if it had beene already gotten A victory or defeate of the enemy without the active endeavours of men fully parallell to this we have in the 2. of Kings c. 19. v. 15. to wit the great discomfiture of Senacheribs army which had for a long time besieged Hierusalem Such was the successe of Hezekiahs prayers which were conceived in that forme which Solomon here prescribes and uttered in this house which he now consecrates And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow downe thine eare and heare Open Lord thine eyes and see and heare the words of Senacherib which hath sent him to reproach the living God v. 15. 16 To this petition he receives this answere v. 32. Thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria he shall not come into this city nor shoot an Arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a banke against it By the way that he came the same shall he returne and shall not come into this city saith the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it for mine owne sake and for my servant Davids sake The like joyfull deliverance was obtained by the prayers of Elisha in that streight siege of Samaria and the famine wherewith the city was so grievously pinched was suddainly turned into such plenty that whereas an Asses head had beene fold one day for 40 peeces of silver the morrow after two measures of Barley and a measure of wheate flowre was sold for a shekell 2. Kings 6. 25. 7. 18. Heaven we reade was shut up for three yeares in Elisas's time the earth was chapped and the land of Israel wounded with famine for want of raine Heaven is opened againe by Elias his prayer and the land refreshed 1. Kings 17. 1. 18. 45. So that there is not one branch of Solomons petition which the Lord did not really accomplish when this people prayed unto him as Solomon prescribes them Through want of such prayers as Solomon here makes or at least for want of that faith by which the prayers of Iehosaphat Hezekias and the Prophets were conceived Iehoiakim Zedekiah c. found no such successe or deliverance in their distresse as these two godly Princes had done But some men the better they believe these sacred stories concerning the infallible successe of the Kings of Iudah's godly prayers The more prone they will be to question in what cases how farre or whether at all the undoubted grant of Solomons petition may any way concerne us or the times wherein we live The question may seeme more pertinent or rather the second generall point proposed by us may seeme more questionable or more then questionable altogether impertinent because most of these victories or deliverances which Iudah or Israel obtained by prayers were miraculous such as farre exceed the force of naturall causes or meanes ordinary and which are without the reach or contrivance of policy And what assurance then can wee have that our prayers shall bee answered with like successe unlesse we may believe or hope that even our prayers or supplications may procure true miracles but miracles have altogether or for the most part ceased for these later times in which for this reason that song of the Psalmist might be more fitly taken up than the practise of Solomon or the Kings of Iudah We have heard with our eares our fathers have declared unto us the noble workes which thou didst in their daies in the old time before thē Thus to complaine of the times wherein wee live in respect of former all of us are by nature too prone and this pronenesse is one speciall meanes by which the fervency of better spirits devotion is so much dampned yet Solomon hath told us that we are but foolish inquisitors And if but foolish inquisitors then certainly no competent judges in this case To say that these times are not more corrupt then former were to flatter them enough to convince us of being time-servers yet to complaine of them or to lament them as men doe which have no hope or assurance in Gods promises were to accuse God a spice of infidelity Certainly there is no fault in the times or in the places wherein we live but such as we our selves respectively infuse into them some by wickednesse of life others by impious or ungodly opinions Let us then so use our freedome in speaking the truth of the times wherein we live that we doe not slander the eternall dispenser of times and seasons that we cast no aspersions upon his fatherly care and providence God hath not forgotten to be as good and gracious unto our times as he hath beene unto former ages but we have forgotten to bee thankfull unto him we either are distrustfull of our selves or for the most part teach others to distrust the extent of his goodnesse whose certaine beliefe must bee the roote of prayers as well for blessings spirituall as temporall There is no speedier way or shorter cut unto Gods curse or vengeance then by distrusting his goodnesse towards our selves or by denying the fruites of it unto others But to the Quaere proposed How farre the grant of Solomons petition may concerne our selves or the times wherein we live the answere is ready Our present interest in that grant our assurance in Gods promises for blessings temporall to that people may be as great our deliverance from dangers imminent and unavoidable to the apprehension of man may be as certaine and infallible as theirs was albeit God doth not in particular promise succour or worke our safety by the same and like meanes as he did theirs Admit then it were an Article of our Creed as it is not that miracles in these later times haue ceased may not upon any exigence be expected that to seeke after such signes and wonders as were given then were a tempting of God as intruth it is no better yet all this ought not to weaken our assurance that the issue of our prayers so they be as faithfull as theirs were shal be as ioyfull to our selves as beneficiall to the state and kingdome as Iehosaphats and Hezekiahs prayers were Gods goodnesse towards us his providence over us is still the same and our beleife of this his goodnesse if in us it be true and sound 't is the same it was in them so will the issue be the same either in kinde or by equivalency Whether the like issue or successe be wrought by meanes ordinary or extraordinary is meerly accidentall to the certaine of it Not to embrace the workes of his wisdome with as thankfull hearts as Israel did the workes of his power would be childish and pettish Hopes of successe whether by meanes ordinary or miraculous must in all ages be grounded upon the same article of faith but not at all times upon
joynt or member of the body wherein the Gangrene or other deadly spreading sore hath got possession or roote From this internall imbred corruption he proceeds unto more publique and grievous wounds or diseases usually made by causes externall as when Israel shal be overthrowne before their enemies v. 25. When the heavens shall be shut up and the earth be without raine v. 26. When there shal be Famine Pestilence mildew Grashoppers or Caterpillers When the enemy shall besiege thee in the Cities When they shal be afflicted by any Plague or sicknesse v. 28. The soveraigne remedy for all and every one of these and the like is the very same and it is this v. 20. 21. Then heare thou from heaven from thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications and maintaine their cause and forgive thy people which haue sinned against thee v. 29. But what if this people should be led captive into a foraigne land not permitted to repaire unto this house where the Lord had placed his name This Solomon foresaw as a matter not impossible how ample soever his promises unto his father David and his seed might in ordinary construction seeme to be is there any possible salve for this possible fore or can this house which he had consecrated to be an house of prayer afford them in this case any remedy when they could not come to pray in it yes the remedy is prescrib'd v. 38. 39. If they returne to thee with all their heart and with all their soule in the land of their captivity whither they haue caryed them captives and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers and towards the city which thou hast chosen and towards the house which I have built for thy name Then heare thou from heaven c. Soe then both Prince and people were to pray in this house whilst they possest this land and city wherein it stood to pray towards it when they soiourned in forraigne Coasts or were detained in the land of their captivity to pray towards the place wherein it had stood in case it should be demolished So did Daniel after this house which Solomon built was burnt to the ground 3 The prerogatives which he petitions might be bestowed upon this house of prayer were you see exceeding great Was it then any part of his intention in the suite or of Gods purpose in the grant to have this house endowed with such ample priviledges for the use or benefit of Israel only or of Abrahams seede according to the flesh surely Solomon did conceive his prayers out of a perfect and speciall faith yet the specialty of his faith in Gods promises made unto Israell or to Abrahams seede did no way extinguish his charity or abate his good affectiō towards others for he expressely consecrates his house to be an house of prayer for the use benefit of all the nations under heaven though in the first place for Israel Moreover as touching the stranger which is not of thy people Israel but is come from a farre country for thy great names sake and thy mighty hand and thy streched out arme if they come and pray in this house then heare thou from heaven even from thy dwelling place and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for that all people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as doth thy people Israell and may know that this house which I haue built is called by thy name 32. 33. He knew the gracious goodnesse of his God to be in it selfe so great so truly infinite that it could not be a whit lessoned towards Israell how farre soever it were extended towards others as it is extended to all men without exception insensu divise though not in sensu composito it is thus far extended unto all to the end that they might come to the knowledge of the truth but not extended not communicated to such as love darknesse better then light and falshood then truth It was then well with Israell when their charity towards others was like their heavenly fathers love without factious partiality or respect of persons It was their seeking to ingrosse Gods promised blessings unto mankind which twice brought that greivous curse upon them under which at this day they sigh and groane Now if all the nations on earth had this interest in Solomons Temple shall we deny any one of what Nation soever the like interest in Abrahams seed concerning whom the Lord had sworne that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed Thus much of the generall scope or view of this Chap to retire my selfe unto my text which is as the center or fittest Angle for taking the exact survey of this long and fruitfull field 4 To give you then a briefe comprehension of the principallest and most fundamentall truths either directly incident into or naturall emergent out of it First it is taken as granted by Solomon and it is to us a point of faith that as well the Calamities as the Prosperities of states and kingdomes are from the Lord It is he that giveth life as well to bodyes politique as to naturall It is he that woundeth and it is he that maketh whole Secondly no Calamity or wounds of state are in their nature incurable if this remedy be sought in time they grow incurable only by neglect of the medicines in Gods word prescribed Thirdly the only Soveraigne remedy for restoring states and kingdomes diseased and wounded by the hand of God unto their perfect health is prayer and Supplications to the King of Kings The last must be the conditions of the prayers or qualification of the Supplicants by whom such prayers as may prevaile with God must be made Vpon this point Solomon often toucheth in severall passages of this Chapter Such of the heathens as were alwayes ready to sacrifice unto their owne right armes for victory inbattle and unto their owne wit in policy for the sweet fruits of peace did often observe certaine surplusses of successe good or bad which they could not account to be the naturall issue either of their industry or contrivance and whatsoever fell without the mould of their hopes or feares was attributed to fates if it were disastrous to fortune or chance if it were good now whatsoever the heathens did ascribe to fortune to chance or fate or to any other supposed guide of nature or intermedling power in humane affaires all these the wise king ascribes wholy unto his God he is the God of peace and yet the God that maketh warre the Lord of hostes the God of plenty and yet the God that sendeth scarcity The God of our health and life and yet it is he which punisheth with plague and sicknesses Nor are we bound only to derive all extraordinary successe which the heathen gave to fortune and fate but ever even the usuall successe of ordinary endeavours be it good or bad from his providence That the
heathens did ascribe ordinary successe if it were good unto themselves if it were ill unto their adversaries or opposites this was their Atheisme or irreligion That they ascribed extraordinary calamity unto fate or chance was their superstition Vnto both these extreames true religion is alike opposite and for this reason must ascribe all successe ordinary or extraordinary good or bad unto him who is a God as well of wisdome as of power as well of peace as of warre The Egyptian Magitians were enforced to say of some miracles wrought by Moses Hic digitus Dei est the finger of God is in this But if we looke on Gods workes or our owne with the eyes of faith the point of his hand is more conspicuous or more full in matters of ordinary passe or in the usuall course of nature then in some rare miracles If the sunne should now stand still in its sphere as in the dayes of Iosuah it did the world would be ready to say this is the hand of God yet it is more impossible that it should move without Gods power then stand still without it whilest it stood still it was partaker only of his power sustentatiue but deprived of his power motiue or cooperatiue move it cannot without the cooperation of his motiue power nor could it continue moueable though without motion for a momēt of time without continuance of his creatiue and preserving power and thus in the continuance of ordinary successe or blessings upon mans endeavours there is oftimes a greater concurrence of divine communicatiue power then is requir'd unto successe extraordinary For the mere substraction of his vsuall cooperation or efficiency from us or from such as oppose us makes the successe of the one or other to be extraordinary and yet so blind and stupid are we for the most part that we take small notice of his ordinary presence by his wisdome power and providence without some interpositions of extraordinary successe unexpected occurrences or interruption of the ordinary course of time and nature Did the body of the sunne alway move beyond her Horizon in such difference from it as to leaue no evident distinction betweene light and darknesse we should hardly know how much our eyes are beholding to it for the use of its light many happly will be perswaded that the light to their eyes were sufficient to see withall God who is the light and life of the world by whose participation the best faculties of men performe their proper functions as the eye doth its function by the bodily light of he Sunne is in his nature invisible and hence it is that few conceive what intire dependance they have on him in all their actions and consultations unlesse it please him sometimes to withdraw his guidance or assistance from him nor need wee to deny or question the proper efficacy of any visible or second causes albeit we ascribe all successe as well ordinary as extraordinary good or bad unto the same God The matter of most soueraigne bodily medicines is oftimes gathered from the patients gardens the Phisition infuseth no new quality or hidden virtue into the simples or ingredients yet inasmuch as he tempers and compounds them and appoints in what measure and season his receipt shoud be taken the recovery of health though wrought by the efficacy of the medicine is wholy ascrib'd to the Phisitians skil not shared betwixt it and the naturall qualities of the medicine Admit of a thousand fighting men no one mans strength or courage were abated before the day of battle yet if every one then might be permitted to fight as we say on his owne head to come on and off at his owne likeing the multiplication of their severall strength without a guiding or directing power might harme themselves more then their enemies so that we might truely say that albeit our army consists of common souldiers as well as of Commanders yet the strength of an Army consists not in the strength of limbes but in the skill and moderation of their Commanders and in the observance of good orders and discipline Now beside the especiall dependance which every particular creature hath on the Creators power in all his motions attempts or actions which is such as no ingredient in any medicine hath on the Physition such as no souldier hath on his Commander the whole host of creatures whether sublunary or Celestiall whether reasonable or reasonlesse whether animate or without life is more subordinate to the direction and guidance of the Divine wisdome and providence then any inferiour can be to his lawfull most powerfull and most esteem'd superiour Though God doth not alwayes worke alone but every creature workes in him and by him in its kind yet he alone apoints the time the place and oportunity of their workings he alone apoints the issue which they finally bring forth he alone doth limit the number of coworking causes or of agents conspiring for the effecting of the end designed by his providence whence though in the greatest atchievements joyntly undertaken by man every man might know his owne and every others strength his owne and every others projects which are confederats or coworkers with him though every one could know all the preparation which they severally or joyntly make what the determinate force or efficacy of every instrumentall cause whose help they use yet is it never possible for them to know what other causes or agents the wisdome of God may designe either to hinder them or to further their enemies in their counterplots So that all prosperity or calamity of any nation visibily inflicted by secondary instruments or agents is justly ascribed unto the wisdome justice and providence of God Can a bird fall in a snare saith the Prophet Amos cap. 3. v. 5. upon the earth where no ginne is for him or shall there bee evill in the city and the Lord hath not done it Men he supposeth are as unwilling to be overtaken with the evill here meant with malum poenae with calamity or disaster as birds are to be caught in a snare Calamity then is the snare whereinto men by Gods appointment fall and their owne proiects and devices are the strings which draw this net upon them when these are contrary to the Councell of the Lord and if there be no evill of calamity or disaster in any city which is not the Lords doing then certainly the good which is contrary to this evill all the safty welfaire and prosperity of any nation is from the Lord is the worke of his hande Ignorance or want of beleife of this point was one speciall cause of the miseries which befell the Christian Nations by the inundation of the Gothes and Vandalls and other barbarous people so a sweet and learned writer of those times complaines Si quando enim nobis prosperi aliquid praeter spem nostrā meritum Deus tribuit alius ascribit hoc fortunae alius eventui alius ordinationi ducum alius
into the hand of them that seeke their life and into the hand of the King of Babilons armie which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the Lord and cause them to returne to this city and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with fire and I will make the city of Iudah a desolation without an inhabitant Yet was not this sentence though thus uttered with indignation as yet altogether unchangeable much lesse was this peoples safety peremptorily decreed by God as their false Prophets misperswaded them This errour concerning the tenour of Gods decree or covenant being planted in them the Egiptians expedition against the Caldean armie for Ierusalems succour might with faire applause be pretended as a meane ordained by God for effecting their safety To quell this their vaine confidence in the strength of Egipt the Prophet reavoucheth his former message with some additions Ier. 37. 7. 8. 9. This saith the Lord God of Israel thus shall ye say to the King of Iudah that sent you unto me to enquire of me Behold Pharaohs army which is come forth to helpe you shall returne to Egipt into their own land and the Caldeans shall come againe and fight against the city and take it and burne it with fire thus saith the Lord deceive not your selves saying the Caldeans shall surely depart from us for they shall not depart For though yee had smitten the whole armie of Caldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burne this city with fire Yet was not the event here foretold at this time altogether inevitable but inevitable only upon their refusall to obey the Prophets counsell for after this time the same Prophet shews King Zedechiah a way or meane ordained by God which if he had followed a great part of this calamity so peremptorily denounced might have beene avoided Ierem. 38. 17. Then said Ieremiah unto Zedechiah thus saith the Lord God of Israel if thou wilt assurely goe forth unto the King of Babilon then thy soule shall live and this city shall not be burnt with fire and thou shalt live and thine house But if thou wilt not goe forth to the King of Babilons Princes then shall this city be given into the hands of the Caldeans and they shall burne it with fire and thou shalt not escape out of their hands This was the last warning which he was to expect from God by his Prophet for his peace But not hearkning unto his voice whilst it was called to day but seeking to escape the Iudgements denounced by flight he inevitably brought them upon himselfe upon his Princes upon the temple in a greater measure especially as they concerned himselfe and his house then they had beene threatned When the Caldean Princes entred the city Zedechiah and the men of warre fled out of the city by night but the Caldeans hoste pursued after them and overtooke Zedechiah in the desert of Iericho and brought him to Nebuchadnezar King of Babell unto Riblah where he slew the sons of Zedechiah before his eies and all the nobles of Iudah a lamentable farewell to the sence of sight and liberty for immediatly after he put out Zedechiahs eyes and put him in chaines to cary him to Babilon v. 7. Thus have you heard how Ierusalē and Iudah came to a lamentable tragicall end by diseases in their nature not incurable but made such by their own wilfulnesse in not hearkning to the voice of Gods Prophets Did then the wisdōe of God who out of compassion sent his Prophets unto them whilst the first temple stood come in person himselfe to increase the misery of that generation with whom he converst here on earth or to destroy the second temple with a more fearefull destruction then had befallen the first That this generation became a prey in the issue to the Roman vultures was not from want of good will in him to gather them but from their unwillingnesse to be gathered under his wings witnesse himselfe Mat. 23. 37. Ierusalem Ierusalem c. But did he speake this as God or as man a captious question What if I should say that it was vox humana and yet vox Dei the voice of God uttered by man the very personall voice of the sonne of God as S. Luke testifies He spake as never man spake and was so affected towards Ierusalem as never man was affected The Prophet Ieremy after he had seene that tragedy really acted which he had represented in words did wish his head had beene a fountaine of teares that hee might weepe day and night for the slain of his people The wisdome and sonne of God became a more sorrowfull spectatour of a second tragedy of Ierusalem not as yet within forty yeares probability to be acted when he came neare saith S. Luke 19. 41. he beheld the city and wept for it saying Oh if thou had'st even knowne at the least in this day those things which belong unto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes These his teares though he wept as man were a visible expression of his divine inexpressible love toward Ierusalem and her inhabitants after they had deserved this ill at his hands stifly bent to deserve much worse As yet it was called to day but this was a criticall day and full of danger howbeit Ierusalems sin was not sealed up untill the signe of the Prophet Ionas was expired After his Resurection from the dead Ierusalem had yet forty dayes for repentance as Nineveh had for so long our Saviour remained here on earth but Ierusalems Children not repenting within that time as Nineveh did their estate became as desperate as their murmuring fore-Fathers had been in the wildernes they were to wander forty yeares in the wildernesse before any of them could enter into the land of promise and as many as were aboue twenty yeares being cut off by oaths from all hopes or possibilities of entring in at all This generation whom our Saviour here forwarnes were to continue in it forty yeares which being expired they and their Children haue beene exterminated and banished from it for almost forty times forty yeares During the forty yeares wherein they were permitted to remaine in it their estate was no lesse miserable then their fore-Fathers had beene in the wildernesse There dyed in the wildernesse almost six hundred thousand men of this latter generation well nigh twice as many within the same compasse of time did die more miserably Ierusalem being first made their prison afterwards their grave first an heape of carkasses and then a heape of stones Now seeing as our Apostle saith these Iewes did not stumble to the end that they should fall but rather that by their fall salvation might come unto the Gentiles let us beseech our gratious God that from Ierusalems ruine we may in time and whilst it is called to day seeke
the edification of his Church and Kingdome Roote out good Lord we beseech thee all Iewish affections and Iewish opinions out of the hearts of thy people that so our prayers and supplications for the prosperity of thine inheritance and thine Anointed may be ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer AMEN THE SECOND SERMON VPON 2. CHRON. 6. 39. 40. COncerning the second generall proposed two points there be which require discussion or declaration The first whether this petition which Solomon here preferreth to the King of Kings were granted according to his desires The second how farre the grant made to him or how farre the practices or experiments answerable to his petition during the time that this temple stood may concerne us or the times wherein we live That Solomons petition was fully granted first the equity of the matter contained in it may perswade us for hee requests nothing at Gods hands which is for substance altogether new nothing but that which out of his free mercy and bounty he had granted unto his people before though not supplicated unto in such a solemne manner as Solomon now useth and prescribes as a patterne for others to use When Israel was in his infancy not able to speake the language of Canaan much lesse to frame his petitions according to the stile and forme of the Sanctuary the God of his father did understand his cry and was alwaies ready to give him a better answere then he could desire The cry of the children of Israel saith God is come unto me and I have also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them Exod. 3. 9. Might they have spoken for themselves the utmost of their request had beene only for some ease or mitigation of their present servitude and grievance but God so gracious is he sends them full deliverance and of slaves makes them a free state a royall nation Vpon the sight of Pharaohs hoste pursuing them after they had been set free the extremity of feare makes them desirous rather to returne unto their wonted thraldome then to hazard their lives for attaining that liberty whereunto God by Moses had called them Whilst thus affected they cry unto the Lord and he heares their cry although it were mingled with murmurings against Moses Exod. 14. v. 10. 11. True it is that Moses prayed whilst they murmured but God was more ready to heare then Moses to pray and therefore he saith v. 15. wherefore cryest thou unto me speak unto the children of Israel that they goe forward But for a master to redeeme his owne servants from foraigne oppression is not so strange or out of course Did God then at the prayer or instance of his servants heale his people whom he himselfe had wounded When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them and consumed them that were in the utmost parts of the campe Numb 11. 1. The disease was acute and made quicke dispatch the medicine was as swift and speedy Then the people cried unto Moses and when Moses prayed unto the Lord the fire was quenched v. 2. One branch of Solomons petition is that when Israel should goe forth to battaile against their enemies by the way which he should send them that he would then heare their prayers and supplications and iudge their cause A lively pledge of Gods favour answerable to this branch of the petition and of the immediate dependance which successe in battaile hath on faithfull prayers we have in that story Exod. 17. v. 9. 10. when Iosuah was sent by Moses appointment to fight with Amalek It came to passe when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed and when he let downe his hand Amalek prevailed Another branch of Solomons petition in this place is v. 24. That when Israel should be put to the worst before their enemies that God would be mercifull unto their sinne when they should turne againe and confesse his name and pray This was Israels case in the siege of Ai Iosuah 17. v. 7. 8. Iosuah upon the sight of this wound flies for succour to that medicine which Solomon happly from his practice prescribes For he rent his clothes and fell on his face to the earth before the Arke of the Lord and cried alas O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backe before their enemies God heares his prayer before he was willing to make an end of praying Get thee up wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face and instructs him for restoring Israel to his wonted estate and condition by recompencing the way of the wicked upon his owne head First he makes Achan confesse his sinne and give glory unto God and so removes the sinne from Israel by execution of iustice which in like case is equivalent to prayer at least a necessary condition of successefull prayers for the publique weale and safety of kingdomes 2 If after Iosuahs death we were to give a generall title to the sacred history of ensuing times for almost foure hundred yeares or make an Epitome of the booke of Iudges it could not be more briefe then this Israel sinnes and is given up into the hands of the oppressor Israel cries unto the Lord and he sends him a Iudge and a deliverer And yet as the sacred pen-man of that story observes Israels repentance alwaies died with the Iudge which God did send them and could not be revived againe but by renewing of affliction One and the same affliction was commonly the effect of Israels sinne and the meanes of Israels repentance his sinne was the efficient and repentance the finall cause of their oppression And so gratious was God towards them so ready alwaies to heare their prayers that he seemed not to punish them so much for sins past as to continue his punishment untill they repented Among other calamities of estate whose cure or remedy Solomon here seekes the plague of pestilence is one v. 28. with this the land was grievously smitten even from Dan to Beersheba in his Father Davids daies by the immediate hand of God and in particular for his Fathers sinne in numbring the people Yet when David confessed his sinne and thus prayed Behold I have sinned yea I have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against mee and against my Fathers house v. 17. the Lord was appeased towards the land and the Plague ceased from Israel So ready was God alwaies to heare the prayers of this people when they turned unto him before this Temple was built The sumâ—â—hen of Solomons petition is that rhe Lord would be pleased to give his people some particular or new assurance for continuing his wonted mercies or blessings unto them that this house which he had built might be as a publique Court of audience a place wherein it might be free for every man and for all
it as was the worke of mans hands did stand for forty yeares after yet it stood but as a Carkasse the soule and spirit of it was translated unto the Temple of his body For as he said Veios habitante Camillo Illic Romafuit Rome was at Veii whilst Camillus in whom the life and spirit of the Ancient Romans did then wholly reside had his residence in that towne Or as we say the Kings royall presence makes the Court So was it alwayes the immediate or peculiar presence of God by way of inhabitation which made that goodly edifice which Solomon now erected to be the Temple or Sanctuary the house of prayer Now from the time of our Saviours death God withdrew his extraordinary presence from the Temple made with hands all the priviledges wherewith it was endowed and the secret influence of his grace are now wholy treasured up in the sunne of righteousnesse or in the body of Christ in whom as the Apostle speakes the God-head dwelleth bodily God is not so present in any other body or place as he was in the Temple of Ierusalem not present any where by way of inhabitation save only in the body of Christ and in the members of it that is his Church But in as much as God is by such speciall manner present in Christs manhood our accesse unto him in all our troubles and distresse is more immediate than Solomon or his people had any They were to pray in the materiall Temple or towards it their prayers had no other accesse to heaven than as it were by way of Echo from the earthly Temple and though by this way they found a true accesse unto heaven yet had they not altogether the same acceptance there as ours now have or might have Solomon indeed beseeched God here in my text that his eyes might be open and his eares attent unto the prayers which were made in this place to wit in the house which hee had built But this hee spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men For God had not then the eyes of men to looke upon men nor the eares of man as now he hath to entertaine the prayers of men This is one speciall comfort that the Sonne of God that very Lord unto whom Solomon directs his prayer is become our high Priest not such an high Priest as cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne He hath his Temple or Sanctuary at the right hand of his Father Act. 3. 26. where he sits to pray for us as Solomon did for his people in his name Yea but he is placed there as the Apostle speaks to blesse us with all spirituall blessings and what are these to blessings of states and kingdomes for which Solomon here prayes Much every way or rather all in all For if blessings spirituall include godlinesse in them they have blessings temporall annexed unto them as appurtenances Godlinesse saith the Apostle is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. THREE SERMONS PREACHED BEFORE THE KING Vpon Ier. 26. 19. By THOMAS IACKSON Dr in Divinity and Chaplaine in ordinary to his MAIESTY OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD An. Dom. 1637. IEREMIAH 26. V. 19. Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which hee had pronounced against them THe Text is part of an Apology for the Prophet Ieremiah against whom the Priests and Prophets and all the people had pronounced this peremptory sentence v. 28. Thou shalt surely dye why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord saying this house shall be like Shilo and this city shall bee desolate without an Inhabitant But this sentence you shall finde reversed or contradicted by the Princes and all the people v. 16. Then said the Princes and all the people unto the Priests and Prophets this man is not worthy to dye for he hath spoken unto us in the name of the Lord our God The scales of Iustice being thus farre turned the right way the Elders and Sages of the land sought to keepe them at the point whereto they were drawne more through vehemency of present motion then by permanent waight of reason by alleaging a former rule beyond exception All that the Priests and Prophets could pretend why Ierusalem having made her selfe equall to Shiloh in sinne might not bee made equall to her in punishment was this That albeit Shiloh had beene the place of Gods rest the Towne or City where the Arke of his Covenant did reside yet it never had the title or priviledge of the place which God had chosen to place his name in This was Ierusalem's prerogative amongst all the Cities of Israel But what prerogative soever Ierusalem did from this title enioy these had beene the same in the dayes of Hezekiah which now they were And if in the Iudgement of Hezekiah the state of Iudah it were lawfull for Micah to threaten that Sion should be plowed as a field that Ierusalem should become heapes the mountaine of the house like the high places of the forrest It could be no capital crime in Ieremiah to say that the Lord would make the Temple like Shiloh and Ierusalem a curse to all the Nations of the earth Now Hezekiah and the state of Iudah as these Elders alledge were so farre from putting Micah to death that Hezekiah for his part did feare the Lord and besought the Lord. And when it is said he feared the Lord it is included that he did not only patiently heare the Prophet but truely believe him For the feare of the Lord in this place is neither to be extended further nor contracted narrower than thus He feared least the Lord should put the Iudgments denounced by Micah in speedy execution and as is probable by Sennacherib King of Assyria By what meanes soever the likelyhood was that this Iudgement should be put in execution the only meanes which Hezekiah resolveth upon for avoiding or preventing it was hearty and unfained praiets Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord c. In this his resolution and successe these foure particulars present themselves to your considerations First his wisdome in making choice of prayer before and above all other meanes which the opportunity of those times might suggest Secondly what advantagious successe did accrue from feare unto the efficacy of his praiers or how feare of God's Iudgements doth prepare mens hearts to pray Thirdly of the iust occasion of his and his peoples feare or of others feare in like case Fourthly in what sense God is said to repent If I should say that Hezekiah in thus doing did shew himselfe a godly and religious King none would deny it but to say he was in this a wise and politick King this will not be granted For what policy was therein fearing
take it was because S. Iohn of all the foure Evangelists did out-live both sorts of the signes for hee was alive in the dayes of Trajan the emperour betwixt whose raigne and the raigne of Titus in whose dayes these signes in my text were exhibited Domitian and Cocceius Nerva did successively raigne over the Romans And it may be S. Iohn did purposely omit the Relation of our Saviours prophecies concerning these signes or prognosticks whether of Ierusalem's destruction or of Christ's comming to judge the Nations because he knew when hee wrote his Ghospell hee was to out-live them and for this reason his relation of them would have beene more lyable to suspition or to the exceptions of the Iewes or heathen than the relations of S. Matthew Marke or Luke were seeing they all dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem But did S. John know or what presumptions have we to thinke he did know that hee was to continue his pilgrimage here on earth untill this prophecy of my text were fulfilled that is untill Christ's comming to give all the Nations of the world as well as Ierusalem a solemne warning of of his power and purpose to judge the world This S. Iohn might know or this he could not but know from our Saviour's speeches to him and S. Peter related by him Iohn 21. v. 18. to the 23. Our Saviour had signified or intimated to S. Peter by what manner of death hee should glorifie God and bid him follow him the meaning is that he should be crucified as our Saviour had beene But Peter not content to know the manner of his own death turned about and seeing S. Iohn saith to Iesus Lord what shall this man doe And Iesus said unto him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that unto thee The rest of the brethren that is of Christ's disciples made a false descant upon this sure ground for they hence collected that S. Iohn should not dye at all but this misconstruction of our Saviour's words S. Iohn himselfe v. 23. of that Chap. plainly refuses Iesus said not unto him he shall not dye but if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Yet this his annotation or comment upon our Saviour's words did better refute errors past then prevent the errors or misconstructions of times ensuing For surely they erre which interpret our Saviours words as a meere put-off to Peters curious question or as if they contained no such prediction or prophecy concerning Iohn as the former did concerning Peter And there is a medium betweene the construction which the Disciples then made of our Saviours words and that construction which others have made since The Disciples hence collected that Iohn should not dye at all others collect that our Saviours speech was meerely hypotheticall or conditionall yet being proposed by way of interrogation it is equivalent to this assertory or affirmative It is my will that hee should tarry till I come doe not thou grudge at this but follow me Now as you have heard before there is a two fold comming of Christ the one typicall or representative which is the comming here mentioned in my text and meant by our Saviour in his answer to Peter Iohn 21 v. 22. the other reall or consummative to wit his last comming to Iudgement The Disciples did erre only in this that they understood our Saviours words unto S. Peter of his last comming to judgement And if Iohn had beene to tarry on earth till that time the consequence had beene true hee should not have dyed but as S. Paul speakes he should have beene changed But our Saviour speakes of his comming here mentioned in my text of which comming S. Iohn and others then living were to bee witnesses and spectators And of this comming the destruction of Ierusalem was a signe by which his Disciples then alive might prognosticate or expect it before they dyed But of his last comming to judgement at least of the time of the worlds end our Saviour in my text gave no signe but rather inhibited his Disciples to enquire after it seeing it was then reserved to his father only And if any bee disposed to seeke after the signes of that day these he must learne of S. Iohn in his revelation who saw his first comming to judgement in such a sence and manner as he had seene the Kingdome of heaven come with power and glory at his transfiguration upon the mount But though the time of Christs comming to judgement bee uncertaine though wee may not expect that hee should come unto us in such visible manner as hee did to this generation yet hee dayly comes to us in a more reall manner if wee will prepare our hearts to entertaine him For so hee comes to us in his word and in the sacraments and this his comming shall bee unto judgement unlesse wee examine and judge our selves But if wee will judge our selves we shall not bee judged of the Lord yea hee comes unto us in mercy and loving kindnesse One way or other hee comes to all Behold saith hee I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Revel 3. 20. Yet he which thus knocketh that we may open hath commanded us to knocke that it may be opened to us And indeed the only way by which wee can open the doore to him is by continuall knocking at the gate of mercy that he would open that unto us that hee would come unto us by his grace by the sweet influence of his owne everlasting sacrifice Lord heare us when we call upon thee and open unto us and so come unto us yea so come quickly A briefe appendix to the former treatise of the signes of the time or divine forewarnings OF omnious presagements or abodings good or bad whether given taken or affected and of prodigies or portendments which are for the most part publique signes of the times wherein they are exhibited I had in my younger and better dayes written a large treatise which hitherto I have not had the opportunity or leasure to publish out of which I have borrowed two or three instances in the former treatise But amongst all the forewarning signes given to this land as so many summons to repentance none which have beene given within my memory did make so durable impression upon my heart and thoughts as that late mighty winde which having begun his terrible visitation from the utmost point of the South-west did continue it in one night unto the North-east corner of this Southerne province This was more then a signe of the time Tempus ipsum admonebat the very time it selfe wherein it hapened being the vigils of that great anniversary Novemb. 5. was a signe to my apprehension most significant and doth interpret the meaning of this terrible messengers inarticulate voice much better then any linguist living this day as well as the Prophets were any such now alive could doe Both the messenger and the time wherein he delivered his message doe teach us that truth which hath beene often mentioned in these former meditations more punctually and more pithily than I could then or can yet expresse it Thus much of his meaning the serious reader may understand that albeit wee of this Kingdome were in firme league with all Nations of the earth with whom we have had any time commerce although our greatest enemies should become our greatest freinds yet it is still in the Lord almighty his power and as wee may feare in his purpose to plague this Kingdome more grievously by his owne immediate hand or by this invisible but most audible messenger or by other like stormes and tempests then at any time he hath done by the famine by the sword or by the plague of pestilence to bury more living soules as well of superior as of inferior ranke in the ruines of their stately houses or meaner cottages then the powder-plotters did intend to doe or the powder-plot it selfe had it taken effect could have done God grant every member of this Church and Kingdome grace to looke into his owne heart and purposes and to all in authority whether superior or inferior from the highest to the lowest to looke not only unto their owne but unto others waies of whom they have the care or oversight that these may runne parallel with the waies of God which if we shall continue to crosse or fall foule upon them or his most sacred lawes it is not any parliamentary law not any act of state or decrees of Courts of Iustice that can breake the stroake of his outstretched punishing arme and hand or fend off his dreadful Iudgements threatned from falling more heavy upon us then at any time hitherto his name bee praised they have done Finally although our publique fasts or solemne deprecations for averting his judgements from this land 〈◊〉 or the time being ceased by the same authority by which they were begun yet no authority no act of state doth prohibite any private man to fast upon the daies appointed by the Church whose Canons injoyne though not whole families yet of every family some one or other to resort unto the house of the Lord to offer up prayers and supplications appointed by our Church upon two other speciall dayes in the weeke besides the Lords day Nor are any prohibited upon these dayes to offer up besides their supplications for averting his judgementt the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving for our many deliverances past unto him to whom all praise power dominion and thanksgiving are due FINIS Lib. 4. num 107. Vid. plura apud Claudianum initio belli Gildonici Rupertus Angelomus Amongst other writers of those times see that noble French Historian Martin Fumèe Lord of Genillè Histor. Hungar lib. 1. pag. 32. Silus Italicus Valerius Maximus The extraordinary blessings which our Saviour prayed for were the visible endowments of the Holy Ghost and that admirable union of soule and mind and community of goods and possessions c. mentioned Act. 2. 3. 4. c. All which gifts were peculiar to these primitive times Iam. 4. v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 1. comment in Symbolum Apostolicum