not come so neer our truth our truth will confute it and the God of Truth wil not suffer his truth to fail Yet if our unthankfulness to God for his light so long shining in our Church if our evil lives so unanswerable to our outward profession if our contentions so displeasing to the God of peace our want of zeal and devotion in prayer do turn away the face of God from us we may thank our selves and his justice may say Perditio tua ex te Thy destruction is of thy self 2 The Petitions these are three vide p. 29. 1 Revive thy work in the middest of the years that is as we have expounded it literally in the mean time preserve thy Church In which Petition we are taught That the Church of God is the work of God 1 Doct. ye have heard it so acknowledged by God himself Ask me concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands Isa 45.11 command ye me Wherein God confesseth his Church to be his own work and therefore so comprehended in his care that they may challenge his protection Again He calleth his Church thus The Branch of my planting the work of my hands Isa 60.21 that I may be glorified And David upon this prayeth Forsake not the works of thy own hands Psal 138.8 The reasons why the Church is thus called Because the Church is not an Assembly that doth gather themselves together as we say That Birds of a feather do fly together but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a congregation of such as the free election of grace hath called out of the world by the ministery of the Word of God and the Sacraments The first Church of God in whom God was glorified consisted of Angels intellectuall spirits whereof many kept not their first estate but were excōmunicated never to be redeemed The first Church of God on earth were our first Parents whom God created in his image The Creation miscarried by the fall of our Parents who might have stood if they would The election of grace remained unchangeable and continued a Church in Adam in Abel in Seth which separated from Cain and his issue in Noah and Sem and in Japhet perswaded to the tents of Shem in the calling of the Gentiles so that all that have the election of grace do come to be members of the Church by vertue of an effectuall calling election designeth them vocation declareth them to be the members of the Church and both these are the work of God Will you take it from Gods own mouth who saith Levit. 20.26 Ye shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that you should be mine The Church is called the work of God in respect of his perpetuall presence with it and preservation of it both by his own speciall providence which is the priviledge of the Church also by the subordinate ministery of his holy Angels 1 For his own providence he hath declared it in a promise I will not sail thee Josh 1.5 nor forsake thee in which promise what interest the Church hath and every member thereof the Authour to the Hebrews shevveth Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have Heb. 13.5 for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man shall do unto me For which gratious protection 1 Pet. 4.19 St. Peter willeth us to commit our souls to him in wel-doing as to a faithfull Creatour so called saith Lyranus quia secure conservat gloriose coronat non relinquit opus He not onely buildeth but standeth to reparations 2 For the ministry and subvention of Angels the Psalmist saith Psal 91.11 12. He hath given his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hands Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them Heb. 1.14 who shall be heirs of Salvation The Church of God is called the Work of God to honour God for God is not so glorious in any thing that he hath wrought as in his Church for therein mercy and truth met together righteousnesse and peace kissed each other our election adoption is to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 Is 60.21 You heard himself say of his Church The work of my hands that I may be glorified For God is more glorified in those things which he hath wrought by Jesus Christ in our flesh and in those things which he doth for his sake then in all the other works of his hands This will one day appear it is revealed already in part to us for whatsoever God did work sine verbo incarnato without the word incarnate it all shall fail and come to dissolution or to a worse condition that is an eternall being in wo. For example the heavens and the eath shall all perish and new shall be made in their place a nevv heaven and a nevv earth vvherein God vvill plant righteousnesse The Angels that fell and the reprobate shall suffer eternall flames What remains now but Angels and just men the elect Angels and the holy Church of God the one sort elected in Christ established in blisse by Christ the other redeemed by Christ these are reserved to glory the just shall be as the Angels of God in heaven In this Church then God is most glorified The Church is called the Work of God to give honour to it here on earth for God would have the World knovv that he owns his Church and that they are a peculiar people a chosen generation a royall Priesthood that he delighteth in in them And again the faithfull delight in nothing but what he hath vvrought in them and from them So Augustine bringeth in the Church saying Opus tuum in me Domine vide non meum nam meum si videris damnum tuum si videris Coronas Behold thy work in mee c. It is Davids glory I am thine All things else have the same maker that have any being but the Church hath the honour of curious and costly vvork all the rest of the vvorks of God are not vvorth the cost that he bestovved in the vvhite vvashing of this vvork To turn this point into profit 1 Seeing vve are the vvork of God in regard of election of grace of creation and protection this teacheth us to live godlily righteously and soberly in this present vvorld and to keep our selves unspotted of the vvorld 1 For election Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 For creation Ephe. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in them 3 For all his other favours as that we are a royall priesthood
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
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
shame omnia Romae venalia Templa sacerdotes altaria It was once the Grecians infamy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Titus 1.12 There have been many National sins which one Country hath upbraided another withal But how is it that since the light of the Gospel in our Land we have made prize of the sins of all Nations and made them free Denisons amongst us Schisme in the Church corruption of justice bribes gluttony drunkennesse contention pride outlandish manners oppression that Tyrus and Sidon will appeare more innocent then Chorazin and Bethsaida and Sodom and Gomorra are like to make a better reckoning in the day of audit then Capernaum Therfore try your wayes and make your paths even and strait before he come qui justitias judicabit If your righteousnesse be not right the light that in them is darknesse and then quantae tenebrae how great is that darknesse 2. When you have examined your righteousnesse Caution 2. and finde it to be a sincere reddition of due to God and man take heed that you trust not in it When Jacob came to a new Covenant with Laban for wages he said to him do this So shall my righteousnesse answer for me in time to come Gen. 30.33 for my hire before thy face Our upright dealing with men may justifie us to face of man but our righteousnesse in the court of heaven is a poor plea let no man reteine it for an Advocate to answer there for him it will be speechlesse in that presence So much of it as is ours is foul and immerent deserving no favour at the hand of God We have two things to do 1. A debt to pay to God 2. A Kingdom to be purchased in heaven We are broken for the debt our righteousnesse cometh nothing near the clearing of the debt and can we hope of doing any thing toward the purchase Nature it self cannot wish them more unhappy then they are that trust in their own righteousnesse for the reed they lean upon will first wound them and then break under them 3. Yet let it go for a caution too Caution 3. do not so under value thy righteousnesse as to think there is neither need nor use of it because it meriteth nothing at the hands of God for God is gracious to accept from us that which deserveth no such good liking from him Thus he accepted the humiliation of Ahab and he rewarded it thus he accepted the repentance of Niniveh and the thiefe upon the crosse that confessed Christ and shortly after died received a promise to be with Christ in Paradise Christ speaketh comfortably Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh 6.37 Righteousnesse is the way to him This is the song and Jubilation of the Church We have a strong City Isa 26. i. Vers 2. salvation will God appoint for wals and bulwarks Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in For God keepeth a book of remembrance Mal. 3.16 such as Malacy saith A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name for the Lord loveth the righteous Ps 58.11 and verily there is a reward for the righteous Yea beloved I dare go so farre and I am sure that I tread on ground that will carry me through it is not faith it is sin it is presumption to trust in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely without a care and conscience and practise of righteousnesse in our selves For Christ redeemeth us not to idlenesse but to work out our salvation we are delivered from the hands of our enemies ut serviamus ei that we might serve him redemption doth not destroy but renew our creation and we were created to good works and we are called to holinesse Let no man think that Christ needeth the help of our righteousnesse to satisfie his Father but we do need our righteousnesse to declare our faith in Christ and to make application of the righteousnesse of God to our selves Though the full strength of Scripture be bent against merit of righteousnesse there is no ground there for idlenesse to stand upon we must not cast all upon Christ and make him who came to redeeme us from the punishment of our evil works a redeemer of us from the necessity of good works Our very union with him is enough to necessitate operative righteousnes for he saith My Father worketh as yet ego operor and I work and it is his word thus must we fulfil all righteousnes Therefore that Christ may see he paid the debt for such as would have paid it if they could and did their best to pay all let us not neglect our own righteousnesse in our quest of salvation but being only by Jesus Christ delivered from the hands of our enemies let us serve him in righteousnesse and holynesse before him all the days of our life Let it go also for a caution 4. Caution that seeing the necessity of righteousnesse we do look well to the integrity thereof as the Apostle admonisheth us in his testimony of the Corinthians That in every thing ye are enriched by him 1 Cor. 1.5 7. so that ye come behind in nogist It is noted of the Saints of God in glory that they do weare long white robs these be the garments of righteousnesse there is our sicut in Coelo we must not wear our righteousnesse like a short garment it must be entire covering the whole body to the foot that is the integrity of the whole man For whosoever maketh conscience of his righteousnesse in some things and not in all is but a hypocrite that man makes conscience of nothing at all That professor that for his profit will do any thing contrary to the revealed Will of God or if for pleasure or for revenge he will go out of the way of Gods Law that mans righteousnesse is but vain For St. James saith Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet faileth in one point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 Sinne is like leaven a little of it sowreth the whole lump of righteousnesse Knowing the necessity of this righteousnesse and the continual use of it 5. Caution and that our whole life is a perpetual warfare here on earth we must know that this righteousnesse must never be put off or laid aside all our life long it must not beworne in our colours ad pompam but in our armour ad pugnam to the fight This righteousnesse is not for shew but for service There be some temptations that take their aime at us and come forth to assault us there be others that are shot at random and yet may hit us As he that killed Ahab directed not his aim at him so a man sometime by occasion falleth into temptation If a man at those times have not his righteousnesse to seek but that he wear it as a brest-plate it may
come to the Court and he shall see how many Spheres of greatnesse do move above him Here is more work for ambition if we remember the law proximum ut teipsum thy neighbour as thy self we will no more desire to exceed one the other in the state wherein we live then a man desireth one hand or one leg in proportion of strength and bignesse to exceed the other in his body 5. We have a fair example in our elder brother for though he was such as to whom it was said Adorent eum omnes Angeli ejus Heb. 2.17 Worship him all ye Angels yet to become our brother In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren He could not do this without humiliation there was no power above him to humble him and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God the power that did it was in himself humiliavit semet ipsum he humbled himself Ambition therefore putteth us out of the way of life Christ humbled himselfe Et qui vult esse discipulus meus sequatur me He that will be my disciple must follow me The doctrine of contentednesse doth still offer it self to us commanded in the last of the ten for non concupisces aliena faith sortè tua contentus be contented with thy lot this also serveth for the next point 3. They are charged with covetousnesse Of which Christ saith Take heed and beware of Covetousnesse giving us a double caution against it The Apostle giveth a reason because it is the root of all evill but that reason doth not draw blood 1 Tim. 6.10 for where the conscience is not tender malum culpae the evil of punishment is not feared But it followeth Which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Ambition hath this handmaid to attend it this factour to negotiate for it for ambition is not supported without great charge our own times tell us so and Ambition cannot be a great spender if covetousnesse be not a great getter Covetousnesse is an inordinate desire of the wealth of this world and is many ways culpable 1. Because God hath given man dominion of the earth and hath put all things under his feet let not us remove them and as David saith let us not Cor opponere set our heart upon them Gold and silver are lower put under us then the surface of the earth for they grow within the bowels of the earth nearer to hell to shew the danger that is in them Therefore the Apostles had these things not put into their bosomes or into their hands but laid at their feet 2. Because the Scripture hath expresled the woe of God belonging to the covetous as you have heard Vae homini qui congregat non sua wo to the man which gathereth not his own They that are covetous Ose 12.7 do carry stateram dolosam a deceitful ballance for lay the conscience in one scale and the least gain that is in the other the conscience is found too light as Saint Augustine Lucrum in arcâ damnum in conscientiâ For Saint Paul calleth covetousnesse Idolatry Eph. 5. and Christ calleth Mammon the god of the covetous ye cannot serve God and Mammon This is clear for where doth the covetous man bestow and place his faith hope and love but in his wealth which we do owe to God The rich man sang a Requiem to his soule Luc. 12. Now my soule make merry for thou hast goods enough laid up for many years 3. Because covetousnesse is a fruitful sin the daughters thereof are commonly 1. Usury 2. Rapine 3. Fraud 4. Bribes 5. Simony 1. Concerning Usury let me out of the word say only to you that he shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle that is shall rest under Gods Protection on earth and he shall dwell in the holy hill that is Ps 15. possessions in heaven Who putteth not his mony out to usury Where he shall dwell that doth so you may easily conclude If you wil hear the judgement of a Parliament the Statute concerning the forbidding of usury doth begin thus Forasmuch as all usury by the laws of God is sinne and detestable An. 14. Elizab Be it therefore enacted c. If thou wilt know the judgment of learned Divines fathers both of the Eastern and Western Churches Councels later Divines have written against it and detected it unlawful so that it is of all learned evil spoken of But the covetousnesse of the Chaldeans was not of this sort therefore not of purpose to be handled but incidently to be remembred yet non sine morsu in transitu yet not without a lash in the way Fraud is another of the daughters of covetousnesse when we by any wit or the art of seeming do over-reach one another in matter of negotiation of which the Apostle That no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such 1 Thes 4.6 as we also have forewarned you and testified Bribes is another daughter of covetousnesse It was part of Samuels purgation of himself Of whom have I received bribes 1 Sam. 12.3 to blinde mine eyes there with for Solomon saith A wicked man taketh the gift out of the bosome to pervert the Wayes of judgment Pro. 17.23 Micah describeth more then his own times The heads of Sion judge for reward Mica 3.11 and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they leane upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil can come upon us Read on Symony is another daughter of covetousnesse I say no more of it but leave it with St. Peters blessings Pereat argentum tuum tecum let their money perish with thee But rapine was the proper and natural daughter of the covetousnesse of the Chaldeans they had their Angle and their Net and their Dragge nothing could escape them The great fish did eate up the little ones oppression was the crying sinne of Babylon all their neighbours did groan under it 1. This sin doth destroy jus naturale natural right which is quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris do as thou wouldst be done to out of which principle these two do arise 1. Ne cui noceas hurt none 2. Vt communi bono deservias serve the common good 2. It offendeth the written law which doth not only restraine actum rapinae non furaberis the act of rapine thoushalt not steal but voluntatem rapinae non concupisces but the will thou shalt not covet Agur the son of Jakeh saith There is a generation whose teeth are as swords Pro. 30.14 and their jaw-teeth as knives to devoure the poore from off the earth and the needy from among men This generation is not yet grown barren Christ saith Pauperes semper habebitis vobiscum you shall
not wrought enough upon the Romanists who are guilty of grosse idolatry so on the other side it hath wrought too much upon some zealous Professors who fearing superstition and idolatry dare scarce shew any external reverence to God himself either when they come into Gods house or when they come to Gods Table Yet the Angel that would not be worshipped said Worship thou God and that is all the Church exacteth not an inward Worship only but an outward also commanded in the second Commandment Vers 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him The Temple of Gods holinesse is understood here as you have heard two ways 1. For the Temple at Jerusalem 2. For heaven In both let all tremble before him This is the second part of the Antithesis True Religion containing two parts 1. Where God is 2. What duty is owing to him 2. He is in his Temple at Jerusalem Vbi est and in all other Temples dedicate to his service For the Temple at Jerusalem he appointed the making of it and chose the man to whose care he committed the trust of the work David might not do it but Solomon was the man When it was finished and Solomon had assembled the People to the consecration of it and prayed there God answered the Prayer of Solomon with a visible expressure of his Presence for a cloud filled the house it was filled with the Glory of God But some of our Sectaries say there is no need of Churches for Gods publick service there is neither precept nor example in Scripture for it but the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria leave it at large The houre cometh and now is John 4.23 when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth Saint Augustine calleth this heresie in the Massilians that they denied the use of Temples because Christ foretold that the use of the Temple at Jerusalem should cease which was a shadow of things to come In the Old Testament beside the Cathedral and Mother-Church the People had their Synagogues for their meetings to Gods service which continued even to and in Christs time Christ himself designed a place for that meeting wherin he celebrated the last Passeover and instituted the Sacrament of his Supper The Disciples had a place of meeting wherein Christ twice found them the first day of the week The persecutions of those times gave no sodain liberty to settle a Church and to erect Temples nor that I can read for the first 200 years after Christ were any Temples built Yet before the persecutions ceased they had erected Oratories for their meeting to Prayer and hearing of the Word for in the tenth Persecution under Dioclesian Euseb 8.2 An. Reg. 19. Mense Martio he made an Edict for the pulling down of the Temples of the Christians But under Constantine when Christian religion had the favour of Authority regal then Concurrebant populi ad populos quasi os ad os Ecclesiae quae antea impiis tyrannorum machinis destructae fuerant redivivae c. Then the People came together Eus 10.2 And ever since the Church hath continued this practise of maintaing Oratories for the meeting of the Congregations for the praise and service of God There is warrant enough from the example of the Church and the Authority thereof to maintain this holy practice Those places be the Temples of Gods holinesse the houses of God separate from all common use to the holy service of God And God who by his Omnipotency filleth all places is in our Churches by a more special presence for if the Glory of God filled the Temple in the time of the Law why may we not believe that in the light of the Gospel he reveileth his Presence more because the place wherein we serve God is Gods house and all Civil and common use of it is resigned to consecrate it to Gods service If God be present where two or three are assembled surely where there is a meeting of a full Congregation he is present with a special presence And therefore it hath ever been esteemed a pious charity in those that have been founders enlargers restorers or adorners of Churches as Saint Origen saith quam gloriosum est si dicatur in Tabernaculo domini Illius fuit hoc aurum hoc argentum In ex 25. Hom. 13. c Rursus quam indecorum ut dominus veniens nihil muneris tui inveniat in eo nihil a te cognoscat oblatum Ego optarem si fieri posset esse aliquid meum in auro quo arca contegitur Nollem esse infoecundus c. These houses of God are the temples of his holinesse where the name of God is declared to the Church wherein God by his Spirit speaketh to the Churches in the outward ministry of the word where the holy ones of God do speak to God by the same Spirit in prayers in hymnes and spiritual songs where the sacrifices of righteousnesse are offered And herein is that gracious Prophecy of Isay fulfilled which our Saviour alleadgeth in the Gospel For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Observe Isa 56 7. here is not only oratio prayer which is cultus divinus divine worship but here is Domus mea my house a place designed for the worship of God and that for all people This cannot be made good in the temple of Jerusalem nor in any one Church but must determine both the extent and dilatation of Gods worship and the designation of fit houses for the same Another like Prophecy we have before in Isay It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountains of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 and shall be exalted above the hils and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the top of the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem The common exposition is that after the returne of the people of Israel from the 70 years captivity in Babylon then Religion and Gods Worship shall be setled at Ierusalem But observe how this exposition shriveleth up the promise of grace for this is not all He saith this shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last time and he addeth that all nations shall flow to it and he saith not that one mountain but The mountains of the Lord shall be established which must needs be understood of the Churches of the Christians to which the faithful should resort For further proof hereof read Micha 4. where you shall find this Prophecy totidem verbis Vers 1.2 in so many words and a commentary upon it Micah 5.
wherein he prophecyeth the birth of Christ in Bethlehem In both these Prophecies we observe that the promise of God hath not only assured the spreading of true Religion but the assemblies of beleivers to certain places for instruction that they may bee taught vias Domini the ways of the Lord. Never was there Religion in the world without some places of publick-Worship for meeting of people together Even in Adams time there was a place where Adam and his children met to offer sacrifice and Cains flying from the presence of the Lord was his wilfull excommunication from that place And in truth they that would have no Churches may aswell cry down Religion and the publique ministry of the Word and pluck down the hedge which God hath planted about his Vine and lay all common Understand us rightly we do not affix holinesse to the place nor think any speciall sanctity inherent in it but seeing God is by a singular right become master of the house that is separate to his use as the Apostle saith judge I pray you is it comely that wee put not difference between Gods House and our owne houses It is observed that Christ when he purged the temple purged only that part of the temple which was set apart to prayer and hearing of the Word because that use of the Church was to continue in the time of the Gospel and after he had cast out the oxen and the doves which were provisions for sacrifice then he citeth that place and reneweth the sanction My house shall be called an house of prayer to all nations which is a sanctification of all Churches to the Worship of God That this was so understood Know that before they had any Churches built for the publick exercise of Religion they had some places of meeting which they called Aedes sacras holy houses of which the Apostle putting difference sayth have ye not houses to eat and drink in Cor 1 1◠22. despise ye the Church of God Here be our own houses for common and natural moral and civil use here is the Church of God the place of assembling of the Congregations to the Worship and service of God No sooner is a place consecrate to this use but it is a Temple of Gods So when Jacob had set up a stone for a pillar Gen. 28.19.22 in the place where he dreamed and had the vision of the ladder he called the name of it Bethel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods house And after At his returne he came to that place and having first put down all the strang gods Gen. 35.7 he built an altar to the Lord and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good of Gods house It is palestra in which we do meet with God to wrestle with him in our fervent prayers and supplications He by his word wrastleth with us to overcome both our ignorance and impiety And therefore as Jacob Gen. 32.31 so may we call our Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the face of God for there God did look upon him And in the times of the Gospel these houses of prayer have had several tittles Aedes sacrae in respect of their succession to them and Templa in respect of their succession to that at Jerusalem Tectum amplum some derive it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Propter dedicationem 2. Propter usum 3. Propter jus perpetuum 4. Propter sabbatum For there is Dominica in Dominico thence came the word Kirke Yet in use in Scotland And Ecclesiae in respect of the meetings there When David could not come to the sanctuary of God he worshipped toward it Hear the voyce of my supplications Psal 7. Ps 28.2 Dan. 6.10 when I cry unto thee when I lift up my hands towards thy holy temple Daniel being farre from the temple opened his window toward Jerusalem and prayed three times a day The Temple is a type of Heaven where the Saints of God do meet to praise God which is the worship that is done to God in heaven And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men Rev. 21.3 and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God This Mr. Brightman understandeth of the Church of the Gentiles where God is seen So doth James Brocard an Italian understand it of the Church delivered from Poperie and Mahometry and all haeresie But Master Bullinger better advised saith that as in the former part of this Revelation hell is described so in this chapter heaven is set forth And that as you see in the similitude of a tabernacle so doth Junius and Napier well interpret this place I conclude then that all the Churches wherein the Christians meet to call upon God are the temples of Gods presence wherein God is invisibly resident both to give his Spirit where he thinketh good and to direct our service of him and to receive our prayers and sacrifices of thanksgiving and to communicate to his servants the ordinances of his grace the means of their salvation 2. As God is in these temples made with hands and declareth his presence in his house in his Word and Sacraments and in the solemne meetings of his children so is he in heaven which is his highest temple whereof these are but types and figures We beleive in him as maker of heaven and we pray to him our father which art in heaven this place he himself calleth his habitation I dwell in the high and holy place 1. In heaven Yet as Solomon saith The heaven of heavens is not able to containe him Isa 57.15 2 Reg. 8.27 So he is there as in the most excellent part of his creation but not comprehended there for there he is most purely worshipped thence cometh our Sicut in Coelo The heathen gods are no where in heaven they are not that is the temple of the true God in earth they are not for they are no gods that have residence in earth and have no power at all in heaven As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the world Here by the name of Idol is not meant the material image representing their god for that is a bodily substance to be seen and felt and it is in the world but he speaketh it de numine the divinity is a non ens For he addeth that there is no God but one and whereas many be called gods in heaven and in earth as there be many gods and many Lords yet he saith there is but one God the rest are nomina not numina For there were that worshipped the Sun the Moon and the starres these as creatures and second causes do us good but they serve our God When our God is in his Temple all those help to make up the quire of them that praise him For the heavens declare the glory of
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
knovvn he re-inforceth his former petition novv desiring that God vvould reveale his gracious purpose of succouring his Church and triumphing over the enemies thereof In the mean time vvhile thy Church is groaning under the burthen of their exile make thy vvill knovvn to them This favour of God vvil svveeten the adversity of their banishment vuhen they shall knovv the loving purpose of God tovvard them In wrath remember mercy They confesse that they have given God cause of displeasure and have provoked him to vvrath they feel the smart thereof in a strange land and they have no plea but mercy they dare not make so bold vvith him as to entreat him to turn avvay all his vvrath from them because they are so guilty to themselves that they have provoked him and deserved his indignation Onely they desire that in the midst of his vvrath he vvould remember mercy By vvrath in this place is not meant any such affection in God vvhereof his unchangeable and constant nature is not capable for God is semper idem ever the same vvhom hee loveth he loveth vvith an everlasting love and he cannot at any time be angry vvith them But vvhom he loveth upon occasion he rebuketh and chasteneth every son vvhom he receiveth and this love sometimes bringing forth the effects of that vvhich in man is called vvrath vve speak after the manner of men and avouch it of God Thus then the text is literally to be understood O Lord I have heard vvhat thou hast spoken in the defence of thy upright justice I have heard vvhat thou purposest in the punishing and in the avenging of thy Church in the mean time preserve it and make it knovv thy love tovvards it and vvhilst thou art punishing of it remember mercy The parts of this are tvvo 1 The preparation to prayer 2 The prayer it self 1 In the preparation I observe Motum the motive Metum fear 2 In the prayer I observe 1 Subjectum the subject 2 Petitiones the petitions The petitions are three 1 O Lord revive thy Work in the middle of the years 2 O Lord in the middle of the years make knovvn 3 In wrath remember mercy First of the preparation 1 of the Motus O Lord I have heard thy Speech The Word of God is vvell bestovved on them that vvill hear it vvith reverence and receive it vvith humility here vvas a maze the Prophet and the Faithfull of the land had lost themselves they knevv not vvhat to think till they had put the matter to God himself Cap. 1. and God having made a ful ansvver novv the Prophet saith in his ovvn name and in the name for whom he consulted God I have heard thy speech All the Scripture is full of examples of the Children of God hearkening to his word of precepts and admonitions to us to hearken of promises to them that do hearken The reason is because it is a speciall note of Gods children to heare his Word even as our Saviour himself saith He that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therefore hear them not Joh. 8.47 because ye are not of God And now seeing God hath given over speaking by miracles extraordinarily to his Church St. John saith We are of God 1 Joh. 4. he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of errour The Spirit of truth is left in the Church by our Saviour and he speaketh in such who by the Ordinance of Christ are the Priests of the new Testament of whom Christ saith Qui vos recipit me recipit qui recipit me recipit eum qui misit me he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me we must hear him before he hear us for St. Paul telleth us true Rom. 8.26 We know not what we should pray for as we ought The art of prayer is not so quickly learned as some forward proofessours make themselves believe John besides his continuall preaching to his Disciples taught them also to pray And never had any Disciples a better Master then the Disciples of Jesus Christ yet they living in the eare of his Doctrine and in the eye of his holy example were glad to come to him to be taught to pray he taught them the Lords prayer privately which after he taught the whole multitude in a Sermon openly My observation is that his Word must minister matter to our prayers Doct. and all our petitions must be grounded thereupon The reason is because God heareth not sinners John 9.31 and David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me But the prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 if it be fervent Against sin we have no such remedy as the word So David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119.11 that I might not sin against thee Our Lessons from hence are 1 We must take it for a great favour of God to us that he giveth us his word for that is a lanthorne to our feet that is our counsalor as David calleth it This word is given us to profit withall and it is deposited 1 In the Books of the Canonical Scripture which we have not as the Church of Rome shut up in an unknown language but translated faithfully into our own tongue that all of us may be partakers of it 2 As in the time of the law the Priests lips did preserve knowledge and men were to require the law at their lips so in the time of the Gospel St. Paul saith of the Apostles and of all the Ministers that should succeed them in their office in the Church 1 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed to us the word of reconciliation he hath so committed it to his Son first as he gave him power to transmit it in the Priesthood of the New Testament to all ages of the Church till his second coming The spirit which Christ left to comfort and instruct his Church was not given at large to all men but in perticular ordinance to them whom he sent to teach all Nations as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.6 Our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life So we are the Ministers of the word that giveth life and there is no life to be had but by our Ministry This gives us interest in your affections in your understandings in your goods in your prayers 2 Now we know where we may hear God we are taught also not to neglect him speaking to us for as the Author to the Hebrews saith Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven
God is armed vvith povver to punish evill doers 4 That in all this God vvas glorified First the consideration of former mercies doth strengthen faith in present troubles Therefore do they commemorate the manner of Gods glorious comming from Teman and of Paran vvherein he had glory in the heavens and prayse upon the earth David did make good use of this point often For vvhen my distresse came he found comfort in this remembrance Novv thou art farre of and goest not forth with our armies Thou makest us turn back from the adversary Psal 44.9.10 and they which hate us spoile for themselves c. To comfort this affliction he beginneth that Psalme We have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us what thou didst in their days and in the times of old How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and planted them c. So Psal 74 9. again complaining of great afflictions We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet this is his comfort God is my King of old working Salvation in the midst of the Earth Thou didst divide ehe Sea by thy power c. So again Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my soar ran and ceased not and in the night my soul refused comfort Then I considered the days of old Verse 5. Psal 4.1 and the years of ancient times Thou hast enlarged me when I was distrest The reason why this doth minister comfort to the Church 1 Reas is because we have learned that our God is constant in his love whom he once loved he ever loveth for he is without variablenesse and shadow of changing as the Apostle and the Psalmist saith But thou art the same thy years shall have no end Ps 102.27.28 The children of the servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee The goodness of God endureth continually Psal 52.1 Reas 2. Because the commemoration of former benefits is a work of thanksgiving and prayse and that is the highest service that we can perform to God in his worship this is Sicut in coelo it is heaven upon earth For it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing prayses to the Name of the most High Psal 92.1 Ps 50.23 It is good for God for He that offereth me praise glorifieth me and for that he made us It it good for us for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased there is our happiness for in his favor is light Reas 3 Again the thankfull commemoration of former mercies of God to us doth draw on new benefits for thanksgiving as it is Gods crop which he gathereth from us of the seed of his many favours so it is our seed which we cast into the ground of Gods kindness and it bringeth us an harvest of new blessings Every man thinks his seed well bestowed in good ground that yeeldeth an encrease and God hath said Them that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 This point is of excellent use Vse to stir us up to a wise consideration of the constant love of God to such as fear serve him Benefits are soon forgotten therefore as David saith I called upon the Lord in my trouble so he stirreth up himself to thankfulness My soul praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits He found great comfort in this looking back When he undertook Goliah and Saul discouraged him as unable for it he looked back to the time past and remembred how God had delivered him from a Lion and a Bear and from that experience of Gods good help he resolved to attempt the uncircumcised Philistine And in his declining years when age grew upon him he comforted his drooping spirits thus Thou art my hope O Lord God Psa 71.5 even my trust from my youth Vpon thee have I been stayed from the womb thou art he that took me from my mothers bowels Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth There be three sorts of men that do even run themselves upon the edge and point of reprehension we cannot here forgive them a chiding 1 Those that tanquam prona pecora as groveling beasts do look onely upon the time incumbent mistaking St. Paul who saith I forget that which is behind Lyranus understandeth him legalia terrena Theophilact better Praeteritarum virtutum nihil reminiscor nec memoria repeto Phil. 3.13 sed ea omnia post tergum relinquo So we must forget all the good we have done as being short of perfection that we may mend our pace in the ways of Gods Commandements But the Apostle did look back to times past to see what Christ had done for us how he loved us when vve vvere his enemies how he washed us in his bloud how he forgave him his sins and how he obteined mercy of him because vvhat he did he did it ignorantly through unbelief 2 Those also are here reproved vvho look only to the time past and see therein nothing but Gods temporall favours but regard not the times present and consider not Gods spirituall graces Some that lived in the time of Popery do prayse those dais then vvas good house-keeping easie rents a constant fashion of apparrel that many Gentlemen had the lands of their grandfathers in possession and their cloaths on their backs then vvas no seeking of reversions or buying of offices no market of Church-livings Israel did so Remember the fish that we are in Aegypt for nought the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onions num â—1 5 and the Garlick I deny not but when the people of this Land vvere fewer and the vanity of the pride of other Nations and many of their foul sins kept home and were not imported hither there were better times for the belly then these are But let us see the state of souls at that time they were then in the house of bondage under Pharaoh of Rome Beef and Mutton Wheat and Barly were cheap but the two Testaments the two breasts of the Church vvere like a Fountain sealed up and like a Garden enclosed But when Queen Elizabeth began to rest in this Hemisphere like the Sun to run her race she turned that night into day and maintained this light till she vvas taken up into heaven and she that vvas a shining star on earth and blest the Church of God here vvith benigne aspect and influence vvas made a glorious ever blessed Saint in heaven In the beginning of her raign God came from Teman The Holy one from mount Paran God revealed himself in the glorious Sun-shine of his Gospel of peace 3 They are also reproved vvho out of too much fore-casting fear of the times to come do quite forget both the former and the present mercies of God and astonish themselves vvith representations of hideous formes of ensuing
us at the doore vvhen vve are going forth to act it he may overtake us vvhen we are upon the vvay he may cut us off in the act of sin and bring us from the fact to judgement And how soever his mercy hath the name above his other works and his patience and long suffering be the fruits of his mercy yet he never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth He hath diverted his plague often he hath sometimes called it in and long he keepeth it in for that he expecteth repentance but he hath never turned it out of his service but hath it always before him he hath also turned his fire another way that it might not come neer the Tabernacles of the righteous but he hath never quenched it it is always at his feet if he moveth that moveth with him the Rain-bow about his head is the joy of his Church the coals of terrour at his fire are the terrour of the wicked 2. We have also our lesson herein Vse 2 2 Cor. 5.11 for the Apostle saith Knowing therfore the terror of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust are made manifest also in your consciences We find this danger in sin and this severity in judgement thereupon we perswade men to a conscionable course of life such as may keep them unspotted of the world If we do not acquaint you with the terrour of the Lord and shew you the pestilence that walketh before him and the burning coals at his feet God will right himself upon us for as he told his Prophet Ezekiel so he will deal with us Son of man I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore hear the word from my mouth Ezc. 3.17 and give them warning from me When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his evill way to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his bloud will I require at thy hand This excuseth us to you when we preach the rod of God even pestilence and coales of fire that this is not our furie and railing as some call it but it is the wrath of the Lord against sin and if we temper a bitter potion for you to drink it is not poison but medicine and it is ministred to you as God himself saith to save your lives that you may not dye in your sins it is the therapentique physick to heal your souls it is prophilactique to us to prevent disease that we perish not for your unreproved sins The arrows of vengeance are aimed at your sins that you may kill sin and save the sinner alive Cry therefore Spare us good Lord. 4. Doct. God is glorious in heaven and in earth for this Heaven is covered with his glory and the Earth is full of his praise This is the confession of David O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth Psa 8.1 who hast set thy glory above the heavens What need we any more reason to think this his due Reas 1 then these two 1 His name onely is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven Here we are sure we cannot over-doe in matter of praise and glory the Angels and Saints do him that service and cover the heaven with the praises of God Psa 148.13 for his love shineth to his Church and we pray Sicut in Coelo as in heaven He also exalteth the horne of his people Psa 14.3 the praise of all his Saints Let not us sit out vvhen all joyn to glorifie God Vse let not any of us like the fleece of Gideon be dry vvhen all the floore is watered vvith the joys and jubilations of the Church David is not content vvith a bare praising of the name of God as they that say alway The Lord be praised but he requireth both a song Ps 149.1 Canticum novum a nevv song and that in the congregation of the Saints He also requireth a dance Verse 3. he requireth also instruments of musique he gives reason He vvould have us delight in the service that we do to God therefore he addeth The Lord taketh pleasure in his people Verse 4. he will beautifie the meek with Salvation Let the Saints be joyfull in glory Verse 5. let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high praises of God be in their mouth Verse 6. This is that vvhich this example requireth not to be shallovv and sleight in the promises of God but to strein our selves to the uttermost the inward man of the heart the voice the hand playing the feet dancing till vve cover the heaven and fill the earth vvith his glory Verse 6. He stood and measured the earth he beheld and drove in sunder the Nations and the everlasting Mountains were scattered the perpetuall hils did bow his ways are everlasting 2 HEre is a commemoration of the power and glory of God in giving to his Israel the Land of Canaan for their possession Diverse judgments have made diverse constructions of these words Mr. Calvine is of opinion that they declare God in his glorious Lordship over all the world for as David when he should come to be absolute Monarch of Judah and Israel said I will rejoyce therefore and divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth c. So God is here declared absolute Monarch in this phrase of measuring of the earth as David would cast his shooe over the Philistines would rejoyce So God is here declared Conquerour of all by dividing in sunder the nations c. St. Augustine turnes all into Allegory and applieth it to Christ You remember how before I found that the Church doth comfort their present miseries with remembrance of Gods former mercies therefore I choose to keep pace with the story of Gods former mercies to his Israel And as before he spake of the comming of God from Teman and Paran when he appeared glorious to them in giving the law so now he comes to another powerfull mercy that is when he gave them the promised Land for then he that went before them all the vvay of their journey in their removes now stood still as declaring that novv they vvere come to the land of their rest as he had promised it And there He measured the Earth it is ascribed here to God that he divided the land amongst the Tribes because it vvas done by lot vvherein not chance but God answered This hath reference to that story vvhich vve read Joshua 5. for when the people vvere entred into the land of Canaan and vvere come so far in to it as Gilgall that the Ark of God was setled in Gilgall Then God commanded the Sacrament of Circumcision to be revived vvhich in the vvhole journey between their comming out of Aegypt to this place had been omitted
into the red sea The most that we read of Moses concerning any art in naturall Philosophy is that Moses was brought up in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians and no man thinketh that he got all their wisedome from them how then did not the wisedome of the Aegyptians at time serve the Aegyptians themselves when this was done 6 Another memorable miracle of this passage was that before all Israel had recovered the further shore the same passage was safe to Israel and pernitious and fatall to the Aegyptians which appeared 1 Because God did not let the waters come together to hinder the Aegyptians pursuit but kept them divided till they vvere all within the verge of the sea for this God could have done as it after follovveth 2 That to hinder their journey of pursuit God turned the pillar of Cloud behind Israel between them and the Aegyptians so that Israel led the vvay by a clear light the Aegyptians follovved them in the dark 3 That their chariot vvheels vvere smitten off in the night so that they drove uneasily 4 That the vvaters came together upon their consultation to return and drovvned them all before all the children of Israel had recovered the further shore 7 The last memorable wonder was the casting up of the bodies of the Egyptians upon the further shore which Israel had recovered and whereon they pitched to make good the word of Moses you shall see them no more that is living to terrifie you thus Israel saw what God had done for them and their eyes had it desire against their enemies All these be things worth remembring 3 He addeth another wonderful mercy in cleaving the earth with rivers which hath reference as you have heard to Numb 20.11 In which 1 It is wonderfull that God hearing the murmur of his people for want of water had not punished their sin with present death but did choose rather to give them their hearts desire and to satisfie them with water 2 That he made the rock to yield them water which did not naturally but by vertue of his word 3 That it should have been done so easily as by a word of Moses that it was done so easily as by twice smiting 4 That those waters did follow the hoast to relieve it all the way of their journey till they had other supply as also the Manna did till they came to come in Canaan so these waters ran into no sea 5 That these rivers dryed up after Israel and no shew of any river ever since vvhere these vvaters ran in dry places to shevv vvho ordained that stream and for whom Though God hath had his praise for all the things before yet they desire Canticum novum a new song Here and here it is work for the rector Chori 2 The motive that induced God to do all this for his people 1 Affirm exprest in two things internus motor 1 His desire of the preservation of his Israel For he did ride upon his Horses and Chariots of salvation Pharaoh followed Israel into the red Sea on horses and in chariots these were the horses and chariots of destruction God took off their wheels and they failed in their speed But God went forth with salvation Israel could not but see in all these wonderfull works of God that God was for them 1 In their setting forth to bring them out of the house of bondage even through the sea 2 In the way of their journey to quench their thirst in the dry and unwatered wilderness 3 At their journeys end to open them a passage into the promised land through Jordan Israel is a type of the Catholique Church of God on earth and their passage from Egypt to Canaan is a type of our passage from the wombe to heaven and God is the same his Church is as dear to him as ever it was and he hath taken upon him the care of it He is called by Job The preserver of men especially of his elect Here are onely mentioned three of the most eminent wonders of God there were many more which David repeated Psal 105 106. All these were the effects of the free favour of God to his people Ps 106.21 whereby he got the name of a Saviour And thâ— Psalmist prayeth Remember me Ps 106.4 O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy saluation This was a singular favour for he saith also Non fecit taliter he did not so to any Nation That I may see the good of thy chosen Verse 5. that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance For this favour of God to his Church is a speciall grace above his universall protection This it is that the Spouse of Christ doth pray for Set me as a seal on thy heart Cant. 8.6 and as a Signet upon thine arm That wish of the Church then was thus and is now an Article of Faith that prayer was then and now is our Creed But much more evidently hath this eternall love of God to his Church in Christ Jesus shewed it self since Christ our Saviour was made manifest in the flesh and much more hath it extended and dilated it self since he was believed on of the Gentiles and preached to the world For when God once had fitted him with a body and therewith had given him a heart like ours and such an arm as we have and such hands it hath been more discerned how we were set as a seal upon that heart how we are worne upon that arm how we are ingraven in the Palms of those hands For that heart was pierced with a spear those hands were nailed to the Crosse and these be the stamps and Characters of his love to us And as the affection of love is noted to be most vehement in a woman as David doth imply when he bewailed Jonathans death Thy love to me was wonderfull passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 so our Saviour to take upon him this affection in the dearest tenderness and most intense measure and degree is said to be made of a woman and she a Virgin And that sin might not corrupt this affection Ga. 4.4 or harden the heart He was conceive by the Holy Ghost The Church doth well to remember this interest that God gave them in this land for there out suck they no small advantage This calls God the God of Israel and it cals Israel Gods peculiar people this doth spread the wings of this Hen over all her Chickens and gathereth them together under the same it makes them roome in the bosome of God 2 Another motive vvas the oaths of the tribes even Gods Word that is the covenant of God made vvith Abraham and his seed for so the Psalmist doth expresse it He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Ps 105.8 the word that he commanded to a thousand generations Which Covenant he made with
highest step of our exaltation because this repairs in us the image of God which is his holinesse and the true children of God do value this above their eternall life For let us see wherein the weight of the blessing and cursing of sheep and goats doth lye It is not the gift of eternall life that is our happinesse in heauen but as David saith in his favour is life if a damned soul should be admitted to the fruition of all the pleasures of eternall life without the favour of God heaven would be hell to him It is not the dark and horrid house of woe that maketh a soul miserable in hell but Gods displeasure ite maledicti if an elect soul could be cast thither and retein the favour of God hell would be an heaven to him and his joy could not all the Devils of hell take from him his night would be turned into day The Angels sinned in heaven and in the place of joy lost Gods favour The soul of the Son of God was in hell and hell was an heaven to it because God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death and left not his soul in hell he took him from the nethermost hell 3 Doctrine The truth of God is a good ground For faith gathered from Gods oath to the tribes even his word he addeth Selah to shevv that vve may safely rest there The reason is because The Word of God is a sure word and those things wherein men fail are not incident to him 1 Whereas men do promise or swear rashly and without consideration as David did when he swore that he would not leave one of the house of Nahall to make water against a wall God cannot fail that way because he doth all things with stable truth and according to the counsail of his will 2 Men do sometimes vow and swear things utterly unlawfull and most wicked as Herod did to Herodias daughter to give her whatsoever she demanded of him which included the life of John Baptist So there were many that swore they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul our God cannot fail so far he loveth righteousnesse neither shall any evill dwell with him 3 Whereas many promise and swear what they mean not ever to perform as Jacobs Sons in the Covenant that they made of confederacy with Hamor the Son of Shechem the Apostle saith Our God cannot lie 4 Whereas many amongst men do swear and promise that vvhich they are never able to perform therein like the Devil who said to Christ Omnia hac tibi dabo all these will I give thee God herein cannot faile for hee is omnipotent and he doth whatsoever he wil in heaven and earth in abyssis So then if the Word of God be gone out of his mouth we may build faith upon it for heaven and earth may and shall passe away so shal not one jod of the Word of God 5 Times may change with men and he that was rich and able to make good his word may suddenly be poor and break and fail but God is without variablenesse or shadow of alteration all times are in his hand and power This serveth for confirmation of faith Vse 1 for such use the Apostle doth make of it who speaking of the Decree and Oath of God saith That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye Hâ—b 6.18 we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us By this faith the just liveth in Babylon and in the weakness of their temporall estate they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus they lay hand upon the hope set before them in the word Jonah saith They that follow lying vanities do forsake their own mercie Vana salus hominis vain is the help of man they that go down to Egypt for help have their woe threatned An horse is but a vain thing to help a man Princes are the sons of men there is no help in them the word of God faileth none At that Word Abraham will leave his own Country and go he cares not he enquires not whether At that Word Abraham will go three days journy to kill Isaac with his own hands and will never dispute how the promise of God shall be performed That in Isaac his seed should be blessed At that Word Peter will let fall his net against all rules of fishing and he will forsake the Ship to come to Christ upon the Sea by the warrant of that Word The promises of God to his Church and his threatnings of sin recorded in the living Book of his word are not antiquate no age shall ever superannate them or put them out of full force and vertue What if good persons and good causes do suffer oppression the Poet is a Divine in that case Non si male noster olim sic erit informes hyenes reducit Jupiter idem summovit after foul weather comes fair though it be ill with us now it will not be always What if enemies of Religion and Moaths of Common-wealths do flourish and prosper and have all things at will let it not trouble David and Job both of them saw as fair a Sun-shine shut up in a dark cloud and a world of foul weather following 2 This tendernesse in God of his word and oath 2 Vse doth serve for example to teach us to make conscience of our promises and oaths and we may urge the Argument as the Apostle doth If God so loved us we ought also to love one another So If God be carefull to keep his promise and oath with us we ought also to do the like with our brethren Here arise two Quaeries 1 Whether it be lawfull to swear at all 2 Whether all oaths must be kept 1 An liciat jurare is it lawfull to swear An oath is a calling of God to witnesse in such things as cannot otherwise be assured and it is of tvvo sorts 1 Assertorie when we do call God to witnesse against our souls if we affirm not the truth in this case the awe of Gods Majestie is thought to be such a rule of the conscience that no man will dare to violate the religion of an oath 2 Promissary When vve do engage the honour of God for the truth of our purpose to performe vvhat vve promise and vve cast our selves upon his just judgement if vve be either deceitful in our promise or unfaithful in our performance This may ansvver the first Quaere for this doth declare that an oath doth serve 1 For the glory of God 2 For the good of our Brethren 1 The glory of God for it shevveth him 1 To be present amongst us and privy to our ways 2 To be a God of Truth 3 To be a God of justice to punish unfaithfulnesse 2 It sheweth that we by sin have lost our credit and therefore God doth engage himself for such as swear aright
ramms Psa 114.6 and ye little hils like young sheep And the words of David do seem to guide my judgement to expound this place not of the mountains upon the dry land but with reference to the miracle of the passage of the children of Israel over Jordan in which God by his power did make the waters of the river rise up like mountains to stop their way and yet not to suffer them to drown the neighbouring Continent and this was effected with an extratraordinary motion of the waters leaping and skipping like Sheepe Therefore here is added the over-flowing of the water passed by that is it did not over-flow the way of the Isralites but bestowed it self in the raising up of the mountains of water The deep uttered his voice he meaneth the noise of the waters running and swelling in heaps And lift up his hands on high for this rising of the waters into such huge hils did give restimony of their yielding to the almighty power of God in his working though contrary to their nature This exposition of these words I imbrace as most consonant to the web of the Scripture yet I will not conceal from you that some refer this trembling of the mountains and this noise of the waters figuratively to the trembling of the Kings in Canaan and the noise of the people afraid and melting in their hearts at the strange passage of Israel through the red sea first and now at last through Jordan Whom I dare not follow holding it dangerous to admit more figures then need when some more literall sense may be proper Others to refer this to the trembling of mount Sinai when God appeared to the people in the way of which Moses saith And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak Exo. 9.18 because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoak thereof ascended as the smoak of a furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly But this connexion of the trembling of the mountains with the noise of the waters doth make it probable to me that it is one and the same miracle Magister Historiae felleth of a mountain in the land of Canaan neer to the river of Arnon which suffered a violent earthquake at the time of the entring of Israel into Canaan but that is an Apocryphall relation and the silence of the story doth make it questionable whether any such thing were done The figurative and poetical form of speech here used is in sight 1 The heaps of waters swelling to a very great height are called mountains 2 Here is attributed to them humane sense motions and affections as seeing trembling uttering of a voice and lifting up of hands These things are familiar and frequent all the Scripture through especially in the poeticall part thereof as I have shewed The senslesse and livelesse creatures are subject to the will of God Doct. and to serve him For that which the heathen do call nature in the creatures is in religion the constant order which God hath established in the universall machine and frame of the world and in every perticular member and part thereof serving Gods generall providence that which we call miraculous and extraordinary is the perticular will of God upon occasion declered out of his singular and speciall providence In both these all creatures whatsoever do so serve him as if they knew what they did The Centurion did not keep his servants in better awe and had them not so ready at his command as God hath his creatures their nature is subject to rule and that so as fire shal burne and not consume as in the bush waters shall stand in heaps as in the passage through the red Sea and here in my Text in the river of Jordan Water shall not put out sire the haile as watry substance shall mingle with fire in the same shoare and Eliah shall call for sire that shall lick up the water and dry the ditches filled to the brim The reason hereof is because there is nothing in the world that hath any being Reas but it had beginning from him who onely is of himself and therefore called Jehovah and he never gave being to any thing but for use he hath made nothing idle and unprofitable for in wisedome he made all things and that use is directed by the Creator and therefore as it is said of him that he had made the heaven and the earth by Moses so Melchizedeck calleth him the high possessor of heaven and earth as the Prophet David saith Fecit quicquid voluit in coelo in terra in omnibus abyssis The right of Creation without which nothing had any being the right of protection which keepeth all things in being doth put all things in subjection under his feet his will is their nature and it is all one to the inanimate creature to serve his true will in an ordinary and in a miraculous way for his will is the soul that animateth them and maketh them active and he could have as easily let the sea keep his course and let the river of Jordan run on and have brought his people over upon the face of the waters as Christ and Peter walkt as he made them a passage through This ready obsequence of the inanimate creature to the will of God doth upbraid man whom God made for himself and his special honour with much unworthinesse for things without life owe lesse to God for creation then things animate much lesse then man to whom God gave a living soul made in the image of God having but one law of restraint put upon him broke it and brought a pollution of himself which like the leprosie of Gehezi runneth in all his posterity It is our shame that all things else do serve him onely men and devils the corrupters of men stand out and rebell And this maketh God cry Hear O Heavens and hearken Isa 1.2 O Earth I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me Why doth God make his complaint to the Heavens and to the Earth or why doth he call them to witnesse against Israel his people but to signifie that creatures without life shall condemne the disobedience of men even of Israel the people that God hath chosen to himself And truly when we do look out of our selves upon these things as David saith When we consider the Heavens Psa 8.3 the worke of thy fingers the Sun and the Moon with c. What is man that thou art so mindfull of him There be two things that may move 1 What is man that such excellent creatures should be made for him 2 What is man that beholding the heavens which do serve him and living upon the earth that is obedient to him and doth his will that God should be mindfull of man who of all the works of his hands that enjoy his favours doth serve him worst of all Do not we thank God for it and take it for a
high favour that he made us men and did not make us stones or plants worms or flies serpents or toads or any other kind of hatefull or hurtfull creature But yet if we live not to serve him and to do his will our condition had been much more happy to have been the worst of these then to have been made men and women I will not goe from the example in my Text to teach you what we are for by originall generation we runne like Jordan in a full and swift current into the great and wide Sea of the world and there we loose our selves in those salt waters Sometimes as Jordan in harvest times that is in times of our plenty and fulnesse and when we have ease and whatsoever our heart desireth we do overflow our banks and exceed all measure But when the Preists of the Lord do bring the Ark of God into us that is when we come to have a sense and a feeling of Religion and the fear of God then do we recoile and strive against nature and overcome nature and we learn to do the good that we would not do For truly religion doth carry us against winde and tyde religion leads us all up-hill and he that will follow Christ must deny himself so Saint Paul doth Vero ego non amplius ego sed vivit in me Christus I live yet not I but Christ in me Observe the creature here and you shall see that whatsoever is ingredient in perfect obedience is ascribed to this River of Jordan for 1 It was congrua for it was to God they were his Priests and they did carry his Ark upon their shoulders and they had his warrant for it It was prompta ready no sooner did the soales of the feet of the Priests touch the waters but they fled back no sooner were they all over and the stones carried out of the river to shoare but they returned again to their course Such let our obedience be and this is acceptable in the sight of God this Lecture is read to us in Heaven in Earth in the Sea in Heaven we have the example of the Angels who are called Angeli facientes voluntate ejus In Earth we have the examples of all creatures who in their severall kinds do his will according to the generall Law of Creation and the perticuler law of speciall dispensation In the Sea the winds and sea obey him This serveth to teach us to passe the time of our dwelling Vse 2 here in fear because we see the omnipotent hand of God in the government of the world that we may say Ah Lord God Jer. 32.17 thou hast made the Heaven and the Earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee and he remembreth the wonders of this deliverance out of Egypt and saith Thou hast made thee a name Verse 20. This filleth all that think of it with a reverent fear of Gods name it exalteth him in the congregation of the just and maketh him say Domine quis similis tibi Lord who is like thee This serveth to convince the enemies of God Vse 3 who make nature sit in the place of God and do give the rule of all things to nature for what have they to say for themselves in these great examples could nature cut a passage of dry land through the red Sea could nature draw waters out of an hard Rock and teach it to follow Israel wheresoever they went to rest when they rested to run when they removed could nature keep their cloaths on their backs their shooes on their feet for wearing for forty years Did nature raine Manna and bring in the Quails and feed the people till they came to the corne of Canaan Did nature make these mountains and high piles of waters in the river of Jordan Is not the extraordinary hand of God in all these This also serveth for encrease of our faith Vse 4 for we have good cause to cast our care and fasten our trust upon him who not onely worketh by means but without them yea and against them The hardest lesson in religion is to trust God when we see no means of helpe as Abraham did when he was commanded to kill the son of the promise The very captivity of the Church hath had that comfort in the greatest terror thereof so the Psalmist saith 1 That God suffered no man to do them wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes 2 That he made them that led them away captive to pity them and to minister to their necessities they became rather nurses then their Jaylors Upon comfort of which confidence Job protested that Though he kill me Job 13.15 Vse 5. yet will I trust in Him This assureth to us all the promises of God which the Apostle distributeth into these two sorts The promises of this life And of the life that is to come And this made Abraham when God promised him seed not to consider his own body was now dead Rom. 4 19 2 c. nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe He staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he addeth Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe We see some parts of the Christian Church now in great extremity and no way in sight open from their escape out of great misery the Bohemian Protestants put to cruel deaths the French Protestants have the sword drawn against them and the arrows upon the string to shoot at them the Palatinate under proscription the Prince thereof in exile Our helpe is in the name of the Lord. All these will faint except they believe verily to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the Living Sweet and full of comfort is the example of Gods people to whom it was promised even when they were in captivity in Babylon they had hung up their Harps upon the Willows and sate weeping by the rivers of waters Thus Zech. 8.3.3 saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and the mountaine of the Lord of Hosts the Holy Mountaine Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staffe in his hand for very age And the streets of the City shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets of it Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts if it be mervellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hoasts I will save my people from the East and from
the west Country This is the help in trouble ready to be found let us awake this help with the loud voice of our importunate supplications saying O Lord help now O Lord now give prosperity Let us give him no rest till he hath bowed the heavens and is come downe to visit the distresses of his faithfull servants Our Saviour comforteth us well saying My Father worketh as yet and I work and if our labour which is opus in Domino a work in the Lord be not in vaine his labour which is opus Domini a work of the Lord will prosper in his hand He is as strong in the river of Rhine as in he was Jordan and his Church is as dear to Him now as ever it was and he is as diligent in making inquisition for bloud and as attentive to the complaints of the oppressed as he was Verse 11. The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation at the light of thine arrows they went at the shining of thy glittring spear 12 Thou didst march through the Land in indignation thou didst thresh the heathen in anger 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine Anointed thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation to the neck Selah 14 Thou doest strike through with his staves the head of his villages they that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me their rejoycing was as to devoure the poor secretly I Read all this together because I conceive it hath reference to one story and that is recorded in the book of Joshua For after Israel came into the land of Canaan and had destroyed Jericho and the City of Ai the Gibeonites terrified with this news craftily pretending themselves to be a people dwelling in a far Country and for the name of Gods sake whose wonderfull works they had heard of they desired to make a league with Joshua Joshua and the Elders were deceived and confirmed a league with them by oath But after the fraud was detected Israel made the Gebeonites serve them but they were under the protection of Israel This league of Gibeon with Joshua did much trouble the neighbouring Kings for they feared Gibeon being a strong City therefore five Kings do make war against Gibeon to smite it The Gibeonites send to Joshua for succours Ioshua according to his oath of confederacy with them came from Gilgal he and all the people of war with him Ver. 7. and all the mighty men of valour he gave the assault to the five Kings and their Army he discomfited them and made them fly Then the Lord rained stones from Heaven upon them Ver. 11. there were more that died with the hailstones then they whom the children of Israel slow with the Sword Then spake Joshua to the Lord Ver. 12. in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sun stood stil Ver. 13. and the Moon stayed untill the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies Is not this written in the book of Jasher so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to goe down about a whole day And there was no day like that before it nor after it Verse 14. that the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel This is the wonder that Habakkuk our Prophet doth here commemorate a miracle yet fresh in the memory of the Church yet by computation of times from the time of Joshua when this was done to this time of Habakkuk when this is remembred were past more then 700 years Habakkuk doth well to remember this for of all the miracles that God wrought for Israel this was the greatest here Heaven fought against Earth the Sun and Moon stood still to give light to the Battail and the faithfull witnesses of Heaven so the Sun is called staid his course to bear witnesse how God fought for Israel We may truly say to Israel Tibi militat aether Observe the words of the Prophet how well they follow the history in Joshua Habukkuk saith The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation they stood in their severall sphear wherein they move for these be their habitations and note that they both stood stil Sun and Moon For the Moon borrowing all her light of the Sun had she kept her course while the Sun had stood still the length of a day there had been great irregularity of motion in these Caelestiall bodies from the constant order set them by their Maker in their Creation Observe also that he doth not say the earth stood still but the Sun it had been as some said the Earth and the Moon stood still as the Sun and the Moon and our understanding would have as soon apprehended if that new Astronomy had had been then revealed which some of our Empericks and Journeymen in that excellent Science of Astronomy have of late revived in their Almanacks telling the world that they have long been in a wrong belief that the Sun moveth and the earth is fixed for they believe that the Sun is fixed and the earth is moved And to evade the cleer evidence of this text which tels it for a wonder that the Sun stood still they say this is spoken to our capacity because to our sight it so seemeth that the Sun moveth and the earth is fixed but indeed it is otherwise Our capacity I think hath much wrong done in this for if the Word of God had told us that God had created the Sun to stand still and the Earth to move it is more likely that we should have taken his Word for it and have believed it as it is as well as now we believe it as it appears We are neither incapable nor incredulous but that many against the letter of Scripture have written and made more believe that the Sun stands still from the creation The common defence of this opinion grounded upon Gods application of himself to humane capacity doth make figures in story where is no need and maketh David a man of small judgment in the knowledge of the Sun who saith that God hath set a tabernacle for the Sun in the Heavens called here an habitation Which is a Bridegroome comming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race His going forth is from the end of the Heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it Doth not this Prophet speak of the glory of God declared in the motion not the station of the Sun or in the glory of God shewed in our opinion of the Suns motion not in the truth thereof Greater secrets then this are revealed in holy Scripture which are against the vouchie of the outward sense or the rationall discourse of man and no doubt but if the Sun had stood
word is their warrant his truth their assurance When we behold the same power of God in the change of Ministers of his will Vse vve learn to know vvhatsoever alteration the vicissitude of time maketh on earth yet thou Lord art the same and thy years do not fail Therefore as David saith Put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in them there is help by them but it is not in them our help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth 2 This shevveth the perpetual course of Gods favour to his Church the faithfull servant of God Moses dieth but the spirit that God put upon Moses survived him Eliah Elisha Num. 27.18 and rested upon Joshua he was consecrated to that imployment 1 By Gods own election and designation 2 By the imposition of Moses hands and the devolution of some of his honour upon him 3 By Gods own gift of the same spirit that vvas upon Moses Thus vvhere God loveth a poople the favour of God runeth in a full stream in the Chanel of his Church 3 Seeing this constant truth of God in his gratious promises to to his Church hath reference to our obedience this much teach us to obey and serve our God in all things that his sun may shine upon our Tabernacles and that vve may anoint our paths with butter for as David saith No good thing will he with-hold from them that serve the Lord. Dâ—uâ— 28. He hath shevved his people vvhat they shall trust too blessings and cursings life and death 3 Doctrine This also teacheth us as the Apostle doth The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much James 5.16 He proveth it by the example of Eliah who though he were a man subject to the like passions as we are he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth in three years and six moneths And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain So this example of Joshua praying is a full example of the effectuall power of prayer these examples as that also of Moses praying upon the Mount when Joshuah fought with Amalek do all seeme to prove the force of prayer Exod 17. And great reason there is that this should be effectuall with God 1 Because there is no service that man can perform to God wherein he doth so much part with himself and even lay himself down in prayer for therein he openeth his heart to God and poureth forth his spirit to him and his faith doth bring God to him face to face When men pray as they ought they know God and themselves they know and confesse him the faithfull Creatour the mercifull redeemer the gracious preserver the bounteous rewarder of men And they know themselves to be but men that is indigent and needy having nothing but what they receive from his hand and of his free gift immerent deserving none not the least of his favours Which two considerations do serve to humble us and to honour him We finde in Scripture watching and fasting often joyned with prayer as outward means to tame and subdue the flesh that it may be the lesser able to resist the power of the spirit for the spirit is willing in the servant of God but the flesh is weak 2 There is no part of Gods worship that hath so many precepts to impose it on us as prayer hath in both the Testaments none that we have so many examples of great successe and prevayling with God none that we have so good means to perform as prayer none that hath so many promises made to it in holy Scripture 1 For precepts 1 Precept so soon as God had established him an house for his publique worship he commanded it to be called an house of prayer to all nations Solomon dedicated that house to God by prayer it is Gods own Word seek ye my face it is the Churches answer Thy face O Lord will I seek And Christ our Saviour often in the gospel the Apostles after him enjoyns it 2 For example we have Abraham 2 Example Isaac and Jacob Moses David Solomon Hezekiah Eliah Manasseh Nehemiah Job Samuel Daniel all the Prophets all the holy men Christ his Apostles all with admirable successe 3 For means 3 Means Christ taught us to pray shewed us the way to the Father in his mediation and by his name And the spirit which Christ left in his Church helpeth our infirmities Christ hath comprehended all in a few words 4 Promise Whatsover you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be given you Ask and receive that your joy may be full petite quaerite pulsate These great examples of successe do all seem to stirre us up Vse to the performance of this part of Gods worship both 1 In obedience to the Commandement of God who hath imposed this duty on us whose Commandements are mighty and ought not to be light layed 2 In an holy ambition of the best graces of God vvhich are this way obteined of him 3 In an humble love to our God to whose presence and conference we come by prayer 4 In an holy imitation of those great examples vvhich are so frequent in Gods faithfull ones in the double Testament of God 5 In a thankfull use of the means by God ordeined to facilitate this service that we receive not the grace of God in vain 6 In a confident faith in Gods gratious and free promises vvhich are yea and Amen 7 In an humble sense and feeling of our ovvn vvants and the necessities of our brethren for so vve do exercise both our piety to God and our charity to our selves and our brethren But this discourageth many Ob. we read of great power of prayer of old as that Moses prayer gave Joshua victory Joshuahs prayer made the Sun stand still Eliah by prayer shut up heaven by prayer he opened it Daniel by prayer shut up the mouths of the lions in their den We see no such effects of prayer now and therefore we think prayer is not of such effect now as heretofore To this our answer is Sol. that great and extraordinary examples of the successe of prayer are but thinly scattered in the Book of God to shew the power of Gods Ordinance Neither may that be a rule to us that prayer is not of force as it hath been because we do not see such great effects thereof as have appeared in former times For in the time of the shadow when Christ was seen in type and under a veil there was need of extraordinary examples to confirm faith but to us that live in the cleer light of the gospel to whom Christ is made manifest to be our intercessor this may seem to strengthen faith If God did hear the prayers of his faithful owns and answered them by miracles they had speciall warrant to demand those things at the hands of
I have waited for thy salvation for thy Jesus 2 This repetition of salvation Doct. 2 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation teacheth us That God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church Therefore he goeth before them for salvation and he doth never leave them nor forsake them 1 God hath many gratious titles Reas 1 which do assure his love and favour to us He is cal'd Jehovah so we live move have our being in him He is callrd by Job The preserver of men Saint Paul addeth especially of the elect for their salvation is a peculiar grace no common favour And so his right hand both supporteth and guideth us that vve neither stray out of the vvay nor fall in the vvay He is called our Shepherd and so we come to want nothing for he leadeth us both to the green pastures and to the waters of comfort He is called the husband of the Church and Christ preserveth her to him sine macula ruga without spot or wrinckle and Christ teacheth us to call him our father so as a father hath compassion c. The Lord is our King of old he maketh salvation in the middest of the earth All these titles declare him no Non-residont from his charge he is always Incumbent For ipse est qui dat salutem 2 Because the Church committeth it self to him Reas 2 and casteth her care upon him and he never failed them that trust in him Saint Paul I know whom I have trusted Commit thy ways to the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to pass 3 The Church of God giveth him no rest Reas 3 but by continual supplications importuneth his saving protection saying O Lord I pray thee save now O Lord I pray thee now give prosperity he hath commanded her so to do To seek to aske to knock and invocation is one of the marks of Gods children He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved They are called the assembly of Gods armies and their prayers be their weapons Heaven is their abiding City which they besiege and Christ saith the violent take it by force For multorum preces impossibile est contemni 4 Christ himself always prayeth the Father for his Church Reas 4 that God would keep it and he saith to his Father I know that thou hearest me always This comfortable Doctrine serveth to refresh the grieved soul in time of affliction Vse the smart of Gods rod doth many times puts us into fits of impatience and murmuring and the delay of Gods saving help doth often stagger our weak faith that the man after Gods one heart doth sometimes feare that God hath given him over In great losses as of our honours and preferments of our libertie of our wealth of our dear friends it is some time before wee can recover from this shaking fit of feare that God hath forsaken us and we say Why standest thou so far off O Lord and hidest thee in due time Psal 1◠1 in time of affliction But when we remember thou art with me it establisheth our footsteps it strengtheneth our weak knees and comforteth our sorrowfull hearts and biddeth us Rejoyce in the Lord again it saith Rejoyce so David I waited patiently for God and so he comforteth his soul Psal 43.5 Wait on God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his presence he is my present help and my God So then if present issue appear not out of affliction let us not faint in our troubles but perswade us that God is with us and the rock of our salvation will not fail us 2 This sheweth that we need not seek further for salvation Vse 2 then to God himself and his anointed seeing they are always with us It is a foolish and idle superstition and idolatry to seek our salvation from or by the means of Angels or Saints or the mother of our Lord when we have both him and his anointed Messiah that is both the giver and the mediatour of salvation with us This foolish devotion of the Roman Church of making way by Angels and Saints hath three great defects which all the wit of Rome and hell could never cover or conceal 1 It hath no Commandement to require it 2 It hath no example to lead us to it 3 It hath no promise in Scripture to reward it Whom have I in heaven but thee and I have none upon earth Psal 73.25 that I desire besides thee They be our glorious fellow creatures we honour God for the good that they have done in his Church We believe that they pray for our happy deliverance from all miseries of life and the society of their lives We imitate their holy examples and do strive to follow them in their vertues and pray for the graces of God that sanctified them on earth But for our salvation we know that he is always with us that saveth us and his anointed doth never forsake us that keepeth us from evill We hear him saying Come unto me and he calleth us not to heaven to him but Lo I am with you to the end of the World he is neer unto all that call upon him and he is easily found of them that seek him 3 This doth give us fair warning to take heed that we do not leave our God and live in sin Vse 3 for he is not so neer us but that our selves may separate between him and us for it is also true that God putteth a great deal of difference between an ungodly and godly man as Solomon saith The Lord is far from the wicked Pro. 15.29 but he heareth the prayer of the righteous And as God is far from them so is salvation as David saith Psal 119. Salvation is far from the wicked Verse 155. As we tender the favourable protection and love of God let us take heed of sin Behold Isay 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God Verse 2. and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear 4 Seeing our salvation is of him Vse 4 onely by his anointed let us remember that we are called Christians after his name not onely Christum Lo I am with you and Spiritum Christi whom I will send you from the father but we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very anointing it self left and deposited in the Church as S. John saith But ye have an Vnction from the holy one 1 Joh. 2.2 If we keep this Unction we are sure of this salvation therefore grieve not the spirit of God resist not the holy ghost receive not the grace of God in vain And so let the enemy of mankind and his agents do their worst to annoy us our salvation is bound up in the bundle of life with
have of a Saviour We may see it in our first parents vvho no sooner had sinned but they hid themselves from God because they savv their fault by the light of the Lavv vvhich they had transgressed This fear bringeth us to repentance Reas 2 it putteth our sins in our sight and setteth before our eys the vvrath to come so the generation of vipers vvere first put in fear by vvarning given them of the anger to come and upon that foundation he buildeth his doctrine of repentance ferte ergò fructus dignos poenitentia bring forth therefore fruits vvorthy of repentance it is time to amend vvhen sin standeth at the door that is the vvages of sin to punish all or some nevv temptation to sin to make it more fear vvill tell us that time is pretious vve must lose none of it from our true repentance and conversion to God 3 This fear serveth for caution against the time to come Reas 3 for piscis ictus sapit one that hath been once soundly shaken with a strong fit of this fear will be the more weary to declâ—ne and avoid it another time For there is nothing that so much agonizeth the soul and body of man as the sense and conscience of the wrath of God 4 It is one of the arguments as you have heard Reas 4 by which we do prove certain great Articles of faith as 1 It proveth that there is a God for that power which the conscience of man doth fear as an avenger of evill is God 2 It proveth the resurrection of the body for as the Apostle saith if in this life onely we have hope so we may say if for this life onely we have fear it can be no great matter for the judgments of God cannot take sufficient vengeance of sin here 3 It proveth the finall judgment for all the afflictions of a temporall life are but the fore-unner of the last judgment But here it is objected that this may wel hold in the reprobate Quaest but to see this earth-quake of trembling in the Church and amongst the holy ones of God as it is here described this seemeth too hard a portion for Gods beloved chosen ones To this I answer that judgment beginneth at the house of God and the righteous are hardly saved Sol. they that have no other hell but in this terrour of the Lord here do most smart in this world and there is great reason for it 1 In respect of God to shew him no accepter of the persons of men but an equall hater of evill in all that commit it as David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not hear me 2 In respect of the sin committed by his chosen that God may declare the danger of it for terrour to others and his justice in avenging it that men may fear and do no more so 3 In respect of the wicked that they may have example of fear in the smart of others to bring them to the obedience and service of God This doth serve Vse 1 first for exhortation to stir us up to consider our God in the way of his judgments and to bethink us what evill may hang over our heads for sin the Church hath ever found this a profitable course In the way of thy judgments Isai 26 8. ô Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee The profit that groweth hence is there confest by the Church When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse This doth serve to put difference Vse 2 between the children of God and the children of this world for the ungodly are not afraid of the hand of God but the sinner contemneth but the righteous layeth it to his heart so saith the Church Lord when thy hand is lifted up they wil not see Verse II. Vse 3. but they shall see and be ashamed This also serveth for consolation of the Church for let them not be too much dejected with consideration either of Gods revealed wrath or their own just fear no though their fear do shake and stagger their very faith for a time for God will not forsake them unto despair but will let some of the beams of grace shine even through the clouds of fear to comfort them David felt it Psal 56.3 and confest it saying What time I am afraid I will trust in thee See how they grow together fear and faith But this is objected as an argument against that doctrine of the assurance of salvation Ob. that a child of God may have in this life for it is urged Can a man that standeth assured of the favour of God to him in Christ Jesus be so shaken with fear as the Church here confesseth We answer 1 That fear of temporall smart in this life is naturall Sol. and may be in the sons of God it was in the Sonne of God Jesus Christ and it may be without sin and the elect although they fear the judgments of God on earth yet they doubt not but that their names are written in heaven 2 That fear is not against faith which is quick and sensible of the wrath and judgments of God it is Cos fidei the Whetstone of faith it puts a better edg upon it and serves to teach us to lay so much the faster hold upon Jesus Christ Courage either to resist an evill ingruent without a right knowledg of it or to bear an evill incumbent without a right understanding both of the Authour of it the cause of it or the end of it or the measure of it is not courage but stupidity But when we do rightly know God to lay his hand on us for sin or hear him threaten us with the rod is it not time to fear and to pray with Jeremie Be not a terrour to me Jer. 17.17 for thou art my hope in the day of evill 3 Fear and faith go together in respect of the temporall judgments of God because the threatnings of temporall judgments are not always peremptory but oft-times conditionall therefore the King of Niniveh proclaiming a generall Fast and repentance in Niniveh had this encouragement Jonah 3.9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not God himself hath put us into this comfort At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation Jer. 18.7 and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to do unto them So that this fear of the temporall judgments of God doth no way weaken the faithfull assurance that we have conceived of eternall salvation rather it strengtheneth it yea the more that we either tast or fear the punishing hand of God here the more do we
tellus these trees do not grow in all lands our land though rich and plenteous is no fit soil for these trees They served for food and they are of speciall note for in the parable of Jotham When the trees went to choose them a King â—â—dg 9.8 they came first to the olive tree and said reign thou over us they went next to the fig-tree and then to the vine The Olive saith shall I leave my fatnesse wherewith by me they honour God and man The fig-tree saith should I forsake my sweetnesse and my good fruit The vine saith should I leave my wine which cheareth God and man You see of how excellent use these fruits were two of them used in the speciall service of God Oil and Wine and often is the Land of Canaan praised for fruitfulnesse in respect of these trees growing there which every soil doth not yield they are all of excellent use both for food and medicine and David saith of Wine that it maketh glad the heart of man of Oile that it maketh him have a cheerfull countenance The failing of these which the soil did naturally bring forth doth shew that God had called in his blessing which he gave to that land for the true nature of every soil is the Word of Gods blessing which once called in a fruitfull land is made barren and a populous countrey is soon turned into a desert But this is not all not onely God will smite the land in these excellent fruits which are for food but as Jeremie threatneth They shall cut down the choice Cedars Jer. 22.7 and cast them into the fire trees for building The reason whereof we may finde in the first of our parents Reason who no sooner had sinned but God accursed the earth for their sakes So that we may say as the Church doth in this Psalme Was thy wrath against the trees of the land that thou smotest them not so but against the sins and sinners of the land This further appeareth in the common ground for it followeth the fields shall yield no meat Bread is the staffe of life God threatneth to break the staffe of bread So he bad Ezechiel prophecy Son of man I will break the staffe of bread in Jerusalem Ezâ—k 4.16 and they shall eat their bread by weight and with care God hath many ways to perform this judgment either by taking away his blessing from the earth that it shall not bring forth bread for the use of man Thus he maketh a fruitfull land barren or he can hold in the early and the later rain that it shall not fall to moisten the earth as in the time of Aggaeus the Prophet Ye looked for much and lo Ag. 1 9 10 it came too little The heaven over you is staied from dew and the earth under you is staied from her fruit Yea God when he pleaseth can drown the fruits of the earth with too much rain and destroy the crop and when he hath shewed us plenty upon the ground hee can deceive the hope of the husbandman and make a thin harvest When we have gathered in our crop he can blow upon it and destroy it in the barn he hath his judgments in store ready to be executed upon sinners We have tasted of this rod for how did God crown the former year with plenty and how unthankfully was it entertained of many what complaint did we hear of the cheapness of Corn not able to yield the rackt rents of their ground to the labouring husbandmen to satisfie the greedy Landlord And God heard from heaven how heavy his plentifull hand was to many and he hath since shut it up and turned our plenty into dearth and now he heareth another cry of the poor their labours will scarce give them bread to eat Yet another woe the cattell fail both in the fields and in the stals fat and lean beasts the enemy destroyeth them and the barrenness of the land affordeth them no food when God gave man Lordship over all sheep and Oxen and over all the beasts of the field he did not devolve his prerogative dominion upon man but reserved his royall supremacy over them and a power of resumption that if man neglected his service these creatures in their kinds should fail him You behold in this whole passage a miserable face of a land with which God is fallen out the very foil is accursed for the peoples sakes the people either perish by the sword or go into captivity or tarrie to serve the enemy in the land The full Cities the glorious buildings therein either demolisht and laid even with the ground or inhabited by strangers You have heard before what sins have brought these evils upon this pleasant land Corruption in common conversation between man and man Corruption in religion and the service of God Corruption administration of Justice And so free as our land is from these sins so far are these judgments off from us But if either the present times or times to come are or shall be guilty of these heinous sins I think we may boldly say that God is holy now as ever he was to hate them and the committers of them and as wise as ever he was to discern them and as just as ever he was to punish them We know that these sins carried Gods people into a strange land where they had not the heart to sing the songs of the Lord. God best knows why but we see a great part of the Protestant reformed Church at this time bleeding under the sword or flying from the hand or standing upon their guard against the power of strong opposition and by the mercy of God we are lookers on and their smart is not yet shared amongst us but if Canaan were thus smitten both in the soil and fruit and beasts thereof and most in the inhabitants of it If our brethren professours with us of the same Religion do in our dayes suffer so many vexations we had need study holinesse of life and put more fire into our zeal of Religion and make the ballance of Justice even lest we drink of the same cup of bitternesse The Jews returned again to their land from their captivity they had the face of it renewed they had their Temple rebuilt Religion re-planted and then they relapsed to their former sins and in Christs time Christ was bound and Barrabaâ— was set loose And not long after the Jews went into a dispersion wherein they have continued almost one thousand six hundred years God be mercifull to us to preserve us from their sins and from their punishments that our trees may bring forth their blossoms and their fruits in their seasons that our land may bring forth encrease that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no invasion no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets Amen Amen Verse 18 Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord Hâ—b 3.18 I will joy in the God of
they mis-do all these are excluded from this salvation Jesus Christ died for none such and goeth not forth with his anointed amongst them These shall have no salvation hereafter they can have no true joy here and therefore when the evill day commeth they are shaken with the terrour of the Lord and they finde no balm in Gilead their sins do appear to them greater then the mercies of God Let those who have the comfortable assurance of their salvation rejoyce therein in the Lord Vse 2 and take heed of presumption of Gods mercy which is one of the worms of faith let them take heed of receiving the grace of God in vain of recidivation and relapse into their former sins of murmuring at the Lords chastisements of quenching the spirit of crucifying again the Lord for we see that it is possible Heb. 6.4 5 for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made pertakers of the holy Ghost have tasted the good Word of God and the power of the world to come to fall away which putteth Jesus Christ to open shame Therefore the joy of our salvation must not be rooted and grounded in our selves but in the Lord that the whole honour of it may redound to him as the whole benefit and profit of it doth redound to us Our salvation is onely of God Doct. 2 It is Jonahs faith Salvation is of the Lord. It is Davids faith Salvation belongeth onely unto the Lord. Jonah 2.9 Psal 3.8 Ps 43.11 God taketh it upon himself I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour He giveth it as a reason of his first Commandement Ose 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour beside me I may call heaven and earth to record this day to avouch the truth of this for who is it that supporteth the great frame of the whole universe who is he that knoweth the numbers of the stars and calleth them all by their names that sendeth forth the Sun as a bridegroom out of his chamber and as a mighty gyant to run his race who is it that maketh and keepeth the covenant between day and night to take their turns for the use of man who is it that clotheth the lilies that feedeth the birds of the ayr that can neither labour nor spin that preserveth man and beast but the Lord Psal 36.6 All these look up unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season It is glory and happinesse enough for the Angels in glory to behold the face of God always Hail and snow stormy winds and vapours the dragons and all deeps mountains and all hils fruitfull trees and all cedars beasts and cattel creeping things and feathered fouls Kings of the earth and all people yong men maids old men and children all Queristers in this great temple of the world and this is the matter and argument of their song salus Jehovae salvation is of God for their being is derived from him their supportation is borrowed of him their operation is guided by him their whole addresse is directed to him The Angels that kept not their first estate of glory man that kept not his first estate of innocency could not lose could not forfeit their existence and being their happy being they might they did forfeit he preserveth the Devils and the reprobate and he maketh them immortall that he may be glorious in his just punishment of them But especially he is the salvation of his elect so St. Paul We trust in the living God 1 Tim. 4 10 who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe He is the saviour of all men by universall providence but of them that believe by singular and especiall grace And that is the salvation here meant our preservation in this life our sanctification for a better life our glorification in heaven is of the Lord. Because the Kingdome is his and none hath power to make us Kings but he Reas 1 whose Kingdome ruleth over all and salvation maketh us Kings Because salvation is a work of power and none can give it but he who is able to put all our enemies under our feet and none but God can do this Because salvation is a work of glory of glory to him that worketh it of glory to them upon whom it is wrought for he maketh his Saints glorious by deliverance and the saved do serve him and glorifie him in earth and in heaven These three we ascribe to him in our Lords prayer for thine is the Kingdome the power and glory Salvation is a work of mercy and David saith Apud te est misericordia with thee is mercy and God hath committed the dispensation of mercy to no creature it is one of the glories of his Crown and prerogatives of his supream Diadem onely his son who thought it no robbery to be equall with him hath the dispensation of his mercies This teacheth us where to seek and finde salvation Vse 2 God saith seek ye my face We are wise enough in our quest of temporall either protection or preferment to observe which is the way to the fountain of honour and to direct our observance that way let us not be wise for this life and fools for the life to come With men on earth there be some small brooks of a present life but apud te est fons vitae with thee is the well of life and the brooks and cisterns that we seek after do derive themselves from this fountain These brooks doe often change their channell for men have their breath in their nostrils they die and their thoughts perish but God is the same and his years do not fail And our Saviours method that he teacheth his Disciples is seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and then all these things shall be cast upon you This also serveth to stir us up to a godly life Vse 2 for that hath the promises of this life and of the life to come David putteth us in good comfort Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Son and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that live uprightly and the Apostle saith For the eyes of the Lord are open to the righteous 1 Pet. 3.12 and his ears are open to their prayers but the face of the Lord is against them that do evill And who is he that wil harm you Verse 13. if you be followers of that which is good Let the wicked take root in the earth and spread his boughs never so far God hath not denyed him this yet his face is against him and though the Sun shineth on him for a time and the early and later rain do make him grow and flourish yet our Saviour will tell us that Every plant which his heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out This