And this is the nature of our refolution alfo,it is not the refolution of a day or two,that will ferve the turne, for the nature of a man is fubject to fuch weakeneffe, that except our refolutions be gone over and over againe, they fhrink and come to nothing.Therefore the thing that causeth unconftancie, is one of thefe three: either weakeneffe of reafon that fets thee on worke, or weakneffe of the inclination and defire, or elfe, not renewing of this.

Now when you have found out the caufes of weakeneffe, you may easily find out the meanes to make you refolute in well-doing, As,

2

Means to help

refolations.

Ger ftrong

them,

First, labour to get strong reafons for what you refolve on. The want of this was the caufereafons for of the mutability of the fecond ground; It wanted depth of earth: that is, the feed was good, and the Earth was good, but it was not deepe enough, and fo the ftrength of the Sunne caused it to wither away. So when wee fhall have good purpofes and refolutions, and they have not root enough; that is, when a man hath not well examined the thing, fo as to bee fully convinced of the thing that hee undertakes, he is apt to be inconftant in it. And this was the reafon of Eves inconftancie, because fhee confidered not the bottome that thee was built upon, On the other fide, the Woman of Canaan when fhee had fixed her faith upon a good ground, fhee would not be beaten off; though the could not answer the objection, yet thee would not be plucked off: Thou art the Meffias, and therefore thou

Hh 4

wilt

wilt fhew mercy: and befides, the hath need of mercy; for her daughter was ficke,and weake,and therefore the would not be driven off, she would take no denyall: So is it with all our refolutions, when they have this depth of earth. Wherefore the best way is, to confider, and fore-caft the worst, as our Saviour counfelleth every one in those words; How canft thou that haft but two hundred,gor again him that hath a thousand: fo is it in this cafe. When you fhall undertake a good courfe, and yourgoe out but with weaké reasons; if Satan, ora luft, come and object stronger reaOutbid Satans fons,this will make thee give out. Therefore the temptations, best way is to fore-caft the worst, and to out-bid the Divell in every temptation. As for example: when he fhall come and say, that thou skalt have favour with men, fay to him, that the favour of GoD is better: if he fhall tell thee of riches,and wealth, fay,that thou shalt have treafure in Heaven: if he fay to thee, that thou shalt have reft and pleasure in finne, fay to him,that the peace of confcience, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, is farre beyond that reft,and pleafure, whatsoever it be : So in all the temptations on the other hand, it is good to ponder them well,that we may be able to out-bid him therein. Whatfoever he doth ob ject, is ever one of thefe two; either fome good that thou fhalt have,or fome evill: Now confider, that as the love and favour of Go D is a greater good than all the world can give thee; fo his wrath is a greater cvill,than any the world can inflict upon thee.

Secondly,

fire.

2

Secondly, if thou wouldest have thy refolution ftrong, to breake through all impediments, la- Get strong debour to get vehement defires, to over-top all other; that what foever comes, yet they may overballance them.

But how shall I come to get fuch a defire?

Quest.
Answ.

How to

get

Trong defires.

There is no way in the world, but this: Labour to be humbled for thy finnes, to get a broken heart for them; for then a man comes to prize Grace exceeding much, and worldly things as nothing. For this is a fure rule; when thou feelest thy finnes to lye heavie upon thee, then all the things in the world will be exceeding light: Therefore labour to know the bitterneffe of finne; it is that which fets an edge upon all fpirituall defires: without this, a man doth but cheapen the Kingdome of Heaven; hee doth as the people did with Rehoboam, they expoftulated with him about their ferving him: fowee A humble man doe capitulate with the Lord (as it were) and takes Heaven ftand upon tearmes with him, untill wee are ditions. humbled, and then wee are readie to take Heaven upon any condition. Till a man bee thus humbled, his defires are remiffe, and weake, and flaggie defires, they rayfe up great buildings upon no foundation, the foundation is weake and crazie, and fo the building comes downe. And hence it is, that men put their hands to the Plough, and looke backe againe. A Scholler will ferve the Lord, if hee may have eminencie in gifts, and outward excellencie, or fome honour in the flesh; when as otherwife, his defires to

Gods

upon any cone

3

folutions.

Gods worke are remiffe: but when hee is once humbled,then he will fay with S. Paul, Lord,what wilt thou have me to doe ? and I will doe it, whatfoever it is, and what foever thou wouldeft have me to fuffer, I will fuffer it. He will take the Kingdome of Heaven by violence: and then his resolutions continue conftant that way. For what can the world and Saran doe to him? will they take away his pleasure from him, his wealth or credit? they are things that hee hath defpifed before: they take nothing from him, but what hee cares not for. It is the bitterneffe of finne, that makes him now to prize Gods love and favour above all things.

Thirdly, thou must renew thy refolution oft: Renew our re it is not enough to fet the heart in a good frame of grace for a day, or two, or for a moneth, but thou must have a conftant courfe in doing of it, ever and anon: as the Dutch Men use to doe with their bankes, they keepe them with little coft, because they looke narrowly to them; if there bee but the leaft breach, they make it up prefently, otherwife the water would over-flow them and their Cities. So thou fhouldest doe with thy heart,obferve it from day to day,marke what objections come that thou canst not anfwer, what lufts and defires doe over-ballance thee, and learne ftill to renew thy reasons and refolutions against them; and this will make thee conftant, and firme, and peremptory in welldoing.

Now

N

Ow I come to the next Attribute, and that The fixt Atis, The Greatneße of God, or His Infinitence. tribute of God, Wee will follow in this, rather the rule of the H Greatnefje and Infiniteneffe. Scripture, than the tract of the Schoolemen

and intend to infift upon thofe that God doth cfpecially take to him in Scripture.

Now that GOD takes this Attribute to himfelfe, you fhall fee in 2 Chron. 2. 5. For great 2 chron 2-5. is our God above all Gods. Pfal. 135.5. For I know Pfal. 135. 5. that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all Gods. But the place that I would chiefly commend to you is this, Pfal. 145.3. Great is the Lord Pfal. 145. 3. and most worthy to bee praifed: and his greatnesse is unfearchable. Where you fee,that it is an infinite, and incomprehenfible greatneße that the Lord takes to himselfe. So Pfal. 147.5. Great is our Pfal. 147.50 God, and of great power: and his understanding is infinite.

In handling of this, I will fhew you thefe two things.

First, how the greatneffe of God is gathered from the Scriptures.

Secondly, the reafons of it, as I have done in the reft:

The greatneffe of God is declared to us in the Scripture by thefe fixe things.

Firft, By the workes of his Creation. The greatneffe of the workes doe fhew the greatneffe of the Maker: Ifay 40. 12. who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the Heavens with a spanne, and comprehended the duft of the Earth in a measure, and weighed the Moun

22

The greatnes

of God decla red in fixe

things.

I

By the workes

of Creation.