removing impediments that hinder our prevailing Secondly By advancing such things as will make Gods name great in the land Thirdly By the right performance of such duties as make our power great with God First by removing impediments of our prevailing What these are we may see Isaiah 59. 2. 11. Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God and your sins have hide his face from you that he will not hear We look for salvation but it is far from us for our transgressions are multiplyed our sins testifie against us and our transgressions are with us Our sins are multiplied we have new sins our sins are with us Both our old and new sins are continued and these be the impediments of Gods assistance and our healing While we continue our diseases God will continue his medicins while we hold up our sins God will hold up his judgements or else remove them in his wrath and afflict us no more which is worst of all Your own Consciences and your observations of others are the best Kalanders to find out both your own and others old and new sins But I shall endeavour to hint some of them to you The sins of great ones were formerly Luxury Idlenesse slighting of religion Oppression The sins of all sorts of people Pride Coveteousnesse Contentious Sabbath-breaking Lying Swearing Drunkennesse Ignorance Sleighting of the Gospel Formality in Religion with many others And are not these sins with us Besides these we have new sins such as help to make and keep us small I shall insist upon some of the chief 1. Breach of Covenant And what judgement doth not this bring You may see Lev. 26. where God saith He will revenge the quarrel of his Covenant What a magazine of Judgements follow and particularly the sorest of judgements Famine is made thepunishment of this sin 2 Sam. 21. Three years famine did Israel undergo because Saul flew the Gibeonites contrary to the Covenant that Ioshua made with them though they were of those that God had appointed to destruction and the Covenant they obtained of Ioshua was by false suggestions Ier. 34. 17. Because the masters proclaimed not liberty to their servants to be free according to their Covenant therefore saith God Behold I proclaim a liberty for you to the sword to the famine and to the pestilence 2. Want of compassion to those that are in misery How little have we mourned for the long afflictions of Germany the bloody massacres of Ireland for the poverty and wants of many Families among our selves who have been exhausted and lost their dearest friends for their affection to Religion and the Publike safety How many thousands in Ireland yet cry for pity and relief and whether this hath been afforded to the uttermost of our ability they best know that have the inspection of the high affairs of the Kingdom Now want of compassion is a sin that brings a Nation low Amos 6. 6. They lie upon beds of Ivory they eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stals they drink wine in bowles But are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph Therefore shall they go captive with the first that go captive 3. Want of execution of Justice If complaints of this kind be true now this is a desolating sin Amos 8. 4. 6. 8. Ye swallow up the needy and make the poor of the land to fail Shall not the land tremble for this It shall rise up wholly as a flood it shal be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt Their Princes are rebellious and companions of theeves every one loveth gifts they do not judge the fatherlesse nor doth the cause of the widow come before them Therefore I will be avenged of mine adversaries 4. Unnecessary and unbrotherly divisions and oppositions one against another and these carried on daily to a greater height Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh and both against Judah Division among brethren is a sin that makes a Nation small and no sin is so fatal to it as this is A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand They had in Rome a Shield in their Capitol and it was said to be the Fate of that City that whoever could get that shield should likewise conquer the City Like this shield is Vnity of Brethren If our enemies can take this shield from us it will be no hard matter for them to conquer the Nation You may see both the description and doom of a divided people Jer. 13. 13. I will fill all the inhabitants of this land even the Kings the Priests and the Prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkennesse and I will dash them one against another I will not pity nor spare but will destroy them 5. New corruptions in Religion and resisting of Reformation It may be said now as in the time of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 20. 33. The high places were not taken away for the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers Many strange Errors Heresies and Blasphemies increase amongst us which may be all seen in their colours in those Books that are written against them Now these are sins that make a Nation small Hos. 7. 1. 13. When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered Destruction unto them v. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wouldst not be purged I will cause my fury to rest upon thee Ezek. 24 13. Now to aggravate both our old and new sins to the height we have added obstinacie and hardnesse of heart such as no Age hath been guilty of greater if we consider the great Light the powerfull Ordinances the humbling Judgements the miraculous Deliverances and the choice Mercies which we have had To be impenitent under such sins and under such powerfull means and such strong obligations to Repentance how should this but bring and keep us low or how hardly shall we prevail with God while these sins cry against us Be exhorted then to break off these and all your sinnes by Repentance This is the duty of every one this day and further to mourn for the sins of the Land and with all possible earnestnes to sue unto God for the pardon of them Endeavour likewise to raise the practise of the contrary vertues both in your selves and others Much power to effect this Right honorable Lords lies in your hands and hereby you may raise the Nation First then raise your Covenant First labour to keep it strictly your selves and then to propagate it It was piety in Ezra to compell all the Jews to swear to the Covenant Ezra 10. It was zeal in Josiah to make all Israel stand to the Covenant and to serve the Lord 2 Chron. 34. 23 33. And it will be no lesse in you How much Covenanting exalteth a Nation we may learn by the times of Moses Joshua Asa Hezekiah Josiah Ezra And if we
but he being a wicked King walking in the wayes of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin the Peoples sins grew to so great a height as they were ripe for judgement and therefore God sent this Prophet to mind them of those breaches and desolations which were speedily to come upon them without their mature repentance And in the Nine first verses of this Chapter declares a most sad vision which he had concerning their future condition Verse 1. He saw an army of Grashoppers or Locusts a kind of green worm that should devour all their grasse and so bring a degree of scarcity upon them Verse 4. He saw a Fire by which God would contend with them which should devour the great deep and eat up a part Calvin reades it not a part but the whole possession which the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} will bear that is all that the Locusts had left This Fire is conceived to be a great drought when the violent heat of the Sunne beames shall peirce the deepest of the earth below the roots of Corn or Trees and so make a perfect famine Verse 8. He saw a Plumb line which was a certain measure of time taken by God beyond which he would not spare this people as the text saith I will not passe by them any more I will inevitably bring my judgements in their full current as it followeth verse 9. Now while the people were under the two former judgements there was some hope of recovery yet their sins were so great and they so obstinate in them and God in his wrath resolved to bring them so low as the Prophet being deeply affected with the sense of their calamity and yet at a stand how they should compasse any deliverance complains to God and saith By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small For Explication of these words we must understand First that By Jacob is meant the ten Tribes cheifly yet Judah is not excluded because Amos prophesied to them also Amos 2. 5. Secondly Small By this is meant the afflicted and lowe estate of this people in regard of their Temporals under the forenamed judgements and likewise in regard of their Spirituals Verse 9. The Sanctuary of Israel shall be laid wast and I will send a fumine and not of bread but of the word of the Lord Amos 8. 11. Thirdly By whom shall Jacob arise {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies to arise to stand to establish but here by the most it is taken transitively and signifies to raise and then t is read Who shall raise Jacob And if we read it so the sense is still the same who shall raise deliver restore Jacob and make him happy in the enjoyment of Temporal and Spiritual priviledges The Text thus explained affords us these Two Propositions First That Gods people may be brought so lowe in regard of Temporal and Spiritual priviledges as no meanes may be visible or if visible for the present not effectuall for their restauration Amos makes it a question because he could not see by whom Jacob should be raised The Second Proposition is this When there is no meanes visible or if visible not effectuall for our recovery then we ought to apply our selves to God to work deliverance for us Amos though he could see no means whereby Jacob should be raised yet he prayes Verse 3. O Lord pardon and Verse 5. O Lord cease and asketh God this question By whom c. Of these Propositions in order and first of the First That Gods people c. Such was their condition in the beginning of Jeroboams reign 2 King 14. 26. The Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter for there was none shut up nor any left nor any helper in Israel In Jehorams time 2 King 6. 28. they were so low with famine that They that did feed delicately were desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet did embrace the dunghill This was the state of Gods people in Aegypt in the Wildernesse in the Babylonish Captivity and under the Romish servitude This was Job his case Job 1. when estate and friends and reputation and health were all taken from him This was Davids case with Akish King of Gath 1 Sam. 21 and in Ziglag 1 Sam. 30. 6. when his wives were taken prisoners his substance plundered and the City ready to stone him And as this is the condition sometimes of Gods people in regard of their Temporal so of their Spiritual priviledges when the Worship of God is generally corrupted his Truths despised and his Ordinances polluted and contemned Thus it was in Ahabs time when there was a generall face of Idolatry and such a persecution of the Ministers of God by those that had the highest authority as Obadiah was forced to hide an hundred of the Prophets of the Lord by fifty in a cave 1 King 18. 4. And Elijah complained They have forsaken thy Covenant and thrown down thine Altars and for such as did visibly worship God truely he saith I even I am left alone and they seeke my life also 1 King 19. 10. The Reasons of this dispensation of God are First To take us off from Idolizing meanes or resting upon creature helps for deliverance and that we may both expect this from himself and give him the praise of it when we have it We naturally are not willing to come to God as long as we have any means to go unto and therefore God removes these or makes them ineffectual to relieve us and increaseth our affliction to bring us to trust in him and to seek for restauration at his hand Hos. 5. 13. Ephraim and Judah sent first to Ahab and King Jareb then God turned their Moth into a Lion and saith I will go away and teare and none shall rescue untill they seek my face In their affliction they will seek me early God will have the honour that is due unto him which is to be trusted as the adequate cause of all our deliverances according to that Psal. 62. 8. Trust in God at all times And that Jer. 3. 23. In vain is salvation looked for from the hills or from the multitude of mountains for God is the salvation of Israel Secondly for the glory of his Justice When God threatens only and doth not strike or if his strokes be lesse then his threatnings hold out we are apt to think our sins are not so great or not so provoking as they are or else that God is not just in punishing Jer. 16. 10. When the people heard of great judgements they cryed out What is our iniquity What is our sin And Psal. 50. 21. I held my tongue and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thou art As Dionysius that robbed a Temple and when he had done went to sea and had a prosperous voyage and he said Surely the gods
are in love with sacriledge God therefore to clear his justice sometimes severely punisheth and brings low his own people that it may appeare how he hateth sin though in those whom he loveth best Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth and therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities If David make the enemies of God to blaspheme the sword shall never depart from his house 2 Sam. 12. 14. He continueth and increaseth his judgements untill his people confesse both the hainousnesse of their sins and his justice in their affliction Hoseah 5. 14. Thirdly for the glory of his Mercy Extremity of pain makes us prize a little ease and extremity of want to admire a little plenty In time of prosperity we make little account of rich mercies and no mercies are so great then as will draw us to any considerable thankfulnesse Then we do by Mercies as men do by Rivers these bring us up the choisest commodities both of our own and other Nations and we return by them again our dung and garbage and such things as are noysome to our selves and others But whenever we are deprived of those we account but ordinary mercies we learn to value them at a high rate Darius being vanquished by Alexander and in his flight being in extremity of thirst drank water out of a puddle that was mixed with much blood of slain souldiers and said it was the sweetest drink that ever he tasted in his life And the Prodigal Luk. 15. that regarded not all the dainties of his fathers house while he was in it when he was brought to live upon husks and was ready to perish for hunger did highly prize the dry bread he remembred to be amongst his fathers plenty And as we learn by our wants to prize mercies so to give God the glory of all our supplies As Mariners at sea when they are overtaken with such a storm as breaks all their tackling and makes all their anchors come home and drives their ship which way it pleaseth If then they be carried into a safe harbour must needs give all the praise to God Hence it is that God usually either prevents us with his blessings and gives them before we have used any means for them or else if he set us to seek them le ts us see all our endeavours too weak to accomplish them till his apparent hand of providence bring them in that so when we receive them we may say with David Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name do we give all the praise Fourthly for the manifestation of the power and excellency of that Grace which he gives unto his children The preciousnesse and stability of Faith the beauty of Patience and sincerity of Obedience are never so much seen as in the deepest conflicts with the greatest troubles The Devil did accuse Job of hypocrisie Job 1. 8. 11. That he served God only for wealth and outward prosperity But when all those miseries were brought upon him for his trial which amounted to the losse of all his comforts he confuted the Devils accusation and his faith obedience and patience appeared invincible It made Elijah his faith glorious when in contestation with Baals Priests 1 King 18. 38. he not only trusted God to send fire from heaven to consume his offering but to consume it then when he had powred 4 barrels of water upon it and filled the trench with water So the graces of the Saints then become glorious when they continue to act highly for God in the midst of the deepest waters of affliction Iustin Martyr acknowledged his conversion from being a Philosopher to become a Christian was occasioned by the invincible faith and courage that he saw in the Martyrs under all the torments they were put to suffer Abrahams faith Davids thankfulnesse Moses meeknesse Calebs integrity Pauls zeal Ioshua's courage had never been so perspicuous nor had God ever had so much honour by their graces if he had not put them upon those hard encounters and conflicts which he did Thus you see the truth of this Point cleared God for his own glory suffers his people many times to be so small as they can find no means effectual for their recovery And so I come to application And the first Use of this point is That if the people of God who are as dear to him as the apple of his eye may sometimes be under such troubles and miseries as seem inextricable How inevitable and intolerable shall those miseries be which God shall make to be the portion of the wicked Here is just matter of trembling for all wicked men If the anger of God against such as he intends for ever to make blessed may be so great as to bring them under such wants and straits as they can see no way out of What will be the fruit of his fiery indignation against such as are his enemies appointed to drink the dregs of his wrath for ever If so great judgements begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel If Stone and Gout and Strangury and Sword and Famine and Pestilence the worst of plagues this world hath may fall upon the Righteous what unconceiveable torments must those be which God reserves for the punishment of the Wicked What little cause have wicked men to joy in all their worldly pleasures and contentments when it is their certain portion to suffer the worst of miseries to eternity Who would rejoyce to eat of the most exquisite banquet that can be made if he knew that when the reckoning came in nothing would pay the shot but his own blood Wicked men may escape those common miseries of Poverty or disgrace or sword or pestilence which Gods children here sometimes endure yet shall they never escape those unspeakable plagues which shall be the just reward of impenitent sinners As Elijah saith He that escapes the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay and he that escapes the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay Elisha his sword it was his prophesie of those judgements that at length should inevitably fall upon the wicked who though they may escape the sword of men here yet they shall never escape the sword of Gods eternal wrath hereafter A second use we should make of this is seriously to examine and repent of those sinnes that cause God thus to make his own people small But of this afterward more seasonably in the second Proposition Thirdly If such may be the state of Gods people to be very low and small whom yet God intends to deliver and to preserve to his own heavenly kingdome Then let us learn to take patiently Gods dispensations towards us in these times Though Ireland remain yet in a most sad and almost forlorn condition though at home the Sword be not sheathed nor the Pestilence ceased and new fears of famine
a yet greater judgement arise upon us Though our dangers yet be great because of our intestine divisions and the unwearied plots of our enemies and which is worst of all Reformation of Religion with a hedge about it is not yet perfected but Prophanesse Heresies and Blasphemies in many places abound more then ever Yet let us not murmure To be kept long in the wildernesse hath been the condition of Gods people before us Let us wait upon God with patience and thankfulnesse improving studiously those means for recovery He hath blest us with untill the Lord be pleased to raise us out of these present troubles and dangers and accomplish for us those rich mercies which we desire and hope for Patience is a quiet silent frame of soule under troubles submiting to God without murmuring or declining any work God sets us about And to encourage and perswade us to this Patience take these brief Considerations First They that wait for Gods salvation with a free and full submission to his will and bearing of his indignation manifested in those crosses and afflictions which he brings upon them for their sins or tryall shall never fail of such an issue as shall conduce most to their true and eternal happinesse Jer. 30. 18. Secondly The more patient we are under cure the sooner we shall be healed nothing more hinders the cure of wounds then the distempered strugling and unquietnesse of the Patient When David in his flight from Absolon came to this degree of submission unto God 2 Sam. 15. 26. Here I am let him do unto me what seemeth good in his eyes David quickly got the victory over Absolon and all that rose up in that rebellion with him When Hezekiah came to this after God had threatned that all his treasures and jewels should be taken away and his sons become Eunuches to the King of Babylon as to say Isaiah 39. 8. Good is the word of the Lord God presently respited the judgement and let Peace and Truth be in his dayes We could not but expect to meet with great and long troubles by the strongest oppositions that men or devils can stir up against us because we endeavour to carry Reformation to the highest pitch Psal. 2. 1 2. When Christ sets up his kingdome the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell against the Lord and against his Anointed When the Jewes began to build the Wall of Jerusalem Sanballet and Tobias and the Arabians c. they all conspired together to go and fight against Jerusalem Nehem. 4. 8. When they began to build the Temple their enemies hired Counsellors and wrote Letters against them unto Cyrus King of Persia Ezra 4. 5. and designed their ruine Evill men will strive for their lusts as for their lives and therefore will struggle much against that Reformation that will either curb their extravagancies or expose them to much disgrace and scorn even amongst their inferiours And not only evill men but Satan will muster up all his forces for opposition when he sees his kingdom going down As Jaylers when they see their prisoners ready to break out they will then thrust them into the Dungeon and double their irons So Satan when he discernes the Liberty and Purity of the Gospel is like to take his prisoners from him he will shakle them with all troubles and miseries he can get commission to bring upon them Fourthly All our troubles are much lesse then our deservings God might have stub'd us up when he went about to prune us God might have turned us into dust as he did Sodome and Gomorrah seeing our sins are greater then theirs could be that never abused Gospel-mercy as we have done and surely it is only the Lords mercy we are not consumed In the midst of our judgements God hath remembred mercy and by many miraculous deliverances in our greatest streits hath let us see that he would not give us up to be a prey to the teeth of our enemies and still we we have balm in Gilead and physitians there though our sins exceedingly obstruct our perfect healing Fifthly God useth by long afflictions many times to prepare us for great mercies Joseph was a great while in the hands of strangers and afterward in prison before he became ruler of Aegypt Israel were instructed with the Rod forty yeares in the wildernesse before they were made possessors of the land that flowed with milk and hony and afterward were humbled with seventy yeares Captivity before they enjoyed the glory of the second Temple And Antichrist must reign and afflict the Saints a thousand years before the glorious times of the Church A field that is to be sowen with curious seed that is all over-grown with briars and thorns will take a long time in stulbing and preparing And stones that are to be placed in a curious building will take a long time in hewing and squaring Sixthly We still go on to continue and multiply our sins now to have gods judgements removed before we be amended were the greatest judgement of all For God thus not to be angry were the greatest anger of all For the Chyrurgion to pull off his salves and to leave dressing the wounds of his Patient before he were healed were to leave him desperate of any cure at all God doth not afflict willingly neither doth he take any delight in the troubles of his own people and therefore sure we are not yet fit for those mercies we desire or else God would not continue to multiply his judgements upon us Now better had we be content with any cure then to be suffered to go on still in our sins There is nothing so much bitternesse in those rods that drive us unto God as in those sins by which we are separated from God Kingdoms are well bought whatever price we give for them saith a Heathen Whatever pressures we undergo the purchase will be happy if the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for the comfort of us and our posterity may be at length advanced among us Seventhly We may be patient because our troubles shall neither be greater nor longer then makes for Gods glory and our good One of the sharpest and longest miseries that befell Israel was the Babylonish captivity and yet God saith of that I have sent them into Chaldea for their good Jer. 24. 5. Affliction is measured out only by God himself neither men nor devils can touch one hair of our heads without licence first sued out from God Affliction springs not out of the dust Job 5. 6. Is there any evil in the city that I have not done saith God Now God knowes our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh the flesh of brasse Job 6. 12. And therefore God doth afflict his people in measure Isa. 27. 7. God that is our Physitian to mixe the potion of our adversity
Die Jovis 31. Decembr 1646. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament Assembled That this House gives thanks to Mr. Goode one of the Assembly of Divines for his great paines taken in his Sermon preached the last Fast before the Lords of Parliament in the Abby Church Westminster And he is hereby desired to print and publish the same which is to be printed only by authority under his own hand John Browne Cler. Parliamen I do appoint Nathanaell Webb and William Grantham to print my Sermon William Goode JACOB RAISED OR The means of making a Nation happy both in spiritual and temporal Priviledges Presented in A SERMON Preached before the Right Honorable House of PEERES in the Abby Church at Westminster at the late Solemne Monthly Fast Decemb. 30. 1646. By Willam Goode B. D. and Pastor of Denton in Norfolk Published by Order of the House of Peeres Psal. 68. 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Ezek. 36. 11. I will do better to you then at your beginnings 1 Chron. 22. 19. Now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God arise therefore and build yee the Sanctuary of the Lord God London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Nath. Webb and Will. Grantham at the sign of the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard 1647. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The House of PEERES Assembled in PARLIAMENT Right Honorable AS the goodnesse of God that hitherto hath afforded a miraculous preservation to the Parliament of England and hath never failed to give in mercifull Deliverances in time of need and to make many admirable returnes of Prayer doth manifest that God is with you in your pious endeavours for the settling of Truth and Peace So is it evident that our sinnes do with-hold good things from us that notwithstanding the Balm that is in Gilead and the Physitians there yet we are not healed The Sword is not sheathed the Pestilence not ceased and Famine a Plague worse then these begins to threaten us Ignorance Prophanesse Heresies get ground in many places of the Land and hence such as are enemies to Peace and Reformation encourage themselves with hope to see the time when they shall cause your work to cease and bring us back again to Egypt It therefore highly concernes all of all conditions to examine what their iniquities are that put a stop to the current of Gods Mercies towards us and when they have stoned the Achans in their owne bosome to mourn for the sinnes of others and to wrestle with God for pardon and such a spirit of repentance as may fit the Land for those high and excellent Mercies both for soul and body which hitherto have been the object both of our prayers and hopes Now as no meanes of cure are successefull further then Gods owne power and blessing have a concurrence with them so the onely way to procure Gods assistance is to make such application to him as may most strongly engage him to be with you in all your endeavours And seeing God doth all things for his owne glorie to advance such waies as will make the name of God most glorious in the Land must needs be the greatest engagement you can make of God Some few directions for this purpose by your Lordships command I presented to your eares and now by the same command present them to your eyes The chief whereof was this the advancement of Gospel-truth and the power of godlinesse The Psalmist tels us In Jury is God well known his name is great in Israel Where God is best known he is most glorified God is rightly made known only by his own truth revealed in his Word and as this is more or lesse defended propagated and obedience thereunto yeelded so is God more or lesse honoured by any Nation and their spirituall and temporall priviledges more or lesse enlarged Basill and Ambrose say of the Echineis or Remora a little fish that if it joyn it self to a Ship under sayle it will make it stand still and quiet though driven with the greatest tempests Like this Echineis to a Ship is Religion to a State which while your Lordships have endeavoured to reforme and establish you have been preserved in safety while so many dreadfull stormes have blown from one end of the Land unto another God therefore having trusted you in a speciall manner with the guarding of his Truth and Ordinances let it be your greatest care to preserve and propagate these in their power and purity And then you may commit both your own and the Kingdoms safetie with confidence unto Gods keeping And whatsoever storms shall be raised against you and such as be with you in the Cause of God he will quiet them in his appointed time and give a prevailing command to all your enemies saying Destroy not the Cluster for there is a blessing in it Isaiah 65. 8. Thus may your Honours not only be Physitians to heal our Land but make plentifull provisions for your own happinesse to eternity whereas otherwise those great talents of honour authority and wealth which God hath entrusted you with will be but the improvement of your everlasting misery Alcibiades bragging of his great possessions Socrates to abate his pride fetched him a Map of the World and desired him to show him where his possessions lay but there he could not find them All Athens in that being but a point Remember that what ever possessions great men have here yet Not many wise not many rich not many mighty shall have inheritances in heaven As therefore God hath done great things for you so do you great things for God Let your authority be the bulwark of the innocent the axe to cut downe prophanesse injustice and oppression in the Land Let Ireland be releived and such at home as the Publike service hath made Widows or Orphants or necessitous be succoured Let those little Sisters that have no breasts be provided for all the Kingdom over Let grace and holinesse be seen in their own colours in your lives and examples that your copies which are seen and read of all men may make them in love with godlinesse that when God shall divest you of your great possessions here he may invest you with a glorious inheritance among the Saints in his own Kingdom for ever which that he may do is the prayer of Your Lordships humble servant in the Lord WILLIAM GOODE A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable House of LORDS at their late Solemn Monthly Fast Decemb. 30. 1646. Amos 7. 5. last words By whom shall JACOB arise for he is small THe great miseries which this Prophet saw were coming upon the people of Israel and those desolating judgements which he had a commission to denounce against them were the cause of this mournfull question in my text He Prophecied in the time of Jeroboam the Second who was the Son of Joash 2 King 14. 24. In his reign Israel had some restauration in regard of their outward estate
for us is our Father as well as our Physitian and he is the tenderest Father in the world and therefore he will neither keep us longer in Physick nor put any more Ingredients of bitternes in it than will be for our health but will let us see at length All things shall work together for our good Rom. 8. 28. Absolon sent twice to Joab to come and speak with him and he would not at length he sent his servants to set Joabs corn on fire and so compelled him to come unto him 2 Sam. 14. 30. When gentle means will not prevaile God surprizeth our greatest comforts and draws our afflictions to a greater height and length that he may compell us to come to him and draw out our soules in prayer with that fervencie and constancie that he may hear and deliver us Isa. 26. 16. Eighthly Wharever the afflictions of Gods people are yet their condition is most comfortable of any other in the world and that appears in three things 1. They may be filii sub ira children under wrath but not filii irae sons of wrath For nothing shall separate them from the love of Christ Not tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine nor sword Rom. 8. 35. The Righteous are like mount Sion that shall never be removed But that shall ever be made good to them 1 Pet. 1. 5. They shall be kept by the power of God unto salvation 2. Whatever they want in the world yet they ever enjoy the best comforts such as issue from the speciall love and favour of God in Christ Jesus Pardon of sin peace of conscience and joy of believing which is unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. These are better then any comforts of the world When all the Stars in the Firmament shine it is but Night but the shining of one Sun makes it Day Gods favour makes it Day when all the Creature-contentments enjoyed together make but a Night of comfort And hence it was that Habacuck said Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields yield no meat the Flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no Heard in the stall Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Hab. 3. 17 18. 3. The more bitternesse they meet with here the more sweetnesse to eternity Such may be our afflictions as may cause us to pay the debt of Death the sooner yet this shall be our advantage We shall hereby sooner rest from our labours and be in possession of perfect blessednesse the reward of Gods Free-grace And therefore every godly man may say of his Persecutors as Socrates of Anitus and Melitus They may kill me but they cannot hurt me The time will come when I shall be the happier for all my trials As Sampson when he went down to the vineyards of Timnath he slew a Lion a work of labour and danger but when he returned again weary and faint he found honey in the dead Lion to refresh and comfort him The undergoing of sore afflictions is like the killing of a Lion but when we return by death we shall find honey in the dead Lion much sweeter consolations for all the sorrows our afflictions have brought upon us Augustine having a friend that suffered much by slander he comforted him with this He that willingly adds to thy defamation here doth unwillingly adde to thy eternal glory hereafter As St. Paul tels us 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Thus much of the first Proposition I come now to the second When there is no meanes visible or if visible not effectual for our recovery then we ought to apply our selves to God to work deliverance for us So Amos here All effectual means of recovery for this people lying out of sight he enquires of God how their restauration shall be compassed and seeks to him to raise them Thus Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. 12. When that great army of Moabites and Ammonites came against Jerusalem which he thought himself no way able to resist he saith We know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee And he and all the inhabitants of Judah set themselves to seek the Lord When the Prodigal Luk. 15. had no means left of supply but was ready to starve he then resolves I will go to my father Thus the Prophet Hoseah directs the people in distresse Hos. 5. 13. when God had said He would teare and none should deliver when Ahab and King Jared could afford no help Come saith the Prophet let us return unto the Lord he hath torne and he will heale The Reasons of this Point are First Because Gods people are never so small but God can raise them Is there any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18. 14. Though no salvation can be had from the hills or from the multitude of the mountains yet the Lord is the salvation of Israel Jer. 3. 23. God is the Lord of hosts and all the creatures in the world are but souldiers in that army which he commands and therefore there is no power raised against his people can be so great but he is able presently to suppresse it He can command an army of Stars to vanquish his peoples enemies as he did Sisera and his host Judg. 5. Or an army of Fire to defend them as he did for Elisha 2 King 6. 17. If they be in want of necessary food if the heavens be like brasse and the earth like iron yet he can rain down bread upon them as he did upon Israel He can instantly turn the greatest famine into plenty as in Samaria when one day the women did eat their children for want of bread the very next day two measures of Barley were sold for a shekel 2 King 7. 18. Secondly Because God hath made many comfortable promises to a people in such a condition to invite them to seek his help Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliver thee Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all Jer. 30. 17. Alas for that day is great so as none is like unto it even the day of Jacobs troubles but he shall be saved out of it But it may be objected What if God have decreed to bring desolating and destroying judgements upon a people Zeph. 2. 3. can any application to God divert those Whatever God decreeth against a Nation where he hath a People yet four things God will not fail to give to his own children that rightly seek his favour 1. Spiritual peace with himself Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me 2. Spiritual
wanted these examples we might learn by our own experience 2. Raise your Compassions Let every one mourn in secret and contribute their best assistance by their Prayers or other abilities for the relief of poor distressed Ireland and Thousands besides who lie under many wants and sorrows in these times but especially let this be done by those that have the disposing of the Publique treasury and strength of the Kingdom This is the way to raise the Nation The liberal man deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall ye stand Isa. 32. 8. The merciful man shal find mercy Break the bands of wickednesse and let the oppressed go free Relieve the fatherlesse and widow and such as have wasted themselves for your support and then shall your light break out like the day Isa. 58. 6 7 8. 3. Raise the Execution of Justice in every place of the Kingdom and this will raise the Nation Run to and fro through the City and see if ye can find a man that executeth judgement and I will pardon it Jer. 5. 1. If ye will throughly execute Judgement betwixt a man and his neighbour and not oppresse the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widow then will I cause you to dwell in this Land which I gave unto your fathers Fourthly Raise Religion and that will raise the Nation propagate and preserve the truth of the Gospel and that will preserve you Buy the Truth and sell it not Prov. 23. 23. Let no ingagement in the world ever cause you to desert the Truth Truth is too great a price to give for any purchase in the world Jeroboam purchased a kingdom by the sale of Truth he strengthened himself in it by setting up the Calves at Dan and Bethel but the want of Truth proved at length the losse of both himself and his kingdom The saving knowledge of Jesus Christ revealed in Gospel Truth is the root on which growes all our happinesse for soul and body If you observe the History of the Jewish Church from one end of it to another you will find their happy and prosperous times were still under such governours as purged and maintained religion in the Purity of it Chron. 2. 17. And their afflicted and broken times were still when Truth was corrupted by Idolatry or lost by ignorance Israel for a long season was without a preaching Preist and without the Law and in those times there was no peace to him that came in nor to him that went out but great vexations upon all the inhabitants of the countries 2 Chron. 15. 3. 5. Truth is in a double danger and both these must be provided against if Truth be secured First it is in danger of open violence in respect of those that would burn it out of the world by fire and persecution as the Papists And Secondly it is in danger of back doores to be all let run out into Heresies and Errors that are destructive to the power of godlinesse Some deal by Truth as Alexander threatned he would do by the River Ganges which was that he would cut so many Channels in it as it should loose both name and glory It is the Devils policy that when he cannot murder Truth by violence yet he would bring it into a mortall consumption by Errors and corruptions Do therefore neither suffer Truth to be forced or Faith betrayed out of your hands Contend earnestly for the Truth that was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. Be valiant for be invincibly resolved to maintain the Truth and to perfect the Reformation of Religion throughout the Kingdom and to rivet this resolution take but these two arguments First That in Rom. 1. 20. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation Upon the enjoying beleiving and obeying of Gospel-truth depends all the happinesse of your souls and the souls of your posterity Secondly That in Psal. 128. 5. I will blesse thee out of Zion The certainty and sanctification of all temporary blessings comes out of Zion in particular where the truth of the Gospel is upheld and obeyed it gives first The greatest strength and security to a nation that can be Rev. â— 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience therefore I will keep thee in the hour of temptation Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks to that righteous nation that keeps the Truth As Caesar said once to the master of a Ship that was afraid in a storme Fear nothing thou carriest Caesar So may I say Let that Nation fear nothing that upholds and advanceth true Religion Jehosaphet advanced the true knowledge and worship of God and God strengthened the kingdom in his hand 2 Chron. 17 5. 2. Propagation of Truth brings Peace The fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms that were round about Judah and they made no war against Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 10. 3. Riches Jehosaphat had riches and honours in abundance 2 Chron. 17. 5. And in the glorious times of the Church God promiseth For brasse I will bring gold and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brasse and for stone iron Isa. 60. 17. 4. Victory The nation and kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish Violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy wals Salvation Isa. 60. 12. 18. 5. Glory The Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shal be seen upon thee the glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee to beautifie the place of my Sanctuary I will make the place of my feet glorious Isa. 60. 2. 13. 5. Raise the Unity of brethren and this will raise the Nation The Motto upon our Coyn may be our instruction Concord makes small things great The Apostles were exceeding earnest in perswading to Unity in Judgement In the first 5 Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles this Precept is five times repeated Be of one minde But that place is very emphatical 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same things and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same Minde and in the same Judgement Contrary winds will never bring our ship to the harbour Nor can any thing so perswade our enemies that we are building a Babel that must down again as the confusion of our Languages Gods people are a Cluster with a blessing in it Isa. 65. 8. The way to preserve the Blessing is not to destroy the Cluster But how should the Unity of brethren be maintained I answer 2 wayes 1. Let them joyn their strength against all Heresies and Blasphemies and Errors that are destructive to the Power of godlines these are the works of the flesh which all that are godly ought to set themselves against And which it is the Magistrates duty by his power with Civil censures to restrain 2. For lesser differences in
stir them they will run over But all the sins and miseries of three Kingdoms can scarce pump a teare or a sigh from many of our hearts Take heed of continuing in such Fasts for if God cannot draw tears he will draw blood from our hearts when there shall be no remedy Soul-affecting Fasts are raising Fasts and no other Secondly Raise your Prayers Acceptable prayer will raise a Nation out of the dust Psal. 102. 14. 17. 1. Raise your Fervencie Jam. 5. 16. Fervencie prevaileth much Jacob wrestled and prevailed with God Hos. 12. 4. God hath long cryed to us and we are not awakened sufficiently And let us not think that lesse then our strongest cries will awaken God to rise up for us God deals with us as mothers with their children while they only whimper they are not much regarded but if they begin to cry in earnest and will not be quiet then presently they take them and give them suck 2. Raise your Faith Faith is the strength of Prayer nothing layes hold on God without this Let us lean with confidence upon Gods strength and goodnesse according to his promises and then nothing is so difficult but God will effect it for us in the best season Psal. 34. 10. The wals of Jericho fell down by faith Psal. 22. 4. Our fathers trusted in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them Thirdly Raise your Reformation and this will raise the Nation Amend your wayes throughly Jer. 7. 5. True Reformation will make your Fasts prevailing Fasts They turned every man from his evil way and God saw their works and repented of the evil he said he would do unto them and did it not Jonah 3. 9 10. It will make our Prayers prevailing Prayers Isa. 5. 16. Strive to grow and increase in Holinesse If you would have England to be the Mount of Happinesse you must make it first as Judah was the Mount of Holinesse Zach. 8. 3. New wine must be put into new bottles The way to enjoy great mercies for soule and body is to get such a degree of Holinesse as will enable you to improve the choicest Mercies to Gods glory Raise therefore your Holinesse First Above Formality Let it be visible in your conversations that ye have not only a form but the power of Faith and Love and other graces of the Spirit 2. Above Partiality Allow your selves no Sin but universally make conscience of every Duty as Zachary and Elizabeth walking in all the commandements of God 3. Above Lukewarmnesse or the lowest forme of Christians Be holy as He is holy that hath called you 1 Pet. 1. 15. Labour to reach the highest step of holinesse You are raised to great hopes you have the choicest means of Holinesse Judgements to purge you Mercies to draw you Ordinances to edifie you Walk therefore as becommeth a people of such hopes of such helps Let every Lust in you be like the house of Saul that grew weaker and weaker and every Grace like the house of David that grew stronger and stronger Perfecting Holinesse in the fear of God That so God may prevent our fears and remove our judgements and raise us to that height in temporal and spiritual priviledges that those promises may be made good to us Jer. 3. 17. The time shall come that they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all Nations shall be gathered unto it And Isa. 27. 6. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root Israel shall blassome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit FINIS A Continuation of the Catalogue of Sermons preached upon the Dayes of Publique Humiliation before the Right honorable house of Lords From Jan. 28. 1645. to Decemb 30. 1646. A Continuation of the Catalogue of Sermons preached upon the dayes of Publique Humiliation before the Honorable House of Commons From Jan. 14 1645. to Decemb. 30 1646. Both Houses and the Assembly kept a special day of Humiliation to seek GOD for Direction about Church-Government Jan. 28. 1645. Mr. Gasper Hicks Hos. 5. 15. Mr. Dan. Evance 1 Sam. 2. 30. Feb. 25. Mr. Andrew Perne Mr. Will. Jenkin Hag. 1. 2. Mar. 25. Mr. Robert Harris Mr. Tho. Case Exod. 5. 22 23. April 29 Mr. Thomas Foord Mr. Reuben Easthrop May 27. Mr. Francis Tailor Gen. 35. 1. Mr. Nicholas Proffet June 24. Mr. Robert Johnson Mr. Charles Herle July 29. Mr. Samuel Bolton Mr. Simeon Ash Octo. 28 Mr. Stephen Marshal Ps. 8. 2. Mr. Will. Bridge Zeph. 2. 3. Nov. 25. Mr. Will. Price Ezra 9. 6 7 8. Mr. John Ward An extraordinary Fast for removing the judgement of Rain and Waters Dec. 9. Mr. Charles Herle Mr. Francis Roberts Ps. 51. 17. Dec. 30. Mr. William Goode Amos 7. 5. Mr. Tho. Horton Num. 32. 23. Jan. 14. Mr. Stephen Marshal M. J. Whitaker 2 Chr. 26. 15 16 Jan. 28. Mr. Jos. Caryl Jam. 4. 8. 1 part Mr. Rich. Vines Ja. 4. 8. last p. Feb. 25. Mr. T. Goodwin Ps. 105. 14. 15. Mr. Anth. Burgess Num. 11. 12 Mar. 25. Mr. Sam. Bolton Mat. 1. 21. Mr. Fran. Cheynel Gen. 18. 19 Apr. 29. Mr. James Nalton Jer. 13. 27. Mr. John Owen Acts 16. 11. May 27. Mr. Rich. Heyrick Hest. 4. 16. Mr. Iohn Ward June 24 Dr. Peter Smith Mr. William Spurstowe July 29. Mr. Ioseph Caryl Mr. Ieremiah Whitaker Aug. 25. Mr. Daniel Cawdrey Mr. Jer. Burroughs Mat. 5. 6. Sept. 30 Mr. Joseph Symonds Mr. Herbert Palmer Isa. 58. 12 Oct. 28. Mr. John Maynard Phil. 3 21. Mr. Nic. Lockier Isa. 53. 10. Nov. 25 Mr. William Del Heb. 9. 10. Mr. Christopher Love An extraordinary Fast for removing the judgement of Rain and Waters Dec. 9. Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker Mr. John Ward Dec. 30. Mr. St. Marshal 1 Chr. 12. 32. Mr. M. Newcomen Heb. 4. 13. Reader Be pleased to take notice Those whose Texts are not quoted are not yet printed A Continuation of the Sermons preached upon the Dayes of Publique Thanks-giving before both or either Houses of PARLIAMENT From April 2. 1646. To Novemb. 5. 1646. April 2. For the good successe of the Parliaments Army in the West especially in Cornwal and disbanding of the Kings Horse there Mr. Ioseph Caryl Psal. 118. 17. Mr. Hugh Peters Psal. 31. 23. May 12. For the regaining and taking 12 severall Garrisons viz. Excester Barnstaple c. Before the Lords Master Daniel Gawdrey Master Richard Ley. Before the Commons Mr. Samuel Torshel Deut. 16. 20. Mr. Charles Herle July 21. For the Surrender of Oxford c. Before the Commons Mr. Henry Wilkinson Numb. 23. 23. Mr. Walter Cradock 1 John 1. 3 4. Sept. 8. For the Surrender of Worcester c. Before the Commons Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick Mr. Thomas Goodwin Nov. 5. For the Deliverance from the Powder-Treason Before the Lords Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick Before the Commons Mr. William Strong Ezra 9. 13 14. Before the Lord Mayor c. at Pauls Mr. Nathanael Hardy Psal. 9. 16. FINIS 1. Propos. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Darium illum quem Alexander magnus bis acie superavit cum ex fuga defessus aquam lutulentam cadaveribus inquinatam biberet dixisse serunt se nunquam in vita bibisse iucundius Osor de instit. regis l. 4. 4. Reason Application Vse 2. Vse 3. 1. Consid. 2. Consid. 3. Consid. 4. Consid. 5. Consid. 6. Consid. Imperia qâ—ovis pretiâ— constant bene 7. Consid. 8. Consid. Interficere me possunt nocere mihi non possunt Qui volens addidit infamiae tuae nolens addidit mercedi tuae 2. Propos. 1. Reason 2. Reason Object Answ 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason â— Reason Vse of Direction 1. Breach of Covenant Want of compassion Want of execution of justice Divisions Corruptions in Religion Mr. Baily in his Disswasive from Error 1. 2. Part. Concordia parvae res crescunt Acts 1. 14. 2. 1. 46. 4. 32. 5. 12. * Ignecharitatis funt â—â—mâ—â—rende Constantinus in synodo Niceno libellos accipiens querelarum plenos quos ei de privatis injuriis obtulerunt Episcopi cos ne legendos quidem sibi esse putavit sed continud flammis tradidit Ruffin l. 1. c. 2. Socrat l. 1. c. 5. 2. Direct {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Craesus vivens Socrates moriens * Aethiopes olim qui supra Aegyptum habitabant eum regem eligebant qui proceritate corporis â—nteiret Osor de instit. regis lib. 4. 3. Direction