would by no meanes feed their weaknesse by confirming them in their Iudaisme Therefore was it that he who in other cases Chameleon like became as himself saith All things to all To the Iewes a Iew to the Gentiles a Gentile to the weak weak that so By all meanes he might gain some yet when Peter was fallen into that unwarrantable Separation withdrawing and separating himself from the Gentiles breaking off open and visible communion with them and that because of the Iews with whom he desired to comply more then was fitting this Paul could not would not beare with or connive at but thereupon breaks forth into an open Reprehension When he saw that they did not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that Peter and the rest which were by his example drawn into the like Dissimulation they Halted and did not walk with an upright foot according to the Truth of the Gospel he reproves him openly This did he And this I take will be warrant sufficient to beare me out as in my practise in some other * particulars so in what I have lately done in speaking openly against the new separation of those whom I taxed by the name of Brownists A Terme too well known to the Church of God so well that for my part I cannot but wonder that it should now seeme to need any explanation Yet for satisfaction to those who otherwise happily might either take offence at it or advantage by it both which I desire equally to decline I shall actum agere doe that againe which I then did When I named the word I explained whom I meant by it viz. Such as renounce all Communion with us and with the Churches of God in this Kingdome I now adde such as doe this upon this ground because our Churches as they conceive and doome them are Antichristian Churches our Ministers Antichristian Ministers our Worship Antichristian worship neither true Churches nor true Ministers nor true worship all Antichristian A charge both harsh and heavy In imposing whereof little doe they think what service they doe to that Antichrist whom they pretend to fly from It is a charge laid upon them by a late reverend Godly-learned Divine and let them see how they can discharge it for my part I cannot That They though they doe not in words maintaine Antichrist yet really they doe him more credit then his chiefe upholders A charge as heavy as the former But how shall it be made good against them Why even out of this Charge of theirs wherein they charge our Churches and Ministers and worship to bee Antichristian For herein what doe they but confesse and acknowledge which they cannot I think will not deny That in Antichristian Churches I will use the words of my Author the entire Faith may be purely professed the Doctrine of salvation plentifully preached the seales of the Covenant for substance rightly administred and by the blossing of God upon his owne meanes Christian soules ordinarily converted and nourished up unto life eternal which is much more then all the factors for Antichrist shall ever be able to make good And if true nothing could be said more to the praise of Antichristianisme Thus far he This was the error I then glaunced at and I think not without either cause or warrant It being an error of very great dangerous consequence tending most directly to the making of a Breach and therefore not to be connived or winked at lest by our continued silence we should seeme to betray Gods Truth his Churches Innocency and confirme and strengthen those in their errour whose weaknesse we are willing as much as may bee to beare with And this all the Ministers of Christ ought to have a speciall regard unto and I pray God they may have it that so whilst out of Meekness they bear forbeare which they ought to doe they may not through Imprudence feed and nourish the weaknesse of any which they ought not to doe I have done with what belongs to Publike persons both Magistrates and Ministers What shall Private person doe in this Case How shall they order and demeane themselves towards those which are turned aside To give them their portion in a few words Let them only reflect upon that 3d and last Direction given to Ministers and let them make use of it of both parts of it viz. Let them carry themselves towards all such First with Meeknesse Secondly with Wisedome 1. With Meeknesse It is S. Pauls own direction which he not only propounds to but presseth upon his Ephesians I beseech you saith he that you walke worthy of the vocation wherewith yee are called with all Lowlinesse and Meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love Indeavouring to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace It were to be wished and it is to bee indeavoured that there might be a Vnitie in Iudgement bet wixt all the Lords people that they might bee all of one minde But this is not to bee looked for upon earth In the meane time let them indeavour to keepe the Vnitie of the spirit that they bee all of one Heart And to that end let them walke with Lowlinesse and Meeknesse bearing for bearing one another in Love ready to performe all Christian offices to their weake brethren so indeavouring to winne and overcome them by love 2. Thus walking in Love and Meeknesse let them also walke in Wisedome It is Pauls direction to his Colossians Walke in wisedome towards them which are without He spake it of Infidels and Heathens Amongst such wee doe not live and yet wee may walke amongst some which are without Such as either are not nor ever were of us or else such as are gone out from us in the way aforesaid of whom I will not I dare not say as S. Iohn doth of those Antichristian Apostates That They went out from us because they were not of us No I hope of many of them if there bee many both have beene of us and are of us true members of the same mysticall Body though severed in respect of outward visible Communion with us Peter was a good and an holy man though for a time hee separated himselfe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Gal. 12. And towards such walke in wisedome that we may neither doe nor receive hurt Neither doe hurt to them nor receive hurt from them Doe hurt to them by so complying with them as that wee should confirme and strengthen them in their errors or else receive hurt by drawing in any unwholsome breath from them as Barnabas and many others did from Peter who by the prevalencie of his example were carried away with the streame of that his unwarrantable separation And thus I have as briefly as I could laid you downe the first sort of Directions Restorative directions tending to the Repayring and Healing of Breaches already made The other sort are
it in the Symptomes of it Those we shall finde very dreadfull and terrible Not unlike the the Symptomes of an Earth-quake where the earth trembles and shakes and breaks being riuen or split with prodigious ruptures and openings yawning and gaping even threatning to swallow up the inhabitants as once it did Korah and his Confederacie Thus was it with Israel at this time when David made this complaint of the Breaches thereof Thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it ver. 2. And is it not so in this and the neighbour Kingdom at present doth not the earth even seeme to tremble under us Hath not the Lord even made us a Cup of trembling not unto others as he saith he would make Jerusalem Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about Time was when it was so with us we were a cup of trembling to all the Nations round about but to our selves Having begun to drink of that cup which Jerusalem was once made to drink of I to drink off even the cup of the Lords fury the cup of trembling Insomuch that we may say in the words of the Psalmist that Horrour I and Rigor or shaking too two symptomes of a violent Ague hath taken hold upon us the earth under us seeming to tremble as the bed doth sometimes in the Paroxisme of a cold fit under him that lyeth upon it And how should it be otherwise when as the foundations thereof are moved or out of course as the Psalmist hath it Sure we are what ever it is athome so it is in the neighbour Kingdom where by reason of that civill combuâ—â—ion all things are out of order many of the chief rulers also upon whom the Common-wealth there should rest as a house doth upon the foundations bearing a part in that tragicall commotion And amongst our selves how is the earth riven and broken both church and common-wealth rent and torne by home-bred divisions and distractions Sad symptimes but sadder Prognosticks Which if we look upon in the third place what can we conjecture and look for unlesse God be pleased speedily to step in unâ—o us frustrating our fears and our enemies hopes by healing and making up our breaches but Confusion desolation It shaketh saith the Psalmist here of Israel It shaketh it shaketh may we say both of Church and State in this and the neighbour Kingdome These unhappie breaches being in themselves and oft-times proving ominous presages prodigious fore-runners of Ruine and Destruction But of this it may be I shall have occasion to speak more fully hereafter in handling the second part of the Text Davids Reason Israels Danger And are these the Causes these the Symptomes these the Prognosticks of the disease Oh what cause then have every of us to be affected deeply affected with it laying to heart the breaches both of Church and State in this and the neighbour Kingdom so laying them to heart as that our hearts may work towards the healing of them and not our hearts only but our hands also Desiring this Cure let us in the second place Indeavour it Indeavour we the healing of Israels breaches the repairing and making up the Breaches which are amongst us whether in Church or State And what arguments should I use to whet your endeavours this way to put you forwards upon this I had almost said so meritorious a work Those considerations which I named before as Reasons may also serve again for Motives and that forcible ones First Ye are all members of this Mysticall this Politicall this Ecclesiasticall body and being so seek the Healing of the breaches therof Which breaches 2. In the second place are unseemly in the Church And 3. Dangerous both to Church and State being disadvantagious to both great obstructions exceedingly hindering the affairs and proceedings of both as by wofull experience we finde it true VVhat is it that hinders the businesse both of Church and State at present that it sticketh in the birth and commeth off so slowly Surely next to our sins our divisions Not more disadvantagious to them then advantagious to their enemies being an In-let to enemies both Forraign and Domestick to break in upon both To these three let me briefely adde three other and I will not straggle far to seeke these sticks to make this fire withall You shall finde them all lying close together in a little compasse in the two last verses of that 122. Psal. where David exciting both himselfe and others to pray for the peace seek the happines of Jerusalem that Peace might be within her wals and prosperitie within her Palaces He setteth downe a threefold Motive or inducement putting him on to that duty This he did for his own sake this he did for his Brethrens sake this he did for Religions sake The two former of these you have v. 8. the one of them expressed the other insinuated and implied For my brethren and Companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee i. e. not only for my own sake so some happily would have been readie to construe it that David in being so zealous for the good and happinesse of Jerusalem had an eye only to himselfe for the establishing of his Kingdome and setling the Crown upon his own head and the head of his Posterity To clear himselfe from this imputation and take off this suspition David here by a Prolepsis by way of anticipation or prevention he sets downe the cause which moved him to it It was not only his owne Cause though he might herein have and had an eye to himselfe also but the cause of his brethren and Companions i. e. of all the people of God discended from the same stock of Israel professing the same Religion of God The peace and happinesse of them all being as it were bound up in the peace and happinesse of Jerusalem If it went well with it it should go the better with them none of them but having a share in Jerusalems peace and happinesse He did it for his own sake he did it for their sake And thirdly for Religions sake that you have verse last Because of the House of the Lord our God i. e. for the Religion of God the true and pure worship and service of God whereof God had then made Jerusalem as it were the Staple putting his Name there In this threefold respect doth David seeke the peace and well-fare of Jerusalem and willeth others to seek it viz. that it might be continued and increased if enjoyed repaired and restored if impaired decaied And upon this threefold ground let every of us be excited to seeke the publique peace and wel-fare of this our Israel the restoring and setling of Peace by healing the breaches thereof This do we in the first place for our own sakes It is the Reason which the Lord giveth why he would have the Jews in their Captivity to
yet behind preservative directions tending to the preventing of the like Breaches for the time to come In these I will bee briefe hasting as fast as I can to the Conclusion of this point which hath I confesse fled before mee farther then at the first I made account of Physitians having recovered their Patients they doe not send them away without some directions and Instructions for preventing of relapses Thus dealt our Blessed Saviour with that Patient of his that impotent person whom hee had restored to the use of his limbs meeting him in the Temple he bids him Goe thy way and sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Following this course having layed downe a Method for the Curing and Healing of these Breaches let me briefly shew you if ever God please to worke a Cure upon us what is to bee done for the preventing of Relapses in this kinde and so for the preserving of peace and unity in the Church of God being once restored to it And here as in the former I shall deale particularly giving to every one his portion dealing first with Publicke persons and amongst them with Magistrates to whom I shall here againe commend onely a twofold direction each being an off-set from the former directions which I propounded to them as Restoratives 1. Having cleared the Churches way by taking the stumbling-blocks out of it Let them keep it cleare and that by vindicating and asserting as much as may bee that which wee call Christian libertie the libertie of Conscience in the use of things indifferent providing that that may not bee pressed and burdened with unnecessary burdens To this purpose I shall onely propound to them a President viz that of the Apostles 15 Acts. who having in that Councell or Synode of theirs disputed and debated the differences betwixt the Iewes and Gentiles at length they agree upon it what course to take for the setling and keeping of peace in the Churches The Result of all with their Consultations you have in the 28. and 29. Verses of that Chapter It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burdens then these necessarie things viz That yee abstaine from meats offered to Idols c. In which Determination of theirs there are three things very considerable first the Injunctions which they impose upon the Churches were viz few not many Secondly Necessary though not in themselves yet pro tempore for that time Thirdly they were Negative which intrench lesse upon Conscience then Affirmatives doe In all these I doe not peremptorily prescribe what Magistrates those which have authority ought to see done I onely propound a President which if followed I conceive it will tend much to the continuance and settlement of the Churches peace Sure I am if burdens and unnecessarie burdens bee imposed whether directly upon the conscience or having reference unto conscience either wee must introduce and set up that Popish Idoll a blind obedience which some of late have cryed up for the best obedience that so men may swallow downe all without chewing or else give inevitable occasion unto scandall and consequenttly unto Breaches 2. In the second place having set up a standard for the people let them make it a Standard by their authority enjoyning and requiring all in the publicke exercise of Religion to observe the same rule and order the same forme of Publicke worship regulated as neere as may bee by the lawes of Christ in his Word and so made conformable to that patterne that standard Not permitting every one therein to use what weights and measures they please to doe what is right in their owne eyes as it was in Israel when there was no King and as it is amongst us at this day in this unhappy Interregnum of the Church which if given way unto will prove a passing-bell to the Churches peace where ever it is admitted It is noted of the tenne Bases in the Temple which were made to beare and carrie the ten Lavers upon their wheeles They had all of them one casting one measure and one size Of such use is outward order to publicke Ordinances a vehiculum serving to beare and carrie them super Rotis suis as the originall hath that of the Wiseman 25. Prov. 11. A word spoken upon his wheeles so our margin readeth it according to the Hebrew upon the Wheeles of meete and convenient circumstances as Time Place manner c. that so they may bee the more serviceable and usefull And being so it is most fit it should bee uniforme But I must but touch upon things This for Magistrates As briefly for Ministers to whom also I shall commend but two directions First Let them seriously intend the mayne worke of their Ministerie therein looking right forwards as it is said of the Philistines kine which drew the Arke to Bethshemesh They tooke the streight way and went along the high way and turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left Thus should the Lords Ministers doe In Carrying the Arke of the Lord before his people let them goe right on in the Kings high way Gods way not turning aside to the right hand or to the left not seeking their owne things their owne ends their owne profit credit popular applause or the like but let them both looke and goe right forward seeking the glory of God and the salvation of his peoples soules Noe such way for them to preserve and maintaine peace in the Church as this It is the song of the Angels at the birth of our Saviour Glory bee to God in the highest on Earth peace Good will towards men O that all the Angels of the Churches would but have a respect to the first and last of these seeking the Glory of God and expressing their Good will towards his people by seeking their salvation then no doubt but the second would fall in betwixt them there would bee Peace on Earth peace in the Church Secondly Let them labour as much as may be for an holy unitie and Agreement amongst themselves that they I may not bee divided not in Iudgement if it might bee however not in Affection that though they bee not of one minde in all things yet they may bee of one heart I meane with those which desire to bee found faithfull following the Truth according to the measure of light vouchsafed in this Case though there bee some differences in Iudgement as some there will bee yet let not these hinder their walking together in Love A lesson which we may learne even from those creatures which of all other are most quarrelsome Pardon the homelinesse of the similitude the aptnesse shall make amends for it A packe of Hounds in the field in hunting they chop upon diverse trayles and sents some of them traversing this way others that yet in as much as they all hunt the same
us for the healing of the Breaches in both goe we with David unto this great Physitian putting up our suit unto God in their behalf O God heale the Breaches thereof Not but that we may also have recourse unto men in this case viz to those whom God hath made Healers by office Rulers Magistrates in this our Israel whether supream or subordinate under whose hands these Breaches these Ruines at the present are for the Cure of them that Sage and honourable Councell of State-Physitians congregated and assembled for this purpose To them we may we ought to have recourse seeking this Cure at their hands wherein my Petition shall ever be ready to goe and run with the first the summe whereof shall be O ye Gods heale the Breaches in this our Israel and this do with what speed may be Sero medicina-Medicines come too late when diseases are growne inveterate It is the speech of the Ruler to our Saviour pressing him to haste his Journey for the Cure of his sonne Come down saith hee before my Sonne dye I forbear the Application as not ignorant of the exemplary forwardnesse of those to whom I now speak of whom I may say as Paul once of the Christians of Achaiah They were ready a yeare agoe The good Lord shew them the way and cleare it for them taking away the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} what ever it is that with-holdeth or keepeth back their Religious Intentions from an happy execution This seek we from them but so as that we seek it from God and from him in the first place Pardon my Jealousie if causlesse My feares tell me there are some who have done the one but never yet did the other have signed Petitions one or more to that Honourable Assembly who never yet put up a serious Petition unto God in the Churches cause And what is this but with Asah to seek to the Physitians and not unto the Lord Know we that if ever our Breaches be Cured it is God must cure-them Men are but his Instruments I such instruments as cannot move but as they are moved In him we move Like Cisternes and Cunduitpipes which can contain convey no more water then what is put into thē And therefore have we recourse to the fountaine to their God and our God and that in the first place seeking this mercy at his hands Pleading with him for his Church It is the Lords complaint over Israel There is none to plead thy cause that thou maist be bound up Blessed be God it cannot be so said of this Church of ours that she hath none to plead her cause Advocates and Oratours she hath many continually lying at the throne of Grace pleading her cause with God that through his goodnesse and mercy she may be bound up that she may be Healed Let every of us strive to be in this number all suiters and suppliants unto this great Physition that he would make the Church amongst us his Patient undertaking her Cure to that end guiding and directing those whom we look at as the Instruments of our good directing them to the choice and use of right meanes and then commanding a blessing upon those meanes making them effectuall to ends desired Thus seek we unto God for this Cure And that wee may finde what wee seeke for in the second place Returne wee unto him not thinking it enough in this case to send but goe So did Naaman the Leaper unto the Prophet for the Cure of his Leprosie hee cometh in person Doe wee the like in this case thinke it not enough to send our Prayers and Tears as messengers to heaven but goe our selves returning unto that God from whom wee desire this Cure It is said of Aegypt 19. Is They shall returne even unto the Lord and hee shall be intreated of them and shall heale them God will never bee intreated of a people to Heale them unlesse they returne unto him And therefore let this bee the generall universall designe of all even a Nationall Conversion that from the highest to the lowest we may all of us turne returne unto the Lord our God from whom wee have gone astray This is the next way to healing Come saith the Church Let us returne unto the Lord Hee hath torne and hee will heale us hee hath smitten hee will binde us up This doe wee and stirre wee up one another to doe it as the Prophet there brings in the Church as speaking one to another Come c. Without this no healing to bee expected at least not a perfect Cure And therefore set wee upon this way That God may returne let us returne This is the Counsell the Lord giveth his people in that knowne place 2 Ioel. Thus saith the Lord Turne yee unto me c. Rent your hearts and turne unto the Lord who knoweth if hee will returne and repent and leave a Blessing behind him Some grounds of Hope yet there are that God hath a blessing in store for this Nation O that hee may returne unto us who at the present seems to threaten a departure from us and leave this blessing behind him returne wee unto him turning away from those evill wayes whereby wee have provoked him It is one condition in that promise which God maketh unto his people If they shall turne from their wicked wayes I will heale their land and Turning unto him by renewing and keeping our Covenant with him of a closer walking with and before him Indeavouring as much as in us lyeth for the time to come to make amends as for other errors so for barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse under the means of grace Surely amongst other this is none of the least provocations which hath drawne downe this wrath upon us Even our abuse of the Gospell so long a time enjoyed our abuse of the ordinances of God his Word his Sacraments for which as ever wee desire to bee Healed let us indeavour to make amends for the future It was the Counsell which the Priests of Dagon gave to the Philistines when they were smitten with divers plagues and judgments and that as they rightly apprehended for the wrong and injurie done unto the Arke of God that they should send backe the Arke and that not emptie but send a Trespasse-offering a Present with it thereby as it were to make amends for former indignities and so doing say they Yee shall bee healed Surely beloved shall wee enquire after the cause of all the Evills which either lie upon us or threaten us at this day wee shall finde this as one of the principall the Indignities offered to the Arke of God the worship and Religion of God the Ordinances of God the Captivating and as it were imprisoning of them with the Abuses offered to them that the Word hath not had such free passage in the mouthes of Gods Ministers in the hearts of his people as it should have had
dealings with us specially of this Kingdom of late as that we may say that they are at least seem to be sweet intimations of a gracious purpose and intention towards us Onely in this will the Lord be sought And for this let every of us seek him that it may not repent him of the good which he hath seemed to intend towards us but that he would returne and come unto us with healing in his wings coming unto us as the Spouse desireth that her Beloved might come unto her Like a Roe or a yong Hart upon the mountains of Bether the mountains of division as the word signifieth In his own time which let not us prescribe healing and making up all our breaches This is Davids Prayer for Israel in the text And for this Let us pray ISRAELS CURE The second SERMON March 2o PSAL. 60. Vers 2. Heale the Breaches thereof for it is shaken UPon this Text I made an entrance the last day being then led unto it by that Solemn occasion We brake it into two parts Davids Request Reason In the former of these we tooke notice of three particulars Israels Disease Cure Phisitian Upon the first of these we then insisted Come we now to the second viz. Israels Cure which is the healing of her Breaches Heale the Breaches thereof To Heale properly you know what it is viz. do a Cure upon the Body in healing the sicknesses or sores thereof whether in an ordinary way by naturall means Medicines or Salves as the Phisitian or Chirurgion doth or in an extraordinary and miraculous way without means as our Saviour and his Apostles did who cured all manner of diseases only by their a word b touch c garments d shadow From the naturall body it is transferred to the Politicall or Ecclesiasticall Bodie in a Kingdome the Common-wealth the Church The remedying of the evills whereof is sometime in phrase of Scripture called an Healing If my people shall humble themselves and pray saith the Lord I will heale their Land i. e. Redresse and remedy the evills which lye upon it Heale the breaches thereof saith the Text i. e. Repaire them make them up This it is that David here prayeth for and This should every true Israelite desire and seek after The healing repayring making up of Israels breaches It was the first work that Nehemiah and the rest of the Jewes did after their returne from Captivity they set upon the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem which they began as you may see in the 3. chap. of Nehem. and finished chap. 6. not giving over till there was no breach found therein as you have it vers 1. of that 6. chap. What they did for the Typicall this ought all true Israelites do for the Spiritual Mysticall Jerusalem the Church of God upon earth viz. seeke and endeavour what they can the building up the Walls the repairing the breaches thereof This is Davids prayer elsewhere Lord build up the walls of Jerusalem Jerusalem the Metropolis both Civill and Ecclesiasticall of that Kingdome the Head Citie of Israel a Type of the Church visible For this David prayeth that God would build up the walls thereof repayre the breaches thereof restoring to it and establishing in it Peace and Prosperitie And what himselfe doth he stirreth up others to do the like Pray for the peace of Jerusalem i. e. for the publicke tranquility and happinesse of the Church for the continuance of it if enjoyed for the restoring of it if wanted that it may not be troubled whether without by persecuting Tyrants putting it into bloud or within by Schismes and Heresies rending and tearing of it These are the breaches of the Church as I have shewed you in the former Point and both these every true Israelite should defire to have healed repaired made up that so there may be Peace within her Walls and Prosperity or quietnesse within her Pallaces as it followeth vers. 7. of that 122. Psalm And great reason for it why Christians should thus desire and endeavour the healing of Israels breaches they being all members of that mystical body ye are the body of Christ and members in particular saith the Apostle to his Corinthians The Church the body all true Christians Members of that Bodie and being so they should have a simpathie with the whole So is it in the naturall body If the body be wounded or hurt in any part of it there is never a part but is sensible of it If the foot be wounded the eye seeth it the heart feeleth it the tongue complains of it the hand is ready to apply salves and Plaisters to it for the healing of it So should it be in the Mysticall bodie and so it will be If the Church be wounded rent torn the eye of a true Israelite being a living member of that body seeing it his heart cannot but be affected with it his tongue will be ready to complain of it unto God his hand will be readie to apply such healing remedies as God shall put into it Christian affection in the hearts of Christians it both should and will encline them to seek the Cure of Israels breaches Take a second Reason and that fetcht from the Nature of these breaches which are 1. Vnseemly 2. Dangerous 1. Vnseemly not unlike a rent or breach in a Garment which because uncomely we will therefore get drawn sowne up Or like a Harelip in a good face which though it be not a sore yet because it is an eye-sore a blemish we will therfore if possible get healed Upon this ground should Christians seek the healing of Israels breaches They are an eye-sore a blemish in this mysticall body It was the outward Beauty of the Typicall Jerusalem that the buildings thereof were contiguous and uniforme Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together Juâ—cta sibi simul as Montanus renders the Originall the Houses not scattered but joyning together Even as it was with the Curtains of the Tabernacle which were of one measure saith the Text and coupled together Surely it is a peece of the visible Churches visible beautie her unitie her breaches her divisions make the least of them make the best of them they are a blemish an eye-sore I such an eye-sore as friends cannot behold without grief enemies with triumph Neuters with scandall And being so were there no other reason Christians should seek the Healing of them But besides this 2. In the second place these Breaches are dangerous Dangerous to the Church and that two wayes being 1. Disadvantagious to her 2. Advantagious to her enemies 1. To her disadvantagious In that like Domesticall Breaches in a Family which are great hinderances to all the businesse in it whether Civill or Religious for the most part hindring the groweth both of Grace and Estate So prejudiciall and detrimentall are these Breaches to the State of the Church
Whereupon Tamar wondring at it and enquiring after the cause or reason of this strange and extraordinary birth She breaketh forth into a passionate expostulation with her son saying unto him How hast thou broken forth This breach be upon thee from thence giving him his name Pharez i. e. a breach And is it not the case my brethren of some amongst us who waiting or rather not waiting thinking long for the Churches delivery they will not tarry their time Gods time but they will be breaking forth in a preposterous and inordinate way I notwithstanding that God hath brought deliverance to the birth so as they see an hand put forth already an hand with a scarlet thred about it the Nobles and Senatours of the Kingdom to whom that colour most properly agreeth reaching forth their hands being at work for the reforming of what is amisse and the suppying of what is wanting yet they will anticipate them out of a rash and preposterous zeal stepping forth before them To such let me say and if there be any here present as happily there may be I shall say it unto them speaking in the language of Tamar to her son how have you broken forth This breach also be upon you We cannot but charge you amongst others as accessaries to these breaches if not to the making yet to the increasing of them of them And being thus charged see you to it how you can discharge your selves either before God or man I have done with the first Ranke of those who come within the compasse of this just reprehension such as are so far from seeking and endeavouring the healing of Israels breaches that they make them or else in the second place keep them open keep them from healing being means or occasions to hinder the making up of these breaches which they do either purposely or unadvisedly Purposely fome So do the enemies of God and his truth the Malignant party amongst us who cannot indure that the Breaches amongst us should be made up In that like Sanballat and Tobiah and their confederates who when they heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopt they were very wroth saith the text and so conspired altogether to come fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it or to make an errour in it as the Margin in our new Translation readeth it according to the Originall Such back friends to the peace of our Jerusalem there are many amongst us at this day who cannot endure that the breaches amongst us should begin to be stopped And therefore they do what they can to hinder the work still casting in new jealosies and new obstacles thinking thereby either to hinder the work or to make an errour in it That so our breaches either may not be healed or else slightly healed as the Lord complaines against the false Prophets Jer. 6. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly So healed as that they may soon break forth again which they do for their own advantage In this like water-foule in a frost which by their continuall padling keep open a weake in a river not suffering it to freeze over that so themselves may have roome to swim and fish in Or like some wretched Surgeons who keep open a wound for their own gaine Others do the like but unadvisedly besides their intention I spare them and hasten to A third sort who come under Reprehension here Such who as they have no hand as they think in the making of these Breaches so they will have none in the Healing of them It is that which the Lord saith of the Jewes in that great confusion which should befall them every man should refuse to be an Healer When a man shall take hold of his Brother c. In that day he shall sweare I will not be an Healer And is it not so with some amongst us at this day They are not they cannot be ignorant of the breaches which are made amongst us in this and the neighbour Nation Breaches shaking and endangering both Church and State and vet they decline this Christian office They will be no Healers No their resolution is for a wise and wary Neutrality they will be standers by and lookers on to see what will become of things Like men standing upon the shoar and looking upon others in a stresse at Sea to see what will become of them whether they shall sinke or swim In the mean time they will not put forth an hand a finger to the making up the healing of these breaches Truth is they are not at all affected with them so themselves may but keep their own heads whole and sleep in a whole skin as we say they care not what breaches there be in the Church whether at home or abroad In this not unlike some simple man at Sea who so his own Cabin be but tight he cares not what leaks there be in the Ship he sayles in Surely such there are some amongst us and I wish the evidence were not too strong too clean against them Whence is it that some amongst us are so loth so backward in parting with any thing for the making up of any of these breaches not willing to part with a little earth to fill them up It is a case which Divine Providence at present putteth into my hand let me not over-looke or neglect it I suppose there are none of you here present but take notice what a great and fearfull breach is made upon the neighbour Nation our Brethren in the Kingdome of Ireland where through the open Rebellion of a Romish Confederacie rending and taring of that Kingdome the State therein tottereth and the Church lyeth a bleeding For the repairing and making up of this breach It hath pleased Authoritie that Authoritie which may Command it the King and his Parliament to request and desire from you either by way of gift or Loane a little of your earth your Gold is no other no better Red-earth thick-clay as the Prophet Habakkuk phraseth it This they desire for the filling and making up of this Breach by succouring your Brethren which are driven from thence and relieving those which do stand in the breach But alas how unwillingly how cravingly how sparingly doth it come from some aamongst us Surely my Brethren thus it would not be if the Towne wherein we now are were besieged and a Breach made in the Wals of it In this case I suppose there is none of us but would be ready both to carry baskets of earth and to lend our Wool-packs or Featherbeds if we have them for the stopping the making up of that Breach And shall we not do a little for the Church of God in that Kingdome the welfare whereof is of so great and neere concernment to our selves Insomuch as some wise Starists have thought these two Kingdoms to be like Hypocrates his Twins
the one whereof could not subsist at least not well without the other Surely my Brethren such Parsimonius spirits may be conceived to be far from the resolution of that noble Roman Marcus Curtius whom the Histories of those and after Ages have rendered famous to the World for his unparaleld affection to his Country and in speciall to the Citie of Rome whereof he was a Member Wherein when by reason of an Earthquake their happened a prodigious Chasma a great Gulpb or opening of the earth in the midst of the Market-place and the Oracle had signified to them that there was no way to fill up that breach but by casting the best thing in their Citie into it He thereupon presently mounting his Horse in compleat Arms which was then the chiefe glory of that Citie and Nation cast himself into the Breach for the making it up so yeelding up his life saith my Authour to and for his Countrey from which he had received it This did he with a Roman resolution And the like should Christians be ready to do in a Christian way for the Church of God in case that God shall be pleased to call them to it even cast themselves into the breaches thereof for the filling making them up not thinking their naturall lives too dear for her to whom under God they owe their spirituall How far then do they fall beneath themselves beneath Christians who will not so much as part with a little of their superfluities in such a case It is no more that is desired from you not the Widowes two Mites her whole livelihood all that she had but a little {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of your abundance your superfluitie And hereof he that will not spare a little to so good a work must pardon me if I leave him where I finde him within the verge and compasse of this just Reprehension charging him to be in the number of those that will not be an healer of Israels breaches I have done with the first of these Vses which maketh way to the latter An Use of Exhortation wherein I should excite and exhort you and all true Israelites even all the Lords people amongst us that they would first desire secondly endeavour the healing of Israels breaches But this I must defer till another occasion ISRAELS CURE The third SERMON March 16. PSAL. 60. Vers 2. Heale the Breaches thereof for it shaketh THe healing of Israels breaches is a thing which every true Israelite should desire and endeavour This was the Conclusion which I insisted upon the last time I spake in this place prosecuting it both by way of Doctrine and Application The former of these I then dispatched the latter I entred upon but left imperfect Then insisting upon an Vse of Reprehension which I intended only as a needle to make way for and draw in a thred after it If that needle seemed then sharp to any pricking and smarting as it went let not them blame either it or me A Chrugion in searching a wound if he put his Patient to paine it is besides his intention who intends his Cure and not his smart but he cannot helpe it it will be so and being so it maketh the Cure the more hopefull because the part is sensible In which regard the chirurgion is not discouraged by it nor yet sorry for it though his Patient be And in this regard I must confesse and say as the blessed Apostle sometime to his Corinthians Though I made you sorry with a Letter saith he with a Sermon say I I do not repent This sorrow I trust shall prove unto you as theirs to them but temporarie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for a season and shall in the end produce the like effects so as you shall have cause to acknowledge what they found That you have received damage by us in nothing In the hopes hereof I now come to that which I pincipally intended when I first took this Text in hand A word of Exhortation which I shall direct generally indefinitely to all true Israelites even all the Lords people exciting and exhorting them that they would 1. Desire 2. Endeavour this Cure the Healing of Israels breaches the repairing and making up of these breaches which are amongst us at the present in this and the neighbour Kingdome whether Politicall Breaches or Ecclesiasticall Breaches Breaches in the State or Breaches in the Church how ever made or by whomsoever whether by strangers or Israelites seek we the healing of them This desire we this endeavour we First Desire it This doth David here for that Kingdom that State that Church whereof he was the Head and this do we for this Kingdom this State this Church whereof we are members And that we may do it Labour to be affected with it That we may seriously desire the Cure labour to be throughly affected with the Disease So was David with Israels Breaches very sensible of them and deeply affected with the apprehension of them And so have others of the Saints of God been in like cases First with Breaches made amongst themselves in or upon the Church or State where they lived It is the word which Jeremie must say unto the Jews Jer. 24. Thou shalt say this word unto them Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day and let them not cease for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a very great Breach What ever the false prophets said unto them making light of that Breach that judgement threatned promising them that either it should not be or if it were yet it should be healed and made up well enough yet Jerimie for his part he layeth it to his own eyes and heart mourning over it being deeply affected with it and willeth all the rest of the Jews to doe the like Secondly with Breaches made upon others their brethren in other parts The divisions of Ruben were great thoughts of heart to all the rest of the Tribes The whole congregation of Israel even all the other Tribes they were sorry and repented for Benjamin because of that great Breach made upon that tribe And thus let us all of us be affected with the breaches at present made upon this and the neighbour Kingdom God hath broken in upon both breaking the one and rending the other O let these breaches be to all of us great thoughts of heart Take we notice of them and be we deeply affected with them which it is to be feared the greatest part amongst us as yet are nor Histories tell us of Archimedes the great Mathematicion that when the City Syracuse was sacked and plundred by the Romans the souldiers some of them breaking into the house and studie where he then was they found him so intent in drawing of lines and figures in the dust as that he took no notice either of the Cities losse or his own danger untill on of
case as Aaron and Hur were to Moses in that to uphold both the hand and head of it to make it steady The one is the Power of God the other his Promise 1. The Power of God this he can do The disease indeed is dangerous and Cure difficult but not exceeding the skill of this great Phifician who can put life into a dying nay a dead bodie He that said unto those dry bones live and to Lazarus after his foure dayes buriall Come forth He can much more put life again into this our languishing dying State and Church He can do it True this we doubt not of I but the question is touching his Will 2. For that in the second place take a promise which if we shall yet but performe the condition it may give us at least comfortable hopes should I say assurance it would bear me out that God will make it good to us And me thinks there are rayes and beames of comfort shining in and streaming from the face of that promise in as much as God hath in part already wrought for us and amongst us that worke which there he calls for from us You have it 2 Chr. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name or upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sinne and heale their Land The former part hereof blessed be God it hath beene in measure already done as by the Representative bodie of the Kingdome the heads of our Tribes so by a considerable number of others of all sorts even all the Lords people amongst us whose hearts the Lord hath touched and stirred up to stand in these breaches They have endeavoured to humble themselves and pray and seeke the face of God this they have done privately and this they have done publickly upon those solemne dayes of Publick humiliation set apart by Authority to that purpose for which I hope this Nation shall have cause to blesse the God of Heaven for ever Oh! that the second part were but now performed that we were all of us from the highest to the lowest turned from our wicked wayes that we had but given a Bill of divorce to all those wrath-provoking sins which cry for vengeance against us then might we with confidence set faith a worke to apply and lay hold upon that promise That God will hear in Heaven and forgive cur sin and heal our Land In the hopes wherof yet raise we up our drooping spirits not suffering our hearts to dye within us as Nabals once did when he heard what Davids intention was in coming against him Let us rather stirre up our selves to act Ahigals part to interpose our selves using all the wayes and means which God shall direct us to for the appeasing of his wrath for the procuring of his favour that through this his power and goodnesse the breaches of our Israel may be so healed and his face may so shine upon us that we may be saved For other Directions I must deferre them till another occasion ISRAELS CURE The fourth SERMON March 23. PSAL. 60. Ver. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof THe healing of Israels breaches is a Cure which every true Israelite should earnestly desire and seriously endeavour This is the maine conclusion which my eye was upon when I first tooke this Text in hand Some time I have spent upon it already prosecuting it both by way of Doctrine and Application The latter of these I directed two waves By way of Reprehension Exhortation With the first of these we have done and have made some way into the latter Exciting and stirring up all sorts of Persons to the desire and endeavour of this blessed Cure the healing of the breaches amongst us in this and the neighbour Kingdom whether in Church or State To set on this Exhortation I made use of some Arguments and Motives tending and serving to set an edge both upon your desires and endeavours that both your hearts and hands might work this way Having layed this foundation I came to build upon it For your direstion shewing you First Wherein this Cure consisteth and how it must be effected specially the Cure of the Church which is properly my Patient at present viz. by Revealing unto it and upon it abundance of peace and truth Secondly What you are to do for the furthering of this Cure in this way This latter I entred upon the last day and but entred then only chaulking out the way wherein I intended to walk which is to lay you downe some Rules and directions which may be usefull unto you in this way Those I ranged into two Ranks dividing them into two sorts some Restorative others Preservative The former directing to the making up of Breaches already made the other to the preventing of Breaches for the time to come We have begun to bring up the former Rank Restorative directions which again are of two sorts Some of them concerning our selves others of them concerning others viz. those which are or have been breach-makers amongst us teaching us how to demean and order our selver towards them Of the former of these I have given you one and but one which I laid down as a fiting Preparative to make way for all the rest Which is That we should have faith to be healed It is said of our blessed Saviour that when he came into his own Countrey Patriam nutrition is the place where for a time he was educated and brought up Nazareth He did not many mighty works there saith St. Mathew He could not do them saith St. Marke Why Because of their unbeliefe Unbeliefe doth after a sort break the arme and evacuate the power of the omnipotent God putting a kinde of impossibilitie upon things otherwise possible Whereas on the other hand faith putteth a possibility upon things in appearance to flesh and bloud impossible If thou canst beleeve saith our Saviour to the father of the Demoniack all things are possible to him that beleeveth Let not us then through our unbeliefe either weaken the power or make voyd the promise of God If ye will not beleeve surely ye shall not be established saith the Lord to Ahaz and his people in a like case And if we will not beleeve surely we shall not be healed And therfore stirre we up our hearts to Beleeving Even against hope beleeving in hope as it is said of the Father of the faithfull Still resting upon the power and mercie of God for the pardoning of our sins and healing of our Land which he is easily able to do only beleeve Said I not unto thee saith our Saviour to Martha objecting unto him the impossibility of her Brother Lazarus his Resurrection after his four dayes buriall Said I not unto thee saith he that if thou wouldst beleeve thou shouldst see the
as a Father over Children owing and acknowledging them as mine Gilead is mine and Manasseth is mine ver. 7. i. e. they are my Inheritance and shall be my people my subjects This was the course which David intended to take with these Breach-makers for the making up of the Breaches in his Kingdom And from him learn we what course is to be taken with the Breach-makers amongst us whether in this or the neighbour Kingdom 1. For Strangers Moabites Edomites professed enemies to our Religion the only way is to subdue them and that by bringing under some and keeping under others Those which have been or are the disturbers and troublers of our peace whether in Church or State The Malignant-party of Papists and their Adherents amongst us which have shewed themselves active in these disturbances the way is to bring them under to cast the shoe over them putting a yoak upon their necks Not that I intend what I have no warrant for to excite and stir up any to the unchristian exercises of savage cruelty or yet rigour so to repay them in their own coyne as to return cruelty for cruelty Yet in the mean time I must subscribe to the equitie of that divine Law the Law of Retaliation Levit. 24. As a man hath done so shall it be done unto him againe Breach for breach c. Those which have made a Breach upon us to make a breach upon them were no injustice It is Gods own order to Moses Vex the Midianites and smite them for they vex you with their wiles And it is Joshuahs speech to Achan why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day Thus to deale with the Midianites the Achans who ever they have been which have vexed and troubled our Israel to vex them to smite them were but sustice But this I leave to the wisedom of Superiours to our Moses and Joshuahs of whom I may say as David did of and to his Son Solomon in a like case They are wise and know what they ought to do unto them To them I referre this act of justice and that as for the suppressing and bringing under of some so for the Repressing and keeping under of others such as being of the same disposition acted and moved by the same principles want nothing but the opportunitie either for the cherishing and fomenting of these or else the kindling and breeding of new distractions Only for our selves let us all of us remember that solemne Vow and Covenant which of late we have made and entred into for the joynt defence of our Royall Soveraign His Parliament and Kingdomes Gods Religion against all that shall rise up against them And remembring it let us by all lawfull wayes and means according to the severall ranks and stations wherein God hath set us be ready to perform it Passe we in the second place to the Breach-makers amongst our selves Israelites our Brethren such as have been and are seduced and drawn aside either from the wayes of Truth or Peace and that through weaknesse Such I have now to deal with not presumptuous malicious opposites to whom the Psalmist would have no mercy extended Be not mercifull unto them which offend of malicious wickednesse so the old Translation reads it but such as erre and stray through infirmity And for such what shall we do to them or for them To this I answer in the generall Seek to Reduce them to heale them That which is lame or turned out of the way let it be healed Heb. 12. And this do we in as gentle and tender away as possibly may be even as we would deal with a bone out of joynt It is the Apostles one Metaphor If any man be overtaken with a fault restore such a one {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Put him in joynt again And this do as it there followeth in the spirit of meeknesse Q But how shall this be effected Ans. For the answer let me descend into particulars shewing you distinctly what every one should do in this case 1. What Publick persons are to do 2. What private For the former Publick person are Magistrates Ministers Begin with the former Magistrates Rulers who being by office as Healers so Shepheards Cyrus my Shepheard they ought to have a care for the reducing and bringing home of straying wandring sheep And to this purpose let me commend unto them a two-fold Direction In the first place let them take stumbling blockes out of the way such as are so in truth what ever it is which being a just ground or obvious occasion of scandall hath either caused any to stray or else confirmeth them in their straying so either making or maintaining these breaches for the reducing of the one and healing of the other this must be removed And this is properly the Magistrates work to do or see done Expresse is that of the Prophet Isaiah Isa. 57. Where the Lord speaking to Darius and Cyrus as Mr. Calvin and others interpret it giveth them this in charge that they should remove and take away all the Remoraes and stumbling-blocks out of the way of his people even what ever might hinder their passage out of Babylon or return to Canaan He i. e. the Lord shall say cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people What ever it is that may keep any of the Lords people in Babylon or upon the Confines and Borders of Babylon keep them from coming out or else make others to think of returning thither again it ought to be removed and taken out of the way Such are all Reliques Monuments Showes and apparances of Idolatrie and Superstition And all these it is the Magistrates dutie to see removed and taken away This being done then in the second place Let them set up a Standard so the same Prophet prosecuring the same charge elsewhere he willeth that for the reducing of the people of God and gathering them into one bodie they should erect and list up a Standard for them Prepare the way c. Gather off the stones i. e. the stumbling stones and lift up a standard for or over the people so I read it according to the Originall not of but for or over the people A Metaphor taken from Princes who gather their Subjects or Commanders who gather their Souldiers into a Warlike posture and order by setting up a Standard which they may repair unto and follow whether it shall be carried before them So you read of the Standard of the Camp of the Children of Judah which was carried in the Front of the Armie Such a Standard should the Commanders of the Lords Armie his Church set up for his people But what Standard why even that saith Bullinger writing upon that Text of the Prophet Esay which Simeon speaks of in the 2. Luke Behold this
Child saith he speaking of Christ is set up for a signe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a signe an Ensigne a Standard Behold the Standard of the people which all the Lords Commanders should labour to set up for them even the same which Moses typically erected in the Wildernesse the Brazen Serpent lift up on high on a pearch or pole a lively representation of Christ lift up upon the Crosse as our Saviour himselfe for I conceive the words to be his expounds it 3. John This is the Standard which should be set up And how should it be set up Why by the Preaching of the Gospel so the same Expositer prosecutes it Gods Ministers they are the Lords Standard-bearers whose office it is to carry this Standard before the people as the Priests under the Law did the Arke and this they are to do by the preaching of the Gospel Set up Christ by the preaching of Christ Hereby is this Standard set up Christ being in the preaching of the word as it were lift up upon the Crosse before the eys of the people So Paul telleth his Galathians that Christ had been evidently set forth and crucified before their eyes viz. in and by the preaching of the Gospel By this means is this Standard set up and this is the best means for the gathering the people into one bodie Oh then let all in their places specially the Commanders in the Lords Armie amongst us to whom after a speciall manner it belongeth as they desire the reducing of stray wandring souls and the uniting of all into one body let them by all meanes endeavour to set up this Standard providing as much as in them lyeth for the liberty and free passage of the Gospel that this standard may be set up where it hath not yet been seen that it be continued and displaied more and more where it is erected And here let not any think or fear that this will be a means to scatter the people as some no wel-willers to the Gospel are ready enough to do who stick not to charge all our divisions upon the Gospel and the Preaching therof as if the clocking of the Hen were the means to sever and scatter the the Chickins No this is the only means of gathering them Oh Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together saith our Saviour viz. by the sending out of Prophets and Apostels and Ministers to them to set up Christ in the Ministery of the Word as in other of his ordinances to set him up and that not only in his Priestly and Propheticall but also in his Kingly office not only as the Saviour and Teacher but as the King and Ruler and Law-giver of his Church And here let me repaire again to the Type David here projecting and propounding to himself the way and means of reducing his own subjects and bringing them to unitie amongst other he pitcheth up this that Judah should be his Law-giver Judah is or shall be my Law-giver i. e. all his subjects should be brought under one Head one Governour who should give them Lawes according to which they should be ordered and governed which power and authority belonged to the Tribe of Judah according to that Prophecie of Jacob Gen. 49. to which the Psalmist here alludeth No way no means to bring the people unto unitie to bring them into one body but by bringing them under one head one Law-giver by whose Laws they may be regulated and governed Now in the Church and in matters of Religion this one Head is Christ even that Lyon of the Tribe of Judah as he is called Reve. 5. He is the Law-giver of his Church and let him so be This will be found one I and the only means to breed an holy and Religious unitie to reduce and bring home straying wandering sheepe for such and only such they are that I now have to deal with or speak for sheep not wolves such as seek to make a prey of the flock whom I put in the former rank reckoning them as enemies And so consequently for the repairing and healing of these Breaches It was the first thing which David looked at as giving to his Kingdom hopes of a Cure of these breaches but God had given a Banner an Ensigne to his people setting David over them as their head vers. 4. You see what Magistrates and Rulers the Lords Commanders amongst us ought to do or see done and for this they shall have my prayers as well as directions that they may do it But what shall we of the Ministery do This is the next head which I should have now fallen with but time taketh me off for the present This with what remains of this point I see I must yet adjourn till another occasion ISRAELS CURE The fift SERMON April 6. PSAL. 60. Ver. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof c. THe healing of Israels breaches is a Cure which every true Israelite should seriously desire and endeavour Once more this usefull conclusion commeth to hand which I have already prosecuted by way of Doctrine and Application I yet stick in the latter of these the latter part of it wherein my designe was to lay you downe some Rules and directions for the furthering of this desired Cure in the Church of God amongst us These directions we ranked into two sorts some wherof were restorative others preservative Of the former sort we found some concerning our selves others of them concerning others viz. those which have beene and are Breach-makers amongst us teaching us how to order our selves towards them These breach-makers as you have heard are either strangers or Israelites Strangers enemies to our Religion or rather Gods Religion professed amongst us with these we have done Israelites some of our brethren who through infirmitie and weaknes have been seduced and drawn aside either from the wayes of truth or peace Concerning them the question was what shall be done to them or for them This we answered generally let them be reduced and brought home with all tendernesse and gentlenesse More particularly for full satisfaction I entred upon a way of giving to every one his portion Shewing first what publike persons are to do Secondly what private Publike persons are either Magistrates or Ministers The former of these have had their directions which the Lord teach them to make a good use of It remains now that we come to the latter and so proceed to that which remains 2. What shall we of the Ministery do For answer as briefly as I may Gods Ministers they are also by office healers They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly so the Lord complains of the false Prophets To heale was their office that they did it slightly was their error And what shall they do that they may be healers in truth furthering this Cure by reducing those which are gone astray which is a part of their
would bee a great and soveraigne preservative to prevent many Breaches many differences which by the contrary are occasioned Fourthly In the fourth place Take heed of Minister-worship Flying other Idolatry beware of this This it was that caused those breaches in the Church of Corinth they after a sort made Gods and Christs of their Ministers making them their Heads Some were of Paul others of Apollos a third of Cephas a fourth of Christ As ever you desire to maintain peace in the Church of God take heed of this of making Ministers in this sense your Heads Know them to be as they are the servants and Ministers of Christ Who is Paul and who is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved Being so give unto them that honour and respect which is due unto them I {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that Double Honour to whom it belongeth viz to those which are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} those which labour in the Word and Doctrine hearkning to them obeying them in and for Christ But in the meane time take heede of making Gods or Idols of any which is done First when wee shall so adhere and cleave to any as that wee shall take all their words for Gospell receiving them and building upon them without farther discussion or tryall Secondly when we shall make their examples a Rule to walke by a Compasse to steare by Thirdly when wee will not receive the Word from any hand from any mouth but such as we affect though having no just exception against others whereupon to decline their Ministerie like some nice humorist that will drinke in no cup but his owne though another may bee as cleane as that Fourthly when we shall so farre extoll and admire some as that we despise and contemne others because it may bee inferiour to them in some parts and gifts so Deifying some whilest wee Vilify and Nullify others The disease of the times of which take wee heede And let not any here misconceive my words or misconstrue my intentions as if I spake this out of a base principle of Envie to the deserved respects given to any in this place or elsewhere which I shall ever bee ready and desirous to uphold and maintaine Nor yet out of any sense of any want of respect to my selfe which I must with thankfulnesse to God and his people acknowledge I have no cause to complaine of specially in this place Onely I speake it out of a deepe apprehension of the great evill which at this dore is like to breake in upon the Church of God where ever it is set open And herein what I have said let it bee taken as spoken as well against my selfe as any other Fiftly Let me adde one more which I shall but name though as usefull as any of the former Learne to distinguish betwixt a tender a scrupulous conscience The former precious the latter noxious betraying the soule to causelesse and groundlesse feares and doubts making stumbling blocks where there are none scrupling and questioning the truth or lawfulnesse of every thing either without any ground or upon very sleight grounds without any warrant either from the Word or else from sound and rectified reason An Infirmitie very prejudiciall as to private so to publicke peace as to the peace of a mans owne Conscience so to the peace of the Church But I cannot dwell upon it These Directions being laid downe some few of many what remaines but that I should commend them to your practise and Gods blessing upon which depends the successe of all our indeavours All that wee can doe in this case is but to minister to you as Apothecaries doe their patients In the meane time the Cure is Gods So it followeth in the third particular in this former part of the Text which directs us to the great Physician who is the Healer of these Breaches even God himselfe O God Heale the Breaches thereof But of this God willing hereafter Israels Physitian THE VI SERMON APRIL 13. PSAL. 60. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof for it shaketh ARequest and a Reason as you have heard divide the text In the former of these wee tooke notice of three particulars Israels Disease Cure Physitian The two first whereof I have insisted upon It remaines now that we come to the third and last and so passe on to the second part of the Text both which I shall passe over with as much brevitie as conveniently I may having already dispatched that which I principally intended when I first tooke the Text in hand Israels Physitian To whom it is that David here repayres for this desired Cure the Healing of the Breaches in this Kingdome and that is God himselfe So the first word in the Psalme expresseth it O God Heale the breaches thereof Behold who it is that is the Healer of Israels Breaches even God himselfe the great Physitian {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he that healeth all diseases So David describeth him Ps. 103. Blesse the Lord o my Soule who healeth all thy Diseases all personall diseases that whether of Body or Soule Bodily diseases Goe tell Hezekiah saith the Lord to the Prophet Behold I will heale thee I am the Lord that healeth thee saith the Lord to the Israelites speaking of their Bodily diseases Soule sicnesses and that whether of sinne or sorrow Of sinne Heale my soule for I have sinned against thee saith David Of sorrow Hee healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Hee it is that healeth personall diseases And as personall so Domesticall making up Familie-breaches making man and wife to bee of one heart restoring and repayring that peace and unitie betwixt them which at the first hee created and ordained And as domesticall so Politicall and Ecclesiasticall diseases Those are the maladies which the Text leadeth us to Nationall diseases Breaches in the State in the Church To both these God is the Physician curing and healing both Politicall breaches restoring and setling peace in the Commonwealth Hee maketh warres to cease 46. Psal. Hee maketh Peace in thy borders Psal. 147. As Politicall and Civill so Ecclesiasticall breaches restoring the Church to former peace and happinesse In that day shall the Lord binde up the breach of his people and heale the stroake of her wound saith the Prophet Isay speaking of the restauration of the Church of the Iewes A promise seconded by the Prophet Ieremie speaking in the same language I will restore health to thee and heale thee of thy wounds This Cure is Gods the Restoring of the Church and so the cementing and uniting of the hearts of his people together making them one I will give them one heart and one way saith the Lord Behold the Churches Physitian who it is that must heale the Breaches thereof if ever they bee healed And who but hee should doe it Hee
it is that breaks that wounds and who but he should heale I wound and I heale them saith the Lord Vna eademque manus The same hand kills and cures Hee hath torne hee will heale us saith the Church Hee hath smitten and hee will binde us up That which God maketh man may sometimes marre but that which God marreth none but hee can mend Hee it is that healeth Israels Breaches For further Illustration I might shew you how God effecteth this Cure This hee doth ordinarily by Instruments and means How ever he can doe it immediately by his word us in Cures of the Body He sent his word and healed them it is said of men in distresse Speak the word onely and my servant shall be healed saith the Centurion to our Saviour yet ordinarily God maketh use of Instruments and Means Even as in the Cure of the Body hee maketh use of Physitians and Medicines so in the healing of a Church a State he maketh use of Church-Physitians State-Physitians making use of the Ministerie of man Yet still so as that the maine work is his and the Cure his Even as the Cure is the Physitians though the meanes be applied by his Apothecary But I will not dwell upon the Doctrinall part of this point being desirous to finish it and the Text at the present The Vse I shall make of it shall be only two-fold Is God the Healer of Israels Breaches here is Comfort and here is Counsell 1. Comfort Is God our Physitian why then let not us despair of a Cure of the healing of the Breaches amongst us These breaches it must be acknowledged are both many and great the disease dangerous yet not exceeding the skill of this great Physitian If God undertake the Cure we shall be cured Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed saith Ieremy It is not so with other Physitians They may and oft-times doe meet with diseases which are past their cure diseases which being violent or inveterate scorne the force and vertue of all their drugs though never so soveraign And it may be so with a State a Church they may be past humane help to man Incurable Such was Babylons disease desperate and incurable her Physitians could doe nothing to her for her Care We would have healed Babylon saith the Prophet but shee is not shee could not bee Healed as the Geneva reads it And it may be so sometimes with Sion with Ierusalem The Church of God may be in a forlorne and desperate condition her wound being as Ieremy complaineth of his Incurable refusing to be healed So was it with Ierusalem when Ieremy lamented over her Breach as being past mans Cure Thy Breach is great like the Sea who can heale thee The Churches Breaches may be sometimes like Sea-breaches such as the whole country cannot repaire and make good so as her friends and lovers may stand and mourn over her as Ieremy there doth over Ierusalem and as the Merchants of the earth are said to doe over Babylon but in the mean time cannot help her cannot heale her Not unlike Dorcas her friends and neighbours which wept over her corps but could do nothing to the raising of her up again til Peter came Yet in this case despair not VbihumanuÌ„ deficit ibi incipit divinum auxilium When the wine was spent then it was Christs time to work a miracle When my Father and Mother for sake mee saith David then the Lord will take me up When Physitians leave a man and give him over then it is Gods time to take him in hand which oft-times he doth restoring raising him with great facility and celerity beyond his owne and others expectation Turning man to destruction he then saith Come againe ye Children of men And this he is able to doe for this and the neighbour Nation the State the Church in both What ever the condition of them at the present bee be it as forlorne and desperate as our feares and jealousies are readie to present it suppose to our apprehensions Incurable yet let not this discourage If God undertake the Cure he can and will effect it It is the comfort which the Lord giveth unto Ierusalem against the desperatenesse of her disease Thus saith the Lord Thy bruize is incurable and thy wound is grievous there is none to plead thy cause that thou maist be bound up thou hast no healing medicines c. Yet mark what followes v. 17. I will restore health unto thee I will heale thee of thy wounds saith the Lord The desperatenesse of the disease maketh the Cure difficult to us not to God difficult for us to apprehend not for God to effect And therefore let not our fears how justly so ever bottomed and grounded devoure and eat up our Hopes as those meager kine did the fat ones Our feares are from the vallies our hopes are from the Hills Mine eyes are to the Hills Our feares are from Earth our hopes from Heaven Our fears are from men our hopes are in God O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy help Our help is in the name of the Lord And so is our Health depending upon this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} this great and chiefe Physition who is able to heale all our Breaches Here is Comfort Only that he may be a Physitian a Healen unto us working this Cure for us Let us seek it from him Returning unto him Resting upon him and if ever we be healed Give the Glory to him Here is Counsel running as you see in 4. streames or channels Passe over them severally briefly Seek â—e unto God for this Cure So doe Parients to their Physicians apprehending the disease dangerous what sending and posting messenger after messenger never resting untill the Physitian either come or send Doe we the like unto this great Physitian in all our diseases For the healing of our bodies if sick and weak goe to him So doth David I am weak Lord heale me Not but that we may in this case have recourse to the Physitian also as being the Minister of God for our health But let not our addresses be onely unto him That was Asahs sinne In his disease he sought not to the Lord but unto the Physitians Nor yet in the first place unto him Let God have the honour to hear of us and from us in the first place who is able to blesse our blast counsels and means The like doe we for our soules Heale my soule saith David Not but that we may in this case also repayre to Gods Ministers being Soule-Physitians or others who are able to advise laying open our sinnes and sorrowes unto them seeking Cure from them but goe to God in the first place And what we doe in our owne private doe we the same in the publike case of the State of the Church amongst
that the Truth of God hath beene detained and withheld in unrighteousnesse not finding fruits worthy of it answerable unto it That some have gone about to set up Gods Arke and their Dagon together That others have polluted the Ordinances of God handling them as the Philistines did the Ark with common uncircumcised hands Certainly had wee no other sins these were inough to kindle all that wrath which is either broke forth upon us or else smoaking against us Now therefore that we may be healed Let us make a returne of the Arke of God indeavouring to restore the worship and Religion of God to Primitive Libertie Puritie Power And let us returne it with a Trespasse-offering a Present And what shall this Present bee Why even that which the Apostle calleth for from his Romans That {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that Living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God even Our selves our Bodies our Soules Present and give up both unto God binding our selves by solemne vow and Covenant to a closer walking with and before him so to walke as Becometh the Gospell bringing forth those fruits of Holinesse and Righteousnesse which may bee by Iesus Christ to the prayse and Glory of God Thus Returne we unto him who is the God of our health And Returning to him in the third place let us also Rest upon him In Returning and Resting shall yee bee saved saith the Lord to his people Returning to God Rest wee upon him and him alone In vaine to Rest elsewhere In vaine is the helpe of man saith the Psalmist Vers 11. of this Psalme So David apprehended it in the case of his Kingdome So desperate were the Breaches therein that they were past his Cure David a wise and a gracious Prince one that wished as well to Israel as ever did Cing to his Kingdome and no question hee wanted not a wise and faithfull Counsell which were both able and willing to advise him for the best yet so desperate was the condition of that Kingdome that it was past all their skill to know how to heale it In vaine was the helpe of man And therefore hee betakes himselfe unto God looking up unto him and resting upon him It is not our King or his Great Councell I speake it with a reverent boldnesse though the one Gracious and the other many wise that can heale the breaches in this our Israel All that they can doe is to wish well to the Case and put forth their hands to worke In the meane time it is God that must worke the Cure As it is said of that strange Cure of the Kings-Evil Tangit te Rex Sanat te Deus The King may touch but it is God must Cure And therefore though wee seeke and sue to them and looke at them as Instruments whose hands God maketh use of yet let us not rest upon them being but an Arme of flesh To rest upon the Arme of flesh is the next way to breake it I will not say that this hath beene the means to breake this Arme of flesh heretofore But this I suppose I may say that our overmuch looking at leaning and resting upon Parliaments hath been neither advantageous to us nor them David will make use of his Bow but hee will not trust in it I will not trust in my bow No though a bow of steele the strongest metall and best for that purpose Such is the bow wee must acknowledge which is at the present ready bent for our good An excellent bow promising much yet trust wee not in it It beeing a bow subject to bee broken So was Davids bow though of steele yet hee could breake it A bow of steele is broken by mine armes And such is this bow a bow which being in the hands of God he can breake at pleasure Hee breaketh the bow What herein hee hath so frequently done before our eyes shewes sufficiently what he can doe It matters not what any may thinke of it now that this bow is better strung then formerly yet still is it subject to bee broken Who is there but seeth some flawes in it already Those unhappy Misunderstandings betwixt the Royall Head and Loyall Members of that Representative Bodie which what eye seeth and mourneth not over what care heares of and tingleth not at make the best and least of them they are flawes and these flawes ill Presages shewing that this bow is subject to bee broken It is one of the threatnings which the Lord menaceth Israel with Am. 6. Behold the Lord commandeth saith the Prophet and hee will smite he Great House with breaches and the little or lesser House with Clefts The Great House and the lesser House what meanes the Prophet hereby M. Calvin and some others by the former of these understand their Nobles by the latter their Commons both which the Lord there threatens to divide breake This God can doe by these two Houses in any Kingdome in this Kingdome though never so well anchord and bound together by never so many tyes and bonds Naturall Civill Politicke Religious yet if hee give the word at his command they shall bee smitten with breaches with Clefts divided rent broken This they are subject to And therefore learne wee to looke higher looking at them not to trust in them Nor yet in any other secondary cause or meanes what ever This was the sinne of the Jewes charged upon them by the Prophet Isay when they saw the breaches of the citie of Ierusalem that they were many they used means to repayre them Pulling downe their houses to fortifie the wall as you have it Vers 10. But marke what follows Vers 11. yee have not looked unto the maker thereof neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long agoe They trusted more in their owne fortifications carnall meanes of safety then in God himselfe A vaine thing so to doe It is not the Arme of flesh in these cases that can helpe or heale It is that which the Lord telleth Ephraim or Israel 5. Hos. When Ephraim saw his wickednesse and Judah his wound Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could hee not heale you nor cure you of your wound And why I will bee unto Ephraim as a Lyon saith the Lord and as a young Lion to the house of Juda and I will teare and goe away If God being provoked against a Nation shall give it over unto confusion being unto it as a Lion and as a young Lion rending and tearing it will be in vaine to send abroad for Cure In this Case wee may say of all helpers and healers as Job doth of his friends They are Physitians of no value not able to doe us any good And therefore let it be our care first to seeke unto God Returning unto him thereby seeking to pacifie and appease his wrath Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omina Make peace in heaven
there will be peace upon earth Then give this honour unto him Rest upon him and him alore for the effecting of this great Cure and that in his owne Way and Time Take heed of prescribing unto God in either of these Hee that beleeveth shall not make hast Bee we content to tarry Gods leisure and then In the Fourth and last place If God shall ever be pleased to work this great Cure for us forget not to Give him the Glorie of it and him alone If we may not trust to our Bow neither may we sacrifice to it If the Physitian by his skill worke a Cure upon his patient the honour is his not his Apothecaries who ministers what he prescribes All the instruments of our good they are but as Instruments which must be strung and tuned and touched before they will make any Musick So take and so acknowledge them giving unto them what honour and thanks is their due but in the meane time reserve unto God what is his peculiar the praise and Glory And thus I have at length done with the former part of the Text Davids Request It remains now that I come to the latter Davids Reason Let me borrow of you a little time and but a little and I shall dismisse both you and the Text of which I am desirous to discharge my own thoughts and your attentions at the present Israels Danger It shaketh AN ArgumeÌ„t or Reason as I told you taken up by the Psalmist to presse his request taken as you have heard from the eminency of the Danger wherein that his Kingdome then was It shaketh or it is shaken A metaphoricall expression borrowed from an Earthquake as I have already explained it where the Earth being big and in travell as it were with some windy vapour which it strives to bring forrh and to be delivered of it trembles and shakes So wavering and unsetled was Israels condition at that time by reason of those forraine Invasions and homebred Divisions and Distractions that the very foundations of it seemed to shake threatning Ruine and Destruction Such may the state of the Church of God upon earth sometimes be wavering tottering shaken Even as we read of Mount Sina at the giving of the Law though it stood fast in respect of the foundations of it yet it was shakâ—n it quaked The Church of God in respect of the foundation it standeth sure being built upon a Rock so as the Gates of Hell all the Power and Policie of Satan and his Instruments shall never be able to prevaile against it yet may it be shaken So was the Ark of God at the threshing floore of Nachon or Chidon though it fell not yet it was shaken So may the Church of God and Religion of God be though they shall never be quite overthrowne yet they are subject to shakings So is the Church And that through these Breaches which are both from Without and from Within as I have already shewn you in the case of Breaches From without by persecution and Opposition from Enemies abroad From within by and through homebred Divisions and Distractions which like a windy vapour inclosed in the bowels of the earth cause shaking and trembling This it was that made Israel shake her intestine and civill Combustions Nothing more dangerous to a State a Church moe ominous and pernicious then these Intestine Breaches Such Breaches are shakings dangerous presages in their own nature Destructive presaging downfall and Ruine unlesse they be Healed Both these wayes is the Church subject to shakings And that as I have said heretofore partly through Satans malice who hereby intends the Ruine and downfall of the Church Thence is it that he raiseth and bringeth stormes and tempests in and upon it Even as he did that Tempest which he brought from the wildernesse which smote the foure corners of the house wherein Iohs children were banqueting so as it fell burying them in the ruines of it Partly through Gods effectuall Permission and Ordination who sometimes shakes his Church as he did Mount Sina Thereby intending First Sometimes to manifest his Displeasure against a People a Nation Thus at the Death of our Saviour the Earth shook and trembled as a token of Gods indignation against the Iewes for that horrid Act of theirs in Crucifying the Lord of Life Like construction David maketh of this Earthquake these shakings here in the text he took them as tokens and evidences of Gods wrath and displeasure O God thou hast been displeased Secondly Sometimes God shakes his Church to Purge it as the Husbandman shakes his Come to and fro in the fant to cleanse out the Chaffe and Drosse Thirdly Sometimes God doth it to Humble his people and so to fit and prepare them for some speciall mercy Thus when God descended upon Mount Sina he shook the Earth both the Place and the People putting both into a trembling fit thereby fitting and preparing the people for the receiving of that holy Law of his Thus when God intends to come downe upon his Church in a way of speciall grace and favour he oft-times prepares it by these shakings Even as the Whirlewinde and Earthquake at Mount Horeb made way for the still voyce wherein God was Seldome it is that God worketh any great Changes in his Church without these shakings going before But I must not dwell upon it The use I shall make of it shall be only a double exhortation 1. That we would lay to heart the present state and condition both of this and the neighbour Kingdome which by reason of the Breaches made in them and upon them are shaken So was Israel and so are they Be we affected herewith So wee would be with an Earthquake Did we feele the Earthquake and tremble under us who but would tremble with it This doth the State the Church in these Kingdomes at the present Let every of us be deeply affected with these shakings so laying them to Heart that In the second place we may be excited and stirred up every of us to do that office duty to for the Church of God amongst us that David doth here for Israel viz. to seek the Healing of the Breaches thereof These Breaches how sleight so ever any may make of them they are shakings presages of Ruine and Downfal unlesse they be healed And therefore let both our Hearts work Hands work towards the Healing of these Breaches This it was that made Vzzah so forward in putting forth his hand to touch the Ark he saw that it was shaken and he knew not what the danger might be Stupid is that Heart which apprehends the Ark of God shaken and shall not be ready to put forth an hand to the staying of it This let every of us doe Only taking heed of that Errour into which he through a suddain unadvisednesse fell observing the severall places and stations wherein God
is the wisdome of those who shall contend so hotly and eagerly for some truths being not of the foundation nor neere it as that in the meane time they regard not the setting all on fire rather then part with them Certainly they which will not in a good sence be content to part with some truths and those it may be usefull ones for peace they are not worthy of it nor yet must ever looke to enjoy it upon earth Let it not be mistaken loath I am that any in the darknesse either of ignorance or prejudice should stumble at this truth of parting with truth Part with it How Not by abjuring denying any Truth against conscience This a man may not doe upon any tearmes Peace of conscience must be maintained what ever it cost But by not avowing not openly contending and contesting for it whether by Profession or Practice And for this I thinke we shal need no other warrant then that rule and direction of the Apostle Rom. 14. Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe Faith i. e. acknowledge and assurance either of the truth or lawfulnesse of something indifferent which thou canst not either professe or practice without the offence and scandall of thy weake Brother to the breaking of Peace In this case saith the Apostle have this saith to thy selfe enjoy thine owne knowledge and perswasion but keepe it to thy selfe not letting it breake forth to the scandall of others much lesse to the indangering of the Churches Peace which ought to be of more price and value to us then many of these Truths It is the speech of Elkanah to Hannah his wife when she was so inordinately desirous of a Son that nothing else could give her content Am not I better to thee then ten Sonnes i. e. then many children The like may the Church of God say unto us Am not I better unto you then many children then many fruits and conceptions of your own braines I though issues of truth This I speake not that I would have Truth any truth which I acknowledge to be a part of the image of God sleighted and undervalued Goldsmiths will not cast away the dust and filings of their gold and silver No more should Christians cast away such ends and shreads of truth as God either hath or shall be pleased to reveale unto them Onely my aime is that I would have a higher price set upon Peace then for the most part it is bought and sold at This I am sure what ever may be said for some truths truths of the new Covenant for of them onely it can be said was a peece of that great purchase purchased by the blood of Christ He is our peace saith the Apostle i. e. the Author of it our Peace-maker making peace as it followeth vers. 15. And this he hath done by and through the bloud of Christ as the same Apostle hath it there purchasing peace and not only peace with God but peace with and amongst men Of that peace the Apostle speaketh in that 2 to the Ephesians Peace betixt Jews and Gentiles making them one To this end Christ came downe from Heaven to earth to make peace as in heaven so upon earth Glory be to God on high on earth peace so sings that Quire of Angels at the birth of our Saviour This he purchased and having purchased it he left it bequeathed it Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you saith he to his Disciples when he was to take his last farewell of the world and them And let not us any of us slight this Legacie we will not do so by th Legacie of a dying friend If it be a Ring an embleme of union and concord we will weare it for his sake And shall we not do the like by the Legacie of a dying Saviour make much of it make use of it and be content to part with something for it for the keeping of it if enjoyed for the recovery of it if lost By this means shall we much further this blessed Cure the filling and making up of the breaches in this our Israel by casting every one something into them every one himselfe I have done with the directions which meerly concerne our selves which if they may but be taken and kept not naufeated and cast up again as tuely stomachs are wont to deal with their distastefull Potions I doubt not but that they will have a kindely working conducing much towards the cure desired and intended Passe we in the second place to such directions as may concern others viz. those which are or have been breach-makers amongst us concern them not as agents but as patients teaching us how we are to order and demean our selves towards them what we are to do to them for them or against them for the effecting of this Cure These Breach-makers as I have alreay shewn you the Instrumentall causes of the present breaches in this our Israel they are of two sorts Either Strangers or Israelites Strangers professed enemies to our Religion or Israelites such as professing the same Religion with us for substance have beene through weaknesse seduced and drawne aside either from the wayes of Truth or Peace Now what shall be done to the one and to the other For answer hereunto I shall have recourse againe to the Type in the Text observing what course David here pitcheth upon and intendeth to run with both these which were the causes of those Breaches in tha this Kingdom Strangers Israelites he would deale with both but after a different manner subduing the one reducing the other So you shall finde it in the 6 7 8 verses of the Psalm As for those which were enemies to his Kingdom Moabites Edomites c. He would subdue them and bring them under by force So much is intended in those two emphaticall expressions verse 8. Moab is my wash pot over Edom wil I cast out my shoe Each importing a servile and contumelious subjection as Expositers note upon it Moab should be his wash pot a vessell to wash his feet in according to the custome of those Eastern Countries then and now i. e. the Moabites they being conquered should be imployed about base services and servile offices Over Edom he would cast out his shoe i. e. passe through it as a Conquerour trampling upon it treading down the Inhabitants under foot handling them in a disgracefull and contumelious way as they had done the people of God before Thus would he deale with the professed enemies of his Kingdom As for his own people that seditious party of Israelites which cleaved to the house of Saul he would use means to reduce them to bring them under his Government I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth so you have it verse 6. i. e. I will possesse my selfe of them and rule over them not as a Conquerour and Slaves but as a Lord over subjects