according to his pleasure in the new Testament he hath appointed all his Ministers to be brethren and equall none to be high or a Prince above these of his order but in the old Testament the policie is diverse for there by the expresse command of God twenty four Princes the heads of the families of Aaron are set over the rest of the Priests to rule and govern them and over them all one great and high Priest the chiefe of the house of Aaron was a type of Christ This Angel of the Lord is Christ the Son of God How Christ an Angel the Patrone of the Church against Satan he who in the first chapter sends out a number of Angels as his servants Michael the Prince who stands for the children of Israel that Prince of Angels Dan. 10.21 Revel 12.7 Inde 9. who with his Angels fights against the Dragon and his Angels stiled by Jude the Archangel Christ is called an angel not for his nature for he took not upon him the nature of Angels Hebr. 2.16 but the seed of Abraham but for his office the Father sent him as a messenger to be a mediator of the new Covenant Mala. 3.1 The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his temple even the Angel of the Covenant Exod. 33.14 Exod. 23.21 called by Moses the Angel of the Lords presence the face of God the Angel in whom Gods name did dwell he it was who wrestled with Iacob who dwelt in the Bush he that appeared to Ioshua with a drawn sword this great Angel is the Creator of all the Angels and he in whom they have their subsistence Col. 1.16 he is the Prince and head of the Angels even as Mediator not for redeeming them from any sinne which they never had but for confirming them in grace which they might have lost as their companions did who left their first habitation for to confirme them in their created happinesse he has put them in that body whereof he is head and set them in one society with the Saints making them fellow-citizens of the same Jerusalem with faithfull men Heb. 12.22 for wee come to the company of innumerable angels to the spirits of righteous men made perfect This Angel in the first Chapter appears as a man riding upon a horse and oft times elsewhere in a humane shape Prov. 8.31 for his delight was alwayes with the children of men And for his more familiar conversing with men often he put on the likenesse of that nature which in the fulnesse of time he was to take on never more to be laid downe the body wherein he appeared before the Incarnation sometimes was reall created for the performance of such an humane action and annihilate at that actions end sometimes onely apparent as here where all is but a vision in the night time which yet doth nothing hinder the truth of the prophesie Joshua his standing was the gesture of his worship and prayer What is the standing before the Angel The Priests and Levites when they offered their sacrifices at the Altar or prayed publikely for the people commonly they stood Deut. 18.5 The Lord hath chosen the Priest to stand to minister before the Lord Psal 135.2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord Nehem. 9.2 They stood and confessed their sinnes and 5. verse Stand up and blesse the Lord. Hence Elijah 1 Kings 17.1 and others elsewhere who did most frequently worship the Lord use this phrase The Lord before whom I stand We take then this standing of Ioshua for the gesture of his worship prayer and sacrifice for himselfe and the people in these times of desolation Some take it of his standing as a Criminall before the Tribunall of God where Satan did accuse him of his sinnes this is not incongruous though it be needfull to take it first of his worship for that was his end to approach unto God and being in this action Satan comes on him to oppose and accuse At this time the Temple was not built the Altar of Incense was not erected the Arke of God before which the high Priest wont to stand was no more to be found yet Joshua had set up the Altar of burnt offerings before it he might stand as also in all other his publicke or private devotions His standing before the Angel was not Idolatry for this Angel was Michael One like God ever equall to the Father the Angel of Gods face and presence the object of adoration as well as the Father and Holy Ghost this is the Angel of whom it is said Hebr. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him From this Portion thus exponed we observe for Doctrine The first doctrine In time of publike calamities the children of God are in a praying posture First the posture of Gods children in the time of publick dangers and miseries they stand before the Lord supplicating for Sions welfare as Joshua does in this place The Temple was lying desolate Ierusalem was an heape of rubbish their faire hopes of Reformation were blasted the Enemies of their Church and State were so potent with the great King that by all worldly appearance they could never be able to wrastle through their present miseries In this case good Ioshua will not despaire he betakes himself to his God and stands before him praying and waiting from his omnipotent hand for helpe and assistance to carry on against the opposition of men and devils that work which at Gods direction they had begun but incontinent had found to exceed by much their strength to perfect For this duty there are many reasons The first reason first it has alwayes bin the practise of the Saints Daniel Chap. 9 for the desolations of Sion lies in sackcloth and ashes crying in the 16.17 verses O Lord I beseech thee that thy anger and fury may be turned away from this City Ierusalem and cause thy face to shine on thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Ezek. 9.8 While they were slaying them and I was left I fell on my face and cryed Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury on Ierusalem Ier. 18.20 Remember I stood before thee to speake good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them David in the midst of his private agonies Psal 51. forgets not the publick Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion Expd. 32.11 Exod. 17.11 build up the wals of Ierusalem Mosos lies at the feet of God and wrastles by prayer to divert wrath from the Camp of Israel he holds up his hands on the mount unto God for the people when they were in fight with Amalek Isa 62.1 For Sions sake will I not hold my peace and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest till the righteousnesse thereof go forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth When Sion is under a cloud of trouble
the feare of future mis-accidents in life in death yet at last in all these they become more then Conquerours the Devill by the mouth of Christ is chased away from further molesting them the spots of sinne are washed off as if they never had been on the strength of corruption is abated they are clothed and made Beautifull with the graces of the Spirit they are assured of perseverance and Gods acceptation of continuall service at their hand they have the Lords Protestation that after all their labours for his honour the welfare of his Church and their mother countrie they shall be translated to an Evangelick felicitie to stand before the celestiall throne injoying the face of God and all the fulnesse of joy thence flowing when others the opposits of the worke of God the retarders of the building of the Temple and Citie shall be rebuked with Satan their leader and cast with him into that utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth The true procurer of all these favours was Christ the Messias to come Of the third spoken of in the third part from the eight verse to the end Ioshua and his companions were wondred at as mad fools The builders of Sion are wonders who would venture their peaceable and quiet estate in Babel with the hazard of a long and dangerous voyage to the desolate Land of Judea and when they came there would not rest in ease but without feare of provoking the great King of Persia without regard of plottings within by false friends of open armes without by professed foes not considering their owne weaknesse nor the greatnesse of the interprize of building a temple of fortifying a City went on with courage this by some was derided by others wondred at Psal 96.7 Psal 124 8. yet themselves understood very well what they were doing The Lord of hosts was with them their help was in the name of the Lord. Michael their Prince was a mediatour for them at the throne of God though yet he was not borne Christ the branch yet in his divine nature he did execute the office of an intercessor for them with the Father and the time did draw neere when he was to be brought forth as a branch then he did lurke and lie hid within the vaile of heaven as a roote under the ground yea the stock of Iesse whence he was to take flesh was a withered tree in a dry Land yet he was to spring out of it as a branch which from a small twigg was to become a great boulke wherein all the plants of God behoved to be graffed that by his fatnesse they might flourish in the Courts of the Lord and bring forth their fruit in due season Also he is the carved stone full of eyes This branch was that stone which Ioshua did lay in the foundation of the second temple for Christ is the rock wherupon the Church is builded so firmely that the Ports of hell may well assault but shall not prevaile against it he is a stone with seven eyes not a dead blinde stone but living and seeing filled with the Spirit of providence able to foresee with a multitude with a great and perfect number of eyes all the dangers which can befall that House and every living stone therein which is builded upon him he is a carved and ingraven stone polished and adorned by the hand of the Father with all the perfection of divine beautie in which the carvings of his flesh by the wounds of his crosse the agonies of his Spirit From his ingraving comes our pardon and peace wherewith it pleased the Father to bruise him are not of the least consideration for from these chiefly flow the two great blessings Pardon and Peace wherewith the Chapter is closed The Father for the sake of the passion of Christ put away the sinnes of the Land Revel 13.8 Hebr. 10.4 Hebr. 10.4 and that in on day for the sacrifice of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world was of another nature from these under the Law these though continually offered could never make the commers thereto perfect but he by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Hence flowes a full and perfect peace they who had been long vexed with a cruell and bloody war by the Prince of peace are reconciled with God for their sinnes in one day being removed by that one sacrifice Phil. 4.7 the wrath of the Father was satisfied Peace with God brings inward peace of conscience that passeth understanding Prov. 16.7 and also peace with men so much as the Lord findeth expedient when a mans wayes pleaseth the Lord he maketh his very enemies to be at peace with him Esay 1.11.6 The branch that sprang from the stem of Jesse makes the wolfe and the Lamb to dwell together the Leopard to lie down in peace with the kid the lion to eat straw with the oxe the sucking child to play on the hole of the Aspe the weaned childe to lay his hand safely on the cockatrice den and these men who have been spoiled of all and banished from their habitations to returne to their homes and quickly so to prosper there that they can call their neighbours as of old to feast and be glad with them under their Vine and Fig-tree without the feare of any enemy being safe and secure under the shadow of the Branch the Prince of peace So the Vision of this Chapter which began with great trouble and danger ends with as great peace and joy Satan in the entry with the assistance of sinne vexing the Church with all the opposition his strength and craft was able to make Christ in the end by his passion and spirit defeating Satan and sin closeth the Churches warfare with a happy peace All these things will be grounds to intelligent mindes of many sweet meditations in these times of perplexity but leaving the rest we will stand on the two first verses In the first whereof we have the great impediment of Sions reparation In the second The division of the Text. the powerfull removall of that impediment The former for memory and order may be divided into three First the information of it he shewed unto me This strong opposition which Satan made to the work was secret till God by his Angel opened the eyes of the Prophet Zachariah to behold it Secondly its time when Joshua was standing before the Angel of the Lord. Thirdly its matter Satan stood on his right hand to resist him Consider these three in order their sense the Doctrines arising from them and the Uses of these Doctrines In the first three things must be understood The Informer The exposition of the first part The way of his Information And the person informed This he who informs by the most ancient Greek and Latine Interpreters is expressed by the Lord Who is this informing Angel but our Translators
that have drawne them from the hand of God are more lamentable yet the greatest cause both of lamentation and seare is that great impenitency and contempt of repentance which appeares in the most of men Though the Idolatries the Adulteries the Bloodshed the Rapines the Ignorance of God the profane contempt of the Gospel and many other crying crimes of this Land be evident to the eye of all though the great wrath of God be revealed from heaven in his most heavie judgments upon the midst and all the corners of this poore countrey yet too few doe strike upon their thigh Ier. 31.19 to be grieved for what they have done not to speak of the madnesse of our enemies whose heart is plagued with induration their Court their Clergy their mis-led people running on in their wonted wayes as the horse to the battell If we will look upon our selves we shall find that hardnesse of heart that carnall and stupid security doth lye upon the spirits of too many It were very good for the people of God to set before their minds the causes of that heavie wrath which long has lyen upon these Dominions especially to search out the grounds of provocation which most neerly concerne themselves to make a diligent enquiry of those sinnes which have bin committed within their doors with the Lamp of the Word and the greater light of the Spirit to goe through all the corners of thy owne conscience and what ever causes of wrath thou findest there to lay them all out in an humble Confession earnestly supplicating for mercy in Christs blood for amendment by the power of the sanctifying Spirit deprecating wrath and these fearfull effects of it which this day are visible upon the estates upon the bodies upon the soules of many thousands of people This duty also would be performed with constancy and perseverance And with constancy thou must stand in this posture of Prayer till that cloud be pierced and dissolved wherein God long has wrapped himself Lam. 3.44 Lam. 3.49 Nebem 7.3 5. Psal 14.7 Lam. 2.18 19. that our Prayers should not passe through it thine eye must trickle downe and not cease without intermission untill the Lord look down and behold from heaven The mourning and separation of the fifth and seventh moneth must continue all the yeares of Sions captivity when the Lord brings it back then and not before can Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad when the Lord shall be good to Sion and build up the walls of Ierusalem then may we sit down under our Vine and Figge-tree to eat of the fat and drink of the sweet But till then teares should run down like a river day and night we should give our selves no rest the apple of our eye should not cease we should arise and cry out in the night in the beginning of the Watches our hearts should be powred out like water before the face of the Lord and our hands lifted up to him for the life of our children our Husbands our Fathers our Brethren our most beloved Friends who all very quickly may be in hazard if the hand of the Lord be stretched out still Every one would be carefull conscientiously to use this means for hereby the meanest may be profitable to the distressed and languishing publike The reason hereof When Monies are wanting none are able to supply but the Rich when Errors and Schisms are to be beaten in pieces by the hammer of the truth of God none can be serviceable but the Learned when State divisions are to be cured none can help but the Wise when Battels are to be fought none can appeare to purpose but the couragious and strong But for the duty in hand which makes more for the curing of our present evills then all that either Wealth or Wit or Learning or Strength is able by it I say these may do notable service who have a very small or no portion in any visible gift even poor simple unlearned weake women if they have the spirit of prayer and will set themselves to wrestle with God they may help to remove the obstructions and further the cure of the publike miseries when all the wealth wit learning force of the kingdom cannot promove the breadth of an inch our wished ends every one must try and examine his own practise of this most needfull duty to be grieved or comforted according to their performance and care herein A Second doctrine from the former ground in all our approaches to God we must stand before the Angel A second doctrine In all our prayers we would imploy Christ Isai 22.22 Christ the Angel of the covenant must be interposed betwixt God and the soul for he is the onely way none can come to the Father but by him the keyes of the house of David are laid on his shoulder he is the only door by a wrong door or a right door if fast locked there is no entrance through him we have both an accesse to the Father Ephes 2.18 We have boldnes to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way Heb. 10.20 The reason of this is first the wisdom and goodnes of our God The first reason who when man by the fall was banished from his presence and could have no more immediate fellowship with him hath appointed a mid-man for reconciliation to stand betwixt him man that the friendship which could not immediatly be kept might be renewed continued by such a mediation 1 Tim. 2.4 I here is one God and one mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus Heb. 8.6 He is the mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises However we have promises that God wil be our God and will receive us as his people that he will remember our sins no more that he will give us an eternall inheritance yet in him only it is that we have any right to any of these promises for he only is the mediator of that Covenant Heb. 9.15 A second reason The second when we come alone to our God we cannot be welcome we are so defiled with the guilt of by-gone sinnes while we live sinne lives in us and betwixt the holy pure eyes of God and our sinfulnesse there is so great a contrarietie that if these two should meet without some interposition the justice of God would be a consuming fire to us When ever therfore we are bold to draw neer to him it is necessary to have this Angel standing betwixt us to cover our sinnes to divert wrath by the sacrifice of his soul for sinne to purchase friendship by the sprinkling of his blood to extinguish the flames of wrath A third reason The third who ever will stand before God who is to speak to that Majesty who is to walk or have any fellowship with him must in some measure be like him Heb. 12.14 holy as he is holy for without
Pastors of Gods House when they stand too high in worldly pomp above the people their light in so great a distance vanisheth and scarce is visible to men so far below them Yet it would be carefully considered That the Lights of the House of God be not too much brought down and set too low to put them under a bushell to set them under the feet of the family were to mar their shineing and hinder the communication of their light Above all great care would be used that when the superfluity of Oil which did choke and extinguish rather then maintain the light of some Lamps shall be diverted unto better employment neverthelesse that no Candle of God in any part of this Land be permitted to languish much lesse to die for want of so much Oil as is requisite for a convenient subsistence But a word to wise men and half a word of this kinde to men so religious and zealous for the House of God is enough So much for the Impediments which Satan made to the reparation of Sion Now follows their Removall in the which are three things i. A Preface The Lord said unto Satan 2. A Paraphrase on the second verse The Mean whereby these Impediments were removed and that Opposition quasht Christs cursing of Satan or his prayer to the Father to rebuke and represse him 3. Two Reasons of this Rebuke 1. Jerusalems election then her great sufferings For shortnesse we shall onely give a brief Paraphrase of all the words together without long exposition And for Doctrine we shall touch but on some few Observations which for Use we shall remit to your own meditation As for the Preface The Lord said unto Satan How Spirits can speak Angels and devils communicate with God and one with another not by speeches for Language requires bodily instruments which these Spirits want but as they apprehend every object without senses so they expresse what they have apprehended without Language in a way above our humane nature which we do not understand However in this place and elsewhere oft where by way of Vision the communication of one Spirit with another is represented for our apprehension all is set done in speeches as the ordinary way wherein men communicate their thoughts one to another The Lord said unto Satan Christ the Lord. He who before was called an Angel is here named the Lord even Christ as we shewed before the Lord and Creator of all the Heir even as he is man of all for there is one God and one Lord the man Jesus 1 Cor. 8.6 to whom the Father hath given a Name above all names and hath set all things under his feet Principalities and Powers themselves to be his servants and he their Lord and God The matter of his speech is an Invocation of the Father to reprove Satan The Lord speaketh to the Lord The Lord speaketh to the Lord. Psal 110 1. the Son to the Father so the words of the Psalm are to be taken The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand And that of Genesis Gen. 19 24. The Lord rained down fire upon Sodom from the Lord. The Son leadeth to the Father as to the fountain of the Godhead and all divine Operations which importeth no diversity of Essence Substance or Matter in the Trinity but onely a distinction of Persons and an heavenly Order in these Persons as in Being so in Operation The Father being the first The Son the second The Spirit the third but all equally infinite in Glory Power Eternity and all divine Attributes in these there is no inequality no posteriority among them This now is to be believed from divers Scriptures but not to be thorowly understood till afterwards when we shall see God as we are seen of him The rebuking of Satan imports not onely a bitter and sharp reproof of his malice What is the rebuking of Satan to his confusion and shame but also a restraint and cohibition of his power by the mercifull and strong hand of the Father This is repeated because of Christ his zeal to Jerusalems welfare and his detestation of Satans wicked designes against her The first Reason of that Reproof is The Lords chusing of Jerusalem to be the place of his Worship The first Reason of the Rebuke and Habitation of his Church Satan had the rest of the earth for his service but not content herewith that one place which the Lords Election had reserved for his own little Flock the malice of that unreasonable spirit would not leave to God The other reason The second Reason That same one place that one poor people which God had chosen out of all the families of the earth to be his peculiar Treasure had been cast in the fiery furnace of heavie tribulation and was but lately drawn out of the fire that mercilesse spirit the devill nothing satisfied with all the miseries of Jerusalem went about to procure her utter destruction and burning down to ashes that so on the whole earth there should have been left none at all to serve the Lord But Christ remembring his Election and having compassion upon their former sufferings defendeth their Cause poureth shame on the malice of Satan restraineth his power chaseth him away that he may no longer retard the welfare of his people From the Preface The first Observation Christ his wonderful patience towards the very devill observe the great patience and long-suffering of Christ he holdeh his peace long and when he speaketh at last to Satan it is but to rebuke him This evil spirit had seduced and destroyed the souls well-neer of the whole world he standeth here before the Lord for to swallow up the small remnant Did not such horrible wickednesse require a present destruction from the Lords hand and not a reproof onely from his mouth Consider well the Lord his way of proceeding with all the wicked both men and devils There is a time appointed for their full destruction and till that day come the Lord holdeth his peace or if he break out in words or deeds against them it is but in a small degree of wrath in comparison of what is following Satan is reserved in chains till the last day where he is to be bound and cast in the lake One of these spirits could say unto Christ Matth. 8.29 Art thou come to torment us before the time When the wicked are most proud and insolent God laugheth at them for he secth their day is coming the day of their vengeance the yeer of recompences the morning the hour of their calamity All of us would consider the state of our soul the abominations which conscience telleth us we are guilty of think them not forgotten with God though he keep silence and permit us to go on in the ways of our own heart without trouble or if he reprove it is but by his Word Now and then in the publike Ministery