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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11603	Sermons experimentall: on Psalmes CXVI. & CXVII. Very vsefull for a vvounded spirit. By William Sclater D.D. sometimes rector of Limsham, and vicar of Pitmister, in Summerset-shire. Published by his son William Sclater Mr. of Arts, late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, now a priest, and preacher of the Gospel in the city of Exeter, in Devon-shire.	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1638 (1638)	STC 21844; ESTC S116824	112,358	217

they failed in the manner The things I commend unto you in this behalf First See to the state and condition of your persons that you be truely penitent and as David * Psal 66.18 regard no wickednes in your hearts for best duties from such are an abomination to the Lord. Secondly See to this That there be a concord betwixt thy action and affection thy pretence and intention there is nothing which God more abhorrs then hypocrisie in his service for it is both contrary to the simplicity of his Nature and withall argues the basest opinion of God that may be as if he were a God that saw not the hearts Thirdly Let it come cheerfully from thee whatsoever thou performest to God 1 Chron. 28.9 non quantum but ex quanto not what thou bringest but with what good affection and cheare thou bringest is accepted God loves a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 What shall I render The second thing David here commends to us in this his Rhetoricall question is The nature of a heart truely thankfull the best it can render he thinks too base for the Benefactors to whom he renders it see 1 Chron. 29.14 15. First If we compare what we render with what God conferrs Heaven for Earth Deeds for Words Himself for Nothing his Sonne for lesse then Nothing Secondly If we way how in nothing we obliged him for who hath given him first see Rom. 11.35 but onely his meere grace and mercy because he had a favour to us Thirdly How ill we deserved at his hands having sold our Birth-right as Esau for Pottage so we for an Apple Genes 3. Tit. 3. Fourthly How weak and imperfect the purest services are that come from us to him stained as menstruous Clothes Isa 64.6 Prove it as one maine difference twixt Gods true Children and Hypocrites in the Church Cain for forme brings an offering as doth Abel Gen. 4. but God had respect to Abel's not to Cain's Cain brings at adventure any thing he thought would serve his turne Abel brings of the first fruits and the fat of the flock Mal. 1. The Table of the Lord is not to be regarded Halt or Blinde so it were a sacrifice all was well c. Who can in this kinde excuse himself The prime and vigour of our life how have we spent upon the service of Satan our best wits how have we tyred and wasted in vanity The Refuse that age hath left us how hardly affoord we to our God The Attention we yeeld unto Gods Word is it comparable to that we yeeld to a Judge or a Justices charge The Threats of our God do we so tremble at as at the Threats of Men The kindnesse of God do we so value as the favour of Men we do not such is our sensuality such our more love of men of our selves then of our God who yet hath done so great things for us The better to enlarge our hearts to this duty let us consider First That God hath bestowed on us the choice and prime of his favors in all kinds As we are men Reason As his Church his Word his Word not onely purely but plentifully preached Yea his Spirit his Sonne Himself Thus hath he magnified his kindnesse to us Wretched men that we are can we think our best Devotions too good for such a God Secondly Compare our selves with other Churches He hath given us Peace while they are turmoyled in the tumults of Warre Victory when they have been subjected to many Foyles Security and Safety while they dayly carry their lives in their hands Liberty to serve him while they many in corners are forced to steal their Devotions Thus hath God magnified his Mercy to us and yet c. Thirdly Compare our selves with our Brethren in our own Church and Kingdome we shall see God hath vouchsafed us our preheminence It is well towards Thirty yeeres that you have had here the word of God purely and sincerely taught you there be neighbouring Congregations that since the dayes of Superstition never yet enjoyed the blessing to have a preaching ministry setled amongst them If we speak to the Blessing in hand Them God hath delivered over us he hath preserved Fourthly Compare our selves with our Brethren and Neighbours living all under the same means of Salvation How many see you still living and dying in grosse ignorance of God in wilfull Rebellion and Disobedience And yet there be those again that may say God hath blessed the means of grace to them their eyes are enlightned to see their hearts affected to love and obey his Truth Surely if such men can satisfie themselves with an ordinary measure of duty I shall wonder VERSE XIII I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Lord. AN answer to the demand Poculum Salutis The Cup of Salvation You may not think this to be our Drunkards Health God never warrants either drunkennesse or drinkings with excesse of riot to any 1 Pet. 4.3 and yet I am perswaded that profane Custome hath originally grounded it self from hence St Ambrose in his time speaks of some Custome they had to drink Pro Salute Imperatorum but well converts it to Oramus pro Salute Imperatorum The God we serve is not the Idoll Bacchus to be propitiated with drinking or drunkennesse It is devotion and obedience that pleaseth him I could fill you with Expositions but Quorsum This understand The Jewish Church had three kinde of sacrifices First Holocausts wherein the whole was offered by fire unto the Lord neither Priests nor people partaking in them Secondly Sinne-offerings and Trespasse offerings wherein part was burnt unto God the residue was the Priests portion Marry the Sinner or trespasser partook in it Thirdly They had Peace-offerings Levit. 7.11 which were offered in liew of deliverance and safety from God Whose Rite was this That thereof part should be offered to God part accrued to the Priests the residue to the Offerer and those whom he invited to partake in the Feast Examples hereof see 1 Sam. 16.3 Prov. 7.14 and which is most to purpose because I think we have thereof what was done according to the promise here It is said of David He offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings unto the Lord 1 Chron. 16.1 What is this to Poculum Salutis The Cup of Salvation in my Text Answ The Cup of Salvation is by a Synechdoche as much as Sacrificium salutis that is as much as to say A Sacrifice or Banquet made for the people in respect of safety and deliverance vouchsafed unto David read diligently the story 1 Chron. 16. Now if ye ask me the Reason of the Institution Why the people of the Jews must thus upon their deliverances offer such Peace-offerings and with a Banquet liberally eating and drinking before the Lord Answ First One reason seems this namely To stirre up the Offerers themselves with more chearfulnesse and alacrity to praise God for his mercies Secondly If ye respect others it was

as * Psal 106.15 Israelites desiring flesh when leannesse was withall sent into their souls There are three things that hinder such motions of love to our God First That many scarcely acknowledge any work of providence in swaying these outward things supposing all guided by nature or fortune Secondly That we look not through second causes to the chief and principall sender whose but instruments these are Hab. 1.16 17. And we in part the like as if the vigour of the disease because of Nature stayed or as if the cold of the time were the onely cause of mitigation whereas if we would speak or think as Christians we should see God in the means Thirdly The proud opinion of merit if any thing in the world overthrows it I shall never beleeve any Merit-monger doth or can think himself beholding to God for any his favours bestowed on him for while he thinks he hath obliged God unto him by his devotion how doth he not rather think God ows him thanks rather then himself any way indebted unto him But that our hearts may the better be stirred up to the Duty Consider we First our no-merits our Merita malae yea how stained the very prayers we made were with manifold blemishes as doubtings of obtaining coldnesse of affection c. Secondly See misery of the want Thirdly Preferment God hath given thee in it Fourthly The sweetnesse in enjoyment passeth all treasures Cant. 8.8 The whole substance given for love would be contemned surely it is something that * Numb 22.18 Balaam said if Balak would give me his house full of gold and silver I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord yet said the Apostle of him he * 2 Pet. 2.15 loved the wages of unrighteousnesse and ran greedily after the * Iud. ver 11. reward power of providence restrained but when Will restrains and we so highly prize Gods favour that for no thing never so precious we will adventure his offence this is supernaturall Lastly All things work together for the good of them that * Rom. 8.28 love God VERSE II. Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live THis Verse containeth another part of that fruit that the mercy of God brought forth in him A Vow of limiting his Devotions to God wherein are two things observable First The matter of it Secondly The incentive or motive In the first take notice of the thing resolved of Invocation of Gods name Secondly The time In diebus meis in my dayes as the Hebrew bears it or as it is rendred in our last best Translation As long as I live Secondly The motive is because he hath inclined his ear unto me Because he hath inclined his ear Take heed ye here conceive nothing grosly of the Godhead as if he had any such fleshly or bodily member as eye or ear c. God is a * Ioh. 4.24 Spirit a substance * Luke 24.39 incorporall immateriall but as David teacheth to interpret hereby he signifies not the instrument but the faculty and ability to do what by these bodily organs we perform Psal 94.9 The inclining of the ear signifies the bending of our best attention to take notice of what is spoken for such gesture we use when we desire thorowly to understand what is said to us see Psal 45.10 Pro. 22.17 Psal 86.1 it is that with Psal 130.2 he calls attentivenesse of the ear yet withall somewhat else is imported namely the Lords demitting and humbling himself so low as to take notice of his petitions Prov. 22.17 and Ier. 7.26 and 25.4 Pro. 5.13 As if he had said Sith the Lord hath pleased so low to demit humble himself as to attend to my prayer therefore c. And certainly it is a matter of marvell as to me it seemes that the great God of heaven and earth should stoop so low as to regard the prayers of the sonnes of men so every where it is accounted by Saints and they are a little astonished at the wonderfulnesse of it so David * Psal 103.5.6 who is like the Lord our God who dwelleth on high and yet humbleth himself to behold the things in heaven and earth And observe Davids stile of this mercy of God to men expressing ever matter of wonder as Psal 107.6 8. and 19.21 and 28.31 compare Psal 102.17 18 19 20. and 17.6 7. shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse Ps 31.21 22. he hath shewed me his marvellous loving kingdnesse because he heard the voice of my supplications And certainly if ye please to compare the greatnesse of Gods Majestie First with the infirmity of man in his best estate Secondly With his quality as it is now depraved Thirdly Considering the quality of our prayers Fourthly The preferment we have in it above Angels ye will see in it mercy no lesse then marvellous See Salomon admiring it 1 Kings 8.27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth Vox admirantis non dubitantis behold Heaven of heavens cannot contain thee yet wilt thou here manifest thy presence by hearing prayers What is * Psal 8.4 and 1 Chron. 29.14 man and who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer c. confer v. 12. but consider him as depraved the wonder grows yet more marvellous as it is amplified Ps 107.6 8 19 21. that the Lord should humble himself so low as to hear prayers of sinfull man provoking him daily with his sins And what prayers full of doubtings wanderings coldnesse of affection c. and see our preferment First Above Angels as Heb. 2.14 for hither also may that amplification be referred Secondly To other men not of the Church Deut. 4.7 what nation so great to whom God comes so nigh as the Lord our God to us in all that we call unto him for Do we enquire reason of it None can be given save this onely Deut. 10.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.4 the love of God to man and there is no marvell if that love of God to man amongst all Gods loves hath its speciall name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. are not read but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his specialty of favour is this Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse Vse and declare the wonders that he doth for the sonnes of Adam How can we amplifie the kindnesse of great men of Kings as * Hest 5.11.12 Haman nay if it be a farre meaner man a Basket-justice or a petty Gentleman that vouchsafeth us a greeting or grants a request how pride we our selves in it How do we never satisfie our selves in praising their courtesie their affability their humility And yet they do but duty are men of our own mould subject to * Iam. 5.17 like passions as we Oh that there were such hearts in us towards our God who is so ready to hear us that King of kings and

God according to the benefit done unto him Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders he doth unto the sonnes of men Psal 107.8 c. I mention not to us of this Kingdome the common favours other Churches have enjoyed with us the specialty of Gods mercy his Personall favour Lord how have they been magnified and made marvellous upon us How many strange little lesse then miraculous deliverances God hath bestowed upon us in that Invasion attempted in 88. from Gunpowder-Treason It is our shame and sinne that we have not in zeal for our God become presidents precedents to other Churches yet would God we had but equalled them how should I hope the Lord would still continue his favours upon us But what hath this wrought in us but fearfull pride security licenciousnesse even by that occasion that we have experimented the Lord to be so gracious unto us as if we were perswaded as Jews Ier. 7. either that the form of godlinesse obliged him unto us and the very name of a Church must link him to our State or that his promises of favour were absolute without condition God binding himself to us without expecting performance of our Restipulation Nay see if these favours of God have not turned to us as occasions to increase to more ungodlinesse Do ye thus requite the Lord Deut. 32.6 Two things I propound to Gods people to be meditated the better to stirre them up to the duty First There is no so firme entail of Gods favours to any particular Church but that disobedience and unthankfulnesse easily cuts off The promise to Jews how runnes it in fairest tearms of perpetuity Here is my rest here will I dwell for ever and that of David He should not lacke a man of his seed to sit upon his Throne for ever and yet is Hierusalem now become heap● and that people have now long sitten without a King without a Prince How stands Gods truth then First It was meant with condition of their constant obedience And secondly to the spirituall seed Luke 2. The second thing is this The more God hath m gnified his favour and mercy to any people in case of their unthankfulnesse he hath the more encreased their vengeance see Mat. 11. Deut. 28. Levit. 26. He hath made the Jews an astonishment an hissing to all nations his mercies were not more marvellous then now their plagues are wonderfull and take we heed it prove not our condition God hath begun to plague the cities where his Name was called upon and his wrath * Mic. 1.15 creeps in the Church as Micah speaks from Lachish to Mareshah from Mareshal to Adullam the glory of Israel This onely is the odds they drank first of the cup of Gods wrath perhaps because the Lord reserves the dregs the bitterest and most banefull part for us his hand is lifted up to strike and is yet stayed till it be more exalted but this let us be assured of the higher it lifts the heavier it lights the greater shall our stroke be It shall behove us then to notice the specialty of Gods favour and mercy to us I mean our personall favours our privileges the favours wherein we have had our propriety That if any thing excites to thankfulnesse Surely there is none of us but have our privilege if not in the favours yet in the manner or measure or means of convayance I for my part can speak it This in short let us notice though for common favours an ordinary measure of service may seem competent yet for specialty of love the Lord expects a more then ordinary service to be performed Oh Lord enlarge my heart incline it to that measure The manner follows It is as before him that is as * See Gen. 17.1 Isa 38.3 Scripture every where interprets its self in truth in sincerity and singlenesse of heart which is the generall qualification of all services of God that forms them to acceptation Thus understand the Matter of all services performed unto God whether in common or speciall calling is the same and they are for the substance of the act performable as well by hypocrites as by Gods children The form or maner of performance in sincerity is peculiar to Gods children for example to * See Ps 1.15.16 preach Christ to publish the mystery of the Gospel that is of remission of sins and salvation by the death obedience of Jesus Christ so doth Iudas as well as Peter so did Demas as well as Paul but saith Paul they not sincerely as appears by their motive and intention so of * 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah in point of justice and ordering the Common-wealth as a Magistrate he did that which was good in the sight of the Lord here was his bane he did it not with a perfect heart They come unto thee as thy people cometh saith the * Ezek. 33.31 Prophet and they sit before me as my people and they hear thy words yet do they but flatter with their double hearts they hear but will not do their heart runnes after their covetousnesse What could Elias have done more then * 2 Kings 10. Iehu for the substance of the Act He beats down the Image of Baal slayeth his Priests and all his Servitours and for this service the Lord rewards him yet departed he not from the sinnes Ieroboam 2 Kings 10.30 31 32. wherefore Hos 1.4 even this fact of Iehu is punished in his posterity Sincerity wherein it consists What is sincerity Answ The Scripture hath two tearms to expresse it First * Ephes 6.5 Col. 3.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simplicity or singlenesse of heart which commonly they thus interpret when there is a concord twixt the action and the affection twixt the heart and profession to which commonly they oppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service we read in Scripture of a heart and a heart a double heart in Ecclesiasticus we finde a wo unto that sinner that goes two wayes the description of an hypocrite whose embleme is a Waterman on the Thames his face and armes and whole body with full strength is towards the Bridge and yet is his course intended Westward see Ezek. 33.31 Come see saith * 2 Kings 10.16 Iehu how zealous I will be for the Lord of Hosts so indeed his act pretended Ah hypocrite it was for nothing but to secure the kingdome to him and his posterity The second tearm is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole heart which the old Scripture calls Cor perfectum a * Gen. 17.1 1 Chron. 28.9 Isa 38.3 perfect heart the meaning is when the utmost of our strength and endeavour in gracious abilities is extended to do God service as David Psal 119. With my whole heart have I sought thee that howsoever there be and will be defects in our best performances yet we are able to say it issues not from want of * See Heb. 13.18

is a God and to beleeve that this God is not Just or True or Mercifull is as perillous in point of Salvation as to be an Atheist and to think there is no God To beleeve that there is a Mediatour twixt God and Man the Man Christ Iesus and to beleeve he mediates or merits by us is as perillous as to beleeve There is no Mediatour twixt God and Man To worship God and the Creature as God is as perillous as to worship the Creature in stead of God To worship God otherwise then he will be worshipped or then he hath prescribed us to worship him in his Word is as dangerous as to be meerly without all worship 1 Sam. 15.21 Rebellion is as the sinne of Witchcraft and in vain they worship who worship after doctrines of men Mat. 15.9 And if this be the Faith and Religion of some so utterly unwarrantable so crossing to the word of our Faith the salvation of our souls I say If this be so then say not but it is a favour of God to be born in the Church where God is worshipped as he out and himself hath prescribed and wherein we have the true means of salvation and as they spake scoffingly to our Saviour The way of God taught truly This favour of God we all enjoy yet who is there who thinks his obligation to serve God hereby increased We dream of the Priveleges of the Church and think it sufficient we are born members of it without taking notice of what they binde us unto First Know every favour of God is an obligation to duty and the greater the favour the greater the obligation see Psal 118.2 3 4. Secondly Where the favors are vouchsafed and the service not performed the greater and heavier will be the vengeance They that sinned without * Rom. 2.12 Law shall perish without Law they that in Law by Law and Matth. 11. Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah are not so severely tormented as children of the Church Thirdly Take heed lest hereby we occasion the Lord to remove our * Apoc. 2.5 Candlestick to take from us the being of our Church and make us by wofull experience know the difference twixt serving God and serving Idols beleeving Christ and giving way to Antichrist If in the other Sense filius ancillae be interpreted Son of a gracious Mother such as Lois and * 2 Tim. 1. 3. Eunich were to Timothy certainly the favour is great and much increaseth our obligation to serve God to be borne and have education from religious Parents First Such birth brings us within the Covenant Gen. 17.7 1 Cor. 7.14 entitles us to the promises of this life and upon condition of resemblance and imitation to the promises of the life to come Secondly Advantageth us much towards Heaven whiles we have First Our information and nurture in the fear of the Lord. Ephes 6.4 Secondly The ayd of their Prayers and Counsells and Admonitions as * 1 Sam. 2.23 Eli Oh my sonnes do not so wickedly Thirdly Their daily example which by a kinde of naturall instinct we are inclined to imitate Lord me thinks what a shame and horrour is it to see a degenerous seed and how do I perswade my self horrour of conscience shall be one day augmented torments of Hell encreased to them who besides the ordinary and common means of salvation in the Church have had their birth and breeding under religious Parents I know not how we pride our selves in this that we can talke of the Devotion and Religion hath been in our progenitours and there are who stick not though profanely to say They hope for their Parents sake and through their faith and piety to go to heaven though themselves walke in the wayes of the wicked First Have you forgotten who said Think not to say We have * Ioh. 8.39 Abraham to our father Secondly Do you not remember who said That if the righteous beget a * Ezek. 18.14 24 Sonne that commits abomination He shall die in his sinne yea be the more tormented because he had so gracious birth and education Thirdly Have ye forgotten the distinction of children by birth and children by imitation As the righteous sonne of a wicked father dieth not for his fathers wickednesse so lives not the wicked sonne of a righteous father by the fathers righteousnesse see Ioh. 8. Wherefore you to whom God hath granted this favour of all others strive to excell in goodnesse and think as David your very birth of such Parents binds you to extraordinary serviceablenesse towards God VERSE XVI XVII Thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. THe second ground of his Service His Manumission which under this Trope of loosing the bonds Nah. 1.13 the signe put for the thing signified is signified how follows it Thy servant for thou hast freed me Saint Peter answers 1 Pet. 2.16 though free from other bondage yet still the servants of God this being the condition of our liberty received from other bonds that we might serve God As if David would teach us this lesson That our Christian liberty mancipates us unto God or That the freedome God gives us is but an exchange of our service so Zacharie Luk. 1.74 so Peter 1 Pet. 2.16 so Paul every where Rom. 6.18 being freed from sinne ye are made servants of righteousnesse and Gal 5.13 No where doth Scripture teach us That the liberty given us of God or purchased by Christ makes us nostri juris men at our owne absolute dispose to live as we list 1 Cor. 6.19 20. ye are bought with a price therefore ye are not your owne for though you be freed from other Masters yet his servants you are who hath manumitted you Where come to be reproved Two grosse sinnes of these Times First The Understanding Secondly Misapplying or misusage of our Christian liberty issuing there-from Of the first That worthy Doctrine of Christian liberty so plentifully taught by the Apostle from the Law how many be there that misunderstand It is true that Saint Paul saith Rom. 6. We are not under the Law but under grace and Gal. 3.25 Now faith is come we are no longer under the Schole-master and 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man c. with these grounds misunderstood how many runne wilde into all licentiousnesse Every man when his humour takes him taking liberty to sinne because he is not under the Law And when we explicate not under the Law Ceremoniall or Judiciall see the shifts licentious nature hath when they desire to be enlarged that Law is Jewish so Papists for Images a Law for Jews in respect of pronenesse to idolatry So Anabaptists from oathes imposed to decide controversies a Law peculiar to Jews for their rudenesse and propensity to sinne So some profane Antisabbatarians of the fourth Anabaptists of the fifth Gnosticks of the seventh

deal with wherein we have comfort except thus * 1 Tim. 4.5 sanctified unto us And if nothing else will move us let our own Necessities Temporall and Spirituall for let it be granted we enjoy all things to the full in things of this life yet how soon can God strip us of them How can he break the * Levit 26.26 Ezek. 4.16 and 5.16 staffe of bread that we shall eat and not be satisfied How can he give us up to that vanity Solomon speaks of To abound with all things yet to have * Eccles 5.19 use of nothing How can he make them snares unto us as the same Solomen speaks That our riches shall be reserved for * Eccles 5.13 hurt to the owner thereof Especially when as * Pro. 30.9 Agur intimates Fulnesse may occasion a deniall of God or a forgetfulnesse of him Whilest as David speaks Our hearts are * Psal 62.10 set upon them Whilest as our Saviour speaks the care in keeping and fear in loosing * Matt. 13.22 choke the word of God or whilest they become fewell to feed our corruption instrument● of injustice luxury what not that evill is And for our spirituall estate supposing us to be in highest favour with God First How can we suppose it whilest in this duty we are negligent Rom 8.26 Zec. 12.10 Secondly have we attain'd perfection who can or dare say it Phi. 3.13 14. Thirdly Have we command of grace at our own pleasure to exercise it or to increase it experience of all humble hearts contradicts it see 2 Chron. 32. Psal 51. Fourthly In those graces that concern sense have we a promise of their continuance without interruption shew me it so peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost except perhaps we will condemn the * Psal 73.15 generation of the just or if any such promise be so according to Letter yet is it with limitation to our use of means amongst which this is the Prime Prayer unto God And if ever there were times to stir up to this duty now are the daies for us especially of this kingdome The prayer that * Psal 12.1 David makes is fulfilled to us Help Lord for there is not one godly man left the faithfull are minished from among the children of men behold and see our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too all in a tumult every man seeking his own humouring himself * Phil. 2.22 none the things of Iesus Christ the cause of the Gospel few take to heart a little sollicitous we seem to be of peace in our land but whether Religion sink or swim we are generally of * Act. 18.17 Gallio's minde We care for none of those things but What shall we do in the * Ier. 5.31 end thereof Remedy I know none for us private men but onely Preces lachrymae the old weapons of the Church The substance of Vers 18 19. hath been handled before in Vers 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PSAL. 117. vers 1. O praise the Lord all ye Nations praise him all ye people OPportunely we fall upon this Psalme this * On Whit-sunday 1637 Day wherein we celebrate the memory of those miraculous gifts conferred on the Primitive Church especially on the Apostles Act. 2. This Psalme presenting to our notice the great blessing of God in the vocation of the Gentiles whereto that gift of Tongues tended In the words consider we three things First Duty Secondly Persons whom it concerns Thirdly Ground of the Duty Vers 2. Lest the Application of the Psalme to Vocation of Gentiles seem impertinent Read Rom. 15.11 where ye shall observe the Apostle so applying it For farther understanding Know that from the dayes of Abraham and Iacob began God to limit his people to one Family and Nation before that time all being Quoad jus The people of God in their dayes was God pleased for the sinnes of other nations and specially for love to his people according to election to single out the seed of Abraham c. to be his peculiar people and to distinguish them by signes from others by signes I say of speciall Covenant as Circumcision in Abrahams family afterwards the giving of the * Rom. 9.4 Law and the services which was the Maceria spoken of the * Ephes 2.14 Partition wall mentioned by the Apostle insomuch that though all other people and kingdomes of the world retained the Stile and Title of Nations and people at large Yet none of the people of God save Abraham Isaac Iacob and their posterity And this enclosure of grace to them though ye reckon but from the giving of the Law to Christ when the distinction grew compleat unto Christ endured the space of above sixteen hundred yeers what time the Jews growing to height of Impiety were rejected of God and in their stead we Gentiles graffed in as Rom. 11.17 so that in Pauls time they were Concorpores and from that time to now have continued the onely body of Christ the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all Ephes 1.23 So long ago was God pleased to foretell the Calling of the Gentiles see Psal 2. and 50. and 97. What speak we of so late as David even in the very Covenant of Abraham it was signified as Gen. 17.5 and 18.18 and in the signe Rom. 4.11 If the question now be Why the Lord was pleased so long ago to foretell it Thus let him conceive First Predictio futurorum the foretelling of things to come I mean of Contingent things that have no cause in Nature are no small evidence of a Deity whereupon Isa 45. Idols are put to that issue Secondly The accomplishment of such Predictions are excellent nourishers of Hope concerning things to come which we behold onely in the Promise as Iehu makes the observation * 2 King 10.10 No word of God shall fall to the ground many gracious Promises are given us which yet are not performed c. Thirdly Besides God meant from the beginning of the Covenant to nourish his people Israel in the fear of his Name not willing to give them least occasion of being puffed up with Pride in respect of his speciall favour Wherefore also they are often afterwards by the Ancients of the Prophets put in minde of it see Hos 1. That a man would wonder save that blindnesse is come upon Israel in part to read how Jews of old and to this day are averse from the doctrine which teacheth entertainment of Gentiles into the Church of God If ye read the story of the Gospel there was nothing went more harsh in Christs doctrine then this of taking away the kingdome from the Jews and when Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles Act. 13 and 28. preached this doctrine he alwayes became unsufferable But thus deserve they to be blinded in plainest things that refuse obedience to the will of God Other Errors there are noted