not borne till almost 4000 yeers after yet the faithful in those times waited for the coming of Christ and tarried with patience till he came 4. God himself waited 120 yeers for the repentance of the old world all the while the Arke was preparing it is the Apostles phrase The long-suffering of God waited If God have the patience to wait on us for our good 1 Pet. 3.20 this may perfect our patience in our waiting on him for our own good Saint Paul calleth this The riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering Rom. 2.4 and saith that The goodnesse of God leadeth to repentance If we consider his provocation and how our daily sins tempt him to repent that he either did make us or do any thing for us all which are in his sight and all which his soule abhorreth and if we compare this his patience with our passionate bitternesse upon the least provocation and consider how ready we are to call for fire from heaven to consume them that anger us we shall see that God doth wait for our repentance with much patience and who would not wait upon such a Lord 5. Let us consider how willingly we do attend and observe those that can do us any good how early we rise to be sure to prevent their hours how well our hopes do support us and stay our stomacks though many delays interpose their stop and threaten failing yet the successe of expectation in things temporal depending on men is always uncertaine for there are no bounds that can oblige humane favour not merits not rewards not promises not oaths but the promises of God are Yea and Amen as he saith The vision is yet for an appointed time at the end it shall speak and not lye it wil surely come This assurance that we have from the Word doth make expectation easie it is no pain to tarry for that which shall not faile us Jacob thought the seven years a short time bestowed for Rachel because he loved her though he served and was not his own man till he had fulfilled the time Neither doth that of Solomon discourage our tarrying the Lords leasure because he saith Pro. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick 1. Because if that hope be of some things temporal depending upon the favour of the times or persons of men there may be a failing therefore delay is a disease in such cases and maketh the heart sick 2. But hope in-the promises of God determined to their certain time cannot be said to be delayed for his hope is in vain who hopeth any thing before the time 3. And again where hope resteth in the Word and Promise of God neither the alterations of persons nor the vicissitude of times not the intercurrence of impediments can any way crosse the purpose disable the means or defeat the end of Gods decree Further if we understand Solomon of hope rightly grounded on the promise and construe the deferring it not to any protraction beyond the time but to the long expectation of it in tempore suo which desire of fruition doth make long that that hope maketh the heart sick we must not understand this sicknesse as a disease of the heart for when the Church saith Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Cant. 2.5 Let no man think that this sicknesse was any disease in the Church we may say of it as our Lord did of Lazarus his sicknesse This siknesse is not to death This is but fervour of the Spirit and earnestnesse of desire as Bern. saith it is taedium quoddam impaetientis desideris he means and holy impatience quo necesse est affici mentem amatoris absente eo quod amat dum totus in expectatione quantamlibet festinationem reputat tarditatem This is an wholesome sicknesse it is the disease of the whole creation and of all the Elect For we know that the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in pain together untill now Rom. 8.22 And not only they Vers 23. but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body This vers 19. is called the earnest expectation of the creature waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God This is not weaknesse of the flesh in the Elect but fervour and strength of the Spirit So David longed as he professeth My soul longeth Ps l 84.2 yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God And this desire goeth with us to heaven for even there the souls must wait and they are full of this holy desire which proves that their happinesse is not consummate till the resurrection For the soules under the Altar cry with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and averge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.10 This desire is Cosâ—orationis the whetstone of prayer for the more our hearts are established in the assurance of the truth of Gods promises the more is the fire of this desire kindled and enflamed in us and then it breaketh forth into prayer and the prayers that are fired at the Altar of zeal asend the next way to the throne of grace Christ himself kindled this heat in us when he taught us to pray to our father fiat voluntas tua thy Will be done for we may tarry the leasure of the fiat in faith and yet desire it with fervency for in nothing do we more declare our concurrence with the will of God then in our earnestnesse in prayer to him to fulfill his Will For Application of this point let us look back to the Vision it is double For God revealeth 1. The purpose of his fierce wrath against the enemies of his Church whom he threatneth to consume 2. His promise of mercy to his Church that he will restore it to the joy of his countenance and give it rest from all her enemies This promise of God holdeth to the worlds end even the whole Vision is for appointed times Therefore the distresses of the Church must ever be comforted with those comforts for these the Apostle doth call The comforts wherewith we are comforted of God All other comforts spend themselves into breath and vanish and leave the heart oppressed as it was the Vision of Gods revealed comfort establisheth the heart for this telleth us where we may have rest for our souls namely in the decree and promise of God And needfull is this comfort now for though our Church by the good favour of God do enjoy the liberty of the Word in peace under the gracious government of our King whom God hath annoynted defender of the Faith The Protestant and reformed Churches in other parts of the world do at this present smart for it long have they lived under
a life which else were a death for the wicked are dead in trespasses and sins so Christ saith let the dead bury their dead and the wanton widdows are said to be dead even whilest they live But by faith our natural life hath life put into it as the Apostle saith And the life which I now live in the flesh Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And surely this comfort must be applied in my text so though not so only to cheer the natural life of the distressed Jews against the many oppressions of the Chaldaeans that their faith in the promise of God must be their life as David saith I had verily fainted but that I believed to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living There faith preserved the natural life of David 2. This includeth also a spiritual life which is the conjunction of our soule with God by Jesus Christ for what doth quicken us but our faith for by faith Christ dwelleth in us and by faith we are rooted and grounded in him Eph. 3.17 Col. 2 7. 3. This includeth an eternal life for how do we come to be where Christ is but by faith Christ first testifieth of the faith of his Church then he prayeth Father I will that they which thou hast given me may be with me that they may behold the glory that I had with thee c. They that overcome this world do overcome it by faith and such as have this faith do grow boysterous and violent They take the Kingdome of God perforce And this perchance gave occasion to the various lection some reading in the present vivit doth live some in the future vivet shall live some understanding the natural and spiritual only others only the eternal life But I understand the promise extended as the Apostle saith to both for godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that which is to come This sheweth what is meant here by faith not the historical faith by which we understand what the Will of God is Not a temporary faith which trusteth in God for a time and after falleth off from him Not the faith of miracles which even some wicked Persons whom Christ will not know at the day of judgement had Not the faith of hypocrites which seemeth and is not but a justifying and saving faith For we must live by the same faith here by which we must be saved hereafter And this faith is called the ground of things hoped for Cicero defineth the Latine word fides of fiat for it implieth performance Saint Augustine of the word fides saith Duae syllabae sonant Fides prima à facto secunda à dicto which may have a double construction 1. With reference to God for his dictum doth assure factum and that is our fides 2. With reference to us for as Augustine saith fac quod dicis credis do what thou sayst and thou beleevest I will not conceal from you the dissection of this word Fides as a witty Ancient hath anatomized it into five several letters by which he collecteth the ingredients which must meet in a saving faith 1. F implyeth facere to do as the Apostle saith Rom. 2. Not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be justified And Christ saith Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord Mat. 7. shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the Will of my father which it in heaven For a man must not be of the number of them who confesse God with their mouths and deny him in their works 2. I this importeth Integritatem Integrity which doth expresse it selfe in believing all the Articles of Christian faith for that faith which is not entire doth not hold fast and there is no trusting to it 3. D that implyeth Dilectionem love Gal. 5. for our faith must work through love And Saint Bernard saith Mors fidei est separatio charitatis faith without love is dead And again he saith ut vivat fides tua fidem tuam dilectio animet And in the schoole that faith which is not joyned with love is called fides informis an unformed faith It is St. Augustines saying Cum dilectione fides est Christiani sine dilectione fides est daemonis For we find that the devils confest Christ Confitebantur saith Saint Augustine Daemones Christum credendo non diligendo fidem habebant charitatem non habebant 4. E implyeth Expressè expressedly for it is not sufficient to retain faith in the heart but we must also strive to expresse it two wayes 1. In the fruits of faith good life 2. In the outward profession as the Apostle doth joyne them together With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the tongue he confesseth to salvation Rom. 10. Against those Nicodemites which come to Christ by night and all those who think it enough to reserve the heart for God though their outward deportment be fashioned to the time and place and persons where when and with whom they do live 5. S. which standeth for Semper alwayes which doth express perseverance for it is no true faith if it do not hold out to the end Let us now put all together a true faith must be entire working alwayes by love so that men may see our good works and glorifie God which is in heaven In a word the faith here mentioned is an holy apprehension and a bold application of the favour of God to his Church in the mediation and merits of Jesus Christ by whom we do beleeve that God is in Christ reconciling us to himself and the just man doth live by this faith De verbis hactenus The words thus cleared we come now to the division of this text It containeth an Antithesis wherein two contraries are set in opposition one against the other 1. The man that is lifted up 2. The just man 1. Of the first he saith non recta est anima ejus his soule is not upright 2. Of the second he saith ex fide vivet he shall live by faith In the first I note two things 1. His notation Elevatus lifted up 2. His censure Non recta est anima his soule is not upright 1. His notation Elevatus This is a thing that God loves not for it it said God resisteth the proud that is the point of doctrine in this place God taketh offence at such as are lifted up Doct. It was the fall of the Angels that kept not their first estate ero similis altissimo It was the fall of man Behold man is become like one of us knowing good and evill Some think this part of the text meant of Nebuchadnezzar the proud King whose heart was so big swolne with his great victories that in the ruffe of self opinion he ascribed all to himself and therefore was turned to graze as in the story of Daniels prophecie
against crying sinnes of the time is discreet and necessary pag. 52 The Contents of the third Chapter A Double plainnesse of Scripture Rationall and Spirituall pag. 77 Afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the Faithfull pag. 5 Afflictions of the Church are such a deading to it that unlesse it were quickened with souâ—â— beams of grace it would be a burthen to it more then it could beare pag. 41 Affection of love most vehement in a woman pag. 94 All Gods favours to men proceed from his love towards such as are thankfull for them pag. 69 As God brought Israel into the land of Canaan by the sword so by the sword he driveth them out pag. 144 C CAtesbie's speech concerning the Gun-powder treason pag. 89 Christ descended into hell pag. 78 Christ was alwayes before the Gospel and even from the beginning of the world the hope of all the ends of the world pag. 150 Church musick ancient and of holy use pag. 22 Comfort in afflictions groweth out of a right understanding of the Will and purpose of God therein pag. 43 Commination of Gods judgments makes the Church of God to fear pag. 174 Consideration of former mercies strengthens faith in present troubles pag. 50. 68 Cushan is Aethiopia so called from Cush the son of Cham. pag. 80 Cyrus angrie with the River Gyndes pag. 103 D. DAvids Psalmes a common store-house of good learning pag. 195 Description of Repentance pag. 1â—5 Distressing of the poor a greivous and provoking sin pag. 159 E EVery childe of God and member of the Church ought to pray for the whole body of the Church pag. 34 F. FAith in Christ takes away the horrour of the terrour of the Lord pag. 82 Faithfull men who worship God with fear and trembling how they ought to be taught pag. 33 Fear is a proper passion of a true Believer and is inseperably joyned with saving Faith pag. 28 Figurative speeches are in use in Scripture pag. 72 G. GOD is not so glorious in any thing that he hath wrought as in his Church pag. 38 God will not suffer us to be tempted further then he thinks fit pag. 41 God is armed with instruments of vengeance to punish sin pag. 57 God never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth pag. 60 God is glorious in Heaven and in Earth pag. 61 God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man 102. For he hath no quarrell to them pag. 103 God must have the glory of his own great works pag. 104 God is without variablenesse or alteration pag. 113 God sometimes declareth his power openly to the comfort of his Church and terrour of its enemies pag. 115 God is above all second causes pag. 133 God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church 151. Therefore we need seek no further for it pag. 153 God in his judgment maketh the ungodly rods to punish one another pag. 155 God in Christ is the rest of his Church pag. 158 God never forsaketh us till we forsake him pag. 185 God punisheth one evil nation by another pag. 87 God is the strength of his Church 214. both in that we are and in that we do and in that we suffer pag. 215 God is the restorer of his Church wil renew the face glory of it pag. 222 Gods word must minister matter to our prayers pag. 25 Gods Church is Gods work both in respect of its calling 37. and of his perpetuall presence in it pag. 38 Gods mercie and our obedience are motives of re-establishing his protection upon his Church pag. 55 God's secrets revealed only to them that fear him pag. 75 God's power shewed in the terror of the wicked proves that there is a God pag. 80 God's promises are either for this life or for the life to come pag. 124 God's extraordinary mercies must be often remembred pag. 166 God's mercie in giving must not destroy his justice in punishing of evill doers pag. 186 Good use is to be made of some temptations H. HOrnes in Scripture signifie strength page 49 How God was said to have divided the Land of Canaan amongst the children of Israel page 63 73 How many ways spiritual enemies assault the Church page 205 How many ways men abuse their strength page 216 I. JErusalem and the Temple shall lye desolate untill the second coming of Christ page 68 Jewish Feasts were instituted for remembrances of favours received from God page 166 In the last calling of the Jews their Common-wealth shall be restored page 66 In reading of holy Scripture we ought carefully to observe what is spoken literally and what figuratively 74. and not to make figures where none are 77. Nor understand that literally which is figurative page 79 In all wars God is Lord of Hosts and General of the armies that fight his quarrels 143. and he ordereth all wars page 144 Jotham's Parable page 188 Joy dilateth the heart page 195 Joyes of the ungodly compared to a candle page 205 Israel a type of Gods Church on earth page 99. L. LAnd of Canaan not above 300 miles in length and 100 in bredth 173. The fruitfulnesse of it shewn ibid. Logick and Rethorick requisite and necessary in a Minister page 76 M. MAnna and Water out of the Rock were types of our Lords Supper and the children of Israels passage through the red Sea a type of Baptisme page 168 Matter of thankesgiving is an acknowledgment of all benefits page 68 Mercy is the most glorious attribute that God hath page 46 Miseries of afflicted men make them forget comforts page 44 Monarchie of the Assyrians lasted 1300 yeers page 250 Moses charged by Heathens to be a Magician page 97 105 Motives inducing us to blesse those that persecute us and pray for those that hate us page 70 N. NO lesson so hard for a child of God to take out as to take up Christ's Crosse page 41 No counsel or strength can prevaile against God 65. nor any prescription ibid. No Oratory nor eloquence comparable to the holy elocution of Scripture page 75 O. OBjections against Church musick answered page 13 Obedience to God assures and gains all good things to us page 180 Over-weening of our fellow creatures is and hath been a cause of Idolatry page 134 P. POetry ancient and of use in the Church page 10 Polygamy unlawfull page 108 Prayer a faithful messenger page 43 Prayer hath the same force now as it had in former times page 141 Praysing of God in Hymns and Songs ancient and much used in the Church Prophane mens hearts are hardned with custome of sinning page 31 Prophane and carnal men how they ought to be taught page 30 Prophets Apostles and Ministers of the Word are the fittest Persons to be used for direction of devotion page 7 R. REading of Scripture good to make us understand what the Lord hath
And this 1. In sincerity not with eye-service to be seen of men against hypocrisie 2. In zeal and fervency of spirit his word in our hearts must be as a burning fire Ier. 20.9 against cold and perfunctorious Profession which is the general disease of Professors 3. With perseverance to the end without any intermission or cessation against Apostasie back-sliding even as our great example did who was obedient to the death even he bowed down his head and gave up the Ghost This and nothing else doth make this life peace and the next life glory This is the old and good way walk in it and you shall find rest for your souls 3. The corruption of Justice is another of the Prophets complaints Doctr. Corruption of Justice is a dangerous signe of a drooping Common-wealth The Magistrate sitteth in the place of God Reas 1 and he is the common father of the People and God hath put his own sword into his hand and commanded him to judge justly between man and man If either there be no Magistrate as when there was no King in Israel the People did what seemed good in their own eyes Then every man is his owne judge and the stronger prevaile against the weaker Or if the Magistrate be corrupt there goeth forth wrong judgment good causes have unequal hearings and right taketh no place Solon in the Athenian Clâ—o and Lycurgus in the Lacedemonian Common-wealth got them honour in the books of time for their Justice and Herodotus reporteth that amongst the Medes when they yet had no King Deioces being but a private man by com-promising contentions betwixt man and man justly and equally got that reputation amongst the People that in short time all the causes of the countrey were referred to his hearing which got him such a name of doing justice that when they found it necessary to put themselves under the Government of a King they found no man so fit to invest in that honour as Deioces and they with one censent chose him to be their King And Solomon saith Prov. 16.12 The Throne is establisted by righteousnesse Therefore where justice faileth Gods Ordinance is made an instrument of cruelty and the Kings Throne is set on a slippery place as we find it exemplified in this Kingdome of the Iews whereof Zephaniah complaineth Her Princes within her are roaring Lâ—ons Zeph. 3.3 her â—udges are evening Wolves And Mica They build up Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity Mic. 3 10 The Heads thereof judge for reward Werse 12. Therefore shall Sion for your sakes be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest For God cannot long endure that his sword shall he drawn against his People and that his gods for he giveth Iudges his own title should become lyons and bears and buls and wolves and devils amongst the sheep of his pasture He did the Government then a great honour who bore in his shield the picture of Iustice having in one hand the sword in the other the states with this word Dum illa evincam But when Tribunalia may be called Tributalia where Iudgment is given according to the gifts and rewards that are given or where corrupt affection serveth its own turn any way from the way of Iustice God seeth it and is angry that there is no judgment qui videt requiret 2. Corruption of Iustice is a signe of a drooping Common-wealth because it not only is contrary to Religion Reas 2 and the written Law of God but it is contrary to the Law of God written in the heart of man For as Lactant. saith well Radix Justitiae omne fundamentum Devin Instit aequitatis est illud vide ne facias ulli quod pati nolis This Counsel is good Transfer in alterius personam quod de te sentis in tuam quod de altero judicas And if this law of nature must bind all men to do Instice one to another much more must it oblige those to whom the office of administration of justice is committed let them make it their own case and so no wrong judgement shall go forth For this same Jus naturale is the fountain of all justice which Religion hath so enlightned that God having planted true Religion in his Church the Prophet saith He looked for judgment The proper application of this text is to the Magistrate Isay 5.7 to admonish him to execute the judgements of God justly Vse 1 that neither the People may have cause to complain of wrong but may know where to have right done them neither the Prophets of God may have cause to awake the justice of God against those that manage the sword of justice cruelly or partially or any way corruptly But I have none such in this audience to admonish and therefore I omit that exhortation as unproper for this hearing For us if we hear the cry and complaint of our brethren Vse 2 or feel the smart of oppression in our selves we see the danger of it to the State in which we live threatning it with ruine and it ought to stirre us up as the Apostle doth admonish to pray to God for his help I exhort therefore that first 〈◊〉 Supplications Prayers 1 Tim. 2.1 Intercessions and giving of thanks 〈◊〉 made for all men 2. For Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour Insurrection against the Magistrate and deposition of Kings and violence offered to their Persons even unto death is a Presbyterian doctrine Buchanan the Scottish Chronicler our Kings first Schoolmaster in his book de jure regni was the first broacher hereof who maketh Kings to derive their authority from the People and giveth power to the People to take away the same if he govern not justly Against this we have Gods own word saying Touch not mine annointed where he calleth Kings his annointed by a special title not given to any other Persons but such as exercise regal Authority all the Scripture through And if they may not be touched much lesse may they be deposed or their Persons violated And this title is not only given to David but to Cyrus Thus saith the Lord Isay 43.1 Lib. 5. to Cyrus mine annointed For as Ireneus saith Inde illis potestas unde Cyrus For so the Apostle The powers that be are ordained of God Therefore the Presbytery and Papacy like Herod and Pilate are friends to do a shrewd turn when they both put power on the People to right themselves against Kings that do not execute judgement The Apostle is a better guide he bids pray for them and if you consider what Kings then raigned you will say there could not be worse I must therefore with the Apostle admonish
preserve him Had David received two such mortal wounds in the body of his Religion and fear of God if he had kept on his righteousnesse Vrias wife was not more naked These be Sathans advantages for keeping watch as he doth no sooner are we disarmed but fulmina mittit But as Elibu told Job If there be a messenger with him an interpreter Job 33.23 one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse Then he is gracious unto him and saith Vers 24. Deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a ransome That is then the use of our Ministery to be as Noah was to the world praecones justitiae Preachers of righteousnesse to shew men which way they shall walk uprightly he that is sit for this service must have the warrant of a Minister A Messenger and he must have the learning of an Interpreter and such a man is a rate man one of a thousand and his lecture is Discite justitiam moniti Lose no time from it for only righteousnesse hath the blessing of this promise justus ex fide vivit the just doth live by his faith see what rate you will set upon life so much it concerneth you to be righteous 2. Faith when the Apostle doth come to this point concerning Faith he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things take the sheild of Faith Eph. 6 19. As Solomon saith keep thy heart above all keepings for indeed there is no Doctrine so necessary to salvation as the Doctrine of Faith You remember in the Acts of the Apostles when St. Paul came to Ephesus and continued there three moneths Act. 19.8 both disputing and perswading the things that concerne the Kingdom of God but after many oppositions Vers 10. yet he abode there two years His preaching had so put the gods of the Heathen out of countenance and had so advanced the glory of the true God that Demetrius a silversmith which made silver shrines for Diana called the workmen of his trade together and said Sirs Vers 25. ye know that by this craft we have our wealth and So that our craft is in danger to be set at naught Vers 27. And presently upon it there was a great cry Magna Diana great is Diana Beloved look well about you and you shall see that by faith we have our welfare we get our being by it both here and in heaven therefore let us joyn in the cry to cry up Faith Magna est fidei Christianorum great is the faith of Christians 1. Great is the good that it is 2. Great is the good that it does 1. In that it is Faith is a certain perswasion wrought in the heart of man of the truth of all Gods promises and a confident application of them is made to the beleiver both which are wrought in the beleiver by the Spirit of God 1. So it is great in respect of the Author of it in us for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 growing of it self This is a seed which the Lord hath sowen a plant which Gods own right hand hath planted for Faith is the gift of God 2. Great is the Object for it aimeth at the promises of God which are Yea and Amen 3. Great in the Extent for it spreadeth to all the promises of God and all the benefits that do arise to us from him as Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption Salvation 4. Great in the Operation because it layeth hand upon all those and chalengeth a right to them saying Haec measunt these are mine 5. We may adde also this to the excellency of Faith that it is a mother grace the root of all other graces for from Faith they do derive themselves 1. Repentance Act. 15.9 For by Faith God purifieth the heart 2. Love For Faith worketh by love 3. Fear that feare which is the beginning of Wisdome for if we did not beleive the truth of Gods Word and Promises and comminations we would not so much stand in awe of God or fear and distrust our selves 4. Obedience for knowing that we have no subsistence in the favour of God but by Christ that swayeth all our observance that way and biddeth us hear him And without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 2. For that it doth it is great 1. No grace of God in us doth more honour to God then our Faith doth for none but the beleever doth confesse God aright for as the Apostle saith He that beleeveth not God hath made God a lyar 1 Joh. 5.10 make that breach in the holy chain or knot of Gods attributes and all fail for truth is the girdle of them all so make him a lyar and make him unwise impotent cruel profane all evil Abraham strengthened in the Faith gave glory to God 2. No grace to us more profitable Rom. 4.10 for it is not said of any of all the other vertues graces that we do live by any by all of them but only by faith because faith doth unite us with Christ in whom we are knit to God for all fulnesse dwelleth in him and of his fulnesse we receive grace and grace Ioh. 1.16 And by faith only Christ dwelleth in our hearts Eph 3.17 By faith we are reconciled to God in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God by faith we are justified Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Vers 28. By faith we are sanctified Acts 15.9 Eph. 2.8 For God doth purifie our hearts by faith By faith we are saved for by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Faith bringeth peace of conscience in the assurance of all this Rom. 5.1 For being justified by faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By faith we have accesse to God into the grace wherein we stand Vers 2. and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God By faith we glory in tribulations Vers 3. knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us And thus the Church of the Jews is comforted against the oppressions of the Chaldaeans by faith Lastly faith is commended to us for a shield Eph 6.16 by which we defend our selves against the fiery darts of Satan Therefore to make the necessary doctrine of faith profitable for us let us consider 1. How faith may be gotten 2. How it may be proved 3. How it may be preserved 4. How it may be used 1. How faith may be gotten Herein we must needs observe two things 1. The Author 2. The Means 1.
of our duty permitte Deo Caetera leave the rest to God Faith now doth all that remains to be done By Faith Isaak blessed Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. and Esau concerning things to come By Faith Jacob when hee was dying blessed both the sonnes of Joseph 2. In adversity Thus it serveth to furnish us with 1. Patience 2. Hope 1. With Patience to bear the present distresse without murmuring at God David is a notable and a full example of this Faith I shall shew you him in distresse For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag 1 Sam. 30. and had carried away captives all the people therein and amongst them Davids two wives Abinoam and Abigael David was greatly distrest so were all the people They lift up their voice and wept untill they had no more power to weep David beside this sorrow of his losse and compassion of the losse of his people c. Feared For the people speak of stoning him because the souls of all the people were greived every man for his sons and his daughters No remedy against all this sorrow but Faith 1 Sam. 32.6 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 2 Chor. 20. The like example of Jehoshaphat When some came and told the King of an army coming against him to invade him instead of mustering his men surveying his armour sending out for oxciliaries to resist this armie Or instead of sending a messenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy and to prevent war Jehoshaphat lets the enemy come on Vers 3. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Juda he goes to Church and prayes O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us Vers 12. neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee In the very distresse to which this remedy is applied God hath threatned the Jews with an invasion by the Chaldeans he hath declared the enemy insolent and violent what shall the Jews do in the misery Observe God takes no care of the wicked let him sin let the Chaldeans do his worst to him but The just man shall live by his Faith For he shall possesse his soul in patience Beloved we hear of distresses abroad if we do but crosse the water the sword is drawen against the professours of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they that have armes put them on to save their lives and stand upon their guard The bloody Iesuits cry to the French King of our Religion Rase it Rase it We know not how God may visit us hereafter when the light of Israel shall be quenched although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the distresses of our own mothers children filios ecclesiae children of the Church such consultations are far above us yet let us pray for them to God that God would give them Faith to depend upon him and the just amongst them shall live by that Faith There is an example nearer kinne to this land the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh in whose quarrel the honourable house of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treasures to put on armes and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the just cause of restoring them to their rightful inheritance and all such honours as their just claime shall challenge In their distresse I know no other comfort but my Text. The just shall live by Faith In a word where these three great and crying sins do raigne which in this Prophecy are threatned That is corruption of conversation when there is no honesty nor truth left amongst men but that every man studyeth the building of his own house he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter Corruption of Religion that schisme and heresie do carrie it from peace and truth Corruption of justice that honours places of service in the Common wealth and justice it self are sold for mony good men punished evil men rewarded Comfort Justus ex fide sua vivet the just shall live by his Faith 2. Faith furnisheth us with Hope That also 1. In Prosperity 2. In Adversity We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindnâ—sse to us and not take away from us the light of his countenance So David Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23.6 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Observe in Davids hope two things 1. The ground of it Faith in Gods protection for that is the part of the whole Psalme The Lord is my shepheard he shall feed me he restoreth my soul In the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me Thou preparest my table thou anoyntest my head with oyle my cup runneth over 2. The means by him used to continue the assurance thereof even by dwelling in the house of God continually that is by consecrating his whole life to Gods service and worship 2. In adversities We have hope that either God will strengthen us to bear it or give issue out of it This is grounded upon that promise of God to his Church I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And if we hope for that we see not Rom. 8.25 we do with patience waite for it There is no such comfort in the sorrows and distresses of life as reading the holy Scriptures for the support of our hope For They are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 This hope keeps the heart from breaking for building upon the truth of God it cannot be shaken 2. How Faith must be used in the Spirituall life 1. For this the Apostle doth call it the sheild of Faith and it serveth for defence against the fiery darts of Sathan to keep off the evil that is yet without us either in temptation or provocation 2. It serveth also to purify our hearts from that evil which we do bear about us in the infection thereof 3. It serveth for a provocation to stirre us up to resist the power of the enemy 1 Pet. 5.8 For so Saint Peter saith Though Sathan go about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Vers 9. 4. It serveth for victory This is the victory by which we overcome the world even our Faith 5. Many that returne out of the field victorious yet may bring home some dangerous wound that they have received in the battaile and there is another good use of Faith to cure and heal all the wounds For our Faith maketh us whole 6. It serveth for the effectuating the means 1. Hearing 2. Sacraments 3. Prayer 3. For our eternall life Faith is profitable unto all things which hath the Promise of
And the Ministers of the Gospel do speak even as if Christ himself spake in us 2 Cor. 5.10 we speak in Christs stead But as in the time of the Law God sent his Prophets sometimes to such as would not give them the hearing so doth he now in the time of the Gospel but that must not discourage our Ministry at their peril be it Gods Word will ever be Gods wisdom though the prophane count it foolishness and it will be Gods truth though heresie and schisme pick quarrels Therefore if you would learn to pray and be prepared for that holy worship hear Gods speech first and that will teach you what to ask as you ou ought Hear the word from us as the Thessalonians did 1 Thes 2.13 When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe 2 Here is metus I was afraid the Seventy read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie as St. John saith when he saw the vision of the Son of man Rev. 1.17 I fell at his feet as dead There were two things to strike the Prophet vvith astonishment 1 The Majestie of the Speaker 2 The matter of the speech And both these must both meet in our understandings and in our affections to enlighten and to move them that vve may know what vve have to do and vvith vvhom vvhen vve pray that vve may come before him vvith fear and holy reverence 1 The great glory and Majesty of God to vvhom vve resort in prayer is such as no creature can endure the sight thereof The Angels standing before him Isa 6.2 cover their faces with their wings 2 The matter of his speech conteined in his vvord to the Prophet is the summe of the Bible Justice punishing sin in his Church Vengeance destroying the enemies of his Church and Grace redeeming his Church from the povver of Satan by the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ Quae. Why should the Prophet be afraid at this here vvas matter of comfort the heaviness of the night is promised the joy of the morning The Church though it must suffer for a time for sin hath here a promise of tvvo main consolations 1 Their ovvn deliverance from dangers into a restitution of them into Gods favour 2 Their eye shall have their desire also upon their enemies they shall see the vvheel of vvrath go over them and the Lord shall let out of their throats the bloud of his people vvith vvhich they have made themselves drunk all this is matter of joy and vvhat needeth this fear Sol. Who can come without fear before him that can and will do all this for if he be angry yea but a little they are blessed that trust in him fear is a proper passion of a true believer and is inseparably joyned with saving faith For seeing the bond of our union with Christ by faith whereby he dwelleth in us is Partly the hold that he hath of us by his Spirit Partly the hold that we have of him by faith The first is firme Joh. 10.27 There shall not any one pluck them out of my hand he giveth a strong reason for it for my Father who gave them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand we are his gifts and his gifts and calling are without repentance But the flesh doth put the Spirit to it so hard some times even in the elect of God that the hold on our part is weak which breedeth fear and that fear makes us hold so much the faster From hence it comes that all the intelligence between God and man doth begin at fear in us This is not the fear of an evill conscience as it was in Adam when he hid himself from God but the fear of reverence of God and the good conscience of our unworthinesse being fallen from our originall righteousnesse The Shepheards that were keeping watch by night because of their flocks were sore afraid when they saw the light shining at that time of night that the Angel began with Nolite timere fear not yet were they in the lawfull businesse of their calling The blessed Virgin no doubt wel and holily employed Zecharie the Priest in the Church about the occasions of his office yet all afraid This is the seasoning and preparing of the heart for God to be cast down before him it is humbling our selves under the mighty hand of God and we cannot pray as we ought without it When the Apostle saith we cannot pray as we ought and that the spirit helpeth our infirmities he sheweth that such as he have infirmities and they feel them when they come to appear before God and where infirmities are there must needs be fear if they that have them be sensible of them Yea I dare say that they that come to prayer without fear come without faith and all their prayers are turned into sin Ob. We read of comming with boldnesse to God Because we have an high Priest which is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 16. in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that wee may obtein mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Sol. this is cleered by the same Authour in the same Epistle declaring how many considerations must concurre as ingrediences in this our spirituall boldness 1 Let us draw neer with a true heart Heb. 10.22 2 In full assurance of Faith 3 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Consciences 4 Our bodies washed with pure water 5 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering 6 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works 7 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together c. 8 Exhorting one another Let a man before he pray try his vvayes and examine his soul upon those interrogatories and I dare say the best of us if we sin not also in presumption vvill finde himself short in every one of these perticulars of that perfection that should accomplish boldnesse But having those things in some measure and more in desire and endeavour our boldness must needs be as much shaken with fear as these graces in us are shaken with infirmity And upon this fear our Church teacheth us to pray to God in these words Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid 12 Dom. post Trinit and giving unto us that which our prayers dare not presume to ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this some of our brethren have quarrelled as a contradiction in our prayers because we say we pray for tha we dare not pray for To whom I answer in these words of my Text O Lord I heard thy voice
but in the fields and amidst their military preparations when their tents were pitcht as it were in readinesse to give battail which is a Rhethoricall amplification of the greatnesse of their terrour My observation from this place in this The power of God shewed in the terror of the wicked doth prove that there is a God Doctr. and therefore no people on earth can be altogether ignorant of the God-head Why should the tents of Cushan be in affliction Why should the curtains of Midian tremble but that the fear of the Lord is upon them God daunteth and dismayeth them It was one of Gods promises to his people Ye are to pass through the coasts of your brethren the children of Esau which dwell in Sen and they shall be afraid of you Deu. 2.4 This deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a most memorable act of Gods power and made his name great in all the earth it followeth He i.e. Esau knoweth thy walkings through the great wilderness these forty years Vâ—r. 7. the Lord thy God hath been with thee thou hast lacked nothing Rahab that entertained the Spies whom Joshua sent to view the Land of Canaan saved them from the dangerous pursuite of the messengers of the King of Jericho and she said to them I know the Lord hath given you the Land and that your terror is fallen upon us Josh 2.9 and that all the Inhabitants of the Land melt because of it For we heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea for you when he came out of Egypt and what you did to the two Kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan Sihon and Og whom ye destroyed utterly And assoon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God he is God above in Heaven and in Earth beneath And this is the right way to make God known to the wicked and ungodly of the earth From thence came that prayer of David Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men Psa 9.20 The fear of God vvill smite them vvith such terrour that they shall not have hear to stirre against him So it is said that God is known by executing his judgments Reason Rom. 2.5 For as the Apostle saith the very naturall man hath the work of the law written in his heart The lavv vvritten in the heart of every man is a generall principle both of truth in the understanding vvhich affirmeth a divine nature and of avve in the affections to make him feared And this lavv is not idle but it vvorketh for there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vvork of the lavv And this is the true cause vvhy there is no peace at all to the vvicked man because he hath the lavv of nature vvorking vvithin him vvhich is against him and he hath not the lavv of grace to lay the storms vvhich the law of nature raiseth From hence it commeth that the wicked flyeth when no man pursueth as Solomon saith and he feareth where no fear is and Tully could say that all the poeticall fictions of the furies which disquieted men so much were but the pinchings and convulsions of mens guilty consciences who when they had done evill knew that they had broken the law written in their hearts and then feared the power which they saw above them armed with vengeance against evill doers St. Paul teacheth us the use of this point Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power Vse Rom. 31.3 do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Where doing that which is good hath a double reward for it quiteth fear and it crowneth us with praise Me thinks that this consideration of the reward should stirre us up to say What shall we do that we may work the works of God John 6.28 29. Then will Christ tell us This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Faith in Christ taketh away this terrour of the Lord as the Aoostle saith we knowing the terrour of the Lord do perswade men and what is the thing to which the Apostles doe perswade but to reconciliation with God through Christ so that when we preach faith to you wee preach peace even as the Apostle saith peace to them that are neer peace to them are far off and the God of peace sendeth his Son the peace of his Church with the Gospell of peace Wee are taught here that the welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies 2 Doct. Cushan and Midian are afflicted and in a cold fit when they hear what God doth for Israel So did the Aegyptians repine at the prosperity of Israel in Aegypt they said Behold the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Exod. 1.10 Come let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply c. You see vvhat the vvorld thinks of their plots against the Church of God they think they do vvisely vvhen they vex the Church this is that wisedome which the Apostle doth call carnall sensuall and divelish And these be the wifemen of which it is said ubi sapiens where is the wiseman and God hath made the wisedome of the world foolishnesse The reason of this opposition is given by our Saviour the world hateth you because you are not of the world Reas 1 and I have chosen you out of the world and for this they weep at the joy of the Church they joy at their weeping the Prophets complaint Truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey Isa 59.15 So David But mine enemies they are lively they are strong Psal 38.19 and they that hate wrong fully are multiplyed They also that render evill for good are mine adversaries Verse 20. because I follow the thing that good is They began betimes for Cain slue his brother 1 Joh. 3.12 Ratio rationis and wherefore slue he him because his own works were evil his brothers righteous I can easily bring you to the head of these bitter waters so soon as Adam had fallen from grace when God kept his first assise upon earth and convented and arraigned the transgressours the man the woman and the serpent he revealed his eternall counsell of election and reprobation and put a difference between the seed and seed the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent Which is not onely to be understood of the unreconciliable enmity that is between Christ and the Devill For Christ was the seed of the woman quia solus ita semen mulieris non etiam vâ—ri semen sit But hee meant therein that enmity vvhich should be betvvixt the elect vvho are the seed of the vvoman by naturall generation and the holy seed by spirituall regeneration so called Semen sanctum and the seed of the
to keep him from attaining the perfection thereof So Eve deceived her self for when God gave her Issachar her fift son Ge 30.18 she said God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Wherein she deceived her self for by adding one wife more to the number of Jacobs Wives she did violate the state of matrimony vvhich in the institution vvas in these words I will make him a help meet for him not helps and so Adam understood it Gen. 2.24 for he said A man shall forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his wife not wives and they shall be one flesh Which lest the friends of Poligamie might understand of many wives Christ citing this place addeth by vvay of interpretation And they twaine shall be one flesh Mat. 10.8 So Saint Paul understood it Mat. 19.5 1 Cor. 6.16 two shall be one flesh So the Prophet Malachy understood it for charging his people with this sin of breach of Wedlock he speaketh as to one man Thou hast dealt treacherously against the Wife of thy youth Mal. 2.14 yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy Covenant And did not he make one yet had he the excellency of spirit and wherefore one that he might seek a godly seed So that this giving of her maid to her husband was no good service done to God that she should expect wages it was rather a trespass of vvedlock hovvsoever it pleased God to dispense vvith it in the fathers of former ages but our rule is quomodo fuit in principio hovv vvas it at the beginning for vve knovv that he vvho had abundance of spirit could have created many Wives for Adam if he had thought it fit and then for the encrease of the seed of man and the speedy peopling of the vvorld there vvas more need of Poligamy then vvas ever since I urge the fallacy here Non causa pro causa So Micah vvhen he had made him gods and gotten a Priest into his house flattered himself Now I know that the Lord will do me good Judg. 17.13 seeing I have a Levite to my Priest This vvas Idolatry one of the greatest provocations of God to anger that could be yet he vvould flatter himself that this vvould turn a cause of his vvel-doing These three examples do sufficiently open our sense to perceive the cunning of this fallacious suggestion in ourselves The Doctrine of merit vvhich the Church of Rome teacheth is a naturall Doctrine as God said to Cain If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted it is true that God accepteth even vveak services from us but as vve say it is more of his courtesie then our deserving if vve call it vvages that he giveth us in revvard vve over-ween our ovvn vvorks And this is a special sin vvhervvith God doth punish the sins of the ungodly in the Church of Rome the seat of Antichrist as the Apostle plainly describeth it God shall send them strong delusions 2 Thes 2.11 that they should believe a lye They believe that to be the cause of their salvation that is not The reason of this Doctrine Reason Why vve must fasten upon the true cause of Gods favour to us is Because faith not rightly grounded is not faith but presumption True faith can find no rest but in the assurance of Gods goodnesse to us God doth many favours to the vvicked here in this life vvhich he doth not for any love that he beareth to them but for the use that he maketh of them to vvhip and scourge others by them as for example God to Ezekiel Son of man Eze 29.18 Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the service that he had served against it Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and he shall take her multitude and take her spoile and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his Army Because they wrought for me 1â— saith the Lord God Here is the King of Babylon doubly rewarded with successe and victory against Tyrus with the possession and spoile of Egypt not for any favour that God did bear to the King of Babylon but to punish the iniquity of Tyrus and of Egypt Let not Nebuchaduezzar boast of the favor of the Lord that he set him a work and paid him his wages the sins of these ungodly people not the goodness of God to the King of Babylon did all this We see daily that the vvicked do compasse about the righteous the poor Church of God bleedeth in many places of Christendome the enemy proscribeth imprisoneth beheadeth hangeth cutteth out the tongues smiteth off the hands of Gods faithfull Servants and deviseth nevv tortures to make death more terrible and more painfull This svvelleth the enemies of God vvith pride and they impute all this successe against the Church of God to the love of God tovvard them and the justice of their cause is mainteined by the Jesuits abetments and acclamations But thus did Babylon prevail against Gods ovvn Israel for a time the distressed part of the Church vvhich groaneth under these burthens doth not hang the head for this They knovv that their sins have deserved these rods they have had the light and have not vvalked vvorthy of that light therefore is this evill come upon them yet let them take courage and say Why beastest thou thy self in mischief thou mighty man Psal 52. â— the goodnesse of God endureth continually there is our Selah the rest of our musique this is the joy of the Churches harvest And great is the profit of this point Vse 1 1 When vve have found the true cause of Gods favours to be in himself and not in us we may assure our selves that his mercy endureth for ever for his gifts and calling are without repentance 2 A greater comfort then this is that godlinesse hath not onely the promise of this life but of the life to come also 3 We may rise in comfort a degree higher to assure our selves that this favour of God will give us our fruit unto holinesse for these go together Gods love to us and our comfort and hope in him for this fruit Rom. 6.22 as the Apostle joyneth them Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father 2 Thes 2.16.17 which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good help through grace Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work This blessing of the Apostle doth shew that when the love of God is setled there followeth grace and expressure of his favour that bringeth forth inward consolation of the spirit present good hope for the time to come an establishing of the heart in holinesse This I name as the
corruptions drowned and destroyed in the same waters And the Apostle saith I would not that ye should be ignorant of this thing which admonisheth both you and us that are your ministers 1 You not to be ignorant in those great mysteries of salvation 2 Us not to leave you untaught or unremembred thereof We that preach to a mixt auditory consisting incipientes Abcedaries in religion who are not yet out of their first elements which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of beginnings And some few proficients who also have their measures not all of equall growth but some few as much better grown then others as Saul was higher then all the rest of the people must as well give milk with the spoon as break bread and divide strong meat and me thinks there be two places that direct us well in the dispensation of the Word of God 1 That of the Prophet Isaiah The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept precept upon precept Isa 2. â—3 line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little in which words The matter of our preaching is exprest in two words 1 precept which teacheth us what to do 2 line which exemplifieth doctrine and serveth as a copy to write by And again the manner of our preaching is declared profitable if the same things be well taught till they be well learned And this is modicum ibi modicum ibi here modicum not too much at once for oppressing the spirituall stomack and here is ibi and ibi ibi amongst the proficients and ibi amongst the incipients 2 That of St. Peter Wherefore 2 Peâ— 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you in mind of those things though ye know them Yea I think it meet so long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance This sheweth the use of often repetitions of such things as we ought not to forget for it is not enough to have light in our understanding there must be also zeal in our affections Religion in the head is speculation in the heart affection in the hand action If we do our duty thus as we are directed it must be your great fault if either you be ignorant or forgetfull of these things The spirit of God is our example for he remembreth this passage of Israel often and modicum ibi a little here in the old Testament modicum ibi a little there in the new Testament for this is also profitable for us This sheweth that the often preaching and learning and remembring the doctrine of our Baptisme is a most necessary lesson in the school of Christ that we do not enter into a new peace with the Egyptians whom God hath drowned in the red sea that we do not revive and quicken in us those things which the laver of new byrth hath purged by suffering sin to reign in our mortall bodies and by obeying it in the lusts thereof That we do not so much as in heart return again into Egypt out of which God hath so gratiously delivered us Profitable is the remembrance of our Baptisme for it is the sacrament and seal of our deliverance from the curse of the 〈◊〉 from the spirituall bondage of Satan from the dominion of sin iâ—â—heweth us the old Adam dead in the death and buried in the grave of Christ It also serveth being often remembred to stirre us up to a practise of Christian conversation and to an holy imitation of Christ in godly life that we may not receive the grace of God in vain that wee be not again defiled with the world for the Apostle will tell us That if Christ hath opened us a new and living way through the vail Heb. 20.22 23. that is his flesh we must draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth Veâ—se 26. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins But a certain fearfull looking for of judgment Verse 27. and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I conclude in the Apostles words therefore brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning this passage of the Lords Israel through the red sea Vers 16. Hab. â— 6. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up unto his people he will invade them with his troops AT this verse beginneth the third Section of this Chapter and it conteineth the consternation of the Prophet dejected before the Lord with the former considerations and the sad estate of the land of Canaan 1 Concerning the words When I heard The Prophet fitting this Psalme as you have heard for the common use of the Church doth not speak in this place in his own person perticularly When I heard but in the person of that Church of God to which this prophecy was sent Verse 14. They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me is spoken of the Midianites invading Gods people not the Prophet Habak So that Theard here is collectively the whole Church and perticularly every member thereof But what is that is here heard Surely this hath a double reference 1 To the former prophecy of Gods threatned judgments against his people of which you heard before Verse 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid For it was a fearfull judgment which God had denounced against them 2 It hath reference to the full commemoration of Gods former mercies for howsoever faith may grow upon this root of experience of Gods favour yet when the Church of God shall consider all that former favour now turned into indignation and shall feel that power which once protected them so miraculously now armed against them this cannot but cast them into great fear This fear is described fully and rhetorically in four severall phrases 1 My belly trembled 2 My lips quivered 3 Rottennesse entred into my bones 4 I trembled in my self It is the manner of the spirit of God in such like phrases to expresse a great horrour and dismay by the belly is meant the inward parts and bowels So the Prophet upon the denunciation of the burthen upon the desert sea saith Therefore are my loyns filled with pain Isai 21.3 pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it My bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab Isa 16.11 and mine inward parts for Kirharesh So Job Job 30.27 My bowels boyled and rested not And David Mine eye is consumed with grief yea Psal 31.9 my soul and belly I am poured out like water all
my bones are out of joynt Ps 2.14 my heart is like waxe it is melted in the middest of my bowels Thus the perturbations of griefe and fear and the passions of anguish are exprest The quivering of the lips which hindereth speech sheweth a man overcome with anger fear or grief so doth The generall disabling of the body as if the parts thereof the brains and sinews suffered luxation and debilitation And the earth-quake in the whole frame thereof and the distemper of the man within us I trembled in my self that is the inward man the hid man of the heart felt this anguish of grief and fear and all this trepidation and terrour had this good effect following That I might rest in the day of trouble For of sufferance comes ease this fear of the heavy hand of God is but a fit for faith followeth it and consumeth it and setleth the heart in a yielding to the mighty hand of God and that giveth rest in the day of trouble that day is also described When he commeth up unto his people he will invade them with his troops Either when God cometh or when the enemy whom God shall employ in the execution of this judgment cometh he will invade his people that have rebelled against him and are fallen away from him with troops that is hee will come upon them with a full power to make a full conquest of them This day is is further described in the verse following Verse 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines Hâ—b 3.17 the labour of the Olive shall fail and the field shall yield no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals IN which words he supposeth the worst that may befall to the land that God should not onely as before carry away or destroy the inhabitants thereof although he should smite the land it self with barrennesse that neither the fig tree nor the vine should relieve them nor the olive nor the fields nor the foulds yet the Church will not despair of the loving kindnesse of the Lord toward them This land so long promised to the seed of Abraham so long expected and at last by them possessed is much praised in Scripture God himself calleth it a good land and a large Exâ—d 3.8 a land flowing with milk and honey And so the spies that were sent to search it brought word num 13.9 and they brought of the fruit and shewed it to the people Again for the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land Deut. 8.7 a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hils A land of wheat and barley and wines and fig trees and pomegranates a land of oil olive and hony A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarcenesse thou shalt not lack any thing in it a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hils thou mayest dig brasse It was one of the miracles of the earth and the full blessing of the Lord was upon it for the land was small both in length and breadth as all the Charts thereof describe it For from Dan to the river of Egypt which is somewhat further then Beersheba it was litle more then three hundred miles which was the length of it and in the broadest place thereof it was not an hundred yea do I put it in this accompt all the land on this side Jordan the portion assigned to Reuben Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Yet did it contein two great Kingdomes of Judah and Israel and in Davids time there were numbred in it thirteen hundred thousand fighting men 2 Chron. 24. which cannot in probable computation be more then a fourth part of the people seeing aged men women and children and all undertwenty years of age are not reckoned and this land fed them all much is said by heathen writers of the fruitfulnesse of this land and as great a wonder is it of the change thereof now for travailers do report it at this time to be a barren and unfruitfull land it is in the possession of Gods enemies and David saith A fruitfull land maketh he barren for the iniquity of the people that dwelt therein De verbis hactenus of the words hitherto The parts of this Section are two 1 The fear of the Church 2 The misery of the Land In the first I observe also three things 1 The cause of this fear 2 The fear it self 3 The effect hereof In the second the misery of the land It is distrest in the three great commodities of life 1 In the trees yielding fruit 2 In the soil yielding corne 3 In the flocks yielding encrease 1 Of the fear of the Church and therein 1 Of the cause of this fear in these words When I heard The commination of Gods judgments Doct. doth make the Church of God to fear 1 Because this openeth to man his conscience and declareth to him his sin for we know that God is gratious and mercifull and long suffering and hideth his hand in his bosome his mercy doth often pull it out and openeth it and he filleth the hungry with good things his mercy stretcheth it out often to gather together his chosen to defend them from evill to stay and support them If his indignation do pluck it out it is a sign that sin hath provoked him and therefore we read what of old was the practise of the Church If there were any judgment abroad presently they made search for the sin that had provoked God to it for they knew him so just that he will not smite without cause God taught Joshua this when the men of Ai smote the men of Israel and made them to fly before them Joshua went to the Lord to make his moan and God told him Israel hath sinned And so there was a present search made by the commandement of the Lord throughout all Israel to finde out the sinner and Achan was defected In like manner when Saul had made a vow that none of his army should tast any food till night and Jonathan not hearing of the commandement had eaten a little hony upon the end of his rod hee went to advise with God concerning the pursuit of the Philistines by night and God answered him not wherefore Saul said Draw you neer hither all the chief of the people 1 Sam. 14.38 and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day And this is so naturall a quest as that whosoever do acknowledg a divinity cannot but upon the sense of judgment or the fear of it presently conclude God offended with some sins So the Mariners in the great storme in Jonah said every one to his fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evill is upon us Jonah 1.7 The confideration of Gods judgments do breed fear in respect of God whose
prayeth a sacrifice to God a scourge to the devil and his agents pag. 183 Prayer the Word and the Sacraments are means to preserve faith pag. 228 Preparation required in those who go to Church pag. 344 Pride a cause of strife pag. 25 Pride consists in three things In thinking too well of our selves contemptibly of others boasting and glorying in vain ostentation pag. 240 Pride is the ground of insatiablenesse pag. 241 Pride the ruine of Charity Justice Temperance and Religion pag. 243 Proofs of a sincere faith pag. 227 Prosperity of this world fils the hearts of men with pride and vain estimation of themselves pag. 131 Proud men resemble death and hell pag. 243 Punishment in its nature is evil yet God may work good out of it pag. 69 Punishment of Idolatry pag. 334 Punishments of Pride 247. Just Reprehension 155. Derision 257 Spoyle and destruction pag. 262 Punishments of Ambition 279. They consult shame to their own house Ibid. Sin against their own souls 283. Labour in vaine and without successe pag. 286 Punishments of drunkennesse 315. Who will punish it God 316 how he will punish it 319. Why he will punish it pag. 324 Q. OVantity of the fault is the measure of the judgment pag. 5 R. REasons why Ambition makes men unhappy Pag. 274 Religion contemned is a signe of a diseased and desperate state 38 Reasons thereof Ibid. Riligion is the knot of true Vnion that knitteth us to God and uniteth us to one another Pag. 78. Religion hath the bowels of compassion and they have no Religion that have no mercy Pag. 99 Religion the best bond of brotherhood Pag. 129 Remedy for mans fall 222. Which is Christ Pag. 223 Remedies against drunkennesse Pag. 308 S. SAthan suggesteth that the way of righteousnesse is painful pag. 287 Sathans chiefest temptation is by blemishing of Gods glory pag. 296 Seekers of strife condemned pag. 25 Service performed to God without zeal is without life pag. 51 Shame rather hardeneth then reformeth a sinner pag. 16 Sincere Faith cannot be lost pag. 228 Sharp and satyricall tartnesse not alwayes unlawfull pag. 259 Sin is a burthen to God 3. To men 4. And awakes Gods vengeance Ibid. Sins seen in others moves man to a loathing of sin and to charity pag. 68 Sin is like Leaven a little sowreth the whole lump pag. 204 283 Sins of Omission 218. Of evil motion 219. Of evil affection and of evil action pag. 220 Sins grow in clusters and one sin begetteth another 265. Examples thereof pag. 266 Sins committed against the Law of God are done against the committers souls pag. 283 Souls in heaven wait upon the performance of Gods Promises pag. 178 Stephens prayer at his death a means of Pauls conversion pag. 102 Suggestions to sin lay their foundation upon some unworthy opinion of God pag. 298 T. TEares of bitternesse are the bloud of the Soul pag. 285 Teaching by familiar resemblances is much used in both Testaments pag. 123 Temples not built in 200 years after Christ pag. 336 Temples and Churches necessary pag. 337 Temporall things can afford no true content pag. 39 There is no peace to a wicked man pag. 6 The sound of Gods Word preached cannot be truly heard by us unlesse he open our hearts pag. â—2 The soul of prayer is the holy zeal of him that prayeth pag. 22 Three speciall benefits of a godly life pag. 40. 41 The Chaldeans raised by God against the Jews pag. 56 They who are sealed with the Spirit of Promise have their infirmities lapses and relapses yet sin not to death pag. 64 They who fulfilling the Will of God which they know not do fulfill their own will which they aime at are not rewarded but rather punished for it pag. 74. 75 The way to avoid contempt is humility pag. 81 There is such a concatenation of duties of Religion and Justice that he that offendeth in one breaketh the chaine pag. 267 The fear of the wicked shall come upon himself pag. 280 The house of the righteous shall stand pag. 281 The Elect sin against their own souls in regard of the fault 283 and also in regard of the punishment pag. 284 The delivery of Gods Church and his vengeance upon her enemies gives honour to the Name of God upon earth pag. 294 The sting of the first sin pag. 297 The knowledge of Gods glory consisteth in the true consideration of his justice and mercy pag. 299 Though the Church of God live under the crosse for a time it shall not be alwayes so pag. 82 Those whom God useth as his rods are limited pag. 83 To know the glory of God here on earth we must observe the course of his judgments pag. 302 To make others drunk is a more grievous sin then drunkennesse pag. 310 U. VAnity of Idolatry pag. 326 Vncharitablenesse corrupteth a Common-wealth and makes all Gods servants complaine pag. 34 Vngodly men outragious when they finde a way open to their violence pag. 125 Vngodly men have no bowels pag. 136 Vnrighteous mens labours described pag. 287 Voluntary and involuntary drunkennesse pag. 318 W. WAnt of zeal a sinne pag. 52 Want of Faith the true cause of Idolatry pag. 90 Way to Hell all down hill yet very uneasie 286. And that is gotten by it is but meere vanity pag. 283 We ought to avoid causes of complaint pag. 34 We ought not to limit God to a set time for our deliverance nor to any set means nor measure of affliction pag. 107 We must not think long to tarry Gods leasure 173. to avoid these two evils Of murmuring against God or seeking unlawfull means to accomplish our desires pag. 178 We ought not be too busie to search into the wayes of God to know things to come pag. 174 We must beleeve Gods Promises whatsoever appearances do put in to perswade us to the contrary pag. 175 Where God is pag. 336 Whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time pag. 160 What duty is owing to him pag. 336 Where Religion is despised the courts of Justice must needs be corrupt 28. and power and authority degenerate into tyranny and oppression pag. 29 When God undertaketh a work he accommodateth all fit means though he need none for a full execution pag. 71 When we pray that Gods Will may be done we must also pray that it may be done for the same cause pag. 77 Whensoever God punisheth there is a fault deserving that punishment 253. Objections to the contrarie answered pag. 254 When God putteth his hand to spoyling the oppressor he will spoil him in all that he trusted in pag. 263 Whom God pardoneth Sathan tempteth most pag. 87 Whosoever gives divine Worship to a creature is an Idolater pag. 91 Wicked men have no peace pag. 84 Wicked men rejoyce at the Churches sorrow pag. 128 Woe to the man which gathereth not his own pag. 275 Written Scripture sufficient for salvation pag. 153 Z ZEale
doctrine yieldeth this fruit of application to our profit 1. If we ought to complain to God of the wickednesse of our brethren when they do grow incorrigible it is a fair warning to us to walk warily and with a good conscience before God and man and that in two respects 1. That we do not offend our brethren by any means least we give them occasion to complain to God of us It is a dangerous thing to give occasion of offence to any of those little ones that trust in God and wo be to them that give the offence It is the praise of Zachary and Elizabeth Luc. 1.6 that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle doth require this of the Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sine quenela sine cornibus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 Conqueror You shall find it a great contentment in your heart and peace in your bones all your life through but especially upon your death-bed when you can comfort your selves with this that your brethren with whom you have lived have had no cause to complain of you But it will be an ornament to your memory and a second life to your good name when you are departed hence Let no man neglect the complaints of his brethren especially of Gods Ministers for where they be just they have swift passage and easie admittance and most gracious auditors 2. That we do not so defile our selves with our sinnes that we may complain and God will not heare us for there be many more that complain and are not heard then of those that plain and have audience and redresse For this is much more anger then holy zeal They had need be very innocent that complain of others Turpe est authori cum culpa redarguit ipsum 2. This teacheth us by all means to seek the Reformation one of another for if by our good councell or by our good example or by brotherly reproofes or by the mediation of friends or by the sharp coercion of the Laws we cannot destroy sinne in them yet we must not give them over we must complain to God of them and leave them to his justice 2. Let us now review the particulars of the Prophets complaint 1. Of the corruption of the state of the common-wealth of the Jews and therein I. Of their corrupt conversation generally exprest in these words Greivance Spoiling Violence Strife and Contentions all of them against the Law of the second Table Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The sin of uncharitablenesse corrupteth a common-wealth Doctr. and maketh all the faithfull servants of God complain it is a crying sin observe the Prophets words 1. Greivance If you do any thing or say any thing whereby you do greive our brother and alienate his affection from us 2. Spoyling If we by any means hurt him in his maintenance either by taking from him that which he doth possesse or by preventing him in that which he should possesse by withholding from him the wages of his labour or by denying the labourer work whereby he should live or by undervaluing his labour to make it unsufficient to support him or by bringing up an evil report of him or by any alienation of his friends from him 3. Violence Using strong hand to any of these purposes which is called sinning with an high hand and a stife neck abusing power and place to oppression and wrong 4. Strife Disquieting our brethrens peace 5. Jurgium Provoking them with proud and imperious speeches These sins corrupt a common-wealth and overthrow charity and greive all such as fear God 1. Because they impeach the authority and power of God who hath reserved to himself the dispensation of his own gifts here for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is and he hath given it to the sonnes of men whatsoever either honour or wealth any man possesseth which is not of his gift that is atcheived by unlawfull means it hath not his blessing and it is held by intrusion and usurpation He hath not put man into the world as he did the people of Israel into Canaan to be his own carver and to take what he can get by strength or policy they had warrant for what they did there we have a law of restraint to confine us to lawfull wayes and means of living therefore all such violence as invadeth the goods of our brethren is a wrong to him who openeth his hand and filleth with plenty and doth not bid us arise kill and eat and get what we can no matter how 2. This uncharitable practice doth destroy society for seeing God for peace sake hath made a difference between men on earth some superiour others inferiour some rich some poor that there might be a need of one another to maintaine the state of a common-wealth all they that ingrosse to their own heap and do only study themselves and their own houses they corrupt and destroy that common society which ought to be in the members of the body I read that Pope Adrian the sixth a monkish man demanded once of John of Sarisbury his country-man what opinion the world had of the Church of Rome He answered that The Church of Rome which should be a mother was now become a stepmother and gathered and got all from her own children The Pope replyed with a tale All the parts of the body did conspire against the stomack and thought much to labour for that whereupon they resolved to feed it no longer but within few dayes there grew such a generall decay in the state of all the parts of the body that at last finding their errour they laboured as before for the stomack and found then that that maintained them all The Popes application was that the Pope is the stomack in the body of the Church and that though all the members of the body do feed him yet he gathereth not for himself but for the whole body It is true that the father of a Common-wealth is the stomack from whence all the body as from the root deriveth sap and nutriment and therefore all must labour for him But one body must have but one stomack and therefore when every man shall rob and spoile and swallow up what he can the body must needs perish Again where that one stomack is good the body thrives for that hath not only an appetitive faculty to desire food and receptive to entertain it and a retentive to keep it but a digestive also to distribute it into all the parts of the body But if the stomack be appetitive and rapine and devour all as in some disease Caninus appetitus which is a greedy devourer or if it be retentive and will part with nothing but is the hell and grave of all that it receiveth as in covetousnesse or if it be defective in the retentive faculty and cast up all as in prodigality and waste Or if it be ill affected in the digestive faculty that it
lust yet he reveileth means to keep the just from falling into these sins But for the wicked he leaveth them to the stream and current of their own free-will and leadeth them into temptation For temptation is their punishment This may stirre us up to husband the means of grace to the best advantage of our souls to keep us undefiled in the way that iniquity may not have dominion over us For Gods certain knowledge of our evils will bring forth a certain judgment to punish them 4. Wherein he shall offend imputing this his power to his God The Chaldaeans were not without their God Nebuchadnezzar their King had made them a god of the best mettal and had set it up in the plain of Durah in the Province of Babel and called all the People in his Dominions to worship the god which Nebuchadnezzar the King had set up This god must have the glory of the Chaldaeans Conquest and what greater dishonour can they do to the living God then to give his glory to livelesse and senselesse stocks 1. Yet it appeareth that those People although they knew not the true God yet they had a knowledge of the Divinity and so we do hold that no man is simpliciter Atheos that is without knowledge or acknowledgment of some divine power ruling and governing all things For this is the finger of God in the heart of the natural man who though he do not perceive qua Dâ—i the things of God yet he perceiveth quod Deus that there is a God 2. It appeareth that they did confesse a debt of glory due to the Deity whatsoever they would think worthy to be esteemed their God they would think it worthy of all ascriptions of honour and glory which is another truth of the law of God written in the heart of every man and it is a good principle of nature it is a lineament of the image of God in man 3. It also appeareth that they believed the ordinance and moderation of great affairs to depend on the power and strength of their god because they give him the honour of this victory for his power the power which he calleth his he confesseth to be borrowed for he imputeth it to his God which also is another beam and ray of heavenly light But the Lord saith here they shall offend herein for Gods glory is given away from him and horrible idolatry is committed This light of nature doth serve to convince the Chaldaeans that Nebuchadnezzars golden image is not cannot be god for that is fixed it moveth not what wealth it hath in the matter is the Kings gift what proportion or forme it hath in the fabrick and forme of it it hath from the hand of the workman But beloved let me lay open to you the true cause of all idolatry not only that of the heathen but even that of them that call themselves Christians it is want of faith For seeing God is an invisible essence and they are loth to worship what they cannot see and they walk by sense and not by faith the invisible Deity is by them worshipped in some visible forme and I cannot judge more hardly against them then that They have too much weaknesse in their understanding to make it necessary that their God must be visible yet not so much weaknesse of sense as to judge that Idol to be God which is of their own making But see how God punisheth them for seeing they will not worship a God whom they cannot see he leaveth them to worship that which they can see to be no god Yet give me leave to commend the Chaldae an for one thing he doth not assume the glory of this victory to himself and he findeth the honour of it above humane nature Therein teaching us to give the glory of all our good successes to him whom we know and believe to be our God and not to over-ween our selves herein for before this chapter shall passe us we shall find that the Chaldaean will learne to be his own God and thank himself for his victories as it followeth ver 26. Therefore they sacrifice to their net For Nemo subitò fit pessimus Yet some Interpreters applying this to Nebuchadnezzar do think that this imputing of the power to his god was assuming of it to himselfe and that he was his own god as we read of Alexander that after his many victories he was so full of himselfe as to suffer himself to be flattered with that high appellation And Daniels story showeth the pride of Nebuchadnezzar high grown and this sacrificing to their own net which followeth doth favour this exposition When I put these things together they shall offend imputing this their strength to their God I find here 1. Idolatry imputing this to his God 2. That idolatry is an offence to God 1. Idolatry That the Chaldaean is justly charged with idolatry here I thus shew Dr. Raynold de Idol Whosoever gives Divine Worship to a creature is an Idolater Lib. 2.1.1 Quisquis creaturae divinum cultum exhibet idolatra est at Chaldaeus hoc facit but the Chaldaean doth so Ergo The first Proposition is cleared Major for whatsoever is honoured with the honour of God is put into the place of God against that law non habebis Deos alienos Thou shalt have no other gods That the Chaldaean is thus guilty the text convinceth him he imputeth the force of his warre and victory to his god This is Deus alienus this is an idol It is the proper honour to the true God to be custos hominum the Preserver of men to be Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hostes This honour the Chaldaean gave to his God When Rachel said to Jacob Give me children or else I die Jacob was very angry with her whom he loved dearly that she should despoil God of his due glory and seek it from a creature Gen. 30.2 And he answered Am I instead of God For Plato an heathen Philosopher did confesse quamvis in mortali animante fiat res tamen divina est Praegnatio In Sympos ab immortalibus est So when the King of Syria wrote to the king of Israel in the behalf of Naaman the leper that he might be cured of his leprosie the King of Israel rent his cloaths at that idolatrous demand and said Am I a god to kill and give life so that the honour of God given away from him to any creature is the setting up of an idol in the place of God The Nicene Synod did condemne the Arrians of idolatry because they denied the Divinity of Christ and yet acknowledged divine worship to him And because Nestorius did affirm Christ to be meer man and not God both the Ephesian and Nicene Synods condemned them of Anthropolatry We do usually offend too much in our ascriptions to the means of any good to us wherein we wrong Gods glory if we look not up to him as the supream Agent
by the wings of God we do understand divine Protection sic cum audimus manus operationem pedes praesentiam oculos visionem faciem justitiam brachium potentiam So by hands divine operation by feet Presence by eye vision by face Iustice by hands divine Power And to shew that neque solus neither alone nec prior nor first he is of this opinion he citeth Saint Hierome Saint Gregory Nazianzen St. Ambrose St. Athanasius all of the same judgment And surely because this errour is yet in the minds of many simple and ignorant people of the world it will be fit that you do learn that when you do either give thanks to God or pray or think on God you do not conceive him in your thoughts in any such manner but as he hath revealed himself to us in his word God is a spirit eternal immortal invisible infinite in Wisedome Justice Holinesse Power Mercy Goodnesse Seeing and foreseeing all things doing whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth and in all deep places governing all things by the word of his power Moses who searched as deep into this sacred and secret mystery of God found that the face of God that is his heavenly nature could not be seen only his back-parts that is the effects of his attributes might be seen No doubt God took that occasion in Moses to teach the Church how they should conceive him in their thoughts Thou shalt see my back-parts Ex 33.23 Gregor Nyslene We must follow after God for he goeth before us and guideth us as David He teacheth the way that we should chuse Qui autem sequitur non faciem sed tergum aspicit Procopius Invisibilia dei videntur ex creatione For we must remember how tender God was of appearing in any forme which might have been represented in picture or sculpture for fear of idolatry Take yee therefore good heed unto your selves for yee saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Hored Deut. 4.15 out of the midst of the fire Least ye corrupt your selves Vers 16. and make you a graven image the similitude of any figure c. Neither is it necessary for adoration that we do assigne any set figure to God in our thoughts seeing every one of us doth believe that he hath a living soule in him whereby all the parts of the body are both directed and enabled in their several offices yet no man can conceive any set forme or similitude wherunto it may be resembled 2. Another figurative speech here is where the Prophet calleth these eyes of God pure eyes for wickednes and evil cannot defile the sight it is said of the fair eye of heaven that it shineth upon the just and unjust And David saith that God seeth all the thoughts of mans heart why he then seeth much vanity and much iniquity But those are called pure eyes which do behold nothing that is evil to approve it in it selfe to abet it in our brother to imitate it in our selves and in this sense the eyes of God are said to be pure that is abhorring sin Again the Purity of Gods eyes doth import the clear judgment of God which is of such penetration as nothing can conceal it self from him in which sense David saith The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lords Throne is in heaven Ps 11.14 his eyes behold his eye lids try the children of men upon which words Saint Augustine saith that there is apertio and opertio oculorum dei an opening and a covering of Gods eyes He is said to see with his eyes when he declareth himself to see and take notice of any thing but he doth try with his eye-lids when he maketh as though he slept and considered not winking for a time at the iniquities of men Our lesson from this double figure of speech is That God is a severe searcher and punisher of sinne Doct. for search he trieth the hearts râ—ins for punishment judgment begins at his own house this certain rule of truth we must lay hold beleive that the Justice truth of God can't fail the whole course of Scripture the experience of all times doth make this good The sin of the Angels that kept not their first estate was soon found out and punished the first news we hear of them was that one of them was a tempter and deceived our first Parents There was a light shining in darknesse which the darknesse comprehended not The Manichees seeing the devil went so early against God thought and taught that there were two principia two beginnings one good God the Author of all good another evil God the Author of all evil not knowing the fall of the Angels and the mischief that they attempted against God after their fall But they were the first example of the severe vengeance of God Of whom Saint Iude saith And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation Jude 6. he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgement of the last day And for our first Parents the pure eyes of God saw their nakednesse after their fall and came himself into the garden in the coole of the day and convinced the Delinquents and examined the fault and gave judgment against them all and presently executed that judgment The Cain when his sin was yet but in the bud at the first putting forth thereof in the casting down of his countenance was called to account for it God disputing the matter with him and after when he came to the execution of his abominable wickednesse God again well examined the evidence convicted the Prisoner and brought him to confession of his fault and banished him from his presence In all these examples God was a speedy and a severe Judge as was fit for terrour in the beginning but after he grew more remisse and as the Apostle saith The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 So that God declared himself patient and long-suffering who had before shewed and revealed his severe Justice that the terrour of his righteousnesse might discourage sin and yet his gentle forbearance might invite to repentance Therefore throughout the whole course of holy Scripture we have examples of both sorts both of quick vengeance and of favourable sufferance that God may be known both to be just and merciful The reason whereof is 1. That the danger might breed terrour for who can promise himself mercy when our just God may and doth take such quick vengeance Remember Lots wife that she was Lots wife whom God favoured that the Angel pulled her out of Sodom to hasten her from their judgment that her offence was no more then looking back whether out of curiosity to see what God would do to Sodome or out of unbelief doubting the truth of the threatning or out of love to the place or
quodammodo vacillare he shews himself somwhat wavering that cannot be defended for the motto of a just man is semper idem always the same and it is the ungodly man who is unstable in all his ways his heart is not established 3. But he smiteth home when he saith verum quidem est secundam partem versus affinem esse blasphemiae the second part of the verse to be near a kinne to blasphemy quia obmurmurat insimulat deum unimiae tarditatis because he murmured and accused God of too much slacknesse Yet Mr. Calvin healeth him again pardon him in this for he was in Angusto in a strait jealous of having the honour of God touched by the Prophet and yet tender of any touch of the charity that he did owe to the Prophet and therefore having delared his holy love to God he doth his best to excuse the Prophet saying of him fraenum sibi injicit occurrit mature Se temperat ut praeveniat nimium fervorem he tempers himself that he might allay this too great heat And in the end he confesseth quia non potest se expedire rebus tam confusis disceptat potius secum quà m cum deo because he could not get out of this maze that he reasoned with himself rather then God For my opinion I acquit the Prophet from any suspicion of inordinate affection in this his complaint so long as he doth do God the right to acknowledge him both eternall and equal I wonder not if he and all that consider him aright in his ways be swallowed up in the depth of admiration of them Let any man observe that which followeth in the Prophets complaint and he shall see great cause of wonder but whensoever such occasion is offered to us to behold the like let us do our God the right to confesse him holy and just and to resolve that which way soever things go there can be no fault in him therefore let us say with David Domine tu justus es justa sunt judicia tua thou art just and thy judgements are just It is a good saying of old Eli the Priest Ps 3.18 when Samuel told him of the judgments of God upon his house It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Yet is it not unlawful for the children of God reverently to consider the ways of God yea it is a work for the Sabbath to take the works of God into regard O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep Ps 92.5 A bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this It argueth a great defect in judgement when we shall think a thought which may derogate any thing from the glory of our God for it is true fecit quicquid voluit he hath done whatever he would so it is true omnia bene fecit he hath done all things well and we say truly of him He hath done all things for the best for so he doth even then when his ways do crosse ours and when those things that he doth do seem to us and to our reason as most opposite To help which our weaknesse we are taught to pray fiat voluntas tua thy will be done Let us come then to a view of the particulars which the Prophet recounteth which God doth behold and not yet punish And herein we shall find the Prophet an Orator setting forth the iniquity of the times and the miseries of the Church then so as we may say his heart hath indited a good matter and his tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer Here be the Prophets grievances 1. The first is treason Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously Mr. Calvin renders it quare aspicis transgressores and so doth the Geneva translation render it Why lookest thou upon the transgressors But that is somewhat too large for that includeth all sorts of sinners Jun. Cur intuereris perfidos so the Chaldaeans of whom the Prophet complaineth here are set forth as you heard by the Prophet Isay Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat Isa 12.2 Treason is not wrought by a profest enemy in times of open warre and proclaimed defiance neither do we call the secret practices of enemies working underhand by the name of treason they are military stratagems but it is called treason when by corrupting some of the opposite side the enemie doth take advantage And this is commonly one of the mines which is carried under the states of great Kingdomes to destroy them and blow them up And the Author and Finisher of our salvation though he was assaulted by profest warre of the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees yet he was put into their hand at last by treason one of his own twelve betrayed him And it is the chief use of the new order of Jesuits in forrein States to corrupt the affections of subjects ut prodant that they may betray This is a great grievance for treasons be commonly carried with great secresie yet the Prophet saith that God looketh on he beholden all the conveyances both of Projection and Execution and that is it which amazeth the Prophet that God who loveth not treason should look on and behold it in all the ingresse and progresse of it and not stop it Beloved we have a lesson from hence The Lord seeth treason Doct. Not only the great treasons wrought against States and Kingdomes but the particular falshoods in common friendship the private insidiations for the goods the chastity the good name the life of our neighbours It is not any negligence in Gods government of the world or any over-sight or any forgetfulnesse or any approbation of evil that doth keep God so quiet that he sitteth in heaven he keepeth Israel and he neither slumbreth nor sleepeth Yet he looketh on while thieves come in the night and break open a way into mens houses gather together and rifle and carry away their goods He seeth whilst the secret enemy watcheth his brother upon the way or goeth forth with him as Abel did with Cain God knew that Abel was to be killed that day When Joab and Amasa met God saw it a death he knew that embracing would prove a stab Sometimes God doth detect and defeat these treasons betimes sometimes he letteth them go on to the very moment of execution yet then he disappointeth them but sometimes he looketh on and seeth them performed and hindreth them not This is that which the Prophet would fain know why God that loveth no evil and hath power at hand to prevent it doth look on and see it done for amongst us quinon vetat peccare cum licet jubet he that when he may hindreth not a fault commands it and for man it is a true rule that all the evil which we might have hindred and did not shall be put upon our account This rule holds indeed with us but God is not so limited he maketh both evil creatures that is devils
very earth for their enemies to go over them and this is the punishment of their pride for Pride must have a fall and these towring fouls of the ayre must be turned into creeping worms of the earth 2. They have no ruler over them this is here set forth as a point of especial note to expresse the unhapinesse of a People to be without a ruler and therefore Anabaptists are wise polititians that would have no Magistrate but the punishment of the Iews is just that they should be without a ruler Because they did so much abuse Authority and rule that the very Seat of judgement were corrupted the wicked is Plaintiffe and the godly defendant The wicked compasseth about the righteous therefore wrong judgement proceedeth Better no rulers at all then such as David describeth Thou seest a thief and thou consentest with him a Companion of thieves whose Iustice is like that on Sarisbury plain Deliver thy purse Perchance on both sides But rule and Magistracy is the ordinance of God as St. Paul teacheth and God by his subordinate rulers on earth carrieth a sword and not in vain without this as when there was no King in Israel every man doth what seemeth good in his own eyes Which doth utterly destroy the body not only disfigure the face of a Common-wealth 5. Observe also here the outrage of the ungodly when they finde any way open for their violence Note 5 for they come in like a floud that hath made it self way through the weak banks and deluge all Here is Angle and Net and Dragge as before The wicked compasseth about the righteous which way shall the righteous escape As if aman did fly from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into an house and leaned his hand on a wall and a Serpent bit him Amos 5 19 This made David so earnest with God not to fall into the hands of man There is nothing more cruel then a multitude of ungodly men that have no fear of God before their eyes Certum est insilvis inter spelaea ferarum malle pati the teeth of these dogs the hornes of these buls of Basan the hornes of these Unicornes the tusks of these wild Boars the pawes of these Lyons and Bears are mentioned in Scripture often to expresse the the fury and outrage of the wicked As Edom cried in the day of Jerusalem Rase it Ps 11.3 If the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do Judge now is it not a great grievance to see and feel the force and fury of the wicked carry all before them and neither their own conscience nor the lawes of men restrain them and God sit still look on and hold his peace this is that which grieves the Prophet to the heart But God that seeth it hath pure eyes and hath a right hand that will finde out all his enemies Amos will tell us that God hath his Angle too and his Net and his Dragge I saw the Lord standing upon the Altar Amos 9.1 and he said I will slay the last of them with the sword he that fleeth of them shall not fly away and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered Though they dig into hell there shall my hand take them though they climb up into heaven thence will I bring them down And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea thence will I command the Serpent and he shall bite them And though they go into captivity before their enemies thence will I command the sword and it shall slay them I will set mine eyes upon them for evill and not for good Let us not be discouraged for the Wiseman saith comfortably to us If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a Province Eccl. 5.8 marvel not at the matter for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Our Common-wealth grew foul the hand of the oppressor was stretched out and they that pretended to be the Physitians of the diseases of this State gave it a potion of deadly wine that it grew sick and drawing on even to death the hearts of true Patriots failed them The poor cried out the rich could not say of that which he possessed Haec mea sunt these are mine seats of justice instead of judgment yeelded wormwood ecce clamor and behold a cry even the loud voyce of grievances But God awaked as one out of sleep and what the angle of the Magistrate and the net of the King could not take the drag of the Parliament is now cast out to fetch it in and we have gracious promises that we shall see Religion better established and Justice better administred the moths that fretted our garments destroyed the Caterpillar the Canker-worm and the Palmer-worme the Projectors of our times that devoured the fruits of the earth and drew the breasts of the Common-wealth dry into their own vessels both detected and punished yea that we shall see Ierusalem in prosperity all our days it is the musick of the voyces of both Houses of the Parliament and he that is rector Chori the Mr. of the Quire doth set for them both Let Peace be within thy wals and plenteousnesse within thy Palaces This fils our mouths with laughter and our tongues with singing The Keeper of Israel is awake and hath not been an idle Spectator of those tragedies that have been acted here amongst us he hath but tarried a time till the abominable wickednesse of the sons of Belial was found worthy to be punished One note more remaineth The Prophet doth find that all this evil doth not come upon the Jews by chance Note 6 by the malice of Satan or the proud covertous cruelty of the Chaldaeans for he faith to God Thou makest men as the fishes of the sea Here is the hand of God and the counsell of God in all this And God taketh it upon himself as you have heard before Behold yee among the heathen Vers 5. and regard and wonder marveilously For I will work a work in your days which you will not believe Lo I raise up the Chaldaeans c. For though sin brought in punishment Vers 6. yet Gods Justice is the Author of all evils of this kind and the inflicter of punishment Tu domine fecisti saith the Psalmist Thou Lord hast done it And I have taught you that the wisedome and goodnesse of God can make use of evil men for the correction of his Church They be ingredients in the dose that God giveth to his diseased People to purge them Therefore let not our hearts fret at those rods which have no strength to use themselves but rather stoop to the right hand of God who manageth them for our castigation We have no fence against these judgments but a good
read and they returned saying Never man spake like that man If they that run from the word may be taken thus with a glance upon it you may soone conceive what effect it may work in those that run to it that are swift to hear that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse If they that hear or read the word immediately aliud agentes may perceive the mind of the Lord by the plain opening thereof much more they that come of purpose and run to it that come with appetite and desire after it with delight in it with purpose to profit by it and with due Preparation of the heart by earnest Prayer for the holy blessing of God upon the Ministry and hearing of it therefore quid Scriptum est quomodo legis what is written how readest thou 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance of his purpose in due time The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie Next verse It will surely come it will not tarry This is Rhetorically set down For 1. Here is veritas decreti the truth of the decree The Vision is yet for an appointed time 2. Here is veritas verbi the truth of the word it shall speak it shall not lye 3. Here is veritas facti the truth of the deed It will surely come it will not tarry 1. Decretum the Decree The Vision is here put for the thing seen as you have heard and that is the declaration of Gods just judgment in the cause of his Church against the Chaldaeans for he saith the time is appointed meaning in his own holy and fixt decree which is unchangeable 2. Verbum the Word God will speak his minde by this Vision and declare what he intendeth against the Chaldeans and therein he will deal truely and faithfully for he is truth he cannot lye For these be two Premises or Antecedents to one conclusion for we may conclude both wayes 1. The Decree of God is past Ergo veniet non tardabit he shall come he will not tarrie 2. The Word of God is past Ergo. From thence we are taught Doctr. That whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time The holy word of Scripture confirmeth this Indeed who should alter Gods decrees for he himself will not I may say truly he cannot change them for the Apostle saith he worketh all things after the councell of his will Eph. 1.11 And the Will of God is himself And he cannot deny him self 2 Tim. 2.13 Neither can he repent as Samuel told Saul The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent 1 Sam. 15.29 for he is not a man that he should repent And if God himself be without variablenesse and shadow of change his Will being established by his counsell and wisdom we may be sure that there is no power beneath him that can swerve him from his own ways for the wiseman saith There is no wisdom nor understanding Pro. 21.30 nor counsell against the LORD One reason may serve of this Doctrine God is equall infinite in his wisdom justice and mercie to conceive him infinite in power to do whatsoever he will and not infinite in wisdom to decree whatsoever he will do were to make him a Tyrant not a King but David saith The Lord is King and we do ascribe it to him Tuum est regnum potentia thine is the Kingdom and power for power without equall proportion of wisdom must needs degenerate into cruelty This wisdom foreseeth all things that shall be this wisdom decreeth all things that he will do which his power after in the times appointed doth performe and bring to act Against this Doctrine is Objected Object 1. Why then do so many texts of Scripture tell us that God repenteth Sometimes he repenteth of the good that he hath done for to make man upon the earth was a good work yet it is said And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth Gen. 6 6. and it greived him at his heart So to make Saul King over Israel was a good work for it was his own choise yet himself saith It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King 1 Sam. 15.11 Sometime God is said to repent of the evil that he hath done malum poenae the evil of punishment is there to be understood So after the great plague when David had made a fault in numbring the people When the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evil 2 Sam. 24.16 and said to the Angel It is enough stay thy hand And concerning his Word we have frequent examples in Scripture of events contrary to the letter of his Word For example His word was to Hezekiah by Isaiah set thy house in order for thou shalt dye non vives Yet Hezekiah did live 15 years after that his word was to Nineveh by Jonah 40 days and Niniveh shall be destroyed yet yet it fel not out so and the story saith God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do to them Joh. 3.10 To all we answer Sol. 1. That the Will of God that is his counsell decreeing what he will do is constantly the same and unchangeable as we have taught 2. Where it is in Scripture charged upon God that he doth repent we say with Chrysost it is verbum parvitati nostrae accommodatum a word accommodated to our weaknesse Hom. 22. in Gen. For we are said to repent when we change our mindes now the God of wisdom and power never changeth his minde but sometimes he doth change his operations there is not mutatio mentis but mutatio dextrae Exclesi as St. Aug. Paenitudo dei est mutandorum immutabilis ratio by which he without changing of his own decree maketh alterations in the disposition of things mutable This for want of understanding in us to comprehend the ways of God is called repentance and greif in God but as Aug. saith Non est perturbatio sed judicium quo irrogatur poena as Saint Paul I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh 3. I approve that received distinction of the Will of God 1. Voluntas signi of the Signe 2. Voluntas beneplaciti of his good Pleasure 1. God doth reveal his ways to the sons of men and sheweth them what he would have them do and openeth to them the knowledge and tendereth to them the use of fit means to performe that which he would have them and so it is said he would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of his Truth According to this revealed Will of God he doth offer mercy to all and he doth withall threaten judgment to such as forsake their own mercy as Jonah saith And when he seeth cause to call in either his mercy from them
is of fear Sol. To this I answer let not us dispute the Will of God or search beyond that which is revealed if God have revealed his Will to us that must be our guide That revealed will hath threatned nothing in us but sin and sin carrieth two rods about it shame and feare There be two things in a regenerate Elect man 1. A Conscience of his sin 2. Faith in the promises of God through Christ So long as we do live we do carry about us Corpus peccati the body of sin and as that doth shake and weaken faith so doth it confirme and strengthen fear 1. We are taught from hence to believe the Word of God Vse 1 the Apostle saith He is faithful that hath promised The faithful servants of God have this promise I will not leave thee nor forsake thee David believes him in convalle umbr aemortis non timebo in the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear Job believes him Though he kill me I will trust in him David believes verily when he smarts I shall see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living It is a sweet content of the inward man when the conscience pleads not guilty to the love of sin though our infirmities miscarry us often that we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O Lord concerning this and blot not out the loving kindnesse that I shewed to thy house and to the officers thereof Neh. 13.14 and with Ezekiah Remember Lord now I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth Is 38.3 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But it followeth And Hezekiah wept sore If he were so good a man why did he weep if not so good why did he boast Surely we carry all our good amongst a multitude of infirmities and therefore we cannot rejoyce in our own integrity with a perfect and full joy yet is it a sweet repose to the heart when God giveth us peace of conscience from the dominion of sin So on the other side believe God threatning impenitent sinners with his judgments for he is wise to see the sins of the ungodly he is holy to hate them he is just to judge them and he is Omnipotent to punish them Let me give one instance The third Commandment in the first Table of the law saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain what needs any more 1. Put these two one against another Thou The Lord thy God 2. Consider what the law concerns Gods name wherein standeth His glory Our help 3. What is forbidden taking it in vaine and we pray Sanctificetur let it be hallowed But where all this will not serve yet this is murus ahenus a brazen wall one would think God doth make yet another fence about his name an hedge of thornes The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Lawes of God be unreversible decrees heaven and earth shall passe ere one of these words shall sink or lose strength Yet the blasphemer feareth nothing that is a crying sinne in this land not the houses only the streets and high wayes resound the dishonour of Gods name this sin is grown incorrigible The Land mourneth because of oaths Hoc dicunt omnes ante Alpha Beta puellae And beleeve God who cannot lye He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Thus we may make use of this doctrine to restraine if not overcome and to destroy the dominion if not the being of sinne in us 2. For the better rectifying of our judgments and reformation of our lives Vse 2 let us observe the consonancy of Gods practice in the world with the truth of his word he hath declared himself an hater of evill and do we not see daily examples of his judgements upon wicked men how ill they prosper in their estates what shame and disgrace and losse of all that they have unrighteously gotten cometh upon them how their posterity smarteth according to that threatning in the second Commandment God bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and visiting it to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him that we may say Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Whence cometh all this but from the constant truth of Gods unreversible decrees because the word is gone out of his mouth and though the ungodly do not beleeve it though it be told them Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the earth We may say of our times as Hecuba did of hers Non unquam tulit documenta fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi for We live in the schoole of discipline and the rod of correction is not only shewed but used with a strong hand that all men may fear to be unrighteous we have not only Vigorem verborum the vigor of words chiding sin in our ministry of the word but rigorem verberum the rigor of stripes in the administration of justice never did any age bring both fuller examples of terror then we have heard with our ears and seen with our eyes for the wisdome of Gods decrees and the word of Gods truth is justified in our sight therefore seeing sentence executed upon evil works let the hearts of the sons of men be wholly set in them to do evil 3. Let us consider the vaine confidence of the ungodly Vse 3 and compare it with the constant truth of the decrees and word of God Isay expresseth it fully Ye have said we have made a Covenant with death Isa 28.15 and with hell are we at agreement when the over-flowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come to us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves They are answered and confounded The bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it Vers 20. and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it He that is to lodge so uneasily cannot say I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest The Chaldeans invade the Church they kill and take possession and divide the prey they oppose better and more righteous men then themselves their trust is in their strength and riches and power Nec leves metuunt Deos. What care they who weeps so they laugh or who bleeds so they sleep in a whole skin who dies so they live They trust in lying vanities Solomon saith Eccl. 8.12 Though a sinner do evill an hundred times and his dayes his prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God Vers 13. which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are a shadow because he feareth not before God God hath made an Act against them their judgment is sealed they
for if we be truly regenerate we shall be saved certainly and this righteousnesse is a full assurance of our regeneration as the Apostle saith 1. Ioh. 2.29 Ye know that every one which doth righteousnesse is born of him So that righteousnesse is the earnest of our salvation it is salus in semine salvation in the seed here it is salus in Messe in the harvest hereafter for St. James saith The fruit of righteousnesse is sown in peace For where righteousnesse is once rooted Iam. 3.18 there is peace and assurance both of grace and glory 3. This righteousnesse doth honour God in this world for when men live in the conscience of their ways and in the holy fear of God 3. Benefit abstaining from evil all they can doing all the good they can rather suffering and forgiving then doing and revenging injuries striving to bear themselves uprightly before God and men our Saviour saith Others seeing their good works will glorifie their father that is in heaven 4. This righteousnesse is the only witnesse of our sincerity in the love and service of our God for let no unrighteous man say he loveth God or serveth God the proud the covetous 4. Benefit the wanton the breaker of the Sabbath the drunkard let them come to Church hear and receive the Sacrament now and then let them not deceive themselves without this righteousnes no man shall please God Neither shall the Church esteem such as members of the body of Christ for we are taught that no adulterers fornicators covetous persons c. shall inherit the Kingdome of heaven But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evil doers Vers 16. they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ Let men hunt for fame and reputation in the way of honour and high place in the way of great dependance or of riches if they be ungodly and want this righteousnesse they want the falt that should pickle them to keep the just shall be in everlasting remembrance their candle doth not go out by night their name shall be like to precious unguent But let the ungodly do what they can the name of the wicked shall rot 5. This righteousnes upon a death-bed wil comfort 5. Benefit when neither meat nor medicine will down with us for there follows after righteousnesse a gracious traine a comfortable sequence The Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and Peace Rom. 14.17 and joy in the Holy Ghost Mark the upright man and observe the just Ps 37.37 for the end of that man is Peace What a joy of heart was it to Hezekiah he did not say I have reigned a King over thine inheritance so many years I have gotten so much riches and treasure I have subdued so many enemies but Remember Lord I beseech thee now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Is 38.3 c. Thus having learnt what this righteousnesse is and having surveyed the benefits that attend it let us take a few necessary cautions to order and regulate both our judgement and our life 1. Let us not take that for righteousnesse which is no such matter 1 Caution for all that glistereth is not gold Satan hath good skill in varnishing and guilding and painting to make things that are not seem as though they were I do not think but the Pharisees thought themselves just men and that opinion was held of them abroad and that Christ seemed a strange Preacher that told the People Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees c. Acta 26.5 for Saint Paul doth call their sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must exceed that or else no salvation yet if that righteousnesse which consisted in great chastisement of the flesh in great austerity of life in so many real acts of devotion would not serve Beloved that cheap and soft and tender Religion that eats and drinks of the best and wears soft garments and lies easily and consisteth only in hearing much and knowing something and talking of good things and an outward formal representation of goodnesse will never passe for righteousnesse before God This doth not come near the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Their Doctors were never out of Moses chair they were faithful and painful in teaching the law Alas many of our labourers loyter Their auditors were frequent and attentive when they knew of the sitting of their Rabbies they would tell one another and call one another to it as Jerom saith faying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wise repeat And they would hasten thither They compasse sea and land to make Proselytes to their sect We by our evill Conversation lose many from our Congregations It is the complaint of them of the separation that our evill life is one great cause of their forsaking of us and though that do not excuse them yet it doth accuse us and we cannot plead not guilty to that enditement They gave God a quarter of their life in prayer Let every mans own conscience speak within him how farre he out-goeth them in this They read they studied they repeated they carried about them alwayes some part of the Law and were expert in the understanding of it And do not Pamphlets of newes vaine Poems and such like froth of human brains devour much of the time the holy Bible should have bestowed upon it Beloved the righteousnesse that should be in us to fill us with true love of God and our neighbour is wanting in most it is imperfect in the best in too many it is but seeming In Religion zeale is gone some false fires there are yet in the Church that boast themselves to be zeal and are good for nothing but to finde faults and pick quarrels true devotion which had use to shew it self in all outward holinesse and reverence is so retired that many are more homely at Church in presence of God and the holy congregation then they dare to be in the private houses of many that are here present Our heads are grown so tender that even boyes must be covered at Church In prayer our knees are too stiffe to bend we grow drousie in hearing the very face of Religion hath lost the complexion that it had when knowledge was yet but coming out as if we would revive that Romish fancy that ignorance is the mother of devotion In civil conversation how is righteousnesse turned into a cry the words once past of our forefathers though ignorant were faster tyes then bonds recognizances statutes oaths now are It was once the imputation of one Nation as Tully chargeth the Greeks Da mihi manuum testimonium It was once Romes
hateful to God and therefore no friend to man He might have suspected the forbidden fruit to have had some poysonous quality when God said quâ die comederis morte morieris but he knew by that full knowledge that he had of the creatures that it was good and wholsome for meat But the more we honour God in the perfection of his creation the more we dishonour man in the precipitation of his fall surely he stumbled not he fell not for want of light he fell in the day as it will after follow But much of this knowledge survived his innocency and no doubt but the Angels that fell had and have much more knowledge then men now have 2. His holinesse was also compleat for that Maker is not author imperfecti operis of an imperfect work he did nothing but it was bonum valde very good surely I doubt not to affirme that there was as full and as great perfection of holinesse and righteousnesse in Adam in the state of his innocencie as was in Jesus Christ for God was well pleased in them both The difference was this Adam was a meer creature and his height of honour was the image of his Maker but Christ was man not united by way of similitude with the image of God but by way of personal union with the nature of the Godhead so that Adams holinesse was changable but Christs holinesse was not This holinesse and righteousnesse consisted in a sincere purity of the creature within himself and in a totall conformity to the will of God The exaltation of Gods favour to him went no higher so high it did go Adam might have kept him so to this day and for ever if he would The reason of this mutability in the state of man was because he was made of earth which was made of nothing and therefore could not participate of the immutability of God as it did of his goodnesse and holinesse Considering man thus in his state of innocency we shall finde that all Adams posterity was then in him and in his person was the whole nature of mankinde so that the whole nature either stood or fell in him and was either in his standing to hold the innocency of creation or in his fall to lose the same By this light we see the goodnesse and love and wisdome of God in the creation of man and here is the ground laid of his justice also for there is no necessity laid upon man that he must fall and being thus set up he cannot break but by his own ill husbandry of the talent of grace that is given to him for what would he have more God may say of this Vine what could I have done more to it then I did he may be eternally and unchangably happy if he will 2. The misery of our fall and therein 1. How we may know it 2. What it is 1. Whow we may know it It is properly the work of the Law to declare to man how miserable he is so saith the Apostle Rom. 7.7 I knew not sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said non concupisces Thou shalt not covet Therefore to work faith in us the spirit of God doth preach the Law to the conscience and teacheth us to examine and try our wayes by the Law not literally as they of old did whom Christ reproveth but according to the full scope of the Law which aimeth not at the boughs and exuberant branches of sin but is an axe laid to the root thereof and telleth us how miscrable we are declaring 2. What this misery is 1. In the infection 2 In the wages 1. In the infection Thus the Law declareth us guilty 1. In original sinne 2. In sinnes of omission 3. In sinnes of evil motion 4. In sinnes of evil affection 5. In sinnes of evil action 1. In original sin The Law declareth Adam a transgressour and therein a corrupter not only of his own person but of the whole nature of mankind because having Free will to have kept the good estate in which he was created by prevarication of the Law he fell from the chief good and thereby infected and polluted his posterity so that ever since no clean thing could derive it self from that which is unclean This sin hath produced these effects in man 1. The image of God is much blemished in him for insteed of that full knowledge which he had he reteineth only some principles which be called the law of God written in the heart which do serve to make a man without excuse in the day of his judgment because he cannot deny but that he knew a Godhead and knew good and evill in some measure Video meliora proboque For the invisible things of God his eternal power and Godhead are seen by the creation of the world Rom. 1.19 being considered in his works And that law Do as thou wouldest be done to serveth us to distinguish between good and evill in many things So though there be a totall privation of our light yet is there a dark cloud overshadowing us For now the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 2. And from hence it cometh that we mistake our way often and that is not always the nearest and best way that is the fairest and broadest and most trodden Pro. 14.12 There is away that seemeth good in the eyes of men but the end thereof is death For the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God Rom. 8.7 for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be 2. The image of God in the Will 1. There followeth a natural inclination rather to evil then to good and men naturally do bestow their wits rather to project evil then good for the minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 Eph. 4.17 For there is naturally a vanity in the understanding So it may be said They are wise to do evill but to do well they have no knowledge Jer. 4.22 2. In the Will the image of God is blemished For we shall find in our selves a reluctation against God all the service of God naturally doth bring a wearinesse upon us and nothing doth terrify so much with fear of difficulty as good works This is called Originall sin because it runneth in the same stream with our bloud and we derive it from our faulty progenitours which the Apostle calleth The sin that hangeth so fast on Heb. 12.1 Rom. 7.7 Saint Paul calleth it peccatum habitans in me sinne dwelling in me Corpus peccati Lex membrorum Concupiscentia And the whole corruption of man deriveth it self from this head so that we are born by nature children of wrath for who can draw that which is clean from that
then should keep thee from this remedy 1. Consider that there is no man in better case then thou by nature for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God 2. Confider that this remedy is without thy self if it were of thy self thou hadst cause to distaste it but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee 3. Consider that the giver of the Remedy is the giver of faith also by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed and if thou do not feel this faith in thy self do not judge thy self void of it for there may be and is faith often where is no feeling thereof 4. Tarry the Lords leasure as before wait for the vision will not lye How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Bethesda and though still hindered yet was he not without hope We must not part the truth of God and his justice and mercy for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement and the truth of his mercy Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nourished in us 2. How our faith may be proved Because there may be a shew and seeming of faith where the true substance thereof is wanting the best way to try our faith is by the true touchstone for as gold is tried by the touch so faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth hath a proper touchstone to try it 1 Pet. 1.7 1. That is the conscience of man within for that doth declare to himself his faith 2. That is good conversation and godly life for that doth declare our faith to men 1. A good Conscience For being justified by faith we have peace toward God Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have Non est pax impio saith God No peace to the wicked Against this is a double objection 1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing Object they are not humbled like other men they are not poured from vessel to vessel therefore their sent remaineth in them The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghost Sol. The wicked mans joy is not such it is but a flash it is neitâ—â—â—â—ound for when any tryal cometh it faileth neither is â—t 〈…〉 for it perisheth in time neither is it growing and increâ—â—â—â—g neither is it excusing 2. Many of the best of Gods servants have their minds troubled and suffer great distresses in their conscience for sinne Object 2 yea such a winter there is upon their souls that they feel not any life of grace at all in them True but observe from whence this ariseth Sol. even from the warre of the spirit against the flesh the world and the devil in which conflict often times the spirit is daunted and dismayed for a season but there is ever joy in tribulations and joy arising and growing out of sorrowes whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith dye in them And this fire is from heaven the covering of it with oppressions doth make it burn so much the hotter and the strring of it up with temptations doth make it shine the clearer so that peace of conscience is a sure signe of a good Faith 2. Another touch-stone for this gold this Faith is an evidence of godly conversation to approve our selves to God and man both by doing all the duties of a godly life and avoyding the contrary This is the only work of Faith in us 1. The pit whence we draw this water of life is deep the bucket by which we fetch it up is Faith for whatsoever desire or strength we have or endeavour to live godly it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jesus Christ I live by Faith in the same God 2. Faith only doth assure to us the loving kindnesse of God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son c. Ecce quantam charitatem what eye shall behold this but the eye of Faith 3. Faith worketh love that is it breedeth a correspondence between Christ and us for the beleeving soul assured of Christs love to it doth cast about within it self quid rependam and finding nothing to recompence that love it seeketh how God may be pleased and walketh in that way so neer as he can So it is said of the faithful that they walk with God and they answer every temptation to evill as Joseph did How shall I do this and sin agaâ—â—â—â—â—â—d Or if by infiâ—â—â— â—hey fall they cry God mercy and they groan and grieâ—â—â—â—hin themselves that they cannot performe better service to God Thus we love God 1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. because he loved us first And Christ said Many sins are forgiven her quia dilexit multum This is a fruit of the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts by faith Observe it when faith doth lie concealed in us that our selves cannot discern it yet may we discern in our selves our love of God and of such as love God and this proves Gods love to us for we could not love him except he loved us first 4. Faith maketh us sincere for it is the notation of our faith it is called faith unfained and Christ saith Blessed be the pure in heart faith purifieth the heart as the Apostle saith These are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes of which Solomon spake but the other of which David his father spake Haec est generatio quaerentium faciem tuam Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis the perfection of works God is pleased if there be puritas cordis purity of heart 2 Cor. 1.12 which the Apostle calleth Simplicitie and godly purenesse And that is known by these signes 1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for sins which he knoweth himself guilty of and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conscience that God hath forgiven them 2. If he consider his own weaknesse so farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many sins that he knoweth not and prayeth earnestly and often with David à secretis meis munda me cleanse me from my secret sins 3. If he finde in his heart a present strife of his spirit against the flesh wrastling with his own corruptions and not suffering sin to reign in his mortal body leading him captive to the Law of sinne 4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and fasting and watching and all exercises of mortification striving to bring his body in subjection to the law of God 5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart to arme him against Satans temptations as Christ did with scriptum est it is written 6. If he finde a desire of perseverance therein to the end which is discerned by his spiritual growth from grace to grace bringing forth more fruit even in age as Christ testifieth of the Church of Thyatira more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 For he that beleeveth in
the life present 1 Tim. 4.8 and of that which is to come The manner how it worketh this assurance is 1. It assureth us that there is a life eternal for that is an article of Christian Faith the close and sweet conclusion of our Creed 2. It assureth us that we are they who shall by the free gift of God be made heirs of this heavenly Kingdom reposita est mihi corona justitiae 3. It applieth all the promises of God to those several graces in us Thus I mourne therefore I shall be comforted I am pure in heart being washed in the blood of Christ Therefore I shall see God I hunger after righteousnesse ergo satisfied I love God ergo all things work together for my good I beleive ergo I shall be saved 4. It assureth our perseverance to the end in our love and obedience yea Faith assureth our faith to us For beleiving in the Author is beleiving in the finisher of our Faith 5. It stayeth us in expectation of the fruit of our Faith that though the Vision do tarry yet we think it not long to waite for the performance of it Having heard of the excellent use of Faith you cannot but observe the reason why Sathan doth aime all his fiery darts at our Faith because all our obedience and righteousnesse and holinesse is quickened and strengthened by Faith without which it is impossible to please God There is nothing in a Christian man that so much provoketh Sathan against him as his Faith For Faith keepeth us from being devoured of this roaring Lyon Therefore two assault we must provide for 1. Sathans labour to keep us from getting this sheild of Faith 2. His sound care when we have gotten it to rob and spoil us of it 1. Assault Sathan knowing that our Faith makes us too strong for him and quencheth all his fiery darts doth therefore all he can to keep us from the means by which Faith is increased in us That is from hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament from meditation from prayer and as often as you find your selves tempted to neglect these know it to be Sathans malice against you to keep you from Faith The brest-plate of righteousnesse without a sheild of Faith is not sufficient to keep off the fiery darts of Sathan from wounding us but Faith quencheth them They therefore that live in the love and in the use of those means may comfort themselves that Sathan shall not be able to hinder them from obtaining a comfortable vegetation and growing up in Faith 2. Assault And whereas he laboureth to wrest our Faith from us we shall find that both his cunning and strength will fail him for saving Faith cannot be lost To establish our Faith let us know that imperfect Faith may be a sound and true Faith for we cannot attain to perfection in this life but if we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 we may have boldnesse with God For as Christ prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail so he prayeth for his whole Church even for all that shall beleive in him through his Word Joh 17.26 that the love wherewith the Father hâ—th loved him may be in them and he in them Which love will keep us that we fall not off quite from him We are not denyed the use of riches honours or lawful pleasures these be ornaments and comforts of life but we cannot live by them they perish in the using of them Our obedience and good works are the fruits of Faith we live by Faith Faith lives in obedience for without works Faith is dead Did we but know the unvaluable price of Faith we would seek it more then all other things and like the Merchant in the Parable Mat. 13 44 we would part with all we have to purchase Faith I conclude with St. Bern. Dicamus fidem vitem virtutes palmites Botrum opus devotionem vinum Our vine yarder hath bestowed much digging and planting and composing and fensing upon this Vine let it put forth and let the clusters call it fruitful and let the Vine please both God and men Now that we have searched this gracious mine of comfort and found the rich vein which maketh us able to live both here and hereafter Let me admonish you what is objected against the Doctrine delivered out of this place Ribera a learned Iesuite when he cometh to this Text in his full commentary upon this Prophet saith Incidimus in locum qui est lapis offensionis duabus domibus Israelis hoc est orthodoxis haereticis qui recesserunt à domo David It greives the Church of Rome that we have so clear a Text in th is Prophet and that so much urged in the Epistles of the Apostles for our justification by Faith alone and Ribera is much deceived if he mean us under the tittle of haeretiques for this place is no offence to us It is the most comfortable doctrine that we can embrace nothing doth more set forth the excellency of Faith nothing doth more assure to us our eternal life Fain would Ribera have shifted off the clear evidence of this place with this illusion that the Prophets meaning is this The just man that is the man that desireth to be just shall live the life of grace by the Faith whith he hath in Christ Jesus We understand that a man is justified only by Faith and that without the Law as the Apostle doth also teach And it were a poor comfort to the Church in their distresse to tell them that the just man should live by his Faith except the Lord in that promise did assure them the comforts not only of the naturall but of the spirituall and eternal life Neither would the Apostle urge this Text but with these contents For exexamine the places where these words are urged and it wil appear The Apostle professeth Rom. 1.17 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ c. For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written Justus ex fide vivet the just shall live by his faith The Gospel is said to reveal the righteousnesse of God he cannot mean the essential righteousnesse by which God is justice it self in his divine nature but he doth understand that righteousnesse of which the Apostle speaketh who is made unto us wisdom Righteousnesse c. that is Christ our Righteousnesse and this is called the grace of God which bringeth salvation This is revealed now in the cleare light of the Gospel in real performance which was before exhibited in visions and dreams and types and ceremonies whilst the veyle was up It is revealed from faith to faith As Origen and Chrysostome truly enough but not enough fully Ex side veteris testimonii in fidem novi as Ambrose Ex fide Dei promittentis in fidem hominis credentis But most fully Ex fide incipiente in
infatiablenesse is pride of heart 2. The disease it self is infatiablenesse 1. Of the ground it is pride This is resembled to drunkennesse it is a spiritual giddinesse wherein men lose themselves and as the drunkard doth both think and speak and do those things which betoken madnesse his reason and understanding and judgment and memory failing and is wholly governed by his fancy so the proud man made drunk with the wine of his over weening as a man beside himself is transported with his own self-opinion Isa 28.1 to do things unseemly as the drunkard doth The Prophet reproving the pride of Ephraim doth use this resemblance Wo to the Crowne of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim And again Ver. 3. The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden underfoot And after They are drunken Isa 29.9 but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink Thus doth pride rob us of our wits and we say of the proud man that he doth not know himself Wine and strong drink moderately taken do comfort the heart of man but when we over-drink we cease to be our selves so is it with self love for every man by the law of charity is bound to love himself and to love himself first when this love doth not ooverflow the banks it is charity when it exuberateth it is pride All sober men do esteem drunkards vile and account drunkennesse a loathsome sin let the proud man see himself in that glasse for the drunkard is the picture of the proud man 1. Drunkennesse makes men think themselves very wise and such as flie the conference of their betters when they are sober in their drink care not with whom they do contest and regard no mans presence So the proud man is wise in his own opinion Salomon saith There is more hope of a foole then of him 2. Drunkennesse maketh many apt to quarrel Who hath contentions the answer next verse They that tarry long at the wine Pro. 23.29 And so is it with the proud man for he that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife Vers 30. Pro. 28.25 3. The drunkard whilst he is in his Cups is not to be admonished Abigail durst say nothing to Nabal whilst the wine was in his head And the proud man is too full of himself to hear any good counsel 4. David hath two complaints The drunkards made songs of me The proud have had me exceedingly in derision so both of them sit in the chair of the scornful Ps 1â—9 51 5. They are alike in their punishment in this world for The drunkard and the proud man are both rewarded with contempt all that walk in good ways are ashamed of them and avoid their company A mans pride shall bring him low Pro. 29.23 Pro. 21.17 Pro. 15.25 1 Cor. 8.10 He that loveth wine and oyle shall not be rich 6 They are alike in the last judgment for The Lord will destroy the house of the proud And the Apostle faith of drunkards that none such shall inherit the Kingdome of God You see how like they be both in culpa in poena fault and punishment Therefore humility is our lesson and we shall find it an hard lesson to take out now in the over-grown pride of our times wherein contrary examples do grow so thick It is a great part of the study of many to out-shine their neighbours in glorious buildings gay apparel rich furnitures of their houses this kind of pride hath done much hurt especially in the ruine of 1. Charity which had wont to cloath the naked feed the hungry refresh the thirsty and minister to the necessities of the poor brother 2. The ruine of Justice which gives every one his own I fear if many proud and gay persons that slant it in bravery of rich shew should do so their feathers restored they would be found naked 3. The ruine of Temperance which prays give me not poverty give me not riches give me things convenient for me for they be fools in the judgment of the wife men that die of prosperity 4. The ruine of Religion for godlinesse is not it self without contentednesse You have heard how deceitful a vanity pride is The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee I hasten to the second point the disease Infatiablenesse It is set forth in two resemblances 1. The proud man is resembled to hell 2. He is resembled to death These are two things that cry Give Give and are never satisfied Observe wherein soever any man or woman is proud if they do know any bounds Is it pride in apparel who was ever fine enough do we not see the richest stuffe laid and overlaid almost hidden with rich adornment of triming and when the stuffe may call the wearer proud the trimme and fashion may resemble them to the grave and hell and shall testifie against them that nothing can satisfie them and yet to this they adde often change I do not say much change of rich apparel but changing often in the wearing I have heard of two or three-shifts in a day These be they that entertain every forrain fashion and naturalize out-landish formes amongst us Christ will one day tell some body I was stark naked and you clothed not me The ambition that all sorts and degrees of men and women are sick of is a desire to exceed their own rank in shew The Country striveth with the City as farre as their markets will bear it out the City with the Court these encroachments put pride to shifts for when Mechanicals come so fast upon the ancient Gentry of the Land usurping both their shew and title almost ashamed of the name of their trades and occupations that have made them so fine The Gentry are put to it to streine their tenant one note higher to enable them to the start and their rifâ—ing and growth must put on the Nobility and make them mend their pace Thus unsatiably do we strive to out-go our selves that goodly inheritances are worne out and vanity doth end in misery in many in them it continueth with scorn and disdain And when you have made your selfe as fine as you can you will come a great many degrees behind Solomon in his royalty yet Solomon was not clothed like one of the Lilies of the field Thus insatiable is the pride in buildings a vanity which ladeth the earth here and there with specious spacious piles of brick and stone wherof the owners have scarce the pleasure of beholding the same with their eyes being afraid of the hospitality that should correspond that great shew of room The proud in beauty declare themselves insatiable in striving to mend Gods work by art In pretio quondam ruga senilis erat the aged wrinkles were wont to be held in honour But if there be any help for it now time shall be spent in study how to hide and conceale the ruines of time The pride mentioned in my text is of
power which every one desireth and few do know how to manage The Chaldaeans having obtained some victories are now ambitious to be lords of all the earth It is said of Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes he sits studying how he may get the next Kingdom to him to make himself strong enough to bid the next King battel and to get the conquest of him that the fear of his power may make the next King yeeld himself And Alexander when he had conquered the world sate down and wept that there were no more worlds left for him to conquer The Bishop of Rome from a Diocesan Jurisdiction hath swelled by degrees partly by his own ambition partly by the connivence of Princes to an universal Hierarchy and his Parasites make him the man to whom belongs Omnia subjecisti pedibus ejus thou hast put all things under his feet His eldest son hath fairly dilated his empire we know that in 88. he had not enough he would have faine been dividing of Shechem and meating out the valley of Succoth In inferiour places how are men transported with desire of power and command and how unsatiable in that desire witnesse the many offices the various employments which some have desired and obtained to be congested on them I say no more of this unsatiable gulf of desire then my text saith it is like two things that they love not Hell and Death Death is not satisfied but with all it is named last in my text as the greediest of the two hell desires all the ungodly of the earth it is a pit digged for the ungodly But death swalloweth all Statutum est omnibus semel mori what man liveth and shall not see death So insatiable is the desire of power This resemblance doth shake the strength of that desire much if we think upon it well I labour and strive to get many under my command and death is labouring together with me to bring me to the grave and if I do not use my power to the glory of God and the good of my brethren hell is as busie and as greedy to devour me This is one of the crying sins of our Land insatiable pride this makes dear rents and great fines this takes away the whole cloathing of many poore to adde one Lace more in the suits of the rich this shortens the labourers wages and addes much to the burthen of his labour This greedinesse makes the market of spiritual and temporal offices and dignities and puts well-deserving vertue out of countenance This corrupts Religion with opinions justice with bribes charity with cruelty it turns peace into schisme and contention love into complement friendship into treason and sets the mouth of hell yet more open and gives it a new appetite for more souls The use of all is the doctrine of contentation as we professe that we have our being not of our selves but of God In him we live move and have our being He made us and not we our selves so let us be content with his provision for us It was Satans first suggestion to Adam for so he had formerly corrupted himself and lost his first estate to suggest pride he would shew man a way how to be like God and then all the fruits in the garden would not content him he must taste also of the forbidden fruit Haman was as high as the favour of the King could advance him Hest 5.13 and yet he confest All this doth me no good Pope Julius the third was forbidden to eat Pork by his Physitian and no other dish would please him he commanded it to be set before him in despight of God Therefore hear the Apostle Is is good to have the heart stayed or established with grace Heb. 13.9 and not with meats which have not profited them c. The grace of contentment is like the ballast of the ship which gives herher trimme and makes her strong and jocund upon the great waters Faith doth bring us to God it stoopeth us to him it fastneth us upon him Pride maketh us shift for our selves and divideth us from God he offereth his wings to such and they will not be gathered together Let us know that we are never past the wings of Gods protection here and therefore let us resort humbly to them for there is safety and rest and sufficiency of all good things Let us remember we call him our Father and therefore we may cast our care upon him Let us know and remember that nothing but God can fil us we are like broken vessels that can hold nothing without he fashion us behind and before we are like fusty vessels that corrupt all things we receive without he purify our hearts by Faith we are leaking vessels that let go all things without he calce us and make us teight We are bottomlesse bagges wide-mouthed to take in but unbottomed to retain any thing except he do give us contentment to stay our stomaks and to remove from us 1. An inordinate love of that which we have 2. An inordinate desire of more 3. An inordinate use of all The punishment will be terror domini the terrour of the Lord. Vers 6. Shall not all these take up a Parable against him and a taunting Proverb against him and say woe to him that increaseth that which is not his how long and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vexe thee and thou shalt be for booties unto them 8. Because thou hast spoyled many nations all the remnant of the people shall spoyl thee because of mens blood and for the violence of the land of the city and all that dwell therein 2. The punishment of pride now followeth Concerning the Words SHall not all these take up a Parable against them By all these he meaneth all those whom the King of Babylon and his Chaldeans have troubled and persecuted and all lookers on also By taking up of a Parable which word is rendered by Apophthegma a grave and wise speech is here meant declaring that the wisdom of men shall check the pride of the Babylonians and proclaime them vain The taunting Proverb which the seventy render here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Dicterium a bitter quip uttered in an aenigmaticall manner of speech a secret gird full of salt and sharpnesse where under some obscurity of words is secretly couched some galling and cutting tartnesse of meaning We must search this speech for two things for here must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise saying and here must be a taunt and salt taxation in some obscure and aenigmatical speech The first is in the former words wherein he denounceth a woe to him that makes up his heap wich other mens goods and he cryeth to him how long taxing his insatiablenesse The sharp and salt reproof is in these words And to him that ladeth himself with thick clay For first wherein he
readeth This taunting speech against the King of Babel How hath the oppressor ceased the golden City ceased c. You see in derision she is called the golden City Isa 14.4 And after All they shall speak and say unto thee Vers 10. Art thou also become weak as we art thou also become like unto us How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Vers 12. c. Thus the great glory of the mighty Monarchy is become ludibrium vulgi fabula mundi the scoffe of the vulgar and the tale of the world So Jeremy declareth that this shall be one part of the punishment of Babylon she shall be laughed to scorne read at your leasures the 50. and 51. of Ieremy Amongst many salt and sharp taunts spent upon Babel this is one for a taste Babylon is suddenly fallen Jer. 51.8 and destroyed howle for her take balm for her paine if she may be healed It is Davids phrase But thou O Lord shall laugh at them Psal 59 8. thou shalt have all the heathen in derision It was no small part of the passion of Jesus Christ the subsannations and scornful derisions of his enemies they made sport with him as the Philistims did with Sampson Thou that couldest build the Temple Come down c. It pleaseth God sometimes to suffer his good servants to be tongue â—â—â—itten as we see in the example of David and of Jeremy and Job and others And we have many examples of his permission of it in the punishment of the wicked This doth not justifie contumelies or make libels and scandalous derisions lawful but it declareth them to be the rods of God Therefore let men tender their reputations and do that which is right in their places be they high or lo that they may not deserve ill of the times in which they live that they may have good report of all men and of the truth it self Amongst other things which by way of caution we may take warning of 1. Let them that would live out of the danger of scorne and derision apply themselves to glorify God in their bodies and in their souls and to honour him for God hath spoken it He that honoureth me him will I honour 1 Sam. 2.30 but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 2. Let such take care that they be no despisers of their brethren that they sit not in the chaire of the scornful for the wages of the scorner is scorne and they that trust in themselves and despise others go away from the sight of God unjustified Can pride have a fall and the lookers on not laugh them to scorne 3. Let such keep a good tongue in their own heads for many fair pretenders of Religion and outward professors are as long as Pambo in Eusebius taking out of that lesson from David Servabo circa os meum capistrum ne peccem lingua I will set a watch c. It was in fashion while that they that sought as they pretended Reformation of the Church sought it in the way of libelling and breaking jests upon the Prelates and Malignants of the Church But St. James telleth us That if any among us seem to be religious Jam. 1.26 and refraineth not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 4. Let such take out the lesson of the Apostle Cor. 4.6 Let their speach alway be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer every man This is the seasoning of wisdom from above which being the breath of the holy Ghost which is the spirit of meeknesse doth rather put the burthens of our brethren upon us in Christian compassion then heap burthens upon them in spight and disdain 2. Yet I do not determine all sharp and satyrical tartnesse of speach unlawful the acrimonie of a taunt hath sometimes due place and it may be some of the fire from Gods own Altar when they do not proceed from anger envy desire of revenge vaine ostentation of wit flattery of others whom it may please pride of our own hearts When Adam had transgressed and God had laid his curse upon him God said Behold the man is become like one of us to know good and evill Gen. 3.22 St Augustine saith Verba sunt insultantis quòd non solùm factus fuerit qualis esse voluit sed nec illud quod factus fuerat conservavit God derideth the folly of man fallen away from him It is said of Eliah And it came to passe at noon that Eliah awaked them 1 Reg 18.27 and said cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or hee is in a journey or peradventure hee sleepeth and must bee awakeed So the Prophet Isaiah plays upon the Idolmakers and Idolaters as if he had one of our Papists in hand For he sets a man upon the stage having cut down a tree He burneth part of it in the fire Is 44.16 with part thereof he eateth flesh he rosteth rost and is satisfied yea he warmeth himself and sayeth Aha I am warme I have seen the fire And the residue thereof he maketh a god Vers 17. even his graven image he falleth down to it and worshippeth it and prayeth to it and saith deliver me for thou art my god You see what sport the Prophet maketh with Idolaters and sure he had the Spirit of God The Apocryphal book of Baruch 6. chap. is a very pleasant bitternesse against Idols and Idolaters Surely this example in my Text is justifiable for it taxeth the covetous oppressours of the earth for fools that take so much pain and do so much wrong to load themselves with thick clay But is it not an injury to Almighty God Object to set no higher price and to give no better tittle to the richest of all mettels that which God himself was pleased should be used in the choice vessels and ornaments of his own house then thus to indignifie it I answer Sol. the Prophet doth not indignifie the creature but as God said to man Pulvis es thou art dust and he told him true out of what materials the frame of his body was built so it is no disgrace to gold to call it thick clay it being no other in the matter of it And howsoever good use may be made of these outward riches yet are they never to be esteemed for themselves but for their use which if men on earth could once understand and beleive they would not set their hearts upon them Saint Peter calleth them Corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Tim. 6.57 Saint Paul calleth them Vncertain riches Every man is easily drawn to study and labour to the getting of this burthen and so insatiable in desire that few say with Esau I have enough There is a singular wisdom in the use of riches which few do seek because they do not understand for what this thick clay serveth In the Latine phrase all those
things which we use are called impedimenta Impediments for as the baggage of an army is of necessary use yet hindereth the speed of their march so do our riches they are the faculties of well-doing yet we can hardly attaine the wisdom to keep them from being hinderances and let to us in our journey homewards They serve us for fame and reputation for they support our credit in the world They serve us for shew for they furnish the table with dainties the back with bravery c. They serve us for custody to lay up for posterity They serve for dole and distribution to be bestowed upon good uses They serve to buy out dangers and to deliver us from evils They serve to make us freinds And they that can plaister their wals with this thick clay may keep off many a storme and much foul weather Yet we have seen that all rich men are not happy even in the things of this life Tully saith of Rabirius Posthumus Jn studio rei amplificandae non avaritiae praedam sed instrumentum bonitati quaerebat that is the best use of them We see in this example that the wals of Babel though plaistered and the roofs tyled with this thick clay so as it was called the golden City could not priviledge it from ruine and contempt Therefore let us not strive and study by indirect means nor take too much and immoderate care by direct means to overload our selves with this thick clay we shall carry none of it away with us when we dye and we are not sure that they shall enjoy it to whom we would fainest leave it The third punishment of Babel doth shew that this thick clay hath wings It is subject to spoile It makes Babel a good booty for when those spunges have suckt in their full draught many of them come to the wringing and squeezing till they be left dry There be such in the world as study the emptying of those full vessels and find means to spring a leak in them This fall from plenty and fulnesse to want from honour to low condition from power and command to subjection and awe makes the proud man a scorne to the world for to out-live riches and honour and power and to see others deckt in our trappings whereof we had wont to be so proud this pricks our bladder and le ts out all the wind and leaveth us lank and empty This is the justice of Gods proceeding against the proud whom he resisteth as you hear out of Obadiah in the example of Edom and see now in the example of the Chaldeans As they that despise others are now punished with contempt so they that spoiled others are now punished with spoile One while the hand is receiving bribes as fast as it can to get all and in a moment the same hand is giving of bribes as fast if it be possible to save some If therefore there be no better hold to be taken of these outward things which make many so proud if riches increase set not thine heart upon them use them rather then keep them Yet this is a great comfort to all that are oppressed by the proud tyranny of men God is still good to Israel even to all that have true hearts Psa 125.3 and the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous God will find a time to spoile the spoyler and to strip him out of all There is neither wisdom nor counsel nor strength against the right hand of God that right hand wil find out all his enemies Greatnesse and power are fearful to the common man yet nothing can restrain either the thoughts of men and their judgments but that they will search into the actions of the Highest and observe what is done according to the rules of justice and wherein Religionand Iustice are wounded Nothing can hinder but that where men may dare to communicate their thoughts to faithful ears there the scroul of greivances will be unfoulded and the unjustice of tyrannicall oppressions will be laid open Nothing can hinder the vengeance of our just God the King of all the earth but that he will take the matter into his own hands and deliver the oppressed and spoil the spoiler Oppressours must dye then will their names stink and be abhorred of posterity and there will be black records made of them in the books of time when God putteth his hand to the spoiling of them he will spoil them in all that they trusted in 1. In their Friends they shall fall off and be the first that shall help to strip them 2. In their Honours every man shall put an hand to the casting of dust upon them 3. In their reputations their names shall be hateful upon the face of the earth 4. In their posterity God shall curse their seed and never trust any of them again with his power or the execution of his judgments Only let the oppressed wait the leasure of God for this the Vision is for an appointed time but it will come to passe it will not fail Vers 9. Woe to him that coveteth an evill Covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil 10. Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soul 11. For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it 12. Woe to him that buildeth a towne with blood and stablisheth a city by iniquity 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of hoasts that the people shall labour in the very fire the people shal weary themselves for very vanity 14. For the earth shal be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the sea These words do taxe the Chaldaeans with another sin and denounce a punishment against it Concerning the words Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousnesse to his house THere is a good covetousnesse which engrosseth the treasure of spiritual graces of which the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covet the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 Here is desire with intension it must be zeal and zeal with aemulation striving to be before others that no man get precedence of us therein but the things desired be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such gifts are given of free grace But that covetousnesse is evil to a mans house that is to his estate and family and posterity which is joyned with ambition of height That he may set his nest on high to be above others Which is joyned with distrust in God and trust in things temporal that he may be delivered from the power of evil Believing that honour and high place will set him out of the reach of misery Thou hast consulted shame to thy house in cutting off much People Vers 10. Here is another sin added to covetousnesse and ambition cruelty and
my People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Again this Take heed least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 The heart that distrusteth in God departeth from him therefore he saith it is a People that do erre in their hearts because they have not known my ways The corruption then is in the heart for if that did love truly it would trust God wholly for where we love faithfully we trust boldly But the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 That answereth his question Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Infidelity is the root of all evils in us for we cannot fear any threatning where we do not believe any danger We cannot hope for any benefit where we do not believe any promise for infidelity doth take away all wise do me from us This makes us to withdraw our selves from the Lord and it is a note of the wicked man neither is God in all his wayes Thus saith the Lord Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert Vers 6. and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord Vers 7. and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be a tree planted by the waters Vers 8. and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leafe shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yeilding fruit I need not say more of this Argument Here is reason enough given why you should commit your way to the Lord why you should cast your care upon him why you should not leave him to trust to your selves David saith He made us and not we our selves he saw us imperfect in the wombe he fashioned us Thy hands have made me and fashioned me he took me from the Wombe He addeth Vpon thee have I depended ever since I hung upon the breasts of my mother When we are hungry he giveth bread that strengthneth mans heart When we had not wit and understanding to shift for our selves who fed and cloathed and preserved us then surely his hand is not shortned but his arme is stretched out still Suppose that without him we could get bread Man liveth not by bread only Suppose that without him we could sowe much seed It is only he that giveth increase Let us observe the examples of Gods judgments upon such as forsake God and trust their money or their friends or corrupt means to preserve them One day telleth another The Chaldaeans trust not in God their own net is their god their own yarn is their idol they kisse their own hands But fear yee the Lord all his Saints and trust in him for he never faileth them that trust in him I have blamed some for buying and selling on the Sabbah They have answered that they are poor and are forced to it to help to feed them Is not this infidelity they dare not trust God for their meat they dare trust to their own ways against the precise Commandment of God Unlawful recreations on the Sabbath are so defended poor labouring men that work all the six days must have some time to refresh themselves But I would fain know by what indulgence they may dispense with the law of the Sabbath God hath bidden thee to remember to keep the whole day holy if thy recreations be holy thou keepest the law if unholy thou breakest it When some are detected of fraud and theft their plea is their necessity Here is a root of infidelity for doth God lay a necessity upon any man to break his law He hath laid on thee a necessity of labour if that will not do he hath given the rich charge of thee The truth is that this root of infidelity doth yet remain in the hearts of most of us and is the cause of all the sins that are committed For the light of the Gospel doth shine much more clear now then ever it did in this land and the knowledge of the truth is more spred then ever before here Yet never was there greater corruption of manners nor more cunning shifts devised for the advancing of mens particulars The crying sins of the Jews Injuries done between man and man Corruption and contempt of Religion Corruption of Justice To all these our land doth plead guilty Where 's the fault Have you not heard have you not been taught the ways of the Lord have you not been admonish't of your duty have you not been chidden and threatned for these things hath not the seal of Gods judgments written within and without with lamentations mourning and wo been opened and read to you Hath not God rained examples thick of his justice and judgment against high and low for these things why then is not this amended There is a root of infidelity we do not we dare not trust God and from hence comes 1. In some Atheisme they live without God in the world 2. In others Epicurisme they live all to delight 3. In others temporizing and following and serving men 4. In others heresie embracing their own opinions 5. In others Apostacy from religion and faith 6. In others hypocrisie seeming what they are not 7. In most carnal security not caring for threatnings 8. In many wilful ignorance not caring for the knowledge of God But thou man and woman of God fly these things know the Lord the more thou knowest him the more thou lovest him the more thou servest him the more thou trustest him and the more he blesseth thee 2. Ambition that he may set his nest on high Ambition is a limbe of pride and it is well set forth in my text it is a building of a nest on high it is but a nest that the ambitious man doth set up but he would have it high to overlook all yet that doth not make it safe for there be clouds that can carry fire from below to consume it and there is lightning from above to inflame it and there is tempests and strong winds to shake it And the axe is laid to the root of the tree in which the nest is built and with the fall of that tree the nest comes to the ground The highest tree for a subject to build his nest in is the favour of the Prince yet David saith Trust not in Princes for there is no help in them their breath departeth they return to the earth and their thoughts perish It may be that he that fitteth next in the
the eare c. 2. In respect of his permission for he hath chains to bind up Satan and his instruments and he can carry snares when he will to catch sinners This is not approbation but toleration for a time 3. It is of the Lord in respect of his will for he scourgeth a man with his own sins in just judgement and letteth the wicked wear out themselves with extreme labours for their punishment Whereas if he have a favour to any he cals upon them It is vain for you to rise up early Ps 127.2 to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for he giveth his beloved sleep And our Saviour saith Nolite sollicitiesse Be ye not careful But the Aegyptians shall gather Jewels of silver Ex. 14.25 and Jewels of gold together it is of the Lord and they shall pursue Israel into the sea and to make them work he took off their charet wheels that they drave them heavily 2. It is of the Lord that all their labour is lost For the Jewels of Gold and Jewels of silver which the Aegyptians have gathered the Israelites shall carry away And they and their chariots which they have driven long shall all be covered with the sea The Prophet putteth them together Thou shalt sow but thou shalt not reap Mic. 6.15 thou shalt tread the Olives but shalt not annoint thee with the oyle and sweet wine but thou shalt not drink wine For God professeth it I will walk contrary unto you Lev. 26 24 and punish you seven times for your sins It is a great wisedome in our labour to consider whither God be with us and walk with us or walk contrary to us Isa 57.2 For if we fear God and walk in his ways we are said to walk with God But if we do that which is evil in his sight and covet an evil covetousnesse to build our nests and to gather riches by unlawful means such as God in his word hath forbidden we shall see and find that God will walk contrary to us To proud man shall find that when he is at the highest God can cast him down The extortioner shall find that no bonds nor statutes will hold his debtors they will say we will break these bonds and cast away these cords from us The wanton shall find that the sins of his youth shall ake in the bones of his age and they that sow in wickednesse shall reap in shame There be many that meet with grievous inconveniencies in their life manifold crosses in their health in their friends in their children in the affairs of life especially such as concern their estate and they do not observe two things most of all to be heeded 1. That God walketh contrary to them and crosseth them 2. The cause why God doth so Here it is plain that these crosses are of the Lord and the Lord himself revealeth the cause and giveth account of his judgments for pride and covetousnesse c. Observe how the Prince of darknesse hath blinded our eyes 1. The sins that bring in profit and make the pot seeth 1. Suggest though Moses and his Prophets Christ and his Apostles do tell them that they are sins and such as lead the offenders to hell they will not believe them all against their profit but cry as the Ephesians did for Diana Great is Mammon this is called The deceitfulnesse of Riches Mat. 13.22 O Who hath bewitched the heart of man that he should value his soul for which Christ died at so low a rate that he will sell it for corruptible things So St. Peter cals and silver Forasmuch as yee know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold and silver 1 Pet. 1.18 2. These sins be thought little sins where they be confest 2 Suggest because they make a man able to make God some part of amends in almes and good works so the oppressour of his brethren turneth his oppressions into sacrifices as if oppressions of injury could be sacrifices of righteousnesse This suggestion seemeth supported by the words of Christ Give almes of such things as you have Luc. 11.41 and behold all things are clean to you So that he which hath congested wealth by oppression shall purifie all his goods by giving almes of part thereof They mistake our Saviour there observe him well he found the Pharisees faulty in this sinne here threatned with judgment for their outside was a fair Profession of Religion their inside was full of rapine and wickednesse 1. Our Saviour opposeth almes against rapine rapine corrupteth all the goods that we possesse even the fruits of our honest labours in our callings the fruits of our inheritance from our Parents goods unlawfully gotten from our brethren against the law and word of God do make all unclean they defile all and bring a rust and canker upon our treasure but charity by distribution of almes doth purifie and keep clean all our wealth 2. This charity must have matter to work upon and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such things as are in our power we may give no almes de alieno of what is anothers and there is nothing in our power to dispose of but what we may rightly call our own this utterly despaireth the hope of the oppressor that he may make a sacrifice of his rapines And farther whereas the custome of gathering wealth by injury which robbeth our brethren doth passe it over lightly as a small sinne let me tell you that ill-gotten goods do bring such a sin upon a man as cannot be purged but with two Pills 1. Unfained repentance 2. Just restitution Observe it in Zachaeus he joyned charity and restitution his charity was of his own goods Dimidium bonorum meorum Luk. 19.8 It is theft what soever is not Gods gift and nothing is the gift of God but what is warrantable by the law and word of God For this a man that feareth God will rather be Gods Lazarus and beg crumbs then the Devils Dives and fair deliciously 3. The oppressors of their brethren that live at ease 3 Suggest and rest in plenty and surfet drinking the sweat of their brethrens faces and to use the phrase of David drinking the blood of their brethren when any crosse or losse betideth them because they observe some formal customary profession and practice of Religion they smooth it over with this comfort that God doth exercise the patience of his servants in this life with some tryals To whom I say take heed be not deceived take not that for an exercise of thy patience which is a punishment of thy sin 1. Thou mistakest God he is not thy friend but is contrary to thee 2. Thou mistakest thy self thou callest thee the servant of God no Mammon is thy God for thou goest against the word of God to gather wealth It is but a false worship that thou givest to God God loves
drunkennesse call it good fellowship or making merry or keeping good company or whatsoever faire colours you will lay upon it it is drunkennesse It turns grace into wantonnesse and medicine into disease it maketh the body which should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost the very Cellar of Bacchus The evils that grow out of this sinne are many 1. The great Commandement is broken which biddeth us to love God above all things for the drunkard makes his belly his god and delâ—ghteth in his shame neither is God in all his ways of whom doth the name of God more suffer then of the drunkard and who do make lesse conscience of the Sabbath then such do who make that day of all other the most licentious the most lascivious despising the Commandment of God 2. It is a sin against himself who committeth it for he shameth himself to beholders he wasteth his estate hurteth his own body drowneth his understanding judgment memory and depriveth himself of the use of reason as Solomon saith Pro. 23.29 Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath rednesse of eyes They that tarry long at the wine At the last it biteth like a serpent Vers 32. Vers 33. and stingeth like an adder It corrupteth the affections and inflameth lust Thine eyes shall behold strange women It corrupteth the speech thine heart shall utter perverse things It maketh a man insensible of his punishment They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me Vers 35. and I felt it not It groweth into an habite and cannot be easily given over drunkennesse is like a quartane the dishonour of Physitians so it is the dishonour of Preachers they cannot cure it we would have cured the drunkard and he would not be healed When shall I awake I will yet seek it again as Saint Gregory saith qui hoc facit non facit peccatum sed totus est peccatum 3. It is a sin against our neighbour for it is a waster and consumer of the provisions which God hath given to nourish and sustain many and so he becomes a thief robbing the hungry and thirsty for it is panis pauperis vinum dolentis the bread of the poor and the wine of the sorrowful that is thus swilled and swallowed It toucheth upon the Commandment of murther for to take away life and to take away the means that should support life are so set that we can hardly draw a line between them It inflameth lust as Ambrose Pascitur libido conviviis vino accenditur ebrietate inflammatur it filleth the tongue with allkind of evil words which corrupt good manners turpiloquium multiloquium vaniloquium falsiloquium and where be the good names of men more foully handled then upon the ale-bench when a drunken Senate meeteth And to conclude it dishonoureth Parents for the laws of the Church and the laws of the Common wealth do forbid it and designe punishment for it Yet this sin is the Diana of our Ephesus and if all the Preachers of England do cry it down in Pulpits the Court of good fellowship will cry it up again though we shew you the serowl of God and open all the folds of it and read it to you written within and without with nothing but lamentations mourning and wo against this sin though we bind the sinners in this kind by the power given to us by Christ saying Whosoever sins yee retain they are retained yet do men run headlong into this sin without fear or wit But when sin is once grown into fashion we may stretch out our hands all the day long against it and spend our strength in vain yet I will not despair of a blessing upon our faithful labours against it and thus much I will undertake to do as the Apostle saith I will yet shew you a more excellent way I will yet shew you approved remedies against this sinne and there is no time of the year unseasonable for the soul to take Physick Remedia 1. Take Davids Physick I have kept thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Remed 1 for that word will answer the temptation as Ioseph did How then shall I do this great wickednesse and so sin against my God Remember the fearful threatnings of wo and judgement against this sinne Remember the day of judgment wherein every man must give account to God of himself and of all his ways remember the bitternesse of the latter end thereof all this is clearly denounced in the word of God Remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God for our God is even a consuming fire 2. Remedy is a constant Practise of mortification for they that humble their souls with fasting and chasten their bodies and bring them in subjection that watch and pray and call their sins every day to account and examine their consciences by the law of God he that doth these things well shall soon come to their diet of whom the Psalmist speaketh Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them tears to drink in great measure Psâ—l 80.5 Then thou wilt go mourning all the day long 3. Remedy is withdrawing thy self from such company as use drunkennesse from such places wherein it is used as Solomon adviseth Be not amongst wine-bibbers amongst riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty Prov. 23.20.21 and drowsinesse shall cloath a man with rags So Saint Paul chargeth the Corinthians But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater 1 Cor. 5.11 or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eat It is company that corrupts many there are few that love drunkennesse so well 1 Reg. 16.9 that they will sit down and drink themselves drunk as Elah king of Israel did but good fellowship spoils all and one pot draweth on another 4. Remedy is Let every man abide in the calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7.20 God hath given his Angels charge of thee to keep thee in all thy ways so it is said of a drunkard that he is out of the way for did he exercise himself in his calling within his way he could not miscarry The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour Pro. 21.25.26 he coveteth greedily all the day long 5. Remedy is a consideration of the hunger and thirst which Christ sustained on earth for thee and of the hunger and thirst which Christ yet in the members doth suffer Remember what he hath done for thee do not waste that unthriftily which would serve to relieve Jesus Christ he hungred to satisfie thee do not thou surfet to make him hungry he thirsted it was one of the last words that he
the Church and the Common-wealth Yet they that are thus overtaken do commonly excuse themselves that they have been amongst their friends but this pot-friendship which hath the power to divide a man from himselfe will scarce prove a glue strong enough to unite and knit him to another The kisses of such friends betray thee and thou maist say rather Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends It was Davids prayer let it be thine Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit Ps 141.5 and let him reprove me and it shall be a precious oyle that shall not break my head but Incline not mine heart to evill that I should commit wicked works with men that commit iniquity and let me not eate of their delicates nor drink neither It is a good observation of Cardinal Bellarm. here ubique nocet conversatio malorum sed nusquam magis quam in conviviis compotationibus This is no new danger but a disease of former ages infectiously transmitted by imitation to our times and in them grown epidemical Saint Ambrose describeth a surfetting and drunken meale De Helia Jenin 6.13 primo minoribus poculis velut velitari pugnâ praeluditur verum haec non est sobrietatis spes sed bibendi disciplina ubi res calere caeperit poscunt majoribus poculis certant pocula cum ferculis Deinde procedente potulongius contentiones diversae magna certamina quis bibendo praecellat Nota gravis si quis se excuset All you that call God Father and do desire either the honour of his name or the coming of his Kingdom or the fulfilling of his will make conscience of this great sin call it no longer good-fellowship for St. Ambr. saith vocatis ut amicos emittitis inimicos Ibid. c. 14. Vocas ad jucunditatem cogis ad mortem invitas ad prandium efferre vis ad sepulturam vina praetendis venena suffundis Say to him that tempteth thee to drink drunk vade retro me Sathana get thee be hind me Satan the Kingdom of God is not meate nor drink God shall finde thee out thou hast his woe upon thee and thou shalt see anon how he will punish thee 1. Ad quid ut videant nuditatem It is the boast of brave drunkards how long they have sat at it how many pots and pottles they have swallowed how many they have made drunk this is thy nakednesse Litterally drunkennesse doth make men do things uncomly some use this lewd practise to make way for their lust some to take advantages otherwise Modesty cannot utter what unclean provocations do arise from drunkennesse what lewd and unchaste actions are done what profane and filthy words are spoken Noah himself full of wine doth lie uncovered in his tent and sheweth his nakednes St. Ambrose complaineth of women That full of wine did come immodestly into the street singing and dancing Ibid. c. 18. irritantes in se juvenum libidines Coelum impuro contaminatur aspectu terra turpi saltatione polluitur aer obscenis cantibus verberatur O the miserable state of man in whom sin reigneth he is not only tempted to do evil horrible and shameful evil to drink drunk but to be his neighbours devil to draw him into evill by making him drunk and also this propter malum even to discover the nakednesse of his brother Some shew themselves in their pots like lyons furious and quarrelsome others are dull and heavy only serving for whetstones to sharpen the wits of the company others drowsie and sleepy others talkative every man in his humour all in their nakednesse To do evil that good may come of it is an heinous sin for God needs not Satans help But to do evil our selves to draw others into evil for so evil an end this doth make sin out of measure sinful 1. Take nakednesse literally for the discovering of those parts which modesty doth hide out of sight so after the transgression the man and woman saw that they were naked and they were ashamed being but themselves alone in the garden and they sowed fig-leavs together to hide their nakednesse from each others sight so much remained in them that having left primas sapientiae they yet retained secundas modestiae and could not for shame behold each others nakednesse The Apostle saith These members of the body which we think to be lesse honourable 1 Cor. 12.23 upon these we bestow more abundant honour and our uncomely parts have more abundant comelinesse The honour here meant is the decent hiding of their nakednesse and the modest covering of our shame Where the Apostle doth declare the care that is in the natural body the comely parts which need no hiding from sight do cover the uncomely parts from sight Therefore they that uncover nakednesse do shew themselves to be no members of the body so that such drunkards as give strong drink to their neighhour to this end to discover their nakednesse declare themselves to be no parts of the body of the Church Surely much nakednesse is discovered in many drunken meetings and no marvel when men and women having laid aside reason and temperance religion and the fear of God if they then turn beasts and do those things that are uncomely 2. Take this nakednesse in a spiritual sense then St. Ambrose will tell you Lib. de Noe Arca c. 30. Omnis impius quoniam ipsedevius disciplinae est aliorum lapsus pro sui erroris solatio accipit quod consortes invenerit culpae Then is the season for the Cosener to invade the purse of his neighbour for the cunning insidiator to take advantage of words to find out the infirmitits of his brother that he may keep him in aw thereby I cannot dive so deep into this mystery of iniquity as to declare all and again I fear to go farre in it least I might teach the ignorant sinner more cunning then he had before This I dare say that it is not love that maintaineth drunken acquaintance for true love is a coverer of nakednesse if literal you may see it in Sem and Japhet if spiritual you may hear it from the Apostle love covereth a multitude of sins And out of that love David weeps fot them that keep not the law It becomes them best in my text who know not God but were abominable and to every good work rebrobate to make men drunk to make them sport but these things must not be so much as named amongst those that call God our father that come to Church that hear the word that offer themselves to be guests at the Lords boord Bur I remember the wise man saith Rods be for the backs of fools What greater folly then to sell our inheritance in heaven for strong drink a worse bargain then Esaus and an harder penny-worth The rods for this are 2. Poena peccati the punishment of sin 1. Thou art filled with shame for glory 2. It shall be thine own
Heb 10.31 Thy right hand is full of righteousnesse Psal 48. That righteousnesse will give suum cuique to every one his own it payeth home he keeps it in his bosome of purpose to spare men and to give them time of repentance But I must tell you that the Saints of God are so impatient of the wrong done to the name of God that they cry unto him O God how long shall the adversary reproach Psal 24.10 11. shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosome 2. How he will punish 1. He will fill them with shame for glory which shame is further exprest Shameful spewing shall be on thy glory 2. He will punish them with their own sinne for he saith Drink thou also and let thy fore-skin be uncovered 1. With shame You are not to learn that all sin is folly and all sinners are fools but no transgressor in any kind doth more make a foole of himself then the drunkard doth for he proclaimeth his own shame as he walketh up and down the streets as he sitteth in the house his words his gestures his actions do all shame him as Solomon saith When he that is a fool walketh by the way his wisedome faileth him and he saith to every one that he is a foole Eccl. 10.3 so doth a drunkard shame himself by telling every one that he is drunk This were a great punishment if custome of sinning and multitude of sinners in this kind had not hardned the foreheads of them that transgresse in this kind that they feel not the rod of shame I may say with the Prophet of the drunkards of our days as he spake of the idolaters of his time Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay they were not ashamed Jer. 6.15 neither could they blush But let no man despise the good opinion of his neighbour sober men care not how little conversation they have with drunkards they seek to avoid them and all that fear God abhor their evil manners Yet they glory and boast how much themselves have drunk how many they have made drunk but as the Apostle saith Their glory is their shame And though they be not sensible of it in the heat of their wine and in the custome of their sinne the end thereof will be bitternesse for the wise man telleth them At the last it biteth like a Serpent Pro. 23 32 and stingeth like an adder When shame once begins to smart it goeth to the quick Remember Adam in paradise I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked Gen. 3.10 and I hid my self The Lord will come in the cool of the day to us and we shall hear his voyce in the evening of our time and then our â—hame shall come with a sting even the sting of servile fear and cast up our account What fruit then of those things whereof we are ashamed then is God even with you For he crieth out to you How long wilt thou turn my glory into shame Do not drunkards do so who make their bodies which should be the Temples of the Holy-Ghost the styes of uncleannesse The Holy Ghost you see is plain and homely in his phrase of speech these drinks which they poure into their bodies luxuriously shall not make their hearts glad they shall not comfort the stomack they shall not nourish the body The stomach shall complain of them as a wrong and cast them up as a burthen too heavy for it to bear nature it self shall exonerate it self and resist regest it in a shameful vomit And to use Gods own phrase God shall spew these workers of iniquity out of his mouth and all the service that they do to him he shall cast up again for he wil say nauseat anima mea my soul loatheth he is even sick of them and their service And if God once set upon us to shame us who then shall have pity upon thee O Jerusalem or who shall bemoan thee or who shall go aside to ask thee how thou dost Isa 15.5 2. He will punish them with their own sin Drink thou also and let thy fore-skin be uncovered 1. This calleth to your remembrance a doctrine formerly delivered out of Obadiah That God requiteth sinners with the same measure that they have measured to others 2. This reneweth also the remembrance of another doctrine there delivered that God ponisheth sin by sin as there Edom trusted in the help of men that was their fault and that God laid upon them after for a punishment So here the fault of the Chaldeans was their making men drunk that they might see their nakednesse and that is their punishment now they shall be drunk and their nakednesse discovered There I handled this question how God would be Author of this kinde of punishment and innocent in the sinne of the offendor Resolving it thus that God will withdraw his grace and forsake them that forsake him and leave them to the sourse and strong streame of their own corruptions as the Apostle saith God gave them up to uncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts Rom. 1.24 Vers 26. to dishonour their bodies For this cause God gave them up to vile affections We carry stuffe enough about us to punish us withall if God do but make rods of our own corruptions he will soone be armed against us You shall finde in that place of the Apostle that in man there are two things to which for sin they are yeelded up by God himself in his justice 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14. 2. Eis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These two do differ much for 1. Concupiscence is but a grudging of a disease but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the very strength of the fit 2. Concupiscence is within the heart and affections but this pathos is active and in operation and so corrupt the whole man God leaveth the wicked to both these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the minority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the strength of sin Thus as Augustine saith some sins are not tormenta peccantium but incrementa vitiorum and men do not feele any punishment Yet he that shall consider it well will find that Solomon means a punishment to the young man when he saith Rejoyce O young man in thy youth So doth the Holy Ghost saying Let him that is filthy be filthy still For if God let go the reines and leave us to our selves we are likely to bring our sin to a full stature It is a good use of this point which St. Paul teacheth Brethren Gal. 6.1 if any man be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a man with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted God hath a just hand in the moderation of the things of this world and of mens persons Hath not
God and the firmaments and the out goings of the morning praise him Therefore do we lift up our eyes to heaven when we pray we say that every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of lights Yet is not God so far off but that as heaven is his throne earth is his foot-stoole The Lord looketh from heaven Psal 33.13 he beholdeth the sonnes of men He is not so far off but if we pray to him Prope est invocantibus ipsum he is neer to them that call upon him And in this respect all the earth is a common oratory so is the sea for our prayers But as the perpetuall duty of a Religious service of God which doth require holinesse and righteousnesse all the days of our lives doth not take away the particular duty of the Sabbath neither doth the great hahitation of God in heaven abate any thing of his special presence both in the temples dedicated to his service and in every particular person which doth belong to the election of grace For so God saith I dwell with him that is humble and contrite in heart and he saith so presently after he had said I will dwell in the high and holy place in so much as St. Augustine upon those words of David exaudivit de templo sancto suo vocem meam saith Exaudivit de cordo meo in quo habitat Dominus vocem meam For know you not that you are the temples of the holy Ghost and that God dwelleth in you c. God is in heaven Per specialem gloriam He is in our Churches per specialem cultum He is in our hearts per specialem indulgentiam He is in his Word per specialem illuminationam In a word wheresoever is cultus dei there is vultus dei The use of this point is taught in the Text it is the second part of my Text. 2. The duty Let all the earth keep silence before him This as you heard is a postulation of reverence he doth not put us to silence that we shall say nothing for he hath commanded us to call upon him and invocation is a note of his children He saith hee shall call upon me and I will hear him The wise man doth help us to expound this Text Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any word before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth Eccles 5. Reg. lib. ver 2. Gen. 5.1 therefore let they words bee few So that temerity and rashnesse is here forbidden and reverence and holinesse required 1. Let us consider God in our Churches the temples of his holinesse there we are taught 1. Take heed that thou have not an unreverent opinion of the house of God St. Paul saith despise ye the Church that is Vse 1 the place set apart for the worship of God and that he meaneth so the place and not the company So Theophil loco ipsi infertis injuriam you do wrong to the place Lyranus est contemptus ecclesiae quae consecrata est divinis usibus the very words of that Text do shew it For our own houses and Gods house our houses for our common meals and Gods house for the Supper of the Lord are compared together 2. There must be in us a love of those houses of God God said of his holy City where his Temple was built here will I dwell Vse 2 for I have a delight therein It is Davids protestation for Ierusalem For the house of Gods sake I will seck to do thee good The heart never more desired the water-brooks then he did to go to the Tabernacle where God was my soul longeth and fainteth for them I was glad when they said to me come we will go up to the house of the Lord. 3. Let us prepare our selves before we come to Gods house for he is present there come not hand over head as thou wouldest go into thine own house consider if thou wert to go before thy Soveraign King how thou wouldest compose thy self that nothing in thy apparel in thy gesture in thy countenance in thy words might give him offence Wilt thou do lesse when thou art to appear before the Lord of Hosts who is the King of glory Micah saith Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord Mich. 6.6 and bow my self before the most high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings The old law was None shall appear before me empty When Iesse heard that David his sonne was sent for to King Saul 1 Sam. 16.20 I-sse took an asse laden with bread and a bottle on wine and a kid and sent them by David to Saul So Jacob sent a present to Pharaoh when his sons went the second time for corne Solomon saith and it is no news in our times A reward in the bosome pacifieth strong wrath we know what cause we have given our God to be angry with us let us think of it when we are to come and stand in his sight at Church Manus in sinu tuo manus in sinu dei He is not ashamed to ask it fili praebe cor 4. Take heed to thy foot when thou entrest into the house of God for the place where thou art entring is holy ground put off thy shooes that is all earthly and carnal affections and say with Iacob Gen. 28. quam terribilis est hiclocus this is no other but the house of God porta coeli 5. When thou art entred into Gods house remember thou art come before the face of God and his holy Angels into the place where God's honour specially dwelleth 1. It is enough thy heart be reverent let thy outward man expresse it also do not think that because the Papists do superstitiously adore the Crucifix and the Altar and idols therein therefore it is superstition to do worship to God every man that comes into anothers house doth in good manners salute the Master of the house where he enters the same may not a visible worship be due to the invisible God! O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker It is a godly custome if done in zeal of Gods glory with devotion and not in a customary formality to sanctifie our entrance into Gods house with Prayers to fall low upon our knees before God to invocate him for his blessing upon our selves upon our Minister upon the whole Congregation 2. Learn of the Apostle let all things be done decently and in good order compose thy outward man to all due reverence and conformity with the holy Congregation and thine inward man to all zealous devotion remember the meetings of the Saints in the primitive times of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not give God thy knee and thy tongue thine eye thine eare and thy hand thy whole outward addresse and keep thy heart from him and let thy thoughts go and wander from the service thou
art about Confesse your sins together pray together give thanks together confesse your faith the common faith together hear the Word together both read distinctly and preached profitably Remember that God speaketh in the Ministry of his Word and say with David I will heare what the Lord God will say Gather Manna whilst you may for you and your houses Take heed that Satan coole not your zeale of Gods glory by suggesting irreverent opinions of the Prayers and forme of service of the Minister of the Ceremonies of the Church or uncharitable opinions of the Congregation For all these be whips of Satans twisting to whip thee out of Gods Temple and to make the ordinances of God ineffectual Bring with thee an humble and contrite heart and say within thy self as St. Paul did I am the worst of sinners I am the worst Person in all this Congregation for I know mine own wickednesse and my sinne is ever against me Bring faith with thee that will shew thee the glorious and gracious face of God by that eye thou shalt see the sonne of God making intercession for thee and thou shalt feele the spirit of God helping their infirmities mingle faith with thy hearing and the word shall profit thee Hide the word in thy heart be not like a leaking vessel to let it out as fast as it is poured in Take heed of the cares of this life and voluptuous living least they choak the good seed of the Word when it cometh up In thy whole carriage at Church consider that the service is publick hoc age do all thou dost at Church according to the occasion separate not thy self from the body of which thou art apart by reading praying or any other meditation which may divide thee from the Congregation Tarry it out to the end and depart not without Gods blessing pronounced by his Minister to whom he hath given power from above to blesse in his name 2. God is in his holy Temple Let all the earth be silent before him This serveth for the direction of our whole life for 1. This dwelling of God declareth his Omnipotency The Lord is in heaven he doth whatsoever he will The earth is but as the drop of a bucket compared to the unbounded unsounded ocean of his fulnes of power and strength 2. This dwelling declareth the graciousnesse of God for every good and perfect gift cometh from above and unlesse the heavens heare the earth the earth perisheth utterly 3. This dwelling declareth the Omniscience of God there God standeth in the Congregation of God as upon a watch-tower and from the heaven the Lord beholdeth the earth the eye of the Lord is over all the world 4. This declareth the eternity of God so he saith The high and lofty that inhabiteth eternity which makes his purpose established with stedfast decree Isa 57.15 without variablenes or shadow of change a God that repenteth not his gifts and calling are without repentance 5. This declareth the wisedome of God for the Master of that house is the wisest as the Prophet saith of him He that ruleth that house well where the Angels dwell that excel in strength Isa 31.2 The Lord of Hoasts is his name and they are his ministring spirits how can it be but his wisedome is incomprehensible and his ways past finding out 6. This declareth his justice for there is the throne of judgement heaven is his Throne and all the holy ones give him that glory Even so Lord God Almighty Rev. 16.7 true and righteous are thy judgements To conclude 1. Tremble O earth at the presence of God who hath such power tempt not provoke not this power against thee he can rain snares but if he be thy father fear not there are more with thee then against thee 2. Love the Lord who is so rich in goodnesse and mercy who dwelleth in the storehouse of blessings and who giveth liberally with an open hand and filleth c. 3. Be jealous of thy words works and thoughts before the eye of jealousie which seeth all things 4. Be strong and God shall establish thy heart for he is unchangable whom he once loveth he loveth to the end that is finis sine fine 5. Let his wisedome guide thee and seek that wisedom which is from above ask it of him for he giveth it liberally and never upbraideth thee He upbraideth many with his gifts never did he any with the gift of his wisedome for that cannot be abused his grace may 6. Remember that for all that thou hast done in this life God shall bring thee to judgment every man shall give an account unto God of himself Felix trembled to hear this Let all the earth keep silence before this God A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON HABAKKUK HABAK. 3.1 A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Sigionoth THese wordes are the title of this Chapter shewing the contents thereof It is called a prayer and it is a Psalme or Hymne such as Davids Psalms the Heathen Poets call them Odes or Songs It is called the prayer or song of Habakkuk both as composed by him used by himself and addressed to the use of the people of God in their captivity in Babylon It is a song upon Sigionoth The Hebrews affirm this song to be one of the hardest places to interpret in all the old Testament because it is full of dark Parables such as could not be well understood till he came Who hath the key of David who openeth and no man shutteth Our former Translation readeth a Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet for the ignorances and it is expounded diversly Some understanding it a prayer to God for the pardon of all those sins which the people of God have committed ignorantly Others conceive thus that seeing the Prophet in the behalf of the Church in the first Chapter had taxed God of too much remisness toward his people in bearing with their sins and forbearing to punish them and then again fore-seeing how God in time would awake and punish them by the furious Chaldaeans hee doth as much tax the severity of God towards his Church Now that God in the second Chapter hath declared his justice in punishing his people and reveiled the decree of his vengeance against his and their enemies now the Prophet maketh this recantation and prayer for the ignorances because they not knowing the secret purposes of God have been so forward to judg his ways But we must admit this confirmation and the learned translators of the Kings Bible finding this to have been an errour in the former translations have followed the Originall more faithfully and call it The Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Sigionoth Some say this Sigionoth was some speciall instrument of Musick upon which this song was sung in the Church of God and the last verse of this Chapter saith To the chief singer on my stringed instruments For as Titleman saith in this Psal the Prophet Canendo orat orando
svavity of matter and order as is often involved in tropes and figurative and parabolicall Phrases so that all readers of holy Scripture finde the poeticall parts of the Bible exceeding difficult more then the historicall and morall Now where most cost is bestowed of search to finde out the meaning of the holy ghost and most delight is reaped it being found that doth tarry by us better and we hold it with strongest retention This pleaseth God well that we hide his word in our hearts that we do not runne it out in a leake This doctrine of the holy use of Poetry in the worship and service of God serveth Vse 1 To stir us up to affect the best gifts of all in Gods worship if there be any way more excellent then others to use that in our prayers and thanksgivings and prayses of our God I remember what David said to Araunah the Jebusite when he offered to give him his threshing floore to erect an altar upon it for God I will not offer a burnt Offering to the Lord my God 2 Sam. 24.24 of that which cost me nothing Let it cost us the highest straine of our invention the lowdest extension of the voice the earnestest intention of the heart we have nothing good enough for him all we have is of him let it be all for him and for the advancement of his glory 2 Seeing this kind of exercise of Hymns and Psalmes hath been by Gods holy Servants consecrated to the worship of God let us bestow our wit and inventions that way not in devising Satyres to gird and lash our Brethren not in amorous and wanton evaporations of our lustfull affections not in base flattery of the corrupt times and soothing of ungodly persons not in broaching and venting uselesse fictions the scumme and froth of idle and unsanctified brains but let our wits and pens be exercised in glorifying of our God and our readings rather bestowed in the Psalmes and Hymns of holy Scripture then in the vain and artlesse dull and brainlesse Ballads and Poems which fly abroad amongst us and devoure precious time which should be better spent and transport affections which should bend their strength to Gods service 2 I consider that this song of Habakkuk was directed to the Musician to be fitted to the stringed instruments so to be not onely sung but played in the meetings of the Church from whence I collect That Church-musique hath the honour of antiquity and of holy use also I need not prove this out of the old Testament for the examples grow so thick there that he hath read little in the Old Testament that hath not informed himselfe of the Churches use and practise therein We have Myriams consort Exod. 15.20 There were Timbrels and Dances all the women came out after them We have Jephthaes Daughters consort Judg. 11.34 meeting her victorious Father with Timbrels and Dances We have Davids full example in the Tabernable Solomons constitution for the full Musique of the Temple If any object that these be those old things which are done away but now all things are made new those were but shadows and ceremonies serving onely for those times but now antiquate and abolisht Let me tell them that in the time of the Gospell where the Church hath more cause of joy then ever it had before we can give no cause to abate any thing of Gods worship Who can deny but that the first tydings of the birth of Christ was proclaimed by an Angell and the Proclamation was seconded by a Quire of heavenly Souldiers even a multitude of them the whole consort of heaven praising God The Anthume which they sung is upon record in the living Book of the Gospell Gloria in excelsis Luke 2.14 Ob. But yet the singing and Musick of instruments in the time of the Law were shawdows of things to come at the coming whereof they must cease whereof then were they shadows It is answered of the inward and spirituall joy of the faithfull for the coming of the Messiah Sol. Had not then the faithfull before Christ this inward and spirituall joy and why should we which have it more in the inward man expresse it lesse in the outward worship Ps 48.10 David saith According to thy name so is thy praise to the ends of the earth Christ saith I have manifested thy name to them that thou gavest me doth it not follow well where there is manifestum nomen there should be manifesta laus The Church use to prayse God with instruments of Musick the Church hath more cause to prayse God since the coming of Christ then before why should any thing not repealed and forbidden to be used be neglected to manifest Gods prayse Ob. But all things in the Church must be done to edification Musick doth not edifie Sol. Then was it never of lawfull use in the Church and David and Solomon did ill to bring it into the Tabernacle and the Temple and the Church did as ill to contiune it if it be without edification But if ever it seemed for edification why not now as well as ever it is the same God that is now served whom they worshipped and as Augustine Tempora variata sunt fides vna times vary but faith is one how where and when did Musick loose that honour that use in the Church of God Ob. But it spendeth time which were much better bestowed in hearing the Word of God preached Sol. I answer it was used when much more was to be done in the Church then we have now to do and they thought it not tedious They had many Sacrifices to offer and the time spent in prayer and hearing of the word yet they use it Ob. But popish superstition hath so defiled it that it is not now fit to receive it in our Christian Churches Sol. I finde that our fathers before the coming of Christ were not so squeamish to like their own holy worship the worse because Idolaters did use some of their formes of worship for Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and that was worshipped with all kinde of stil and loud Musick yet that did not defile the holy worship of the Church It is a dangerous rule of religion to menage it by opposition they are not all opera Diaboli workes of the Devill which the devill doth for you know that he confest Christ which many Scribes and Pharisees did not They that condemne all that popish superstition hath also abused may want a candle to light them to bed I professe sincerly I cannot see but that the same motives that bgan to bring in Musick into the Church may hold it there still for any thing that I can see 1 In respect of God to glorifie him in the best manner that we can by any gifts of art or nature And Musick being one of them we see how much it hath decayed and how much Students in that excellent art have been discouraged from that
and was afraid In thy word I see how corrupt I am for that sheweth me what thou requirest my conscience feareth those sins of which it is guilty for which I come to thee for mercy O give me through Iesus Christ our Lord that which my prayer without him dare not presume to ask Here is spirituall boldness through Iesus Christ our Lord here is fear in respect of our selves for we must serve the Lord in fear and rejoyce in trembling it is vvell that that is not branded vvith a mark of contradiction We have to do vvith three sorts of persons 1 The prophane and carnall 2 The generation the Wise man nameth of such as are wise in their own eyes yet want washing 3 The truly zealous faithfull ones that do worship God with fear and trembling First concerning the prophane and carnall These do not pray at all the reason is because they do not fear Psa 9.20 of such David saith Put them in fear O Lord that they may know they are but men for when they know that they will see and confesse that they have need of help Thus was Saul converted there suddenly shoon a light from heaven upon him a voyce spake to him he was cast down to the earth Then trembling and astonished he said Lord Act. 9.6 what wilt thou have mee do then was hee fit to be wrought To such wee must preach as Paul did to Felix of righteousnesse Act. 24.25 temperance and the judgment to come to put them into trembling better to put them between the two mil-stones of the law of Moses and the lavv vvritten in their hearts and to grind them as small as the dust of the earth then to let them make sinne out of measure sinfull by holding out to be abominable and to every good vvork reprobate We cannot open the gates of hell too vvide for such to shevv them the anger to come a fit text for a generation of Vipers vve cannot lift up our voyces too loud in the deaf ears of such to tell them their transgressions and to put them in fear David vvept rivers of vvaters for such and that is a good remedie let the faithfull vveep for them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich signifieth to vveep comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frango So vvhen the man of God looked on Hazael 2 Reg. 8.11 and fore-savv the cruell butcheries vvhich his bloody hand should perform he vvept this vveeping of the Prophet brake the heart of Hazael for the time and he said Is thy Servant a dog that he should do these things So St. Paul putteth them together What mean you to weep and to break my heart Act. 21.13 their vveping brake his heart The hearts of the prophane are hardened with the custome of sinning St. Bernard Aperiatur vena ferro compunctionis vve must dravv bloud of them by the preaching of the terrour of the Lord to them This bloud is the tears of compunction of vvhich David My soul melteth or drippeth for heaviness St. Augustine saith that Lachrymae compunctionis be sanguis vulnerati cordis Epist 199. vvhen the remembrance and consideration of their sins hath vvounded them and left them half dead then the good Samaritan vvill come vvith his Wine and Oile even the Oile of gladnesse and the poor patient vvill say Thou hast put gladnesse into my heart This was Sauls hard heart broken in pieces first and he that before did carry the crosse of Christ to torment others now rejoyced in nothing but the crosse of Christ himself whereby the world was crucified to him and he to the world Thus vvhen the lavv hath humbled the prophane under the mighty hand of God he turneth all into tears full of the fear of God and vovveth vvith himselfe as he did in the Poet In fontem frontem atque in flumina lumina vertam then is he fit to pray and to call upon the name of the Lord saying Sana animan mean quia peccavi contrate heal my soul O Lord for I have sinned against thee 2 Wee have to doe vvith that generation vvho are vvise in their ovvn eyes these have a good opinion of themselves that they knovv more then others and they are not in conversation like to the Publican and therefore they look God in the face they dravv neer to him they stand and pray these are so ful of the spirit that they need no help in their prayers they can pen their ovvn petitions their hearts endite good matters their tongues are the pens of ready vvriters they can talk vvith God Almighty ex tempore Dabitur illa hora. Self-opinion is a kind of spirituall drunkenesse and therein of like effect it maketh men daring and fool-hardy the prophane care not for God there is no fear of God before their eyes these make tvvo bold vvith him they also must take a little physick to purge the exuberancy of their presumption vve must give them a doze of fear and teach them to drink of the cup of trembling next their hearts there is no such antidote against tumor as timor swelling as fear It is the Wise mans counsell Be not rash with thy mouth Eccle. 5.2 and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before the Lord for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few He addeth Vers 3. a fools voice is known by multitude of words that is further urged In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin Prov. 10.19 For this Christ teaching us to pray beginneth at Our Father which art in heaven that we upon earth might consider that he to whom we pray is in Heaven that we might compose our selves with fear and reverence to come before him and to present him with our prayers And again he comprehendeth all that we may aske of God in a very short prayer to teach us that our words must be few And to that purpose in his Sermon he taught Mat. 6 7. But when ye pray use not vain repititions as the heathen do for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking They that come in presence of great persons speak their words by number and by weight the very presence doth stamp in them an impression of reverence and fear now seeing God to whom we pray is invisible our faith must behold him before us in glorious majesty as hee saith I have set God always before mee and like Abraham the neerer we come to his presence and the more that we solicite him the more shall vve be shaken vvith this holy fear considering him vvho dwelleth in the light that no man can attein unto and considering our selves that we are but dust and ashes the heathen could teach deos caste adeunto let men go reverently and inwardly cleave before their gods 3 There are yet another sort of them vvhom their sins do oppress as a burthen too heavie for them to bear
my salvation 19. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like Hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon my high places To the chief singer upon my stringed Instruments THis is the last part of this Psalme it endeth in consolation notwithstanding all these afflictions of the Church threatned though they shall fall upon it and it must needs suffer this sharp Visitation Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. It is the Apostles counsell Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and here the Church doth so the Apostle resumeth it again I say rejoyce and the Church here resumeth it I will joy in the God of my salvation shewing the reason and ground of her joy Psal 13.5 which is Gods salvation My heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation The Lord God is my strength they are the words of David and he is more full and Rhetoricall in the expressure thereof I will love thee Psal 18.1 2. O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock and my fortresse my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation my high tower David speaks like one in love with God for he doth adorn him with confession of praise and his mouth is filled with the praise of the Lord which he expresseth in this exuberancy and redundance of holy Oratory the Church addeth He will make my feet like hinds feet this also is borrowed of David in the same Psalme He maketh my feet like hinds feet and setteth me upon my high places Psal 18.33 that is he doth give swiftnesse and speed to his Church as St. Augustine interpreteth it transcendendo spinosa ambrosa implicamenta hujus saeculi passing lightly through the thornie and shadie incumberances of this world He will make me walk upon my high places David saith he setteth me upon my high places For consider David as he then was when he composed this Psalm it was at the time when God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul For then God set his feet on high places setting his Kingdome and establishing him in the place of Saul The Church here hoping to obtein of God the like deliverance by faith apprehendeth the same mercy and favour of God that God will again restore them to their high places and establish them in the same that is in the free and undisturbed possession of their own land and the liberties thereof Isaiah 58.14 Those are called high places Deut. 32.13 because God was exalted in them in the profession of Religion and God exalted them above all other places of the world by his speciall favour as it is said Non fecit taliter St. Augustine goeth higher in the mysticall surveigh of these words and looketh up to the future glory of the Church saying Super Coelestem habitationem figet intentionem meam ut impleat in omnem plenitudinem Dei The last words of the Psalm are a dedication thereof to the use of the Church dedicating it to the chief singer to be fitted to the Church musique that it may be sung in the congregation The words are taken from Davids Psalmes Doct. 1 and applyed to this perticular occasion of the Church From whence we are taught what use we may make of Davids Psalms in our frequent reading and meditation of them Our Church hath divided the Psalms into so many equall portions for our reading that in every thirty days such as can read may read over the whole book of Davids Psalmes and it is no great task for every one of us so to read them over privately in our houses the benefit is great that will redound to them that shall do this for this will our experience finde that St. Augustine long ago hath testified of the book of Psalms that it is Communis quidam bonae doctrinae thesaurus a common store-house of good learning it will instruct the ignorant it will draw on forward those that are incipients it will perfect those that are proficients it will comfort all sorts of afflictions veteribus animarum vulneribus novit mederi recentibus remedium applicare it knows how c. He that would pray to God may make choice here of fit forms dictated by the Spirit of God to petition God upon all occasions whatsoever he would desire of God either to give him or to forgive him He that would make confession of his sins to God is here furnished accommodated with the manner of searching and ripping up of the conscience and laying the hid man of the heart open before God He that would make confession of praise hath his mouth filled with forms of praise to set forth the goodness of God either in perticular to himself or in general to the whole Church He that is merry and rejoyceth in the Lord may finde here the musique of true joy and may from hence gather both matter and manner of Jubilation you see that the Church in my text resorteth to this store house of comfort He that findeth himself dul and heavy in the duties of Gods service may here finde cheerfull strains of musique to quicken his dead affections and to put life into them Many are too well conceited of their own sufficiency for those holy services of God so that in confession of sins in prayer or in praysing God they over-ween their own measure of the spirit of God and are too much wedded to their own forms of addresse to God But let no man despise these helps the best of us all need them the most able amongst us shal abate nothing from his own sufficiency to borrow of them we are sure that the Holy Ghost hath indited them and if a wise judgment do make choice and fit application of them to our severall purposes and occasions we cannot more holily or more effectually expresse our selves then in them the sweet singer of Israel hath furnished us plentifully by them 2 Before I come to handle the text in the parts thereof let me return your thoughts to the former verse where the Church putteth her own case in great affliction supposing the good land flowing with milk and hony touched and accursed for their sakes so that neither their best fruit trees nor their common fields nor their fruits nor their flocks and herds shal yield encrease yet saith she Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Teaching us that where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporall affliction whatsoever Doct. 2 though it extend even to deprivation of the necessaries of life can either extinguish or so much as eclipse that joy but that as a light it will shine in darknesse The Book of God is thick sown with examples and promises with doctrine and use with assertions and experience of this truth and it is so sealed to the perpetuall consolation of the
prostitute strumpet to the shame of their Religion he that hath begun will also in time make an end and he that beginneth to lose estimation at home will hardly either encrease or maintein it abroad Who are papists or affected popishly amongst us for the most part but such as are ignorant of holy Scriptures or such as corrupt and pervert them for the revelation doth point out Antichrist as the finger of John did Christ with This is he it calleth Rome Babylon and sheweth us the fall thereof and the cheerfull rising of the true Church to light and glory In all those dangers that the Church of God runneth the comfort here expressed in the Lord stays the heart thereof with flagons and comforteth it with apples for his love is a banner to it The parts of this text are three 1 The hope of the afflicted Church 2 The ground of this hope and comfort 3 The dedication of this Psalm 1 The hope of the afflicted Church Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. You know that joy dilateth the heart and giveth it sea-room in the stormy and tempestuous state of trouble joy is a thing that every soul affecteth we desire many days to see good we are apt with Solomon to try our hearts with joy This is welcome to them that live here on earth which is convallis lachrymarum a valley of tears wherein the story of our whole life is written upon a scroul on both sides filled with lamentations mourning and wo and our Saviour saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted We have so many causes of mourning that whether we look to our selves the occasions of our own woe or to our sorrows the fruitfull spawn of our breeding sins the naturall and proper effects of our own corruptions we have from both matter of grief and provocation of sorrow 1 Pro nobis for our selves for what we suffer 2 In nobis in our selves for that we do deserve Therefore we must not seek joy in our selves for then we shall weep as Rachel for her children because they are not The joy of the Church is in the Lord. Plerumquè in ipsis piis fletibus gaudii claritas erumpit and then it is when man forsaketh all comforts and findeth that Gregor Bonum est adhaerere Deo semper when a man unmindeth all other comforts This as Augustine saith est gaudium quod non datur impiis sed eis qui te gratis colunt quorum gaudium tu ipse es ipsa est beata vita gaudere de te propter te ipsa est non est alia All you then who have found sorrow and heavinesse by the due consideration of those evils which you have committed and of those holy duties which you have omitted and of those punishments which you have justly suffered come hither and learn how to rejoyce forget that which is behind remember Lots wife look not back to the beguiling delights of the bewitching and flattering world look before you to the Lord for hee is the Authour he is the Mediatour he will be the finisher of your joy gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis and your joy no man shall take from you Joy not in greatnesse and high place or in riches in the fruit of the womb in the extent of your lands in the favours of Princes in the full sea of temporall happinesse they that suffer in all these things do finde joy in the Lord. Reasons why in the Lord. 1 They that joy in the Lord rest in the Lord and cast all their care upon him they pray fiat voluntas tua thy will be done and they are content with it and they are thankfull for it when it is done neither relucting at the doing of it nor repining and finding fault when they see it performed They say with old Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 Isa 39.8 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and with Hezechiah good is the Word of the Lord. And therefore the Lord is the same to them whether he be offerens opening his hand and giving or auferens stretching out his hand to strip and divest them of all that he hath as he was to Job 2 They that rejoyce in the Lord rejoyce in nothing otherwise then as a means and faculty to serve the Lord. And so we may rejoyce in honours which do put our good example more in sight that others may behold our good works and glorifie God So we may rejoyce in authority and power over others if we use it to the winning of others to the service of our God to the coertion of evill doers and the reward of the good So may we rejoyce in riches if we use them as means to advance the Law of God and to expresse our charity to the needy All this is joy in the Lord that God trusteth us with the dispensation of these outward things and the applying of them to his service 3 They that rejoyce in the Lord rejoyce because God is Lord so David The Lord is King the earth may be glad of it for Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. This is the Jubilation of the Church Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us Isa 25.9 this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation that do thus acknowledge him their Lord and are glad that they live under his government Isai 26.8 The desire of their souls is to his name and to the remembrance of him For when thy judgments are in the world the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousnesse O Lord our God other lords have ruled us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy Name This was the joy of the Church here professed in the midst of extream sorrows There cannot be a better signe to know this true spirituall joy from all other false seemings and blandations of joy 1 Signe then the lasting thereof for the candle of the wicked shall be put out but God is a Sun and a shield to his Church Joy in all other things is but a sojourner and tarrieth but a small time but when once it fastneth upon God it saith Here will I dwell for ever for I have a delight herein This joy hath none of the fears that other joys have to make us doubt the losing of it it hath none of the impediments to stop the way to it that other joys have It hath none of the sorrows that other joys have to commedle with it It hath none of the miseries that conclude all other joys to determine it Therefore as the Apostle admonisheth Vse rejoyce always in the Lord again I say rejoyce Rejoyce when thou aboundest rejoyce also when thou wantest full and empty when thou givest alms and when thou receivest alms it is a more blessed thing to give it is also a blessed thing to receive in health
done in former ages page 105 Religion in the Head is speculation in the Heart affection in the Hand action page 169 Rich mens duties to the poor page 161 S. SAlvation is a work of power 210. of glory Ibid. Of mercy page 211 Salvation only of God page 229 Satans Suggestions that God is merciful animates sinners to do evil page 58 Satan is but Gods instrument in afflicting of the Church page 84 Selah what it signifieth page 49 Self conceited men how they ought to be taught page 32 Self-opinion is a kind of spiritual drunkennesse page 32 Set-prayers both lawful and necessary to be used page 6 Senselesse and livelesse creatures are subject to Gods will page 119 133 Sigionoth what it signifieth page 2 Signes of true spiritual joy page 201 203 Six Signes of ensuing judgment page 146 Sin is that which parteth God and us page 146 Sometimes God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy-Ghost page 56 T. TEmporal things have but a resemblance of good and evil spiritual favours are reall Pag. 202 Thanksgiving ought to be joyned with Prayer Pag. 106 Thanksgiving is a work of Justice which puts us in mind of our unablenesse to requite God and of our unworthinesse Pag. 69 The Contemplation of Gods justice in punishing the sins of his Church of his vengeance in revenging the quarrels of it of his mercy in his mercy in healing the wounds of it give the faithful occasion to resort to God by prayer Pag. 3 The Churches Plea in affliction is for mercy Pag. 45 The Church of God hath a special interest in the power and protection of God Pag. 54 The best forme of thanksgiving is that which maketh particular commemoration of Gods mercies Pag. 68 The sense of Scripture is the soul thereof Pag. 76 The welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies Pag. 82 The truth of God is a good ground because the word of God is a sure word Pag. 112 The devil knew where Moses was buried Pag. 137 The effectual fevrent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Pag. 139 The poor are under Gods protection and his own flesh Pag. 160 The very Elect are shaken with fear Pag. 177 The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt Pag. 178 The same hand that put the children of Israel in possession of the land of Canaan put them out again Pag. 186 The Chaldaeans armies the Troops of God Pag. 186 The Saints of God have their sorrows on earth yet they always rejoyce in the Lord. Pag. 202 The general apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ will not justifie a man in the sight of God Pag. 207 The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of her troubles Pag. 220 They that joy in the Lord rest in the Lord and rejoyce in nothing otherwise then as a means to serve the Lord. 200 and because God is Lord. Pag. 201 Three notes of a lawful promise and oath Pag. 115 VAin repetitions not to be used in Prayer Pag. 33 W WE ought to give the whole glory and praise for all good to God 70. And thanks to creatures as ministers and instruments of God Pag. 71 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Pag. 107 What use may be made of Davids Psalmes in our frequent reading and meditation of them Pag. 19 What is meant by the works of God Pag. 19 What is meant by the midst of years Pag. 21 Whether we ought to swear at all Pag. 114 Whether every oath ought to be kept Pag. 115 Wheresoever there is Election there is Vnction pag. 130 154 Where God loveth a People his favour runneth in a full stream in the channel of his Church Pag. 138 Where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporal affliction can extinguish or eclipse it Pag. 195 X Xerxes angry with the sea causeth it to be beater with stripes pag. 102 FINIS A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION UPON The Prophecy of HABAKKVK CHAP. I. Verse 1. The Burthen which HABAKKUK the Prophet did see THis first verse tels us what we shall find in the ensuing Prophecy and it openeth to us three things which give light to that which followeth 1. The Minister of God in this Prophecy 1. By his name Habakkuk 2. By his Function the Prophet 2. The manner how he came by it Vision 3. The matter of it the Burthen 1. Of the Minister First of his name The name Habakkuk is rendred by Philo the Jew amplexans embracing so doth Pagnine give it our English a wrastler for they that wrastle do embrace and hold fast one the other a name well expressing the office and employment of this Prophet who wrastled with the sinners of those times and their horrible iniquities to cast them 1. But as God wrastled with Jacob that he might leave behind him a blessing His tribe Dorothaeus saith was Simeon I know not upon what information for the silence of the holy Scripture doth argue it to be conjectural Concerning the time when he prophecied it is not particularly exprest but it appears to be before the deportation into Babylon for the Chaldeans invasion is here threatned and therefore Junius thinks him contemporary with Jeremiah and referreth his Prophecie to the end of Josias his Government Others after the Hebrews referre it is the â—â—me of King Manasseh Master Calvin very truly affirmeth it before the time of Zedekiah Arias Montanus gives a probable conjecture by comparing that which is said 2 Reg. 21.12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing forth an evill upon Jerusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his ears shall tingle That in the eleventh verse t is said Because Manasseh King of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him and hath also made Iudah to sinne with his idols And this Commination is almost in the same words in the fifth verse of this chapter Saint Hierome in his Prologue to this Prophet saith that he is called a wrastler quia certamen ingreditur cum deo because he wrastled with God Nullus enim Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum ad disceptationem justitiae provocare none durst so boldly provoke God to vindicate his Justice as it appears v. 2. But he doth violate the text of Canonical Scripture and History to verifie that Apocrypha tale of Habakkuks bringing food to Daniel by miracle which destroyeth the truth of the history to make faith of a Legend For either there must be two Habakkuks or this one must live as Arias Montanus doth cast it up three hundred years if he lived to feed Daniel in the Captivity a long time of life then or this must prophecie before he was born Bellarmine hath found out two Daniels one the
let every soul submit it selfe Let no man let not a confederacie of men seditiously and maliciously advance themselves against the Lords annointed hand off offer him violence use not the tongue to curse him use not the pen against him to libel him Curse him not in thy heart touch him no noxious and offensive way and if subordinate Magistrates do let wrong judgement proceed appeal from them to him that sitteth on the Throne of Iustice who doth drive away all evil with his eye If he will not do thee right go in the Prophet Habakkuks way wrastle with God by thy prayers and make thy complaint to him He heareth the complaint of the poore 2. He complaineth and chideth with God for shewing him all this iniquity and violence Vid. sup p. 36. Doctr. From whence we are taught It is lawful in our Prayers to expostulate and contest with God Habakkuk goeth farre in this you have heard Jerome saith Nullus Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum provocare Yet we shall find that others have gone very farre this way David for one My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me Psal 22.1 and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day but thou hearest me not and in the night season I am not silent And he professeth it I will say unto God Psal 42.9 My rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I a mourning because of the oppression of the enemy David is very frequent in these expostulations so is holy Job so is Jeremie and both these are very much overgone in passion and therefore examples rather of weaknesse which we must decline then rules of direction to imitate St. Paul doth give us good warrant for this wrastling with God it is his very phrase Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God He useth a word that signeth such striving as is in trying of mastery who shall have the best And Jacob is a type hereof who wrestled with the Angel till the break of the day and though he got a lamenesse by striving with his over-match yet would he not let him go till he had gotten a blessing Representing the fervent petitioners that come to God in the name of Christ as the woman of Canaan did for her daughter neither the Disciples nor Christ could make her turne aside or be silent But here is a Quaere for the Apostle doth say Quer. Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that replyest against God When once God hath declared himself in any thing how daâ—e we call him to accompt and aske him a reason for any thing he doth And again the Prophet Isay saith Isa 45.9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Further is it not contrarie to that petition in the Lords Prayer Fiat voluntas tua For doth not the Prophet declare here a dislike of that which God did as seeming to wish it had been otherwise when he asketh why dost thou shew me iniquity and make me to behold violence The best way to clear this doubt Sol. is to behold this passion in some chosen servant of God and see what he makes of it we will take David for our example and let us hear him first complaining and then answering for himself his complaint is passionate Will the Lord cast off for ever Psal 77.7 and will hee be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Vers 8 doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Vers 8. hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies He recovereth himself saying And I said Vers 10. this is mine infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Surely there be infirmities in the Saints of God and this expostulation with God is an effect of infirmity Yet shall you see that this doth no way weaken the doctrine before delivered that it is lawfull to expostulate with God in our prayers The infirmities of Gods servants are of two sorts 1. Naturall 2. Sinfull We must so destinguish for when Christ took our nature into the unity of his person with it he took upon him all our infirmities but not our sinfull ones For he was like man in all things but sin Three especially are noted in the story of the Gospel that is to say Sorrow Fear Anger 1. Sorrow for he wept and mourned 2. Fear for he was heard in that he feared 3. Anger for he did often chide and reprove These affections be naturall and so long as they be affections they are without blame when they exubrate and grow into perturbations then they are faulty For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inclination and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inflammation of nature God who in creation gave these affections to nature hath not denyed us the use of them yea he hath ordained them as excellent helps for his work of grace in us Therefore we find fear mingled with faith to keep it from swelling into presumption that fear is not a sin in the Elect as some weak consciences ignorantly mistake it but it is Cos fidei the whetstone of faith to give it the more edge As in that complaint of David My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where the first part of that complaint is vox fidei the voice of faith My God my God the second is vox timoris the voice of fear quare me direliquisti and we say fear is a good keeper it makes us lay so much the faster hold on God by faith Yea it is a warning to us to avoyd any thing that may do us hurt The wise-man feareth and departeth from evill Pro. 14.16 Sometimes we find fear mingled with joy as for example When the Lord brought again the captivity of Sion Ps 126.1 we were like them that dream They were overcome with joy for their deliverance and restitution and yet they felt withall a fear that it was too good to be true and doubted that it was but a dream We do not receive any good newes but before the hearing of it we fear Luk. 1.13 the Angel that appeared to Zecharie the Preist found him afraid The Angel that came to the Virgin Mary found her afraid so did he that brought the newes of the birth of Christ to the shepheards for all men know that we have no cause to expect any newes from heaven wee are so evill and sinfull And although the comforts of God do remove that fear for a time yet God would not have it quite extinguished in us for the Prophet biddeth us Serve the Lord with fear Psal 2.11 and rejoyce with trembling And the Apostle doth bid us too workout our salvation