is that the Lord said c. And Aaron held his peace Why what was his tryal why it was the loss of his Sons the loss of his Eldest Sons when they were young and without posterity in the first day of their Ministration in the sight of all the Congregation and by so fearful a Judgement as fire from the Lord and in the act of their sin offering strange fire Nay and which some think was joyned with Drunkenness too whereupon immediatly follows the prohibition of Wine So that the Congregation might suspect they went but from fire to fire from a destruction by fire to a preservation in fire from a temporal to an eternal burning Yet now in all this mark the Power of Faith Moses having declared the Author God the cause their sin It 's said Aaron was dumb and held his peace Auditâ voluntate Dei silet having heard the Will of God hee was mute and silent his Tongue was chained up hereby confessing saith Calvin Justo Dei Judicio extinctos esse That they were slain by the Just Judgement of God The like you see in Eli when Samuel had declared what God had said to him concerning the destruction of his house why saith he It is the Lord let him do what pleaseth him 1 Sam. 3.18 And remarkable was that in Job You may read in the first Chapter how one wave came upon the neck of another 1. The Sabeans fell upon his Oxen and his Asses and slew his Servants 2. Another comes and tells him Fire from Heaven had burnt up his Sheep 3. A third tells him The Caldeans had taken away his Camels 4. A fourth hee comes and tells him His Sons and his Daughters were eating and drinking and a wind blew down the house on their heads and buried them all in one grave His whole stock was lost in one day Nay Hee lost not his stock of Cattel only but of his Children also My Brethren these were great trials enough to put a man out of patience enough to make the most composed man besides himself To lose his goods his Cattel his Substance and all in a day Nay to lose his Sons and his Daughters which were his whole Posterity the stay and hope of his Family yea and all at once at one clap and that so suddenly yea and in the midst of their merriments These were great Tryals where Yesterday it might have been said who so rich as Job now to day who so poor as Job Yet mark here now the Power of Faith how it silenced the Soul In stead of murmuring hee fell down and worshiped and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away Blessed bee the Name of the Lord. Thus you see the Power of Faith And my Brethren you had need of Faith As the Apostle said of Patience So I of Faith You have need of Faith As you walk in the way of this life you shall meet with such things as will move you as will put you besides your selves If Faith do not settle and compose you you cannot bee undique sursùm like a Dye light upon your square if Faith bee not your bottom You may have crosses and losses before you die You may lose your Husbands your Wives your Children your Goods Jobs lot may befall you And every one of these may cause a man to rise up against himself may cause an uproar in the Soul Wee are not Stoicks wee are not without Passions nor sinfull-Passions mutinous-Affections And therefore wee had need of something in the Soul to sway and keep down these unruly distempers And this is only Faith which can stil and calm the soul in all storms and tempests A man without Faith in such a case as this is like a naked man in a storm like an unarmed man in a battel like a Ship unballanced and unanchored in a Tempest A man without Faith is under no command Passions of Anger Fear Grief and all command him And Passion without Faith is violent breaks down all banks drowns overwhelms and destroies the Soul And therefore you had need of something to ballance the Soul to charge the Soul to calm and still the Soul in such a condition Now you see Faith is an Heart-calming an Heart-quieting and stilling-Grace which it doth after this manner 1. Imperiously 2. Perswasively 1. Sometimes Imperiously and that either 1. Commanding or 2. Checking the Soul 1 Imperiously commanding the Soul Laying charge on the Soul to bee quiet to bee still My Soul bee silent to Jehovah said David As Christ did the Waters and the Wind. Peace and bee still and there was a great calm So here when the Waves are up and threaten to overflow the banks to overwhelm the soul Faith laies her command upon the soul Peace and bee still No more words Leave your murmurings Leave your impatiency Thus sometimes Faith calms the soul 2. Imperiously checking the the soul You do not well to bee angry You do not well to grieve You do not well to bee discontented to bee impatient You offend God cause him to scourge you more to lay more load upon you seeing you bear this so impatiently As the Town-Clerk of Ephesus stilled that uproar with these words Act. 19.40 Wee shall verily bee called in question for this dayes uproar seeing there is no cause can bee given-of this concourse So Faith doth sometimes lay the tumults in the soul You shall verily bee called in question one day for this Passion this Discontent this Murmuring this Uproar seeing no cause can bee given that you should quarrel with God as you do 2. Faith doth sometimes calm the Soul in a Mild and perswasive-way wherein it reasons with the Soul Why art thou so much cast down oh my Soul Why art thou so troubled so disquieted within mee In which reasoning Faith will take an Argument of Patience 1. From the Author of Afflictions That is God Afflictions troubles arise not out of the dust but from God which was the ground of Davids patience I was dumb c. Because it was thy doing So of Jobs The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away So in case of Shimei his cursing David David did not bite at the stone and never minde the thrower but hee looks up discovers the hand as well as the stone Let him alone It may bee God hath bid him go forth and curse David 2. Sometimes from the ground of Gods dealings and that is sin Faith produceth sin to bee the cause For this cause and this stops the mouth Psal 51. That thou mayest bee just when thou judgest This laies a Soul in the dust makes a man accept of the punishment of his iniquity As you have the phrase Levit. 26.41 That is lye down justifie God clear God in all his dealings bee so far from murmuring that the Soul will take Gods part in all clearing God and condemning it self Thus you see the Church Wherefore doth a living man complain A man for the
signed But makes his Supplication three times a day vers 13. And what was this now but to render him to the King factious seditious a Rebel a Traytor One who cared not for King nor Law Though indeed Daniel was a better subject than the best of them though they would have rendred him rebellious to the King because he was obedient to his God But mark the issue of it God disappointed them in their design and brought their own plot upon their own Pates Daniel was preserved by the Lyons that should have destroy'd him as they did afterward them The like of the three Children I might go down to our days The Powder-plot Eighty-Eight and God knows how many since 2 God hath wrought wonderfull deliverance for his Church Deliverances wonderful and the way he hath wrought them was 1 Sometimes by small means For weaknesse and strength is all one with God as Asa confessed when that Great Army came against him 2 Chron. 14.11 It is all one with thee to help with many or with few Infinite wisdome and power knows no difference As the Mariner turns about the greatest ship with a small rudder No means can bee so contemptible but he can make it succesful to his own purposes As the greatest means will bee no priviledge without Gods concurrence so the smallest means shall be no prejudice if God wil concur Wee read God hath sometimes armed natural Causes Sunne Moon Stars Hail Wind All which were wonders against the enemies of the Church The Stars in their course were said to fight against Sisera The Lord slew the enemies of Joshua with Hail and the Moabites with the Sun shining upon the water And wee read in the Ecclesiastical History that the Christians being to fight against the Barbarians were in a great distresse for water And upon their Prayer God sent them abundance of rain to refresh their Army But incountred their enemys with Thunder and fire from heaven In remembrance of which the Romans called the Christian Legion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fulminatrix The thundring Legion And sometimes God hath armed other causes putting strength into weak and contemptible means for the deliverance of his Church God hath oftentimes delivered his Church by such instruments as the enemies before would have looked upon with scorn as upon cast and despicable Creatures As God hath weakned and infatuated them hee hath intended to destroy so hath hee strengthned and guided with a spirit of wisdome such as hee hath intended for the deliverance of a Church You see Cyrus comparatively a weak Prince yet God made him an instrument to overthrow the most strong and puissant people in the World the Babylonians and by him to deliver his Church Deborah a Woman and yet God raised her up for the deliverance of his Church So you see God doth it by small means 2. Sometimes God works the deliverance of his Church without means And this is more wonderful When God looks about and sees there is no man then doth his right hand bring salvation When the Channel of Creature-helps is dry when the stream of second causes doth not runne Then doth God himself stand up for the defence and deliverance of his Church and People and creates deliverance out of nothing What God doth by means hee can do alone What hee doth mediately hee doth sometimes immediately from himself The Angel slew an hundred fourescore and five thousand 2 King 19.35 Wee read when Julian went to war against the Persians hee vowed to his Idol-Gods that when hee returned hee would give them a sacrifice of all the Christians in the Empire Here was now no means for the deliverance of the Church But God undertaketh the work himself smiting him from Heaven with an unknown blow and by that delivered his Church The like also of Maximius and of Herod Act. 12.23 Though there bee weakness below yet there is strength above Though means bee wanting yet hee can create means or hee can work without God and Faith work best alone 3. Sometimes God works the deliverance of his Church by contrary means And this is yet a more wonderful way God doth often work his works by Contraries hee brings good out of evil Life out of Death c. As the Physitian doth order poisons and destructive ingredients to physical useful and healthful purposes So those things which in themselves are against us God in singular wisdome and mercy turns them for us That which hath been used as the means of ruine hath God often turned to the means of raising a Church and People This is like the opening of the blind mans eyes with Clay One would think it should rather put out the eyes of a seeing man than give sight to a blind man But if Christ do undertake the work though the means bee never so contrary it shall bee effectual Thus you see that God doth often do wonders for the good of his Church and People 2. Quere 2. Wee come now to the second thing The Grounds and Reasons 1. The first is Because hee is a wonderful God Wonderful things beseem a Wonderful God His Name is Wonderful Isa 9.6 And therefore his works are Wonderful This is the inference Psal 86.10 Thou art great and dost wonderful things Every one delights to do actions sutable to themselves sutable to their own greatness When Alexander met with a great difficulty his spirit thus incounters it Jam periculum par animo Alexandri Now here is a danger here is a difficulty fit for the spirit of Alexander to incounter withall here is a work sutable for Alexander to do Great enterprises great difficulties great things befit Great spirits Magnus magna decent And wonderful things befit a wonderful God And upon this ground Gods reliefs come not in until cases are desperate because then hee may discover his great Power And such deliverances are most sutable to the great God Hee could as well hâ—ve saved Lazarus from sickness as have raised him from the grave but hee suffers him to dye bee buried and lye three dayes in the grave that hee might magnifie his power in the raising of him again Hee lets the difficulty go beyond the help of man that you might the better know what the Power of God is 2. The second Reason God doth wonderful things for his people to get himself a wonderful Name that God might bee known in the World Therefore did God execute such fearful Judgements on Pharaoh and wrought so great deliverances for his people that hee might get himself a Name and publish himself to the World Isa 63.12 Special cures win more glory to the Physitian than a thousand ordinary cures so special victories win more honour to a General than a thousand ordinary skirmishes so here special deliverances to God If God should only walk in the ordinary wayes of his Providence in the World his glory would not bee so much seen and advanced And therefore God doth often step out of his
therefore as Pilates Wife said to her Husband Have nothing to do with that just man so I say to you Have nothing to do by way of offence against the Church and People of God you will but ruine your selves in seeking their ruine Gods Church is both too heavy and too hot for you see them both Zach. 12.3 There God saith of his Church That hee would make it a burthensome stone who ever lifteth at it shall bee crusht in peeces though all the Nations of the world be gathered together against her yet all will be to no purpose For God will make his Church a burdensome stone that whosoever lifteth at her shall be crushed in peeces Hee doth not say whoever lifeth it up for that cannot bee but whoever lifteth at it whoever seeks to hurt it shall crush themselves Their very attempt shall bee their destruction Haman lifted so long at this stone that it fell on him at last and crushed him to peeces Pharaoh followed the Children of Israel so long that there was no return at the last he was buried in the waters Julian attempted evil against the Church so long till at last God from heaven struck him slew him The Church God makes too heavy for his enemies and too hot too As you see in the 6. verse of that 12th Chapter of Zach. In that day will I make the Governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devour all the people round about All the encounters of wicked men against the Church is but like a sheaf of straw encountring with a torch of fire that burns themselves Whiles the iron is in its own nature you may handle it and deal with it but if once the nature of Fire be put to it then ware your fingers if you prove so bold and hardy as to touch it Wee say He that shoots in a peece overcharged strikes down himself not that hee aimed at There was never man who levelled peece against the Church but hee shoots in a peece overcharged and shall be sure at last to be struck down with its own recoil They shall but lay snares to take themselves dig graves to bury themselves in make rods for their own backs and pave a way for their own destruction at last Isa 54.15 16 17. Behold the enemy shall gather himself but without mee whosoever shall gather himself in thee against thee shall fall Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the destroyer to destroy No weapon made against thee shall prosper every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement shalt thou condemn This is the heritage of the Lords servants c. God will work wonders for the deliverance of his Church and for the destruction of the wicked at last Let this bee for caution therefore to the wicked persecutors 3. Use Let this bee for incouragement of Gods People 3 Use of Incouragement to the People of God in these Times of danger and trouble Though our condition bee very sad at this time Our enemies strong we weak they full of rage and bitterness against us yet there is no cause of fears nor of discouragement 1 There is no cause of fear seeing wee have a God on our side and such a God as is able to do wonders for us You may set God against all the strength and provisions of the Arm of flesh Thus you see David did Psal 20.7 Some trust in Charriots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God He set God against all Alas what are Castles and Forts what are multitudes of men what are riches what is Provision of horse the Psalmist tells you Psal 33 17. A Horse is but a vain thing to save a man Isa 31.3 Their Horses are flesh and not Spirit Prov. 21.31 The Horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. All this and whatever an adversary may have to glory in is but an arm of flesh but you have a God and a God that can do wonders for you I will boast in God saith the Prophet all the day long Give not way then to sinkings of Spirit you have no cause of fears if you look above as well as below if you converse with Heaven as well as with Earth Indeed if wee look below God for the relief of the weaknesse of our Faith hath stirred up the hearts of our worthys and People to afford so willing a concurrence in the service of the King and Kingdome at this time But this is not our strength Look above and you have a God who can who will do wonders for you Fear is utterly unbeseeming 1 A Christian who is the souldier of Christ 2 Religion which is the Cause of Christ 1 It is unbefitting a Christian For the Righteous should be bold as a Lyon Let the sinners in Zion be afraid not you who have so great a God as can do wonders for you Luthers spirit doth well befit a Christian especially in these days who when hee was disswaded from going to Wormes about some extraordinary businesse of the Church because of some Plots laid against him he makes reply Vocatus ingrediar etsi scirem tot esse Diabolos Wormatiae quot sunt tegulae in aedium tectis I am called to it and though every tile in the City were a devil I would go This was Resolution and courage befitting a Christian who is a souldier of Christ And 2 Fear is unbeseeming Religion which is the cause of Christ A good cause should have a good courage It was the speech of Luther to Melancthon who was an holy though a fearful man when Melancthon had discovered his fears to him If our cause be not good let us desist and leave it If it bee good let us go on couragiously Christs cause and a Cowards heart are ill coupled together Gods People are too apt to this And therefore doth Christ steel the heart of his Disciples against it Fear not little flock Though a little flock yet there is no cause to fear having so strong a Shepheard And fear not worm Jacob though a worm and weak apt to bee trod upon yet fear not Isa 41.13 14. I will help thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy-one of Israel And Who art thou that are afraid of a man that shall dye and forgets the Lord thy maker Arguing if they had not forgotten God they would not have feared man VVhat though they bee carried on with all head-strong violence to seek our ruine what though their purposes be cruel God can 1 Calm them still them as hee did the Sea Peace and bee still as he did Esau when he came against Jacob. 2 Stop them in their way Hee that Sets bounds to the Sea and saith hitherto shalt thou come and
day and poor to morrow The Lord hath given Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit the Lord hath taken away Both with one breath Hence the wise man Riches make themselves wings and flye away But these are abiding Treasure A Treasure whose spring is in Heaven whose Foundation is in Christ Our life is hid with Christ in God not only hid for secrecy but hid for safety It is a safe life an abiding life Nay but if they should continue yet will they do us no good in the day of trouble They cannot save our souls from nor in the day of wrath They cannot save us from sicknesse nor from death not from Hell Nor are they able to mitigate our Torments to purchase one drop of water in that lake of fire What profit had Ahab of his Vineyard Baltazar of his cups Dives of his wealth Judas of his thirty-pence Agrippa of his gay apparel The rich fool of his full barns All these would do them no good Neither quench nor bribe these flames but rather afford Oile to increase them But now Grace that riches which Faith doth inrich us withall it is such as will uphold us in sickness bee a choice cordial in that bitter potion it will deliver us in death save us in the day of wrath and inable us to lift up our heads with joy and boldness in the day of Judgement that terrible day of the Lord when the wicked shall tremble before the Judge and call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Hast thou other riches and wantest thou Faith Hast thou Mountains of Gold Rocks of Diamonds shores of Rubies And wantest thou Faith wantest thou Grace Oh! thou art a poor man Thus you see Faith is an Heart-inriching-Grace A Beleever hath title to all A Beleever is the poorest and the richest man in the World As none is poorer than a godly man in himself so none is richer than a Beleever in Christ Hee is as having nothing and yet possessing all things Christ is the Heir of all things All are yours if you bee Christs No sooner can the soul say Christ is mine but hee may say His Blood is mine his Spirit mine his Glory mine all is mine Christ and all his are conveyed and made over by the same Deed of Gift Hence the Apostle saith Wee are made partakers of Christ Not of some part but of Christ all Christ not of Justification only but say Christ and there is all Fifteenth Royalty 15. Royalty Faith is an Heart-raising-Grace 15. Faith is an Heart-raising-Grace There is a threefold Death that Faith doth raise up the soul from 1. The Death of Sin 2. The Death of inward Trouble 3. The Death of outward Trouble 1. Faith raiseth up the soul from the Death of Sin Wee are all of us Dead by nature in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Dead-Born And as dead men so wee have no notion to spiritual things no motion no strength to any good no sense being insensible of the weight of sin insensible of mercies and judgements wee have no desires after any thing good no affection to them And a Death it is not only Privative A meer absence and privation of spiritual life but a Positive Death wherein there is an Introduction of a Positive vitious Habit. As in Natural Death there is not only a Privation of Life of the former form but the Position of another form there is another form left in the body So in Spiritual Death there is not only a meer Absence a bare Privation of Life But there is a Positive Evil and Vitious Habit left in the soul Hence Heb. 9.14 The works of natural men are called Dead works There would bee a contradiction in calling them Dead works if unregenerate men were only deprived of spiritual life and had not another positive evil form in them Thus dead wee are then not only Privatively but Positively And it is Faith which doth raise up the Soul from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace Faith is the Resurrection of the Soul from under the spiritual death the Death of Sin The first rise of the Soul from the Death of Sin is by beleeving Vita sancta aâ— fide sumit initium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fide regeneramut Calv. Resipiscentia non modo fidem subsequitur sed ex ea noscitur Calv. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fides justificationem praecipit sanctificationem efficit Tilen An holy life hath its rise from Faith The Fountain of all our spiritual Graces The worker of all good things That which begets Love Fear Repentance Hence Calvin saith Faith regenerates Repentance doth not only follow Faith but doth arise from Faith Hence Clemens Alexandrinus Faith is the first awakening the first inclination of the Soul to Christ. Hence by some Faith and the New Creation Faith and Sanctification do differ as much as the Cause and the Effect Faith is the Instrument of Justification but the efficient of Sanctification They who distinguish Regeneration which is part of our Vocation and Sanctification do make Faith and Sanctification differ as much as Cause and Effect Vocation say they produceth Faith â—nd Faith being begotten produceth Sanctification both habitual and â—ctual Hence it 's called the Mother-Grace But they who make Vocation and Sanctification all one and both to bee nothing else but our inherent Righteousness or those Habits that frame of Grace implanted in the Soul whereof Faith is a part they do say Faith doth not produce the Cause of the Habits of Graces but Faith produceth the acts of Grace of Love Repentance c. Faith doth not produce the Habits but the acts of Grace For the clearing of this Sanctification may bee considered as it is either In actu primo vel secundo 1. Habitual Or 2. Actual 1. For our Habitual Sanctification There wee say the Spirit of God is the only Cause and Faith is an Effect as well as others Faith is a part of our inherent Sanctification 2. For our Actual Sanctification or as those Habits do act and exercise and there wee say Faith doth help to produce the acts of Grace of Love of Repentance 1 Tim. 1.5 Love out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith doth not only lend an hand to its Fellow-Graces for the perfecting of Grace but Faith doth help to produce the Acts of Grace the Acts of Love of Repentance Zeal Patience c. Though at the same time they bee all implanted yet in Nature Faith hath the precedency and helps to produce the Acts of all the rest As God the Father is before the Son in Nature yet not in Time Hee is not a Father till hee have a Son So is it to bee understood concerning Faith and all other Graces 2. Faith raiseth us up
c. for the supply of strength 3. You make your selves every way unserviceable to God as I shewed you you make your selves unable to do unable to suffer for him You make your selves good for nothing unserviceable to God to the Church to his cause to your selves too c. Many there are that think they can do God better service in standing off than in comming in by Fear than by Faith They think that in nourishing their doubts and their fears they do cherish their care watchfulness humility And on the contrary they think that if once they should come to beleeve then they should bee more loose and careless and take more liberty to themselves Indeed you would have more liberty to service not to sin You would not bee tyed to service with coards of fear but with bands of love your principle of service and your manner of service would bee changed where now you serve nim out of fear then out of love now out of convictions of conscience then out of propensions of a divine nature now you serve him as slaves involuntarily then as sons with willingness and delight c. Now you do duty as a task then as your trade And you will walk in the wayes of duty though you see no commings in As a man that loves his trade that loves his calling hee will hold it up and follow it though hee get nothing by it though no gain or comming in by it So the soul which hath a Principle bred in him suitable to the things of God which is wrought by Faith hee will hold up to pray and to do duty though hee finde not commings in there is a natural agreeableness between him and duty between his spirit and the work and though hee never get good by it yet hee will hold up his spirit to the doing of it As it is with a man whose nature is sensualized that hath sinned away the very common Principles pluckt up the very senses of nature hee will drink and bee drunk though hee undo himself by it though hee hurt his body impoverish his estate yet hee will drink c. As Solomon saith a Whore will bring a man to a morsel of bread will undo a man yet hee will go on in sin hee will not leave his sin though undone by it hee will sin not only though hee get nothing but though hee get hurt though hee undo himself thereby yet hee will go on in sin and the reason is that universal sutableness that is between his soul and sin So on the other side a godly man hee will serve God hee will hold on in duty in obedience though hee finde no comming in by it There is such a sutableness between the spirit of a beleever and the work that though there is no commings in though hee finde no peace no comfort in the wayes of God yet hee will hold up to the work Where now an unbeleever if hee do not by these things get peace which is all hee looks after in the doing of it if he do not get comfort at last hee throws off all because there was no Principle of sutableness to hold him to the duty Therefore you see how Satan deludes you Faith alone is the spring of action that which sets us a work and quicken us in working if Faith bee up all his Graces will bee so too and if that bee down all other Graces are weak and down with it As Parisiensis saith it is the vertue of a Christal when the vertues of other precious stones are extinct to raise them and revive them again So doth Faith with our Graces when Davids heart was down in Psal 43.5 you see hee recovers himself by his Faith no sooner did hee exercise his Faith but his heart is raised That which quickeneth you to service and inables you in service is Faith and that which deads your spirit and makes you unserviceable is unbeleef and therefore bee convinced of your sin 2. Bee humbled for it this is the great sin the womb of sin the Mother and Nurse of sin as I have shewed That which holds up Satans Kingdome in you is your unbeleef if this fort were once taken all the rest would quickly yeeld up You see when Christ would conquer covetousness hee labours to conquer unbeleeving as you see Mat. 6.25 to the end That being overcome all the rest yeeld up and are vanquisht Nay it is a sin which doth not only uphold particular sins but the state of sin It is called a state of unbeleef wee do not say a state of drunkennesse a state of swearing c. but a state of unbeleef others are but particular this an universal sin And is there not then cause to bee humbled for it you see what a sin it is how you wrong God how you gratifie Satan how you injure your selves and is there not cause then to bee humbled for it Men are hard to bee humbled for this sin because hard to bee convinced either that they are guilty of it or that it is a sin Prophane and wicked men worldly men they will not bee convinced that they do not beleeve Though there bee nothing more plain if the Devil did not delude them for Faith and sin cannot stand together you can no more separate Holiness and Faith than Light and the Sun And humbled men they are hard to bee convinced that it is a sin Though it is easy to convince them that they do not beleeve they are sensible enough of that yet it is hard to perswade them that it is a sin not to beleeve that it is their duty to beleeve they think they do well in keeping off from the Promise they express their tenderness of Gods justice and holiness and judge it a great wrong to both that God should bee merciful to such sinners as they But I must tell thee it is a greater sin than all thy sins a killing a murthering an undoing sin It is a finishing sin that seals thee up in a state of sin and therefore you had need to bee convinced of it and humbled for it 3. Bee yee quickned to beleeve What shall I do now to perswade with you who are slow of heart to beleeve to come in and beleeve Alas all that I can say is nothing if God do not mightily work upon your hearts and perswade with you Shall I tell you there is an inexhaustible fulness of mercy in God and merit in Christ for the greatest sinner among you and this is something Shall I say that God is willing to forgive the greatest sinner of you if you will now come in and beleeve If you will go by Gods revealed will and thou hast no other rule to go by nor to bee judged by there God tells thee that hee keeps open house hee invites hee excites hee intreats hee beseeches to come these were something to perswade with our hearts But I shall pass them I will only name these two
never be looser by it hath bargain good enough You know those places Hee who prizeth father and mother riches lands before mee is not worthy of mee Again There is no man forsaketh father or mother riches or lands for my sake c. but shall have a hundred fold c. So Who saves his life shall loose it but hee who looses his life c. So Hee who denies me before men him will I deny It is now a time wherein wicked men do shew their corruptions do you make use of it as a time to shew your graces when they discover their hypocrisy do you declare your sincerity I have looked and wondred to see those men who have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church should stagger and fall back in the times of redemption of a Church It is not so strange for a man to fall in the times of the declining of a Church Then fear may make men stagger as in Peter But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness who falls back and flyes off in the times of reforming of a Church to see men to fall back not in the times of persecution but in the times of reformation this is a sad thing It may be weakness of grace which occasions a man to decline and fall back in the times of persecution but it is a wickednesse and height of wickednesse it shews a spirit opposite to God and goodnesse to bee worse in times of reformation Wee see it so in many in our times and seeing unsound spirits to discover their corruptions let Gods people now discover their graces When Israel halted between God and Baal making a mixture of divine worship and idolatrous together one to bee set off by the other that poison might bee swallowed down without scrupling then did Elijah take occasion to declare his sincerity when hee cryed how long do you halt c. When Haman had plotted the death of all the Jews and had gotten the Kings warrant for the doing of it then was it a special occasion for Mordecai and Hâ—sler to declare their sincerity which they did Hesler 4.15 16. When Israel had joyned themselves to Baal Peor then was it a special occasion for Moses to declare his sincerity which hee did Numb 25.5 You see what honour Phineas wonne by taking that special occasion of declaring his sincerity The like of Levi in Deut. 33.9 So of Abraham Gen. 22. consider 1. God calls on you to declare your sincerity 2. The Church calls on you 1. Those abroad our poâ—r distressed brethren in Ireland they cry in the language of the Psalmist Psal 94.16 Who will rise up for mee against the evil doers or who will stand up for mee against the workers of iniquity Do you declare your sincerity by helping them with your purses with your prayers and with your persons so far as you are called out to it 2. Our own Church and Nation calls upon us to declare our sincerities the singleness and honestness of your hearts in these double times To help forward with our prayers the good of the Church the great work which concerns Gods glory his cause now on the wheeles the great work of reformation 3. Your conscience that calls on you to discover your sincerity and conscience is either a mans best friend or worst enemy If you would not have conscience shew it self an enemy at that time when you desire it to appear your friend then make use of the seasons to declare the sincerity of your hearts to God And then will conscience bee thy friend in health thy friend in sickness thy friend in life thy friend in death when all other friendâ— must leave thee The testimony of Hezekiahs conscience to him when hee lay on his sick-bed which gave in evidence of his sincerity brought more comfort than all the World Lord remember how I have walked before thee c. Would you have conscience to give in the like testimony for you then declare the sincerity of your hearts when God calls you out There is a story the moral whereof is good that a man who had three friends which hee loved well and being sent for to the King asked which of his friends would go with him one tells him hee could not go not stir another told him hee would go a little way with him but could not go out with him the third hee tells him hee will not only go with him but answer all for him bring him off God is the King the World kindred and conscience are â—he three friends the arrest death and the person sent for the soul The World that will leave you kindred bring you a little way to the grave there leave you but it is a good conscience which carries a man thorough and makes a man stand blameless before the tribunal If you would have conscience bee your friend theâ— labour to discover sincerity now A TREATISE OF THE Wonderfull Workings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE Wonderful VVorkings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People EXODUS 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises Doing wonders WHen troubles are threatned God doth charge us with two things and undertakes to discharge us of all the rest 1. The first thing in Gods charge is Faith Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord The burden of fears of cares of troubles There is the charge and the discharge followes Hee shall sustain thee 2. The second thing God doth charge us withall is Prayer Psal 50.15 Call upon mee But if you will take the charge and the discharge together See Phil. 4.6 Bee careful for nothing There is the discharge But in all things make your request known to God There is the charge And there are two things which God doth charge us withall when our fears are blown over and they are 1. Thankfulness 2. Obedience The former you may read Psal 50.15 The latter 1 Sam. 12.24 And this hath been the practice of the Saints when calamities and troubles hath been either felt or feared they have betaken themselves to those weapons to incounter them with Faith and Prayer You see in Heslers time And when God hath bestowed deliverance then they have betaken themselves to Praises You see in the same story of Esther the Primitive Christians had their Stationary-daies their daies of Prayer wherein they assembled themselves together for the removal of the Churches pressures lying upon them And no doubt but they had their Solemn Feasts and times of Praises when God had wrought his deliverances The want of Mercy sends us to Prayer the injoyment of Mercy sends us to Praises But what need wee seek further for an
that for the compleater deliverance of the Church So it follows They know not the thoughts of the Lord for he shall gather them They gather themselves together and yet saith the Text God gathers them They gathered themselves to ruine the Church and God gathers them to ruine themselves Hee shall gather them as sheaves into the floor and the fuller the load the more welcome to the Husbandman And then Arise and thresh 4. A fourth time wherein God doth wonderful things for his Church is When the enemyes of the Church are carried on with most rage and promise themselves most success against the Church and people of God You see that in the verses before the Text 9 10. when the enemy said in his heart I will pursue I wil overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall bee satisfied on them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them Here they exprest their fury and rage and promist themselves good successe in all And this was the time for God to do Wonders you see in the next vers Thou didst blow with thy wind the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the mighty waters It was so in the Powder-Plot A Plot never to bee forgotten When they had intended to have blown up King People Nobles Commons Senators Senate Laws and Law-makers nay three kingdomes at a blast They could have buried all in one grave and consumed all in one Bonefire Here was their rage their fury And did they not also promise to themselves as good successe in their way Had they not then in their purposes disposed of Crown and kingdom and all the Chief Offices and Revenues in the Land And now was the time for God to shew a wonder for the deliverance of his Church which you know he did A wonder of wisdome in the discovery of the Plot and a wonder of mercy in disappointing of it 5. When Gods People are brought low when all humane helps fail when the Arme of flesh is weak when the stream of second Causes is dry Then is Gods time to shew a wonder for their releif when wee cannot be releeved without a wonder then God works wonders for our relief You see this Deut. 32.35 36. The Lord shall judge his People and repent himself concerning his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up nor left When Israel was brought to those straits the Red-sea before them the Egyptians behind them and mountains on each side them then saith Moses fear not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord Exod. 14.13 As if he had said you are now in straits your extremities are great and now is the time for God to help now is Gods time to do wonders for you There are two times 1. Mans Time 2. Gods Time Mans time is when ever wee are in need when ever we are in trouble but Gods time is only when all helps fail when no releif is in the arm of flesh then all is in God God is ever ready to put forth himself in desperate cases because then his mercy and power will bee most conspicuous his People most thankfull and deliverance most glorious It is an old experienced Truth Mans extremity is Gods opportunity The depth of Mans misery calls in for the depth of Gods mercy It may bee observed in all Ecclesiastical Histories that when deliverance approached then was persecution the hot rest The Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed most when their Kingdome was neerest to ruine In this like the Devil who roars most when his time is shortest The greatest darknesse is before the morning watch when the morning is darkest then comes the day when trouble is greatest then comes deliverance You know when the task of bricks was doubled then was Moses sent to deliver The Ancient Tragedians when things were brought to that strait that there could bee no possibility of humane help imagined they used to bring down some of their Gods out of the Clouds and thence was the phraise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was not much differing from that among the Jews In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Gods promises are never neerer fulfilling than when to sense and reason they seem furthest off from fulfilling This was Abrahams case when at Gods command hee was about to sacrifice his Isaca 6. The time when God doth wonders for his Church is When God doth give and hold up a mighty spirit of Prayer in his People to seek You see this in the deliverance of the Church out of the Babylonish captivity In which deliverance God expressed many wonders of mercy to his Church At which time God raised up A mighty Spirit of Prayer in them to seek As you see in Dan. 9.2 3. And this was prophesyed in Psal 102.13 14 15 16 17. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her the set time is come Why how shall wee know that Now is the time hee shews in the 14th verse For thy Servants take pleasure in the stones and favour the dust thereof that is they mourn and they Pray And therefore it is time for thee to help and deliver as you see in the 17th vers Thou shalt regard the Prayer of the desolate and not despise their Prayer As when the Lord hath an intent to destroy a People he doth either expresly charge them not to pray for them as hee did Jeremy chap. 14.11 Pray thou not for this people and chap. 7.16 Pray not thou for this people neither lift up cry nor Prayer for them neither make intercession to mee For I will not hear thee Or hee doth secretly dead and straiten their spirits that they cannot Pray So when hee doth stirre up the hearts of his People to seek him It is an evident demonstration that God will do great things for that People Hee hath told us that Hee will not forsake them that seek him when the eyes and hearts of Gods People are big with sorrow then is Gods mercy big with deliverance ready to be delivered Wicked men have a measure of sin to fill as God said of the Amorites The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full And Christ to the Scribes and Pharisees Fill you up the measure of your Fathers Mat. 23.22 When the Harvest is ripe then will God put in his Sickle Joel 3.13 put in the Sickle for the Harvest is ripe for the wickedness is great In a word God hath a bag for the sins of the wicked Job 14.17 And God hath a bottle for the tears of his servants Psal 56.8 Hee bags up sins and hee bottles up tears And when once his bag is full of the transgressions of the wicked and his bottle is full of the tears of the Saints Then shall salvation come to Zion then will God stir up himself for the relieving and succouring of his Church When wicked men are ripe for Destruction the Church ripe for