principle in it self So here suitable thereunto it is resembled unto Wheels why they are in continuo motu alwaies moving they are never at a stay their very form of which they are made fitteth them for nothing else all things here belovv are compared to wheels Now I intreate you consider who it is that acteth these wheels Christ sendeth the Spirit the Spirit acteth the living creatures Now the living creatures are the wheels and the Text saith the Spirit of the living creatures is in the Wheels In the 20. verse so it is said When the living creatures moved then the Wheels moved when the living creatures stood then the Wheels stood Why because the Spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels the Spirit of Christ acteth the Angels the Angels have a great influence in the acting of things below Now concerning these wheels here are seven things spoken and truly they are all of them weighty truths truths of very exceeding great consequence and of very great use for the present times and therefore I shall in a word offer them to your consideration This that is in the text is the last of them First in the 18. verse it is said the Rings of these wheels are full of eyes within things in the world are not carried by the wills of men coeco impetu by a kind of blind force as if men ruled the world No my Brethren in all the turnings that there are in the world know the wheels be full of eyes all things are carried and ordered by a wise and a fore-seeing Providence Secondly the wheels go upon their four sides in the 17. verse that is they are constant and settled in their motion men may turn from one side to another as it is common for them to do they may change their principles and act quite contrary they may destroy that which formerly they have endeavoured to build but yet notwithstanding the wheels go upon their four sides still there is no turning of Providence out of that way you may use your art you may use your power use your policy the Wheels will still go on upon their four sides Gods providence is stable and settled in its motion Thirdly the wheels return not when they go that is another God hath not in waies of Providence retrograde motions when the Lord begins he doth use to make an end in decretis sapientum nulla est litura wise men make no blots if God go forth against a people if God go forth against a person truly the Lord carries on his work as the wheels are constant in their motion so likewise they are so settled that they are carried on there is no returning they returned not as they went Fourthly the Rings are said to be high and exceeding dreadful in the 18. verse The actings of Providence are very terrible I say the actings of Providence are very terrible when men look upon them with an eye of reason truly they cannot but stand amazed when you shall see God cutting short the Spirit of Princes plucking up Kingdoms destroying families deposing Kings when you shall see the Lord causing the Mountains to skip and the Towers to fall the Rings be exceeding high and therefore exceeding dreadful such high actings of Providence when they are seriously considered cannot but strike terror in the minds of men Fifthly the wheels are sometimes lifted up from the earth Mark ye so the text saith sometimes they go upon the earth Providence acteth in an ordinary way sometimes the Wheels are lifted up from the earth they go out of the ordinary rode God acteth in extraordinary waies of Providence Now I intreate you consider the Lord doth not go alwaies by ruled cases many times rules are prescribed but none must prescribe to him many times the Wheels are lifted up from the earth Sixthly the Wheels sometimes stand they do not alwaies go for so you see when the living creatures stood the Wheels stood over against them they sometimes stand I say they do not alwaies go there is many times a seeming cessation of Providence Pray observe it there is many times I say a seeming cessation of Providence the Angels seem to let down their wings and the Wheels seem to be at a stand many times things are becalmed that you would think surely now the business is like never to go on all things are at a stand by and by the spirit of God acteth the living creatures the living creatures again they act the Wheels You know how it was in the building of the Temple sometimes the work was at a stand for divers years together by and by the Spirit of God stirred up the heart of some one or other again and then the work was revived then the Wheels went again Consider I humbly pray you sometimes there seems to be a cessation of Providence but yet the Lord will carry on his work In the last place and so I come to the text Thereis a Whâ—el in the midle of a Wheel there is a double interpretation given of it you may do very well to take in both though it is the last that I shall stick to A Wheel in the midst of a VVheel First it notes motionem transversam I say there is in it motio transversa that is it implyes a motion that is cross and thwarting like the motions of Watches or some curious work where one Wheel moves one way and yet it acteth another Wheel that moves quite the contrary way this is Gods ordinary way in Providence he accomplisheth things by transverse and cross and contrary motions So you may observe a Saul labouring for to establish the Kingdom upon his Posteritie was the great means to settle the Crown upon Davids head God doth many times carry on things by a transverse I say and a contrary motion Secondly there is likewise not only a transverse motion but there is also motio complexa a complex motion and so the word signifies a Wheel in the midst of a Wheel a motion that is intricate intangled one in another like to some curious water-works that you shall see the Wheels do not only turn cross contrary one to another and one wheel moving this way shall act another wheel moving that way but withal it is a hard matter for a man that is not skilful in the Art to be able to discern which way it is the Wheels are turned so one within another A man that is not skilful in a Globe would wonder to know what the meaning of those many lines and circles should be they all go one within another so here is a wheel in the midst of a wheel Providence is so intricate so complex so mysterious it is impossible for a man that is not an Artist in Providence to be able to see the waies and the goings forth of God in them That now is the sense of this Scripture as I conceive and the Observation that I shall give you from it is this
promises what doth God here promise simplicity and sincerity in whatever concerns his worship and service for whatever is mixed departs from unity now of humane mixtures I find in Scripture three sorts and unto them all I conceive this promise reaches so our faith must look upon it First in Doctrine mixing the truth of God with false glosses and corrupt interpretations neither agreeing to the wisdom majesty or mind of the Holy-Ghost and this is the mixture here spoken of Ier. 23.28 what is the chaff to the wheat and yet if many Sermons were winnowed though the chaff is nothing to the wheat yet it might haply prove more then the wheat Secondly in worship Acts in the worship of God that have no other ground but the will of man that is the mixture the Apostle speaks of Col. 2.23 they did worship the true God and they did in many things perform those acts which he required but they mixed some acts out of their own will which God never commanded neither came it into his heart Ier. 7.31 Thirdly in Discipline a mixture of the Ordinances of God and of the Commandments of men sometimes turning the power they have from God against them for whose good and preservation it was mainly given the edge of the sword against the watch-man Ier. 36.5 he was shut up it was not in prison for he fled and hid himself and therefore it is conceived to be spoken of excommunication and so they slay the witnesses which cannot be understood litterally of killing them as men but Metaphorically killing them as witnesses Rev. 11.11 If there be a rotten member to be cut off they strike with the back of the sword but if a godly man have but a hair to be paired off they turn the edge and strike a full blow c. so vvhen men mix the Ordinances of God with their ovvn corrupt ends and order all things in matter of Government so as it shall best serve to advance their worldly ends colour over acts of policy vvith pretences of piety Say it is Corban for their ovvn advantage sake Mark 7.11 let thy faith engage thee to lay hold on the promise in all this and expect to be delivered from them all that in every one of these respects Gods name may be one Secondly put forth an act of reliance affiance recumbence or vvhatever else doth express an act of an humble and believing soul casting himself upon a promise to obtain it cleave to the word Psal 119.13 leave thy self vvith the promise for that is the expression the poor have themselves with thee Psa 10,14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly shut thy eyes against all difficulties stagger not at the unlikeliness of the means he that should look upon the Israelites at their division and see how much division and how much Idolatry there was amongst them and that of all the Nations round about but yet the Lord hath said it and it shall be accomplished in his season he that shall observe how exceedingly a pompous Religion pleaseth them and how much they are taken with humane additions in Gods service how firmly it is rooted and with what power it is backed he will be ready to say if God should create windows in heaven this could not be but know though there were mountains in this way of his people yet this could not hinder the accomplishment of a promise Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubabel thou shalt become a plain Zach. 4.6,7 nay and these mountains faith doth often remove and make them become a plain Fourthly wait for the performance of it in Gods due time Act 1.4 rejoyce for the promise of the Father though it may haply by sin be delayed God brought his people to the borders of the Land of promise and shewed them the good Land and yet by their unthankful walking they were led back again fourty years in the wilderness but however if it tarry rejocye for it for it will speak and it will not lye it will come and it will not tarry Hab. 2.3 Secondly let it be unto thee also a ground of hope the object of hope is good things to come and that which is grounded upon the promise is lively hope that never makes ashamed let there be an holy an earnest expectation and groaning for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go forth and meet the mercy while it is yet a far off And to stir up your hope consider first it will be a means to allay your present grief to see men usurpe the Throne of God and talk of sitting immediately in the consciences and to wring those tender wards of conscience that is as soon spoyled as a Ship cast away 1 Tim. 1.9 to hear the word of God as preached set forth by the unnourishing vapours of humane wit cannot but be a grief to a good heart so to see the Ordinances of God pure in themselves to be set out with the dressings and blandishments of the inventions of men like a wall of a marble with a roof of straw to see people turned away with every wind of Doctrine and when Ministers shall have cause to complain that have preached long in a place P. Martyr as Peter Martyr did at the coming in of Queen Mary when he heard in Oxford a Colledge bell ring to Mass the Students flocking there a pace Haec una notula omnem meam doctrinam evertit this bell rings a passing peal to all my Lectures to all my Sermons to that man to whom the Ordinances in their purity be dearer then his life it cannot but be a great grief as the contrary cannot but be a great matter of joy when he shall consider that the time will come when the Kingdom shall be the Lords and men shall corrupt the purity of his worship no more Secondly hereby the Ordinances shall be set up in their glory and they are surely the glory of a Nation wheresoever they are 1 Sam. 4 ult To see Romam in flore that is one of St. Austines wishes how much more doth a good heart desire to see Ecclesiam in flore that God may beautifie the house of his glory Isa 60 7. Thirdly then shall his people more fully enjoy the presence of God in his Ordinances for when the Temple is purged the glory of the Lord will fill the house Ezek. 43.1,2 and the name of the City shall be Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48. ult Fourthly hereby the consciences of Gods people shall be freed from many an unnecessary burthen now ye should desire the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love it Psal 1,22 6. suppose your consciences be not touched what if they be no burthens upon you yet where is the spirit that said who is offended and I burn not 2 Cor. 11.29 Thirdly let it be a rule of prayer for the promise is the only rule of what we can ask in faith and prayer the only ground of what we
of will unto that hand into which God the Father hath placed it Secondly I entreate you consider this which is a mighty quieting consideration Christ governs the Providential Kingdom all for the good of the Spiritual Kingdom I say Christ subordaineth the Kingdom of Providence unto the Kingdom of grace Eph. 1.22 he is made the head above all things unto the Church he undertakes the government of all things for the Churches sake and he orders all things for their good he is the head over all things unto the Church It may be alas poor creature when thou lookest upon Providence God walketh in the dark to thee and how Christ will bring good out of all these thou canst not tell leave it to him now he is called the Artist the skilful Artist You have the place Prov. 8.30 I was by him as one brought up with him you read it so I do a little wonder at the translation I was by him as one brought up with him it is in the Original I was by him as an Artificer you have the same word so translated in Cant. 7.1 by the hand of the cunning work-man the very same word is used now it may be if a man unskilled should come and look upon a man that were a curious Artist it may be a Chymist or the like he would wonder how he should be able to bring such great effects out of such unlikely things yet notwithstanding the man is contented to look on with delight and resteth upon the man for his art for he saith he knows how to bring it to pass though I do not Jesus Christ is a curious Artist when you see him take content in it and rest for the art is in him he knows how to bring it about though you do not That is another very quieting Consideration But. In the third place the Lord hath discovered to us the ends for which he worketh and I am sure his ends shall be effected Now if God will carry on his own ends truly what if some of my inferiour mistaken ends miss should I be discontented no let God carry on his own ends he will carry them on But you will say What are his ends His ends upon the world at present are these First he will shake the things that are made Heb. 12.27 that the things that cannot be shaken may remain Secondly he will make way for the ruine of Antichrist and Poperie in all the forms of it I say that is another end and that he may destroy Antichrist and ruine Poperie in all the forms of it And Thirdly that he may make waie for the accomplishment of that glorious promise the Kingdoms of the earth shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ Now I entreate you observe If these ends of God be carried on as they shall certainly be then what need have you to be disquieted because some of your inferiour injudicious mistaken ends be not brought about truly this is that that comforteth a Godly man and I confess it hath been in all these troubles and confusions that have been amongst us the Land reeling too and fro staggering like a drunken man it hath been the principal the main support to me a godly man can never miss his utmost end Now this I know is a rule the School-men give finis ultimus perficit tam agentem quam actionem the utmost end is that that perfecteth the Agent and the action the utmost end why now that man can never be miserable that attaineth his utmost end Here is the miserie of all ungodly men they may attain many inferiour ends subordinate ends I but their utmost end they never obtain therefore they are for ever miserable But now here is the happiness of a Saint he never fails in his utmost end but as Austin saith of Gods answering his prayers he did answer the hinge of my prayer that he did sometimes I prayed for the thing but God did not give me the thing I but the hinge on which my prayer moved that is that all might tend to Gods glory and my good in that God answered my prayer and so shall a soul say at last there were many things that my mistaken judgement did think would have conduced to such an end but God saw it not good therefore I obtaining my utmost ends he lets Gods will go on in the world and for my part I am satisfied though many of my inferiour ends I miss These are the quieting principles that should be in your hearts when you submit to the will of God in his mysterious actings in the world I dare not detain you any longer Consider I beseech you what hath been spoken and the Lord give you wisdom and understanding in all things Christs care in Glory FOR his Churches good on Earth REV. 2. ver 1. These things saith he who holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks THe Works that God the Father gave his Son the Lord Jesus Christ to do are of two sorts They are either Acts of Ministery or Acts of Majesty the first he finished when he was here upon earth For he said he had finished the work given him to do And he is ascended up to Glory that so he might perform the second that so he might be both faithful to God and merciful to you For though he be ascended up into heaven as our Lord yet he sits in heaven still as the Fathers Servant For this Cause though he hath changed his place yet he hath not changed his office you shall have him therefore in this Book of the Revelations which was indited from heaven described sutable to all his offices according to the various Condition of the Church as Brightman hath well observed pro varia Conditione Ecclesiae Brightman He is described as the Churches Priest in Chap. 1. ver 13. He was seen wearing a Garment down to his Feet In allusion to the priestly Ephod and the curious Girdle under the Law for that I understand by that Vestis talaris there and not a description of his Imputed righteousness as some conceive it then Christ though he be in glory remains the Churches Priest for he wears his Priestly Garments there And he remains still the Churches King in Chap. 4. ver 3. I saw a throne and one that sat upon it was to look upon like to a Iasper and a Sardix stone spoken of Gods ruling the Church in the Person of his Son And he is described to be the Churches Leader and Commander In Rev. 19. ver 11 12. His eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many crowns Clothed with a vesture dipped in blood And the Armies that were in heaven followed him upon white Horses And he is described as the Churches Prophet too In Chap. 6. ver 7. There he is set forth as a Lamb that hath seven horns and seven eyes And he came and
Remember the stars are in the right hand of God and he appoints them where they shall shine and one of the saddest Judgements that can befall a people in this life is for God to seal up the stars that 's Jobs expression in Job 9. that they shall not bring out a beam of light but the people shall be left in the dark continually Thirdly the stars are in the right hand of Christ then surely there is protection for them and a merciful care over them they do but lose their labour that think either to pluck the Saints out of the right hand of God or the stars out of the right hand of Christ Surely he will preserve a Ministery in his Church unto the end of the world or else blot that text out of your Bibles Eph. 4.12 He hath given gifts for the work of the Ministery for the gathering and perfecting of the Saints until we all come c. Why did the Lord institute the Ministery For a double end the one for the Gathering the other for the Perfecting of the Saints then so long as there are any of the Saints to be gathered or any to be perfected the end of the Ministerie is not accomplished God will uphold it until it hath attained the end of its institution Consider therefore what enemies those are unto the Church of God that endeavour to remove the stars out of their Orb for it s that leaves a people under pure darkness and a perfect night and therefore it s the worst and the most pernicious design that ever was set on foot in the world one strikes at their calling another at their maintenance though the truth is the intent of the work is the same the Ministery whatever the design of the workmen may be Well suppose God should grant your desire for there is a generation of men that have been long hacking at the Ministery Suppose it should be as you would have it give me leave to tell you two things one is when the stars are darkned in Scripture it denotes great judgements great plagues to come upon a people Ioel 2.10 The Sun and the Moon shall be darkened and the stars shall withdraw their shining But further to clear what kind of Judgement you must look for and pray mark for I speak nothing but Scripture unto you in Dan. 8.10,11,12 When the stars were cast unto the ground the text adds The daily sacrifices were taken away because of transgression cast down truth to the ground the daily sacrifice the worship of God and truth the word of God Both will soon go down if once the stars be cast to the ground and trampled on by the feet of pride Lastly take this hint from it too It s a great judgement not only to have the stars sealed up from you but to have the stars to fight against you an expression that you have in the 5. Judges the stars in their courses fought against Sisera there is not a worse Army can be engaged against a people observe Psal 68.12 The Lord gave his Word and great were the number of them that published it What follows Kings with their Armies did Flie It relates to the Ascention of Christ that is plain by ver 18. thou hast ascended on high c. the Lord did give his word at his ascention and there were a multitude of them that published it and by this means Kings Armies were put to flight they conquered by the word there is not such another way to rout Kings and their Armies Look into the 47. of Ezek. ver 10. and you shall see this shall be the glory of the last times the most glorious and most flourishing times of the Church And there shall be Fishers the text saith and the fish that shall be taken by them shall be like the fish of the great Sea exceeding many a number of converts take heed of the stars fighting against you for you have need of these stars in the best and purest times But the second thing I mainly intend the care that Christ takes of the body which is described in the latter expression he walks in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks he takes care as well of the meanest Member as of the greatest Officer Psalm 45. The unction doth run down upon the sâ—irts of his Garment so doth his protection and his provision also to explain this here are three things to be opened Why the Church is called a Candlestick Why a Golden Candlestick And what is it for Christ to walk in the middest of it First Why is the Church called a Candlestick In Revel 1. ult The seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches there are four notions in it and you must take in all or you will not understand the meaning of the Word First A Candlestick hath no light in it of it self but light must be put into it and therefore the Candlestick under the Law to which this here is an allusion the Priests were to light the Candles a Candlestick hath no more light then is put into it and it must be continually maintained by a new supply of oyl as you see it described in Zach. 4.11 There are Olive-trees that grow on each side the Candlestick and they drop the oyl c here is no oyl prepared by the art and industry of men but it is Natural Olive-oyl that doth of it self drop and therefore the supports and supplies of the Church are compared unto the rain and unto the dew that waits not for man and tarries not for the Sons of men Secondly The use of a Candlestick is for no other end then to hold up and hold out the light and to this very End the Lord hath instituted Churches the great Ordinance under the Gospel is the Church though alas we little consider it now pray observe the great End why God instituted Churches was this that he might have a company of Saints that might hold forth his Word and hold up his Worship and for this Cause the Church is called the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.16 The pillar of truth why so as one well observes as a pillar holds forth a Proclamation truth that upholds the Church but the Church holds out the Worship of God Thirdly A Candlestick is a thing moveable and with the removing of the Candlestick you carry away the light also and therefore the thing that the Lord threatens is that he will remove the Candlestick out of its place the Lord removes the Candlestick from place to place though the Land remain the Church is gone that is a dangerous Judgement not only an immediate removing of the Ordinances but of the Church for which all Ordinances were appointed the Kingdom of God shall be taken from them he will call them Loammi they shall be no more a people to him the Lord will remove the Candlestick and the glory of the Lord shall depart Lasty It s an allusion unto the Candlestick under
that are heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 and all the dealings of God do tend to prepare them for that great end but to qualifie them for their inheritance being they are as yet but in their nonage that they may be made meet inheritors c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.12 there is a spiritual preparation by which the soul is fitted for so great mercies as the Lord doth intend in reference to eternity to bestow upon man and so the Saints have an interest in the soveraignty of God over all things in the providential in reference unto the spiritual Kingdom that as the Lord Jesus Christ hath undertaken the government of it in order unto this end Eph. 1. ult and therefore all things work together for good Rom 8.28 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that is omnis creatura omnes eventusâ— shall work together that is not of themselves but by a gracious concurrence or co-operation of God with them and Ministers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with God 2 Cor. 6.1 by a gracious concurrence of the principal cause together with the instrument for instrumentum agit dispositive in virtute principalis agentis Others do refer working together unto the creatures themselves that is not apart they may not seem so but by a blessed disposition and a sweet combination and concatenation they do work together for good the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ad aeternam salutem for sine summo bono nil bonum There is nothing good to him that is without the chief good there is nothing good but that which is in order to the chief good the Ordinances of God are good and they are therefore good because they are Ordinances that God hath appointed for so good an end as to fit us to enjoy the chief good Heb. 6.7 The ground that drinks in the rain that it may bear fruit meet for him that drâ—sseth it and so receive a blessing from God and so Paul c. is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 that is given for your sakes and with a special tendency to your good and so also it is true of providences there shall be deliverance Isa 35.7,8 The parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water that which had nothing but barrenness now shall become fruitful and that which was no way profitable but hurtful for men a habitation of Dragons that shall now bear grass for the use of man for the Lord will make a way for their return into their own Land and it shall be a way of holiness that is via sanctitatis sanctificata for a way in which they that are holy shall walk and a way that shall tend to make them to become more holy Joel 3.17 Then shall Jerusalem be holy and no strangers shall pass through her any more their deliverance shall come upon their holiness and Dan. 11. ult when Daniels people shall be delivered by the overthrow of the Turkish Empire for that great Empire shall fall by the hands of the Jews in the glorious Land and it is the coming together of bones Ezek. 37.7 the noyse and the shaking that is spoken of is tidings out of the North and the East and there he shall come to an end and none shall help him and whereas Canaan was not called the holy Land nor Jerusalem the holy City after the death of Christ yet until this time it was called so ver 41. the glorious or the pleasant Land but now it should be a mercy bestowed upon a holy people and it should be sanctified to make them holy and now it is called the glorious holy Mountain and so it s said of Jehosaphat 2 Chron 17.3,4,6 His Kingdom was established they all brought him presents he had silver and gold and he walked in the wayes of David his Father Secondly there are some things that are given unto men but it is for the good of others such as tend not unto their own salvation at all So some men shall be raised and exalted not for their own sakes Isa 44.28 Cyrus is my Shepherd saith the Lord he shall perform all my pleasure I will hold his right hand and subdue Nations before him I will loose the loyns of Kings break the gates of brass in pieces and cut asunder the bars of Iron give him the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places for Jacob my servants sake and for Israel my elect Isa 45.1,3,4,7,14 There is authority given also for the sake of others as many times power and success is given for the sake of others and yet they that are in power c. themselves have no good by it he hath not known me saith the Lord. So there is many a man makes riches his glory that his house is increased but it is not for his own sake but the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just Prov. 13.22 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor Prov. 28.8 And a man may say of such Bees in all their gatherings Sic vos non vobis it s not for your selves but it is for the good of others that all this is done and indeed all good things that ungodly men do receive it is not for their own good as it is not for their own sake it is for the Saints sake and it is by their Covenant and therefore Luther saith omnia conservantur propter verbum sanctum semen Deus non curat Politiam Oeconomiam nisi propter Ecclesiam It is true that there are many that receive great mercies great deliverances but it s not for their own good but for their hurt Eccles 5.5 Biches are for the hurt of the owner and so it is also of honours and victories which are mercies in the things but not to the men as Cyprian saith of the Sacrament Petro â—…emedium Iudae venenum so it is of all blessings unto one in perniciem unto the other in salutem to the good of others which he himself had no good by Doctrine 2. The gifts bestowed by God and the talents that are committed they are committed they are not given unto all in the same measure but according to different measures some have much and some have little some have two Talents and some have five Talents and here are two things to be considered First He doth not give in the fame measure unto all persons it is true that there is no servant that is without his talent to trade with for the Lord doth not expect to reap where he hath not sown or to gather where he hath not strawed but yet he doth not sow alike plentifully everywhere and that neither of grace nor of gifts nor of opportunity First Not of grace Ephes 4.7 Unto every one of us given according to the measure of the gift of Christ but not
do not enjoy the same light they do not see the days of the son of man Kings and righteous men have desired to see the days that you see and have not seen them and to hear the things that you hear yet have not heard them Plus uno die vident pueri quam per totius vitae tempora philosophi Gerhard in his Chronology speaks of Infoelix seculum exhaustum hominibus ingenio doctrina claris Gerhard there are dark times and there are times also when the light of the Moon is as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun sevenfold Esay 30.26 One age hath much and another age hath little Secondly They have not the same deliverances for three hundred years she travelled under cruel persecution under the power of the Red Dragon but at last the Church brought forth a man-childe who was exalted upon the throne of God as the fruit of all their travels all their prayers and as the price of all their blood principem à quo libertatem exemplum fidei mundus accepit Sulpic. There is a time when the Lord doth lift up the rod of the oppressour and there is a time when he doth break their yoke from off the neck there is a time when the enemies do plough upon the backs of the people and make long their furrows and there is a time also when God doth cut their harness and they are able to plough no longer there is a time when God gives his people to be troden down as 〈…〉 in the streets and there is a time when no stranger shall any more pass over it there shall be no more a grieving thorn or a pricking bryer there shall be none to hurt or destroy in my holy Mountain c. there is a time when God doth bend Judab for him and when he doth raise the worm Jacob to thresh the Mountains c and the Lord delivers the land out of the mouths of the Enemies c. Doctrine 3. Whether men have received little or much it is all in reference to an account there is a time when the King will take an account of his servants for he will come to reckon with them Mat. 18.23 There is not a talent that the Lord bestows but it is in reference to this account all mercies received must surely be counted for every one of us must give an account of himself unto God and there are not only personal but there are national accounts he that is Judge of all the world he is the Judge of all Nations Isa 5.3 Iudge I pray you between me and my vineyard he that refers unto men to judge he will be the Judge himself also and he will surely judge them with righteous judgement For First All their mercies are recorded by him they may forget them but he records them what is a great part of the Scriptures but the records of God Chronicles of his several mercies and deliverances that he hath bestowed upon his people in succeeding ages Micah 6.5 Remember from Shittim to Gilgal it was the place of their Transgression when they committed abominations with the daughters of Moab and sacrificed unto Baal Peor did eat the offering of the dead and Gilgal was the first place that they set their foot upon in the Land of Canaan when the Lord rolled away from them the reproach of Egypt from whence it had its name and in the very places the Lord wrote in their names the memorials of his mercies that the very names of the places might be a witness of his mercies to them in memoriam and in testimonium Jehovah jireth Gilgal Berachah c. as you record your victories by the names of Dunbar and the name of Worcester c. the 78. Psalm is nothing else but the Lords records in which he hath written the memorial of that continued Tract of mercies which he gave unto them and the Lord wrote the memory of their mercies in the months Exod. 12.2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months the Lord changed the beginning of their years in the remembrance of his mercy Ver. 14. This day shall be unto you for a memorial How should the third of September be for a memorial unto you c. though the Canon of the Scripture be consigned and the Lord will write this story by an infallible spirit no more to remain upon records amongst men yet they are all of them recorded before him as the Law is written in the hearts of the people of God not with paper and Ink but by the spirit of the living God so doth the Lord record his mercies which he doth multiply upon his people not with pen and Ink but by the spirit of the living God in the heart of God for ever as it s said of the sins of men Deut. 31.34 Is it not laid up in store with me and sealed up amongst my Treasures they are laid up amongst the treasures of God so God hath treasures of mercy also as well as of sins by him c. Secondly they are numbered by him as the Miracles of Christ in the daies of his flesh were numbered as it s said this was the first Miracle that he did and this was the second Miracle that Jesus did after he came out of Judea into Galilee So also the Miracles that Christ did work in glory are all numbered as the Lord numbers the several degrees of his enemies downfal in seven Seales seven Trumpets and seven Vials so he doth number also the several degrees of his peoples deliverances and 2 Numb 14.22 he doth number their sins answerable unto the number of his mercies they have seen my Miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and they have provoked and tempted me now these ten times it is true that the mercies God bestows on us are a multitude of mercies and it is as easie for us to number the stars as it is to count them all but though we cannot do it yet God can do it and he doth it who can tell the number of the stars and call them all by their names Psal 71.15 David saith that he would shew forth the salvations of God all the day long for I know not the number of them c. and we must consider God hath his set number of mercies for a people if they abuse them and walk unworthy of them he will not shew mercy for ever he will not draw forth his loving kindness from generation to generation Cessat descensus si in perpetuum ascensus cessat as Belishazers Kingdom was numbered the Lord wrote a memorial for him so he will write a memorial upon some mercies as the number of sins is finished as Antichrist hath his Numbers the number of the beast is the number of a man c. and mercies may have their number also even your mercies the Lord may say Now your prosperity is numbered your deliverances victories are numbered I will
deliverance and that was as an answer unto prayer Thirdly the fruit of it and to be unfruitful under mercies is the greatest barrenness for they drop fatness and not only the fruit of the lips words in labris nata but it must be from inward and hearty affections e sulco pectoris God expects special fruit under mercies or under crosses and if he comes to find fruit upon a figg-tree dunged he will be much displeased if he find none Now the fruit of the mercy is threefold First the love of God is enlarged and inflamed the more mercy a gracious heart receives the more abundant he is in love to God for our love to God is but by reflexion we love God because he loved us first and the more the soul tasts of Gods love in a mercy the more it doth draw forth in him love to God again much was forgiven her therefore she loved much so much is given to a Saint by God therefore he loves God much Secondly his confidence in God is enlarged the Lord is my rock and my fortress my deliverer and when I call upon him I shall be saved from mine enemies the Lord is the God of salvations and to him belong the issues from death and this God I have an interest in he is mine by Covenant and he is by my experience all this to me Thirdly he is by this quickned and encouraged unto prayer therefore I will call upon the Lord and I will pray to him in all dangers and my cry shall come before him it shall enter into his ears c. The proper fruit of mercy indeed is the inflaming of a mans love to God and the strengthening of a mans faith and his encouragement and the inlarging of a mans heart in prayer Fourthly he sets down the grounds of all these mercies First Gods free-grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was Gods good pleasure and from this fountain do issue all Gods mercies to the Saints as Christ resolves it Mat. 11.25 Even so Father for so was thy good pleasure nay the greatest blessings that ever were bestowed upon a creature and the highest advancement that the creature was capable of the union of the humane nature with the God-head to be ex nullo merito sed gratis Secondly in the person to whom the mercy is bestowed for as God stands in a peculiar Covenant-relation to his people so he hath a peculiar providence over them Job 29.4 The secret of the Lord is upon their Tabernacle and according to their integrity the Lord will appear for them and own them in trouble God is with his people at all times but he is nearest to them in the worst times And here there was first Justitia causae the Lord hath undertaken the cause of the oppressed and the relief of the innocent Now they charged me with treacherie with a design to kill the King and to take the Kingdom as a man that raised sedition and civil wars in the Nation the Lord knows in this my integrity according to the uprightness of my heart and the cleanness of my hands hath he recompenced me Secondly Justitia personae a legal righteousness there cannot be so there is none righteous no not one but there is that which in Gods account goes for righteousness evangelical and that is sincerity and truth in the inward parts God delights in the works of his own spirit and in rewarding the graces that he himself hath wrought in a man Qui tribuit ut benefacerem secundum puritatem factorum retribuit mihi August Aust in loc Now he shews wherein this sincerity doth appear in these three things First I have not departed from God wickedly that is with a purpose and resolution of heart to continue in a way of sinning and that is the property of sincerity a man indeed may be over-taken and surprized by a temptation but it is not with a resolution to forsake God and to cleave unto the sin or rest in it he will not sleep in it spare it or favour it that is to do wickedly against God to have a double heart and a double eye to look upon two objects partly at God and partly at sin so to keep God as to keep some sin also as it is with all false hearted men in the world they look not upon god alone let them pretend to Religion never so much yet they look not unto God alone but upon something else together with God as Herod he regarded John but regarded his Herodias more and the young man in the Gospel comes to Christ yet he looks after his estate and Iudas followed Christ yet looks after the bag this is to depart wickedly from the Lord. Secondly all his Iudgements were before me a sincere and an upright heart hath a respect to all the Commandments as it s said of David Acts 13.22 A man after Gods own heart he must fulfil all his wills not only easie duty but difficult duty not only those that are in fashion but those that are out of fashion and are discountenanced amongst men in the least as well as in the greatest for the whole Law is written in the heart and his obedience thereunto is universal Rom. 6.17 And the more of Gods authority there is in the Law the deeper impression it hath upon the spirit Thirdly I was also upright before him and I kept me from mine iniquity A sincere heart hath the most serious resolutions the most unfeigned detestations and therefore the greatest and the most diligent watchings against his own iniquity that sin to which his nature is most prone and wherein he is most apt and hath commonly been to be ensnared In the words are two things First Davids profession of his sincerity Secondly his testification of it First I was upright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect there is a two-fold perfection First a legal perfection which is a perfect conformity in nature and in life to the Law of God such as was in Adam in the state of his innocency and this the Papists contend to be attainable even in this life but here Who can say my heart is clean or I am purged from my sin therefore surely this was not the perfection David here speaks of for his failings were known and confessed by himself and remain upon record known and read of all men Secondly there is an evangelical perfection a perfection according to the tenour of the second Covenant and this is two-fold First in a mans Justification and so a man is perfefectly justified that is in Christ for we are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.22 So we are said to be compleat in Christ and by his blood to have no more conscience of sin So the Church is said to be all fair and to have no spot in her and so by one offering the Lord hath for ever perfected them that be sanctified Heb. 10.14 Secondly a perfection of Sanctification and this