Gods presence mans comfort: or, Gods invisibilitie manifested unto mans capacitie. The heads of which tractate were delivered in a sermon at the Abbey of Westminster, and since enlarged for the benefit of the Church of God. / By the Lords unprofitable servant, Ch. Anthony. Imprimatur: Ja. Cranford.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL GILBERT MILLINGTON Esquire, and all the rest of the Honourable Committee for the plun∣dred Ministers.

As also, TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL, and his much honoured friend, ROBERT JENNER Esquire, one of the Members of the Honourable House of COMMONS, Grace, Mercy and Peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

THe glory of all Creatures original∣ly made by God is Man, the glory of Man consisteth in the powers of the soule; in them hee excelleth all other Creatures, and neerest re∣sembleth his Creator. When God would make Man, (having before∣hand made all things for his Being and Dominion) hee summoneth (as it were) a Councell of the Trinity, Come, let us make man after our likenesse: Haec Dei imago in nulla re aspectabili, praeterquam in

homine conspicitur: Man onely being endowed with a reasonable soule, and adorned with the gifts of wisdome, justice, equity, sanctity, and verity. But, alas! Man did not stand long in this happy condition, but, through the subtilty of Satans temptations, soon fell; (for such is the malice of that destroyer, that hee labours to hinder the increase of heavenly knowledge, and that none may be the inheritors of that kingdome, of which himselfe is dis-inherited) and ever since, the powers of the soule of man are depraved and weakened, so that his Wisdome is become foolishnesse, his Understan∣ding darknesse, and all is out of order. And as man∣kind increased in the world, so sin increased with man∣kind; and the older the world growes, the more sinfull it is: Aetas parentum pejor avis, tulit & nos nequio∣res. By this corruption of nature, a spirituall dark∣nesse hath seazed mans soul, so that in heavenly mat∣ters hee is blinde, and the image of God almost blotted out in him. Yet hath not God suffered the whole light of nature to be quite extinct; for what may be known of God is seen in the Creation, sufficiently to evince Atheisticall opinions; but more clearly in the Scri∣ptures, which, as a light, shine clearly out of darknesse, though all cannot perceive it; for all have not faith, (I mean, a true saving faith,) and consequently, all have not the true knowledge of God.

In this mist of ignorance Satan labours to captivate men, and to this effect hee is become a lying spirit in the mouthes of Ahabs false prophets: and the Apostle Paul telleth us, that in the last dayes perillous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their owne selves, &c. Having a form of godlinesse, but de∣nying the power thereof: of whom he forewarneth

us, from such turn away. The kingly Prophet Da∣vid also telleth us of a foole that hath said in his heart, (not with his tongue) there is no God. Sure∣ly they both foretold these dayes in which wee live; irre∣ligion and impietie towards God, and unfaithful∣nesse and uncharitableness towards men, being grown to the heighth; and Satan, that grand malignant, ha∣ving instilled into the minds of some wilfull, heady, and unlearned leaders damnable heresies, whereby the hearts of too too many ignorant people are poysoned with sowre leaven. Heare Gods judgements against such; Because my people have forgotten mee, they have burnt incense to vanity, and caused them to stum∣ble in their wayes from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, and in a way not cast up, &c. I will scatter them as with an East-winde before the e∣nemie: I will shew them the back, and not the face in the day of their calamity. The Apostle Peter speaks of some unlearned and unstable, who (in his dayes) wrested many things in the Epistles of Paul, as also they did other Scriptures, to their own de∣struction: So that heresies began to spring even in the dayes of the Apostles, and their immediate successors: And although they seemed to be cut down, and (as it were) buried in oblivion; yet now are they raked up, and (Hydra-like) sprouted innumero capite; wit∣nesse the many dangerous pamphlets of poysonous opi∣nions lately spread abroad: O! happy were it, if they were so served as were those Magick-books at E∣phesus.

No marvell then if very few see God in the true glass of the Scriptures, when the eye of their soule hath such scales to dim them. Some are wilfully blind, and will

not see God, like the Atheist: some are blind, yet know it not; they say they see, like the selfe-justifying Phari∣sees: some see God only in images, like the purblind Papist: some see him only in the letter, not in the sense, like the ceremonious Jew, or fantastick Anabap∣tist: some again see him onely obliquely, in his free grace declared in the Gospel, and will not look upon him in his severe justice manifested in his Law, which (the Apostle saith) is holy, just, and good, yea, spiri∣tuall, like the licentious Antinomian: Whereas all the properties and attributes of God are in himselfe essentially one and the same. Trahit sua quemque voluptas; every man will serve God after his own fan∣tasie, and imagine God to be what his dull capacitie conceives him to be. But Christ hath told us, that eve∣ry plant that his heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let then all such beware how they build; for, Other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, that is, Jesus Christ, &c. Upon which place Calvin saith excellently, Some preach sound and edifying doctrine, others mingle idle disputes of their own brain, more for ostentation, then for edification of the hearer: now, although these are in as good account, and oft-times more, amongst men, then are the soundest teachers, yet the day of the Lord shall manifest their difference. And when he shall visit them by his Spirit, then shall it appear, whether their garments be fine linnen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints, or linsey-woolsey, which is abominable in Gods eyes: then shall it appear, whether they break up the Lords vineyard, and plow his field with laborious oxen, or not; yea, then it shall appear, whether their seed be

pure wheat, which may yeeld a plentifull crop, fit to be stored up in Gods granary; or tares, fit only to be cast into the fire.

Nor is it (Right Worshipfull) that I have adventu∣red (out of any conceit of worth in my selfe) to expose this ensuing Discourse to the view of the world in this censorious age; but partly to satisfie the requests of some who were auditors of the chiefe points thereof de∣livered in a Sermon in the Abbey in Westminster; and partly to expresse a gratefull heart to this Honou∣rable Committee, whom my selfe with many others are bound to honour for your vigilancy and care. Solomon tels us, that hee that hath friends must shew himself friendly, for there is a friend that sticketh closer then a brother: And which way can I expresse my re∣spects and service (I owe you) any other wayes, then by imparting unto your Worships some of my weak la∣bours? Greater gifts you need not; higher prized I can∣not: I may say with the Apostles, Peter and John, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I humbly crave par∣don for my presumption, in fleeing to the arms of this Honourable Court for patronage of this small Tract, whom I know to be religiously devoted to religious exercises, and to accept of this mite thrown into Gods treasury: God gave liberty (where ability was wanting) to offer under the Law, in stead of a lamb, a paire of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. It may, through Gods blessing, enrich as well those who shall read it, as I hope it hath those who have heard it. It is not clo∣thed with the rich embroiderings of humane elo∣quence, and wisdome of words; I rather choose the Scripture phrase, as best suting to the capacitie and conscience of my countrey Auditory, amongst whom I

have enlarged it, and of such as may read it: Vouch∣safe it (I humbly intreat) your protection, and you shall sufficiently reward him, whose prayers to God for you shall be, that you may be filled with a large mea∣sure of grace in this life, and rewarded with a full measure of glory in the life to come; this he cordially wisheth, who is devoted to be

Your Wor^ps, to be commanded in all Christian service, CH. ANTHONY.

West-Hoadligh, in Com. Sussex.

Notes

• Gen. 1. 26. Tilen.
• 1 Cor. 15. 34.
• 1 King. 22. 22.
• 2 Tim. 3. 1, &c.
• Verse 5.
• Psal. 14. 1.
• Jer. 18. 15, &c.
• Note.
• 2 Pet. 3. 16.
• Acts 19. 19.
• Joh. 9. 41.
• Rom. 7. 12, 14.
• Matth. 15. 13.
• 1 Cor. 3. 10. ad 16.
• Calv. in loc.
• Rev. 19. 8. Deut. 22. 10, 11.
• Prov. 18. 24.
• Act. 3. 6.