Curse Clave non errante 1 Cor. 5.5 and persons may demerit it that yet do repent ch 16.22 I confess caution is to be used in the practice and applying of this Curse I need not better to distinguish than a grave Writer doth Mr. Ed. Gee of Prayer p. 113. in such Cases of Prayer Some Imprecations are against ill Councils and Practices as Davids against Achitopel 2 Sam. 15.31 Some against persons which are of two sorts 1. For men's Conviction 2. Or Confusion The 1. are less doubtful the latter he ranks under three heads 1 As against God Or 2. As against the Churches Enemies Or else 3. Against our own Adversaries Here the doubt lies 1. If they did well 2. If we may do the like Now the first being granted yet of this they say Prestat admirari quam imitari It is far better to admire than imitate them And they are rather denunciations predicted than Desires pressed in Prayer But all I would provoke to is to reassume the old Spirit of Prayer that Christ's Sufferers and Worthies had of old in the Cause of God To which 1. A pure Zeal of God may be one motive this moved Phinehas to act and Elijah to intercede against Israel Rom. 11.4 If this be not the motive it is false fire 2. Some are slated Enemies to the House of God as Antichrist is to his City and any Wall of Defence they ought to have are of Sanballat's pernitious Spirit would have that Wall and Work to cease and scorn the Builders Nehe. 4.4 Such despite is to be appealed against to God and speedy Vengeance call'd for 3. If Repentance doth restore the man our Cry Appeal or Imprecation may obtain the filling of the Face with shame Psal 83.16 And the seeking of God's Name is a very holy end this holy Curse is the happy way to a true Blessing and a good End 4. God's Predictions are part of his Word and matter for our Prayers 2 Pet. 2.14 Now these are Predictions of what is to befall Persons so and so qualified and speak a part of his Will which is to be done 5. Scripture prescribes such Formula's for Prayer and why doth the Liturgy prescribe and imitate it if some were not so to be imprecated as Cursed is he that takes Bribes or lyes with Neighbours Wives Deut. 27.25 And if that be accurst and deservedly how far are some under it 6. If the Wife of Lapidoth was too tart saying So let all thine Enemies perish yet the Angels word Curse ye Meroz Judg. 5.23 is in our Cannon and Directory Now Rules to apply it to our Practice are seven 1. Mind Scripture Precepts and Presidents take not all things for Rules of Practice and Imitation in bulk 2. Crave much of God's holy Spirit many a Prayer is lost that savours of self none of those miscarry the Spirit dictates It requires not a common Vnction to pray as that thundring Legion did so called in Aurelians days 3. Watch repress and mortifie your own Spirits We know not what Spirit we are of Luk. 9.55 Our own Spirit savours of Sin self Revenge Passion false Zeal as the Disciples it is better such be denyed than gratifyed 4. Begin as Christ did Mat. 5.4 and Paul bids Rom. 12.14 20. 1st with Blessing and try that way and curse not and that has a grant virtually of your Wish for you heap Coals on the head of Enemies so to consume or convince them that is better 5. Use strong cryes of Faith Great is the power of Faith Heb. 5.7 She that feared Knox's Prayers more than 20000 shows the force of Faith in her Fear that had no love for it Josh 10.12 I cry then my Enemy turns back Psal 56.3 9. 6. Fly to the sucking Lamb rest not in your own power this avails when all our Weapons are beat back If his Incense go not up first our Prayers will never descend in fiery Judgment and Thundrings on the Enemy Apoc. 8.35 c. 6.9 10. 7. Wait in Submission for what Answer and when God will say Let him Shimei Curse or carry back the Ark. 2 Sam. 15.25 This Spirit obtains and it is impossible the wrongs of Ariel should not pull down just Revenges for the Patient and Thunders on Adversaries as Hannah believed 1 Sam. 4.10 I hear of many blasted by this holy Zeal Now for the second Branch let us having Pray'd rest and confide not in it but in God Prayer and Faith should mutually subserve the other Prayer exonerates the heart of the Burthen Faith puts it wholly on the Lord 1 Sam. 1.18 So one is no more sad all Acts of Devotion if right relieve Prayer flaps the Wing acts Life and the Office of Faith is to crow in the dark and cry Day or the Morning cometh on the Godly and the Night also on the Wicked Isai 21.12 But now when all is run down the Assyrians Wings over-spread Emanuel's Land Isai 8.8 the City of God and all Religion the Temple Assemblies Altar Service Priesthood Prophesy and all lye exposed to a Siege and Overthrow Now to rest on God's Word and have promise of Safety is as quieting to do as sweet to hear on God promised to deliver the City told so to Isaiah Isai 37.35 he to the good King Hezekiah v. 6-21 and the King to the People who rested on it 2 Chron. 32.7 8. Let the Godly in our day consider the Parity of their Present with previous Distresses and then preponderate the Promise with the Peril and see if there be not rest for a weary Mind recur to the nature Attributes of God His Name is a strong Tower the Righteous run into it and are safe Prov. 18.10 or set on high 't is low with us if we cannot trust if Foes make weary and Faith gives no true rest we are soon gone Doth God bid us request him and will he deny us Rest Or flee to him and will he fail our Hope Though God never had any without distress yet never was his People distrest without Deliverance had we good hold of Christ's hand the very Waves would bear us up not sink us Mat. 14.30 31. Are meanes of Defence invisible or say yet more not in Being he can create them soon God alone and nothing else as I said is as much as God and all besides Vbi Supra p. 113. What is in man is placed there by Him his Word gives both its Being and Blessing When we use a mean as duty is and have it we are to depend on him and if he deny it still we can but depend and that we ought if we long wait for his Defence Two Ishues do still faelicitate Saints Expectations the one relating to themselves the other to Enemies 1. They are of God Blessed all humane hope and help the more it is rested on the worse it proves Jer. 17.7 8. The more it pierceth the Hand and so it intails a Curse and rends the Shoulder-blade Ezek. 29.6 7.
yet further occur from History to prove ex abundanti the truth of it And so far is the 2d head in the Act of Duty how Gods defends his Worship 3dly Now let 's explain how God defends his Worshippers afterwards Tho it may be the Lot of the best to be exposed and God in his Wisdom for good and holy ends suffers the worst of Men to prevail over the best and to trample on the most sacred things and Persons most for his own times and ways he must take to perform his Word not ours yet after men have prospered a long time and Saints suffered with and for the Sanctuary a little while he comes a tergo unawares after the one with Vengeance and unto the Godly rides fast for their help and deliverance There is none like the God of Jeshurun said Moses Deut. 33.26 that is of Upright Ones that rides on the Heavens for thy help and in his Excellency on the Skies Note 1. God is titled by the stile of a General his Excellency for he excells in Might in Wisdom in Command ore all in chief 2. Though he delays and is long and far behind our hasty desires yet 't is but as a Captain that steps to the Rere to bring them safe off and he is not dismounted he rides still and on swift Steeds the Skies the Heavens which Spheres do naturally move wondrous quick so that he can soon overtake the foot of his Host and also the Horse of his Enenemies 'T is a Note of * Burr Lord of Hosts one that the old Wars of Israel were on their part still on foot though Pharaoh pursued with Chariots and Horses yet I am sure God rides with celerity has a running Army and all for onr help To be a little more particular in this third head How God defends his Worshipers after tho in the act of duty he may delay a little space of time to try both their courage and patience and perseverance in well doing and herein he helps them also not a little and that is also a token of their Salvation But now as the after-clap Thunder is loudest and that which brings the Bolt of Execution on the highest things So Does Gods fulminating Stroaks On Bashans highest sturdy Oaks And lofty Hills as Psal 81.7 feriunt summos fulmina montes That Psalm says of Israels Deliverance out of Pharaoh's Slavery He answered in the secret place of Thunder i.e. by sore and heavy Judgments on Aegypt Exod. 9.23 And this not the least for as the Thunder terrified them and the Hail and Fire mixt smote Grass Herbs and Trees so that v. 28. the King melts and thaws a while and at Moses's Prayer it was removed again but the Heart freezes as hard as before to inslave God's Children till the Red-Sea soakt it once for all Nor are extraordinary Examples of this wanting here when no ordinary obtain sometimes God's Cannons go off and the Report and Execution is done at some distance and heard of afterwards sometimes it is immediately and so here on that day v. 10. he discomfited them possibly sentence is not speedily as Eccl. 8.11 It may be at Night as in the Siege of Jerusalem prophesied Isai 17.14 performed ch 37.36 and that Night too as to the Host and v. 38. as to the King verified and even in the act of his own Worship it seems in the House of his false God his Sons perhaps in a Jealousie of being prevented in the Succession slew him and so he that did invade and besiege Gods City and Sanctuary is cut off in his own to read us his Crime in his own condemnation Polibius said of Antiochus he came to that ill end for attempting to spoil Apollo's Temple it was indeed for this assaulting of Gods For v. 34. is a Promise to defend that City as a Shield so the Word notes Herodotus says of this defeat * Tho misapplied to Setho Priest of Vulcan and death soon after that on his Tomb was found that Epitaph Look on me and beware By this it is plain God is in some Cases severe in expediting vengeance tho he is slow to anger yet if once angry he rides swiftly and though he forbears some other Sinners long as that Question implies 1 Kings 14.14 I will rise against the House of Jeroboam but what even now That notes either not yet or in a very few years and it was now in hand to be done by Baasha and partly begun in the death of Abijah his Son and fulfilled thereafter in two years or little more as Mayer observes But revenges for wrongs and ruines of the Lords Altar and Service may be observed to overtake some times Persons in particular and sometimes Cities and People in bulk For the former the Judgments of God have oft surprised none of the meanest men and that for the cause of Zion that is Liberty and Purity of Worship and its lovers see what followed Cain for guilt of Abel's blood that bloody Cut-throat as that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes 1 John 3.12 not brooking a preciser Devotion than his Crit. Sacr. proprie est ferro fratrem jugulo adacto occidere butchers a poor Brother for Conscience but God setts a mark of visible terrour and secret horrour on him that followed him as a Blood-hound to the end the first quarrel was as one says circa media sacrificii A Curse followed it Gen. 4.11 and still does all that go in Cain's way of Persecution Judg. v. 11. and Balaam's the way of cursing 2 Peter 2.15 Like John Diazius that having killed his own Brother fled to Rome as Cain to Nod and there is cannonized but so dogged in his Soul that for want of a Gibbet he hanged himself at the neck of his Mule Sin it self is turned to a Plague As Tacitus flagitia tandem in supplicia vertuntur Pavor Palor are fit Gods for some that do as Tullus Hostilius did by Numas Zeal deride the Devotion of Predecessors It pulls on the Successors the Predecessors Curse to scorn and renounce the Progenitors Religion Pharaoh detains Gods Israel from Sacrifice yea brands them and it as Idle Exod. 5.17 drives Moses the Court now no Petitions to relax Grievances are allowed nay they are threatned with death if they see his face what follows Why now things ripen he for ruine they for redemption and the People fear them Moses is famous the Council divide and Courtiers plead for Israel to go As since Luthers Confessions sent to all the Electoral Princes obtaind respect To go on what came of Balaam's Curse that Balak will needs have to pass on God's Israel ' cause they dwelt alone Numb 23.8 9. and obey'd Laws distinct from all People even the Law of their God was their Crime as Dan. 6.5 a little after their Wiles had vex'd Israel they and he the Arch-Inchanter perish in war Chap. 25.17 31.2 8. For tho Balaam went to his place
hand the heaviest Wrath and hottest Vengeance is nearest the wicked when Sin is fullest and they at the heighth Tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant The higher is their proud Elation The deeper Fall and Condemnation Feriunt summos fulmina Montes The Thunder-bolts do often light On Mountains of the greatest height In that Babylonish Boast of Lucifer many are the Expressions used by the Spirit of Prophesy to show what a Mount the King of Babel took in the letter and to predict the ranting Arrogancy in the Spirit Antichrist would reach and swell to in latter times and against what and how far it would go For 1. In his Heart says he Isa 14.13 14. I 'll ascend to Heaven 2. I 'll exalt my Throne above the Stars of God i.e. Christ's Ministers Rev. 1. ult 3. And sit on the Mount of the Congregation scatter all the Assemblies And 4. In the sides of the North where the great King's Throne and Place was Psal 48.2 on Moriah 5. Ver. 14. Above the heights of the Clouds Isa 5.6 to stop the Doctrine of the Word from dropping 6. I will be as the Most High Dan. 7.25 that is assume his Legislative Power o're the Conscience and Scripture in short I 'll be called a God 2 Thes 2.4 Tu merito in Terris diceris esse Deus as one flattered the Pope most blaspemously as worthy to be call'd a God Nor are the degree exprest of his Fall less noted or notorious in this Context six or seven of them are soon told ver 10 to 19. just as Pharaoh whose Will and Humours one reckons to six too Bur. Exod. 15.9 But on the whole it 's observable that Height and Obduracy is an evident mark of an instant fall from an high Hill to a low and hot Hell from a God to a Devil from a Star to the side of a slimy Pit from a Seat above the Clouds and over all Law Conscience and Worship to a Grave a Sheol a dark deep Abiss from the noise of Pipes and Viols as David Amos 6.5 royal conscrated Bells and Organs to roar among the infernal Covents of Confusion and how can it but be deem'd a dolesome Change yet such ineffably is the woful Perdition of all wilful Provocation and so it befalls them that run on the bosses of God's Buckler Job 15.26 Now can higher Arrogancy be in Man than to advance to the place and Seat of God or greater Blasphemy than that against his Name Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven Rev. 13.6 What more injurious Robbery than to spoil the Altar of its Gifts and God of his Glory what grosser Idolatry than to reverence or obey a Creature above the Creator Rom. 1.25 What higher Profanation of God's Sabbath than to prohibit the sanctifying thereof and yet mock God with Calendar Saints days What plainer Hypocrisy than to deck a false and curse a true Church or Saint to paint the Sepulcher Mat. 23.9 persecute the martyr'd Prophet Kiss the Calf and kick at the Law High time for God to work when that is void Psal 119.126 4. This Defence is grounded on the serious Complaints and solemn Appeals all along made in suffering-times by the Upright to the Just and Sin-revenging God to whom Vengeance belongs and as he receives them graciously so he revenges them certainly and often speedily making amends for the long delay by the Severity of the Blow and if Law-wrath for Wrongs to Man be due and every Transgression receceived a due Recompence by Moses's Law what is due for Injuries to Christ and his Gospel As the Apostle argues Heb. 6.6 7. and 10.28 29. 12.25 of how much severer or sorer Punishment is he thought worthy that refuses him that spake nay forbids it from Heaven and tramples under foot that Covenant-Blood that should sprinkle the Nations and despites the Spirit in the Exercises of its Gifts and Graces Now of these Complaints the Scripture in all Ages is both full and in frequent use when the Priests Wife was in Travel the pious sense of her Fathers death or his two Sons her Husband one of them or yet of the triumph of the uncircumcised Philistine or of the slain i.e. 1 Sam. 4.10 30 thousand or the loss of the maintenance of her Life did not all affect her though in her pains so as the Ark and the Glory did now is she concerned and names here Son I-chabod v. 19.22 where's the Glory so with that expires But to the question staid not for grief to get Answer alas that was gone captive she only lived to repeat that twice In several Passages of the Psalms the like sad Complaints occurr as any may read that will Psal 44 9-16-20 and 42.4 10. And how they were broke in the Place of Dragons tho yet they had not forgot God's Name but did cleave truly to his Covenant a Complaint very dolorous like to it is that of David's flight uttered For the scattered multitude I had gone q.d. now I can't that is my Loss my Grief v. 10. And the effect was sad on his Spirit for how dejected must he needs be and what disquiet must it bring to one wont to and chear'd by a Presence to hear men that prize not a Presence rejoyce ore him that did tauntingly to say Where is thy God A Sword a drawing or at the Breast or cutting the Flesh is painful but this is a Sword in the Bones digs in the Marrow or within the Ribs at the Vitals so it struck at heart and life to hear the Question Where and not be able to answer to it as they did Lo this or here is our God Isai 25.9 So in Psal 43.3 4. What his Plant was and how great may be seen in the Cure pray'd for That by Gods Light and Truth he might be led back to the Holy Hill to God's Tabernacles and go to the Altar of God his exceeding Joy now all his Plaints would cease in a Song In another he bemoans himself as in a dry Desert Psal 63.1 2. where no water was seeking longing thirsting following hard to see that Beauty and Glory as once in the Sanctuary The want of Sanctuary and Altar-approaches is heavy and no quieting a Child of God without those Teats and Breasts of Consolation Many the like see in Psal 74.1 2 per totum the Congregation in Zion Oh that was lost and the fore-view of its desolations called perpetual to see what the Enemy had done in the Sanctuary c. what roaring fire reproaches and tumults in God's Assemblies they had perpetrated In another Psalm Psal 79.1 2 3 5 7 10. complains of Heathen in the Sanctuary and the City laid on heaps our City stands not if the Sanctuary falls and next as one said to London Mr. Reeve on Jonah p. 221. c. it goes to Flesh-works from Stone and Timber-Ruines to Saints Bodies Flesh and Bones are too cheap in Romes Shambles their Blood as Water These are cited
that New-Jerusalem Glory with the Lamb for ever Of which to repast you and me S. P his Mund. Explica p. 326. 329. I will borrow a good Poem from one and conclude S. P. of the N. Jerusalem and the Pilgrim Here he beholds the glorious Lamb's Abode Here he beholds the sacred Heart of God Here he beholds thrice bless't Emanuel Here he beholds where all the Angels dwell There Hallelujah's sounded in his Ears There sacred Songs of Praise and Joy he hears There all the pleasure of Eternal Bliss In height of Glory still triumphant is The dainty Streets pure Chrystal does enfold And the whole City is of massie Gold Transparent here Lifes River still doth flow Vpon whose Bank the Tree of Life doth grow The glorious Splendor of the blessed Lamb Is Sun and Moon to this Jerusalem There doth Jehovah-Shammah ever sit Both to enlighten and oreshadow it Night 's banisht hence the Lamb 's refulgent Ray Indues it with an everlasting day FINIS Postscript Reader A faultless Book is next to impossible Slips will escape under double Care and even Argos eyes So is it here partly by the Compositor partly the Authors oversight One not plain in his Copy or being not well read or not well distinguishing Letters and here Margents being confounded with the Pages caused some Parentheses Chasmas and Harshness by some Interpolations that makes sense less plain and smooth though not quite lost What faults are litteral only are too many to note what obscures the sense or retards the Reader connive at or thus correct and read both Verses of the Text first ERRATA PAg. 2. l. 30. r. three-fold p. 4. l. 27. their p. 6. l. 26. reign p. 9. 3. 7. r. Altar l. 6. r. his p. 10. l. 28. r. nor p. 13. l. 18. r. Rites l. 23. r. nauseated p. 19. l. 11. r. Gods p. 21. l. 11. r. of the. p. 23. l. 7. r. proscr l. 29. r. Jerom. p. 24. l. 28. del or precepts p. 25. l. 26. r. gravamina p. 26. l. 12. del s in Martyrs p. 28. 19. r. to the p. 29. l. 3. r. a little l. 19. r. Mat. 27. ult p. 30. l. 4. r. the grand p. 35. l. 22. r. Trophies 24. gerit p. 36. l. 14. r. Aggressors p. 37. l. 7. r. Covert 4. d. on p. 38. l. 26. r. Jotham l. 30. r. it beg p. 39. 15. r. sepe l. 16. r. principum p. 40. l. 26. r. his Maj. l. 28. r. Hylary p. 41. l. 10. r. laesae p. 47. l. 5. r. Mc. p. 49. l. 31. f. and r. as p. 51. r. Dr. Sclater p. 52. l. 11. Solinus p. 53. l. 3. calls l. 31. leave p. 63. l. 23. r. Assideans Asmoneans p. 66. l. 12. distinction p. 68. l. 18. humour p. 74. l. 9. prae exist p. 76. l. 22. whose p. 89. l. 23. reined p. 92. 20. Nissi p. 92. 27. preys p. 92. l. 31. d. that p. 94. l. 21. fat p. 106. l. 5. argues l. 30. Instances p. 107. l. 1. d. one p. 119. l. 6. Providence p. 124. l. 6. Howling p. 126. l. 1. maintain p. 141. l. 8 Honesty p. 149. l. 29. can it p. 157. l. 24. audacity p. 160. l. 1. Thresh l. 7. Reformers l. 27. set 28. Cultus p 163. l. 6. obtains p. 169. l. 5. deeper p. 171. l. 2. d. to p. 172. l. 11. altercations l. 22. on the wh p. 183. l. 26. calls p. 187. l. 30. disting p. 192. l. 11. d. either and properly p. 195. l. 19. declining p. 198. l. 3. add to false l. 20. legal p. 207. l. 5. dilapid p. 208. l. 20. Is' t p. 230. l. 28. d. the. p. 241. l. 11. luscous p. 278. l. 14. peace p. 280. l. 18. confitendo p. 290. l. 8. Ezek. 36. p. 323. l. 24. 26. f. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 324. l. 1. This of Nahumis p. 335. l. 1. bidain p. 340. l. 29. Areas p. 347. ult mereor