sweete to the Israelites, Exod. 15. 25. Nay they shall but only drinke of the waters of Marah, no let Moses smite on the rock Horeb, and the waters of Massah and Meriboth shall flow forth like a riuer, Ps. 105. 41. Is Na­aman [Page 43] the Assyrian a leprous, the riuer Iordan shall cure him, 2. King. 5. 15. Are the waters of Iericho neuer so deadly; the Prophet Elisha shall heale them for euer: 2. King. 21. 12. And are the vngod­ly for their sinnes neuer so much visited, with the common plagues of floods, and ouerflowings, and invndations, yet not­withstanding we may stil say of the righ­teous, as Dauid in another sense. Surely, in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him. Psalm. 32. 6. Thus heauen, and earth, and sea, and deepes, are attendants vpon the Saints. But be­hold a greater comfort then any of these, God is the God of heauen, and therefore euery Christian soule may be certenly as­sured of his owne saluation: for there can be no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8. 1. This then is the blessed estate of a righteous man, the angels pitch their tents about them here, and they shall liue an angels life after death, Matth. 22. 30. The sunne shall not hurt them in the day time, nor the moone by night, & after death they shall shine like the sunne, in the glory of [Page 44] the father, the stars and the planets shall fight for them in their courses, and after death they shall glitter like the starrs for euer, Dan. 12. 3. God hath spoken it in his word, God that is able to performe his promise, Rom. 4. 21. And I am verily perswaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor pow­ers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any thing shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus, Rom. 8. 38. 39. God hath promised it, he that neuer promised more then he was a­ble to performe, nor neuer performed lesse then he promised: I saith Christ, giue eternall life to my sheep, and they shall neuer perish, and none shall pluck them out of my hands: for my father that gaue them is greater then any, and no man is able to pluck thē out of my fathers hand, Ioh. 10. 29. Christ reasons here from the omnipotency, & mighty power of God, so boundlesse, and infinite, and endlesse, that those which repose their confidence in him, need neuer be afraid. If God giue eternall life to his sheepe, who is able to take them out of his hand? If God write [Page 45] our names in the booke of life, who is a­ble to raze them out againe? if he iustifie who can condemne? Rom. 8. 34. if God be on our side, who shall dare to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? no I am verily perswaded, that neither prin­cipallities nor powers, neither Belzebub, nor Belial, nor all the deuills in hell, shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus. The deuil may goe about like a roaring Lion, seeking to de­uoure: but God hath the Deuill in a chaine, and greater is hee, that is in vs, then hee which is in the world. Ioh. 4. 4. Trust in God, and the gates of hell, shall neuer bee able to preuaile against vs. Matth. 16. 18.