Miscellanea philo-theologica, or, God, & man A treatise compendiously describing the nature of God in his attributes, with a lively pourtraiture of his wisedome in ordering, and disposing of the celestiall, and terrestriall bodies. Containing much variety of matter ... and apt applications singular for brevity, and perspicuity. By Henry Church.

[Sect. 4] Fourthly, Ʋses to edifie.

[Ʋse 1] 1. TO abase our selves to the dust, and to honour and exalt God above the Heavens. God is im∣mutable, without shadow of change in his Essence, pur∣poses, or proceedings: We shall shortly change, dissolve, and turne to our dust; we daily change in our selves, pur∣poses, affections, and actions; we change every step we tread; being weary, we sit, then wee lye downe, then we rise, and walke, and weary our selves againe: now we are wearie with fasting, anon wee are weary of ea∣ting; now we smile, anon we weepe, and sigh; to day we love, to morrow we hate; wee are constant in un∣con••••ancy, and unlike God, being alwayes mutable.

[Ʋse 2] Here wee may discerne the misery of the impenitent; the Lord or they must change, but God is immutable; therefore they must change, or else they must perish. Luke 13.5.

[Objection.] They cannot change no more than the Black-moore can change his skinne, or the Leopard his spots. Ierem. 13.23. They are dead in sinnes and trespasses, Ephes. 2.1. and cannot change unlesse to more rottennesse.

[Answ.] Though they cannot change, yet God can change them: Nothing is too hard for him. Ier. 32.27. The Lord hath changed others, and will doe much for those that seeke to him. Ezek. 36.37. Wee must use meanes for our change, and true conversion: wee must heare the Word; For by it men are chang••d. Acts 26.18. Wee must pray often and earnestly. Ier 31.18. This changed Christ into a glorious estate. Luke 9.29. Prayer is a meanes of obtaining the Spirit of God. Luke 11.13. The Spirit of God being obtained will change us. 2. Cor. 3.18.

[Ʋse 3] Here is comfort unto us in respect of:

• 1. The God we serve is immutable.
• 2. The duties and services we doe performe.
• 3. In respect of his love and mercy.

1. The God we serve is immutable: but false Gods are subject to mutation, and perishing; our God is the same: Psal. 102.27. good, wise, holy, constant in his pro∣mises Heb. 6.22. This should adde to our consolation.

2. Here is comfort in regard of our duties which we doe performe: we have the immutable God to assist us, to accept us, to reward us: He that had respect to Abel, hath respect to us, comming in faith as he did: he is the same to us, as to Moses, David, Hezekiah, to our exceeding comfort.

3. In respect of his love and mercy, he is immutable; his love is an everlasting love: Ier. 31.3. His mercy is an everlasting mercy, Isai. 54.8. He may for a moment hide his face, and for our sinnes correct us with the rod•• of men, Psalme 89.33. but his loving kindnesse hee will never take from us: this is our comfort, his love is im∣mutable. Iohn 13, 1. Rom. 8.37, 38, 39.

[Ʋse 4] Let us labour in our poore scantling to be unchang∣able in goodnesse, both in resolutions and actions this way.

1. Let us be soundly humbled, and broken in our hearts for our sinnes: firme building have good founda∣tions.

2. Let all our resolutions be conditionall: if the Lord assist me, if the Lord be present with me by his grace, I will forbeare such a thing, performe such a duty, beare such a crosse patiently: Peter here failed, and so fell.

3. We must be well catechised, and soundly grounded in the principles of Religion: 'Tis the uncatechised pro∣fessors prove unstable, and as empty boates, are tosted a∣bout with every winde of Doctrine. Ephes. 4.14.

4. We must be practicke Christians, to doe what wee

heare; then shall we be stable, as those that build on a Rocke. Matth. 7.24.

5. Our constancy is much furthered, by looking to the recompence of reward; this doth encourage us in our Race, to looke to the joy before us; this keepes us from perturbations within, and makes us overcome impedi∣ments without. Heb. 11.26. Heb. 12.2. 2. Cor. 4.17.

6. We must delight in goodnesse: we are constant in that we delight in; men come to outward performances without inward delight, so the duties prove tedious, and they give over: therefore we must pray for a free spirit, that we may come with willingnesse, Psal. 51.12. Psal. 110.3. Psal. 122.1.

7. Take heede of foure maine impediments to con∣stancy.

1. Take heede of infidelity, for we live by faith, and walke by faith: Infidelity makes men to with-draw themselves, Heb. 10.38. and to depart from God: Heb. 3.13. This roote hath two abhominable branches; the one to say, I shall one day perish: 1. Sam. 27.1. the other to say, 'tis in vaine to serve God. Malak. 3.14. When men beleeve not Gods assistance, acceptance, nor reward, how can they be comfortable or constant.

2. Take heede of ill company: Peter changing his company, lost his constancy: those that hold dangerous errors in judgement, or else live in grosse errors in pra∣ctice, their selected society will either hinder us in our way, or turne us out of it.

3. Take heede of over-affecting the praise of men; for then we shall over-affect the reproaches of men, and so we may be brought to cease from those godly courses that God and our owne consciences doe call for, through base and cowardly feare of reproaches.

4. Take heede of omitting good duties: as to neglect Preaching, Prayers, Sacraments, Conference, Meditation, Humiliation, Thanksgiving: we rise by the use of means,

and fall by the neglect of meanes: Demas, saith Paul, hath forsaken me: the next newes we heare; Hee hath embraced this present world. He that would forsake good company, no doubt but he forsakes good duties, and so turnes Apostate: Take heede of coldnesse of disposition and affection, so shall you prevent inconstancy in action.