may be made happy by him But now the day is so far spent the evening come and the time for repentance almost expired the voyce is altered as we see in the last Verse of the Psalme Kisse the Son least he be angry c. A hasty exhortation to repentance and submission to Christ from the consideration of his anger it 's but a little time he will waite for you if you come not in to him when his wrath is kindled but a little you will perish from the way then they will be onely blessed that have put their trust in him This Text holds a faire correspondencie with that in Rev. 22.11 12. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still And he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be And that other followes at the back of it Bring hither those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne over them and slay them before me 4 We have closely coucht in this Psalme some signes of the coming of Christ as The Apostacy and falling away of many as appears by what followes and the abounding of iniquity upon which the love of many shall wax cold for certainly iniquity must very much abound when such persons as these Rulers are who they be and what they are will be made manifest by and by shall take counsell together to break the bands of the Lord and his anointed and cast their cords from them Which manifests that the love they once made shew of is very cold indeed 5 Here 's a time spoken of wherein Christ shall deale with the Kings and Rulers of the earth concerning the matters of his Kingdome and provoke them to give place to him whose right it is All the day long he had been dealing with men promiscuously but now he is taking to himselfe his great power the father hath given him he deales in a speciall and more then ordinary manner with the Kings and Rulers of the earth Lastly This Psalme seems by the stile of it to present to us Gods coming to judge the world God coming downe to view the works of mens hands as he did to Sodome to see what men did there and beholding the abominable wickednesses of men he asks the reason of it why it is so and finding none to give an account no Advocate to plead their cause his Son not appearing for them he breaks forth into wrath and fury against the world resolves to delay no longer but to execute the Decree performe his Promise to his Son and powre downe his judgements upon the world Sitting on his Throne he laughs at them hath them in derision speaks to them in wrath and vexes them in his sore displeasure Whosoever doth seriously ponder and weigh these Reasons I conceive will see cause to believe it for a Truth That this Prophesie takes in all that space of time between Christs first and second coming But in the second place There is some speciall particle of time pointed out unto us by that significant THEN in the fifth verse THEN shall he speake unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure THEN when The holy Ghost affords us by the favourable Aspect of this THEN many Characters to guide us into a competent knowledge of that dismall time THEN may have respect unto the heathenish rage and vaine imaginations of the first company of enemies and it signifies thus much that when the rage of the one and folly of the other came to the full THEN God would judge them and truly at that time God put the old Dragon to his shifts he had been quite extinct and put beside his Kingdome had he not evaded it by giving his power to the Beast Antichrist and being contented to raigne by his substitute the man of sin but in a speciall and peculiar manner this remarkable THEN hath respect unto the last of those counterfeits that would be esteemed Gods Deputies yet are in truth Satans Instruments against the Lord and his anointed So that 1 THEN when the RVLERS take counsell together RVLERS men that are neither of the number of the Heathen nor of the Kings of the earth but a more refined sort of men such as would be accounted Judges as at the first and counsellours as at the beginning RVLERS not of the earth no that is not exprest onely there are Kings of the earth but these counsellors are RVLERS of what surely it 's but genuine to say they would be accounted Rulers of the Lords people But Christ when he comes to deale with them in the tenth verse saith they are of the earth as well as the Kings Judges of the EARTH He discovers their hidden works of darknesse and makes them appear in their true colours Thus much I conceive is signified to us by this that though when Christ comes to speak to them he calls them as indeed they are Judges of the earth yet here they are termed onely Rulers and that in opposition to the Kings of the earth that is such as they termed themselves and would be esteemed RVLERS Counsellors No Heathenish Emperors nor Popish Kings but refined Rulers here 's Satan transformed into an Angel of light The Heathens cannot prevaile and the Kings of the earth doe not prosper thus Satan being put to his last shift turnes Saint in shew sets up his Rulers that have neither the violent rage of the Heathen nor the open prophanesse of the Kings but the soft hand of profession to become nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church of Christ as appears by what followes even while they are taking counsell together against the Lord and his anointed For They are RVLERS that having cut off some of the Kings of the earth Rule in their stead which is necessarily imply'd in the Text for we know that the Kings of the earth those that committed fornication with the Beast and gave their power to her Rev. 17.2.17 ruled over the whole world that part which is called the Christian world in which this contest is betweene Christ and his enemies yet at last steps up some Rulers and they get Dominion among the Kings for it 's clear by the Order of the words in the Text these Rule and take counsell while the rest of the Kings are setting themselves against the Lord and his anointed which could not be if these Rulers had not destroyed some of the Kings ruling in their stead otherwise there would be no place for them the Kings of the earth having all the Christian world under their Dominion it 's no way reasonable to conceive that those who love their Crownes so well would willingly give their glory to others And why may we not say that these Rulers get their Dominion by fighting the Lambs
let them goe forth Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord God And now it 's come into the same predicament againe the world hath run its round and is gotten into a like posture it was in when a flood of wrath overwhelmed it What a sad condition is this world now in It 's tottering and there 's none to underprop it it 's sinking and there 's none to uphold it The wrath of God is hovering over it ready to fall upon it and there 's none to plead to undertake for it Surely the world is beholding to the intercession of Christ for its standing and now that ceases the foundations thereof are out of course and it 's falling The day of the Lord is coming upon it as a Theef in the night wherein the Heavens shall flee away as a scrowle the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt up The second part of our work is To search into the worke to be done in this remarkable time Here is the work of the father and of the Son 1 The work of the father which is two-fold A worke of wrath to his enemies which is amplified by a double expression speaking in wrath and vexing them in his sore displeasure And secondly A work of love and faithfullnesse to his Son Then shall he speake unto them in his wrath God speaks to men in divers manners by the voyce of his providences the voyce of his mercies the voyce of his rod and the voyce of his judgements and when God speaks by all in wrath his providences blinding their eyes his mercies hardening their hearts his rod driving them from him and as the fruit of the former his judgements cease upon them here 's a dreadfull day of wrath indeed now God speaks to them in wrath But his hath speciall relation to the voyce of his ward for what doth he peak to them in wrath The Text tells us Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Syon the Gospel of the Kingdome And that must needs be a day of wrath and terrors indeed when that word which was wont to be a word of salvation a word of love and good will shall now be a word of wrath in wrath O sad God speaks his word in wrath to a people 1 When it hath contrary effects upon them a savour of death unto death instead of a savour of life unto life As in Isa 6.9 10 11 12. This Evangelicall Prophet Esay must make the hearts of this people fat their eares heavy and shut their eyes and that by speaking such gracious words unto them as he doth throughout his whole Prophesie Certainly this is none other but the wrath of God upon a wanton and backsliding people 2 When God layes stumbling-blocks before a people that they receive not nor hearken to the word but stumble and fall upon it and perish according to that in Jer. 6.21 Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them The neighbour and his friend shall perish This also is none other but the wrath of God upon a stubborne rebellious people They had said they would not heare and saith God let it be so they shall not heare he throwes stumbling-blocks in their way least they should follow the voyce of his word and he should blesse them Yet these stumbling-blocks are not such as in the least extenuate or lessen their iniquity by giving them good and right ground to plead a necessity for their doings but such as men make to themselves True God layes stumbling-blocks before them yet it's themselves that make those so to them they are not so to a sanctified heart he by the wing of faith can fly over them but to an earthy lump of clay whose eye is fixed upon no higher than a carnall and worldly glory As 1 Gods making use of obscure mean foolish instruments in the worlds eye to publish his word and Decree to the world He hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the weake to confound those which are mighty and the base and despised things of the world and things that are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence This hath been his course all along since the world began none must deliver his people from a devouring famine but a despised Joseph The Message of rebuke and threatning judgement to a Prince in Israel good old Ely must be sent by Samuel a weak Child unskilfull in the word of Prophesie And as if none of the Princes and Royall blood could be moulded after Gods owne heart he must take David from the sheepfold and make him a mean shepheard Governour over and a deliverer of his chosen people And who are his Heralds to proclaime the Gospel of the Kingdome but a company of poore despicable Fishermen He leaves the wise and learned Rabbies Scribes and holy Pharisees of the times and chooseth the fooles of the world makes them prevalent to pull downe Principalities powers and strong holds and they shall one day prevaile to the trampling their enemies under their feet as the mire in the streets Thus out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings he ordaining strength perfecting his praise the spirituall man can discerne the glory of it his heart will admire and adore it But the men of this world they take offence stumble and fall to the perishing of their soules What! will God forsake our wise and holy men that excell in most excellent virtues and speak by such Idiots rash fooles vainebablers and mad men as they are No they cannot they will not believe it If Peter and his brethren be filled with the holy Ghost they are drunken If Paul speak of the true God he is a vaine-babler and reason of Temperance and Judgement to come much learning hath made him mad This is the sence and judgement of the world 2 The infirmities of his Messengers their not walking up fully to their profession of the glorious Gospel nor so exactly as they ought by the line of the word of truth in their mouth Now the men of this world drawing the line of their judgement from a wrong point they think those mens Principles nought and hypocrittically rotten the word of truth in their mouth an errour a delusion a lye not remembring the best of men must have their graines of allowance Here they take offence stumble and fall rising up with their backs towards the truth This God permits in judgement and wrath to the world that they may stumble and fall and perish 3 The manner of delivering the word of truth in this day of wrath is a great stumbling-block to the world God speaks to them in wrath he was wont to speak in
Decree So that now we are come to the work of Christ in this day to consider what that is that the Son goeth about as his work in this day of his Fathers wrath It is declaring the Decree of his father as he tells us in these words I will declare the Decree He being thus seated on Sion the hill of Gods holinesse he presently without delay sends abroad his Heralds layes his claime and shewes his right and title to the world the Decree of his Father We may here consider 1 The Person declaring 2 The Declaration it selfe 3 The Matter of the Declaration 4 The Persons to whom this Declaration is made 1 The Persons declaring I will declare the Decree This is 1 Christ Personall the Mediator â—hrist Jesus That Son of God whom the father hath set upon Sion the hill of his holinesse he declares the Decree by his spirit in Sion among his chosen ones 2 Christ Mysticall This cannot reasonably be denyed saith Christ A body hast thou prepared me then said I loe I come to doe thy will O God Intimating that it was of necessity Christ should have a body before he could come to doe the will of his father It 's by this body of his as the instrument in his hand that he fullfills the will of God so it 's by his mysticall body his Church that he declares the Decree doth this his work in this day of his Regement in Sion Further it 's said The Law shall goe forth out of Sion And againe Mat. 10.27 What I tell you in darknesse that speake ye in the light and what ye hear in the eare that Preach ye upon the house top Here 's the man Christ Jesus teaching his Sion and a command to them to declare it publickly to the world This is that sharp sword going out of his mouth wherewith he smites the Nations 2 The declaration it selfe I will DECLARE the Decree Declare it how why as a Herald declares the Decree of a Prince or State with sound of Trumpet and a loud voyce in places of greatest note and resort in the most open and publick manner that can be that all may hear that the Decree may come the eare of every man So here I will declare the Decree so publickly upon the house top on the Mount the Trumpet shall sound so shrill and loud that it shall pierce the eares of all yea of the Kings and Judges of the earth for the exhortation to repentance is grounded upon this Declaration Be wise now therefore c. which could not be a motive to them to repent except they heard it And I will declare the Decree lay it all open make it fully knowne spread it before the understandings of men that none may through ignorance perish from the way and loose that blessednesse I have in my hand to give unto all them that put their trust in me 3 The matter of the Decree in which we have these six particulars 1 The party decreeing 2 The Decree it selfe 3 The means by which the performance is obtained 4 The account or score upon which the father doth all this for his Son 5 The person to whom this gift is given 6 The time when God will bestow this gift 1 It 's the Lord Jehovah that makes this Decree who then can alter or disanull it Shall the Lawes of the Medes and Persians be unalterable and shall not the Decrees of the great God of Heaven and earth What folly is it for the world to oppose it What fools-hardinesse is it for men to fight against the Almighty God 2 Here 's the Decree it selfe And therein First A Donation or Gift I will GIVE thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession It 's a Royall gift indeed fit for a King to receive and for the glorious God and father of our Lord to bestow no lesse then a whole world Heathens for an Inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession O matchlesse love of a father to a beloved Son The Heathens that knew him not shall become his Inheritance he will call upon the Nation that hath not been called by his name to behold him he will be sought of them that asked not for him and be found of them that sought him not and the utmost parts of the earth shall be a habitation for him to have and to hold as the good pleasure of his father all things shall be put under his feet There shall be given him Dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and languages shall serve him And that this gift might be certaine and sure that nothing may be able to interrupt his possessing it we have in the Second place The means decreed and appointed whereby he shall take this inheritance and possession to himselfe Thou shalt break them with A ROD OF IRON and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell Breake them take their power rule and Dominion away breake their Scepters and throw downe their Corwnes Breake THEM who why all that in enmity oppose him the raging Heathen the profane Kings of the earth and all the Hypocriticall Saint-like Rulers that would not have him to raigne over them them shall he break THOV shalt breake them Christ the Lamb on Mount Sion he shall doe it with his followers that follow him whithersoever he goeth But with what With A ROD of iron Here is the materiall sword the instrument with which Christ shall break all his enemies He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword they have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets and he will give them blood to drinke for they are worthy Behold I will make thee a new threshing Instrument having Teeth Thou shalt thresh the mountaines and beate them small and shalt make the hills as chaffe And dash them to pieces like a potters vessell He shall break them all to shivers grind them to powder and make them become as the mire in the streets and the chaffe of the summers threshing-floore that the wind shall carry them away and no place shall be found for them any more And he shall doe this with as great facillity and ease as a man dasheth a Potters vessell to pieces he shall have no more trouble in it then a man hath in dashing a brittle earthen pot to pieces against the ground 3 The means by which the Son obtaines the performance of this Decree his intercession ASKE of me It 's but ask and have if the Lord ask his father any thing he will give it him if he ask a world his enemies for an Inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for a possession his request is granted The father heareth him alwayes he neither will nor can deny him what he desires Aske of me the Heathen for thine inheritance and thou shalt have them saith God either thy slaves or thy free-men which thou wilt they shall
hath been already proved God will not permit them to act their Counsells but while they are in Counsell he will speak to them in his wrath Now Counsell being a close-cabinet act though day may be discerned through a little cranny yet it 's a hard work at present to prove it clearly to the understandings of others but when they come to this height have brought their Counsells as they think ready to put in execution crying out for action LET VS c. then this will appear to be a truth to those that will not believe it now and those who now are counted the fooles uncharitable rash spirits of the Times will be found guided by a spirit of wisedome and truth 2 That these Rulers not being tyed up by Satan or their owne consciences and principles to any Rules of practice all is left to their wisedome and counsell they will act suitable to the present interest of their state and condition Their bounds in that respect are larger to range in then ever any of the worlds Rulers had given them before they will turne themselves into any shape or form to please men to keep them within the bounds of their Rule and Dominion all this and much more is couched under that significant COVNSELL in the first Verse of the Psalme they are well skill'd in the turnings and windings of the wylie Serpent which practice of theirs makes things so dubious and hardly discernable by the understandings of men 3 The present actings of these Rulers against some of the most endeared servants of our Lord Jesus signifies not a little to us concerning this matter Consider seriously for it concernes us not a little â—o to doe the true ground and reason of their so unworthy dealings with and rough sinfull handling of them It weighs nothing that these Rulers put an ugly Vizzard on their face representing them to the world as cloven-footed Devils evill doers for this hath been the course of Sarans instruments ever since the world began thereby to deprâ—sse the truth that their falshood and error might take place Herein these Rulers resemble their predecessors the Heathens and Kings of the earth for which they shall together with them and their Companions be called to account ere long when things will appear as indeed and in truth they are not as these Rulers would now have them I say let our hearts ponder the true reason of present actings and we shall be sensible of the truth of the Assertion 4 Let us consider daily and make a narrow and thorow search into the actions of these Rulers with the naturall tendency of them and get a Serpents wisedome with the innoceny of the Dove and we shall not need that any man should teach us in this matter I shall close up this discourse with one word to the Saints the followers of the Lamb in these evill dayes To you the followers of your dear Lord Jesus in this evill day of Apostacy You have here something set before you of your work God the father hath commanded you to doe and your Lord the Son expects should be done by you for him in this your day also the Qualifications hinted at that will enable you to performe this work according to the will and mind of your God and father Further you have it also hinted to you that you are already entred into the confines of the work of this day the Lord hath drawne over you to the view of the world if they shut their eyes and will not see the greater will their condemnation be an Emblem of that strange and glorious work he is now about to performe and bring to passe in the world The waters of this Sanctuary are risen almost to your ankles Now give me leave to exhort you the bosome friends of our Lord Jesus Follow your Leader the spirit of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ passe through and through the waters of the Sanctuary that they may not onely wash you to your ankles and knees but to your loynes all over stay not your course till you come to the unpassable overflowings of the spirit that you cannot passe till you are taught to swim in that River of God or after the example of your Lord to walk upon those holy waters doing the will of your God and father and keep in the way of the promise and these things also shall be given you Consider your worke and get an exact and distinct knowledge of that work your Lord and Master hath cut out for you to doe in this day of his Controversie with the world and its professing Rulers and mind the Qualifications ordained to be bestowed upon you to enable you to performe that great work to the praise and glory of grace Let me who am lesse then the least of all Saints yet let me beg of you these few things 1 Flee all flashinesse and flagings of spirit let not the predominancy of such infirmities over you give the world occasion to conceit the sword of the Lord in your mouths and hands signifies but a vaine flourish is grounded on nothing but the airey fancies of men but by a holy and steady perseverance in taking up your Crosse dayly and following your Lord give the world good ground to fear that it 's the sword of the great God wherewith he will plead with all flesh and the rod of his mouth wherewith he will smite the earth and the breath of his lips wherewith he will slay the wicked Isa 11.4 Having put your hand to the Plow look not back having entred into the work make not the least retreat now you are running out of her over whom the Lords judgements and wrath are impending which he will put in execution ere long let not your hearts backslide Remember Lots wife least you also be turned into pillars of salt made a savoury example of the judgement and wrath of the great and jealous God to work in those that shall come after you a savoury spirit fit for the work you perish from 2 Get clear of this world make a seasonable and timely retreat into your Chambers Gods hiding place into the clefts of the Rock that you may be hid from the wrath of God which is coming upon the world Behold the spirit of God himselfe makes this Exhortation to you Isa 26.20 21. Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doores about thee hide thy selfe as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slaine The Lord having told us what great changes and destructions he will bring upon the earth gives us in these two verses a loving invitation with prevalent Motives to hide our selves while that his great wrath be over-past I say Get clear of this world our Lord tells us It 's
impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven for one whose heart is touched with and cleaves to the present evill world to be an inheriter of the world to come which God hath promised as a reward to the faithfull followers of the Lamb True in this day you must ask a world Heathens for an inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession but not this present world for your selves but another for the Son your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet for your comfort know you are not under an exclusion for you must ask a world for Christ as he is your head your King that from him you may receive according to the Decree of God what your portion is Of his fullnesse you may and shall receive grace for grace He that hath in this old world been faithfull over a few things which the Lord hath given him in charge shall in the new world to come be made Ruler over many things and enter into the joy of his Lord Mat. 25.21 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Mat. 19.29 But he that doth not by the exercise of a faithfull spirit make such a retreat out of the world shall perish in the ruines of this world If our spirits be right the counterpaine of the spirit of our Lord in this day our prayer to our God and father will be for the utter dissolution of this old world and the bringing forth the new Heavens and new Earth promised for the performance of those glorious and admirable Promises which the God and father of our Lord Jesus hath made concerning this matter Now if our hearts be not wholly taken off this present evill world that voyce Come out of her my people will seem to us as the speech of righteous Lot to his Sons in Law as the speech of one that mocketh and not hearkening to it we shall perish with the world at best if any such temper'd soule be saved it will be as by fire he will suffer great losse What advantage then can the enjoyment of this present evill world be unto us 3 Take not up your rest in any attainment though you may have taken many a step in following your Lord and gotten on high above the world and it may be the rest of your brethren yet take not up your rest there but keep on your pace endeavouring daily to mend it in following the Lamb be not contented nor satisfied with any thing below the sitting downe together with your Lord and Saviour at the right hand of glory in those Mansions of the fathers house which your Lord is gone before to prepare for you and hath promised to come againe to receive you that where he is you may be also Rest not untill you see your Lord the Son of man sit in the Throne of his glory and then shall you sit upon Thrones also Mat. 19.28 I say take not up your rest in any attainment otherwise you will be of the number of those first which shall be last in vers 30. Those that are lag now will get before you to your great regret of spirit and as in the next Chapter a part of those many which be called but not chosen to the work of the day and so you will run a great hazard of missing that glorious reward the gift of your Lord To raigne together with him 4 Remember this That in this day in the carrying on the work your Lord hath put into your hands there must be no guile found in your mouth you must be without fault before the Throne of God Your Lord expects you should exercise such sincerity of spirit in your following him in this work as that you be not defiled with any of that guile that hypocrifie and doublenesse of heart and tongue the worlds mouth hath alwayes been filled with In the matters of the Kingdome of your Lord and his out-goings against the world in this day you must be without guile and without fault so clear as that God sitting on his Judgement Throne may see no fault in you without fault before the Throne of God Let it be so and when your Lord comes you will hear his blessed voyce calling unto you Well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 5 Would you be such as God will teach knowledge and make knowne his mind to in such a day of wrath as this is Then it 's not my counsell but the Lords be weaned from the milke and drawne from the breasts Isa 28.9 Whom shall be teach knowledge and whom shall be make to understand doctrine or the stammeringe of lips as the margent hath it at this day them that are weaned from the milke and drawne from the breasts Be yee weaned from the milk of the worldly carnall professing Church be drawn from the breasts of her consolation and the Lord will teach you knowledge and make you to understand doctrine there shall not be a stammering of the lip in the things of God in this your day but the Lord will make you acquainted with it to the understanding of it Instead of her milk and her adulterous breasts he will give you the teachings of his good spirit making you intimately acquainted with his blessed everlasting Gospel Though he withdraw from the worldly professing Church that his word is but here a little and there a little among them as he formerly dealt with the carnall yet professing Church of Ephraim though his word hath been among them precept upon precept precept upon precept and line upon line line upon line but now it 's but here a little and there a little the Lord is gotten to the threshold off their house and is departing quite away from them I say notwithstanding this he will manifest himselfe to you if you be weaned from their milk and drawne from their breasts separate your selves from have nothing to doe with the worldly though professing Church he that hath made this Promise will performe it for he is faithfull let who can charge him in the least with the breach of any tittle of his word and promise 6 Be upon your watch that you let not slip the nick of time God gives you to and he expects you should doe your worke in The time when God expects you should receive his Son and exalt him among you as your King is then when he is rejected by the worlds refined Rulers and they enter into Associations Combinations against him to break his bands asunder and cast away his cords this is the time for you to stand up and declare for the Decree of God the father on the behalfe of your Lord and Saviour and the very nick of time which you are not upon your perill to let slip as you will answer before his father and your father is then when these wicked yet professing Rulers are going about to execute their abominable Counsells crying LET VS let us doe it break his bands and cast away his cords then it 's your work and duty to stand up and cleave to your King follow him whithersoever he will lead you I say slip not your time for it concernes you if you will not owne him now before the world you will run a desperate hazzard that he will not owne you before his father and then what misery and unhappinesse will betide you Let your owne enlightned consciences judge Lastly Beware of unbelief the mother of all evill and misery though you should get to the very borders of the land of Promise and the providence the voyce of God call you to encounter with your enemies to remove every let and obstruction in the way to your full possession yet unbelief is able to drive you back into the wildernesse againe if you take not great heed would you not returne to your wildernesse Companions the Bryars and the Brambles would you not have that mournfull ditty heard in your mouths againe Woe is me that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar then flee all unbelief that mortall enemy of your happinesse unbelief of the truths and mysteries of the Sons Kingdome is the Characteristicall sin of the times immediately before the coming of Christ When he comes shall he find faith on earth This interrogation is a strong affirmation of the truth of the negative He shall not find faith on earth The Son had in the preceding words asserted the faithfullnesse of God in the certainty of his avenging his Elect which cry day and night unto him yet saith he Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall be find faith ou earth In that time when God is about to spread abroad his faithfullnesse in making bare his arme to answer all the cryes and prayers of his people to avenge them of their enemies yea even when the Son of man is a coming to make good the word of his blessed father Shall be find faith on earth That is He shall not find faith on earth Men will not believe that it 's the time of Gods performing his Promises the face of things appear so through the counter-working of the evill one the man of sin and his instruments to the meerly rationall eye that in this very time when the Son of man is coming to avenge the Elect of God which cry day and night unto him the men of the world become mockers saying Where is the Promise of his coming all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation And others that would be esteemed the better sort they cry out The time is not come The time is not come They believe not the word of the Kingdome Beware of this unbelief least you loose the comfort of this coming of the Son when other faces shine with the joyes of the Spirit yours be bedew'd with teares the sad fruit of this defiling unbeliefe THE END
A BRIEF EXPOSITION VPON THE SECOND PSALME Wherein wee have That Time Modestly pointed at by the favourable direction of that significant THEN in the 5th v. in which the Father will in Wrath to the professing refined RULERS of the World Set His SONNE on SION AND A Description of the work the Son then performeth both by his Spirit and his Mysticall Body With usefull Observations thereupon Tending to clear up the scope of the whole Psalme With Application to our Times By WILLAM LLANVAEDONON of P. H. C. Repent yee for the Kingdome of Henven is at hand Mat. 3.2 But the Saints of the most High shall TAKE the Kingdome and POSESSE the Kingdome for ever even for ever and ever Dan. 7.18 LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman at the Crowne in Popes-head-Alley 1655. THE AUTHOR TO THE READER THERE is a Time wherein God will speak to the Rulers of the World the professing Rulers the Rulers in Jerusalem by a vers 11. A STAMMERING LIPP a stuttering tongue in the 28th of Esay in such a manner as though this stammering lipp tell them b vers 12. This is the Rest wherewith yee may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing though it shew them the way to attaine a sure and certaine Rest to settle themselves upon an everlasting foundation yet c vers 12. They will not heare God withdrawes from them that notwithstanding his word hath been d vers 13. Precept upon precept and line upon line it 's now but here a little and there a little among them But although the word of God come forth into the world at this time in such a stammering weak posture that it 's despised and set at nought by the Rulers of the world those e vers 14. Scornfull men yet it 's the Power of God the breath of this STAMMERING LIPP smites these Scorners to the earth Behold what a Sermon of Terrors this stuttering tongue preacheth to these Rulers in Jerusalem from the 14 to the 23 Verse These Rulers are pleasing and hugging themselves in their owne wayes with their Covenants and Agreements Associations of Peace as the most safe and unerring way to their settlement Say they f vers 15. We have made a Covenant with death our strongest enemies and with hell the torment of a conquered condition are we at agreement that shall never befall us When the overflowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come unto us for we have made lyes high pretences for God and his glory for the welfare and peace of Jerusalem our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves As confident as these Rulers seem to be yet this weak stammering lipp overcomes them conquers them g vers 18 19 20. Your Covenant with death shall be disanull'd and your agreement with hell shall not stand the overflowing scourge shall overftow and tread you downe it shall be a vexation to you to understand the report the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himselfe in it and the covering narrower than he can rap himselfe in it And the Lord shall doe this by laying in h vers 16. Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a pretious corner stone a sure foundation Laying i vers 17. Judgement to the line and righteousnesse to the plumet Sending a showre of haile to sweep away the refuge of lyes and causing the waters to overflow the hiding place All your fine pretences and curious slights of wisedome those garnisht coverings under which you hide your evill intentions from the eyes of men are now too narrow to hide you you are discovered thus your bed is become too short for you those faire and spetious designs of yours which you thought would prove as a bed of Downe whereon you might rest your weary bones are become too short that it 's a become a sufficient vexation to you to understand the report the wisedome of God in this STAMMERING LIPP is got beyond you to your great regret and misery and least these men should in their hearts make it an impossibility these things should be brought to passe saith the same stammering lipp k vers 21 22. The Lord stall rise up as in Mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may doe his work his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act And now therefore be ye not Mockers lest your bands be made strong for I have heard from the Lord of Hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth This Message God sends to these Rulers by a stammering lipp here a little and there a little l vers 13. that they may goe and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken There 's no way to avoyd this judgement of the wrath of God but by listening to these stammerings of the lipp spelling the mind of God out of them bending our hearts to a conformity to it And now Courteous Reader all my ambition is that these few Meditations I here present thee with may prove a piece of that stammering lipp by which God speaks to the world Surely I can promse thee no more than a company of stammerings O that our Lord Jesus would cause something of his fathers mind to be spell'd out of them that some glory may redound to his holy name then shall I have my aime and I shall possesse a dram of that joy which none can be able to deprive me of Neither despise nor reject them because they are but stammerings for you see by the fore-mentioned Scripture the Lord in wrath to the worlds pretending Rulers chooseth a stammering lipp to speak forth his mind to the world so that if we would in such a day as the Prophet makes mention of be acquainted with the will of our God we must sit downe under the Oratory of that stuttering tongue therefore how greatly doth it concern us to search and try every thing and hold fast that which is good I might have enlarged abundantly throughout the whole of this work but upon severall considerations I have chosen rather to hint and point at things as well as I could than to dilate upon them The good Lord water what hath been done with his rich blessing and then a fruitfull crop of honour to our dear Lord King Jesus will spring forth The God and Father of our Lord grant it Farewell MEDITATIONS On the SECOND PSALME THE Psalmist David that sweet Singer of Israel was a man after Gods owne heart as is elswhere testified of him and God knowing that he would make such an improvement of the discoveries of what he would doe in the world as would be very suitable to the heart of God according as he dealt with his Father Abraham of old and to his Promise he keeps not his secrets from him but reveales to him things to come what he would doe in the last dayes a Conference between the
against him and shall you prosper in your Apostacies and rebellions against him I would not bear with their superstition and shall I now connive at your hypocrisies Shall I suffer and permit you to keep the Kingdome from him and to interrupt the performance of my Promises No know I speak it to you in my wrath Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 3 Because it will destroy all their Idols deprive them of all their dear enjoyments their powers with their pomp and glory to which their heart cleaves so close this sword of Christs mouth will smite them all their Idols of gold and their Idols of silver and their Idols of honour c. all these will it consume And their Kingdomes must become the Kg domes of the Lords Christ and all their Dominion and the greatnesse the glory of it shall be given to the Saints of the most high those whom they have trampled upon and to whom they have been so barbarously ungratefull These things trouble and vex these Rulers that they gnaw their tongues for anguish and paine And surely this is a day of great wrath indeed as when two Kings and both strong are striving for a Crowne it 's likely to be a day of great wrath a bloody day So this day for behold what a feast will God make on this day For the Fowles that flye in the midst of heaven the flesh of Kings the flesh of Captaines and mighty men the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great We may conclude from these things 1 It 's not unsuitable to a Gospel spirit to denounce the wrath of God against Rulers for their Apostacies and abhominable hypocrisies yea and to deale particularly with them laying the finger on the sore pointing out the Abominations by name denouncing the vengeance of God upon them For we see here how particularly God characteriseth these Rulers laying open all their abominations speaking to them in wrath And surely this also as the rest of the Scripture is written for our instruction 2 It 's no wonder that the Rulers of the world are troubled at and moved against the Gospel of the Kingdome for here God saith He will speak it to them in wrath and vex them with it in his sore displeasure 3 It 's not so much the infirmities of the Saints accompanying the delivery of their message to the world or any other circumstance about it that troubles and vexes the Rulers let them pretend what they will as the doctrine it selfe when it 's rightly asserted and thorowly opened as that which is at hand and ought to be submitted to without delay O! how doth it trouble and vex them to heare of the coming of King Jesus to depose them of their usurpations and take the Kingdome to himselfe If it troubled Herod and all Jerusalem with him when they heard of this Kings first coming meek and lowly how then think we will it not much more trouble the Kings and Rulers of the earth to hear of his second coming in power and the glory of his Sion It cannot be otherwise for God saith he will trouble and vex them with an I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 4 When the Rulers come to this height of ungratefull wickednesse to take counsell against the Lord and his anointed to break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from them THEN is the time of Gdos wrath come to that Generation he will speake to them in wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure 5 That before such time as God enters into judgement with the rest of the Kings of the earth and that Whore mystery Babylon the great whom they uphold God Judges these Rulers he speaks to them in wrath to them in particular to them that Take counsell against the Lord and his anointed For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the Generations of old 2 Here 's the work of Gods love and faithfulnesse to his Son in these words Yet have I set my King upon Sion the hill of my holinesse as it is in the margent of the Bible YET have I c. As if God had said Notwithstanding your taking counsell against him and his anointed and that you have so far proceeded managing your businesse so wisely to the very heighth and depth of wisedome as to make your selves formidable in your owne eyes thinking you have gotten strength and power sufficient to put your counsels in practice crying Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us yet have I set my King upon Sion the hill of my holinesse Though you take counsell against him to make the way to his Kingdome as thorny difficult and perillous as you can though you be so ungratefull and unfaithfull to forsake and take counsell against him and his yet will not I be so to my beloved Son YET have I set my King upon Sion the hill of my holinesse Yet have I set MY KING Though these Rulers will not make him a King yet God will My King though they reject him would breake his bands and cast away his cords that he might not raigne over them yet God hath made him a King and given him a Kingdome He it is who must goe forth conquering and to conquer destroying all his enemies breaking them to pieces like a Potters vessel plucking up every plant that his father hath not planted throwing downe all those superstructures that are not of his owne building creating new Heavens and a new Earth A New Creation making it a suitable purchase to the unvaluable price of his blood clothing it with his glory that it may be a fit present for his father at the appointed time Yet have I set my King upon SION That is the Church of Christ by Sion is meant the Church throughout the whole Scripture that I suppose is granted by all therefore I need not enlarge upon it Yet have I set my King upon Sion the HILL of my holinesse Why a hill A hill is a place of great advantage on which if an Army be encamped it may be an impossible thing for the enemy to dislodge them So God here sets his King upon his Hill his Church a place of such advantage that God doth if I may so expresse it even vaunt it over these Rulers that he hath notwithstanding their oppositions policies stratagems and wisedome set his King upon his hill where he is a naile fastened in a sure place on which all the vessels may hang secure and safe such a place as his being fixt there frustrates all their designes undoes all their contrivements and
this Decree concerning the Kingdome of the Son fully according to the due import of A Declaration in the eares of the whole world yea that the Kings and Judges of the earth may heare and feare and tremble If men or Devils in men besmear them with the spurious conceptions of their owne filthy hearts what matters it They have the pure water of the word at hand to wash off all that dirt It 's the work of Christ in this day of his fathers love I will declare the Decree that which he will doe by his body his Mysticall Members and men cannot duely nor rightly charge his holy ones with sin or folly in this their obedience to their Lord It 's the work of Christ to declare it in Sion by his spirit and it 's the work of Sion as the Instrument in his hand to declare it againe to the world in opposition to the Kings and Rulers thereof in their usurpations upon the Royall interest and Prerogative of Jesus King of Sion 3 That this Declaration is published in the time of the fathers wrath neither is this expression of the Sons love without some tokens of displeasure The world and the powers thereof have so slighted trampled upon and provoked the Son as he will not speak one word for them to plead their cause with his father but by his silence suffers his fathers wrath to break forth speaking to them in wrath and vexing them in his sore displeasure The father having by his Almighty power set his King on Sion and he being ready to over-run the world with the execution of his fathers just displeasure his heart being tender his bowels rowle within him towards poore sinners he must declare the Decree with an Exhortation if now at last they will come in submit to him and he will blesse them yet it 's very hasty and ends with the harsh sound of a threating in case of a non-sudden-acceptance there 's a tang of the fathers wrath and the Sons provoked displeasure goes along with it the clearest sun-shine of this day is clouded with symptomes and tokens of wrath and displeasure then it 's no wonder if God judicially throw stumbling-blocks in the way of this Generation in this day that they may not hearken to the voyce of his Son but stumble and fall and perish 4 The father having decreed to give the whole world to his Son Heathens for an inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession it must of necessity be that all the GREAT possessors of this earthen world will prove his enemies and the declaration of this Decree will set the world on fire fill it with a fiery fury The heavens shall passe away with a great noyse and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 5 That this is no rebellious nor strange word but a doctrine becoming the Gospel and Gospel times to proclaime the War of the Lord against all the enemies of Christ it 's the mind of the father for this is part of the Decree which the Son hath engaged to declare Thou shalt breake them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell 6 That this day is a day of great supplication and prayer ASKE of me saith God the father commands to aske upon such an encouraging account as that it provokes Christ and his followers to lye hard at the Throne of grace for the performance of the fathers Promises saith God ASKE and I will give ASKE or you cannot receive but ASKE and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession If God command to aske upon such an account how can it be but his people will obey with rejoycing filling the Heavens with their cryes And can we think Christ will not fill the Censor with these odours and offer them up upon the Altar as a sweet perfume to God his father and then what voyces what thunderings lightnings and Earth-quakes will this fire from the Altar fill the earth with These will fill the Vials of Gods wrath and send the Angels out of the Temple to poure them out upon the world 7 Here 's a direction for prayer in this day It 's the will of the father the prayers of the Saints should be chiefly and in the first place for the glory of Christ that he may have Heathens for an Inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession And for vengeance and ability to execute the wrath of God upon the world secondarily meerly as a means to accomplish the former by removing lets and hindrances out of the way Their heart in prayer to their father ought to run out chiefly for the glory of Christ and surely if the world would be converted and turne to God it would redound much to the honour of our Lord Jesus therefore Christ undertakes to declare the Decree tells them the whole sum of the matter with Exhortation to come in to him that they may be blessed with everlasting happinesse but if they will not hearken to this voyce of love then ASKE and thou shalt breake them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell 8 In this day the Intercession of Christ and so the prayers of the Saints will be of very high concernment of dangerous consequence to the world and worldly powers They reach at no lesse then the Crowns and Scepters of the world that the whole world may become the Lord Christs Heathens for an Inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession As the Saints formerly prayed against the Heathens rage and the Kings open profanenesse in setting themselves against their Lord so they now pray as zealously against the Clandestine cunning Counsells of hypocriticall Apostate Rulers what though the men of the world and some deluded sincere hearts call it sin and grosse infirmity at the best leading to rebellion unwarrantable talking tending to nought but ruine it matters not they have the command of the great Jehovah for it ASKE of me saith he and I will give thee the Heathens ASKE of me and I will give thee the utmost parts of the earth ASKE of me and thou shalt breake them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell ASKE these things of me pray for them and I will give them 9 That in this day the perverse opposition of the worlds Saint-like Rulers to the Lord and his anointed will prove such as will compell them to ask of their father AN IRON ROD such an iron rod wherewith they may breake their enemies and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell And if they ask it he hath promised he will give it and that in their hand it shall doe his appointed work and then woe to the world for how great will the Vintage of Gods wrath upon the world be in
that day 10 Such prayers are no way contrary to the will and mind of God nor unsuitable to a Gospel spirit in Gospel times for we see at this day wherein Christ is taking his Kingdome to set forth the Gospel in all its glory the Command is ASKE of me God will be askt for such things the giving of which ruines this old world and makes way for the new Heavens and new Earth ASKE of me the Heathens for an inheritance the Powers Crownes Scepters of the great men of the world and I will give them to thee ASKE of me the utmost parts of the earth for a possession the whole habitable earth for a place to display thy glory in and I will give it Pray unto me against the Rulers their Apostacy and wickednesses taking secret wylie Counsell combining in leagues and agreements together asosiating themselves with the Kings of the earth against the Lord and his anointed and that to break their bands and cast away their cords Cry aloud unto me against them and these their abominable practices and I will put the iron sword of my wrath and vengeance into thy hand and thou shalt break them with it and my spirit shall so assist thee by an Almighty operation as that there shall be as great ease and facillity without let or hinderance in doing this work of my just wrath and vengeance as there is in dashing a potters vessel against the ground 11 Here is great encouragement to the Saints and people of God to persist and grow valiant in the way of the truth of this truth Lift up your hearts cryes and groanes higher and higher to your God and father against the enemies of your Lord and for the glory and Kingdome of Christ for while you are so doing you are in your fathers way doing his Command ASKE of me saith he Againe you are in the way of the Promise if you aske God hath Promised he will give ASKE of me and I will give thee yea God stands here in a giving posture he waites but for a Petition and when it comes he answers it gratiously he bids you aske that he may give there 's a necessity you must aske saith God I have a gift in my hand worthy a God to bestow but you must aske it ere I can give it that is the order I have set downe to my selfe to walk by and I cannot it becomes not my wisedome to recede from it therefore ASKE of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession 12 That there will be in this day a reluctancy and backwardnesse in the people of God to the performance of this great duty this dispensation of the father layes upon them which may come to passe partly through the darknesse of this day the uncertainty and unclearnesse of things that they know not what to judge of them as hath been opened already and partly through that little betternesse in their condition now to what it was under the Government of the Kings through carnality of spirit being ready to sit downe there and partly through unbelief of heart every little hardship and difficulty they phansie to be in the way they look upon as impossibilities and the multiplying-glasse of unbeliefe makes them to seem such tall and mighty Sons of Anake as God cannot pull downe and overcome so that they are ready to cry out Let us make us a Captaine and returne to our Onyons and Garlicke and flesh-pots in Aegypt for it was better then with us than it is now If this were not so this Command ASKE of me were needlesse for otherwise they would be willing enough and forward enough of themselves their owne eternall happinesse and glory is so much concerned in it that it would be a motive strong enough and sufficient to draw them but here God is faine to call upon and command his people ASKE of me 13 The time of Gods giving an answer and returne to all the prayers of the Saints is now come God having filled his hand full of blessings he stands ready to open it and scatter them downe upon his people therefore saith he ASKE and I will give ASKE of me that I may give fill up the measure of your prayers that I may fill up the measure of my gifts I have seene saith God the hard measure you have met with from the world for my Sons sake how ungratefully and unworthily they have dealt with you trampling upon you as dung deriding you as the off-scouring and drosse of mankind but now come ASKE of me and I will give you the reward of all your labour of love a Crowne of glory for your Crowne of Thornes a Royall Exchange indeed O! how tender hath Christ by presenting to his open view the wounds he received the blood he shed and the sufferings he underwent made the heart of his father He can bear no longer he cannot stay till his people come and aske but calls upon them Come my Lambs ASKE of me and I will give ASKE that I may give you the Heathen for an inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for a possession He that commands to aske promises to give this is the time of giving here 's the time of receiving 14 The necessity and mighty force and power of the spirit of prayer saith God ASKE of me that I may give you must aske before I give and ASKE of me and I cannot deny you but I must give you Heathens for an inheritance and utmost parts of the earth for a possession ASKE of me and I must help you and you hall breake your enemies with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potters vessell 15 What a usefull instrument hath God made Syon to be to his Son as Sion must become the hill of Gods holinesse before she can be a fit seat for Christ so before Christ can be exalted and honoured as King he must be seated on Sion he must be seated as a King there before he is in a fit posture to declare the Decree of his father his right and title to the world and as soone as he is settled there he is accomplisht at all points to encounter with the enemies of his Kingdome sends them a defiance a declaration of his right and title to their usurped possessions Sion is his Magazine out of which he fetches all his instruments of war and which he hath made of sufficient force to blow up and bring to ruine all the foundations of rebellion and opposition his enemies have laid against him 16 It 's worthy our taking notice of and of confiderable consequence for us to observe The way of our Lords proceedings in this day wherein he is harnessing himselfe for the battel it 's not the way and course of the politick inventions Machiavillian stratagems under-hand-workings and by the Maximes of State of this world but in a noble plaine heroick way
not be numbred among the Kings of the earth but present your selves to the world as Rulers your Authority and Government to be of my fathers appointment and according to his will yet be instructed in this know this that you and your inventions are of the earth earthy though you will not be Kings of the earth yet you are Judges of the earth though the most refined yet still but earth you your wayes and inventions are not of nor from heaven but of and from the earth Be instructed ye Judges of the earth in the wisedome of God in the service worship and out-goings of God in this your day you have been cunning and wise Counsellors for your selves and in your own wayes and concernments be ye now instructed become as wise and knowing in the ways and concernments of God and his Son in this your day Be wise ye Kings and be instructed ye Judges of the earth hearken unto me or you perish from the way of life and blessednesse and goe into eternall death and misery 2. To worship the true God and him onely Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Here 's both service done to God and rejoycing in God and they are exhorted to mix the one with fear and to mingle trembling with the other and then they will be in the way of the Promise Isa 66.2 To this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And Psal 112.1 145.191 Mal. 4.2 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandements He will full fill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will save them But unto you that fear my name shall the Son of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow up as the Calves of the stall 3 To a hearty submission to the Son in this way the father hath set him giving him that honour and those dues the father hath decreed he shall have KISSE THE SON this kisse gives us to understand the most absolute subjection that is possible not that which is onely of the outward man through fear and inability to resist but that which is from the heart and the fruit of the strongest love grounded upon the best and surest Basis of the highest reason 2 The Lord gives the world severall Motives to provoke them to hearken to his advice and Counsell And they are 1 The Consideration of the Sons anger Kisse the Son least he be angry All the day long hitherto we were exhorted to repentance and submission to the Son from the consideration of his love and tender-heartednesse to sinners but now we are call'd upon with a Least he be angry The day of Gods judging this Generation and putting the Decree in execution the time for the full performance of his Promises to his chosen ones is come and now Christs heart is so full of love to his suffering ones that have been so long trampled upon by the world that he is so intense upon giving out the gifts of his father their Crowne to them that he will not tarry nor waite long but his anger will be kindled and then there followes nothing but woe perishing death And least he be angry it strongly implies that he will be angry and angry to the purpose with all those that will not readily and quickly hearken to him inflicting no lesse punishment upon them than perishing eternall death 2 The Consideration of the sad condition we shall be in if his wrath be kindled but a little and ye perish from the way When his wrath is kindled but a little Here 's a perishing woe now his wrath is kindled and kindled but a little there 's no way but death how dangerous is it to provoke the Son in this day when a little kindling of his wrath will perish our soules How strongly ought this to work upon us to move us to make hast and meet him in the way least his wrath be kindled but a little and he accuse us to the Judge not owning us before his father and our portion be to perish with the hypocrite and unbeliever And perish from the way another piece of the Motive and an aggravation of our sin if we hearken not to it While this Exhortation sounds in our eares we are in the way to happinesse the day of Salvation is not quite spent and gone the night hath not yet totally ceazed upon us but if our dull and stubborne hearts by not closing with his gratious motions kindle his wrath but a little we perish the day of salvation is cut off from us the night of judgement and wrath ceazes upon us and we are undone for eternity 3 A Promise of Blessednesse Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Here 's love indeed Come submit to me put your trust in me and I will blesse you if the consideration of my aptnesse to be angry in this day and how dangerous it is to have my wrath kindled but a little if this will not move you but you rather though unworthily and irrationally count me a hard Master yet let this prevaile with you that you shall get no lesse than blessednesse by trusting in me yea none shall goe without it but all they that trust in me shall be blessed yea and be blessed with the highest blessings with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places yea with blessednesse in the abstract BLESSED are all they that put their trust in me blessednesse it selfe the Fountaine of blessednesse shall be their Portion And now come come and be blessed made really happy if you will not hearken to this I have nothing more to say Blessed are all they that put their trust in him With these words the blessed Lamb of God closes up his mouth and goeth about his fathers work From hence we may Observe 1 That although this Decree be concerning the total Amotion of all the Kingdomes of this world and their being given to the Lord Christ yet it must be declared with abundance of love to the soules of men exhorting all to repentance and submission to the Son that they may be blessed 2 That None are exempted no not the greatest of sinners from the benefit of this Exhortation For our Lord directs his speech chiefly and in the first place to his greatest enemies the Kings and Judges of the earth that set themselves and take counsell together against him and his Be wise O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth What encouragement is here to all and the greatest of sinners to hearken unto this voyce and come under his healings and they shall be blessed 3 We may here behold The abundant riches of free grace and the immense greatnesse of the love of Christ to sinners That notwithstanding the great and unheard of aggravations of the sins of the Rulers of the world at this
should seek it with teares they shall find no place for it they shall hear this voyce no more but another Depart from me yee workers of iniquity I know you not after this voyce ceases there remaines nothing but a fearfull looking for of Judgement Therefore it highly concernes the whole world with their Kings and Rulers to be cautious how they stop their eares against this wise Charmers charming surely if they doe what horrors what terrors what a massie weight of wrath of the Almighty God! what unexpressible misery will be our portion for ever How unconceivably unsufferably tormenting all our long day of eternity will the recounting over all those opportunities and especially this we have had to make our peace with the jealous God and to get Christ to be our friend by an easie submision to him upon his owne tearms be This will be no small Worme gnawing our consciences to all eternity 12 It 's worthy our Observation That notwithstanding those symptomes of wrath and displeasure that appear here and there throughout the Exhortation Yet our Lord will have it end full of grace and love with a Promise full of blessednesse Though this Exhortation be made in a day of wrath and accompanied with wrath yet at evening time it shall be light the close of this day shall be with a very clear Gospel demonstration of the good will of God unto the soules of men so that if they hearken not unto him now they shall for ever after hold their peace be left without the least excuse not have a piece of a word to say for themselves although the wrath of God break forth upon them perishing and destroying their soules with eternall death The great Correspondency this Interpretation holds with other Scriptures that have relation to our times Now it remaines that I should doe these two things 1 Shew that great correspondency this Scripture with the Interpretation given of it holdeth with other Propheticall Scriptures that have speciall relation to these last dayes 2 Give my opinion and judgement according to the light the father of lights hath given to me where abouts we in this our day are that we may consider and know our work God expects at our hands For the first This Psalme according to the following comparison is contemporary with the 14th of the Revelation Psalme 2. From Vers 6. to the end Revelation 14. From Vers 1. to Vers 8. YEt have I set mine anointed upon Sion the hill of my holinesse as the Margent hath it I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thy inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessell ANd I looked and loe a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion and with an hundred forty-foure thousand having his fathers name written in their foreheads And I heard a voyce from heaven as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of a great thunder And I heard the voyce of Harpers harping with their Harps And they sung as it were a new song before the Throne and before the foure Beasts and the Elders and no man could learne that song but the one hundred forty-foure thousand which were redeemed from the earth these are they which were not defiled with women for they are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth These were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed yee Judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Kisse the Son least he be angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Saying with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the Sea and the fountaines of waters In the Psalme the Holy Ghost shewes us the spetiall and peculiar posture the Son of God shall stand in at that Time upon Sion the hill of Gods Holinesse with the work he will then doe in his Sion Declare the Decree to them In the Revelation the same Spirit tells us the particular qualifications of this hill of Holinesse on which the father hath set his Son with the work the one hundred forty-foure thousand being so qualified fall to among themselves after the example of their Lord they sing a new song Againe In the Psalme the spirit of God describes the Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdome in a speciall and peculiar manner to the Kings and Rulers of the earth In the Revelation the Holy Ghost deciphers to us the Preaching of the same Gospel in relation to the whole world in generall The Exhortation to the Kings and Rulers and the Gospel Preached to them that dwell on the earth is one and the same These two Scriptures thus compared together are an exact Comment upon each other The Psalme closes with an Exhortation the preaching this Everlasting Gospel This 14th of the Revelation goes on she wes us the work the Son doth being seated on Syon having his 144000 about him after he hath declared his fathers Decree after the everlasting Gospel is preached he destroyes Babilon layes that proud and lofty one in the dust pronounces them cursed and subjects of his fathers eternall wrath that worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in their forehead and hand blesses them according to the last clause in the Psalme that dye in the Lord Yea proceeds to shew us his compleating Acts his Reaping the harvest and Treading the Wine-presse of his fathers wrath Now if any should be desirous to know further of the Time when God will set his King upon Sion the hill of his holinesse and when the Lamb will stand on Mount Sion with his 144000 about him I judge the father will doe that for his Son in that space of Time between the powring out of the third and fourth Vialls and the declaration of the Decree with the Exhortation annexed and the preaching the Everlasting Gospel will end if not before yet with the finishing Time of the fourth Viall My Reason is Because The declaration of the Decree with the Exhortation to the Kings and Judges of the earth is the product of the Sons being set on Sion as King and the preaching the Everlasting Gospel is the fruit of the Lambs standing on Mount Sion with his