And the Ministers of the Gospel do speak even as if Christ himself spake in us 2 Cor. 5.10 we speak in Christs stead But as in the time of the Law God sent his Prophets sometimes to such as would not give them the hearing so doth he now in the time of the Gospel but that must not discourage our Ministry at their peril be it Gods Word will ever be Gods wisdom though the prophane count it foolishness and it will be Gods truth though heresie and schisme pick quarrels Therefore if you would learn to pray and be prepared for that holy worship hear Gods speech first and that will teach you what to ask as you ou ought Hear the word from us as the Thessalonians did 1 Thes 2.13 When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe 2 Here is metus I was afraid the Seventy read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie as St. John saith when he saw the vision of the Son of man Rev. 1.17 I fell at his feet as dead There were two things to strike the Prophet vvith astonishment 1 The Majestie of the Speaker 2 The matter of the speech And both these must both meet in our understandings and in our affections to enlighten and to move them that vve may know what vve have to do and vvith vvhom vvhen vve pray that vve may come before him vvith fear and holy reverence 1 The great glory and Majesty of God to vvhom vve resort in prayer is such as no creature can endure the sight thereof The Angels standing before him Isa 6.2 cover their faces with their wings 2 The matter of his speech conteined in his vvord to the Prophet is the summe of the Bible Justice punishing sin in his Church Vengeance destroying the enemies of his Church and Grace redeeming his Church from the povver of Satan by the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ Quae. Why should the Prophet be afraid at this here vvas matter of comfort the heaviness of the night is promised the joy of the morning The Church though it must suffer for a time for sin hath here a promise of tvvo main consolations 1 Their ovvn deliverance from dangers into a restitution of them into Gods favour 2 Their eye shall have their desire also upon their enemies they shall see the vvheel of vvrath go over them and the Lord shall let out of their throats the bloud of his people vvith vvhich they have made themselves drunk all this is matter of joy and vvhat needeth this fear Sol. Who can come without fear before him that can and will do all this for if he be angry yea but a little they are blessed that trust in him fear is a proper passion of a true believer and is inseparably joyned with saving faith For seeing the bond of our union with Christ by faith whereby he dwelleth in us is Partly the hold that he hath of us by his Spirit Partly the hold that we have of him by faith The first is firme Joh. 10.27 There shall not any one pluck them out of my hand he giveth a strong reason for it for my Father who gave them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand we are his gifts and his gifts and calling are without repentance But the flesh doth put the Spirit to it so hard some times even in the elect of God that the hold on our part is weak which breedeth fear and that fear makes us hold so much the faster From hence it comes that all the intelligence between God and man doth begin at fear in us This is not the fear of an evill conscience as it was in Adam when he hid himself from God but the fear of reverence of God and the good conscience of our unworthinesse being fallen from our originall righteousnesse The Shepheards that were keeping watch by night because of their flocks were sore afraid when they saw the light shining at that time of night that the Angel began with Nolite timere fear not yet were they in the lawfull businesse of their calling The blessed Virgin no doubt wel and holily employed Zecharie the Priest in the Church about the occasions of his office yet all afraid This is the seasoning and preparing of the heart for God to be cast down before him it is humbling our selves under the mighty hand of God and we cannot pray as we ought without it When the Apostle saith we cannot pray as we ought and that the spirit helpeth our infirmities he sheweth that such as he have infirmities and they feel them when they come to appear before God and where infirmities are there must needs be fear if they that have them be sensible of them Yea I dare say that they that come to prayer without fear come without faith and all their prayers are turned into sin Ob. We read of comming with boldnesse to God Because we have an high Priest which is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 16. in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that wee may obtein mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Sol. this is cleered by the same Authour in the same Epistle declaring how many considerations must concurre as ingrediences in this our spirituall boldness 1 Let us draw neer with a true heart Heb. 10.22 2 In full assurance of Faith 3 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Consciences 4 Our bodies washed with pure water 5 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering 6 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works 7 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together c. 8 Exhorting one another Let a man before he pray try his vvayes and examine his soul upon those interrogatories and I dare say the best of us if we sin not also in presumption vvill finde himself short in every one of these perticulars of that perfection that should accomplish boldnesse But having those things in some measure and more in desire and endeavour our boldness must needs be as much shaken with fear as these graces in us are shaken with infirmity And upon this fear our Church teacheth us to pray to God in these words Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid 12 Dom. post Trinit and giving unto us that which our prayers dare not presume to ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this some of our brethren have quarrelled as a contradiction in our prayers because we say we pray for tha we dare not pray for To whom I answer in these words of my Text O Lord I heard thy voice
conscience endeavouring to serve God sincerely for that either diverteth the judgment that the Sun shall not smite us by day nor the Moon by night or it maketh us able to bear it as from the hand of a Father that cannot finde in his heart to hurt us You heard the faith of this Prophet concerning this point we shall not die Thou hast ordained them for judgment thou hast established them for correction Only let not us be incorrigible nor faint when we are rebuked for he chasteneth every son that he receiveth The fourth grievance is the pride and vain-glory of the proud Chaldeans exprest in two things 1. In the joy of their victories They rejoyce and are glad 2. In their attribution of this glory to themselves which is self-idolatry 1. They rejoyce and are glad The enemies of the Church have their time to laugh the Wiseman calleth it the candle of the wicked it lighteth them for a time it is unius diei hilariis insania they dance to the pipe and drink their wine in bowles they eate of the fat and they remember not the affliction of Joseph to pity it they remember it to result over Joseph The King and Haman sate drinking together when the Edict was gone forth for the destruction of the Jewes Hest 3.15 and then the City Shushan was perplexed The grief of the Church is the joy of the ungodly It is Davids complaint Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Ps 35.21 Aha our eye hath seen it They have Davids deprecation Let them not say in their hearts Vers 25. Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed them up They have Davids imprecation Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion that rejoyce at mine hurt Vers 26. let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me He was in the very passion of this Prophet for this Lord how long wilt thou look on Saint Augustine upon these words saith Vers 17. Quod capiti hoc corpori what was to the head that to the body for thus did the Jewes rejoyce in the Crosse of Christ they had their will of him it is vox capitis the voyce of the head But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together against me Vers 15. Saint Augustines comfort against this calamity is Quicquid faciunt Christus in caelo est honoravit ille pâ—nam suam jam crucem suam in omnium frontibus fixit which hath reference to the signing with the signe of the Crosse in the Baptisme of Christians then in the use of the Church The reason of this joy in the wicked at the sorrowes of the Church is Reason 1 because the wicked do want the knowledge and feare of God they do not know that God is the protector of the Church but because they see them in outward things most neglected they judge them given over of God and forsaken Davids complaint For mine enemies speak against me Ps 71.10 and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together Saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him For they measure the light of Gods countenance according to the scantling of outward prosperity 2. The wicked want the unity of the spirit Reas 3 which is the bond of peace for the God of peace is not in their wayes they love not they call not upon God Charity is a Theological virtue where there is not true Religion there can be no true love I am sure this is a true Rule in Divinity whatsoever humane policie have to say against it Christ foretold his Disciples in the world ye shall have affliction These things I command you that ye love one another Joh. 15.17 Vers 18. Vers 19. If the world hate you ye know it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the world the world would love his own Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace and they that in Religion do stand in termes of contradiction it is not possible to fit them with a girdle This point is thus made profitable to us 1. For our selves seeing Religion is the best bond of brotherhood Vse and where no Religion is there can be no sincere love let us labour to grow up more and more in the knowledge and love and obedience of the truth that we may be fortified throughout both in our bodies and in our souls and spirits for this maketh us all one body and we can no more fall out then the members of our natural bodyes can disagree one with another the Orator spake ignorantly of the union of affections by the same Country Patria omnes in se charitates complexa est the love of charity comprehends all love for we know that we have had many unnatural fugitives which have abandoned their Country and plotted treasons abroad against it and have returned full of forraine venome and poyson to corrupt the affections of the natural subjects of their Soveraign with hatred of Religion and peace That is only true of Religion for that so sweetneth the affections of men that as they are content to do any thing they can one for another so they can be content to endure any thing one for another to beare for one anothers sakes and to put up at one anothers hands many things to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven times For the true Church as Bernard saith doth suspendere verbera producere ubera hide the rod and lay forth the breasts 2. For our children we must instruct them betimes in the knowledge and fear of God that they may learn the doctrines of piety charity and may be taught to be members one of another 3. This fetteth a mark upon the enemies of God because where there is strife and envying where there is hatred and malice are not they carnal If it be our duty to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to weep with them that weep they belong not to the fold of Christ that rejoyce at the weeping or weep at the rejoycing of their brethren 4. This declareth the vanity of the joy of the world for seeing their rejoycing is evill it cannot be long lived and therefore it is said that the candle of the wicked shall be put out but the joy of the elect shall no man take from them Therefore wo to them that laugh here for their Harp shall be turned into mourning and their Organs into the voyce of them that weep but blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and the time shall come when they shall rejoyce over them who have joyed at their paines and rejoyce over her O heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets Pro. 18.20 for God hath avenged you on her 2. They attribute the glory of the conquest to themselves they understand not who raised them up against the
we read Remember the fearful quarrel of Christ with Capernaum And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven Luk. 10.15 shalt be thrust downe to hell It is one of the works of the preaching of the Gospel I may call it one of the miracles of the power of our ministry Every mountain and hill shall be brought low Chrysost Elatos superbos nomine montis denunciat Luk. 3.5 he cals the proud by the name of a mountain the early and the later rain that falleth on them doth slip off and fall into the under vallies and the vallies as the Psalmist saith do abound with corne The power of the Word extendeth to the humiliation of many that are lifted up for it revealeth unto us Christ without whom we can do nothing without whom no man cometh to the Father And this leaves us nothing to lift us up I have spoken of this sin out of the former chapter where the Chaldeans proud of their victories do rejoyce and ascribe the glory thereof to themselves And from the mouth of an heathen man Artabanus the Uncle of King Xerxes I take it Herodit Polymnia gaudet Deus eminentissima quaeque deprimere his reason Quia Deus neminem alium quà m seipsum sinit magnifice de se sentire Yea sometimes we finde when God doth owe a man a shrewd turn he will lift him up himself that he may throw him downe as David complaineth Thou hast lifted me up and cast me downe But the lifting up here understood is the pride of heart which maketh men to esteem of themselves above all that is in them such are their own Parasites and the Wiseman saith there is more hope of a foole then one of these In this Argument I went so farre in the former chapter as to teach you two things 1. To decline this as a disease 2. To embrace the remedies against it 8. Reasons I gave against it to perswade declining of it 1. It trespasseth primum magnum mandatum legis the first and great Commandment of the Law c. 2. Connumerat nos filiis Sathanae patri fil superb 3. Exterminat charitatem voluntas Dominium exercet 4. Subjicit nos opposicioni divinae Deus resistit superbis 5. Tollit à nobis talentum dum nostra quaerimus 6. Male nos decet poore and proud 7. Nullum vitium Sathanae magis placet 8. Superbus ingratus and so omnia dixeris The remedies 1. Serious consideration of our selves 2. Studious searching in the word of God 3. Putting our selves often in the sight of God 4. Frequent casting up the favours of God to us 5. Earnest and devout prayer This is a slie and cunning insinuation of Satan to lift us up in our own opinion there is a tang of our hereditary corruption that runnes in the same channel with our blood we are all apt enough to value our selves above the lone price Few of the mind of Agur the son of Jakeh I am more brutish then any man Few of the mind of Saint Paul Of whom I am cheif It is a great victory that a man hath gotten of himself if he be once able to keep himself under for whether we do encrease in outward goods or spiritual graces we shall have much ado to avoid this sin 2. The censure Non est recta anima ejus This Physitian doth search the disease to the bottome he finds where the fault is the soule is naught the inward man is corrupt And if the light that is in us be darknesse how great is that darknesse It is the searcher of hearts and reines that findeth this fault who but he can examine and try the inward man We see what bodie what complexion what stature man hath we may see what honours he attaineth in the world how he encreaseth goods what delights a man useth for recreation we cannet see what souls men have rectas an obliquas But if we see and observe men proud and lifted up high in their own opinion we see there is cause of fear that they have not rectas animas right souls And though the judgment of our brethren belong not to us yet let us judge our selves by this for if we do finde in our selves an elevation above our pitch Doctr. that either the opinion of our wisdome and strength or riches or honours or friends do swell us it is a certain Symptome of a diseased soul 1. Because this lifting up doth dislodge God from the soul he will not dwell with a proud man he hath so declared himself Reas 1 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the hight and holy place Isa 57.15 with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble to revive the spirit of the contrite ones Now as Augustine saith Vita corporis anima vita animae Deus If he say to our soul I have no delight in thee we may complain in pace mea amaritudo our soul is sick even to the death 2. Because this pride of life which lifteth us up Reas 2 is not able to keep us up for the elevation of our souls is like the violent casting up of an heavy body into the aire which will fall down againe with its own weight Jam. 1.14 it is a mans own lust that draweth and driveth and forceth him up And if Satan do put his help to it to lift us up he will be the first that will put hand to the casting of us down again When he had lifted up Christ to the pinnacle of the Temple the next temptation was Cast thy self down 3. Because this pride of life filleth the soul so full of it self that there is no roome for the spiritual graces of God to dwell there Reas 3 Christ lodged in a stable quia non erat locus in diversorio 4. Because as the eating of somethings doth put the mouth out of taste that it cannot relish wholesome food Reas 4 so the pleasing of the souls palate with the lushious sweetnesse of temporal vanities doth make the soul out of taste with the bread of life that wholesome dyet which should keep our souls in health Let us make profit of this Doctrine Vse 1. Let it be the main and cheif care and study and endevour of our whole life to get and keep animam rectam an upright soule To keep your accompts strait to keep your estate upright to keep your body in health by a regular observation thereof to keep your interest in the love of your freinds all those be lawful cares of life and this is an incumbent duty which obligeth and engageth all men but let not these cares swallow us up and devour our whole life These things perish in the very using of them The soul of every man that is the man if that be not kept upright What profit will it be to a man to winne all
dangers The God that gave us his light of Truth and hath continued it so many happy years of peace amongst us hath begun he will also make an end by this light no doubt many faithful souls have found the way to the throne of grace whose continuall prayers to God for the happy estate of his Church are able to make this Sun stay his course and not withdraw his light from us their prayers and devotions know the way to heaven so well and plead the cause of the Church so effectually that we have cause to hope that the goodness of God which endureth yet daily will not fail us but that we shall fee it and tast of it in this land of the living Once let us remember under whose shadow vve live a learned gracious King who hath seen into the darkness of Popery and laid it open no Christian Prince so much no Christian more he hath put his hand to the Plough and he cannot forget Lets Wife Let us not make our selves certain afflictions out of uncertain fears and draw upon us the evils of to morrow For sufficient for the day is the evil thereof Queen Elizabeth brought into this Church and Land True Religion and Peace King James hath continued it let us be thankfull to God for it and let us be ever telling what the Lord hath done for our souls Let not our unquiet vvranglings amongst our selves provoke the God of Peace against us neither let our busie eves-dropping the counsels and intendments of State which are above us and belong not to us make us afraid our work is In all things to give thanks For what we have received already for what we do possesse and enjoy and pray continually for that we would have for all men especially for our King that under him we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie 1 Tim. 2.2 and then Rejoyce evermore Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce He that came from Teman and Paran to a people that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and gave us light hath ever since so supplyed us with oile that we may say difficiunt vasa the want is on our part for truly God is good to Israel to all such that have faithfull and true hearts To this end let me stir you up to a remembrance of the times past beginning at the Initium regni November 17 in Anno 1558. for so long hath this Sun of righteousness shined clear upon our Church 2 Doctr. The Church hath a speciall interest in the power and protection of God gathered from hence he had hornes comming out his hands and there was the hiding of his power There is a power that God openly sheweth and that is extended to an universall protection of all the works of Gods hand but there is a power that he hideth and that is his speciall protection of his Church 1 He protecteth them David gives them a good instance in the former mercies of God to this people When they were yet but few and they strangers in the land 1 Châ—on 16.19 And when they went from nation to nation from one Kingdome is another people He suffered no man to do them any wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not my anointed and do my Prophets no harme And the Psalmist can give no other reason of this speciall protection but on Gods part because he had a favour to them and on their part that they might keep his statutes and observe his lawes And these be motives that establish Gods protection upon his Church in all the ages thereof His mercy and our obedience which lesson if we take out vvell vve shall learne thankfulnesse to him for his favour and holinesse in our lives And this is that godlinesse vvhich hath the promises of this life and that vvhich is to come 2 He hideth the horne of our Salvation 1 From his Church in some measure to keep us from presumption so that vve do often rather believe then feel the loving kindnesse of the Lord and to stirre us up to prayer for the more vve are made sensible of our vvants the more are vve provoked to invocation of the name of the Lord. 2 From the vvorld that hateth his Church that they may fulfill their iniquity and declare their uttermost malice against the Church and when he had suffered PHAROAH and his hoast to follovv his people of Israel into the red Sea and there taketh of their Chariot wheels then they shall see it and say we will fly from the face of Israel Exod. 14.25 for the Lord fighteth for them against the Aegyptians Great is the profit of this point in the case of those spirituall desertions Vse vvhereby God for a time seemeth to forsake his own children Well are they described by Gods ovvn mouth For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54.7 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Which sheweth that the hiding of Gods protecting power is not totall but partiall for it is in a little anger and it is not finall but temporary for a small moment 1 In outward things In the example in my text God hid his hand in his bosome the horn of his Salvation was almost all out of sight for the space of 70 years during the captivity of the Church So many of Gods dear Servants drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction suffering the contempt and injuries of the world in bonds imprisonments oppressions scourges such as the world is not worthy of yet do they not want a secret feeling of the power of Gods protection quickning their patience and reviving his own work in them in the midst of the years 2 In spirituall graces Sometime God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy Ghost and that they finde with much grief 1 In the oppression of the heart with sorrow wherein they feel no comfort as David My soar ran and ceased not my soul refused comfort Psal 77.2 3. I did think upon God and was troubled In the ineffectuating the means of salvation for a time For many holy zealous souls desirous to do God good service do complain that they hear the Word do not profit by it they receive the Sacraments and do not tast how sweet it is they pray but they feel not the Spirit helping their infirmities they give thanks and praise to God but they do not feel that inward dancing of the heart and jubilation of the soul and rejoycing in God that should attend his prayse yea rather they perceive in themselves a going backward from God as the Church complaineth O Lord Isa 63.17 why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and
the world and loose the soul In the last day an upright soul will be able to stand it out before the judgment seat when they that have kept all things upright but their souls shal see that none but upright souls are happy 2. Let us therefore not stand wishing I would I had such a soul Vse 2 as Balaam I would I might die the death of the righteous but let us study and use the means to get such a soul These are 1. The Word for in that the Spirit speaketh there is a sound of the voyce that commeth to the ear that is not enough there is the Spirit speaking to the soul that 's the Sermon the Spirit of God is the Preacher the souls of men are the audience So the Psalmist I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope 2. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper for that is spirituall meat and drink the Pabulum animae it is both meat and medicine worthily received it is Emanuel God with us I may say to you my brethren as Christ said to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If you knew the gift of God and understood what grace is offered you in the word and Sacrament and how beneficiall they are how nourishing how cordiall to the inward man you would not come to the Word when your leasure served but you would put by all businesses and make them attend that service you would not receive the Sacrament once a year if so much but your Word would be Desiderio desideravi comedere hoc pascha I only say with Christ If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them 3. Confession to God is another good means keep the soul upright we say even reckonings make long friends There is a threefold Confession 1. Confessio fraudis quid omisi 2. Confessio facti quid feci 3. Confessio laudis quid retribuam Here is work enough to take up the whole life of man and this keeps our accompt with God even 4. I must never leave out prayer that must make one in all the exercises of Christian life pray continually And let our petition be that God would give us wisdom from above to direct us in the ordering of our souls so as we may ever keep them upright for it is not in man to order his ways much lesse to govern his own soul let us therefore pray to him who chalengeth interest in all souls who is called The Father of Spirits and who saith All souls are mine We have a good encouragement from Saint James If any of you want wisdom Jam. 1.5 let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally And Christ hath promised that whatsoever he shal ask the Father in his Name he wil do it 5. It wil help to keep our souls in integrity to have regard of our conversation of our calling of our recreations of our time of our means 1. That we keep good company which may not corrupt our manners either consilio or exemplo by counsel or example 2. That we live in a lawful calling that we may have the testimony of a good conscience that the means of our maintenance are honest and lawful and that we do not spend the wages of unrighteousnesse that defileth the soul with an indelible pollution all your prayers and almes wil not purge you 3. That your recreations be both lawful and moderate such as may make you more fit for the service of God not such as may make you suspend the time wherein God should be served not such as may provoke you to impatience or to blasphemy and abusing the name of God 4. That your time be spent by weight and measure as those that are to be accomptants to God for it 5. That our means that we enjoy in this life be so gained and managed that they may seem as faculties of well-doing and may by no means stoop the soul to any departure from God for love of them or by abuse of them 3. Let us learn humility Vse 3 decline pride for that doth corrupt the soul to such God giveth grace he that is humillimus should be humillimus But the just shall live by his faith This is the second part of the Antithesis that contains in it the whole sum of the Gospel there be three words in it that carrie the contents thereof 1. Righteousnesse 2. Faith 3. Life Righteousnesse and Faith are the way of life they are two special pieces of that spiritual armour which the Apostle doth advise all the children of God to use against their enemies The breast-plate of Righteousnesse Eph. 6.14 and the Sheild of Faith 1. Of Righteousnesse This is that vertue which denominateth a man just and righteous and it is a vertue which doth give suum cuique to God in the obedience of the first table of the law to man in the obedience of the second table This is given 1. Legally 2. Evangelically For the first which is Legal righteousnesse it is the fulfilling of the whole Law in every part of it by the whole man in body and soul Ecles 7.31 the whole time of his life and Adam who was created in the image of God was cloathed with this righteousnesse as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.24 created in the image of God and in righteousnesse and true holynesse And this righteousnesse was lost by Adams fal and was never found in any man since but in the Man Jesus Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that just one And of him it is said Act. 22.14 Isa 59.17 that He put on Righteousnesse as a breast-plate And this Righteousnesse the Saints in glory have so the Apostle calleth them The spirits of just men made perfect But on earth Heb. 12 23 Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one The Church of Rome doth directly contradict the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture concerning this righteousnesse Sess 6. Can. 18. For the counsel of Trent hath set it down for a Canon Siquis dixerit dei praecepta homini justificato sub gratia constituto esse ad observandum impossibilia anathema sit Let me then clear the Church tenent concerning this point that Legal Righteousnesse is altogether impossible to man in the present state of desertion from our creation Our Argument is this Whosoever sinneth breaketh the Law of God but every one that liveth sinneth Ergo every one that liveth breaketh the law The first proposition is proved by the definition of sinne given by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.4 But every man that liveth sinneth Saint James will make that good In multis offendimus omnes in many things we offend all The conclusion followeth ergo omnis praevaricatur legem Andradius answereth with a distinction to the minor every man sinneth sins are of two sorts 1. Mortall so every man sinneth not for he that is borne of God sinneth not
then should keep thee from this remedy 1. Consider that there is no man in better case then thou by nature for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God 2. Confider that this remedy is without thy self if it were of thy self thou hadst cause to distaste it but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee 3. Consider that the giver of the Remedy is the giver of faith also by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed and if thou do not feel this faith in thy self do not judge thy self void of it for there may be and is faith often where is no feeling thereof 4. Tarry the Lords leasure as before wait for the vision will not lye How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Bethesda and though still hindered yet was he not without hope We must not part the truth of God and his justice and mercy for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement and the truth of his mercy Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nourished in us 2. How our faith may be proved Because there may be a shew and seeming of faith where the true substance thereof is wanting the best way to try our faith is by the true touchstone for as gold is tried by the touch so faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth hath a proper touchstone to try it 1 Pet. 1.7 1. That is the conscience of man within for that doth declare to himself his faith 2. That is good conversation and godly life for that doth declare our faith to men 1. A good Conscience For being justified by faith we have peace toward God Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have Non est pax impio saith God No peace to the wicked Against this is a double objection 1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing Object they are not humbled like other men they are not poured from vessel to vessel therefore their sent remaineth in them The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghost Sol. The wicked mans joy is not such it is but a flash it is neitâ—â—â—â—ound for when any tryal cometh it faileth neither is â—t 〈…〉 for it perisheth in time neither is it growing and increâ—â—â—â—g neither is it excusing 2. Many of the best of Gods servants have their minds troubled and suffer great distresses in their conscience for sinne Object 2 yea such a winter there is upon their souls that they feel not any life of grace at all in them True but observe from whence this ariseth Sol. even from the warre of the spirit against the flesh the world and the devil in which conflict often times the spirit is daunted and dismayed for a season but there is ever joy in tribulations and joy arising and growing out of sorrowes whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith dye in them And this fire is from heaven the covering of it with oppressions doth make it burn so much the hotter and the strring of it up with temptations doth make it shine the clearer so that peace of conscience is a sure signe of a good Faith 2. Another touch-stone for this gold this Faith is an evidence of godly conversation to approve our selves to God and man both by doing all the duties of a godly life and avoyding the contrary This is the only work of Faith in us 1. The pit whence we draw this water of life is deep the bucket by which we fetch it up is Faith for whatsoever desire or strength we have or endeavour to live godly it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jesus Christ I live by Faith in the same God 2. Faith only doth assure to us the loving kindnesse of God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son c. Ecce quantam charitatem what eye shall behold this but the eye of Faith 3. Faith worketh love that is it breedeth a correspondence between Christ and us for the beleeving soul assured of Christs love to it doth cast about within it self quid rependam and finding nothing to recompence that love it seeketh how God may be pleased and walketh in that way so neer as he can So it is said of the faithful that they walk with God and they answer every temptation to evill as Joseph did How shall I do this and sin agaâ—â—â—â—â—â—d Or if by infiâ—â—â— â—hey fall they cry God mercy and they groan and grieâ—â—â—â—hin themselves that they cannot performe better service to God Thus we love God 1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. because he loved us first And Christ said Many sins are forgiven her quia dilexit multum This is a fruit of the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts by faith Observe it when faith doth lie concealed in us that our selves cannot discern it yet may we discern in our selves our love of God and of such as love God and this proves Gods love to us for we could not love him except he loved us first 4. Faith maketh us sincere for it is the notation of our faith it is called faith unfained and Christ saith Blessed be the pure in heart faith purifieth the heart as the Apostle saith These are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes of which Solomon spake but the other of which David his father spake Haec est generatio quaerentium faciem tuam Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis the perfection of works God is pleased if there be puritas cordis purity of heart 2 Cor. 1.12 which the Apostle calleth Simplicitie and godly purenesse And that is known by these signes 1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for sins which he knoweth himself guilty of and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conscience that God hath forgiven them 2. If he consider his own weaknesse so farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many sins that he knoweth not and prayeth earnestly and often with David à secretis meis munda me cleanse me from my secret sins 3. If he finde in his heart a present strife of his spirit against the flesh wrastling with his own corruptions and not suffering sin to reign in his mortal body leading him captive to the Law of sinne 4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and fasting and watching and all exercises of mortification striving to bring his body in subjection to the law of God 5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart to arme him against Satans temptations as Christ did with scriptum est it is written 6. If he finde a desire of perseverance therein to the end which is discerned by his spiritual growth from grace to grace bringing forth more fruit even in age as Christ testifieth of the Church of Thyatira more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 For he that beleeveth in
gold that is tried will be divided from the drosse and that drosse deserveth a melting If the punishment be for example know that God will never give so ill example as to punish an innocent If men do like men in execution of Gods judgments know that God knows why he suffereth them so to do for he searcheth the hearts and reins Thus many condemned to death by the law according to probable evidence professe their innocency at their death yet can finde in the book of their conscience evidence enough to condemne them worthy of death for something else The use of all is seeing God is just and punisheth not but where he findeth sin stand in awe sinne not Vse do your best to keep from the infection lest you come under the dominion of sinne abstaine from all appearance of evill from the occasions and means of offence resist Satan quench not the spirit that should help your infirmities redeem the time in which you should do good and strive to enter into that rest Thus doing what punishment soever we suffer it is rather the visitation of peace then the rod of fury and God will turn it to our good The punishment here threatned 1. Just reprehension shall not all these take up a parable against them and say woe to him that encreaseth that which is not his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I remember the question of our Saviour to his Disciples Whom say men what I the Son of man am It is wisdome for any private man more for a great State to enquire what fame it hath abroad The wisdome of State is such as one government hath an eye to another I speak not only of confederate Nations which have lidger eyes in each others Common-wealth but even of enemy-states and such as stand neither in termes of hostility nor in termes of confederacy they have their secret intelligence and thus they know and judge each of other Nebuchadnezzar was a most potent Prince yet his neighbours did not approve his wisdome they did condemne his violence and cry out wo be to him I understand this to be a great punishment to this mighty King to be justly condemned for injustice and to deserve the curse of his neighbouring Nations For extremes do ever carry the evill words and the evill wishes of all that love vertue and they cry woe to him that encreaseth greedily and covetously that which is not his and woe to him that wasteth prodigally that which is not his The wisdome of policie doth hold violence and oppression hateful in great Princes and it calleth them pusillanimous and idle that will not stirre in the just defence of their own But there is sapientia saeculi hujus the wisdome of this world which calleth all his own which he can compasse directly or indirectly justly or unjustly which Saint Paul doth call enmity with God just Princes are tender in that pursuit holding that axiome of Caesar irreligious and unjust Si jus violandum regni causa And therefore sapientia quae est desuper the wisdome from above cryeth hand off invade not usurp not aliena jura other mens rights be content with thine own for woe be to him that increaseth non sua that which is none of his own Princes that manage the sword of justice which is gladius Dei the sword of God must be tender how they draw that sword against God that committed it to them and every attempt that their power maketh for that which is not theirs doth arme it self against God Mr. Calvine observeth well Manent aliqua in cordibus hominum Justitiae aequitatis principa ideo consensus gentium est quaedam vox naturae there abideth in the hearts of men certaine principles of justice therefore the consent of Nations is a certain voyce of nature Those Princes that care not what Nations do think and speak of them but pursue their own ends against the streame and tyde of Jus naturale natural right do run themselves upon the just reprehension of other States which wise and religious Princes do labour to avoid 1. Because the private conscience in these publike persons can have no inward peace where publike equity is violated 2. Because the old rule of justice is built upon the divine equity of nature and confirmed by experience of time that Male parta facilè dilabantur evill gotten goods soon consume 3. Because all that love this jus naturale will soon finde both will and means to resist encroachments fearing their own particular as all hands work to quench a fire But what cares Nebuchadnezzar or Alexander or Iulius Caesar so they may adde Kingdom to Kingdom and what cares his holinesse of Rome so that he may be Universal Bishop what other Kings and Bishops say of them To make this point profitable to our selves for we speak to private persons The Rule is general All that encrease their own private estate by oppression and injustice multiplying that which is not theirs making prize of all that they can extort from their brethren buying them out of house and home wearying them with suits of molestation spending the strength of their bodies with immoderate labours at so short wages as will not sustaine them with things necessary Such though their power do bear them out in their unjustice yet do they undergo the hard opinion and censure of all that love righteousnesse and they do bear the burthen of many curses Let them lay this to heart and take it for a punishment from the hand of God 2. The Derision Taunted What do these men but lade themselves with thick clay This also may passe for a sharp punishment Kings and great persons are not priviledged from the tooth of a Satyre from the keene edge of an Epigram from the bold affront of a libel We live in the age of fresh and quick wits wherein it is not an easie thing for eminent persons to do evill and to escape tongue smiting and wit blasting pens and pencils a hand up to blazon great ones and their actions and inferiour persons want not eyes upon them to behold them nor censures to judge them nor rods to whip them I must not draw from this place any authority to legitimate contumelies and disgraces and that which we call breaking of bitter jests upon another selling our salt cheap 1. Therefore understand that bitter Taunts Satyrs and Libels may be evill and unlawful and yet God may make a good use of them to lash and scourge those that deserve ill and they that are so girded and jerkt shall do well to do as David did to confesse that God sent Shimei to curse and as for Shimei he shall see that God will finde a time to pay him too That this is a punishment sent from the hand of God we have full evidence from the witnesse of Holy Scripture even in this case The Prophet Isay threatneth the Chaldeans with this judgement Thou shalt take up this Proverb the Margent
come to the Court and he shall see how many Spheres of greatnesse do move above him Here is more work for ambition if we remember the law proximum ut teipsum thy neighbour as thy self we will no more desire to exceed one the other in the state wherein we live then a man desireth one hand or one leg in proportion of strength and bignesse to exceed the other in his body 5. We have a fair example in our elder brother for though he was such as to whom it was said Adorent eum omnes Angeli ejus Heb. 2.17 Worship him all ye Angels yet to become our brother In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren He could not do this without humiliation there was no power above him to humble him and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God the power that did it was in himself humiliavit semet ipsum he humbled himself Ambition therefore putteth us out of the way of life Christ humbled himselfe Et qui vult esse discipulus meus sequatur me He that will be my disciple must follow me The doctrine of contentednesse doth still offer it self to us commanded in the last of the ten for non concupisces aliena faith sortè tua contentus be contented with thy lot this also serveth for the next point 3. They are charged with covetousnesse Of which Christ saith Take heed and beware of Covetousnesse giving us a double caution against it The Apostle giveth a reason because it is the root of all evill but that reason doth not draw blood 1 Tim. 6.10 for where the conscience is not tender malum culpae the evil of punishment is not feared But it followeth Which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Ambition hath this handmaid to attend it this factour to negotiate for it for ambition is not supported without great charge our own times tell us so and Ambition cannot be a great spender if covetousnesse be not a great getter Covetousnesse is an inordinate desire of the wealth of this world and is many ways culpable 1. Because God hath given man dominion of the earth and hath put all things under his feet let not us remove them and as David saith let us not Cor opponere set our heart upon them Gold and silver are lower put under us then the surface of the earth for they grow within the bowels of the earth nearer to hell to shew the danger that is in them Therefore the Apostles had these things not put into their bosomes or into their hands but laid at their feet 2. Because the Scripture hath expresled the woe of God belonging to the covetous as you have heard Vae homini qui congregat non sua wo to the man which gathereth not his own They that are covetous Ose 12.7 do carry stateram dolosam a deceitful ballance for lay the conscience in one scale and the least gain that is in the other the conscience is found too light as Saint Augustine Lucrum in arcâ damnum in conscientiâ For Saint Paul calleth covetousnesse Idolatry Eph. 5. and Christ calleth Mammon the god of the covetous ye cannot serve God and Mammon This is clear for where doth the covetous man bestow and place his faith hope and love but in his wealth which we do owe to God The rich man sang a Requiem to his soule Luc. 12. Now my soule make merry for thou hast goods enough laid up for many years 3. Because covetousnesse is a fruitful sin the daughters thereof are commonly 1. Usury 2. Rapine 3. Fraud 4. Bribes 5. Simony 1. Concerning Usury let me out of the word say only to you that he shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle that is shall rest under Gods Protection on earth and he shall dwell in the holy hill that is Ps 15. possessions in heaven Who putteth not his mony out to usury Where he shall dwell that doth so you may easily conclude If you wil hear the judgement of a Parliament the Statute concerning the forbidding of usury doth begin thus Forasmuch as all usury by the laws of God is sinne and detestable An. 14. Elizab Be it therefore enacted c. If thou wilt know the judgment of learned Divines fathers both of the Eastern and Western Churches Councels later Divines have written against it and detected it unlawful so that it is of all learned evil spoken of But the covetousnesse of the Chaldeans was not of this sort therefore not of purpose to be handled but incidently to be remembred yet non sine morsu in transitu yet not without a lash in the way Fraud is another of the daughters of covetousnesse when we by any wit or the art of seeming do over-reach one another in matter of negotiation of which the Apostle That no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such 1 Thes 4.6 as we also have forewarned you and testified Bribes is another daughter of covetousnesse It was part of Samuels purgation of himself Of whom have I received bribes 1 Sam. 12.3 to blinde mine eyes there with for Solomon saith A wicked man taketh the gift out of the bosome to pervert the Wayes of judgment Pro. 17.23 Micah describeth more then his own times The heads of Sion judge for reward Mica 3.11 and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they leane upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil can come upon us Read on Symony is another daughter of covetousnesse I say no more of it but leave it with St. Peters blessings Pereat argentum tuum tecum let their money perish with thee But rapine was the proper and natural daughter of the covetousnesse of the Chaldeans they had their Angle and their Net and their Dragge nothing could escape them The great fish did eate up the little ones oppression was the crying sinne of Babylon all their neighbours did groan under it 1. This sin doth destroy jus naturale natural right which is quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris do as thou wouldst be done to out of which principle these two do arise 1. Ne cui noceas hurt none 2. Vt communi bono deservias serve the common good 2. It offendeth the written law which doth not only restraine actum rapinae non furaberis the act of rapine thoushalt not steal but voluntatem rapinae non concupisces but the will thou shalt not covet Agur the son of Jakeh saith There is a generation whose teeth are as swords Pro. 30.14 and their jaw-teeth as knives to devoure the poore from off the earth and the needy from among men This generation is not yet grown barren Christ saith Pauperes semper habebitis vobiscum you shall
drunkennesse call it good fellowship or making merry or keeping good company or whatsoever faire colours you will lay upon it it is drunkennesse It turns grace into wantonnesse and medicine into disease it maketh the body which should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost the very Cellar of Bacchus The evils that grow out of this sinne are many 1. The great Commandement is broken which biddeth us to love God above all things for the drunkard makes his belly his god and delâ—ghteth in his shame neither is God in all his ways of whom doth the name of God more suffer then of the drunkard and who do make lesse conscience of the Sabbath then such do who make that day of all other the most licentious the most lascivious despising the Commandment of God 2. It is a sin against himself who committeth it for he shameth himself to beholders he wasteth his estate hurteth his own body drowneth his understanding judgment memory and depriveth himself of the use of reason as Solomon saith Pro. 23.29 Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath rednesse of eyes They that tarry long at the wine At the last it biteth like a serpent Vers 32. Vers 33. and stingeth like an adder It corrupteth the affections and inflameth lust Thine eyes shall behold strange women It corrupteth the speech thine heart shall utter perverse things It maketh a man insensible of his punishment They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me Vers 35. and I felt it not It groweth into an habite and cannot be easily given over drunkennesse is like a quartane the dishonour of Physitians so it is the dishonour of Preachers they cannot cure it we would have cured the drunkard and he would not be healed When shall I awake I will yet seek it again as Saint Gregory saith qui hoc facit non facit peccatum sed totus est peccatum 3. It is a sin against our neighbour for it is a waster and consumer of the provisions which God hath given to nourish and sustain many and so he becomes a thief robbing the hungry and thirsty for it is panis pauperis vinum dolentis the bread of the poor and the wine of the sorrowful that is thus swilled and swallowed It toucheth upon the Commandment of murther for to take away life and to take away the means that should support life are so set that we can hardly draw a line between them It inflameth lust as Ambrose Pascitur libido conviviis vino accenditur ebrietate inflammatur it filleth the tongue with allkind of evil words which corrupt good manners turpiloquium multiloquium vaniloquium falsiloquium and where be the good names of men more foully handled then upon the ale-bench when a drunken Senate meeteth And to conclude it dishonoureth Parents for the laws of the Church and the laws of the Common wealth do forbid it and designe punishment for it Yet this sin is the Diana of our Ephesus and if all the Preachers of England do cry it down in Pulpits the Court of good fellowship will cry it up again though we shew you the serowl of God and open all the folds of it and read it to you written within and without with nothing but lamentations mourning and wo against this sin though we bind the sinners in this kind by the power given to us by Christ saying Whosoever sins yee retain they are retained yet do men run headlong into this sin without fear or wit But when sin is once grown into fashion we may stretch out our hands all the day long against it and spend our strength in vain yet I will not despair of a blessing upon our faithful labours against it and thus much I will undertake to do as the Apostle saith I will yet shew you a more excellent way I will yet shew you approved remedies against this sinne and there is no time of the year unseasonable for the soul to take Physick Remedia 1. Take Davids Physick I have kept thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Remed 1 for that word will answer the temptation as Ioseph did How then shall I do this great wickednesse and so sin against my God Remember the fearful threatnings of wo and judgement against this sinne Remember the day of judgment wherein every man must give account to God of himself and of all his ways remember the bitternesse of the latter end thereof all this is clearly denounced in the word of God Remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God for our God is even a consuming fire 2. Remedy is a constant Practise of mortification for they that humble their souls with fasting and chasten their bodies and bring them in subjection that watch and pray and call their sins every day to account and examine their consciences by the law of God he that doth these things well shall soon come to their diet of whom the Psalmist speaketh Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them tears to drink in great measure Psâ—l 80.5 Then thou wilt go mourning all the day long 3. Remedy is withdrawing thy self from such company as use drunkennesse from such places wherein it is used as Solomon adviseth Be not amongst wine-bibbers amongst riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty Prov. 23.20.21 and drowsinesse shall cloath a man with rags So Saint Paul chargeth the Corinthians But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater 1 Cor. 5.11 or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eat It is company that corrupts many there are few that love drunkennesse so well 1 Reg. 16.9 that they will sit down and drink themselves drunk as Elah king of Israel did but good fellowship spoils all and one pot draweth on another 4. Remedy is Let every man abide in the calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7.20 God hath given his Angels charge of thee to keep thee in all thy ways so it is said of a drunkard that he is out of the way for did he exercise himself in his calling within his way he could not miscarry The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour Pro. 21.25.26 he coveteth greedily all the day long 5. Remedy is a consideration of the hunger and thirst which Christ sustained on earth for thee and of the hunger and thirst which Christ yet in the members doth suffer Remember what he hath done for thee do not waste that unthriftily which would serve to relieve Jesus Christ he hungred to satisfie thee do not thou surfet to make him hungry he thirsted it was one of the last words that he
canit By singing prayed and by praying sung So the 70 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Tremelius and Junius read Oratio Habak Prophetae secundum odas mixtas That is not accommodated to any set kind of verse but mixt of sundry kinds And so they do not understand the word Sigionoth to be the the name of the instrument upon which it was sung but the name of the verse into which their prayer is digested As the Greeks and Latines had their severall kinds of verses Heroick Iambick Asclepediake Phaluciake and such like I cannot better expresse this to the understanding of the weakest judgment then by referring you to the varieties of verse in our English Psalmes that we sing in the Church for if they were all composed in one kind of verse they might all be sung to one tune Some have their set tunes and admit no other because they are of a severall kind of verse So I take it that this Sigionoth was the name of that kind of verse in which this Psalme was written Thus much of the words of the title The things which we may make profit of in this title are these 1 That the Prophet composeth a prayer for his own use and for the use of the people in captivity 2 That he putteth this prayer into a song or psalme Concerning the first The contemplation of the Justice of God in punishing the sins of his Church Doct. of the vengeance of God revenging the quarrels of his Church and of the mercy of God in healing the wounds of his Church and restoring it again to health doth give the Faithfull occasion to resort to God by prayer The reason is because these things well considered that God is just and mercifull do breed in us Fear and Faith which being well mingled in us cannot chuse but break forth into prayer Fear discerning the danger of his power wisely and Faith laying hold on the hand of his mercy strongly For howsoever Fear be an effect of weaknesse yet doth it serve to good use in the fitting of us to prayer because 1 Fear breedeth humility which is necessary in prayer as St. James adresseth Cast down your selves before the Lord and St. Peter Jam. 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God And howsoever the proud despise humility as too base a vertue for heroick and generous spirits St. Peter commendeth it for a speciall ornament Deck your selves inwardly in lowlinesse of mind 1 Pet. 5.5 That feare which is in the reprobate doth drive them quite away from God but the fear of the elect brings them to his hand and casteth them at his feet the Publican full of fear yet it had not power to keep him from the Temple nor from prayer rather because he feared he came to Church to pray 2 Fear breedeth in us a desire to approve our selves to God and keepeth us in awe setting both our sins always in our own sight and our selves in the sight of God which sheweth what need we have to fly to him 3 Fear doth serve for a spur to put us on and to mend our pace that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 run the way of Gods Commandements For men run for fear With this fear is joyned faith which layeth hold on the comfortable promises of God and so filleth us with the love of him that we resolve under the shadow of his wings we shall be safe This also doth break forth into prayer as the Prophet saith I believed therefore did I speake Fear directed by Faith will soon finde the face of God For fear humbleth us faith directeth this humiliation to the mighty hand of God Fear makes us ful of desire faith directeth our desire to God Fear makes us runne faith sheweth us the face of God and biddeth us runne thither and thus the contemplation of Gods justice and mercy doth fill the heart with zeale and the spirit of supplications as in this present example The Church seeth God remisse in forbearing them it feeleth God sharp in punishing them it discerneth him just in avenging them and it is promised mercy and favour in delivering them therefore the Prophet teacheth them to pray We are taught to think on these things 1 Vse which may move us to seek the face of our God and that is a work for the soul when it keepeth a Sabbath of rest unto the service of God as appeareth in the Psalme Psal 92. for the day wherein the Church doth consider the justice and mercie of God Our idle and wandring thoughts runne all the world over in vain imaginations we could not bestow them better then in sweet contemplation of the works of God here in the government of the World We are taught also when we behold these things to pray to God for prayer being a conference with God we cannot offend him in any thing that we shall say out of fear and faith This duty is by God commanded he hath directed it he hath promised his Spirit to helpe us in it hee hath made many promises to them that use it aright and it is here prescribed as a sovereign remedy against affliction to use it for it is fitted for the use of the Church in captivity in Babylon This prayer being made for the use of the Church 2 Doct. as we have said we are taught That the afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the faithful but that even in exile they will assemble together to do service to their God and therein also to comfort one another 1 The reason is in respect of themselves the faithfull are one body and the ligaments and bonds of their communion are love and peace therefore much water cannot put out this fire of charity neither can the flouds drown it so afflictions are in Scripture resembled in flouds and waters 2 In regard of the service they know it to be a debt from them an honour to God and though each of them in severall may do it yet when a Congregation meeteth together their conjoyned zeal is like a bonefire for every ones zeal enflameth another What needed the faithful else to seek out corners and private places to assemble in in the times of persecution for their devotion if single and severall persons had been either so fervent in it self or so acceptable with God so that before persecution ceased they began to build Oratories for their meetings Therefore Vse though some do separate from our society others tarry with us to disturbe our peace some cry out against the use of our Churches let us thank God that we have liberty of Religion and places to meet in to serve our God and let us not neglect the society of the Church Ecce quà m bonum quà m jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is to see one holy congregation set upon God by prayer This prayer made for the use of the Church doth teach
God is armed vvith povver to punish evill doers 4 That in all this God vvas glorified First the consideration of former mercies doth strengthen faith in present troubles Therefore do they commemorate the manner of Gods glorious comming from Teman and of Paran vvherein he had glory in the heavens and prayse upon the earth David did make good use of this point often For vvhen my distresse came he found comfort in this remembrance Novv thou art farre of and goest not forth with our armies Thou makest us turn back from the adversary Psal 44.9.10 and they which hate us spoile for themselves c. To comfort this affliction he beginneth that Psalme We have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us what thou didst in their days and in the times of old How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and planted them c. So Psal 74 9. again complaining of great afflictions We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet this is his comfort God is my King of old working Salvation in the midst of the Earth Thou didst divide ehe Sea by thy power c. So again Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my soar ran and ceased not and in the night my soul refused comfort Then I considered the days of old Verse 5. Psal 4.1 and the years of ancient times Thou hast enlarged me when I was distrest The reason why this doth minister comfort to the Church 1 Reas is because we have learned that our God is constant in his love whom he once loved he ever loveth for he is without variablenesse and shadow of changing as the Apostle and the Psalmist saith But thou art the same thy years shall have no end Ps 102.27.28 The children of the servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee The goodness of God endureth continually Psal 52.1 Reas 2. Because the commemoration of former benefits is a work of thanksgiving and prayse and that is the highest service that we can perform to God in his worship this is Sicut in coelo it is heaven upon earth For it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing prayses to the Name of the most High Psal 92.1 Ps 50.23 It is good for God for He that offereth me praise glorifieth me and for that he made us It it good for us for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased there is our happiness for in his favor is light Reas 3 Again the thankfull commemoration of former mercies of God to us doth draw on new benefits for thanksgiving as it is Gods crop which he gathereth from us of the seed of his many favours so it is our seed which we cast into the ground of Gods kindness and it bringeth us an harvest of new blessings Every man thinks his seed well bestowed in good ground that yeeldeth an encrease and God hath said Them that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 This point is of excellent use Vse to stir us up to a wise consideration of the constant love of God to such as fear serve him Benefits are soon forgotten therefore as David saith I called upon the Lord in my trouble so he stirreth up himself to thankfulness My soul praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits He found great comfort in this looking back When he undertook Goliah and Saul discouraged him as unable for it he looked back to the time past and remembred how God had delivered him from a Lion and a Bear and from that experience of Gods good help he resolved to attempt the uncircumcised Philistine And in his declining years when age grew upon him he comforted his drooping spirits thus Thou art my hope O Lord God Psa 71.5 even my trust from my youth Vpon thee have I been stayed from the womb thou art he that took me from my mothers bowels Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth There be three sorts of men that do even run themselves upon the edge and point of reprehension we cannot here forgive them a chiding 1 Those that tanquam prona pecora as groveling beasts do look onely upon the time incumbent mistaking St. Paul who saith I forget that which is behind Lyranus understandeth him legalia terrena Theophilact better Praeteritarum virtutum nihil reminiscor nec memoria repeto Phil. 3.13 sed ea omnia post tergum relinquo So we must forget all the good we have done as being short of perfection that we may mend our pace in the ways of Gods Commandements But the Apostle did look back to times past to see what Christ had done for us how he loved us when vve vvere his enemies how he washed us in his bloud how he forgave him his sins and how he obteined mercy of him because vvhat he did he did it ignorantly through unbelief 2 Those also are here reproved vvho look only to the time past and see therein nothing but Gods temporall favours but regard not the times present and consider not Gods spirituall graces Some that lived in the time of Popery do prayse those dais then vvas good house-keeping easie rents a constant fashion of apparrel that many Gentlemen had the lands of their grandfathers in possession and their cloaths on their backs then vvas no seeking of reversions or buying of offices no market of Church-livings Israel did so Remember the fish that we are in Aegypt for nought the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onions num â—1 5 and the Garlick I deny not but when the people of this Land vvere fewer and the vanity of the pride of other Nations and many of their foul sins kept home and were not imported hither there were better times for the belly then these are But let us see the state of souls at that time they were then in the house of bondage under Pharaoh of Rome Beef and Mutton Wheat and Barly were cheap but the two Testaments the two breasts of the Church vvere like a Fountain sealed up and like a Garden enclosed But when Queen Elizabeth began to rest in this Hemisphere like the Sun to run her race she turned that night into day and maintained this light till she vvas taken up into heaven and she that vvas a shining star on earth and blest the Church of God here vvith benigne aspect and influence vvas made a glorious ever blessed Saint in heaven In the beginning of her raign God came from Teman The Holy one from mount Paran God revealed himself in the glorious Sun-shine of his Gospel of peace 3 They are also reproved vvho out of too much fore-casting fear of the times to come do quite forget both the former and the present mercies of God and astonish themselves vvith representations of hideous formes of ensuing