the world and loose the soul In the last day an upright soul will be able to stand it out before the judgment seat when they that have kept all things upright but their souls shal see that none but upright souls are happy 2. Let us therefore not stand wishing I would I had such a soul Vse 2 as Balaam I would I might die the death of the righteous but let us study and use the means to get such a soul These are 1. The Word for in that the Spirit speaketh there is a sound of the voyce that commeth to the ear that is not enough there is the Spirit speaking to the soul that 's the Sermon the Spirit of God is the Preacher the souls of men are the audience So the Psalmist I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope 2. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper for that is spirituall meat and drink the Pabulum animae it is both meat and medicine worthily received it is Emanuel God with us I may say to you my brethren as Christ said to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If you knew the gift of God and understood what grace is offered you in the word and Sacrament and how beneficiall they are how nourishing how cordiall to the inward man you would not come to the Word when your leasure served but you would put by all businesses and make them attend that service you would not receive the Sacrament once a year if so much but your Word would be Desiderio desideravi comedere hoc pascha I only say with Christ If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them 3. Confession to God is another good means keep the soul upright we say even reckonings make long friends There is a threefold Confession 1. Confessio fraudis quid omisi 2. Confessio facti quid feci 3. Confessio laudis quid retribuam Here is work enough to take up the whole life of man and this keeps our accompt with God even 4. I must never leave out prayer that must make one in all the exercises of Christian life pray continually And let our petition be that God would give us wisdom from above to direct us in the ordering of our souls so as we may ever keep them upright for it is not in man to order his ways much lesse to govern his own soul let us therefore pray to him who chalengeth interest in all souls who is called The Father of Spirits and who saith All souls are mine We have a good encouragement from Saint James If any of you want wisdom Jam. 1.5 let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally And Christ hath promised that whatsoever he shal ask the Father in his Name he wil do it 5. It wil help to keep our souls in integrity to have regard of our conversation of our calling of our recreations of our time of our means 1. That we keep good company which may not corrupt our manners either consilio or exemplo by counsel or example 2. That we live in a lawful calling that we may have the testimony of a good conscience that the means of our maintenance are honest and lawful and that we do not spend the wages of unrighteousnesse that defileth the soul with an indelible pollution all your prayers and almes wil not purge you 3. That your recreations be both lawful and moderate such as may make you more fit for the service of God not such as may make you suspend the time wherein God should be served not such as may provoke you to impatience or to blasphemy and abusing the name of God 4. That your time be spent by weight and measure as those that are to be accomptants to God for it 5. That our means that we enjoy in this life be so gained and managed that they may seem as faculties of well-doing and may by no means stoop the soul to any departure from God for love of them or by abuse of them 3. Let us learn humility Vse 3 decline pride for that doth corrupt the soul to such God giveth grace he that is humillimus should be humillimus But the just shall live by his faith This is the second part of the Antithesis that contains in it the whole sum of the Gospel there be three words in it that carrie the contents thereof 1. Righteousnesse 2. Faith 3. Life Righteousnesse and Faith are the way of life they are two special pieces of that spiritual armour which the Apostle doth advise all the children of God to use against their enemies The breast-plate of Righteousnesse Eph. 6.14 and the Sheild of Faith 1. Of Righteousnesse This is that vertue which denominateth a man just and righteous and it is a vertue which doth give suum cuique to God in the obedience of the first table of the law to man in the obedience of the second table This is given 1. Legally 2. Evangelically For the first which is Legal righteousnesse it is the fulfilling of the whole Law in every part of it by the whole man in body and soul Ecles 7.31 the whole time of his life and Adam who was created in the image of God was cloathed with this righteousnesse as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.24 created in the image of God and in righteousnesse and true holynesse And this righteousnesse was lost by Adams fal and was never found in any man since but in the Man Jesus Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that just one And of him it is said Act. 22.14 Isa 59.17 that He put on Righteousnesse as a breast-plate And this Righteousnesse the Saints in glory have so the Apostle calleth them The spirits of just men made perfect But on earth Heb. 12 23 Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one The Church of Rome doth directly contradict the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture concerning this righteousnesse Sess 6. Can. 18. For the counsel of Trent hath set it down for a Canon Siquis dixerit dei praecepta homini justificato sub gratia constituto esse ad observandum impossibilia anathema sit Let me then clear the Church tenent concerning this point that Legal Righteousnesse is altogether impossible to man in the present state of desertion from our creation Our Argument is this Whosoever sinneth breaketh the Law of God but every one that liveth sinneth Ergo every one that liveth breaketh the law The first proposition is proved by the definition of sinne given by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.4 But every man that liveth sinneth Saint James will make that good In multis offendimus omnes in many things we offend all The conclusion followeth ergo omnis praevaricatur legem Andradius answereth with a distinction to the minor every man sinneth sins are of two sorts 1. Mortall so every man sinneth not for he that is borne of God sinneth not
quodammodo vacillare he shews himself somwhat wavering that cannot be defended for the motto of a just man is semper idem always the same and it is the ungodly man who is unstable in all his ways his heart is not established 3. But he smiteth home when he saith verum quidem est secundam partem versus affinem esse blasphemiae the second part of the verse to be near a kinne to blasphemy quia obmurmurat insimulat deum unimiae tarditatis because he murmured and accused God of too much slacknesse Yet Mr. Calvin healeth him again pardon him in this for he was in Angusto in a strait jealous of having the honour of God touched by the Prophet and yet tender of any touch of the charity that he did owe to the Prophet and therefore having delared his holy love to God he doth his best to excuse the Prophet saying of him fraenum sibi injicit occurrit mature Se temperat ut praeveniat nimium fervorem he tempers himself that he might allay this too great heat And in the end he confesseth quia non potest se expedire rebus tam confusis disceptat potius secum quà m cum deo because he could not get out of this maze that he reasoned with himself rather then God For my opinion I acquit the Prophet from any suspicion of inordinate affection in this his complaint so long as he doth do God the right to acknowledge him both eternall and equal I wonder not if he and all that consider him aright in his ways be swallowed up in the depth of admiration of them Let any man observe that which followeth in the Prophets complaint and he shall see great cause of wonder but whensoever such occasion is offered to us to behold the like let us do our God the right to confesse him holy and just and to resolve that which way soever things go there can be no fault in him therefore let us say with David Domine tu justus es justa sunt judicia tua thou art just and thy judgements are just It is a good saying of old Eli the Priest Ps 3.18 when Samuel told him of the judgments of God upon his house It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Yet is it not unlawful for the children of God reverently to consider the ways of God yea it is a work for the Sabbath to take the works of God into regard O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep Ps 92.5 A bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this It argueth a great defect in judgement when we shall think a thought which may derogate any thing from the glory of our God for it is true fecit quicquid voluit he hath done whatever he would so it is true omnia bene fecit he hath done all things well and we say truly of him He hath done all things for the best for so he doth even then when his ways do crosse ours and when those things that he doth do seem to us and to our reason as most opposite To help which our weaknesse we are taught to pray fiat voluntas tua thy will be done Let us come then to a view of the particulars which the Prophet recounteth which God doth behold and not yet punish And herein we shall find the Prophet an Orator setting forth the iniquity of the times and the miseries of the Church then so as we may say his heart hath indited a good matter and his tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer Here be the Prophets grievances 1. The first is treason Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously Mr. Calvin renders it quare aspicis transgressores and so doth the Geneva translation render it Why lookest thou upon the transgressors But that is somewhat too large for that includeth all sorts of sinners Jun. Cur intuereris perfidos so the Chaldaeans of whom the Prophet complaineth here are set forth as you heard by the Prophet Isay Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat Isa 12.2 Treason is not wrought by a profest enemy in times of open warre and proclaimed defiance neither do we call the secret practices of enemies working underhand by the name of treason they are military stratagems but it is called treason when by corrupting some of the opposite side the enemie doth take advantage And this is commonly one of the mines which is carried under the states of great Kingdomes to destroy them and blow them up And the Author and Finisher of our salvation though he was assaulted by profest warre of the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees yet he was put into their hand at last by treason one of his own twelve betrayed him And it is the chief use of the new order of Jesuits in forrein States to corrupt the affections of subjects ut prodant that they may betray This is a great grievance for treasons be commonly carried with great secresie yet the Prophet saith that God looketh on he beholden all the conveyances both of Projection and Execution and that is it which amazeth the Prophet that God who loveth not treason should look on and behold it in all the ingresse and progresse of it and not stop it Beloved we have a lesson from hence The Lord seeth treason Doct. Not only the great treasons wrought against States and Kingdomes but the particular falshoods in common friendship the private insidiations for the goods the chastity the good name the life of our neighbours It is not any negligence in Gods government of the world or any over-sight or any forgetfulnesse or any approbation of evil that doth keep God so quiet that he sitteth in heaven he keepeth Israel and he neither slumbreth nor sleepeth Yet he looketh on while thieves come in the night and break open a way into mens houses gather together and rifle and carry away their goods He seeth whilst the secret enemy watcheth his brother upon the way or goeth forth with him as Abel did with Cain God knew that Abel was to be killed that day When Joab and Amasa met God saw it a death he knew that embracing would prove a stab Sometimes God doth detect and defeat these treasons betimes sometimes he letteth them go on to the very moment of execution yet then he disappointeth them but sometimes he looketh on and seeth them performed and hindreth them not This is that which the Prophet would fain know why God that loveth no evil and hath power at hand to prevent it doth look on and see it done for amongst us quinon vetat peccare cum licet jubet he that when he may hindreth not a fault commands it and for man it is a true rule that all the evil which we might have hindred and did not shall be put upon our account This rule holds indeed with us but God is not so limited he maketh both evil creatures that is devils
we have done these things and therefore unlesse we redeem the time and amend our ways our consciences will tell us that his servants we are whom we obey and the servants of sin must look for the wages of sin that is death But let us do no more so seeing the Lord is our strength let our strength be the Lords let it serve him for himself our brethren for his sake Another use of this point I learn from the song of Moses Vse 2 the man of God and of the children of Israel after they came out of the red sea The Lord is my strength and song let him that is our strength Exod. 15 ◠be our song also that is let us praise him with joy and thanksgiving it is the honour that David giveth to the Lord as his strength is always from him so he promiseth My song shall be always of him he desireth that his mouth may be fil'd with his prayse all the day long these be called the calves of the lips of them that confesse his name they are sacrifices of righteousnesse and they please God better then bullocks that have horns and hoofs this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service It followeth there and it is another use of this point Vse 3 The Lord is my strength I will prepare him an habitation In which words though literally there be a propheticall reference to the Tabernacle of God which God did after appoint to be erected and consecrated to his speciall worship and further yet to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem the joy of all the earth yet in thankfull retribution to God for the strength that we have from him every faithfull soul must within it self erect an habitation for God and his anointed Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost doth not Christ dwell in us by faith is not the soul the body of the Church is not the understanding and intellectuall part the holy of holies the chancell of the Church where the glory of God dwelleth and where the memorials of his mercies are kept is not the heart the altar wherupon all our sacrifices of thanksgiving the incense of our praiers are burnt Is not the mouth of them that confesse his name the beautiful porch of this Temple Doth not Christ stand at our doors and knock and desire our entertainment O let us receive him he is our strength there is not a stronger man to come in and bind him and cast him out that day we receive him that day is salvation come home to our house Let him not come in as a guest and sojourner to tarry a night and be gone let him have the rule of the house Christ will then tell us that the Kingdome of God is within us and where he ruleth there is peace which passeth all understanding 3 The next ground of their hope is a strong faith that he will make my feet like hynds feet That is he will give me a swift escape out of all my affliction and I shall come again out of captivity The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of all her troubles Doct. This is a good ground of hope Because it is one of Gods honourable titles to be a deliverer so is he called in this 18 Ps v. 2. Reas 1 From whence these words are taken so Thou art my help and my deliverer Psal 70.5 Thus David honoureth God with that great title for it includeth a confession of prayse both of the power of God able to deliver and of his wisedome and love applying that power to the comfort of his afflicted Church Because it was the office of his anointed the Son in whom he was well pleased Reas 2 to deliver his people from the hands of all their enemies He gave redemption to his people He shall save his people from all their sins he confesseth it his errand hither He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted Isai 6.11 to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Because God knoweth the weaknesse of his Church Reas 3 and though he chasten them with the rods of men yet will he not take his mercy utterly from them Psal 125.3 lest the righteous should put forth their hand unto wickednesse This hath speciall vertue to comfort us both Vse 1 Generally in our whole life and 2 especially in the severall crosses and distresses incident to the body of the Church or any member of the body 3 And individually to each perticular person in their personall vexations and unrest 1 For the generall calamities incident to life Job saith Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery If a man have no time of respiration from sorrow if his body be in sicknesse his mind in grief his estate in poverty his person in prison suppose him as much afflicted as his time and strength can bear yet death determineth all and setteth the oppressed and the prisoner free as Job saith 2 The Church or any part of it be it afflicted and driven into corners persecuted as in the time of the ten bloudy persecutions and as at this day the Protestants are cruelly pursued both in our neighbour France and in the Palatinate and in Bohemia Ministers banished as raisers and strivers of sedition which was laid to the charge of Jesus Christ and after of St. Paul The Lord hath ever heretofore been a deliverer of his Church and his hand is not shortned our hope is that he will also make his Saints hearts glad by a timely deliverance and will give them hinds feet to escape from the arrow that fleeth after them by day and from the dogs that hunt and pursue them with open mouth 3 In the case of personall grievances how can we either in dangers feared or in oppressing griefs and pains receive any peace to our souls but in the faith of deliverance believing that no miseries can so environ us but that there may be found an open way out of them so David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous Dominus ex omnibus liberet This admonisheth the afflicted to Vse 2 call upon God for this deliverance and to seek it no where but in his hand wo be to them that go to Egypt for help it was the undoing of Israel their trust in the broken staffe and reed of Egypt And they that trust to Idolatrous nations to help them in their distresses and wants thrust thorns into their own eyes and goads into their own sides and their trust shall be their ruine Israel did finde it so and smarted sharply for it This also as all other favours of God either possessed or expected doth awake us to a duty of service of our God Vse 3 for we are servi quasi servati and we must serve him that we may be
Prophets of the Lord and his holy Ministers beholding the sins which they do daily reprove to come up so fast as though they had never layd the axe of Gods judgment against the root of that corrupt tree the zeal of Gods glory so stirreth them that they cannot hold â—ut they must strike with the sword of the Spirit they must lift up their voices like trumpets they must tell the house of Jacob their sins Jeremy doth expresse this to the life Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord Jer. 6.11 I am weary with holding in I will pour it out upon the children abroad c. Let not the sensuall and carnall man call our threatnings of sin our own ravings and railings and our comminations of judgment the intemperate issue of our own choler Jeremy calleth it The fury of the Lord. And so long as we reprove justly and mingle none of our own heat with the fire of Gods altar we shall kindle a fire in the bones of the sinner which shall give him no rest but his conscience shall say to him as Nathan said to David Thou art the man 3. In respect of his compassion Do not think that it is any joy to us to reprove or to threaten St. Paul is loth to use the rod. Jonah will rather runne away from God then he will carry the newes to Niniveh that it must be destroyed Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping We shall find as soone as we are past this first verse that this Prophet did feel the burthen which he did see and the griefe he took for them turned his Harp into mourning and his Organes into the voyce of them that weep every tender heart avoydeth being a messenger of evil news but their feet be beautifull that bring glad tydings tydings of peace 3. The word of threatning is a burthen to the people to whom it is sent 1. Judaeis non Chaldaeis 1. To the Penitent 2. To the Impenitent 1. To the Penitent it is an heavy burthen to them to think how they have provoked God to anger and have drawn out his sword against themselves They that truly fear God when they hear their sins threatned do retire themselves into their chambers they weep and deplore their iniquities Hezekiah hearing the Prophet threatning his life He turned himself to the wall Isa 38.2 3. he prayed to the Lord and Hezekiah wept sore Never think that you hear the threatnings of God with any profit till you feel the burthen of them oppressing and the edge of them drawing bloud on you Lachrymae be sanguis animae The Lyon roareth and all the beasts of the forrest do tremble a tender sonne that hath done a fault and heareth his father threatning to punish him findeth that threatning so great a burthen to him that he can give himself no rest till he have recovered his fathers favour 2. The very Impenitent who have any sense of the terrour of the Lord feel Gods threatnings heavie it will make Ahab that sold himself to do wickednesse put on sackcloath and crowne his head with ashes and go mourning if he hear that Gods anger is stirred to bring evill upon his house Even Absolon an ungratious son is impatient of living out of his fathers presence and he setteth Joabs corn on fire for neglecting the mediation which might bring him to his fathers face Esau will seek his fathers blessing with tears and what would not Balaam give that he might die the death of the righteous Surely God is a consuming fire and if coals of this fire are kindled in the bosome of the impenitent and their damnation doth not sleep but is awake in them in the accusation of their guilty consciences to begin their hell even here on earth Hab. 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Here this Habakkuk this Wrastler doth begin his wrastling for what is this whole Chapter but a serious Expostulation and complaint wherein the Prophet 1. Contesteth with God himself vers 2.3 4. 2. He bringeth in God denoucing his own intended judgments against Judah and Jerusalem vers 5.6 7 8 9 10 11. 3. He returneth again to expostulate with God vers 12.13 14 15 16 17. 1. He contesteth with God Wherein 1. He chalengeth him for not hearing his prayer vers 2. 2. For shewing to him the sins of the people v. 3.4 In the first observe 1. What the Prophet did 1. He cryed 2. He cryed long 3. He cryed to him 2. What cause he had Of violence 3. What successe 1. Thou wilt not heare 2. Thou wilt not save To give some light to that which followeth let me first admonish you that it may well be gathered by the title that is here given to Habakkuk the Prophet that he was sent by Almighty God to preach to the Iews to reclaim them from their evil wayes and to still the noise of their crying sinnes and prevailing nothing with them to bring them to repentance he prayeth and cryeth to Almighty God for his judgement upon this People to punish their many sins and God not hearing him nor giving way to his anger to correct them the Prophet moved with the zeal of Gods glory wrastleth with God and contendeth with him for his rod upon them 1. What the Prophet did 1. I cry he lifteth up his voice against this People his brethren for it is twice exprest 1. He cryeth then he resumeth it he saith he cryeth out this is a thing that God doth use to take special notice of expectavi Justitiam ecce clamor It is said of Abel that being dead he spake Moses saith it was voxsanguinis a voice of blood God said that voice cryed to him out of the earth for vengeance The Cry of a Prophet one of Gods Secretaries to whom he revealeth his will one of Gods Chaplains to whom he committeth the Ministry of the Revelation of his will one of Gods Saviours to whom he committeth the office of saving his People the crying the vociferation of one of Gods Seers who cries not out of passion or humane perturbation but from a secret inspiration illuminating him and shewing him things to come One of Gods holy ones whom the zeale of Gods glory doth inflame with this earnestnesse the grief of mans rebellion doth provoke to that loudnesse Such a cry cannot spend it self all into aire and Sunne and perish with the noise it makes 2. He was no Sonne of thunder to make some suddain ratling noise and then cease He cryed loud he cryed long How long shall I cry if the weaknesse of his voice could not penet rate the eare of God vi by force here was saepe cadendo by often falling So David got an hoarsenesse in throat with crying loud and long to the Lord and our Saviour hath commanded that kind of importunity in Prayer and
let the men of this world share amongst them things temporall and let them break and slack the Law of God to humour the present times as those Jewes at this time did of who the Prophet doth complain I will give them sauce to their meat For three things well considered will call us away from these temporall desires and make us despise the world 1. Though one man had all that this world affordeth delightful yet all this could not satisfie his unbounded desire he could not take use of it all he should have but the beholding of some of it with his eye and that the least part of the whole 2. All these things could not give rest and peace to the conscience or heal the diseased soul or comfort at the dying hour they cannot stand in the gap to turn away the judgement of God they cannot so much as cure the head-ach or the tooth-ach or any disease of the body When our sins be ripe and ready for the gathering all the wealth of the world cannot keep out the sickle of vengeance 3. None of all this sublunary happinesse can extend it selfe to eternity we brought it not with us and we must leave it behind us and as Zophar said He that hath swallowed down riches shall vomit them up again Iob 20.15 God shall cast them out of his belly Neither do all men tarry till they die to lay down these things we have heard with our ears and seen in our owne times how some have outlived great honours and seen them conferred upon others we have seen great esteemed rich men break and their Poverty come upon them like an armed man On the contrary the man that keepeth the Law of God with his whole heart and doth his best to walk conscionably before God and man that man hath three benefits which would encourage any man to embrace the law of God with obedience and they are the three things in this life most of all to be desired 1. Safety from evils 2. Comfort within himselfe 3. Estimation abroad 1. Safety The greatest danger that the just man feareth in this life is the wrath of God for all other evils be the exercise of his vertue that evil of Gods displeasure is the wound of the soul for there is no peace where God is angry but only the terrour of the Lord. From this he that keepeth the law of God is safe for he knoweth that whom God loveth once he loveth for ever and the grace of Election cannot be lost He may chasten such with the rods of men but his mercy he cannot utterly take away for the foundation of the Lord is sealed with this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Whom he knoweth he electeth he predestinates be calleth he justifieth he sanctifieth he glorifieth They cannot sinne unto death He will cover them under his wings and they shall be safe under his feathers 2. Comfort within himselfe This cometh from a pure fountain of grace the Spirit of God witnessing to our Spirit that we are the Sons of God and then the answer of a good conscience to that Spirit which hath this effect that the more we do see and feele the failling of all our temporal comforts the more we cleave to God and seek our comfort in him 3. Estimation abroad 1. They are deare to God who loveth them and declareth them heyres of his promises 2. They are deare to the Sonne of God he bought them with a price and he though it well bestowed on them he gave them his word in the Holy Ghost to abide with them for ever and he is gone to prepare a place for them 3. They are deare to the Angels of God they pitch their tents about them living and minister unto them and when they dy they carry their souls into Abrahams bosome 4. They are deare to their mother the Church of God who saith to them as Solomons mother What my sonne What the sonne of my wombe What the sonne of my vows And she is ready to tender her children to God saying Loe here am I and the children which thou hast given me Prov. 31.2 5. They that live in the obedience of the law of God have the testimony of the wicked for they cannot complain of them if they do them wrong they suffer it without seeking revenge if they need the help of the godly they give it them without respect of Persons if they be sick the faithful pray for them if they do evill they reprove them friendly And when they die they will rather cast the care of their estates and children upon such as fear God then upon other men whom they have loved more for their similitude of manners And note this they that walk severely in the obedience of Gods law are at the most taxed but for hypocrisie which sheweth that even the world cannot blame them if they be sincere and truly and really answerable to their outward Profession To all this we may adde as the full comfort of all that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Of this life we hold that which we possesse in a good right by our obedience to the law of God and we have Gods word and promise for it that nothing shall be taken from us if that we do enjoy here but for our greater good 2. Of the life to come that is double 1. Here In our good name In our Posterity a sure house 2. Hereafter in glory fulnesse of joy I do not doubt but God hath wrought that sad effect by the plentiful Ministry of his Word in our Church that he hath many holy soules here amongst us which hold the Commandments of God more dear then all that they possesse or that the world hath to give them and for their sakes God is merciful to our land and gives us that peace plenty which many of our neighbour Churches do want And if God should shut up these in the chambers of death the candle of the wicked would be soon put out But we cannot but see that Papists do grow both more and more bold then they have been whence they have their encouragement God best knoweth We see that Schismaticks and Separatists are increased and much of the knowledge that is gotten turneth into swelling and pride and contention We see that the Sabbath of God is most neglected even of those that owe God most service for the abundance of things temporal we see that profit and pleasure and company and custome of sinning hath brought the law of God into contempt with such as are prophane Let such see and consider how God dealt with his own People in such a case as the next part of this chapter sheweth and let them feare For us let us know that in keeping of the Law of God there is great reward and let us learne to love this law and put our whole strength to the keeping of it that we may live
is of fear Sol. To this I answer let not us dispute the Will of God or search beyond that which is revealed if God have revealed his Will to us that must be our guide That revealed will hath threatned nothing in us but sin and sin carrieth two rods about it shame and feare There be two things in a regenerate Elect man 1. A Conscience of his sin 2. Faith in the promises of God through Christ So long as we do live we do carry about us Corpus peccati the body of sin and as that doth shake and weaken faith so doth it confirme and strengthen fear 1. We are taught from hence to believe the Word of God Vse 1 the Apostle saith He is faithful that hath promised The faithful servants of God have this promise I will not leave thee nor forsake thee David believes him in convalle umbr aemortis non timebo in the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear Job believes him Though he kill me I will trust in him David believes verily when he smarts I shall see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living It is a sweet content of the inward man when the conscience pleads not guilty to the love of sin though our infirmities miscarry us often that we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O Lord concerning this and blot not out the loving kindnesse that I shewed to thy house and to the officers thereof Neh. 13.14 and with Ezekiah Remember Lord now I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth Is 38.3 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But it followeth And Hezekiah wept sore If he were so good a man why did he weep if not so good why did he boast Surely we carry all our good amongst a multitude of infirmities and therefore we cannot rejoyce in our own integrity with a perfect and full joy yet is it a sweet repose to the heart when God giveth us peace of conscience from the dominion of sin So on the other side believe God threatning impenitent sinners with his judgments for he is wise to see the sins of the ungodly he is holy to hate them he is just to judge them and he is Omnipotent to punish them Let me give one instance The third Commandment in the first Table of the law saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain what needs any more 1. Put these two one against another Thou The Lord thy God 2. Consider what the law concerns Gods name wherein standeth His glory Our help 3. What is forbidden taking it in vaine and we pray Sanctificetur let it be hallowed But where all this will not serve yet this is murus ahenus a brazen wall one would think God doth make yet another fence about his name an hedge of thornes The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Lawes of God be unreversible decrees heaven and earth shall passe ere one of these words shall sink or lose strength Yet the blasphemer feareth nothing that is a crying sinne in this land not the houses only the streets and high wayes resound the dishonour of Gods name this sin is grown incorrigible The Land mourneth because of oaths Hoc dicunt omnes ante Alpha Beta puellae And beleeve God who cannot lye He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Thus we may make use of this doctrine to restraine if not overcome and to destroy the dominion if not the being of sinne in us 2. For the better rectifying of our judgments and reformation of our lives Vse 2 let us observe the consonancy of Gods practice in the world with the truth of his word he hath declared himself an hater of evill and do we not see daily examples of his judgements upon wicked men how ill they prosper in their estates what shame and disgrace and losse of all that they have unrighteously gotten cometh upon them how their posterity smarteth according to that threatning in the second Commandment God bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and visiting it to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him that we may say Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Whence cometh all this but from the constant truth of Gods unreversible decrees because the word is gone out of his mouth and though the ungodly do not beleeve it though it be told them Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the earth We may say of our times as Hecuba did of hers Non unquam tulit documenta fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi for We live in the schoole of discipline and the rod of correction is not only shewed but used with a strong hand that all men may fear to be unrighteous we have not only Vigorem verborum the vigor of words chiding sin in our ministry of the word but rigorem verberum the rigor of stripes in the administration of justice never did any age bring both fuller examples of terror then we have heard with our ears and seen with our eyes for the wisdome of Gods decrees and the word of Gods truth is justified in our sight therefore seeing sentence executed upon evil works let the hearts of the sons of men be wholly set in them to do evil 3. Let us consider the vaine confidence of the ungodly Vse 3 and compare it with the constant truth of the decrees and word of God Isay expresseth it fully Ye have said we have made a Covenant with death Isa 28.15 and with hell are we at agreement when the over-flowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come to us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves They are answered and confounded The bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it Vers 20. and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it He that is to lodge so uneasily cannot say I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest The Chaldeans invade the Church they kill and take possession and divide the prey they oppose better and more righteous men then themselves their trust is in their strength and riches and power Nec leves metuunt Deos. What care they who weeps so they laugh or who bleeds so they sleep in a whole skin who dies so they live They trust in lying vanities Solomon saith Eccl. 8.12 Though a sinner do evill an hundred times and his dayes his prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God Vers 13. which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are a shadow because he feareth not before God God hath made an Act against them their judgment is sealed they
infatiablenesse is pride of heart 2. The disease it self is infatiablenesse 1. Of the ground it is pride This is resembled to drunkennesse it is a spiritual giddinesse wherein men lose themselves and as the drunkard doth both think and speak and do those things which betoken madnesse his reason and understanding and judgment and memory failing and is wholly governed by his fancy so the proud man made drunk with the wine of his over weening as a man beside himself is transported with his own self-opinion Isa 28.1 to do things unseemly as the drunkard doth The Prophet reproving the pride of Ephraim doth use this resemblance Wo to the Crowne of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim And again Ver. 3. The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden underfoot And after They are drunken Isa 29.9 but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink Thus doth pride rob us of our wits and we say of the proud man that he doth not know himself Wine and strong drink moderately taken do comfort the heart of man but when we over-drink we cease to be our selves so is it with self love for every man by the law of charity is bound to love himself and to love himself first when this love doth not ooverflow the banks it is charity when it exuberateth it is pride All sober men do esteem drunkards vile and account drunkennesse a loathsome sin let the proud man see himself in that glasse for the drunkard is the picture of the proud man 1. Drunkennesse makes men think themselves very wise and such as flie the conference of their betters when they are sober in their drink care not with whom they do contest and regard no mans presence So the proud man is wise in his own opinion Salomon saith There is more hope of a foole then of him 2. Drunkennesse maketh many apt to quarrel Who hath contentions the answer next verse They that tarry long at the wine Pro. 23.29 And so is it with the proud man for he that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife Vers 30. Pro. 28.25 3. The drunkard whilst he is in his Cups is not to be admonished Abigail durst say nothing to Nabal whilst the wine was in his head And the proud man is too full of himself to hear any good counsel 4. David hath two complaints The drunkards made songs of me The proud have had me exceedingly in derision so both of them sit in the chair of the scornful Ps 1â—9 51 5. They are alike in their punishment in this world for The drunkard and the proud man are both rewarded with contempt all that walk in good ways are ashamed of them and avoid their company A mans pride shall bring him low Pro. 29.23 Pro. 21.17 Pro. 15.25 1 Cor. 8.10 He that loveth wine and oyle shall not be rich 6 They are alike in the last judgment for The Lord will destroy the house of the proud And the Apostle faith of drunkards that none such shall inherit the Kingdome of God You see how like they be both in culpa in poena fault and punishment Therefore humility is our lesson and we shall find it an hard lesson to take out now in the over-grown pride of our times wherein contrary examples do grow so thick It is a great part of the study of many to out-shine their neighbours in glorious buildings gay apparel rich furnitures of their houses this kind of pride hath done much hurt especially in the ruine of 1. Charity which had wont to cloath the naked feed the hungry refresh the thirsty and minister to the necessities of the poor brother 2. The ruine of Justice which gives every one his own I fear if many proud and gay persons that slant it in bravery of rich shew should do so their feathers restored they would be found naked 3. The ruine of Temperance which prays give me not poverty give me not riches give me things convenient for me for they be fools in the judgment of the wife men that die of prosperity 4. The ruine of Religion for godlinesse is not it self without contentednesse You have heard how deceitful a vanity pride is The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee I hasten to the second point the disease Infatiablenesse It is set forth in two resemblances 1. The proud man is resembled to hell 2. He is resembled to death These are two things that cry Give Give and are never satisfied Observe wherein soever any man or woman is proud if they do know any bounds Is it pride in apparel who was ever fine enough do we not see the richest stuffe laid and overlaid almost hidden with rich adornment of triming and when the stuffe may call the wearer proud the trimme and fashion may resemble them to the grave and hell and shall testifie against them that nothing can satisfie them and yet to this they adde often change I do not say much change of rich apparel but changing often in the wearing I have heard of two or three-shifts in a day These be they that entertain every forrain fashion and naturalize out-landish formes amongst us Christ will one day tell some body I was stark naked and you clothed not me The ambition that all sorts and degrees of men and women are sick of is a desire to exceed their own rank in shew The Country striveth with the City as farre as their markets will bear it out the City with the Court these encroachments put pride to shifts for when Mechanicals come so fast upon the ancient Gentry of the Land usurping both their shew and title almost ashamed of the name of their trades and occupations that have made them so fine The Gentry are put to it to streine their tenant one note higher to enable them to the start and their rifâ—ing and growth must put on the Nobility and make them mend their pace Thus unsatiably do we strive to out-go our selves that goodly inheritances are worne out and vanity doth end in misery in many in them it continueth with scorn and disdain And when you have made your selfe as fine as you can you will come a great many degrees behind Solomon in his royalty yet Solomon was not clothed like one of the Lilies of the field Thus insatiable is the pride in buildings a vanity which ladeth the earth here and there with specious spacious piles of brick and stone wherof the owners have scarce the pleasure of beholding the same with their eyes being afraid of the hospitality that should correspond that great shew of room The proud in beauty declare themselves insatiable in striving to mend Gods work by art In pretio quondam ruga senilis erat the aged wrinkles were wont to be held in honour But if there be any help for it now time shall be spent in study how to hide and conceale the ruines of time The pride mentioned in my text is of
power which every one desireth and few do know how to manage The Chaldaeans having obtained some victories are now ambitious to be lords of all the earth It is said of Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes he sits studying how he may get the next Kingdom to him to make himself strong enough to bid the next King battel and to get the conquest of him that the fear of his power may make the next King yeeld himself And Alexander when he had conquered the world sate down and wept that there were no more worlds left for him to conquer The Bishop of Rome from a Diocesan Jurisdiction hath swelled by degrees partly by his own ambition partly by the connivence of Princes to an universal Hierarchy and his Parasites make him the man to whom belongs Omnia subjecisti pedibus ejus thou hast put all things under his feet His eldest son hath fairly dilated his empire we know that in 88. he had not enough he would have faine been dividing of Shechem and meating out the valley of Succoth In inferiour places how are men transported with desire of power and command and how unsatiable in that desire witnesse the many offices the various employments which some have desired and obtained to be congested on them I say no more of this unsatiable gulf of desire then my text saith it is like two things that they love not Hell and Death Death is not satisfied but with all it is named last in my text as the greediest of the two hell desires all the ungodly of the earth it is a pit digged for the ungodly But death swalloweth all Statutum est omnibus semel mori what man liveth and shall not see death So insatiable is the desire of power This resemblance doth shake the strength of that desire much if we think upon it well I labour and strive to get many under my command and death is labouring together with me to bring me to the grave and if I do not use my power to the glory of God and the good of my brethren hell is as busie and as greedy to devour me This is one of the crying sins of our Land insatiable pride this makes dear rents and great fines this takes away the whole cloathing of many poore to adde one Lace more in the suits of the rich this shortens the labourers wages and addes much to the burthen of his labour This greedinesse makes the market of spiritual and temporal offices and dignities and puts well-deserving vertue out of countenance This corrupts Religion with opinions justice with bribes charity with cruelty it turns peace into schisme and contention love into complement friendship into treason and sets the mouth of hell yet more open and gives it a new appetite for more souls The use of all is the doctrine of contentation as we professe that we have our being not of our selves but of God In him we live move and have our being He made us and not we our selves so let us be content with his provision for us It was Satans first suggestion to Adam for so he had formerly corrupted himself and lost his first estate to suggest pride he would shew man a way how to be like God and then all the fruits in the garden would not content him he must taste also of the forbidden fruit Haman was as high as the favour of the King could advance him Hest 5.13 and yet he confest All this doth me no good Pope Julius the third was forbidden to eat Pork by his Physitian and no other dish would please him he commanded it to be set before him in despight of God Therefore hear the Apostle Is is good to have the heart stayed or established with grace Heb. 13.9 and not with meats which have not profited them c. The grace of contentment is like the ballast of the ship which gives herher trimme and makes her strong and jocund upon the great waters Faith doth bring us to God it stoopeth us to him it fastneth us upon him Pride maketh us shift for our selves and divideth us from God he offereth his wings to such and they will not be gathered together Let us know that we are never past the wings of Gods protection here and therefore let us resort humbly to them for there is safety and rest and sufficiency of all good things Let us remember we call him our Father and therefore we may cast our care upon him Let us know and remember that nothing but God can fil us we are like broken vessels that can hold nothing without he fashion us behind and before we are like fusty vessels that corrupt all things we receive without he purify our hearts by Faith we are leaking vessels that let go all things without he calce us and make us teight We are bottomlesse bagges wide-mouthed to take in but unbottomed to retain any thing except he do give us contentment to stay our stomaks and to remove from us 1. An inordinate love of that which we have 2. An inordinate desire of more 3. An inordinate use of all The punishment will be terror domini the terrour of the Lord. Vers 6. Shall not all these take up a Parable against him and a taunting Proverb against him and say woe to him that increaseth that which is not his how long and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vexe thee and thou shalt be for booties unto them 8. Because thou hast spoyled many nations all the remnant of the people shall spoyl thee because of mens blood and for the violence of the land of the city and all that dwell therein 2. The punishment of pride now followeth Concerning the Words SHall not all these take up a Parable against them By all these he meaneth all those whom the King of Babylon and his Chaldeans have troubled and persecuted and all lookers on also By taking up of a Parable which word is rendered by Apophthegma a grave and wise speech is here meant declaring that the wisdom of men shall check the pride of the Babylonians and proclaime them vain The taunting Proverb which the seventy render here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Dicterium a bitter quip uttered in an aenigmaticall manner of speech a secret gird full of salt and sharpnesse where under some obscurity of words is secretly couched some galling and cutting tartnesse of meaning We must search this speech for two things for here must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise saying and here must be a taunt and salt taxation in some obscure and aenigmatical speech The first is in the former words wherein he denounceth a woe to him that makes up his heap wich other mens goods and he cryeth to him how long taxing his insatiablenesse The sharp and salt reproof is in these words And to him that ladeth himself with thick clay For first wherein he
gold that is tried will be divided from the drosse and that drosse deserveth a melting If the punishment be for example know that God will never give so ill example as to punish an innocent If men do like men in execution of Gods judgments know that God knows why he suffereth them so to do for he searcheth the hearts and reins Thus many condemned to death by the law according to probable evidence professe their innocency at their death yet can finde in the book of their conscience evidence enough to condemne them worthy of death for something else The use of all is seeing God is just and punisheth not but where he findeth sin stand in awe sinne not Vse do your best to keep from the infection lest you come under the dominion of sinne abstaine from all appearance of evill from the occasions and means of offence resist Satan quench not the spirit that should help your infirmities redeem the time in which you should do good and strive to enter into that rest Thus doing what punishment soever we suffer it is rather the visitation of peace then the rod of fury and God will turn it to our good The punishment here threatned 1. Just reprehension shall not all these take up a parable against them and say woe to him that encreaseth that which is not his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I remember the question of our Saviour to his Disciples Whom say men what I the Son of man am It is wisdome for any private man more for a great State to enquire what fame it hath abroad The wisdome of State is such as one government hath an eye to another I speak not only of confederate Nations which have lidger eyes in each others Common-wealth but even of enemy-states and such as stand neither in termes of hostility nor in termes of confederacy they have their secret intelligence and thus they know and judge each of other Nebuchadnezzar was a most potent Prince yet his neighbours did not approve his wisdome they did condemne his violence and cry out wo be to him I understand this to be a great punishment to this mighty King to be justly condemned for injustice and to deserve the curse of his neighbouring Nations For extremes do ever carry the evill words and the evill wishes of all that love vertue and they cry woe to him that encreaseth greedily and covetously that which is not his and woe to him that wasteth prodigally that which is not his The wisdome of policie doth hold violence and oppression hateful in great Princes and it calleth them pusillanimous and idle that will not stirre in the just defence of their own But there is sapientia saeculi hujus the wisdome of this world which calleth all his own which he can compasse directly or indirectly justly or unjustly which Saint Paul doth call enmity with God just Princes are tender in that pursuit holding that axiome of Caesar irreligious and unjust Si jus violandum regni causa And therefore sapientia quae est desuper the wisdome from above cryeth hand off invade not usurp not aliena jura other mens rights be content with thine own for woe be to him that increaseth non sua that which is none of his own Princes that manage the sword of justice which is gladius Dei the sword of God must be tender how they draw that sword against God that committed it to them and every attempt that their power maketh for that which is not theirs doth arme it self against God Mr. Calvine observeth well Manent aliqua in cordibus hominum Justitiae aequitatis principa ideo consensus gentium est quaedam vox naturae there abideth in the hearts of men certaine principles of justice therefore the consent of Nations is a certain voyce of nature Those Princes that care not what Nations do think and speak of them but pursue their own ends against the streame and tyde of Jus naturale natural right do run themselves upon the just reprehension of other States which wise and religious Princes do labour to avoid 1. Because the private conscience in these publike persons can have no inward peace where publike equity is violated 2. Because the old rule of justice is built upon the divine equity of nature and confirmed by experience of time that Male parta facilè dilabantur evill gotten goods soon consume 3. Because all that love this jus naturale will soon finde both will and means to resist encroachments fearing their own particular as all hands work to quench a fire But what cares Nebuchadnezzar or Alexander or Iulius Caesar so they may adde Kingdom to Kingdom and what cares his holinesse of Rome so that he may be Universal Bishop what other Kings and Bishops say of them To make this point profitable to our selves for we speak to private persons The Rule is general All that encrease their own private estate by oppression and injustice multiplying that which is not theirs making prize of all that they can extort from their brethren buying them out of house and home wearying them with suits of molestation spending the strength of their bodies with immoderate labours at so short wages as will not sustaine them with things necessary Such though their power do bear them out in their unjustice yet do they undergo the hard opinion and censure of all that love righteousnesse and they do bear the burthen of many curses Let them lay this to heart and take it for a punishment from the hand of God 2. The Derision Taunted What do these men but lade themselves with thick clay This also may passe for a sharp punishment Kings and great persons are not priviledged from the tooth of a Satyre from the keene edge of an Epigram from the bold affront of a libel We live in the age of fresh and quick wits wherein it is not an easie thing for eminent persons to do evill and to escape tongue smiting and wit blasting pens and pencils a hand up to blazon great ones and their actions and inferiour persons want not eyes upon them to behold them nor censures to judge them nor rods to whip them I must not draw from this place any authority to legitimate contumelies and disgraces and that which we call breaking of bitter jests upon another selling our salt cheap 1. Therefore understand that bitter Taunts Satyrs and Libels may be evill and unlawful and yet God may make a good use of them to lash and scourge those that deserve ill and they that are so girded and jerkt shall do well to do as David did to confesse that God sent Shimei to curse and as for Shimei he shall see that God will finde a time to pay him too That this is a punishment sent from the hand of God we have full evidence from the witnesse of Holy Scripture even in this case The Prophet Isay threatneth the Chaldeans with this judgement Thou shalt take up this Proverb the Margent
opinions As in the first temptation he told the woman ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that when ye eate thereof ye shall be as gods Bringing the woman into divers dishonourable thoughts of God as concerning his truth his justice his love to man For in tempting her to eate against the presse and precise commandment of God 1. She must think that God would not bring death upon her for her fault as he had threatned which toucheth the truth of God 2. She must suppose that the offence of eating taken at the worst is a small offence and so not likely to be avenged and mulcted with any such punishment which toucheth the justice of God 3. She must suppose that God who shewed so much favour to man to give him all the fruit for his meate but that had he loved man as he made shew would not have left that fruit for a snare to catch him and bring him to ruine or if he did so he was too loving to man to work upon the advantage Yet in this very suggestion wherein he infuseth so many dishonourable thoughts into the heart of the woman to dim the brightnesse of Gods excellent glory observe how he doth secretly confesse that God is jealous of his glory for faith Gen. 3.5 he doth know that in the day that you eate thereof you shall be as gods That is to say as well as he loves you he would not admit you into the society of his glory for man was created in the likeness of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse but not in the similitude of his glory That Satan knew well and therefore suggested that ambition which he knew would ruine mankind for that had cast him out of heaven Here by the way let me shew you the sting of the first sinne God had said to Adam Thou shalt not eate 2. Qua die comederis morte morieris what day thou eatest thou shalt die 1. In the eating the forbidden fruit the Commandment of God was broken therein man rebelled 2. In the eating being threatned with death for punishment of their eating there must either be 1. Presumption upon the goodnesse of God which should make him merciful against his truth and justice or 2. Unbeleife of his power to inflict that punishment or 3. Contempt of his power or 4. A carelesnesse I will taste come of it what will And in all these the glory of God is much defaced 3. In the eating to be as gods that most nearly touched the glory of God for it was a base opinion of God in the heart of the woman to conceive him such as she might come to be as wise as he this layd home upon the crown of Gods glory In which passage let me commend one observation of mine own upon the Text to your judgments Sâ—than tempted the woman only not the man and he sugard his temptation with these two arguments only 1. Non moriemini ye shall not dye 2. Eritis sicut dii ye shall be as gods There was aculeus in cauda a sting in the tayl for that last stung her to the quick When she came after to tempt her husband it seemeth that her inducements were three 1. It was good for food 2. Pleasant to the eye 3. To be desired to make one wise Here is no mention of this temptation to be like God Which makes me think that Adams sin did not violate the glory of God so much as the womans did and that the refore the Apostle faith I Tim. 2 â—4 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression For though I cannot clear Adam from doing injury that ways yet as the school faith he that cannot be excused a toto may be excused a tanto But the point which I wish terrible in your remembrance is that suggestions to sin do lay their foundation in some unworthy opinion of God which trespasseth his glory here spoken of God himself declares as much to the ungodly When thou sawest a theif thou consentedst with him c. These things thou hast done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Ps 50.21 The fool saith in his heart Psal 14.1 Non est Deus there is no God that he may sin the more securely David stirreth up God the avenger against the ungodly that boast themselves in evil that break in pieces Gods people Psal 94.5 and afflict his heritage That slay the widow and the stranger Vers 6. that murther the fatherlesse How dare they do all this Yet they say the Lord shall not see Vers 7. neither shall the God of of Jacob regard it Augustine to such In foelix homo ut esses curavit Deus non curat ut bene esses Is not this a great trespasse against the honour of God to deny his providence There be presumptuous sinners that go on in very great sins sins which Gods word detecteth and reproveth and threatneth yet as the Prophet saith They will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come upon us Thus they dishonour God that make him the patrone of their persons and their sins Mich. 3.11 But they that have true knowledge of the glory of God they behold him in Majesty and that not only opening his hand and giving and filling but stretching out his arme and striking and so in that one sight they behold both Ecce quantam charitatem and scientes terrorem Domini behold how great love and knowing the terrour of the Lord. In the due consideration of his justice and mercy both governed with wisdom to moderate exuberancie consisteth the knowledge of Gods glory This point serveth to good use For first it assureth us I. Vse that the God whom we serve is the true God because he is so jealous of his glory that he will have none to share with him therein For the gods of the Heathen were such good-fellows as they would admit society Baal and Melchom and Moloch and Rempham the god of Eckron Dagon the Devil and all I do not hear of any great jealousie between them but the true God is impatient of corrivall in glory 2. Because God claimeth glory in such extent all the earth over which none of the god of the heathen did but were content with their territories and knowing him to be the true God We are taught Vse 2 that there ought nothing be so dear to us as the glory of God Do but observe what remembrancers we have to put us in mind of this The law begins I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt That implyes who brought thee into the land of Egypt The Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heaven and the first Petition Sanctificetur nomen tuum then adveniat regnum then fiat voluntas all glory The Creed Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem
revealed to Abraham Gen. 15.13 Know that thy seed of a surety shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred Years And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judg Vers 14. and afterward shall they come out with great substance This as St. Augustine vvell understandeth doth include all the time that passed between the birth of Isaac and the entring of the people of Israel into the land of promise during vvhich time they had no land of their ovvn and in a dis-junct reading they vvere either strangers as during their first abode in Canaan and after in Aegypt or they served as after Josephs death and vvere afflicted Four hundred years are a long time yet they savv an end of their travails and afflictions and they knevv that their posterity should have rest at last and they knevv that God vvould judg their oppressours this made them able to bear the affliction Here is a picture dravvn to the life of a christian mans life here on earth for he must be a stranger and pilgrime here and must serve and suffer before he can come to Jerusalem which is visio pacis the vision of peace before he can come to rest from his labours This captivity in Babylon was a great punishment to this people but God made his vvill known to them as the Prophet here teacheth them to pray for he gave them vvarning of it long before 2 Reg. 20.17 but somwhat obscurely he came to a more cleer discovery of his purpose to Hezechiah All shall be carried into Babylon nothing shall be left The Lord also by Jeremie his Prophet gave them warning of it Jer. 16.13 I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not He threateneth to send Fishers to fish them compare that with Habakkuks prophecy Thou makest them as the fishes of the Sea Hab. 1.14 there you heard of their angle net and dragge Jeremy is yet more plain in this prediction Jer. 20.6 I will deliver all the strength of the city and all the labours thereof and all the pretious things thereof Jer. 25.11 c. to be carried into Babylon But most fully begin at the 9 verse And this whole Land shall bee a Desolation Vers 12. and an Astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years And it shall come to passe when 70 years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon Jer. 30.2 and that nation saith the Lord. There is some better news sic dicit Dominus The days come faith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to returne to the land that I gave to their Fathers and they shall possess it The miseries that smart upon afflicted men do make them forget the comforts that should heal their wounded spirits David expresseth his vexation so My soul refused comfort therefore O Lord make it known Make thy people sensible of that comfort which thou hast gratiously reserved for them And indeed the people were not quite out of heart all the time that they lived in that captivity they stil remembred Jerusalem and thought upon Sion and expected their deliverance But the dispersion of the Jews that hath now continued almost 1600 years that hath lasted long and the time of their restitution is not perticularly revealed this maketh them hang the head God in justice for the cruelty which they did execute upon his Son would not let them know the time of their deliverance as in their former afflictions he did which no doubt is a great signe of Gods heavy indignation Seeing then that the knowledge of the will of God and his purpose revealed in his Word 1 Vse is so great a comfort in afflictions we are taught to study and search the Book of Gods Will and therein to exercise our selves for he is the same God that he was and his wil is the same the just have the same promises that they had the unjust shall have the same judgments hear read the Book of God and apply it as thou goest for there thou shalt have thy portion Labour for newnesse of life and that shall bring thee to the proof and tryal to the discerning and experience of the will of God as the Apostle saith And be not conformed to the World but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12.2 that you may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God For God will not reveale himself to the ungodly but the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant We must rest in this wil of God with a fiat voluntas tua thy will be done we must not resist it we must not murmure at it we must not make haste but we must live by faith and tarry the Lords leasure and in the mean time gather strength from his promise to establish our hearts that they faint not and fail us in our tribulations 3 Petition In wrath remember mercy The plea of the true Church in afflictions is mercy Doct. 1 Reas God taught us this himself for when our first Parents had sinned they were afraid and ashamed and hid themselves from God there was no mercy yet revealed Hovv vvould they solicite God Jesus Christ vvas not yet known to them therefore they fled from God for there is no drawing neer to God for sinners without Christ then God came and sought out Adam he arraigned the offenders and finding the Serpent guilty of the temptation he cursed him and there he promised Christ When mercy was revealed to man then he called the man first and then the woman And ever since that mercy was made known to the Church the true Church hath had no other plea but mercy There is misericordia condonans a pardoning mercy he forgiveth all our iniquities an article of faith remissio peccatorum remission of sins there is misericordia donans a giving mercy he giveth medicine to heal all our infirmities The Church knoweth that they have given God cause to be angry 2 Reas they know that if his wrath be kindled but a little he is a consuming fire and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands they know that in his favour is life and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore We have nothing to keep us from the anger to come but mercy Lam. 3.22 Psal 51.1 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not all consumed for his compassions fail not Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse c. We have nothing to bring us again in favour with God whom we provoke every day but his mercy But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy
lay persons or any other without speciall leave Thus much I dare affirm that holy Scripture are plain and easie in all dogmaticall points all the articles of faith are plainly set forth and the whole doctrine of godly life and the way to salvation is openly declared So far our Church doth avouch yet withall we must consider that there is a double plainnesse of Scripture 1 Rationall and Intellectuall which apprehendeth the true meaning of the words in Grammaticall construction in Logicall composition and in Rhetoricall illustration thus all the dogmaticall part of Divinity is plain to a naturall man that is capable of these helps 2 Spirituall and Metaphysicall which is saving knowledge and is the work of the Holy Ghost in us making us thereby wise to salvation this knowledg is both the daughter and mother of faith for by faith we hear the word else it would not profit us and by hearing commeth faith else it were unfruitfull Therefore I must indite many of the learned of the Church of Rome of slander who have given out in print that we do hold the whole body of Scripture so easie both in the whole and in every part thereof that any unlearned men women may read and understand all as they go and that they need no interpreter This no sober man will affirm but that the difficulty is not such as should deter us from the study thereof rather that it is such as inviteth us thereto that we affirme Vse 4 This serveth us for caution 1 Though the Scripture be full of figures let us not make figures where there are none and strein plain and evident Texts from their genuine and proper sense to forreign and far-fetcht mysteries as the Papist doth often For when Peter saith Ecce hic duo gladii they understand the double power of Peter and so of al Popes as his successours Ecclesiaticall and temporall so on these words He made two great lights the greater to rule the day the less to rule the night that these two lights are the Pope to rule the day that is to say the Church and the Emperour to rule the night that is the lay people Where note that as the Moon borroweth all the light it hath of the Sun So must the Emperour borrow all his glory of the Pope Some of our own brethren have trode awry in this way for an Article of Faith lyes bleeding in the unresolved judgements of many by this fault of making a figure where none is The words of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell are plain enough For we know that Christ had a soul we know that there is an hell and we hear Christ say that God would not leave it there But Mr. Calvine turns this into a figure and his words be all oracles with some that take their upon trust his figure is that descendit ad inferos diros in anima cruciatus damnati ac perditi hominis pertulet he descended into hell that is he bare in his soul all the torments of the damned Mast Perkins refuseth this as the meaning of the article for he saith all this is conteined in the former he suffered was crucified dead And he findeth another figure in these words by soul he meaneth the body and by hell he meaneth the grave for he thus rendreth it He descended into hell that is he was held captive in the grave and lay in bondage under death for three daies Which need not for the Article that saith he was buried contemneth that for then God did not suffer his holy one to see corruption This turning of Articles of faith into figures doth destroy faith therefore without figure the safest way is to understand the word of the Prophets in their own proper sense natural signification by soul to understand the living soul of Christ which by death was separated for a time from his body By hell to understand the place of the damned in which Christ triumphed victoriously over the Devil and his angels and brought away the keys thereof that he might open it to the reprobate and shut it again the elect to whom the promise is made that The gates of hell shall not prevail against them 2 Let us also take heed that where there is a plain figure we do not understand that literally to corrupt the Text which was the errour of the Disciplies to whom when Christ had spoken of restoring the Kingdom to Israel they understood it literally of the temporall Kingdom of the Jews which was meant of the spirituall Kingdom of Christ So the woman of Samaria thought Christ had spoken of an Elementary water and the Capernaites mistook Christ speaking of the bread of life Therefore let common judgements take good counsel how they expound Scriptures lest they pervert them to their own damnation for as Aug. Hinc natae sunt omnes haereses quia scripturae bonae intelleguntur non bene hence all heresies grow c. Ver. 7. I saw the Tents of Cushan in affliction and the curtains of the Land of Midian did tremble 3 HEre followeth further instance of the Majestie and glory of God and goodness to his Church declared 1 In the power of his fear which was upon the Nations When he brought his Israel to Canaan for that put them into affliction and trembling 2 In the wonders that he shewed in the work I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction Who saw this no the Prophet onely but the Church of God to whom God hath made himself known by this judgement The vision was that God did cast the fear of his people upon the Nations he nameth Cushan or the people of Ethiopia bordering upon Egypt and Midian which took name of Midian the son of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25.2 The terrour of God fell upon many Nations when God put Israel into the way to the promised Land and long after and these two Nations are hereby a figure Poetically and Rhethorically named for many Nations The reason whereof I conceive to be this Gen. 10.6 Cushan or Ethiopia took name from Cush the eldest son of Cham them youngest son of Noah to shew that though Canaan the son of Cham be onely named in Noahs curse yet the smart thereof should also light upon Cush also and he should taste also of affliction Again herein the extent of this terrour is well expressed that Cushan or Ethiopia should be made to tremble which was remote from Canaan for the whole land of Egypt lay between Midian lay neer to that land so that I understand the Text thus That God cast his fear upon people remote and near hand and shook them with trembling at his mighty power when he brought his Israel into the promised Land and this was so palpable and manifest that the Church of God could not but take notice of it By tents and curtains he expressed this people dismayed not in their Cities and Towns and places of habitation
high favour that he made us men and did not make us stones or plants worms or flies serpents or toads or any other kind of hatefull or hurtfull creature But yet if we live not to serve him and to do his will our condition had been much more happy to have been the worst of these then to have been made men and women I will not goe from the example in my Text to teach you what we are for by originall generation we runne like Jordan in a full and swift current into the great and wide Sea of the world and there we loose our selves in those salt waters Sometimes as Jordan in harvest times that is in times of our plenty and fulnesse and when we have ease and whatsoever our heart desireth we do overflow our banks and exceed all measure But when the Preists of the Lord do bring the Ark of God into us that is when we come to have a sense and a feeling of Religion and the fear of God then do we recoile and strive against nature and overcome nature and we learn to do the good that we would not do For truly religion doth carry us against winde and tyde religion leads us all up-hill and he that will follow Christ must deny himself so Saint Paul doth Vero ego non amplius ego sed vivit in me Christus I live yet not I but Christ in me Observe the creature here and you shall see that whatsoever is ingredient in perfect obedience is ascribed to this River of Jordan for 1 It was congrua for it was to God they were his Priests and they did carry his Ark upon their shoulders and they had his warrant for it It was prompta ready no sooner did the soales of the feet of the Priests touch the waters but they fled back no sooner were they all over and the stones carried out of the river to shoare but they returned again to their course Such let our obedience be and this is acceptable in the sight of God this Lecture is read to us in Heaven in Earth in the Sea in Heaven we have the example of the Angels who are called Angeli facientes voluntate ejus In Earth we have the examples of all creatures who in their severall kinds do his will according to the generall Law of Creation and the perticuler law of speciall dispensation In the Sea the winds and sea obey him This serveth to teach us to passe the time of our dwelling Vse 2 here in fear because we see the omnipotent hand of God in the government of the world that we may say Ah Lord God Jer. 32.17 thou hast made the Heaven and the Earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee and he remembreth the wonders of this deliverance out of Egypt and saith Thou hast made thee a name Verse 20. This filleth all that think of it with a reverent fear of Gods name it exalteth him in the congregation of the just and maketh him say Domine quis similis tibi Lord who is like thee This serveth to convince the enemies of God Vse 3 who make nature sit in the place of God and do give the rule of all things to nature for what have they to say for themselves in these great examples could nature cut a passage of dry land through the red Sea could nature draw waters out of an hard Rock and teach it to follow Israel wheresoever they went to rest when they rested to run when they removed could nature keep their cloaths on their backs their shooes on their feet for wearing for forty years Did nature raine Manna and bring in the Quails and feed the people till they came to the corne of Canaan Did nature make these mountains and high piles of waters in the river of Jordan Is not the extraordinary hand of God in all these This also serveth for encrease of our faith Vse 4 for we have good cause to cast our care and fasten our trust upon him who not onely worketh by means but without them yea and against them The hardest lesson in religion is to trust God when we see no means of helpe as Abraham did when he was commanded to kill the son of the promise The very captivity of the Church hath had that comfort in the greatest terror thereof so the Psalmist saith 1 That God suffered no man to do them wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes 2 That he made them that led them away captive to pity them and to minister to their necessities they became rather nurses then their Jaylors Upon comfort of which confidence Job protested that Though he kill me Job 13.15 Vse 5. yet will I trust in Him This assureth to us all the promises of God which the Apostle distributeth into these two sorts The promises of this life And of the life that is to come And this made Abraham when God promised him seed not to consider his own body was now dead Rom. 4 19 2 c. nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe He staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he addeth Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe We see some parts of the Christian Church now in great extremity and no way in sight open from their escape out of great misery the Bohemian Protestants put to cruel deaths the French Protestants have the sword drawn against them and the arrows upon the string to shoot at them the Palatinate under proscription the Prince thereof in exile Our helpe is in the name of the Lord. All these will faint except they believe verily to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the Living Sweet and full of comfort is the example of Gods people to whom it was promised even when they were in captivity in Babylon they had hung up their Harps upon the Willows and sate weeping by the rivers of waters Thus Zech. 8.3.3 saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and the mountaine of the Lord of Hosts the Holy Mountaine Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staffe in his hand for very age And the streets of the City shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets of it Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts if it be mervellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hoasts I will save my people from the East and from