it shame and confession of guilt ver 15. O Lord God of Israel who art in Covenant with them and ownest them for thy people Deut. 26.18 and art afflicted in their afflictions in whose sufferings thy great name is concerned in whose prosperity thy sole grace is magnified Thou art righteous Just in thy Iudgements in all that is come upon us Nehem 9.33 faithfull in thy Covenant in all that thou hast said unto us And hereof thou hast given us assurance for we remain yet escaped According to thy promise that after seventy years should be accomplished in Babylon thou wouldst visit thy people and perform thy good word towards them in causing them to return to their own Land again Ier. 29.10 2 Chron. 36.21 we have deserved by our Provocations to be cut off from being a People but for thy Promise sake we yet remain for thou hast said that the Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shilo come Gen. 49.10 that Immanuel was to come of the house of David before the Jews should cease to be a Nation or should have their politie utterly dissolved Isa. 7.14 Isa. 8.9 10. Isai. 10 24-27 We have deserved to have been kept Captives in Babylon still but for thy Promise sake we remain yet escaped because thou hast said that thou wouldest cause us to come up out of our graves and bring us into the Land of Israel Ezek. 37.12 13 14. It is by the blood of the Covenant alone that thou hast sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit Zach. 9.11 The words are the close of a Penitential Prayer wherein there is observable 1. A Comfortable address to God as the God of Israel 2. A Penitent acknowledgement of his righteousnesse in the evils which they suffered 3. A grateful acknowledgement of his fidelity in the Mercies which they enjoyed 4. A demonstration of this great Mercy 1. We remain we are not consumed 2. We remain an escape we are not detained in captiuity 3. As it is this day not only escaped but favoured encouraged assisted to build Gods House to restore his Worship though to this day we have had so great provocations O Lord God of Israel Thou art righteous we have sinned as a perfidious people against a God in covenant thou hast afflicted us in measure as a God in covenant Afflictions are sweetned Mercies are magnified sinnes are aggravated sinners are humbled and melted by no consideration more then by the grace of the Covenant that we have to doe with a God who is pleased to be called ours when he smites us this is our Comfort the rod is in the hand of a Father he may visit with stripes but he will not break his Covenant Psal. 89 32-34 when he loadeth us with mercies this is our joy that they are all appendices to Christ and rayes and Emanations of the Covenant Rom. 8.32 Ier. 32.41 If he hear us if he answer us if he be gracious unto us we shall weep no more though he give us bread of adversity and water of affliction Isai. 30 18-20 when we review our sinnes and set our selves seriously to turn to God this makes us loath our selves this fills our faces with shame and our hearts with sorrow that we have done it against a God in Covenant who is pacified towards us Ezek. 16.62 63. It is great presumption for aliens and strangers to despise Gods authority or abuse his bounty but for an adopted people whom he hath selected in a peculiar manner to be his own and set apart for himself for whom he reserveth the choisest of his mercies to whom he revealeth the secrets of his love for these to sinne not only against Precepts and Benefits but against the Bowels of a Father the blood of a Saviour the grace of a Comforter the Covenant of life the Charter of Salvation this is that which should greatly abase us in our own eyes that we should thus requite a Father Deut. 32.6 The Lord calls Heaven and Earth to be amazed at it Hear O Heaven and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken for I have nourished and brought up children adopted them into my family brought them into my Land advanced them unto my favour vouchsafed my presence with them set up my Name and glory among them and yet they have rebelled against me Isa. 1.2 Be astonished O ye heavens and be ye horribly afraid be very desolate for my people who have heard my voice out of Heaven whom I have taken from the midst of another Nation by temptations by signs by wonders by war by a mighty hand by a stretched-out arm and by great terrors who have been the Fountain of all their blessings and the glory in the midst of them have changed their glory for vanity and their Fountain for broken cisterns Ier. 2.11 12 13. This is matter of great pressure unto him Amos 2.9 13. and should much more be so unto us Many aggravations there are in the sins of Gods people which may greatly tend to their humbling and abasement They are committed 1. Against more glorious light and more spiritual convictions after they have known God and are known of God Gal. 4.9 after he hath taught them his ways shewed his covenant imparted unto them the secrets of his salvation Ps. 25.9 14. after he had opened their ears and sealed their instruction to withdraw them from sinful purposes Iob 33.16 17. after he had caused them to hear a word behind them saying this is the way Isai. 30.21 and had shewed them the salvation of God Psal. 50.23 and had been as it were transfigured in their presence The more the beauties of holiness are discovered to the soul the greater is the unkindness and disingenuity of that soul in giving entertainment to any sinful lust again 2. Against speciall and more tender love which love of Christ passeth knowledge and therefore should constrain us to love him that loved us died for us 2 Cor. 5.14 David had been highly honoured by God Solomon was the beloved of God and this made their sins both more strange and more atrocious 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. Nehem. 13.26 you only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities Amos 3.2 Ier. 2.21 22. 3. Against the breathings of the Spirit of Grace whose motions being quenched whose operations being resisted whose sweet and gracious pulsations at the door of the soul being neglected he is exceedingly grieved in the hearts of his people and provoked to withdraw himself and his Comforts from them Ephe. 4.30 Cant. 5 6. and they put to cry hard for recovery of him again whom they had by their unkind usage grieved away and caused to hide his presence from them Psa 51.10 11 12. 4. Against the peace of God which should keep our hearts and mindes in Christ from yeilding to temptations Phil. 4.7 when the Lord speaks peace to
him his love prevents ours and doth not stay for it 1 Iohn 4.19 Ezek. 36.32 Isai. 48.9 11. Inspirat charitatem ut quae discendo novimus diligendo faciamus 2. The Covenant and the grace thereof is immutable and therefore changeth not with the unstable will of man God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not make it good Numb 23.19 his Covenant of grace is confirmed by an oath to shew the immutability of it This is as the waters of Noah unto me saith the Lord for I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the Mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee Neither shall the Covenant of my peace by removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isai. 54.9 10. A Covenant thus founded upon meer mercy and sealed by an Oath is more unmoveable then hills or Mountains the strong foundations of the Earth shall be sooner shaken then the Oath of God miscarry The oath of God is the strongest demonstration of the immutability of his Counsel that can possibly be used Heb. 6.17 for where he swears he doth not repent Psal. 110.4 Every work of mercy which he begins he carries on to a consummation Phil. 1.6 the foundation of God remaineth sure cannot be infringed shaken or undermined by the levity or inconstancy of the will of man 2 Tim. 2.19 what ever are the fluctuations of the heart of man the Counsel of the Lord shall stand Prov. 19.21 Psal. 33.10 11. 3. The Covenant and grace thereof is most powerfull and efficacious Therefore his Mercies are sure his promises yea and Amen because his word is setled in Heaven seconded with his power which will finde means to effect what ever he hath spoken God hath spoken once saith the Psalmist twice have I heard this It is a word constant and stable a word doubled to note the certainty of it as Ioseph said unto Pharaoh Gen. 41.32 That power and mercy belong to God Psal. 62.11 12. every promise which mercy makes power performs if mercy promise an heart of flesh and to put his fear into us God hath power enough to make it good hee may as soon be an impotent as an unfaithfull God Abraham considered not the impotency of his own body but the power of God to make good his promise and therefore staggered not through unbelief Rom. 4.19 20 21. and so the Apostle argues touching the conversion of the Jews Rom. 11.23 If they abide not still in unbelief they shall be graffed in for God is able to graffe them in Rom. 11.23 4. The Covenant and grace thereof is invincible by any adverse assaults nothing can alter or over-rule the will of God or cause him to recede from his own purposes of shewing mercy If any thing could sinne could But he hath assured us that that shall not If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Iudgements if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail my Covenant will I not break c. Psal. 89.30 34. though he punish it shall be in measure not unto rejection but unto emendation Isai. 27.8 9. As to the guilt of sinne and damnation due unto it he will pardon it I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sinne no more Ier. 31.34 As to the dominion thereof he will subdue it and purge it away Mìcah 7.19 20. Psal. 65.3 As to the particular prevalency of any lust he will awaken us to repent Make us by some word or affliction or mercy or example or providence to search and consider our wayes and return from all our evill doings so he did David by the Ministery of Nathan 2 Sam. 12.13 so Peter by the look of Christ Luke 22.61 so Iosephs brethren by his speaking roughly unto them Gen. 42.21 As to the Remainders of it he will daily mortifie and destroy them Ro. 6.6 sinne then shall not break out so far as to annull and to evacuate the Covenant For who then should be saved seeing in many things we offend all and by the grace of the Covenant alone are preserved from offending more Nay the Lord is so gracious to his people that their very sins which of themselves do only defile and endanger them are by Gods goodness ordered unto their benefit The Lord could keep his servants from falling Iude ver 24. and preserve them blameless 1 Thes. 5.23 but he is pleased sometimes to leave them that they may know themselves and their own weakness as he did Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 that they may bemoan their own misery and loath themselves in their own eyes Ier. 31.18 19. Ezek. 20.43 that they may be driven to live upon free grace and pardoning mercy Psal. 51.1 that they may set the higher price upon the Lord Iesus who is a Sanctuary for the chief of sinners to fly unto Isai. 8.14 1. Tim. 1.15 that they may be the more watchfull over their loose and deceitfull hearts having once yea twice been betrayed by them Iob 40.5.34.32 that they may pray more earnestly for the subduing and mortifying of prevalent corruptions Psal. 51 7-10 Rom. 7.23 these and other the like ways the Lord hath to order the very sins of his people unto their good And if sinne shall not prevaile against the covenant we are sure nothing else shall he that pardoneth sin rebuketh Satan conquereth the world his love is above the reach of any thing to separate us from it Rom. 8 33-39 none shall be able to take us out of Christs or his Fathers hands Ioh. 10 28-30 5. The Covenant and grace thereof is founded in the blood of Christ and ratified by it as he hath by his blood purchased his people Tit. 2.14 so hath he by the same procured for them all good things specified in the Covenant Rom. 8.32 the blood of Christ can as well be vacated as any branch of the the Covenant be unfulfilled to believers for whom they were all bought with so precious a price 6. His purchase is seconded by his Intercession Intercession is the petition of his blood and therefore shall undoubtedly be granted his Father heareth him alwayes Iohn 11.41 42. and he prayeth to his Father that his people may be so kept as that they may be with him and behold his glory Ioh. 17.11.15.24 therefore accordingly they shall be kept 7. Christs Intercession is seconded with his Fathers love to his people I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you saith Christ Iohn 16.26
the souls of his people and lifts up the light of his Countenance upon them and sheds abroad the love of his Son into them this should fortifie and garrison the heart against the assaults of sinne the joy of the Lord should be the strength of his people Nehem 8.10 and the more comfort they have in being acquainted with him the more fearfull they should be of being estranged from him the greater the sweetnesse of the peace of God the greater the bitternesse of those sinnes whereby we forfeit it and hide it from our selves 5. Against that spirituall wisdom and understanding which the Lord hath given us for this end that we might walk worthy of him unto all pleasing Col. 1.9 10. True wisdom is the knowledge of the most honourable and most excellent things whereby we discern things which differ suggesteth the supreme and most necessary ends and the most proper and pertinent means conducing thereunto Setteth a man to consider how he may live to the great uses for which he was made is a wisdom unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 makes him look to the way of life how he may depart from Hell Prov. 15.24 14 8 15. teacheth him to walk circumspectly and warily amidst the many snares and temptations which are ready to seduce and mislead him Eph. 5.15 makes him have his eyes in his head Eccle. 2.14 that he may understand every good path Prov. 2.9 makes him study the will of God to the end that he may keep it Prov. 28.7 puts the heart and the right hand together Eccle. 10.2 gives a spiritual evidence and taste of the beauties and sweetness of holiness shews it self in a good conversation and in doing the Commandements Iam. 3.13 Psal. 111.10 It is more improper for a holy man to yeeld up himself unto any way or work of wickedness then for a Counsellor of State or a great Philosopher to play with Straws or Cherry-stones to give up himself to Boyish and Ludicrous vanities and therefore holy men confess their sinnes in Scripture by the name of folly 2 Sam. 24.10 Psalm 73.22 6. Against the hope of salvation which teacheth us to purifie our selves as Christ is pure 1. Ioh. 3.3 our salvation will be to be like unto Christ that grace which makes us suspire after a likeness unto him in glory will kindle in our hearts a desire to be like unto him in grace for grace is glory Inchoate as glory is grace Consummate so much as we neglect duty so much we shake the hope of glory Lord saith the Psalmist I have hoped for thy salvation I have done thy commandements Psal 119.166 though obedience be not a foundation upon which to build our hope for our hope must be in Gods word not in our own works Psal. 119.42.49.74 Yet it is a fruit and consequently an Evidence and argument a posteriori to demonstrate it The salvation we hope for is to see God and hereunto is required purity of heart Matth. 5.8 as the object seen doth make its own image in the eye which seeth it so when the soul sees God in glory it is perfectly fashioned unto his likenesse and therefore without holinesse no man can see God Heb. 12.14 So much as we blemish our holiness we do obscure and fully our hope 7. Against the honour of Religion which is thereby exceedingly wounded and reproached 2 Sam. 12.14 the Apostle frequently exhorteth us to walk worthy of our high calling so as becometh the Gospel that we may adorn the doctrine of our Lord Jesus and put to silence the ignorance of foolish men that they may be ashamed who fasly accuse our good conversation ut nemo de nobis male loqui sine mendacio possit to be tender of the name of God and his Doctrine that these may not be blasphemed see Ephes. 4.1 Phil. 1.27 1 Thes. 2.12 Tit. 2.10 1 Tim. 6.1 2 Cor. 6.3 1. Pet. 2.15.3.16 for though it be most illogicall and absurd to charge an holy Doctrine with the blame of those sins which the professors thereof contrary to the rules of their own profession and in obedience only to their own lusts do commit Yet so much ignorance and malice there is in wicked men as to blaspheme God for the sinnes of his people and to reproach the rectitude of the rule for the obliquity of their lives who swarve and vary from it And by how much the greater ingratitude it is to be honoured by God as his servants are and yet to dishonour him by so much the more hainous are those sinnes whereby we neither sanctifie God in our own hearts and open the mouths of others to poure contempt upon him 8. Against the souls of our brethren which are thereby greatly scandalized for as there is joy in Heaven and consequently among the Saints on Earth whose affections and conversations are heavenly for the conversion of a sinner and great mutual comfort in the communion of Saints insomuch that the joy of one is the joy of all the rest 1 Cor. 15.31 2 Cor. 2.3 So when a converted person relapseth into any sinne it must needs sadden and offend the souls of all who rejoyced in his standing and possibly become a stumbling block and an occasion of falling unto them as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 15-21 1 Cor. 8 10-13 9. Against the souls of the wicked who are thereby hardened and encouraged Ezek. 16.54 when wicked men who possibly had some conflict and regret in their Consciences against those sinnes which their hearts hanker after observe holy men overtaken with them and indulge unto them like Benhadads servants they hastily catch at such an advantage and are emboldened by their example unto sin whose holy lives they neither love nor imitate Therefore of all people they who are called by Gods name and have him for their God should in special manner humble themselves before him for their sinnes as sins whereby he is in special manner grieved and dishonoured should above all others take heed of playing the wantons with divine grace for though God be a tender and a loving Father yet he may be an angry Father and who knoweth the power of his anger Psal. 90.11 though thou be a Son and an Heir of salvation yet thou mayest be Filius sub ira a son under displeasure and when thou art so thou wilt finde by sad ex perience that one frown of his Brow one stroke of his Rod hath infinitely more bitterness in it then there is sweetness in the pleasures of a thousand sinnes And since Gods own people do by their sins contribute unto publick Judgments they should be the more carefull to stand in the breach and to improve their interests in him for the procuring of renewed mercies to minde him of his gracious Covenant and of his Fatherly relation unto them as the Church doth Psal. 74.20 forget not the Congregation of the poor have respect unto thy Covenant Thou O Lord art our Father we are thine Isai.
27. and therefore must needs be exceeding acceptable because Gods own heart is towards them and his love upon them as the woman of Tekâ—a her petition for Absolom was easily granted by David because his heart was towards him before 2 Sam. 13.39 and 14.1 2. Lastly the Lord hath promised his holy Spirit of Fear Love Grace Adoption unto his people by the help of which they are preserved from the dangers whereunto of themselves they are exposed Ezek. 36.27 Isai. 59.21 upon these and such like grounds it appeareth That because God is righteous and faithfull in his Covenant therefore we remain escaped And if it be here objected that the Promises are usually set forth as conditionall The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land Isai. 1.19 He that believeth shall be saved Mark 16.16 Ioh. 3.16 except ye repent ye shall perish Luke 13.3 We answer 1. Promises are in some places made absolutely which in others are conditionally expressed as Heb. 13. I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever I will give them an heart to know me they shall be my people I will be their God they shall return unto me with their whole heart Ier. 24.7 If ye will obey my voice and keep my Covenant is a Condition in one place Exod. 19.5 a free promise in another ye shall keep my judgements and doe them Ezek. 36.27 The mercy of the Lord is towards them that fear him Psal. 103.11 There the fear of God is a condition I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me Ier. 32.39 there it is a free promise 2. The Lord doth not only give us good things under a condition but doth give the condition it self to his people compare Isai. 1.19 with Phil. 2.12 Acts 10.43 with Phil. 1.29 Ephes. 2.8 3. Precepts and Conditions are used as the vehicula of the grace promised Of our selves we can do nothing of those duties unto which Promises are annexed for all our sufficiency is of God who worketh all our works for us 2 Cor. 3.5 But the Precepts of the Word are the usual Instruments by which he worketh those things in us which he requireth of us Rom. 10.17 4 Conditionall Propositions do not imply that our performances work upon God to do what he had said as if the performance of duty were only ours and then the performance of promise alone his But they intimate the order and connexion which the Lord hath set amongst his own gifts some whereof he hath appointed to be antecedent dispositions and preparations towards others consequent upon them He that believeth shall be saved this is a conditional promise Faith the condition Salvation the Promise But we may not so understand it as if Faith were only ours and Salvation alone his But Faith is one Gift of God Antecedent to Salvation which is another Gift of God Now then since the Lord is righteous in all the wayes of his Judgements and secret providences we must for ever lay our Hand on our Mouth and put our Mouthes in the Dust and beware of Murmuring and Repining against him as if his wayes were not equall towards us Behold he taketh away who can hinder him who will say unto him what dost thou Iob 9.12 we may in our Prayers plead with God about his Judgements as Holy men have Jer. 12.1 Habak 1 2-4-13 But we may not quarrell at them nor murmure against them 2. When the Lord doth strangely vary his Providences towards a people and worketh unusuall changes and alterations among them stirreth up some helpes and then layeth them by calleth forth others and quickly revokerh them fitteth men for great actions and in the midst of those actions cutteth them off Our work here is not to censure either the Agent or the Instruments to charge the dealings of God either as unrighteous or as unreasonable but to reflect upon our selves and learn our unstedfastnesse in Gods Covenant by his diversifying of Providences towards us 1. Sometimes we over dote upon Instruments and deifie them as if God had no way to help us but one And then God breaks that Staffe when we lean too hard upon it to force us to leane upon his Name again 2. Sometimes we undervalue them and will not understand that God is doing us good by them as it is said of Moses Acts 7.25 and then God suspendeth his work which he was about to doe 3. Sometimes the hearts of the people are unprepared for mercies and then God doth not honour his Instruments with setling them Iehoshapbat was a good King yet he did not work a perfect Reformation the high places were not taken away and this the reason the people had not as yet prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers 2 Chron. 20 32 33. 4. Sometimes the guilt of old sinnes do remain uncleansed away as it is said of the iniquity of Baal-Peor Iosh 22.17 and in this case Instruments are too weak to divert wrath 2 Reg. 23.25 26. Never such a Reformation as Iosiah made about the eighteenth year of his reign and yet because the people returned but fainedly Ier. 3.10 within a few years after they were carried into Captivity Our Saviour was very near his Sufferings when they cryed Hosanna before him The Sun often shews biggest and shines brightest when it is ready to set The Candle blazeth most when it is in the Socket Many times dying men and it may be so with dying Churches have a lightning before death I speak not this to bode ill unto the Land of my nativity If any say it shal not be so but we shall still have Peace and Truth and Holiness flourish I will chearfully say as the Prophet did Ier. 28.6 Amen the Lord do so for this Land But withall happy is the man that feareth always Prov. 28.14 The sins of the people may weaken the hands of the best Instruments and make them unable to help us It is noted as a cause of wickedness that men have no changes Psal. 55.19 Ier. 48.11 But to be tossed and emptied and exercised with frequent alterations and our sent to abide in us still wanton under Mercies sullen under Judgements after all our Phisick to relapse after all that is come upon us again to break the Commandements this is a sad Symptome a great aggravation of our sin and justification of Gods Righteousness in all his dealings with us Again since the Lord is the God of his people and righteous to them in a way of mercy and fidelity We learn to acknowledge it a great Mercy and to glorifie God for it that we Remaine yet escaped that we may set up an Eben-Ezer and say thus far
be sought out of his people Psal 111.2 and improved to their own accompt Felt Judgements should mak them out of love with sin Renewed mercies should make them in love with God That which humbleth should heal them that which comforts should cure them that which amazeth should amend them 2. This is a strong Argument in Prayer for penitent sinners to use that God hath mercy in store even in a day of sin for his people that though we have trespassed against God yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 That though sin do ever forfeit mercy yet it doth not ever remove it though it do always provoke wrath yet it doth not always procure it how will mercy triumph in a day of repentance when so great provocations have not hitherto extinguished it how will fire break forth in dry wood when it hath prevailed against the green needs must that Jewel be glorious in the Sun which glisters in the Night This should exceedingly encourage us unto Repentance Doth the Lorld invite backsliding Israel doth he wait to be gracious to a secure people doth he pitty us in our blood and are his bowels kindled towards us when we compass him about with lies and deceit doth he look back with pitty upon a a denying Peter doth he speak pardon from Heaven unto a persecuting Paul doth he shew mercy on a Manasseh filling Ierusalem with blood and Idols doth he appear first unto Mary Magdalen out of whom he he had cast seven Devils O who would not be encouraged by such examples to fly for sanctuary from the wrath to come unto that mercy which hath snatched these as brands out of the fire The Lord keeps as open house for us as for them Isa. 55.1 Rev. 22.17 his mercy as abundant for any other penitents as for them Isa. 55.6 7 8. his call and invitation the same to us as to them Ioh. 7.37 38. The blood of Christ as effectuall for us as for them 1 Ioh. 2.2 They were set forth as examples to all that should after believe in him unto eternal life 1 Tim. 1.16 Only let us beware of profaning this comfort by persisting in our sins But follow the example of these penitents here though their sin had not removed Gods mercy yet Gods mercy did remove their sin They entred into a Covenant sware to the Lord gave their hands that they would put away their strange wives and separate themselves from the people of the Land Ezra 10.3 11 12 19. This is a Genuine work of true hope in mercy when it makes us purifie our selves 1 Ioh. 3.3 no man can hope for glory who is an enemy to Grace for glory is grace perfected and we can hope for nothing which we hate he that hates Grace doth not love Glory 3. We note that in solemn Humiliations there is a great Emphasis in these words As it is this day It is a circumstance greatly considerable The time wherein we have sinned and escaped Time greatly aggravates sin Exod. 8.32 Luke 19.42 Time greatly commends Mercy that God kept touch with his people to a very day Exod. 12.41 42. Therefore we should learn wisdome to improve time unto duty as it is said of the Children of Issachar that they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12.32 Who knoweth said Mordecai to Ester whether thou be come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Ester 4.14 Let us therefore wisely consider the condition of the times which God hath brought upon us Times of great and universal sickness and infirmity after he had not many moneths since upon Prayer removed such distempers in good part surely his anger is not turned away his hand is stretched out still because we have not unfeignedly turned unto him that smiteth us 2. Times of wonderfull changes and unsetledness many preparations and attempts to heal the breaches amongst us and many abortions and miscarriages in those attempts Honourable persons raised up by God to serve the Interests of the Nations and by his Providence laid down again And when the Lord had by his providence raised up this eminent Instrument now gone to him by whose great Wisdom accurate intelligence indefatigable vigilancy and special care we might probably have supposed that by degrees things would have wrought unto a composedness and settlement in the midst of great Actions and great Successes he likewise is suddenly taken away It is good to study the meaning of God in these things 1. That we should bewail our carnall confidence and learn to look up and to trust more in Him and less in man 2. To labour for hearts established by his grace that we may the more comfortably look for an outward establishment in order and peace for our settlement must begin in our hearts so long as our hearts are unsteadfast with God his dealings may be still in fluctuation and uncertainty towards us 3. To acknowledge notwithstanding these sad changes and concussions this great Mercy That we remain yet escaped that the Lord hath not yet said unto us that he would cast us off hath not exposed us to those flames and commotions which our sins have deserved but that yet we sit under our Vines and Fig-trees and none make us afraid Lastly to cast Anchor on the Rock of Ages and keep close to the Throne of Gace to secure his love and care of us his presence and Throne amongst us who never dies in whom there is everlasting strength to get firm holdfast of those Comforts which have nothing of Mortality nothing of Lubricity in them which will stay with us while we remain here to sweeten all the passages of our Pilgrimage and accompany us unto the presence of the Lord in whose presence is fulnesse of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are pleasures for ever more FINIS Vid. Serarium in Ios. 6. quaest 50. Pined de Rebus Solom lib. 7. cap. 4. 6 Ier. 3.5.31.19 Dan. 9.7 8. Luke 18.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Iliad 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Qâ—i sibi male vivendi licentiam iud â—gent totidem sunt Christiâ—nismi probra et maâ—ulae Calv. Opusc. de Scandalis Magna insanis est Evangeliâ— non credere cujus veritatem sanguis MartyruÌ„ Clamat prodigia probant ratio câ—â—firmâ—t mâ—ndus testatur Elementa loquuntur daemones confitentur Sed longâ— major Insâ—nia Si de Evangelii veritate non dubitas vivere tamen quosi de ejus falsitate non dubitates Io. Picus miraâ—dula Epist. Ab eterno per praedestinationem in aeternum per glorificationem Bernard Serm. 2. in Ascentionâ— Ante mundi constitutionem vidit nos fecit nos Emendavit nos misit ad nos Redemit nos Hoc ejus consilium manet in aeternum Aug. Ser. 2. in Psal. 32. Aug. de Grat. Lib. Arbit cap. 16. Dys Anchor ipse Remunerator operis ipse Remuneratio tota Bernard in Psal. 91. Ser. 9. Ille facit ut nos faciamus quâ— praecepit nos non facimus ut ilâ—e faciat quae promisit Aug. Ep. 143. Vid. Bradward de causa Dei lib. 1. cap. 23.24 25. Iuratione Dei firmata promissio Aug. de Civ dei lib. 16. cap. 32. Adeo Iustis omnis Cooperantur in Bonum ut etiam si qui corum deviant exorbitant etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia Humiliores redeunt atque doctiores Aug. de Corrept Grat. cap. 6. vid. de nat Grat. 28. An vero ei peccata ipsa non Cooperantur in Bonum qui ex eis humilior ferventior solicitior timoratior Cautior invenitur Bern. Scr. 1. de diversiâ— Vid. Camero de Eccles. pag. 120 -126 in 4 to Use 1. Ut totum Deodetur Hominis voluntatem bonam praparat adjuvandam adjuvat praeparatam Aug Enchirid. cap 32. Si Deus misereatur etiam volumus ad eaudem quippe Gratiam pertinet ut velimus Ad Simplicium Qu. 2. Epist. 106.