treadeth down the highest persons of the earth He comes upon princes as upon mortar and as the potter treadeth clay he bringeth princes to nothing he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity Isa 40. 23. He cuts off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes Psal 119. 118 119 though never so mighty And therefore be mâ—n never so great Conterens superbos Grotius or high this cannot secure them nor set them out of his reach who treads upon and treads down the highest places powers and persons of the earth And those that walk in pride he is able to abase as Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged Dan. 4. 37 Yea And in the thing wherein they deal proudly to be above them Exod. 18. 11. The loftiness of men he boweth down and the haughtiness of men he makes low He tells Edom Obad. 3. 4 The pride of his heart had deceived him that dwelt in the clefts of the rock and whose habitation was high that said in his heart who shall bring me down to the ground But says God Though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars yet thence will I bring thee down And it is said of the wicked Though his exeellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung c. Job 20. 67. And thus he treadeth down the heights of the earth and is most high for evermore Psal 92. 8. There are high and higher then they but God is highest of all higher than the highest Eccles 5. 8. than the Heavens yea the highest Angels in Heaven And hence he is said Psal 113. 4 5 6 to humble himself to behold even the things that are in Heaven 6. He that does all this the Lord the God of hosts is his name 1. The Lord Jehovah which denotes 1. His Self-existency that he hath his Being of and from himself and gives being to all his creatures And 2. His eternity that he is everlasting 2. The God of Hosts All the creatures in Heaven and Earth being as it were his Hosts under his power and at his beck and command as Soldiers under their General to order dispose and imploy as he pleases And he has his Hosts above and beneath Coelestial and Terrestrial And being such a God as before he is described He that formeth the mountains c. A God of such infinite power he can muster them up when and as he pleases and make them do what execution he will And this is a Title often in Scripture given to God we have it thrice in one Verse Zach. 1. 3 Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye unto me saith the Lord of hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of hosts which shews there is much in this to move us to turn to him For he being The Lord the God of hosts if we do so indeed he is every way able to save us and do us good but if we do not to punish and destroy us The Lord the God of hosts is his name And shall not all this now prevail with us to prepare to meet this God who doth all this who formeth the mountains createth the wind c. and whose name is The Lord the God of hosts For if we do indeed meet him what cannot so great a God do for us Surely he can disperse and drive away all imminent evils from us and communicate all good unto us but if we refuse to meet him what cannot he do against us and what evils cannot he bring upon us He that formeth the mountains c. And therefore if his mercy cannot move us let yet as I said his Majesty if not his Goodness his Greatness and seeing all that is here said fully declares that there 's no opposing nor resisting him by force our only way then is so to meet him as to appease him For with God is terrible majesty Job 37. 22. Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance yea all nations before him are as nothing and counted to him less than nothing and vanity Isa 40. 15 17. The mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein Nahum 1. 5. And who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go thorow them and burn them together Isa 27. 4. The most steely and flinty spirits in the World can no more stand before God than Briars and Thorns before a consuming Fire How easily does he break in pieces all opposite power By strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2. 9. Where 's the Man that ever was able to carry it against him or hath got any thing by contending with him but blows and utter overthrow Pharoah contended with God but what got he So Julian the Apostate but was he not forc'd at last throwing up his blood towards Heaven to cry out Vicisti Galilee Thou hast overcome O thou Galilean Others even the mightiest have one time or other met with their match but never did God Before him the mightiest Giants are but as Pigmies and Potsherds and let the Potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth but not with the great God Shall weakness contend with strength Impotency with Omnipotency It is said of a creature Lay thine hand upon him remember the battel do no more And None is so fierce that dare stir him up Who then is able to stand before me Job 41. 8 10. You know what they said 2 Kings 10. 4 Two Kings stood not before him how then shall we stand Why a whole World could not stand before God He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himself against him and hath prospered Job 9. 4. And therefore there being no withstanding him by power nor carrying it against him by force let this prevail with us so to meet him as to labour by all possible ways and means to pacifie him And then that power which cannot be withstood by us will be imployed for us both for averting all imminent evils and for procuring all desirable good Mot. 3. The great God when he is in such away seeks for such that should so meet him as to appease him that should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before him for the land that he should not destroy it Which as it shews the great scarcity of such that they are but few For else what need they be sought So his great solicitousness for such and their great acceptableness to him and how unwilling he is to go on to execute what he threatens and that he had rather by such be prevented Now that the Lord seeks for such see Ezek. 22. 30 And I sought for a man
Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am c. Isa 58. 6 7 c. Our shewing mercy to others and therein imitating God in his own goodness and kindness though it be not the cause yet is it a comfortable pledg and evidence of our finding mercy with God our selves The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesephorus for he oft refreshed me c. 2 Tim. 1. 16. And the gratefulness of this to God appears from the many exceeding great and precious promises that are made unto it see Psal 41. 1 2 c. 112. 5 6 7 8. Prov. 11. 25. 19 17 c. And that of all other evidences of Faith this is that especially which Jesus Christ will take cognizance of at the last day Come ye blessed c. for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. Matt. 25. 34 35 c. And therefore the loss of such is very sad That merciful men men of kindness are taken away Isa 57. 1. And the good man is perished out of the earth Micah 7. 2. Such as for whom some would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. VI. By extraordinary fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before the Lord. And this the Lord doth in a special manner in such a day call for and invite unto As in Joel God was there in the way of his judgments And sanctifie ye says he a fast call a solemn assembly gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the Lord your God and cry unto the Lord Alas for the day the day of the Lord is at hand c. And so Joel 2. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctifie a fast call a solemn assembly c. And thus we find his people still have done when God hath been in the way of his judgments See 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. 2 Chron. 20. 3 c. And thus the very Ninevites did They believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them For word came unto the king of Niniveh and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him c. and caused it to be proclaimed and published thorow Nineveh by the Decree of the King and his Nobles Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water c. Jonah 3. 5 6 7 8 And O that the Lord would put it into the heart of our king and into the hearts of our Nobles to decree and cause it to be proclaim'd that in such a way we might all meet the Lord by fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before him And certainly in such a day for people to be still feasting and making merry what is it but to walk quite contrary to God and in a direct opposition to what he is doing and calling for which much provokes him and which therefore he severely threatens And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping c. Isa 22. 13 14. What day was this You may see Isa 22. 5 A day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts in the valley of Vision c. And then did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping c. But behold joy and gladnefs slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall dye And Vers 14 It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord God of hosts And wo to them that are at ease in Sion c. that put far away the evil day that drink wine in bowls c. Amos 1. 3 6 c. CHAP. IV. The Reasons why we are thus to meet God 1. BEcause the great God commands it as here and so after elsewhere yea and dictates withal the way and manner thereof as Hos 14. 1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And 2 Chron. 7. 14 The Lord there prescribes the very platform thereof If says he they shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways c. and Isa 27. 4 5 Fury is not in me who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together But he gives them better advice i. e. to make peace with him and directs them the way Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me And now God commanding us to do this and directing us withall how to do it surely this sufficiently declares it to be our duty and concern both And not to do it What is it but disobedience to God and a kind of slighting and despising of his Soveraignty and Authority 2. He expects it In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. 15. And when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Isa 26. 9. However they neglected to do it before he expects and looks they should do it then And therefore is it then in a special manner their duty to do it 3. Others formerly have done it How often did Moses thus meet the Lord when incens'd against Israel He stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Psal 106. 23. Thus Samuel and all Israel met him 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. Jehoshaphat and all Judah 2 Chron. 20. 3. Ye the Ninevites Jonah 3. 5 6 7. And it was not without success And surely what others have in such a case done formerly it is no less our duty and concern to do now 4. Because when God is in that way our great work and business is and lies with him he being the great Agent and Efficient in all judgments felt or feared threatned or inflicted I says the Lord form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Isa 45. 7. And Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deep places Psal 35. 6. And so he does still at home and abroad by Sea and by Land There is a wheel in the middle of the wheels as Ezekiel saw Chap. 1. 16 which as the Spring in a Watch orders and sets a going all the other and according to the motion of that which is Gods secret Divine Providence so are all motions regulated and ordered and all things are and shall be as he will who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephes 1. 11. Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3. 37. And therefore
what he will they care not they mind the World and their interests and concerns there on the Earth but never regard what heaven doth As the Duke of Alva once told the King of France when he had asked him whether he had observ'd the late great Eclipse in the Heavens No said he I have too much to do on Earth to mind the Heavens And how many such are there who Gallia like care for none of those things They are so far from meeting God so as to stay his hand that they will not so much as see or once take notice of his hand As the Lord complains of those Isa 26. 11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see c. And of Ephraim Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not Hos 7. 9. That is he hath no sense of it neither does he mind or regard it or lay it to heart And how many such sottish senseless stupid souls are there among us who regard not the works of the Lord nor consider the operation of his hands but are setled on their lees and secure and put far away the evil day But wo says the Lord to them that are at ease in Sion that put far away the evil day Amos 6. 1 3. And because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Psal 28. 5. See Isa 5. 11 12. 2. To those who instead of meeting God in the way of his judgments so as to appease him do rather by going on still in their sins more and more provoke him and instead of endeavouring to quench the fire themselves have kindled do rather add more suel to it Who say in effect as those Jer. 18. 12 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart And come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56. 12. And let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Isa 22. 13. Thus they spake in a scoffing way The Prophet tells us we have not long to live we shall soon be slain and therefore let us be jovial while we may O! the daring-impudence of sinners Solomon says The wrath of a king is as messengers of death but a wise man will pacifie it What Fools and Bedlams are those then who still more and more provoke the wrath of the great God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who cuts off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. And yet how many such are there who having troden down the hedg and opened the gap are so far from making it up again that they more and more widen it And instead of endeavouring to put a stop to Gods judgments do rather more hasten them And how justly are such to be reprov'd as enemies not only to themselves and to their own souls but to the Nation to Church and State to King and Kingdom For these take the ready way to undo all As Samuel told Israel But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King 1 Sam. 12. 15. II. By way of Exhortation When God is in the way of his Judgments is it his peoples great duty and concern to meet him as hath abundantly been made good Then God being and still continuing and going on in that way let us all in the name aad fear of God set our selves to that which is so much our duty and concern as indeed there is nothing more I mean to meet him in the way of his Judgments and let us meet him aright and as we have had it made out unto us and set before us with preparation by prayers and supplications and those aright qualifi'd by true repentance and conversion in and with a Mediator even that One and only Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus whom God hath made for us in things pertaining to him or to be done with him With Presents such as in and through Christ the chief Present of all are pleasing to God as of a broken and contrite heart a willing and ob dient heart a sincere and upright heart a merciful and compassionate heart towards others in their miseries and necessities For we go to God for merey for our selves and the Nation and we should then shew mercy to others And lastly by extraordinary Fasting Afflicting and Humbling our selves before the Lord And thus let us answer the Lords call here in the Text And because I will do this prepare to meet thy God O Israel And surely after all the Judgments which the great God hath inflicted on us he hath as great cause to complain of Englands incorrigibleness as here of Israel's Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and therefore may justly resolve as here concerning Israel Therefore thus will I do unto thee O England Truly what the Lord will do I know not neither am I able to say what he hath done a-late we see he hath broken out against us again by several Fires and dreadful Flames not only in the City but in several places in the Country He hath called Home several of his Ambassadors a-late taken away several of his Ministers two in one day and others of his choice Servants and that very suddenly such as should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before the Lord for the Land that he may not destroy it which though little considered and laid to heart bodes very ill and is one of those gray-hairs which are here and there upon us we may fear it is even night when the Lord gets his Children so fast to bed and that the storm is very near when he gathers and houses so fast his corn our Fathers the Chariots of our Israel and the Horse-men thereof go off a-pace and we shall see them no more here 2 Kings 2. 9. This now and a great deal more the Lord hath done a-late but what he 's yet about farther to do who can tell But we have great cause to fear he may do worse and deal severelier with us than ever yet he hath done For we turn not as least very few of us to him that hath so often smitten us neither as we ought do we seek the Lord of Hosts And therefore how justly might he bring final ruin upon us and cut off head and tayl branch and rush in one day as he threatens Isa 9. 12 13 14. And therefore that if possible we may yet prevent this let us do as we are here admonished meet God so as to appease and pacify him and make up the breach and take up the controversy between him and us that