of blood and He that planted the eare shall he not heare It covered the old world with waters the earth is filled with cruelty it was vox sanguinis that cryed and the heavens heard the earth and the windowes of heaven opened to let fall judgement and vengeance upon it The joy that the Jewes had at the death of Christ what sorrow hath it cost them ever since they have gone like Cain with a mark upon them stigmatized and branded as murtherers and they are scattered upon the face of the earth 1600 yeers almost deportation have they endured and who cries now it is time for the Lord to have mercy upon Sion The author of the three conversions of England writes a congratulatory Epistle to the Catholiques in England rejoycing at the timely quiet death of Queen Elizabeth in a full age full of dayes and full of honour and telleth them that they have as much cause of joy as ever the Christians had in the Primitive times for the death of the bloody and cruell Emperours This candle of the wicked was soon put out for ere that Epistle could come to them our gracious King was Proclaimed the heyre of her Crownes and of her Faith 4. They are charged with the cruelty of the tongue verse 12. Neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their distresse This is another kind of breach of the Law non occides thou shalt not kill to speak proudly or as the Originall doth expresse it to make the mouth great or wide against our brethren in their distresse For they animated the persecutors of their brethren in the day of Ierusalem Psa 137. and said raze raze it even to the foundations thereof They opened their mouth wide in cruelty or as Ezekiel speaketh for them Moab and Seir did say Behold the house of Iudah is like unto all the heathen Ezek. 25 8 i.e. God taketh no more care for them then for any other people It is one of the provocations wherewith God was provoked against Edom Because thou hast sayd these two Nations and these two Countries shall be mine Ez. 35.10 and we will possesse it though the Lord was there He accuseth them of Anger and Envy against those two Nations i.e. Israel and Judah so called because the Land was divided in Jeroboams time into two kingdomes Anger and envy are by our Saviour declared to be murther and the tongue is called by David a sharp sword the poyson of Aspes is under their lips it is the bow out of which they shoot for arrowes bitter words Thou hast loved all the words that may do hurt Verba be verbera Venite percutiamus eum lingua Jer. 18.18 Jam. 3.5 6. Come let us smite them with the tongue said the enemies of Jeremy and Saint Iames saith there is ignis in Lingua a fire in the Tongue Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the Tongue amongst the Members that it defileth the whole body and it setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell It is an unâ—uly evill full of deadly poyson There is that speaketh like the purcings of a Sword 1. In their anger they spake cruelly Pro. 12.18 instigating their enemies to destroy them 2. In their pride they spake insolently expressing their inward joy at their ruine by speeches of scorne and disdaine and of triumph over them The Iewes are a fearefull example of this in their processe against Christ for they cruelly said Crucifie him Crucifie him not him but Barabbas If thou let him goe thou art not Caesars friend And after tauntingly when he was upon the Crosse to him he saved others let him save himselfe to his Father Let him now save him if he will have him Which how deare it cost them let their owne tongues repeat their judgement Sanguis ejus super nos filios nostros his blood be upon us and upon our children it was so ever since and as God wrote the crueltie of Amaleck in a Book and vowed never to forget So even unto this day he remembreth what that Amalek did to Israel the desolation of their City and Temple the glory and pride and praise of the earth their miserable dispersion to this day is a certaine testimony of Gods unappeased displeasure to them Sarah saw Ishmael working he doth not say she heard him peradventure it was but a scornfull or proud looke that she observed but it is understood that he scoffed him with some words of disdaine that he should be the young-Master and heire of the house And this provoked Sarah to solicite his casting out of the house and the Apostle doth call it persecution and a kinde of murther Beloved do you know that cursing is murther do you know that bitter and scornful slandring which toucheth the good name of a brother is murther do you know that every word you speake to animate and encourage any against a brother is murther do you know that those reviling speeches which anger venteth in your common scoldings and reproachfull railings one upon anoâ—her and that secret and private whispers wherewith you deprave one another be murther Saint Iames teacheth you Jam. 4.11 That he that speaketh evill of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evill of the Law and judgeth the Law That is he declareth himselfe to be above the Law and takes upon him to judge for he that judgeth the Law and thinketh that the law of God doth not bind him to obedience he is not a doer of the law but a judge Christ saith he that saith to his brother satue thou foole is obnoxious to hell fire Let us all judge our selves by this Law and we shall finde that we had need to take heed to our wayes that we offend not with our tongue it is no easie worke to governe the tongue it asketh care and caution David himselfe must take heed That was the lesson Pambus found so hard that it was enough to take up his whole life And in our anger and fury we do little thinke upon it that By our words we shall he judged by our words we shall be condemned and if of every idle word we shall give an account to God how much rather of every angry word of every lying word of every spightfull and scornefull word every cruell and bloudy word of every prophane and blasphemous word This is commonly the revenge of the poore for when they have no other way to right themselves against injuries they fall to cursing and imprecations Saint Iames telleth you Jam. 1 26. If a man among you seems religious and bridleth not his tongue he deceiveth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine And againe Jam. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body It is a Master-peece â—o â—â—â—eene the tongue What
God ever received them the Spirit of God testifieth of them and God in all ages hath been glorified by them The church of Rome doth attribute to the church a power of authorizing books of Scripture and maketh the Churches authority the warrant for the authorising thereof S. Aug. alloweth the Church the reputation of a witnesse Contra Faust 33.6 but not the power of authority herein for he saith Platonis Aristotelis Ciceronis libros unde noverint homines quod ipsorum sint nisi temporum sibi succedentium contestatione continua therefore that these books were the Canon of scripture the testimony of all ages in their successions doth maintain but this testimony doth not give them authority but witnesseth the authority given them by the Spirit of God We finde that even the authority of holy scriptures hath been denied by Hereticks Sadducaei nullas Scripturas recipiebant nisi quinq libros Mosis Simon prophetas minimè curandos dixit Iren. 1.20 quia a mundi fabricatoribus angelis Prophetias acceperunt Saturninus totum vetus test repudiebat Ptolemaitae libros Mosis Epiph. Haer 33. Nicolaitae et Gnostici librum Psalmorum Anabapt Cant. Salomonis Et lib. Iob. Porphyrius scripsit volumen Cont lib. Danielis The New Testament hath had many enemies the children of darknes have ever made war against light We are better taught and seeing the Holy Ghost hath not satisfied us from whence this our prophet came but hath only given us his name and his prophecie this contenteth us The vessel was but of earth which brought us this treasure if we have lost the vessell and kept the treasure The messenger was a man like us the message was the Lords if the messenger be gone and the message do yet remain the matter is not great Let us glorifie God for his Saints whom God hath used as instruments of our good and praise him for all his prophets and holy men by whom these heavenly oracles were received from him and communicated to the church The son of Sirach Ecclus. 4. Let us now commend the famous men in old time by whom the Lord hath gotten great glory let the people speak of their wisdom and the congregation of their praise Of this there is a double use 1 That we that do Legere read may learn Degere Sanctorum vitas to live the lives of saints and do the church of God all the good service we can 2 That God may be honoured in Saâ—ictis in the saints as saint Jerome saith Honoramus servos ut honor servorum redundet ad Dominum This is the honour of God and this is the praise of this prophet Obadiah whosoever he was he liveth in this prophecie to preach the will of God to you here present and to let you know both the justice of God against the enemies of his church and his mercy to his own beloved people For as the Apostle doth say of Abels faith and by it he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 so may we say of this and all other pen-men of holy Scripture that by these works of theirs though they be dead yet they do now speak in the church of God Avel spake two ways for there was 1 Vox sanguinis a voice of blood which cryed for judgement Gen. 4.10 Heb. 11.4 and 2 Vox fidei a voice of faith which is example for imitation Thus all Ecclesiasticall writers do speak and we in our studies do confer with dead men and take light from them That is the reason that the elect of God do not arise to their full reward before the resurrection of all flesh because their works do follow them in order as they are done and their light goeth not out by night Death doth not quench their candle Thus the antient fathers of the Church have left living monuments of their holy learning and we come after them and enter upon their labours They are unthankfull and spightfull that despise their names and refuse their testimonies which they have given to the truth and blemish their memory as if they were unworthy to be named in our sermons or to their judgements to be held in any estimation It is the only way for a man gloriously to out-live himself to be the instrument of doing good to the church of God when he is gone hence and is no more seen Blessed is that servant whom his Master when he cometh shall finde so doing 2. What The Vision Some have confounded these two termes Vision and Prophecie as both expressing the same act of Propheticall vocation I finde three of these titles used together Now the acts of David the King first and last 1 Châ—on 29 29. behold they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer Where though our English Translation do use the same word for Samuel and Gad calling them both Seers the Hebrew distinguisheth them and a learned Professor of Divinity doth read in verbis Samnelis inspicientis the Inspector Dr. Humâ— Decor-Interpret lib. 3. Nathan Prophetae the Prophet Gad videntis the Seer I do not take these to be three distinct Offices but three parts of the same Office For 1. Such must be Videntes Seers God must open their eyes that they may see what the will of God is Balaam being to prophecie at the request of Balak against Israel beginneth thus Balaam the son of Beor hath said the man whose eyes are open hath said Num. 24.3 He hath said which heard the words of God which saw the Vision of the Almighty who had his eyes shut but now open Therefore they must be videntes Seers for if the blinde do lead the blinde you know where to finde them both 2. Such must be inspicientes inspectors and that both in regard of the suggestion that it be no humane phantasie no satannicall illusion but a divine and spirituall revelation As also in regard of the thing suggested that they may rightly informe themselves in the will of God and so farre as God revealeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may boldly say and maintaine Sic dicit Dominus thus saith the Lord. 3. Thus prepared they may be Prophets that is the Publishers of this will of God to them to whom they be sent So that Vision and Inspection belong to preparation prophecie to execution of that Office from whence Docemur we are taught 1. Doctrine The faithfull minister of the word of God must receive his information and instructions from the Spirit of God before he preach or prophesie We are ambassadours and messengers from God and the warrant of our calling is our mission the Apostle saith How shall he preach except he be sent for mission importeth fit instructions in the errand God hath laid blame upon them that run unsent and no man putteth himself in that imployment but he that was sent as was Aaron The Son
scourge Edom. This rumour of warre is terror Domini the terror of the Lord And it stirreth up and awaketh those that are in danger to look to themselves which doth shew that this judgment threatned against Edom shall not surprise them suddenly they have warning to stand upon their guard and to arme themselves against invasion This is therefore declared as I conceive to shew the carelesse security of Edom that would take no warning for that is exprest in the prophecy of Isaiah in the burthen of Dumah contempt and scorne of their warning for he calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night Watchman what was in the night As deriding the Prophet who had foretold their night of calamity which should put out their candle and leave them darkling For if the voyce of the Prophets will not move them how will they take it when they shall hear the nations sending Embassadours one to another to confederate against them But the wicked are despisers they will take no warning The old world made a scorne of Noahs preaching and building and thereby vexing his righteous soule even to the day that the floud came and swept them all away They of Sodom even the sons in law of Lot when he warned them of the wrath to come did despise the warning Yet God to make their judgment more heavie when it cometh and to make their scorne more inexcusable threatneth them with the rumour first before be smiteth them The pride and vanity of these times the drunkennesse and prophanesse the contentions and all the clamorous and loud voyced sinnes which over-grow into excesse they do all arise from the contempt of the word of God and from a negligence in observing the course of Gods justice in the punishing of these sinnes and from a scornfull undervaluing of those Embassadors whom God doth send into the world to reconcile the world to himself The Apostle saith We as Embassadours from God do beseech you But the Ministers of Gods word have very harsh welcome in the World for the prophane despise them all and will not hear their message the precise will hear but some of them they despise others they that be for Paul will not hear Apollo and they that be for Peter will hear neither Paul nor Apollo nor Jesus Christ himself But consider Embassadours are not sent but upon serious occasions this is such to awake and stir us up against our common enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil and to tell us of our great danger For we shall not fight against Flesh and Blood onely but against Powers and Principalities if we despise the noise of this rumour these enemies may take us at advantage Edom would take no warning no more will they whom God hath delivered over to the guidance of their own lusts 2. The effect of the message and rumour being the judgement it self 1 Judicium 2. effectum Judicij Numb 24.18 Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell When I compare these words with those of Balaams prophecie Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city I finde here from whence the Embassadour cometh even from the house of Jacob And Israel shall stir up the Heathen against Edom and Israel shall have dominion over them This appeareth in Ezekiels prophecie And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom Eze. 25 14 by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to my anger according to my fury they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God So the people of God shall stir up the Heathen Nations against Edom. From whence we do learn these lessons 1. That all wars are ordered by God 2. That God punisheth one evil man by the hand of another and so one evil Nation 3. That war is one of Gods punishments by which he chasteneth men for sin 4. That the people of God may lawfully make war 1. Doctrine All wars are ordered by God It is the word of the Lord that these Nations shall come together in War against Edom. The horse is prepared for the day of battell Pt. 21.31 but the victory is of the Lord. He teacheth my hands to fight Psa 144.1 and my fingers to battell Melchisedech saith to Abraham after his victory in the rescue of Lot Blessed be the most high God Gen. 14.20 which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand When Israel prevailed against Benjamin for abusing the Levites concubine Judg. 20.35 Jud. 7.20 it is said The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel Gedeons cry was The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon The reason hereof is in sight Reason 1 1. By the generall providence of God who ruleth all things and all persons psa 113.6 for he abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and in earth Reason 2 2. By the particular interest that God hath in wars for he is called Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts The uses follow Use 1 1. In all wars to have respect unto the cause not to put our selves into an unjust quarrell let the cause be Gods and we may promise our selves to have God on our side The wise man saith pro. 20.18 pro. 24.6 By counsell wars must be enterprised By wise counsell thou shalt make thy war prosperous If Jehoshaphat joyn with Ahab against Ramoth in Gelead he shall speed accordingly The sword of the Lord first then of Gideon Use 2 2. The cause being good and warrantable we must not trust to our strength neither must we neglect the means presuming on the defence of God 1. Not trust our own strength for some trust in Charets and some in horses as Benhadah did in the multitude of his men so great that the land against which he fought was not enough to give every one of theâ— an handfull Put David saith A king is not saved by the multitude of an host psa 33.17 neither is the mighty man delivered by much strength an horse is a vain help 2. It is another extream to cast all upon God and not to use the means first the sword of the Lord and then with it the sword of Gedeon Use 3 3. This serveth to take off all fear from our hearts when we fight the Lords battells it was a cheerfull speech of Joah encouraging the people when he had divided his army part against the Syrians and part against Ammon Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people 2 Sam. 10.12 and for the cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good It was Davids resolution I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Arise O Lord save me my God Psal 3.6 for thou smitest all mine enemies
Sam. 8.15 and all they of Edom became Davids servants There God made them small Again Amaziah king of Judah prevailed against them he slew of Edom in the valley of Salt ten thousand 2 Reg. 14.7 and took Selah by war This made them small They suffered many changes yet this is noted of them that 1. They were growen often very great yet still God made them small 2. That they were great before Iacob and continued so after Iacobs posterity were gone into dispersion 3. That now their memory is so extinguished on earth that their posterity is not known Let no man measure the favours of God by the accesse of his possession by the territories of his dominion by the multitude of his men by the force of his strength God gave all these things to Esau whom he hated Rather let men fortunate and prosperous in their wayes who have the desires of their hearts satisfied and whose paths be annoynted with butter suspect that God hath set them in slippery places Vivunt inter laquies Let them know that their fulnesse doth come of Gods open hand aperit implet and let them know that The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and therefore let them take out both Saint Pauls lessons I have learned how to abound and how to want We are not to seek in our own times of examples of smalnes turned into greatnesse and of greatnesse again made small It is a judgment that David complained of Thou hast lifted me up and cast me downe how much more peace have they in their bosomes that were ever small then they who having risen above others are stooped beneath themselves and laid so low that the foot of pride treadeth on them down stout heart there is no perpetuity in things temporall Great Edom is made small rough and boysterous Edom that carries all by strong hand is made meek and tame 2. Made small amongst the Heathen These were numbred among the Heathen and amongst them they were great they separated from the Church of God like the sons of sober and religious parents that turne gallants and roarers and amongst these they shine awhile amongst these Edom was made small Abraham had an Ishmael that was cast out among the Heathen Isaac had an Esau that put himself in amongst them all the sons of Iacob were Patriarches great Fathers of the Church Esau where he rose to glory and greatnesse there he sunk into smalnesse the eyes that saw him in his shining saw him eclipsed 3. God hath done this there be few that look so high when they are down but they do rather complain of evill fortune or of some great wrong done to them here below failing of means disertion of friends or injustice in superiours The Heathen look to second causes and to naturall agents they consider not that it is God who lifteth up and casteth down But God taketh it upon himself and would have Edom know that this is Dextra Iehovae the right hand of the Lord. Others look high at first and upon every degree of downfall do charge God with hard measure and murmure at his uneven hand as if he had not done them right which as Job saith is to charge God foolishly But let men take it how they will God is the Author of the rising and falling of the sons of men of their growth and withering can God hate and his hatred sit idle and look on as his love is operative so is his hatred such is his love that all things work together for the best to them whom he hath called Saint Augustine addeth etiam peccata even their sins another etiam adversa their adversary and such is his hatred that all things work contrary to the ruine of them whom he hateth etiam prosperitas even their prosperity for the prosperity of fools doth destroy them 2. This judgment is aggravated by two circumstances from God and man 1. Thou art despised 2. Greatly despised 1. Despised The children of Edom had two great temptations to swell them that is riches and power these they insolently abused to oppression of their neighbours God who powreth contempt upon Princes covered them with contempt This is the severest vengeance that pride feareth Edom that was highest and bore rule over the Nations and lived by the sword is now made small after this fall followeth contempt God hath said it They that despise me shall be despised 2. Despised greatly Pride will have a fall it never falleth lower here on earth then when it falleth into great contempt 1. Of God that he turneth away from them or setteth his face against them 2. Of man and that 1. When the Prophets of the Lord do set their faces against them as in this case Son of man set thy face against Mount Seir Ezek. 35.2 prophecie against it it is no small matter to have the Messengers of God against us which do carry his sure word of prophecie for they speak from the mouth of the Lord and where they denounce the judgment of God against impenitent sinners whosoevers sinnes they retaine they are retained 2. When the Lord hath expressed his hatred and pronounced his judgment the Church of God despiseth their power and derideth their malice saying Thou O God seest it for thou beholdest ungodlinesse and wrong to take the matter into thy hand 3. This maketh it a great and full contempt when they that served them shall be Lords over them and their sword can no longer help them so is Edom despised among the Heathen this is great contempt to have the contempt of God and man You see their punishment These points of Doctrine do follow by just consequence 1. That Gods enemies though for a time they prosper and thrive in the world yet they shall by little be at last consumed The whole course of holy story runneth very clear this way Cain a runnagate and many learned do think after killed by Lamech Ishmael every mans sword against him Exod. 14.28 2 Reg. 20.37 Pharaoh drowned in the red sea Senacherio slain by his own sons Haman hanged on his own gallows Hâ—st 4 9. which the Poet calls Arte perire suà Nebuchadnezar turn'd beast Dan. 4 30. The Jewes have Christs bloud on them and their children Herod eaten with worms Act. 12.23 Judas went to his own place But in the execution of judgment God doth not all at once alwayes Moses telleth Israel Deut. 7.21 God will root out these Nations before thee by little and little Thou must not consume them at once As Amos prophecieth Amos 4.9 1. Blasting and mildew then the Palmer-worme then the Pestilence then the sword and at last as Sodom and Gomorrah So he destroyed Egypt with ten plagues one succeeding another he doth not empty his quiver all at once so here are two points considerable 1. He doth destroy them 2. Not all at once but by little and little 1. 2 Thes 6 7
no necessity it was a temporall practise in those times when the gift of healing was in the Church instead whereof we have prayers both in private and in publike Congregations The Grace of Baptism we hold sufficient for the whole life to sanctifie it and in the Elect of God it is not it cannot be lost The true Sacrament of Confirmation is the Lords Supper for that representeth to us the body that was broken for us and the blood that clenseth us from all our sins that is often repeated to call us to repentance and to strengthen our Faith If we flatter our selves that the act of receiving doth sanctifie us that is a deceiving of our own hearts for the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth We know that it may be eaten to condemnation if there were carnall presence of Christ none could eat of it but he must be joyned so with Christ as he could not perish Lastly for the Sacrament of orders they deceive themselves in the pride of their hearts thinking that God hath given them the Kingdome of Grace and of glory to bestow where they will We are the Ministers of God sent forth as Gods Embassadours to carry his pardon to such as are penitent the pardon doth set forth who are capable of it we are the Ministers of God to make tender of the means of Grace to such as are capable of them We cannot make a man capable either of Grace or Salvation yet none can have either but by our Ministry except God will shew his Prerogative and say Ecce ego creabo rem novam in terra Behold I create a new thing upon earth Humility deals truly with us for it I be humble I am content with that I have and think it more then I deserve I do not envy either greater graces in others or higher places for I know mine own weckâ—dnesse and my sins are ever before me and therefore I think it happy with me and acknowledge it a great mercy that I am not consumed I do not glory in mine own knowledge but with Agur the son of Jakeh I say and confesse Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man Prov. 30.2 3. I have neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge of the holy I do not glory in mine own righteousnesse but looking to mine heart within and into my wayes without I say with Saint Paul of Sinners I am cheefe An humble man hath this advantage of a proud man for he cannot fall his estate may grow both higher and fuller but his heart keepeth one point of elevation and is fixed at that he never graspeâ—h for wind to hold it he hunteth not after opinion he doth not flatter himself with vain hopes Well may an humble man suffer from others but he will keep so good a watch upon his own heart that that shall never deceive him by any information of self-wisdome But I commend a Virtue that but half keeps a living man in the earth saith the gallant true but as the root is deep embosomed of the earth which makes the Free bear a storm the better But this keepeth men from putting forth themselves where they may exercise their other virtues I but it joyeth all well-affected that Church and Common wealth aboundeth so in choyce that there is no need of me And those whom pride putteth forth have an evil edition 2. Their next confidence was in the siituation of their dwelling resembled to an Eagles building her nest in the clefts of a rock on high So there meets to make up their confidence strength and height of dwelling That is their confidence and that is dispersed in the fourth verse Thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord. This opinion of the strength of an impregnable habitation hath deceived many After David had reigned seven yeeres in Hebron The King and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land 2 Sam. 5.6 which spake unto David saying except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in thither Thinking David cannot come hither The Hebrewes have made a figurative construction of these words namely that the Jebusites did preserve two Images the one of Isaac who was blind the other of Iacob who was lame these two Isaac and Iacob made a Covenant with Abimilech in which League they comprehended the Iebusites therefore the league must be broken which was made with Isaac and Iacob if they did come thither to remove the Iebusites But this is vain and fabulous The true meaning is that the Iebusites did think their hold so strong that so long as there were any men therein though blind and lame they would be able to defend the place against David But that hope was dispaired for ver 9. David dwelt in that Fort and called it the City of David c. The like Example we have of Babylon Here her in her ruffe and in the pride of her heart Thou hast said in thy heart Isa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne among the stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high Which pride of heart smarted in them for it followeth yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell to the sides of the pit I deny not but this is litterally to be understood of Babylon Dr. Reynâ—â— on Obed. but it troubleth me that any learned man of our dayes should charge so many great judgements as have applyed this to the of the Angels with unskilfull application thereof I know The learnedst and gravest judgements have gone that way as far as we have any thing written of the fall of Angels And men of yesterday do not well to impute unskifulnesse to such expert Scribes But in the posthumous writings of great learned men the publisher may shuffle in some of his own brann amongst their Wheate For understand this either literally of Babylon or allegorically of the Angels that fell either of them thought their dwellings impregnable and therefore safe Jerusalem called the joy of the whole earth was compassed so with mountains that the prophet to expresse the safety of the Church resembleth it to Jerusalem As the mountains are about Jerusalem Psa 125 2 so is the Lord round about his people c. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount-Sion ver 2. Yet we know how it was destroyed David was gone far that way in presuming upon the safety of his person and state Dixi nunquam movebor I said I shall not be removed thou Lord of thy goodnesse hast made my mountain so strong All which examples and all experience meeteth in one point of Doctrine that it is a vain confidence to trust in the strength of our state and dwelling on earth A full
church with their best learned in points wherein the Jesuits at this day accuse us of Heresie Therefore one observed well that the Religion of Rome was like Nebuchadnezzars image the height of it was 60 cubits and the breadth was but 6 that is without any proportion for never could they make the parts of it symmetricall Therefore first we are comforted against all the enemies of our Religion their strength may be great and their malice greater but they cannot unite themselves with the bond of true Peace and the God of peace is not their tutelary God In the damnable conspiracy of the Powder-traytors God by one of themselves diverted the Treason I deny not but Turks have had many great prevailings against Christians Papists against Protestants and their confederates have held fast with them So had Moab and Ammon Geball the Assirians Philistines the Chaldeans against Israel But God found a time to consume these Nations by their own strength and their own confederates were the ruine of them We have heard that war is one of the sore judgements wherwith God scourgeth offendors At this time a great part of the Protestant Church is hostilly attempted with war we have many of our countrymen noble generous and valiant voluntiers engaged in that cause I hope we shall do a charitable Christian duty to God and them to pray God to cover their heads in the day of battaile to beseech him whom Job cals the preserver of men to save them from all evill Thou Lord preservest man beast do thou save them let their eye have its desire upon their enemies And for our selves we say O Lord be gratious unto us we have waited for thee be thou their arme every morning Isa 33.2 our Salvation also in the time of trouble God is called Lord of Hoasts and so he can master his enemies the stars in their courses by their influences the Elements fire as in Sodom ayre as in the Pestilence in Davids time water as in the deluge earth as in Corahs transgression to smite sinners He can punish man by Frogges by Flyes by Lice by Grasse-hoppers and such like armies of his Yet he chose to destroy the army of the Midianites by themselves rather then by any other means The Lord set every mans sword against his fellow throughout all the hoast Jud. 7.22 He could have employed other executioners to have done vengeance upon blaspheming Senacherib King of Assyria but he would shew that no bonds of society or nature can hold them together whom God hath not joyned Therefore it came to passe as he was worshipping in the house of Nisâ—ock his God Isa 37.38 that Adrameleck and Sharezer his sons smote him with a sword 2. We are therefore taught to unite our selves in the Lord by the bonds of â—ue love for all other bonds will be like the new cords wherewith Sampson was tied break in sunder and we shall cast them from us The great friendship that is made by bribes cannot be sincere for 1. The receiver of them knowes that his love is a dear penny worth to his friend it is not a gift but a perquisite and therfore he cannot call it sure 2. The giver knoweth his mony not his love made the friend and if this friendship bear him out of the hands of justice his conscience will still tell him that his money not his innocency acquitted him if this friendship prefer him his conscience within him will say that his money not his worthinesse hath advanced him Therefore the frienship thus made is not sincere But they whom Religion and the fear of God doth unite are of one heart and of one soule here is no lack of any thing Acts 4.32 if any of them may supply it the wounded man shall have both the oyle and wine of the Samaritane out of his vessels and the help of his hand and of his beast and of his word and of his purse Our Saviour Christ saith Go thou and do the like How can we say we are neighbours when we are so far from healing our brethrens wounds that we rather set them into a fresh bleeding and open them wider we rather make more in the whole and sound flesh we rather take away their oile and wine and beast and money wherewith they should help themselves and instead of putting them into an house we take their houses over their heads and expose them to stormes The God of peace sanctifie us throughout that his peace may knit us together in him Doctr. 4 Those who trust in men have no understanding Here on earth we do much value the wisdome and judgment of man by his choyce of adherence and dependance and we judge them unwise that addresse themselves to such as cannot either support them as they are or put them on farther But the word of the Lord saith there is no understanding in Edom to trust in man and the Psalmist Non relinquat hominem he adviseth Trust not in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in him God goeth farther in my text there is treason in him subducet auxilium super inducet exitium He will bring thee to thy uttermost borders and there he will leave thee Jun. reads Cujus vulneris non erit intelligentia as pointing out so great a plague upon Edom ut ipsam nequeat mens humana comprehendere nedum curare arte intelligentia Joannes Draconites readeth the text thus Ante proderis hostibus quà m animadvertas But the sense is easie God censureth them for fools that put their trust in man For God himself saith they commit two great evils They forsake God the Fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water The Philistims trusted in their great Champion Goliah 1 Sam. 17.10 and they desied the hoâ—st of Israel and despised David the Aramites sent Israel word that the dust of their land should not be enough to give every one of their Army an handfull 1 Reg. 20.10 The reason of this folly is the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeve not 2 Cor. 4.4 for Satan worketh strongly in the children of disobedience he hath strong illusions for them to make them beleeve lies They that trust in lying vanity saith Jonah do forsake their own mercy It is a lying vanity to trust the false gods of the Heathen Deut. 32.38 God upbraideth the Apostate Jewes so Let them rise up and help you let them be a refuge It is a lying vanity to trust in any confederacie against God It is Gods woe Woe to the rebellious children that take counsell but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit Isa 33.1 that they may adde sin unto sin That walk to go downe into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and
Ghost bringing but a part and affirming that they brought all For Peter saith to Ananias After it was sold Acts 5.4 was it not in thine own power Yet in that communication it was not lawfull for every man to take what he would Acts 5 35. but the Apostles distributed to every one according to their need Surely if Edom and the Chaldeans had had as good right to the City of Jerusalem and to the goods therein as Israel had God had not laid this for an evidence against Edom that he laid hand on their substance God is Lord of all and he hath given the earth to the sons of men yet not in common nor in equall distribution Here the rich and poor meet together Pro. 22. â— and the Lord is maker of them both The Apostle learnt how to abound and how to want and God giveth to the rich things necessary in possession as to owners thereof during his pleasure he giveth them things superfluous that their cup may run over to the relief of others as to his stewards put in trust to see that their brethren want not And there be two vertues commended in holy Scripture which make men Proprietaries in the things of this world that is Justitia qua suum cuique tribuis Justice whereby thou givest to every one his own Misericordia qua tuum and mercie whereby thou givest of thine own The Use of this point is Let every one know his own and not lay hand on the substance of his brother Eph 4 28. and let him that stole steale no more but let him labour not all for himself but that he may give to him that needeth that the poore may grow up with him as he did with Job and that none perish for want of meat and cloathing Godlinesse must be joyned with contentment the law doth not only bind the hand non furaberis thou shalt not steal but it bindeth the heart too non concupisces thou shalt not cover not his house not his ground not his wife not his servant not any thing of his There be many wayes of theft I am limited to that of violent taking away of our neighburs substance for that only is here named and judged and that is either directly by invasion or secretly practised by oppression Oppression like other sins putteth on the habit of vertue and passeth for good husbandry but all stopping of the Wels wherof Isacc and his cattel should drink is oppression and theft and whatsoever is saved from the poor by it is the treasure of wickednesse and the wise man telleth us Prov. 10.2 The treasures of wickednes profit nothing we shall see it clearer when we come to Gods revenge upon Edom for laying hand upon his brothers substance 3 They are charged with insidiation for life Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crosse-way to cut off those that did escape Verse 14. Edom divided himself against Israel some entring the City to rob and spoyle their goods and to destroy them that abode there others attended without the City to cut off them who to save their lives did escape out of the City The Chaldeans that came from farre to invade Jerusalem were not so well acquainted with the wayes and passages for escape neere to the City as the Edomites their brethren and neighbours were therefore that cruell office they take upon them to declare their full malice to Iacob and to make up a complete destruction The history of those times doth make this plaine And the City was broken up 2 Reg. 25. v. 4. and all the men of warre fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls which is by the Kings garden now the Chaldees were against the City round about and the King went the way toward the plain At that time the Edomite knowing the secret wayes mingled himself with the Chaldees to cut off such as escaped In this passage note Note 1 1. The miserable calamity of warre how it maketh desolations and filleth all places with blood no safety from invasion in the City and none from insidiation without the City 1. When you hear of these things thank God for the peace of the Common wealth in which you live reckon it amongst the great blessings of God that you are borne in a time of peace and live in peace every one under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree every one enjoying the comforts of life without the noyse of invasion no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets 2. Let us also think of the wofull calamity of that part of the Church wherein we have so great a part so much of the best blood of this Land and Crown in danger of this cruelty and if either our persons or purses or our prayers to God may relieve them let us not spare to comfort their distresses as we would desire in like extremity to be comforted our selves 3. Let us learne to abhor the bloody religion of the scarlet Strumpet of Rome that maintaineth and abetteth these quarrels and kindleth those coales in Christendome which threaten conflagration 4. Let us observe all them that make contention and move the hearts of their brethren to schisme to alienate their affections from the peace of the Church lest this sire which beginneth but amongst thorns and brambles enflame the Cedars of our Libanus Note 2 2. See the afflictions of Iudah and Ierusalem and search the cause thereof Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah 2 Reg. 24.3 4. to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did And also for the innocent blood that he shed for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood which the Lord would not pardon Have not we provoked the God of mercies to awake his justice against our Land Did ever pride put on more formes of costly vanity and shamelesse disguise then our eyes behold Did drunkennesse ever waste and consume more of the necessaries of life which many poor Christians want then now Were the Prophets and Ministers of the Word rebuking the vices of the times lesse hearkned to then in our dayes Was there ever a more curious search into mens estates and lands or more advantage taken or more new inventions to get wealth then we have heard of Was the Church at any time more rent with Schismes and maymed by defections and separations and the faithfull Ministers more opposed with contradictions and depraved by unjust calumniations by those that usurp the appearance of great professors then now Did knowledge ever swel and puffe men up more then now The times are foul and the crimes thereof are clamorous why then should not we expect Iudahs punishment that live in Iudahs sins O sin no more lest some worse evill fall on thee 1. Let us break off these sins by repentance and seek the Lord whilst he may be found and seeing the light
them contrition and sorrow for their sinne and a broken and contrite spirit God cannot refuse he will not discourage the contrite and sorrowfull but will have them to know that their groanings and sighes come up even into his eares He putteth all their teares in his bottle 2. Afflictions do turne the children of God into prayers and supplications and he will not neglect them that pray to him that they may see the power and vertue of prayer that upon all occasions they may prostrate their hearts before God in prayer God hath said of the just man He shall call upon me in trouble Psa 91.15 Hos 5.15 and I will heare him yes I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him in their afflictions they will seek me diligently In the house of bondage he heard Israel Exo. 3.7 Then the Lord said I have surely seen the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry St Iames saith If any man among you be afflicted let him pray If that were not our comfort when all remedies faile us we were most unhappy for we can never be shut up so but we may send our prayers from us to heaven to plead our cause in the name of Iesus Christ 3 Sharp afflictions may be a strong temptation to make the children of God doubt of the love of God It was not lawfull for them in the judiciall Law to be immoderate in correction A trespasser might have forty stripes given him but not more lest if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes Deu. 25.3 then thy brother should seem vile unto thee God will not overdoe in his chastenings of his Church to prevent this danger lest his servant should think himselfe lost in the favour of God We see how David was put to it in this kind When his soar ran and ceased not his soule refused comfort yea once he complained My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea he thought upon God and was troubled Therefore God doth carry a favourable hand in his afflictions to prevent the despaire of his children for he knoweth whereof we be made 4. Sharp afflictions may be an occasion to harden the heart of man and make himful away from God to sinne and that reason is given by the holy Psalmist For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Psa 125.2 lest the righteous put forth their bands to iniquity Indeed some that have been well taught and do understand well and have lived in some measure of good life and walked conscionably when God hath tryed them with wants have fallen into snares and embraced temptations Magnum pauperies opprobrium jubes quidvis facere pati vircutisquâ— viâ—m deserit arduae Shifts fraudes secret stealths borrowings without meanes or hope of repayment c. The wise son of Iakeh prayed to God Give me not poverty lest I be poor and steale Pro. 30.9 and take the name of my God in vaine Extremity of paine in sicknesse and soarenesse is a great temptation two great lights in the Church of God were ecclipsed by it Iob the example of patience fell into bitter cursings of the do of his birth so did holy Jeremy the Lords Prophet To these respects God is tender and suffereth not his chosen to be tempâ—â—d above their strength but doth give issue to their temptations Yet sometimes he suffereth his Elect to see their owne weaknesse by some fall that when he putteth to his helping hand they may be more wary to keep a better watch upon their hearts Reason 3 3. God doth not suffer his Church to be forsaken in afflictions lest the enemies thereof should too much insult over them It is Davids suite to God Let them not say we have prevailed When Saul and Ionathan were dead David lamented them with great lamentation The beauty of Israel is slaine upon the high places how are the mighty fâ—llon 2 Sam. 1.19 20. Tâ—ll is not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncirâ—â—â—tised triumph For this addeth to the ungodlinesse of the wicked they grow proud upon it Let not their wicked imagination prosper lesâ— they grow too proud Reason 4 4. The afflictions of the Church when they do grow sharpe and smarting cause the ungodly of the earth to blaspheme the name of God It is not for nothing that David doth pray so earnestly Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake Ps 143.11 for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soule out of trouble The ungodly Iewes and Romanes standing by the Crosse of Christ did speake contemptibly of God and took his name in vaine in derision of his son It is the manner of the ungodly to blaspheme if once they prevaile against the Church then the God they serve is thought unable to protect them and the Religion that they professe is scandalized for untruth These be great reasons why God doth not forsake his Church in affliction but giveth them a heavenly issue out of them This point teacheth its own use for it serveth both to 1. Informe 2 Convince 3 Exhort 4 Rebuke 1 Information This is a sure and infallible rule That whom God once loveth he ever loveth as he saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance his love is himselfe and he cannot deny himselfe he hath given us to his son Rom. 8 35 and of them that thou hast given me saith he I have lost none and no man can take them out of my hand What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus he nameth the greatest miseries of life Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors Cant. 2.4 through him that loved us The love of God to his Church is a banner over it 2 Conviction This Doctrine convinceth the Heathen who deny that there is a any Providence because the best men drinke deepest of the cup of affliction which maketh the profane say It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 True that they who make conscience of their wayes are despised their soule is filled with the scorne of the proud True Ver. 25. that they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God are delivered but the Elect say for thy sake we are killed all the day long Yet the comfort that the just have in their affliction doth assure that verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth And though for a time the wicked insult over the just the day will come
full from the communion of the Church of England pretending the great corruptions that be some in the doctrine but most in the Discipline thereof Is Sion the Mountaine of the Lord still although both sinne and vengeance have left it desolate Did Christ call the Temple his fathers house when the ungodly prophaners of it had made it a den of theeves I dare not say now though that Mountaine of the Lord and the place whre Gods honour did sometimes dwell and wherein God tooke delight hath almost endured sixteen hundred yeeres desolation and is now the cage of uncleane birds inhabited by Turks and Saracens and for the profit of both by Popish Idolators which make prize of Pilgrims resorting to visite the places sometimes hallowed by the presence of Christ and his Mother and his holy servants I dare not say that God hath lost his interest therein or resigned all his right thereto Nullum tempus occurrit regi I remember the Prophecy of Zacharie But it shall be one day Zac. 4.7 8 which shall be knowne to the Lord nor day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Ierusalem A Prophecy not yet fulfilled for though Interpreters doe commonly attribute this to the coming of Christ in the flesh and the light of the Gospel beginning at Ierusalem and shining over all the world the words of the Text do directly confute that exposition for this prophecy is determined to the evening time that is to the latter end of the world and Christ came in the fulnesse of time And at the coming of Christ in the flesh it was not as here is said Nor day nor night for then Lux magna orta est the sunne of righteousnesse arose in our hemisphere the very night was lighted to the shepherds with an extraordinary clarity And such a light shone in Ierusalem as not only lighted them but it was a light to lighten the Gentiles it shone to the East upon the Magi there and all the ends of the world soon saw the salvation of their God Therefore I conclude that this prophecy is to be fulfilled towards the end of the world when God shall call againe his people from far and his dispersed from the ends of the earth When the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in then shall God call again his people and remember the oath that he sware unto Abraham and the sure mercies of David Then shall he set his name again in Ierusalem and displant the intruders upon his possession and settle his habitation once again upon the Holy mountain at the end of the world Yet I do not affirm that there shall be again a Common-wealth of the Jewes or a distinction of Tribes as heretofore that wall of partition is taken down and the bond of Christian Religion shall be the bond of peace and God hath said it Tros Tyrius ve mihi nullo discrimine agetur Both Jew and Gentile all shall be alike But God hath layed such claime to this mountain and professed so much love to it that I dare not beleeve that he can forget it for ever but that when the time the appointed time shall come he will have mercy upon Sion and will pitty the ruines and dust thereofâ—â—â— But when here Sion is called Mons sanctus meus my Holy mountain here is a quaere how any place can be called Holy and what kind of holinesse it is which is ascribed to any place Surely if it be Sanctus quia meus what place is it where God is not he is in the valley of the shadow of death he is present over men in the nethermost hell But God is said to sanctifie some places here on earth because he is present there 1. Secundum specialem curam in respect of his speciall care and protection 2. Secundum specialem cultum in respect of his speciall Worship Ierusalem was the place which God took into his speciall protection and where he placed his speciall worship for the Lord God was well known in Sion at Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion 1. And for the speciall care that he had of that place He loved the gates of Sion more c. And though the earth was the Lords and all that therein is yet of Sion he said here do I dwell I have a delight herein And this Spiritualis cura Spiritual care so sanctified that place that when Israel had polluted the worship of God and Heathen came in upon Gods inheritance and defiled his Sanctuary yet ceased not that place to be Holy not by any inherent holinesse as the Roman Church suggesteth but only secundum specialem curam because it was not yet out of Gods speciall protection and only thus it is holy at this day 2. Propter specialem cultum for his speciall worship when any place is dedicate to Gods worship and separate from common use it is an holy place and God vouchsafeth there specialem praesentiam a special presence For I am not of Mr. Calvins mind who saith Templa non sunt propria Dei habitacula unde aurem propius admoveat For God hath a speciall interest in those places which are separate to his special worship and the very place is fearful to them that have any sense of Religion and as Damascen saith plus participat gratiae operationis Dei they partake more of the powerfull operation of God For why is Heaven the Throne of God more then the earth but because God doth there more expresse his glory then he doth here And for the interest that God hath in those consecrated places consider Gods challenge in my Text Sion though in the Land of the Chaldeans is the Mount of God Churches and Lands once given to God do remain his for ever for unlesse God shall manifestly reveale his resignation to man what man on earth hath any assignment from him of his right Beloved we have power to give to God of his own but we have no power on earth for revocation when it is once Sacred and God hath enclosed it no man can lay it common But the fat of the Church hath fed so many of all degrees in this Land to that grouth and strength that this Doctrine is a Paradox and we are but laught at when we plead the right of God to things sacred For if Sacriledge be a sinne what rank of men in this or our neighbour kingdome doth not live in sin and by sin The Mount of Sion is challenged here to be the holy Mountain of God in whose hand soever the possession thereof be and all that invade the right of God in things sacred shall heare him complain Prov. 20.25 Ye have robbed me and though they make it strange and aske wherin have we robbed thee Solomon will tell them It is a snare for a man to devoure that which is Sanctified
then was it better with me then now Therefore it is a great favour of God to his people to restore them their owne possessions againe that they may be as in yeares past for now they having wanted them do better know the favour of God then they did before in the use of them They would have esteemed it a greater favour in their captivity to have had but some ease of their burthens some liberâ—y to have eaten the fruites of their labours in great miseries every little breathing of ease is sweet and comfortable but here is a full restitution of them to their former possessions promised 2 But here is much more promised even dilatation of their borders they shall have more then they had they may call their place Rehoboth as Isaac called the Well when he had room to dig in Gen. 26.21 The Lord hath an open and a filling hand even in this also Multiplicat benefacere here is Copiosa redemptio copiosa restitutio For as it is another degree of favour to rise from restitution to dilatation so it may stand for a degree that he enlargeth their bounds out of the possession of their enemies and giveth away their Land to his people Let no man charge God with injustice herein for The earth is the Lords and all that therein is he giveth it where he will And Jesus Christ his Son hath promised the meek the inheritance of the earth for by right none but the Elect are true owners of the earth the ungodly are but intruders and usurpers thereof Thus much added to their owne to make them more territory and thus much taken from their neighbouring enemies the Edomites and the Philistims and given to them makes them gainers by their losse their banishment was a sowing in teares this is a reaping in joy David was so reasonable that he only desired of God saying Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeers wherein we have seen evill Ps 90.15 God is a more bountifull giver for he maketh his people glad not only with that which they lost but with much more he enpoverisheth their enemies to enrich them that they may take the labours of the people into their possession Job would have wisht no more then to be as he was in some months past Job v 2.10 and God not only restoreth him what he formerly had but he giveth him twise so much as he had before So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more then his beginning which Saint Gregory doth apply to the state of the Church in the last day when they shall receive full glory both in their souls and bodies in his Kingdome For in things temporal this doth not alwayes hold that God repaireth thus the losses of his children neither do they expect it for they have learned how to want but what wanteth in outward things is restored to them in spirituall graces in the gifts of patience and contentednesse in thankfulnesse and the spirit of supplications Doctr. 2 2. Doctr. God punisheth the enemies of his Church by those against whom they have prevailed for the house of Jacob shall be a flame and the house of Joseph a fire Not â—â—â—â—substant are into fire and flame as a Papist might prove as well out of this text as he hath the corporeal presence of Christ out of Hoc est corpus meum this is my body but by way of similitute and by reason of the effect that shall follow for they shall consume the house of Edom whom God will make as stubble for them easie to take fire It was Balaams Prophecy of the people of Israel then in distresse Num. 23.24 Behold the People shall rise up as a great Lyon and lift up himself 〈◊〉 a young Lyon he shall not lye down till he eate of the prey and drink the blood of the slain Which was begun to be performed by Moses continued by Joshuah further prosecuted by David fully accomplished by Christ Ps â—10 1 2 whom God made to rule in the midst of his enemies The Elect are built upon a rock in the sea of this world all the men of war that assault it shall dash themselves in the end against this rock Pro. 11.8 so Solomon The righteous escapeth out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead And again he saith Prov. 21.18 The wicked shall be a ransome for the righteous and the transgressor for the upright The reason of this is the equal law of Gods justice before mentioned that as it hath been done by them so it may be done to them and that their reward may fall upon them For he will avenge the blood of his servants and yeeld vengeance to his adversaries Deut. 31.43 but he will be favourable to his owne Land and be merciful to his own people Even this also must passe for a further degree of his love to overthrow the enemies of Israel by Israel for not only this Prophet but Balaam foretold it even this particular Seir shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Num. 24. â—8 19. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that City In Amoz God saith I will send fire upon Teman which shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Amoz 1.1 2 here Obadiah sheweth what fire Amoz meaneth the house of Jacob shall be that fire and the house of Ioseph that flame Both expounded in plain terms by the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 25.24 I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord. And what God threatneth the temporal and carnal enemies of his Church the same hath he also threatned to the spiritual enemies thereof The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 It had been enough for us if God hâ—â— trodden him under his own feet but God will cover his enemies with shame and grief as well as smart and pain All the Elect have their part in this victory of the world for he that overcometh hath this promise such shall have power ever Nations so that they shall rule them with a rod of Iron Rev. 2.26 and as the vessels of a porter they shall be broken Which promise doth assure the Church that although here her enemies prevaile against her yet her Spouse whose power shall put down all rule and all authority and power shall conquer for her and she united to him by her faith shall by faith overcome all This admonisheth uâ— 1. Not to be troubled at the power and prevailings of the enemies of Gods Church though we see and hear evill news daily that toucheth us to the quick and all them that love the peace of this Land and the liberty of
spoyled Edom by his people whom they preserved And the Kingdome shall be the Lords that is God will declare himselfe to be King in the government and protection of his Church and in the victorious conquest of the enemies thereof he will settle his Church and worship at Jerusalem as in former times for then is God said to have the Kingdome when his word is a Law to his people to rule them and when the people live in the obedience and awe thereof As appeareth performed by them of the returne from the captivity who made a Covenant with God and sealed the same For we read that the children of Israel did assemble themselves with fasting and sackcloth Nehe. 9.15 and earth upon them They stood up in their place and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day Ver. 3. and another fourth part of the day they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God Note here how hearing and worshipping are distinguished they do hear first and thereby they learn to worship Then followeth their commemoration of the great mercies of God to their Fathers which David calleth Gods mercies of old and his former mercies they do also to the praise of this mercy confesse the transgressions of their Fathers Then they confesse their own sins for which they were carried away captive they acknowledge the just judgement of God upon them And now being restored again to their possessions they make a sure Covenant with God cap. 10. They entred into a Curse and into an Oath to walk in Gods law Verse 29. which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord and his judgments and statutes In particular they vowed Not to give nor take daughters to wife with strangers which I understand to be in respect of the difference of religion Ver. 30. because there can be no good marriage between Beleevers and Infidels between the sons of God and the daughters of men between the sons of God and the daughters of Belial that was the same that first corrupted the old world and at last followed the floud God is not acknowledged King where such marriages are 2. For observation of the Lords Sabbath they covenanted to keep it strictly and not to buy any thing of the people of the Land on that day for where the Sabbath is not kept there God is not acknowledged King 3. For forgiving of debts every seventh yeere which was a Judicial constitution and did onely binde them yet the equity of that constitution remaineth in the Church that men should lend freely and where there is no ability of repayment extremity must not be used if God be our King 4. They charged themselves yeerly every man with the third part of a Shekel for the maintenance of the service of the house of God for God is denyed his kingdome there where his holy worship hath not fit maintenance to support it from every person according to his ability for they conclude we will not forsake the house of our God Verse 39. And this they vowed to performe 1. In the maintenance of the material Temple 2. In the just provision for the Offerings of all sorts to be made unto God there 3. In the true payment of Tythes for the maintenance of the Levites that served at the Altar This was the summe of the Covenant which the people made with God and bound themselves by a Vow with a Curse to observe it as the Apostle saith taking God to record against their soules if they observed it not that the curse of God might come upon them And they sealed this Covenant to binde themselves the more yet was all this no more then they were bound before to do by the Law of God yet they vow to make the bond greater This is the literall and Historicall Exposition of these words the learned Interpreters of this Prophecy have well conceived that this Prophet this Seer did look further into the purpose of God for his Church and they say that Mount Sion doth here also signifie the whole Church of God De civ Dei l. 18.31 all the world over Saint Augustine understandeth by Mount Sion the Church of the Jews and by Edom the Church of the Gentiles and meeting with an ill translation and not understanding well the originall he perverteth the meaning of the Prophet as if the salvation of God should go out of Sion to the Edomites whereas there is a plaine prophecy of judgement against Edom in particular and therefore Edom whom God did threaten to destroy utterly in this prophecy cannot be a figure of that part of the Church which was by the preaching of the Gospel to be gathered together out of the Gentiles Lyranus gives another exposition for by Sion he understandeth Jerusalem by the Saviours he understandeth S. Peter and S. Paul and the chiefe of the Apostles as he calleth them by the Mount of Esau he understandeth Rome and by judging the Mount of Esau he understandeh their application to Constantine the first Christian Emperour who setled Christianity in the Romane Empire And by the kingdome which shall be the Lords he understandeth that Rome shall be head of the Church for that point of learning they can collect from all texts to make the Church of Rome the onely true Church I like nothing in that exposition but his resemblance of Rome to Esau for that doth fit most properly for they are the persecutors of Iacob even of all true worshippers and God hath promised them a destruction The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Master Calvin hath a learned observation upon this place for understanding it of the state of the Church under the Gospel he saith that these Saviours here spoken of are but ministeriall and so this place pointeth out the Messiah to whom these Saviours are subordinate For the expected Messiah is such a one as by whom all the other Saviours are sent and for whom all others work whom all others do serve and observe And this is the extent of this prophecy in the judgement of M. Calvin Iunius and Arias Montanus that Christ shall leave in his Church his Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel to shew to men the way of salvation in such sort aâ— that the Kingdom of God shall be advanced in the Church God ruling by his Word Others by Saviours on Mount Sion judging the Mount of Esau understand the last and finall judgement wherein the Saints shall judge the world and then the Kingdome shall be the Lords of which S. Paul saith He shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father when hee hath put downe all rule and all authority and power I like those expositions that take the wings of a Dove and fly to the uttermost part of the text non relinquit locum surely this is Gods promise to his Church that it shall
judge the world The parts of the Textare three 1. A gracious promise to Mount Sion concerning it selfe Servatores Saviours 2. A further promise concerning their enemies Iudicabunt Montem Esau shall judge the Mount of Esau 3. The issue and effect of both regnum erit Jehova the Kingdome shall be the Lords 1 Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion Doct. 1 This gracious promise revealeth to us a comfortable and cheerfull doctrine that God howsoever he punisheth yet he still loveth his people Which is thus proved Reason 1 1. Because God doth not look downwards upon his people to see what they do deserve but he looketh upward to the decree of his owne Election and the councel of his will If God should look downwards toward men even to his Elect who could stand in his sight he looketh with pure eyes and he found imperfection in his Angels Moses hath cleared this point to this people of Israel For thou art an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 7.6.7 8. the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people to himselfe above all people that are upon the face of the earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chose you because you were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all the people but because the Lord loved you From this fountain of his love did flow all those streames that made glad the City of the great King as Albeit they were few in number yea very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation Psa 105.12 from one Kingdome to another people Yet suffered he no man to do them harme but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets nâ— hor me Therefore let all afflicted consciences which are overcharged with the burthen of their sins Look up to thâ—se hills from whence their helpe cometh Let them 〈◊〉 Christ biddeth Lift up their heads Let them chide themselves as David did Why are thou cast downe O my soule the remedy is hope in God Psa 43.5 he is the health of my countenance and my God Faith and Feare worke together Faith doth take up the decree of Election and the just is bold as a Lyon Feare looketh down upon the corruptions of nature and propension to sin and trembleth under the mighty hand of God and the more we feare the faster hold we lay and the surer we tread on the steps of that ladder by which we scale heaven Thereupon doth the Apostle give this precept Make your Calling and Election sure that is having a strong faith of these and then the many failings in your obedience your lapses and relapses into sin may breed your grief they cannot bring forth despaire Reason 2 2. The decree of God is a secret and peradventure Satan will suggest that thou art not within this decree Therefore God hath revealed his decree to his Church and sealed it with gracious promises for so Moses saith to Israel Because he would keep the word which he had sworne unto your Fathers Deut. 7.8 This Oath as we doe learne from old Zachary in his Bendictuâ— hath two branches One concerning God Another concerning his people The Oath which he swore to our father Abraham that he would give unto us Luk. 1 73 that we being delivered from the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare c. 1. God bindeth himselfe by his Oath to deliver his Church from their enemies 2. The same Oath bindeth him to the procuration of his owne service for us for onely he must grant ut serviamus that we may serve by him we are liberati delivered for we cannot thinke a good thought without him In him we live and move and Christ saith Sine me nihil potestis facere without me you can do nothing This promise of God to his Church he hath sealed by giving to us the spirit of promise which spirit he hath dedosited in his Church to abide with it for ever and he hath given to all the Elect of God his Spirit the earnest of his Covenant this spirit serveth for a light in us to discerne our salvation afar off For a witnesse to testifie to our spirits that we are the sons of God And God is faithfull he will not suffer his truth to faile This also doth settle the faith of the Elect in all the tribulations of life I am the sonne or daughter of God I know it by the spirit which he hath given me which leadeth my understanding into the way of truth which converteth my affections and frameth them to his love which directeth my ways and ordereth them to his obedience this spirit doth teach me to lay hold on the promises of grace and to challenge my part in them these promises do lift me up as high as to the decree of my Election and therefore I will not feare David goeth farther I am thine O save me for the interest that we have in the love of God doth send us to him for salvation Doct. 2 2. Though God love his people and have all power in his hand to save them yet he doth use meanes and raiseth up out of themselves Saviours The providence of God worketh by meanes even from amongst our selves to effect our preservation 1. Because his immediate operations are full of terrour and therefore we cannot so well endure them therefore the people prayed Moses to speak to them and desired that God might speak no more to them The Angell that brought word to Mary that she should conceive a Sonne by the Holy Ghost began his Message with Feare not The Angel that proclaimed the birth of Christ to the Shepherds said to them Feare not We have so much cause to feare in respect of our own unworthinesse that if God did not abate somewhat of the splendour of his glorious Majesty by the employment of means familiar to us we could not abide it 2. God using weake meanes to effect his will doth magnifie his owne strength For his strength is made perfect through weaknesse Whereby we are taught 1. To content our selves with the meanes in the wisdome of God ordained for our preservation not expecting miraculous and extraordinary subventions The rich mans brethren shall not have a Preacher come to them from the dead Luk. 16.27 c. to give them warning that they come not to that place of torment where their brother is They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them God that sent his spirit on the Apostles could have done so upon the whole Church and when the Eunuch was reading Isaiah in his Chariot he could have opened his understanding to have known what he had read but he chose rather to use the Ministry of an Apostle and therefore he command Philip to joyn himselfe to that Chariot and by him he taught and baptized the Eunuch So was Cornelius directed to Peter
when they shall see their ruine 3. Exhortation 1. This doth admonish us to trust in the Lord for he never faileth them that put their trust in him trust is best exprest in a storme when the waves rage horribly when the sorrows of death compasse and the floods goe over our soule In faire weather when health and youth and plenty and power and pleasure make a calme in our life and we have the desire of our hearts it is no tryall of us to say surely God is good to Israel But in the furnace seven times heated in the den of Lions in the belly of the Whale in the vally of the shadow of death they that then trust in the Lord they declare their faith more then victorious In sicknesse and smart and paines of the body in want and misery those that then say to God Thou art my Rock and my Fortresse my strong hold and the God of my Salvation though thou kill me I will trust in thee These are more then conquerors by faith for they do not only conquer feare and all the temptations to despaire but they do advance instead thereof joy in the Holy Ghost rejoycing in tribulations and giving thanks to God for all their sorrows 2. This teacheth us patience for tribulation briâ—geth forth patience and patience must have a perfect worke to hold out to the end by our patience we possesse our soules for the impatient man is not his own man impatience is like drunkennesse it so staggereth our reason and drowneth our understanding in the deluge of passion and perturbation that our tongue speaketh our heart thinketh our hand worketh things that in the next casme we have cause to repent 3. Affliction is Cos orationis the whetstone of prayer it turneth us all into â—rayer as I have taught and maketh us call upon him who is Deus liberator God our deliverer 4 Affliction is Cos obedientia the whetstone of obedience so now I keep thy Commandements saith David Quia bonum est me affligi because it is good for me to have been afflicted I have gotten that good by it 5. It teacheth us commiseration of the sorrows of our brethren and filleth us with comforts wherewith we comfort them according as we have received comfort our selves in our sorrows So when we visite one another in sicknesse if we have had either some other or some like paines our selves we tell them how we found ease so the Apostle saith Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercy and God of comfort 2 Cor. 1.2 who comforteth us in all tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 4. Rebuke This doctrine chideth those that can receive good at the hands of God and not evill who upon every affliction fall out with God and murmure at his visitations and doubt of his favour as if temporall ease and prosperity were the measure of his love There is a root of bitternesse in us and the best of Gods Saints have declared themselves to be but men in this tryall afflictions are too strong for us we cannot well endure paine we cry to our Chirurgeon Tolle quia urit take it away it paineth me the plaister paineth us he telleth us Non tollam quia sanat I will not because I would cure you we see that this paine is soon over God continueth but a while in his anger this is the only Purgatory of the Elect and this sire is but for our drosse and this medicine is but for our disease 2. He calleth Jerusalem though thus wasted and overthrown My Holy Mountaine David saith He loved the Gates of Sion more then ill the habitations of Jacob. God sayed of it Here will I dwell for I have a delight therein The former doctrine declareth that God did not meane to cast off his people for ever and the next words ver 17. promise restauration Two things had met on this Mountain to corrupt it and unsanctifie it 1. The grievous and crying sinnes of the people of God provoking wrath 2. The barbarous cruelty of the enemies of the Church executing wrath These made no difference betweene holy and unholy but first robbed and pillaged the Sanctuary and carryed away the treasures and utensils the ornaments of the Temple and all that might yeeld them any profit and then put fire to that admirable pile of the curiousest structure for art and cost that ever the bright eye of heaven look't upon I cannot but stay your thoughts upon the way to consider with me what desolations sin may make upon the earth Here is blood spilt in Ierusalem the holy City no respect of the gray haires no compassion of the fairest Virgins no tendernesse either to new-borne or unborne children Here is deportation of others in numerous multitudes into Captivity to become Vassals to thy proud Conqueror the Assyrian Monarch Here is the City of God demolisht the very ring and jewel of the jewel of the world the Psalmist calleth it The joy of the whole earth here is the Temple the rich Diamond of that ring the place wherein God was served offerings were burnt therin to his name that now made an Holocust and Burnt-offering it selfe and sending forth lambentes sydera flammas flames ascerding to the stars The specious spacious Courts of that house Gods owne enclosure and all the holy mountain the glebe-land of the Church layd common The land emptied of her native inhabitants save some few reserved to be the drudges of the Caldeans to plough their grounds and to dresse their vines Beloved a greater example of the provocation of sin or the execution of justice no time not all the Bookes of time have ever shewed And what shall we say hath sinne lost the sting that it had wont to carry or hath God lost his seeling that we should equall that City in sins and not expect equall vengeance Every man shunnes it to be a Prophet of ill news and men had rather exhort then correct If we come with the rod which Paul threatned we may chance bansel it our selves Sinners be too bold to be under the check of Gods Ministers but there is one a loft that sayeth But I will reprove thee and set in order before thee the things that thou hast done The comfort yet is that this Mountaine of Sion though thus punished is called Gods mountaine still God vouchsafeth to owne it and call it his the enemies thereof have gotten the possession of it yet God will not lose the right of his inheritance there for he meaneth to build up againe what the enemy hath destroyed and returne againe those whom the enemy hath carried away captives as the next Section declares fully Let the brethren of Schisme and Separation lay this to heart who