self as is above said it noteth out also 1. all that is or can be known concerning God by the reasonable creatour * Rom. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are his essentiall Attributes communicable and incommunicable Indeed they are all incommunicalbe to speak properly and as the thing is for they are infinitely otherwise in God then thy are in the creature in whom they are only by some 〈◊〉 resemblance and proportion These are his Simplenes Infinitenes Life Love Wisdome Power Holinesse Justice Goodnesse c. All which are but one in God for whatsoever is in God is God they are distinguished only for our better apprehension the Lord speaking to us of these things as divers one from another only in regard of our shallow capacities And this truth though we cannot so well comprehend yet we are bound to beleeve n Philip. 3.12 Credise vult Deus non examinari non judicari Aug. Our safest eloquence concerning God is our silence Hooker Deus sphaera est cujus centrum ubique peripheria nusquam Empedocles though we cannot subdue it to our understandings yet we must strive to be subdue unto it Here then think of God as one not to be thought of as one whose wisdome is his justice whose justice is his power whose power is his mercy and all himself Good without quality great without quantity everlasting without time present every where without place contayning all things and yet sustayn'd of nothing And here the well is deep and we want a bucket o Joh. 4.11 A wise ignorance therefore in these high points is better then a foolish wisdome It is sufficient here that we be of Gods Court thogh we be not of his Councel * We cansee but his back-parts and live and we need see no more that we may live But secondly Gods Name as it notes out the properties of God so his Ordinances also I mean all these means whereby he is pleased to manifest himself unto the world As 1. his works whether common to the world as Creation and providence the making and maintyning of all things by both which he may be groped out p Act. 17 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh in the dark or rather he is made visible q Rom. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot see the Sun in rota as the School-men speak that is in the eircle wherein it runs but only the beams of it No more can we see God in his essence you may see him in his word in his works c. Preston of Gods Attributes as the same Apostle saith elsewhere to the dimmest eye as the beams of the Sun are by reflection or as letters refracted and broken in a pair of spectacles And here in contemplating these generall works of God remember to tast the sweetnesse of God in the creature and to delight thy self more in a spirituall then in a naturall use of the same Secondly those works are Gods Name that are more proper and peculiar to the Church such as are Predestination Redemption Justification Sanctification c. Precious blessings and never enought thought upon and admired no though we should think upon nothing else all the dayes of our lives nay as long as the dayes of heaven shall last as that Martyr once said These are the works of God Secondly his word r Act. 9.15 Mal. 1.9 7 11 12 Micah 4.5 and all other means of salvation as the Sacraments Prayer discipline c. with whatsoever belongeth else to Christian religion is comprised under this Name of God Her 's a large field then of matter you see wherein you may freely and fruitfully expatiate and feed your thoughts with these sweetest varieties and most necessary pleasant profitable and excellent objects And to them that think upon these good things shall be mercy and truth ſ Prov. 14.22 SECT IX 2. For the manner of doing this duty well both for substance and circumstance BUt then secondly see as wel to the manner as matter of your meditaion For it is the manner that makes or marrs every action of religion and as a good garment may be marr'din the making so may a good duty in the doing The rules here to be observed if we would do this good work well concerne 1. the circumstances 2. substance of this service The circumstances are time and place For the time first there must be a taking heed lest at any time there be in us an evill heart of unbeleef to depart away from the living God t Heb. 3.12 But besides a continuall care of keeping alwayes a good conscience and communion with God and of raysing up the heart by occasionall meditation taken up from matters ever where occurring and offering themselves to our senses that may minde us of God as the spirituall mans fire will ever be aspiring Nehemiah u Neh. 2.2 for instance that man of ejaculations and much acquaintance with God But besides this I say there must be a set and solemn thinking upon Gods Name on sett purpose all the powers of the soul being concentricke and drawn into one point that we may attend upon God all the while as near as may be without distraction x 1 Cor. 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore I should judge it fit that some convenient portion of time should be redeemed from other occasions and purposely allotted and appointed for the better and more thorough discharge of this most necessary but yet much neglected duty Secondly for the place where we meditate let it be retired and secret for the preventing of distraction which else will certainly grow upon us by the singular policy and malice of the devil who taking all advantages of our carnality and knowing how near and familiar earthly things are to our senses how remote and supernaturall heavenly things y Prov. 24.7 he labours therefore all he can by outward objects to distract and divide * Divide regna Machia Anima dispersa fit minor the faculties of the soul by uncomely motions and impertinent thoughts so to slaken the earnestnesse of our affections and bereave us if possible of the benefit of our best meditations Retire we therefore into some secret place whensoever wee would meditate Peter did it upon the leads z Acts 10.9 Isaac in the field a Gen. 24 63 David in his closet b Psal 4.4 Jacob upon the high-way to Mesopotamia c Gen. 21.12 to whom therefore so good a day was followed with so sweet a night For he saw the blessed Angels climbing up and down that sacred ladder at the top whereof is the Father the whole length whereof is the Son the Spirit firmly fastning all such thereunto as duely meditated that they may bee transported unto blisse eternall Now in the next place for the substance of this duty let it be done in manner and form following First cheerfully for God
is not so yet with this sinfull nation that we are not yet a Loruhamah an Acheldama that we are not already as Sodom Esa 1.9 Zeph. 2.9 and like unto Gomorrah even a place of nettles and saltpits a perpetuall desolation as another prophet hath it we may well cry out O the depth the fathomlesse depth of Gods dear love to England Certain it is that we have hitherto subsisted by a miracle of his mercy and by a prop of his extraordinary patience Certain it is that God hath not dealt with England according to his ordinary rule but according to his prerogative royall England if one may so speak with reverence is a paradox to the Bible God grant that being lifted up to heaven with Capernaum in the abundance of blessings she be not brought down to hell by the abuse of them that God set not that sad impression of Loruhamah worse then any black Theta upon her and make her know the worth of his undervalued favours by the want of them why should it be said of us as once Anglica gens est optima flens et pessima ridens why should we provoke the Lord so long till he shall resolve upon an evill an onely evill i. e. without mixture of mercy Ezek. 7.5 till the decree bring forth Zeph. 2.2 and God pronounceth that fatall sentence against us that he did once against the old world Fiat justitia ruat mundus Let justice be done though the world be thereby undone Of all Gods Attributes he can least abide an abuse in his mercy Gods mercy is precious saith one and he will not let it run out to wast he will not be prodigall of it There is a time wherein God will say now I have done I have even done with this people mercy hath had her turn c. I will not alwayes serve them for a sinning-stock but will take another course with them I will take my own and be gone and woe be unto them when I depart from them When the sun is eclipsed all creatures fade and flag here below Thou hiddest thy face Lord and I was troubled Psal 30.7 David could not live but in the light of Gods countenance he begs for mercy every where as for life never did poor prisoner at the bar beg harder for a psalm of mercy then he doth Psal 51.1 and other where Neither would common mercies content him he must have such as are proper and peculiar to Gods own people even the sure mercies of David Oh make sure of mercy what ever you go without And the rather because there are a race of Loruhamahs a sort of such amongst men as are excluded from mercy God is not mercifull to any wicked transgressours Psal 59.5 that go on in their trespasses Psal 68.21 that allow them and wallow in them That last letter in Gods name had need to be well remembred Exod. 32.7 He will by no meanes clear the guilty And that terrible text should never be forgotten by those that are obstinate in an evill course and bless themselves when God curseth them Deut. 29.19.20 See the note there Gods mercy goes oft-times in Scripture bounded by his truth and as the same fire hath burning heat and cheerfull light so hath God plagues for the obstinate and mercy for the penitent Surely as he is pater misevationum the father of mercies so he is Deus ultionum the God of vengeances as he hath vbera so he hath verbera treasures of punishments for those especially that kick at his bowels that despise his long-sufferance that argue from love to liberty which is the Divels logick Cavete a Melampygo But I will utterly take them away Tollendo tollam So Calvin renders it and further tels us that some render it Comburam I will burn them and indeed war is fitly compared to fire that cruel element and to extream famine Isaia 9.19.20 The vulgar latine translateth it Obliviscendo obliviscar I will utterly forget them and that 's punishment enough as when one carried himself insolently toward the State of Rome a grave Senator gave this counsel Let us forget him and he will soon remember himself Woe be to those to whom Christ shall say Verily I know you not I have utterly forgot you Mercer rendreth it Levabo id est projiciam I will lift them up that I may throw them down againe with the greater poise The Seventy hath I will set my self against them in battell array Now the Lord is a man of war Exod. 15.4 yea he is the Lord and Victor of wars as the Chaldee there paraphraseth But what meant the Chaldee here to render this text by Parcendo parcam eis Sparing I will spare them is not this point-blank against Loruhamah How much better Tremellius ut ullo-pacto condonem-ist is that I should any way forgive them Have I not pardoned them enough already may I not well by this time be weary of repenting I will even break off my patience and forbear to punish no longer I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling woman who bites in her paine as long as she is able I will destroy and devour at once I will I will Isa 42 1â— The ten tribes never returned out of captivity unless it were some few of them that came up with the other two tribes out of Babylon Ezr. 2. by the appointment of Cyrus and some others that fled home when Nineveh where they were held captive was destroyed But for the generality of them whether they abide in China or Tartary or West-Indies I cannot tell you Parcus rendreth it Nam tolerando toleravi eos for I have a long while born with their evill manners And surely Subito tollitur Aug. qui diu toleratur as an Ancient saith Gods patience will not alwayes hold c. Vers 7. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah The Ark and the mercy seate were never separated Judah had not utterly cast off God as Israel had but worshipped God in the Temple how corruptly soever therefore they shall have mercy because they kept the right way of worship See the Churches plea for mercy to this purpose Jer. 14.9 Againe Judah was now in a very great straight having been lately beaten and plundered by Israel 2. King 4.12 therefore they shall have mercy God heard Hagars affliction and relieved her I have seen I have seen the sufferings of my people in Egypt saith God Exod. 2 and am come to ease them Because they have called thee an outcast saying This is Zion whom no man looketh after therefore I will restore health unto thee and I will heale thee of thy wounds saith the Lord Jer. 30.17 He will repent for his people when he seeth their power is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is dignus vindice nodus an extremity fit for divine power to interpose He knowes that mercy is never so
Chap. 3.4 where he interprets this Text shall abide many dayes without a King and without Princes and without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim that is without any forme of civil Government and without any exercise of true yea or of false religion What a comfort was it to good David in his banishment and after the slaughter of the Priests by Saul even fourscore and five persons that did wear a linnen Ephod 1 Sam. 22.18 that Abiathar the son of Abimelech came down to him to Keilah with an Ephod in his hand and that thereby he could enquire of God what to do as he did 1 Sam. 23.6 1 Sam. 30.7 And what a grief and misery to Saul that God had forsaken him in those visible pledges of his favour and would not be found of him Hence he lay all open and naked to his enemies who now might do what they would to him and none to hinder them This also was the case and condition of the people when Aaron by making the golden Calf at their command had made the people naked unto their shame amongst their enemies Exod. 32.25 that is destitute of Gods powerfull protection and deprived of their former priviledges A people or a person may sin away their happinesse and forfeit the favours they formerly enjoyed An hypocrite may lose his gifts and common graces as that idle and evil servant did his talent his light may be put out in obscure darknesse See Ezech. 43.11 17. with the Note and set her as in the day that she was born Not onely nudam tanquam ex matre Naked as ever she was born The Albigenses in France those old Protestants were turned out stark-naked both men and women at the taking of Carcasson by the command of the Popish Bishop and so were thousands of good Christians by the bloody Rebels in Ireland now alate but as she was born of the Amorite and Hittite her navel was not cut her birth-blot was not washed in water nay shee was cast out into the open field and no eye pitied her as the Princesse did Moses and as the shepherdesse did Romulus and Remus See all this and more most elegantly set out Ezek. 16. together with what high honour and sumptuous ornaments God did put upon her verse 11 12. What this people were in the day of their nativity Ioshuah telleth them in part Chap. 24.2 Your father 's dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor and served other gods And I took your father Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees as a brand out of that fire c. and gave him Isaacâ— And I gave unto Isaac Iacob who together with his children went down into Egypt where they fell to the worshipping of Idols Ezek. 16.26 And although they were there held under miserable servitude yet they continued exceeding wicked and abominable The fire of their afflictions seemed to harden their hearts as much as the fire of the furnace did the bricks they made Hence as they hardened their hearts God hardened his hand and had hastened their destruction had it not been that he had seared the wrath of the enemy lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely Deut. 32 27. and lest they should say our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Psal 107.8 The Psalmist was sensible of all this therefore saith Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea even at the Red sea Neverthelesse he saved them for his Names sake c. And what was it else but the respect to his own great Name and the remembrance of his holy covenant that moved the Lord to premonish this perverse people of their present danger and not to suffer his whole wrath to arise against them and to rush in upon them without a Ne forte Am. 4.12 lest I set her as in the day c. The esoâ—e thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God with intreaties of peace lest your house be left unto you desolate Luc. 21. least wraâ—h seise upon you and that without remedy And make her as a wilderness after that â— have brought her out of a wildernesse and set her in a land that floweth with milk and hony God can quickly curse our blessings and destroy us after that he hath done us good See this excellency set forth Isay 5.5 and Jer. 17.5.6 Psal 107.34 Zech. 7.14 with the Note there and take heed lest living in gods good land but not by Gods good lawes we forfeit all into his hand and he take the forfeiture For he had rather that wild beasts should devour the good of a land yea that Satyres and devils should dance there then that wicked and stubborn sinners should enjoy it If Philip of Spain could say he had rather have no subjects then Lutheran subjects And if the Councell of Tholouse out of a like blind zeale for propagating Popery did decree that the very house should be pâ—lled down in qua fuerit inventus baereticus wherein an heretick as they then called Gods true servants waâ— found How much more shall the King of heaven the righteous judg root out and pluck up a rabble of rebels that refuse to be ruled by him Idolatry is a Land-desolating sin and brings in the devouring sword Judg 5.8 1. Joh. 5.21 Psal 78.58.59.62 Jer. 22.7.8.9 Cavete ab Idolis And slay them with thirst Surgit hic oratio surgit afflictio To be slame with thirst is a grievous judgment Lysimachus parted with his kingdome for a draught of water in a dry land and made himself of a great King a miserable Captive to the King of Getes Darius slying from his enemies Plut. was glad to drink of a dirty puddle that had carrion lying in it professing that it was the sweetest draught that ever he drank in his life Dives would have given all that ever he was worth for a drop of cold water The members infeebled for want of due moisture seek to the veynes for relief the veines to the liver the Liver to the Entrals the Entials to the ventricle â—he ventricle to the orifice But these being not abâ—e to impart what they cannot receive One he cryes Father Abraham But hospitable Abraham hath it not to him Rab. Samuel fire and brimstone storme and tempest is now the portion of his cup extream thirst is a piece of Hels pains Act. Mon. fol. 1547. and one of the greatest of earths miseries A dear servant of God in Queen Maries dayes kept and pined in prison would faine have drunk his own water but for want of nour shmâ—nt could make none Inward refreshings he had even those divine consolations of the maâ—tyâ—s he drank of the
river of Gods pleasures Psal 26.8 which cast him into a sweet slâ—â—â— at which time one clad all in white seemed to stand before hâ—m and to say Samuel Samuel be of good cheer for after this day tho shâ—â—t never be hungry or thirsty more for soon after this he was buried and from that time till he should suffer he felt neither hunger nor thirst as himself declared though he were kept by the cruel B of Norwich with 2. or 3. morsels of bread every daâ— and thâ—ee spoonfuls onely of water Mercer expounds this text of spirituall thiâ—st the same that was foretold by Amos. Am. 8 Ideoque subdit vers 4. saith Oecolampadius and therefore God addeth in the next verse that he will not have mercy upon her childrer but will kill them with death huâ—â— them to hell as he threateneth to do Jesâ—bel's children Ren. 2.23 Oh when the poor soul shall be in a wildernesse in a dry and thirsty land scorched and parched with the sense of sin and feare of wrath when the terrours of God fall thick upon it even the invenomed arrowes of the Almighty Besides the bufferings of Satan that haile shot hell-shot of fiery darts Eph. 6. so called for the dolour and distemper they work in allusion to the poisoned darts used in war by the Scythyans and other nations the venemous heat whereof is like a fire in the flesh when conscience I say shall by this means lie burning and boyling what would it not gieve for a cup of consolation Phil. 2.1 Gen. 16.14 Judg. 15.19 yea for any consolation in Christ as the Apostle hath it for any Beer-lahai-roi to fill the bottle at yea for any En-haccore any cleft in a jaw-bone to revive a thirsty Sampson that must else be slaine with thirst David never so desired after the water of the well of Bethlehem as he did after God in a dry and thirsty land where no water was Psal 63.1 As the hunted Hart the Hind saith the Septuagint panteth after the water-brookes so panteth or brayeth my soul after thee My soul thirsteth for God c. Oh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 42 1.2.3 when shall I come and appear before God The tears have been my meat c. Hunters say the Hart sheds tears or somthing like when hotly pursued and cannot escape He is a beast thirsty by nature and whose thirst is much increased when he is hunted The female especially in whom the passions are stronger then in males Christ that Aicleth Shachar that is the morning-Hart or stagg as he seemeth to be stiled Psal 22.1 in the title felt his soul heavie to the death in his bitter agony and tasted so deep of that dreadfull cup that in a cold winter night he swat great clods of blood which through cloths and all fell down to the ground And when this lamb of God was even a roasting in the fire of his fathers wrath he cryed out I thirst At which time men gave him cold comfort even vineger to drink but God his Father most sweetly supported him so that he might better say then David In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me thy comforts have refreshed my soul But what shall those poore creatures do that are strangers to the promises and have no water of the well of life to relieve them when Gods wrath is as a fire in their bones and falleth upon their flesh like molten-lead or running-bell-mettle Then they that have suckt in sin as an Ox sucks in water shall suck the gall of aspâ— and venom of vipers and have none to pitty them Francis Spira fele this spirituall thirst c. Verse 4. And I will not have mercy upon her children Lo here another And to those foure afore and more dreadfull then the rest Like as that in the 16. of Jeremy vers 13. where I will not shew you favour was worse to them then their captivity in a strange countrey Say that God do cast off his people yet if he say Ezek. 7.5 they shall be as if I had not cast them off and will hear them Zech. 10.6 the affliction is nothing so great as when he sends an evill an onely evill without mixture of mercy as here Oh this pure wrath this judgment without mercy must needs be very heavy when it is once grown to hatred there is little hope Hos 9.15 All their wickednesse is in Gilgal for there I hated them God is not of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hater of mankind but the contrary Titus 3.4 But such is the venemous nature of sin and so contrary it is to Gods both holy nature and just law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he cannot but hate it in whomsoever he finds it yet with this difference that he pitties it rather in his Saints hates it in his enemies as we hate poyson in a toad but we pitty it in a man because in the one it is their nature in the other their disease And as revenge is the next effect of hatred wicked men may expect no better dealing from God then a man would afford to his stubborn enemy Pharoah had plague upon plague neither did the Lord leave him till he had dasht the breath out of his body so true is that of the Psalmist Psal 18. With the froward thou wilt wrestle and that of Solomon The back slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes He hath made a match with mischief he shall have his belly-full of it Prov. 14 He would needs have his own way and had it for I would have purged him but he would not be purged Now I will have my way another while for thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Ezek. 24.13 So our Saviour to those refractory Jewes in the Gospell I would have gathered thee as the hen gathereth her chickens I would but thou wouldst not therefore they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee And I will not have mercy upon her children Lo God is so incensed by a generall defection that he will make havock and destroy even the mother with the children which was Jacobs great fear Gen. 32.11 yea he will dash the mother in pieces upon the children as Shalman did at Betharbel Hos 10.14 he will put young and old into the same bag together as fowlers deal by birds which yet was forbidden by a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qualis mater talis filia Partus sequitur ventrem Deut. 22.6 his eyes shall not spare children as Isai 13.19 And why For they are the children of whoredoms They are maliex malis as Hierom interprets it they love and live in the adulteries of their mother they take after her as the birth usually followeth the belly and as in a Syllogisme the conclusion followes the weaker proposition Those Jewes in the Gospel boldly boasted
fulfilled at the restitution of all things which they make to be at the time of the call of the Jewes But when I find Nebuchadnezzar and other enemies of the Church to be called Lions Leopards Wolves c. as Jerem. 5.6 and elswhere I cannot but think that these might be here meant in part at least Virg. ponentque ferocia Poeni Corda volente Deo according to Peters vision Act. 10. and that God will so meeken the spirits of his converts that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all his holy mountain Esay 11.9 The literall sense is very good I grant but yet it is still to be taken as all such promises are 1. with exception of the cross here 2. with expectation of the full accomplishment hereafter in the state of perfection And I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth These words seem to be opposed to that threat Chap. 1.5 I will break the bowe of Israel c. And it is as if he should say After that I have broken their power and tamed their pride by the enemies forces then I will punish those enemies and so take order with them that they shall not hurt my people by any of their hostilities Lo peace is a piece of Gods Covenant and covenant-mercies are very sweet when all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 Not mercy onely but truth too that comes by vertue of a covenant Mark what God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ishmael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac And in the same Chapter Divines observe that in ten verses thereof God repeateth his Covenant which he made with Abraham thirteen times to note thus much that that was the mercy indeed that must satisfie Abraham in all his troubles sorrows and afflictions For the Covenant of Gods peace shall not be removed no not when the mountains shall depart and the hils be removed Esay 54.10 The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psal 29.11 and will make them to lie down safely Being gathered under my wings they shall repose themselves upon my power and providence committing themselves to me in well-doing All true and solid security whether inward or outward all true peace whether of countrey or of conscience floweth from Gods favour Psal 3. 4. Hence the Apostle wisheth grace and peace and the Angels sang Ephes 1.2 Luke 2 14. Deut. 33.16 Glory be to God on high and peace on earth even the peace of good-will toward men the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush The Lord is with me saith David I will not fear what man can do unto me I will sleep and wake and wake and sleep again Psal 3. for the Lord sustaineth me No wonder I slept so soundly and safely said King Philip when Antipater watched me Abner watched not so well when David fetcht away Sauls spear and pitcher and was barely told of it Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.5 Lev. 26.5 Psal 116.7 Ishbosheth was slain whiles he slept The Saints go ever under a double guard the peace of God within them and the power of God without them and may therefore in utramque aurem dormire lie down safely See Ier. 23.6 call their souls to rest Verse 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever This because it could not be easily beleeved is thrice repeated We beleeve not what ever men may dream to the contrary without much ado and many conflicts When faith goes about to lay hold on Christ the devils raps her on the fingers and would beat her off Hence she is fain to take great pains for it to work hard for her living The Apostle speaks more then once of the work of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 1.3 and 2 Epist 1.11 And it is no lesse difficult say Divines to beleeve the Gospel then to fulfill the Law No man can come unto the Son except the Father draw him the soul naturally hangs back and had as lief put off its immortality as put on Christ Joh. 6. The devil also doth his utmost to hinder The contest was not so great betwixt Michael and him concerning Moses his dead Body as it is here betwixt the beleever and him concerning Christs living body And should not God mightily assist the businesse would never be done Hence faith is called the faith of Gods power Tarnan Col. 2.12 the faith of his operation and what an Almighty power God doth therein put forth is elegantly described by the Apostle in that sixfold gradation Ephes 1.19 which shews it to be more then a morall swasion Betroth thee I will I will I will saith God here and some think the Sacred Trinity is here though darkly according to the manner of those times brought in betrothing the Church in this trina repetitio And mark that he doth not say I will be reconciled unto thee and receive thee again after thy foul-playes with me for Reconciliationes ferè sunt vulpinae amicitiae inter homines Men are seldom reconciled heartily but I will espouse thee marry thee unto me and that for ever I will null the Bill of divorce love you no lesse then if you had continued true to me or were now a pure Virgin Quis hanc Dei bonitatem dignè collaudet saith Drusius Who can sufficiently set forth this goodnesse of God When God once pardoneth sin he will remember it no more he will not come with back-reckonings Discharges in justification are never repealed or called in again Peccata non redeunt is a true axiom and it is no lesse true that peccata non minuunt justificationem God can pardon sins of all sizes and assoon disperse the thick cloud as the cloud Esay 44.22 See the matchlessnesse of his mercy to a repenting adulteresse Jer. 3.5 What greater love can he shew to her then to marry her again and rejoyce over her as a bridegroom rejoyceth over his bride Esay 62.5 Yea to rest in his love and to joy over her with singing Zeph. 3.17 and to do this for ever as it is here promised so that there shall be no more breach of conjugall love and communion for ever betwixt them Ama amorem illius Oh love this love of his saith Bernard and reciprocate And as the wife will keep her bed onely for her husband saith Mr. Bradford Martyr although in other things she is content to have fellowship with others Acts Mon. fol. 1503. as to speak sit eat drink go c. so our consciences which are Christs wives must needs keep the bed that is Gods sweet promises alonely for our selves and our husband there to meet together to embrace and laugh together and to be joyfull together If sin the law the devil or any thing would creep into the bed and lie there then complain to thine husband
Christ and forthwith thou shalt see him play Phineas part And again if Satan should summon us saith he to answer for our sinnes or debts in that the wife is no sutable person but the husband we may well bid him enter his action against our husband Christ and he will make him a sufficient answer Thus Mr. Bradford in a certain letter of his unto a friend In righteousnesse and in judgement in loving kindnesse c. These are the gems of that ring that Christ bestoweth upon his Spouse saith Mercer These are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or love-tokens that Christ the Bridegroom giveth to his Bride the Church saith Tarnonius Here he promiseth to performe to her and to work in her all those offices and requisites due from married couples in that estate the one to the other God will both justifie her by the imputation or Chriâ—â—s righteousnesse and sanctifie her by the spirit of judgement that is or sanctification See John 16.10 11. Matth. 12.20 and the Note there And because the best have their frailties and although they be vessels of honour yet are they but earthen vessels and have their flawes their cracks therefore it is added I have betrothed thee unto me in loving-kindnesse and in mercies q. d. My heart and wayes towards you shall be full of gentlenesse and sweetnesse without moâ—osity or harshnesse My loving-kindnesse shall be great Neh. 9.17 marvellous great Psal 31.21 Excellent Psal 36.7 Everlasting Esay 54.8 Mercifull Psal 117.2 Multitudes of loving-kindnesse Psal 36.5 Esay 63.7 as for my mercies or bowels of compassion towards you they are incomprehensible as having all the dimensions Ephes 3.18 Thy mercy O God reacheth unto the heavens there 's the height of it Great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowermost hell there is the depth of his mercy Psal 86.13 The earth is full of thy goodnesse there is the breadth of it All the ends of the earth have seen thy salvation there is the length of it O pray to see that blessed sight Ephes 1.18 and 3.18 that beholding as in a glasse this glory of the Lord shining bright in his Attributes you may be transformed into the same image 2 Cor. 3.18 from glory to glory and as in water face answereth to face as lead answereth the mould as tally answereth tally Indenture indenture so may we resemble and expresse the Lord our Husband in righteousnesse holinesse loving-kindnesse tender mercies and faithfulnesse that as the woman is the image and glory of the man so may we be of Christ For our encouragement it must be remembred that the Covenant that Christ maketh with us is a double Covenant to performe his part as well as ours to make us such as he requiretâ— us to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse for which end also we have a â—uplicaâ— of his Law written in our hearts Jer. 31.33 a law in our mind answerable to the law of his mouth Rom. 7.23 In a word he graciously undertaketh 〈…〉 parts therefore is the Covenant everlasting and the fruits of it are sure merâ—â— compassions that fail not In foedere novo nihil potest incidere quo miniss sit â—â—â—raum quum non sit ei adjecta conditio saith Mercer upon this Text that is In the new Covenant there can nothing fall out whereby it should not be everlasting sith there is no condition required on our part That faith or faithfulnosse mentioned in the next verse God requireth not as a mutual restipulation of our part as works were in the old covenant But here it is rather a declaration of his pleasure what he would have us to do and whereto he will enable us It is not a condition to endanger the Covenant but an assurance that he will give us strength to keep it Verse 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse Tremellius Drusius and Tarnonius render it in fide in faith and interpret it of de fide vera et salvifica of that true justifying faith whereby we are united to Christ And for this they urge the next words as an Exposition of these And they shall shall know the Lord alledging some other texts of Scripture wherein saving knowledge is put for justifying faith as Esay 53.11 Jer. 31.33 Job 17.3 The Septuagint also render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tarnou in exer cit Biblic See Master Dugards treatise called The change Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the New Testament is oft used for saving and growing faith Tit. 1.1 Col. 2.1 and 3 10. which indeed is the bond of the spirituall marriage and is it self nothing else but a fiduciall assent presupposing knowledge For man is a rationall creature faith a prudent thing comprehending in it self these three acts 1 knowledge in the understanding 2. Assent or rather Consent in the Will 3. Trust or confidence in the heart certainty of Adherence if not of Evidence The Papists fasten faith in the will as in the adaequate subject that they may the mean while do what they will with the understanding and the heart To which purpose they exclude all knowledge detest Trust in Christs promises expunging the very name of it every where by their Indices Expurgatorij A blind belief as the Church beleeves is as much as they require of their misled and muzzled Proselytes Bellarmine saith that faith may far better be defined by ignorance then by knowledge But how shall men beleeve on him of whom they have not heard Let us leave to the Papists their implicit faith and their blind obedience and cry after Christ as that poor man did Lord that mine eyes might be opened and that I may know the Lord yea grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ These things have I written unto you saith Saint John to those that were no Babyes or Zanyes in faith or knowledge that beleeve on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may yet more beleeve in the Son of God 1 John 5.13 David though he had proceeded further in the discovery of Divine truthes then those before him Psal 119.99 yet he was still to seek of that which might be known ver 96. Even as those great discoverers of the new-found lands in America were wont to confesse at their return that there was still a Plus-ultra more yet to be discovered Vers 21. And it shall come to passe in that day In that time of grace and reconciliation fitly set forth by the name of a day in regard of 1 Revelation 2 Adornation 3 Consolation 4 Distinction 5 Speedy Preterition I will hear saith the Lord of Hosts that is I that have the command of both the upper and nether springs and forces Sun Moon Stars c. Deut. 4.9 those storehouses of Gods good treasure which he openeth to our profit Deut. 28.12 and therehence makes a
Pekah as he had done Pekahiah Menahem killed Shallum as Shallum had done Zacharias so true is that of the Poet Ad generum Cereris sine caede sanguine pauci Descendunt Reges Juvenal siccâ morte tyranni What got most of the first Caesars by their adoption or designation to the Empire Nisi ut citius interficerentur but to be killed so much the sooner All or most of them till Constantine died unnaturall deaths As afterwards Phocas the traytour killed the good Emperour Mauritius stewing him in his own broth Heraclius slew Phocas putting him to a shamefull and tormentfull death c. Conradinus King of Germany and Duke of Sweveland was beheaded by Charles King of Naples and Sicily Balthas exner Val. Max. Christian. pag. 274. and the heads-man presently beheaded by another ne extaret qui jactaret tam generosum sanguinem à se effusum saith mine Authour that there might not be any left to boast that he had spilt so noble blood Our Richard the third Daniels hist 249. that bloody and deceitfull man is said to have used the instruments of his cruell plots his cut-throats I mean as men do their candles burn the first out to a snuffe and then having lighted another tread that under-foot Faux that fatall actor of the intended Powder-tragedy should have been thus rewarded by his brethren in evil had the plot taken effect It is that famous and never to be forgotten fifth of November 1651. wherein I writ these lines And therefore in way of thankfulnesse to our ever-gracious Deliverer I here think good to set down the relation as Mr. John Vicars in his Quintessence of cruelty or Poem of the popish Powder-plot hath declared it to the world as he had it from Mr. Clement Cotton the Composer of the English Concordance who also received it from Mr. Pickering of Titsmarsh-grove in North-hampton-shire and it is thus This Mr. Pickering being in great esteem with King Iames had an horse of speciall note on which he used to hunt with the King This horse was borrowed of him a little before the blow was to be given by his brother in law Keyes one of the Conspiratours and conveyed to London for a bloody purpose which thus was plotted Faux on the day of the fatall blow was appointed to retire himself to St. Georges-fields where this said horse was to attend him to make his escape so soon as the Parlament-house was blowen up It was likewise contrived that the said Mr. Pickering noted for a Puritan should be that very morning murthered in his bed and secretly conveyed away As also that Faux himself should have been murthered in St. Georges-fields and there so mangled and cut in pieces as that it might not be discovered who he was Whereupon it was to be bruited abroad that the Puritans had blown up the Parliament-house And the better to make the world beleeve so there was Mr. Pickering with his horse ready to make an escape but that God stirred up some who seeing the hainousnesse of the fact and he ready to escape by flight in detestation of so horrible a deed fell upon him and killed him and so had hackt him in pieces And yet to make it to be more apparant to be so indeed there was his horse found also which was of speciall speed and swiftnesse to carry him away and upon this rumour as massacre should have gone thorow the whole Kingdome upon the Puritans But when this plot thus contrived was confest by some of the Conspiratours and Faux in the Tower was made acquainted with it who had been born in hand to be bountifully rewarded for that his service in the Catholike cause when he saw how his ruine was contrived he also thereupon confessed freely all that he knew touching that horrid and hideous conspiracie which before all the torture of the rack could not force him to The truth of all this is attested by Mr. William Perkins an eminent Christian and Citizen of London who had it from the mouth of Mr. Clement Cotton which I could not but here insert as coming to my minde and Pen on the very day whereon 46. years since it should have been acted when my self was but four yeers of age and it being the utmost that I can remember but if ever I forget let my right hand forger her cunning Remember O Lord these children of Edom Psal 134.5 7 8. c. these Romish Edomites Esauites Jesuites who said Rase it Rase it even to the foundation O daughter of Babylon c. The Rabbines call the Romists Edomites they interpret the mount of Esau Obad. ver 21. to be meant of Rome and well they may for their blood-guiltinesse for which they are hated of God Psal 5.6 Who cannot but remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their sins as a cart-rope have reached up to heaven Rev 18.5 there having been a concatenation or a continued series of them as the Greek there imports and as some here interpret blood touching blood according to Esay 1.15 Your hands are full of blood And Chap. 4.4 The filth of the daughter of Zion and the blood of Jerusalem This sence the Chaldee Paraphrase maketh The Septuagint with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mingle blood with blood seem to understand it of incestuous matches and mixtures forbidden Levit. 18.6 and yet avowed by David George and his disciples and practised in the Court of Spain by Papall dispensation Verse 3. Therefore shall the land mourn Here the Lord proceeds to give sentence and it is dreadfull indeed Lugebit terra languebit incola c. You will not mourn therefore your land shall the ugly face of your sin shall appear in the miserable desolation of your Countrey There is no truth mercy or knowledge of God in your land which even groans under your burden the axeltree thereof being ready to break therefore it shall be eased of you by my sore and great and strong sword which shall soon make work amongst you and lay all wast And as Gods red horse of warre is followed by the black horse of famine and that blace one by the pale horse of pestilence Rev. 6.4 5 8. so shall it be here As by swearing and lying c. you have broke out so shall my whole wrath break out upon you as mighty torrent As blood hath touched blood so punishment shall follow hard upon sin for these two are knit together with chains of Adamant saith the Poet. if thou do evil sin lies at the door saith God Gen. 4.7 that is supplicium imminet idque proximum praesentissimum saith Junius there Evil shall hunt the wicked man to destroy him his sin shall find him out as a blood-hound and haunt him as an hell-hag Where iniquity breaks-fast calamity will be sure to dine to sup where it dines and to lodge where it sups No sooner had man sinned but the earth was cursed for his sake Gen. 3.17
shall break his clods Judah doth the worst of the work and suffers more hardship in the wayes of my worship and is held under by Israel as appeareth in the second book of Kings chap. 10.16 c. Jacob that is the ten Tribes did onely break the clods or harrow which is the lighter work and should therefore have been done with more delight But they love to take their ease and onely follow after their pleasure and profit and though taught to plow yet like it not because laborious no though they have Judah for an example of better Verse 12. Sowe to your selves in righteousnesse reap in mercy Righteousnesse is a sure seed a precious grain which those that sowe and every action of our life is a sowing shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing and bring their sheaves with them Psal 126.6 Onely they must not look to sowe and reap all in one day as one saith of the Hyperborean people far North that they sowe shortly after the Sun-rising with them and reap before the Sun-set that is because the whole half year is one continuall day with them The Church is Gods husbandry Heresbach de re rust 1 Cor. 3.9 the seed is the Word of God Luke 8.11 Ministers are Gods husband-men harvest-men Matth. 9.37 38. the plough Luke 9.62 plough-staff Luke 13.8 axe Mat. 3.10 are the Lawes threatnings the fruit-causing rain are the promises of the Gospel Esay 55.10 11. faith that works by love are the fruits the last day the harvest Mat. 13.39 40 41. Then at utmost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that sowe bountifully or in blessings as the Greek hath it shall reap bountifully 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth seemeth to cast away his seed but if he sowe in locis irriguis as Eccles 11. 1. Ezek. 34.26 upon fat and fertile places he knowes he shall receive his own with usury In some parts of Egypt where the river Nilus overfloweth they do but throw in their seed and they have four rich harvests in lesse then four moneths S. H. Blounts voyag 77. Oh sowe bountifully the seeds of piety and charity into Gods blessed bosome and then be sure to reap plentifull mercy in thy greatest necessity reap in the month of mercy as the Originall here hath it that is according to the measure of divine mercy see Levit. 27.16 Exod. 16.16 proportionably to the infinitenesse of Gods mercy Now the Scripture hath three notable words to expresse the fulnesse of Gods mercy in Christ to those that sowe in righteousnesse Ephes 2.7 the abundant riches of his grace that are cast in over and above Rom. 5.20 The grace of God hath been more then exceeding there 's a second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of God was exceeding abundant It had a pleonasme before yea but here 's a superpleonasme here 's good measure pressed down Luk. 6.38 shaken together and running over shall God give into mens bosomes Like as when a poor man asked Mr. Fox for an alms he finding him religious gave him his horse Or as Alexander gave one that craved some small courtesie of him a whole citie And when the poor man said It was too much for him to receive yea Non quaero quid te accipere deceat sed quid me dare Sen. de benef l. 2. c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not for me to give said he So God giveth liberally and like himself Jam. 1.5 He doth not shift off his suiters as once a great Prince did a bold begging Philosopher He asked a groat of him and the king told him it was too little for a king to give He requested the king then to give him a talent the king replied It was too much for a begger to crave Certain it is that God in his spirituall blessings and mercies to us is wont to regard not so much what is fit for his to ask or expect as what standeth with his goodnesse and greatnesse to bestow If Israel had a hundred-fold increase of his seed those that sowe to themselves in righteousnesse Gen. 26 1◠by doing and suffering Gods will shall have much more Even an hundred-fold here and eternall life hereafter Matth. 19.29 so great a gain is godlinesse so sure a grain is righteousnesse who would not then turn spirituall seeds-man break up your fallow ground sc of your hearts that ye sowe not among the thornes Jee 4.3 The breaking up of sinfull hearts is a singular meanes to prevent the breaking down of a sinfull nation Hence the Prophet though almost out of hope of any good to be done upon his desperate countreymen resolves to try one more exhortation to them and as in the morning he had sowed his seed Eccles 11.6 so in the evening he with-holdeth not his hand for who can tell whether it may not prosper and whether in the midst of threats they might not suffer a word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 and whether it might not leave some impression being delivered in few words Sowe therefore saith he to your selves in righteousnesse c. but first break up your fallow ground Innovate vobis novale Repent and be renued in the spirit of your mindes in spirit and speech in mindes and manners in constitution and conversation in the purpose of your hearts and practise of your lives Old things are past 2 Cor. 5.17 let all things become new turn up the turf stock up and stub up the roots and weeds get into Christ and become a new creature Till this be done men are in an undone condition though they should spend their whole time in gathering up pearls and jewels for it is time to seek the Lord High time sith your souls lie upon it Plowmen we know are carefull to take their time so are all others wise enough in their generation The wayfaring-man travelleth while it is light The Seafaring-man takes his opportunity of winde and tide The Smith smites whiles the iron is hot The Lawyer takes his terme-time to entertaine Clients dispatch suits The men of Issachar were in great account with David because they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12.32 so are they with God that regard and use the seasons of grace that seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Esay 55.6 that put in the plough set upon the practise of repentance after a showre when the heart is best affected after God by his Word and Spirit hath taught so some render the Text or rained righteousnesse upon them Rain comes from heaven so doth every good and perfect giving Rain poures down plentifully Psal 68.9 thou didst send a plentifull rain on thine inheritance so do the showres of righeousnesse on good hearts Not a drop of rain falls in vain or in a wrong place but by a divine decree Job 28.26 so here Seek it in time and we shall not fail
once said Judg. 9.29 Vbi est Rex tuus ubinam nunc servit te c. Where is the king where is he let him now save thee in all thy cities so Polanus rendreth it Can they save thee who cannot save themselves It is a Sarcasticall concession See the like Deut. 32.37 38. Judg. 10.4 Am. 4.4 And observe that Gods to deride and insult over men in their carnall confidence and his people are licenced to do so too so it be out of pure zeal Psal 52.6 7. and not out of private revenge and thy judges Or chief Officers Princes that are necessary to a King and are called his Comites cousins and counsellours whereof thou saidst and wast set upon it thou wouldst needs have them contra gentes as they say and hadst soon enough of them Strong affections bring strong afflictions Give me a king and princes It was partly their ambition and partly discontent with the present government as the present is alwayes grievous that prompted them to this request 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucyd. and they had it but for a mischief It is not alwayes in mercy that prayers are answered for Deus saepe dat iratus quod negat propitius God oft throwes that to his enemies when they are over-importunate which he denies to his friends in great mercy to their souls They do best that acknowledging him the onely wise God pray Not our but thy will be done c. Verse 11. I gave thee a king in mine anger As once before he gave them Quails to choak them A king that is all those kings they had since they fell off from the house of David These were Gods gifts but giftlesse-gifts which hee cast upon them in his anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a punishment both of the sinnes of Davids ho use and likewise of the peoples rebellion It was ab irato potius quam ab exorato Deo Take him saith He sith you will needs have him with all that shall follow after The hypocrite shall raigne that the people may ensnared Job 34.30 Set thou a wicked man over him saith the Psalmist and let Satan stand at his right hand Psal 109.6 See Dan. 8.23 Saul was an hypocrite Jeroboam a wicked man so were all his successours in that Throne Levit. 26.17 it is written as an heavy curse of God If you still trespasse against me I will set Princes over you that shall hate you mischievous odious princes odious to God malignant to the people and took him away in my wrath Heb. In mine immoderate wrath that passed the bounds This is spoken of God after the manner of men for he cannot exceed or over-do fury is not in him Esay 27.4 but here he threateneth to take away king and kingdome together as he did Hosea by the Assyrian that carried them all captive Observe here that better a bad Magistrate then none for this latter is the fruit of Gods utter indignation Those Anabaptists that from this Text inferred that no Christian can with a good conscience take upon him kingly dignity should have observed that as an evil king is reckoned as a plague to a people so a good king is to be held a speciall blessing to them Verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up sc in a bundle or fardle or fagot as the French hath it And like as all fardles are opened on a Fair-day so shall Ephraims iniquities be brought to light and punished at the last day As the housholder bindeth up the tares in bundles at harvest and burneth them so shall it be in the end of the world The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire c. Matth. 13.30 41 42. As the Clark of Assizes bindes up the inditements of malefactours in bundles or seals them up in a bag for more surety and at the Assizes brings his bag takes them out and reads them so will it be at that last and great day My transgression is sealed up in a bag saith Iob and thou sowest up mine iniquity viz. as the writings or informations of a processe which is ready to be sentenced See Deut. 32.34 Ier. 17.1 Hos 9.9 Sinners shall one day know that Gods for bearance is no quittance Job 14. ◠that however he is silent for a season and thereupon they are apt fondly to conceit him to be such another as themselves yet He will confute them and set their sins in order before their eyes Psal 50.21 Their actions are already in print in heaven and God will one day read them aloud in the ears of all the world And then though their sinne be hid for present all shall out to their utter shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 that last light of the day of wrath shall reveal all Rom. 2.5 punish all Hos 9.9 Whatever God hath threatned shall then be inflicted whatever arrowes are in the bow-string shall then flee and hit and stick deep And the longer the Lord is in drawing the heavier they will light Morae dispendium foenoris duplo pensabitur the longer He forbeareth the heavier He punisheth So that there shall be no cause why sinners should say Where is the God of judgement Mal. 2.17 See the Note God will enquire after their iniquity and search after their sin Iob 10.6 Verse 13. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him This Common-wealth was before compared to a mother chap. 1. 3. And as a woman that hath conceived is not for a while discerned to be with child till she biggen and burnish and grow near her time so is it with sinners see it elegantly set forth by S. Iames chap. 1.14 15. The sorrows of a travailing woman are known to be unexpected exquisite and inevitable so shall Gods judgements be upon the workers of iniquity such as they shall never be able to avert to avoid or to abide This is set forth by an apt similitude ordinary in holy Scripture Mic. 4.9 10. Psal 48.7 Ier. 49.29 and 50.43 c. And whereas some might say A travailing woman is soon delivered her pain is sharp but short she hath hope not onely of an end but of a birth the joy whereof maketh her remember her anguish no more Ioh. 16.21 The Prophet replieth that it is otherwise with Ephraim he is an unwise sonne that will be the death both of his mother and of himself He hath no list to help himself and to get free of the straights and petils of the birth by passing thorow the narrow womb of Repentance and being born anew God stands over him stretching out his hands all the day long to do a midwives office to take him out of the womb as Psal 22.9 to cut his navell and wash off his blood to salt him and swaddle him as Ezek. 16.4 but he hath no minde
but is justly angry that they remained so irreformable That dearth in Elias his dayes lasted above three yeers and might likely be as extreme as that here in England about the yeer 700. of three yeers continuance and so violent it was that not onely many died daily for hunger but great numbers joyning hand in hand fourty or fifty in a company Godw. Catal. p. 465. threw themselves headlong into the Sea A like three-yeers famine also wee read to have been in Bohemia and Polonia Anno 1312. so great that children devoured their parents and parents their children some fed upon the dead carcasses that hang'd in gibbets Balth. Exner. Val. Max. 135 c. Wolves also were so famished that they fell upon all they met and fed upon them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Ye have lost the fruit of your afflictions and all mine hammers hitherto have but beat cold iron Perdidistis sructum afflictionis Aug. The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucke away sc from their wickednesse his drosse is yet with him his great scum still in him Ezek. 24.6 12 13. it is woven into the very texture of his heart and cannot be separated Reprobate silver shall men call him because he returneth not to God that smiteth him Jer. 6.29 30. Esay 9.12 13. Verse 7. And also I have with-holden the rain from you c. And so have punished you with thirst and drought as well as with dearth and famine and because I have found you wells without the water of piety 2 Pet. 2.17 therefore I have refused to rain upon you as I threatned Deut. 28.23 24. En quia jam vobis sunt ferrea pectora Bill Anthol lib. 2. reddit Coelum etiam vobis durius aere Deus When there were yet three moneths c. When you could worst of all want it see Joel 2.23 with the Note for the watering of the seed and opening of the earth And I caused it to rain upon one city It rains not then by hap-hazard neither are the seasons of the yeer whether barren or fruitfull ruled by the course of nature or influence of the stars but by God Act. 14.17 It is he that giveth rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons He covereth the heaven with clouds he prepareth rain for the earth he maketh grasse to grow upon the mountains and standing corn in the fields Psal 147.8 He weighes these waters by measure so that not a drop falls in vain or in a wrong place but by Divine decree Job 28.26 for the fatning of the earth allaying the heat nourishing the herb and tree Deut. 32.2 Esay 44 14. producing unto us the appointed weeks of harvest Jer. 5.24 that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater Esay 55.10 This the poor Pagans ascribed to their god Jupiter whom they therefore stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Him they confessed the greatest of all calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Overseer of their trading hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeper of their houses hence Jupiter Herceus c. Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wall or hedge this they did to the great shame of many Atheists amongst us who hold that all things come either by benigne nature or blinde adventure One peece sc of the same field was rained upon and fructified this was neer to a miracle as when Gideons fleece was wet and no place else and again every place else and not Gideons fleece Judg. 6.37 and the peece whereupon it rained not It that is the cloud but by Gods appointment for He it is that filleth those bottles of the skie and emptieth them again where and when he pleaseth either in mercy as Joel 2.23 Zach. 10.1 Lev. 26.4 or for a judgement as Joel 1.17 Gen. 17.11 12. 1 Sam. 12.18 19. In the yeer of grace 1551. a great multitude of men and cattle in Germany were drowned and destroyed decidentibus subitò nubibus ac effusis certatim aquis saith Bartholinus by excessive showres and immoderate waters pouring down upon people as by spoutes This was the very finger of God who will one day rain upon the wicked snares fire and brimstone Barthol lib. 2. de Meteor c. 2. Psal 11.6 and an horrible tempest Heb. a burning tempest like as now out of those very clouds where-hence he raineth he doth oftsoons scatter sudden fires unto all parts of the earth astonishing the world with the fearfull noyse of that eruption withered It must needs do so and so must Gods own Vineyard the Church when he shall command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Esay 5.6 that is his ministers that they drop no doctrine upon it Deut. 32.2 Ezek. 21.2 Am. 7.16 fitly resembled to raine in regard 1. of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. clensing the ayre 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardened earth 6. causing all things to grow and fructify This raine of righteousnesse goes sometimes by coasts as here God tying up the tongues of his faithfullest labourers and witholding their showres though they be clouds thick and full and likely enough to drop down in abundance See Ezek. 3.26 27. Hos 9.7 Prov. 16.1 Pray therefore oh pray earnestly both ministers for ability and liberty to drop their word toward the holy places and prophesie Ezek. 21.2 and People that he would fill their ministers as full of good matter as ever Elihu was Iob. 32.18 and then be with their mouths Exod. 4.12 yea stretch out his holy hand and touch them Ier. 1.9 performing that peece of midwifery Prov. 16.1 that they may freely utter their conceptions and come to their hearts in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospel of peace Rom 15.29 In the Island of St. Thomas on the back-side of Africa in the middest of it is an hill and over that Abbots Geog 251. a continuall cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered This is our happynesse for present Oh that we knew but this gift of God and were answerably thankfull and fruitfull Joh. 4. Oh how cursed a generation are those that repine at it saying Never was merry world since so much preaching c. How shall such miscreants one day wish to have but one drop fall from these full clouds to coole the heat and horrours of their consciences but shall not obtaine it Verse 8. So two or three cities wandred Necessity is an hard weapon and want of water will make men wander far and part with any thing for it as Lysimachus did with his kingdome sacrificing his estate to the service of his life Oh that we were as solicitous for our soules c. Those good soules Psal 84.7 went from strength to strength travelled many a mile to see Gods face though but in that dark glasse of the ceremonies The good Sunamite went every sabbath and new-moon to
〈◊〉 that the sparkles and ashes of burnt Troy served for a lasting monument of Gods great displeasure against great sinners See the like threatened to Babylon Esay 13.19.20 as God overthrew Sodom As Jehovah from Jehovah rained hell out of heaven upon them Gen. 14.24 De praepar Evang. l. 5. c 23. Vide Socrat. hist Eccles l. 2. c. 30. that is God the Son from God the Father and so Eusâ—bius observeth that the Father here saith of the Son that he overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah he condemned them with an overthrow 2 Pet. 2.6 he overthrew them and repented not Jer. 20.16 he overthrew them in a moment and no hand stayed on them Lam. 4.6 And yet worse shall be the condition of those that despise the grace of the Gospell which is the great sin of these last times Mat. 11.24 yea the devils will keep holy-day as it were in hell in respect of such sinners against their own soules and ye were as a sire brand Ambustus fumigans titio smutchy and smoaky and scarcely escaping with the skin of your teeth Iob. 19.20 as Lot out of Sodom as the man of Benjamine out of the army 1 Sam. 2.12 as the young man that fled naked away at Christs attachment Mar. 14.52 or as Hunniades narrowly escaping with his life from the battel of Varna where he had like to have fallen with that perjured Popish king as good Jehosaphat had for joyning with Ahab It is as if God should say There are not many of you that are left and have your lives for a prey howbeit they are ill bestowed upon you for any good use you have made of my forbearance Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse Esay 26.10 and if thou deliver him once yet thou must do it againe and when all 's done that can be done A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment Prov. 19.19 and so to be sure of it shall a man of great stomach and stubbornnesse that refuseth to return as these of whom the fifth time it is here complained and yet ye have not returned c. O prorsus obstinati saith Tarnovius here Act. 7.51 Prorsus indurati et contumaces saith Mercer Ye stifnecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares do ye thus alwayes resist the holy Ghost will ye needs be like horse and mule uncounsellable untractable will ye after conviction needes run away with the bit in your mouths and take your swinge in sin c. If so resolved yet stay saith the Psalmist Psal 32.9.10 and take this along with you Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked your preservation from one evill shall be but a reservation to seven worse Lev. 26. as it fared with Pharaoh Senacherib and others God will surely subdue or subvert you Verse 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee o Israel Thus how Non nominat mala ut omnia timeant saith Ribera He tells them not how that they may feare the worst even all that is written and unwritten It was the very policy of Julius Caesar never to extenuate or deny to his souldiers the danger of an enemy but rather to raise up thoughts of valour by aggravating the contrary forces and this way he did not seldome hyperbolically rhetoricate saith the story Now the Lord need not do so sith his judgements are a great deep neither can any man know the power of his anger Psal 90.11 let a man feare it never so much he is sure to feel it a great deale more if he once fall into his fingers Is it nothing to drink the dregs of Gods displeasure when it is eternity unto the bottome Is it nothing to launch into an infinite Ocean of scalding leade and to swim naked in it for ever Oh do any thing rather then be damned and as Lewis King of France cast the Popes bulls into the fire saying Speed 496. he had rather they should burn then himself fry in hell for obeying them Or as Mary Q. of England restored againe all the Ecclesiasticall livings assumed to the crown Idem saying that she set more by the salvation of her own soule then she did by ten kingdomes So let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord that he may have mercy upon him and to our God that he may multiply pardon Esay 55.7 and because I will do this unto thee which had I not wished thee well I would never have told thee Ideo minatur ut non puniat But God loves to fore-signifie and therefore threateneth evill that he may not inflict it he would gladly be prevented by our humble addresses unto him and by our entreaties of peace Heare him else prepare to meet thy God O Israel Turn and try thou canst not likely lose thy labour or if thou should'st yet thou hast lost many a worse Let Ephraim but bemoane himself and God will soon melt over him Ier. 31.20 Let Gods prodigals return to their mercifull father and he will meet them halfe-way and receive them with all sweetnesse Tantum velis Deus tibi praeoccurret Do as those Jer. 3.17 Alexanders Macedenonians being sensible of his displeasure laid by their armes put on their mourning attire Plut. in Alexandro came trooping to his tent where for almost three dayes they remained with loud cryes and abunance of teares testifying their remorse for offending him beseeching his pardon which at last they gained And Guicciardin tells us that Lewis 12. of France when he entred Genoa in his triumphant charret with his sword naked resolved to make a prey of their riches Guice lib. 7. and an example of many of the chief amongst them and to leave the rest to his souldiers mercies But beeing met first by the chief afterward by the multitude Parel Med. hist prof 754. making great lamentation for their folly with abundance of teares and cryes his wrath was appeased toward them The like we read of Henry 7. Emperour toward the citizens of Cremona of our Edward the third Daniel hist 240. toward the Inhabitants of Callice And in Cades conspiracy here after that 26. of the chief rebels were executed the multitude naked in their shirts met the king on Black-heath Speed 851. humbly praying mercy which they obtained Verse 13. For â—o He that formeth the mountaines c. q. d. If my mercy move thee not to an humble submission let my Majesty and for that end consider and tremble at my Nomen Majestativum my transcendent excellencies as they are here displayed descried and described for thy learning with a great deale of solemnity and state to the end that thou mai'st not expect evils but prevent them as Demosthenes counselled his countrymen He that formeth the mountaines At first doubtlesse with the rest of the Universe though some held they were cast up by Noahs flood see Psal 90.1 2. by his mere
to those that drank most and fourty one of the company killed themselves with drinking to get that crown Darius king of Persia caused this to bee ingraven upon his tomb I was able to drink much wine and to bear it bravely Was not this to glory in his shame had he no way else to shew his valour Athenâ—â—â— Did he never take notice of that Persian law that it should not bee lawfull for their King to be drunk but onely once a yeer when they sacrificed to the Sunne Idem whom they took to be the greatest of the gods How much better Bathsheba in her Lemuels-lesson It is not for Kings Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong-drink lest they drink and forget the law c. Prov. 31.4 And if not for kings much lesse is it for others to be drunk with wine wherein is excesse Eph. 5.18 lest with Nabal and the rich glutton they drink deep of the wine of Gods wrath and have the full vials of his vengeance poured upon them for ever and anoint themselves with the chief ointments After the manner of the Jewish Nation whereof see 2 Sam. 12.20 Eccles 9.8 Luk. 7.38 46. Psal 23.5 and 104.15 Mat. 6.17 They spare for no cost or pains to please all their senses And such a prodigall pleasure-monger was that rich citizens sonne mentioned in the second part of the Theatre of Gods judgments who to please all his five senses at once allowed to the delight of every severall sense a severall hundred pound For which end 1. Theat of Gods judgments part 2. pag. 110.111 He bespake a curious faire room richly hangd and furnished with the most exquisite pictures to please the eye 2. He had all the choysest Musick that could be heard of to give content to the eare 3. He had all the Aromatickes and odoriferous perfumes to delight his cent in smelling 4. All the Candies Preserves Junkets even to the stretching of the Apothecaries or Confectionaries art to please his taft 5. And lastly a beautifull and faire strumpet lodg'd with him in a soft bed and the daintiest linnen that could be compassed to accommodate his touch and all these this Epicure more then ever Sardanapalus did enjoy'd at one instant He spent thirty thousand pounds in three yeares and swore after all that if he had ten times more then ever he had he would spend it all to live one week like a God though he were sure to be damn'd in hell the next day after they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph i. e. of the Israelites Psal 80.2 and 77.16 Amos. 5.6 Joseph is mentioned and put for all the rest because he was famous amongst his brethren Aug. de doct Christian lib. 4. cap. 6. vel ob mala quae pendit vel ob bona quae rependit both for the evils that he suffered and for the good turns that he returned Time was when poor Joseph was ill handled by his mercilesse brethren and could not be heard though he used many intreaties Gen. 37.23 any 42 21. They when they had cast him into the pit there to pine and perish with hunger sat down to eat and so to ease themselves of any remorse of conscience that might be wrought in them See 1 Sam. 22.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They should have been sick at heart as the word here signifieth for the affliction the confraction the breaking to shivers of Joseph poor Reuben was so as farr as he durst shew it and Joseph forgat not his kindnesse when he came to his greatnesse God who is all bowels will never forget those that forget not his afflicted but commiserate and relieve them as they have opportunity and ability Verse 7. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first Heb. in the head of those that go captive as they have been first in the degrees of honour and of sin so shall they be now of punishment according to that saying of the Centuristâ— Ingentia beneficia Magdeburg Esa 50.11 ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia This they shall have of Gods hand they shall lie down in sorrow yea many sorrowes shall be to these wicked ones Psal 32.10 these mercilesse men shall not have the least mercy shewed them Iam. 2.13 God will surely set off all hearts from such as he did from Haman for whom in his misery not one man openeth his mouth once to intercede and he will punish magnum luxum magno luctu as One saith great luxury with great necessity and the banquet of them that stretched themselves They shall neither have mind nor mony to make feasts that were wont to lay on in all sorts of superfluities That prodigall above-mentioned was by a just hand of God reduced to extreame penury and cast off by all his former acquaintance Senâ—â—â— That luxurious Roman Apicius the expences of whose kitchin amounted to more then two millions of gold having eaten up his estate and fearing poverty poysoued himself leaving behind him ten bookes of direction how to furnish and set forth a feast with all manner of varieties which now he could sooner talk of then take of The word here rendred banquet is taken for a funerall feast Jer. 16.5 and so some think the sense here is Lively they shall be carried captive into a farr country and there be deprived of the honour of burialls which is a judgement elsewhere threatened Jer. 22.18 19. Aben-Ezra rendreth it facesset canticum the song of the wanton shall be set packing and for this he alledgeth that in the Arabick dialect the root word here used signifieth to lift up the voyce either for joy or grief The Seventy render it the neighing of horses as noting their immoderate lust according to Jer. 5.8 And this sense Ribera commendeth Verse 8. The Lord God hath sworn by himself Heb. by his soul which is himself sith whatsoever is in God is God So chap. 4.2 Gen 22.16 Heb. 6.16.17 Or He hath sworn by his soule that is Seriè ex animo Seriously and heartily Among the Heathens ex animi sui sententia was instead of an oath saith the Lord God of hosts who hath power enough in his hand to performe what he hath so solemnly assured I abhorr the excellency or the pomp and pride of Jacob So Basil speaking of the Western Church Odi fastum istius Ecclesiae saith He I hate their pride This he elsewhere calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Western brow from the fore-head that seat of pride and arrogancy which at length occasioned that lamentable separation of the Easterne or Greek church from communion with the Latine Field Gerson Carlton the other foure Patriarks dividing themselves from the bishop of Rome Pride is an odious evill fitly compared by One to a great swelling in the body which unfits it for any good service and is apt to putrify and break and run with loathsome and foule matter
he sinned not Dei scriptis injuriam faciunt saith Luther they wrong the scriptures The best have their infirmities as the snow-like swan hath black legs and as no pomegranate is without some rotten graines David saw such volumes of corruptions and so many Errata's in all that he did that he cries out Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faultes Joseph Antiq. lib. 9. cap. 11. Psal 19.12 to flee unto Tarshish Tarsus in Cilicia St. Paules countrey Act. 21.39 and 23.3 rather then the city Tunis in Afrike as Vatablus will have it or the East-Indies as others Tarshish sometimes signifieth the maine Ocean as Psal 48.8 whence some take it here for the sea but that may be by a metonymie of the adjunct because Tarsus stood upon the Ocean-shore and was a fit haven whence to hoise up saile into sundry countries from the presence of the Lord Ab ante Domini from the speciall and spirituall presence of God wherein he had hitherto stood and ministred For from Gods generall presence whereby he filleth all places and is not farr from any one of us Act. 17.27 not so farr surely as the bark is from the tree the skin from the flesh or the flesh from the bones Jonas knew he could not flee Blind Nature saw and could say quascunque accesseris oras Sub Jove semper eris God is a circle said Empedocles whose center is every where whose circumference is no where Why the Prophet fled many causes are assigned by Interpreters as Amor patriae timor humanus c. his feare of the Ninevites his love to his Israelites his conceit that it would be to little purpose to preach to heathens sith he had prevailed so little at home c. The very cause was that which we find chap. 4.2 I fled to Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gratious God c. and I feared lest I should thereupon be counted a false Prophet So much there is of Self found in the best who when once they are got out of Gods way they may run they know not whither and return they know not when and went down to Ioppa Heb. Iapho a sea-town in the tribe of Dan. Iosh 19.46 distant about 50. miles from Geth-Hepher Jonas his town 2 King 14.25 which was in the tribe of Zabulon toward the lake of Tiberias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinners are no small paines-takers There is the same Hebrew and Greek word for wickednesse and toilesomenesse Would sinners be at the same paines for heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are at for hell they could not lightly miss of it and he found a ship going to Tarshish They that have a mind to commit sin shall easily meet with an occasion the Tempter who feeleth their pulses and knoweth which way they beat will soon fit them a penniworth He hath a wedge of gold to set before Achan a Cozbi before Zimri Indeed it is the just mans happinesse that no evill shall happen to him Prov. 12.21 that is as Mercer interpreteth it non parabitur ei dabitur occasio iniquitatis Non causabiâ—ur aptabitur God shall cut off from him the occasions of sin remove stumbling-blocks out of his way either not lead him into temptation or not leave him in it so he paid the fare thereof Forsan ut citiùs navie solveret Mercer perhaps to make the marriners hasten the more Jonas might better have obeyed God and gone to Nineveh on free-cost But wit is best when 't is bought they say How many be there who perish at their own charge as Phocion the Athenian payd for the poyson that dispatched him to go with them to Tarshish from the presence c. i. e. out of Gods blessing into the worlds warme Sun All wilfull sinners are runnagates from the Lord factique sunt à corde suo fugitivi saith Teritullian faine they would also run if they knew how or whither from their own consciences But if they belong to God Conscience shall be awakened to do its office and they shall one day say with her I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home againe empty why then call ye me Naomi call me Marah for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me Ruth 1.20 21. Verse 4. But the Lord sent out Heb. cast forth sc out of his treasuries Psal 135.7 where-hence he sendeth at his pleasure mighty great winds which he the only Aeolus holdeth in his fist hideth in his repositories checketh them as he seeth good weighs them in his hand Iob 28.25 sends them out as his Posts makes them pace orderly appoints them their motion whether as messengers of mercy Num. 11.13 Gen. 8.1 Exod. 14.21 or as executioners of justice Exod. 10.13 Iob 1.29 hurting mens houses cattle corn persons yea hurrying and hurling the wicked into hell Iob 27.21 a great wind into the sea whither they that go down in ships see Gods great wonders in the deep For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof c. Psa 107.23 24 25. c. Did it not so in a marvelous manner here in 88. and againe in that other 88. some few yeares since Had not Jehosaphat his ships broken at Ezion-geber 1 King 22.48 Val. Max. Christian pâ— 132. and Charles the fifth at Algeire by two terrible tempests which destroyed almost all that goodly Fleet The very marriners acknowledged this wind to be an effect of Gods justice and therefore thought fit to implore his mercy for there was a mighty tempest in the sea which is troublesome of it self and never still though sometimes it seems so but by blustering and big winds is made out of measure troublesome such as was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 8.23 Inhorrait marâ— Virg. and that Eurâ—clydon Act. 27.14 which Pliny calleth Navigantium Pestem the marriners misery so that the ship was like to be broken Heb. thought to be broken Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was in danger to be broken the marriners made no other reckoning they looked upon all as lost God reserveth his holy hand for a dead lift usually and loveth to help those that are forsaken of their hopes Verse 5. Then the marriners were afraid and cryed every man to his God Forced by the present necessity first these stout fellowes were surprized with feare neither could they looke pale death in the face with blood in their cheeks Death is the king of terrours Iob 18.14 Natures slaughter-man Gods curse and hels purveyour Next they cryed every man to his God This was a lesson of Dame Natures teaching sc that there is a God and that this God is to be called upon and especially in distresse Those fooles of the people that said there was no God could not when hardly bestead but look up to heaven and cry out for help 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All people will walk every one in the name of
of prayer This therefore Jonah having prayed and perceiving that he was heard and by the goodnesse of God preserved safe in body and sound in mind he growes strong in faith Rom. 4. giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that he should yet walk before him againe in the land of the living out of the fishes belly where though he might seem buried alive and free among the dead yet he enjoyed Gods gracious presence and those strong consolations that made him live in the very mouth of death and say in effect as blessed Bradford did Act Mon. fol. 1476. I thank God more of this prison and of this dark dungeon then of any parlour yea then of any pleasure that ever I had For in it I find God my most sweet God alwayes Verse 2. And said I cried by reason of mine affliction His lips did not move in affliction like a creaking doore or a new cart-wheele with murmuring and mutinying against God and men Psal 73.9 he set not his mouth against heaven as the howling wolf when hunger-bit neither did his tongue walk through the earth cursing the day of his birth Lam. 3.29 and cutting deep into the sides of such as were meanes of his misery But putting his mouth in the dust if so bee there might be hope he cried by reason of his affliction The time of affliction is the time of supplication no time like that for granting of suites Zech. 13.9 Gods afflicted may have what they will of him then such are his fatherly compassions to his sick children he reserveth his best comforts for the worst times and then speaketh to the hearts of his people when he hath brought them into the wildernesse Hos 2.13 This Jonah experimented and therefore said I cried out of mine affliction unto the Lord. Ad Dominum asslicto de pectore suspirando And he heard me How else am I alive amidst so many deaths here 's a visible answer a reall return Oh blessed be God who hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me Psal 66.20 Surely as the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in them and insensible vapours falleth down in great and abundant showers so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow return with a full and enlarged answer This was but a pittifull poore prayer that Ionas here made as appeares ver 4. and so was that of David Psal 31.22 For I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee It would be wide with us if God should answer the best of us according to our prayers yea though well watered with teares sith Ipsae lacrymae sixt lacrymabiles c. we had need to weep over our teares sigh over our sobs mourne over our griefs c. Jonah was so taken with this kindnesse from the Lord his God that he repeates it and celebrates it a second time out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heardest my voice The whales belly he calleth hels-belly because horrid and hideous deep and dismall Thence he cried as David did De profundis and was heard and delivered Yea had hell it self closed her mouth upon a praying Jonah it could not long have held him but must have vomited him up A Mandamus from God will do it at any time Psa 44.4 and what cannot faithfull Praier have of God there is a certaine omnipotency in it said Luther Verse 3. For thou hadst cast me into the deep A graphicall description of his wofull condition which yet he remembreth now as waters that are past and is thankfull to his Almighty Deliverer See the like in David Psa 116.3 and learn of these and other Saints to acknowledge the uttermost extremity of a calamity after we are delivered out of it For hereby thy judgement will be the better instructed and the more convinced thine heart also will be the more inlarged to admire and thy mouth the wider opened to celebrate the power wisdome and mercy of God in thy deliverance As if this be not done God will be provoked either to inflict heavier judgements or else to cease to smite thee any more with the stripes of a father and to give thee up for a lost child for thou had'st cast me into the deep Not the mariners but Thou didst it and therefore there was no averting or avoyding it Thou had'st cast me with a force as a stone out of a sling or as that mighty Angel Rev. 18.21 that took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying Thus with violence c. In the middest of the seas Heb in the heart of the sea 's so Mat. 12.40 So shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth And Deut. 4.11 we read of the heart of heaven that is the middle of it as the heart sitteth in the middest of the body as king of that Isle of Man Now if it were so grievous to be cast into the main Sea what shall it be to be hurled into hell by such an hand and with such a force into that bottomelesse gulf whence nothing was ever yet boyed up againe and the floods compassed me about Aquarum confluges The Sea whence all floods or rivers issue and whereto they return Homer calleth the Ocean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a river by the figure Miôsis Danaeus here noteth that out of that gulf of the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which of Plato is called Tartarus that is hell the waters do flow into the veines of the earth as it is Eccles 1.7 losing their saltnesse in the passage Here Jonah cried out as Psa 69.1.2 Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my soule I fink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into the deep waters where the floods overflow me It was onely his faith that held him up by the chin and like blown bleathers bore him alost all waters all thy billowes and thy waves passed over me All so it seemed to Jonah that God had powred out all his displeasure upon him but he sufâ—ereth not his whole wrath to arise against his people neither remembreth iniquity for ever Thy billowes or surges not the seas but thine God seemed to fight against Jonah with his own hand David likewise in a desertion complaines that all Gods waves and floods were gone over him Ps 42.7 In this case for it may be any ones case let us do as Paul and his company did in that dismall tempest Act. 27. when they saw neither sun nor star for diverse dayes and nights together cast anchor of hope even beyond hope and then wait and wish for day God will appeare at length and all shall clear up he will deliver our soules from the nethermost hell Vers 4. Then I said I am cast
could not outlast the Temple as may be gathered from Mat. 24.3 But they some of them lived to see themselves confuted and our Saviours words verified There shal not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Vers 2. and the mountain of the house that famous house that was worthily reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world and stood upon mount Moriah As the high places of the forrest As wooddy and desert places fit onely for wild beasts Lege Luge saith one speaking of Jerusalems desolation CHAP. IV. Vers 1. BVt in the last dayes it shall come to passe God reserveth his best comforts till the last as that Ruler of the feast did his best wine Ioh. 2.10 and as the sweetest of the honey lieth at the bottome These last dayes are Gospel-dayes Heb. 1.2 times of Reformation Heb. 9.19 of Restitution Act. 3.21 called the World to come Heb. 2.5 that new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 that new Jerusalem that is all of gold Rev. 2.1 Ezekiels new Temple bigger then all the old Jerusalem and his new Ierusalem bigger then all the land of Canaan chap. 40.41.42 c. Let Popish buzzars blaspheme that description of the Temple and City Sanct. Argum. cap. 40. calling it as Sanctius doth once and again insulsam descriptionem a senselesse description so speaking evil of the things that they know not Jude 10. We beleeve and are sure Joh. 6.69 that God hath provided some better thing for us then for those under the law Heb. 11.40 viz. that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 who should again restore the kingdom to Israel the spiritual kingdom to the Israel of God as is here foretold in the self-same words with those of Esay chap. 2.1 2. whence he is not ashamed to take it That the mountain of the house of the Lord The Church 1 Tim. 3.15 called elsewhere the mountain of the Lord and his holy hill Psal 15.1 and 24.3 and 48.2 Esay 30.17 both for its sublimity Gal. 4.26 and firmnesse Psal 46.3 and 125.1 winde and stormes move it not no more can all the power and policy of hell combin'd prevail against the Church Mat. 16.18 She is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kingdom that cannot be shaken and may better then the city of Venice take for her Posie Immota manet Shall be established in the top of the mountains Constituetur firmiter shall bee strongly set upon a sure bottom upon munitions of Rocks yea upon the Rock of Ages Mat. 16.18 Jer 31.35 Esay 33.20 Some by the house of the Lord here understand the Church and by the mountain of this house Christ whereon it is built and whom Daniel describeth by that great mountain that filled the whole earth Chap. 2.35 that stone cut out without hands that smot in pieces the four Monarchies ibid. And hence it is that this mountain of the Lords house is exalted above the hils the Church must needs be above all earthly eminencies whatsoever because founded upon Christ who therefore cannot be exalted but shee must be lifted up aloft together with him God who is rich in mercy saith that great Apostle hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. The Church is mysticall Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 she is his wife and wheresoever hee is Caius she is Caia she shineth with his beams and partaketh of his honours union being the ground of communion and people shall flow unto it As waters roul and run toward the Sea but that these waters should flow upward flow to the mountain as here is as wonderfull as that the Sun should send his beams downward to the earth when as it is the property of all fire to aspire and flie upwards This is the Lords own work and it is marvellous in our eyes Chrysost Hom 8. ad Hop Antioch The metaphor of flowing importeth the coming of people to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel 1. Freely Psal 110.3 2. Swiftly as the waters of the river Tigris swift as an arrow out of a bowe See Esay 60.8 3. Plentifully by whole Nations turned to the faith and giving up their names to Christ 4. Joyntly as verse 2. and Zach. 8.21 5. Zealously bearing down all obstacles that would damme up their way 6. Constantly and continually as rivers run perpetually by reason of the perennity of their fountains and are never dried up though sometimes fuller then some quin ut fluvij repentinis imbribus augentur saith Gualther as rivers swell oft with sudden showres and overflow the banks so beyond all expectation many times doth God take away tyrants and propagates his truth enlarging the bounds of his Church with new confluxes of Converts Verse 2. And many nations shall come and say The conversion of the Gentiles is here foretold a piece of that mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 The Jews usually call Christians in contempt Gozin the word here used and Mamzer Goi Bastard-Gentiles But either they must come under this name themselves or deny that they are the posterity of Abraham Gen. 12.2 Where God saith I will make of thee a great Nation Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord The wicked have their Come Prov. 1.11 and would not go to hell alone Should not the Saints have theirs should they not get what company they can toward heaven The Greeks call goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it doth as it were invite and call others to it and every man is willingly to run after it and to the house of the God of Jacob to the publike ordinances where wee may hear and beleeve and be sealed with that holy spirit of promise as those Ephesians were chap. 1.13 We read that Marcellinus Secundanus and some others were converted to Christianity by reading Sibylla's oracles of Christs birth and that by Chaucers Book some were brought to the knowledge of the truth But either this was not so or not ordinary for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached which therefore the people of God do so prize as Luther did who said Acts Mon. 767. He would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible and that without the preaching of the word he could not live comfortably in Paradise as with it hee could live and enjoy himself though it were in hell and he will teach us of his wayes Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet saith Austin All true Converts are taught of God Joh. 6. and then quà m citò discitur quod docetur saith the same Father how soon are men discipled how soon learn they the wayes of God whereby to serve him here and be saved by him hereafter For it
conduct of Constantine carried it against them they shall lay their hand upon their mouth Be struck dumb as if they had seen Medusa's head they shall not be able to contradict the Gospell or to hinder the progresse of it Valens the Arrian Emperou comming upon Basil while he was in holy duties with an intent to do him hurt was not only silenced but so terrified that he reeled and had fallen Greg. orat de laud. Basil had he not been upheld by those that were with him their cares shall be deaf With the sudden bursting forth of Gods wonderfull and terrible works saith Mr. Diodate Verse 17. They shall lick the dust like a scrpent that is be reduced not only to extreme hunger and penury but to utmost vility and basenesse of condition so as to lick the very dust And whereas it is added like a sâ—â—pent he puts them in mind of that old malediction Gen. 3. and gives them to know that as like that old serpent they have lifted themselves up against God so will God cast them down again to the condition of serpents and abase them to the very dust See Psa 22.30 and 72.9 Es 49.23 they shall move out of their holes like wormes or creeping things of the earth They shall tumultuate and be all on an huddle as ants are when their molehill is thrown up with a spade The Hebrew word imports great commotion and bustle they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall feare because of thee O God or O Church terrible as an army with banners Impiety triumpheth in prosperity trembleth in adversity and contrarily saith holy Greenham Since the fall we tremble before God Angels and good men What have I to do with thee thou man of God said She Art thou come to call to mind my sin and to kill my son At the siege of Mountabove in France the people of God within the wals ever before a sally sang a Psalme with which holy practise of theirs the enemy comming acquainted when they heard them singing would so quake and tremble crying they come Spee belli sal 282. they come as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them Verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee No God surely whether so reputed or deputed whether heathen deities heavenly Angels or earthly Rulers can compare with our God or come neare him for pardoning of sin Indeed none can do it at all but He as the blind Pharisees saw and could say Men may pardon the trespasse but God alone the transgression But say they could do something that way yet nothing like our God who maketh his power appear to be great Num. 14.17 in pardoning such offences as no God or man besides would pardon See Jer. 3.1 Neh. 9.31 he forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 7. that is all sorts of sins to all sorts of sinners without excertion Mat. 12.31 This is the expresse letter of Gods covenant which we ought not either to obliterate or to interline but to beleeve it in the full latitude and extent We are apt to cast Gods pardoning-grace into a mould of our own and to measure it by our modell But against this we are cautioned Isai 55.8 God must be magnified in our thoughts his quarters there enlarged high and honourable conceptions are to be had of him or else we wrong him no lesse then we should do a King by respecting and receiving him no otherwise then we would do another ordinary man He is set forth here as a God imparallell and that not without an interrogation of admiration O! who is a God like unto thee Thy mercy is matchlesse thy grace aboundeth even to an overflow 1 Tim. 1.14 it is more then exceeding it hath a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle there Surely as the Sea swallowes up hugest rocks and as the Sun scattereth greatest mists so doth He pardon enormities as well as infirmities and blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 Jam. 2 His mercy rejoyceth against or glorieth over judgment and is ready to say of a great sinner indeed Jam dignus vindice nodus The more desperate the disease is the greater glory redoundeth to him that cureth it Our Saviour gat him a glorious name by curing incurable diseases and gained greatest love by franckly forgiving Mary Magdalens and others sins Luk. 7.42 47. which were many and mighty or bony as the Prophets word signifies Amos 5.12 Adams Apostacie Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest Davids blood-guiltinesse Manasseh his idolatry and witch-crast Peters thrice denying and abjuring his master Pauls blasphemy and persecution All these sins and blasphemies have been forgiven to the sons of men neither can they commit more then he both can and will remit to the penitent Note this against Novatus that proud heretick and strive against that naturall Novatianisme that is in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sins of Apostasie and falling after repentance and to say as those Unbeleevers of old Can the Lord prepare a table for us in the wildernesse So Can he forgive such and such iniquities so oft reiterated This is a question no question what cannot our God do in this kind who pardoneth sin naturally Exod. 34.6 and therefore freely as the Sun shineth or as the Fountaine casteth out waters who doth it also abundantly Isai 55.7 multiplying pardons as fast as we multiply sins and lastly Constantly Psal 130.4 Ioh. 1.27 Zach. 13.1 It is his perpetuall act and it should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts We should go on our way toward heaven as Sampson did toward his parents feeding on this hony-comb that pardoneth iniquity Heb that taketh away sheere away non ne sit sed ne obsit not sin it self but the guilt of it the damning and domineering power of it this David calleth the iniquity of his sin and saith that this God forgave him Psal 32.5 pronouncing himself and all such happy as are so dealt with verse 1.2 and passeth by the transgression Heb Passeth over it taketh no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of businesse seeth not things afore him his mind being upon another matter he neglects all else besides that As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lamenesse or any other defect or deformity so God beholding in his people the image of his son winks at all faults that he might soon find in them That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affirmed of God Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias He forgetteth nothing but the wrongs that are daily done him by his and as it is said of our Henry 6. that he was of that happy memory that he never forgat any thing but injury c. so here Daniel 198. of the remnant of his
him and his when we list to be deceived when we covet to be in errour when we desire to offend God truth and honesty c. behold it is laid over with gold and silver q. d. Come and see beleeve your own eyes at least behold the matter form workmanship of this new-made god Ibid. 1084. and grow wiser The Rood of Grace with all its trinkets the blood of Hales that notable impostor was laid open at Pauls crosse by Cromwell and there viewed and torn in peeces by the people there is no breath at all in the middest of it No soule Aesop not so much as that of a beast O pulchrum caput sed cerebrum non inest said the ape in the fable comming once into a caâ—vers shop The best thing that an image can teach a man is that it self is dumb and dead and that the maker thereof cannot give life and breath to it much lesse a deity Verse 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple It is not enough to condemne superstitions but we must know and serve the true God in a true manner Tully wished that he could as easily find out the true religion as disprove the false ones De nat deos Cambyses destroyed the Egyptian idols rather in scorne of all religion then hatred of idolatry Lucian ieared the heathen-gods and yet was an enemy to Christianity Erasmus was no Papist nor yet good Protestant Henry the 8. despised the old religion and yet envied the new There are many said He in Paâ—liament that are too busy with their new Sumpsimus and others that dote too much upon their old Mumpsimus c. Hence it is that the Prophet here to those dunghill-deities of the heathens those dead idols opposeth the living and onely true God Jehovah saith he is in his holy Temple that Essentiator who hath his being of himself and gives beeing to all things else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul elegantly expresseth it Act. 17.25 He is in his holy Temple sc in heaven by his power and glory and in his Church on earth by his grace and goodnesse The use of which doctrine followeth let all the earth keep silence before him Heb. sc or be still all the earth c. Reverentiae cause silete Tremble at his judgements trust in his promises wait upon him in his ordinances walk before him in obedience speake not of him or to him but as knowing your distance your infancie In speaking of God our best eloquence is silence saith Mr. Hooker In speaking to him quanta cum reverentia quanto timore quanta humilitate Bern. de divers 25. accedere debet è palude sua procedens repens vilis ranuncula saith Bernard with what reverence and godly feare with what humility should a poor small frog creeping out of his mud draw neer unto this great God before whom Angels appeare with greatest self-abasements what abhorrency then and self-annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this great God of heaven And how should the enemies of the Church stand in aw and even quake before him wriggling into their holes as wormes do when it thundreth and beeing all husht as sheep are before the wolfe birds before the hawk all the beasts of the field before the lion when he roareth CHAP. III. Verse 1. A prayer of Habbakkuk the Prophet Habakkuk signifieth a Wrastler that by closing striveth to get the better as hath been before noted on chap. 1.1 To close with the adversary is the best way to supplant him or to avoid the blow so is running in to God the way to escape him The Prophet had heard Gods speech and was afraid verse 2. He saw his wrath ready to break forth and therefore gets in with him by this prayer He knew that Flectitur irat us voce rogante Deus Ovid. God suffereth himself oft to be overcome by the prayers of his people and yeeldeth much unto them when most bitterly bent Mat. 24.20 he therefore sers shoulders and sides to work and wrestle lustily in this chapter He knew it was a Prophets work to pray as well as preach and between these two to divide his time God forbid saith Samuei who is reckoned the first of Prophets that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you I will also teach you the good and right way 1 Sam. Act. 3.24 12.23 So doth this Prophet he both preferreth a prayer the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some signifieth such a prayer as is made by a Mediatour before a judge we have an advocate with the Father 1 Ioh. 2.1 and dedicated the same to the people to be used by them in the time of the captivity which yet they shamefully neglected to do as Daniel acknowledgeth chap. 9.13 or if they did any thing towards it they merely sought themselves in it and so lost their labour Zech. 7.5 whereas had they prayed as here is prescribed confessing their sins Lam. 3. and beseeching God not to deale with them after their deserts but according to his ancient loving kindnesses that never faile they might have found mercy The Altar of incense stood against the Mercy-seat and Rev. 9.13 the prayers of the Saints from the foure corners of the earth sound and do great things in the world make it ring It was the speech of a learned man If there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart it fills the eares of God so that God hears nothing else upon Sigionoth Vocabulum Musicum est cujus ratio Hebraeis ignota saith Buxtorf it is a Musical terme the reason whereof is unknown to the Hebrew-Doctours at this day Yet Rabbi Salomon and with him the most Interpreters rendreth it pro ignorantiis for ignorances or as touching his own and his peoples errours which the prophet here convinced by Gods former answer to his expostulation confesseth with confusion of face Ignorance surely is a blushfull sin especially if affected and delighted in as the Hebrew word seemeth to imply confer Prov. 5.19 and 20.1 Privative ignorance though it do somwhat excuse a man sc à tanto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not à toto Luk 12.47 yet is it a sin to be confessed and bewailed for Christ died for the not-knowing of the people Heb. 9.7 and destruction is threatened prâ— non-scientia or lack of knowledge Hos 4.7 But Calvin well observeth here that the Prophet by begging pardon for iâ—norances doth not omit his own and the peoples more grievous sins but sheweth that men must also be sensible of their lesser lapses and cry out with David after whose example this whole song is framed Who can understand his errours or ignorances unwitting and inconsiderate sins O clense thou me from secret faults Psal 19.12 Verse 2. O Lard I have heard thy speech and was afraid Audivi auditionem tuam I have heard not thy fume or thy report as some render it unlesse it
promise yea to give oath and now thy truth bindeth thee to performe All thy pathes to thy people now are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 not mercy onely but mercy and truth not by a providence onely but by vertue of a promise ratified with an oath This is sweet indeed this deserves a Selah to be set to it thou didst cleave the earth with rivers Exod. 17.6 Psal 78.15 16. Deut. 8.15 Neh. 9.15 This cleaving the hard Rock and setting it abroach this turning of the flint into a fountain Psal 114.8 was a work of Omnipotency and is therefore so much celebrated It maketh much to the miracle that the earth was cleft with rivers this importeth both the plenty and the perennity thereof for the Rock that is the river out of the rock followed them 1 Cor. 10.4 lest in that dry and barren wildernesse they should perish for want of water The same God also who had given his people petram aquatilem gave them pluviam escatilem Tertul. de patientia as Tertullian phraseth it Manna from heaven Quails in great abundance and never was Prince better served in his greatest pomp He also defended them from the fiery serpents and delivered them from a thousand other deaths and dangers all which mercies are here implied though one onely be instanced and all to ascertain the Saints how much God setteth by them and what he will yet do for them as occasion requireth As he made the world at first that he might communicate and impart himself to his Elect so for their sakes doth he still preserve and govern it ordering the worlds disorders by an over-ruling power for his own glory and their eternall good Verse 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled sc At the promulgation of the Law Exod. 19.17 Psal 114.4 6. when God came with ten thousand of his Saints Deut. 33.2 and so terrible was the earth-quake that it wrought an heart-quake even in Moses himself Heb. 12.21 It is the office of the Law to do so and happy is he who terrified and thunder-struck by the threats thereof runnes to Christ for refuge as to One who is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him Heb. 9.25 Some take mountains metaphorically for the Mighties of the earth and read it thus The mountains saw thee and they grieved See Num. 22.3 Josh 2.9 10 11 The over-flowing of the water passed by the inundation of Jordan passed into the dead-sea the lower part of it I mean like as the upper stood and rose up upon an heap Gualth Josh 3.16 being bounded and barred up by the Almighty power of God the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high i. e. summo consensis suffragatus est c. It voiced and voted for Gods judgements helping forward the execution thereof Verse 11. The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation viz. In the dayes of Joshuah and upon his prayer chap. 10.12 13. whereupon One crieth out O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam quibus etiam coelestia cedunt c. O the admirable power of prayer Buchol that worketh wonders in heaven and oh the heroicall faith of Joshuah the trophees whereof hee set in the very orbes of heaven at the light of thine arrowes they went By these shining arrowes and glittering spears some understand that terrible lightening mixt with that horrible hail Josh 10.11 with Exod. 9.23 and then it is figura planè poetica a Poeticall expression for the poets call lightening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the sword of the Lord and of Gideon Judg. 7. 18. Joves arrow See the like Psal 18.14 The huge hail-stones were Gods glittering spears wherewith he slaughtered his enemies Others suppose that these things are meant of the arms and weapons of the Israelites called Gods arrowes and spears because used at his command and ordered by him This sence Gualther liketh better as most comfortable to Christian warriours who fight the Lords battels Verse 12. Thou didst march thorow the land in indignation Heb. Thou didst walk in pomp as a Conquerour thorow the land sc of Canaan in contempt of the opposite forces treading upon the neeks of thine enemies Josh 10.24 thou didst thresh the heathen in anger See Amos 1.3 Mic. 4.13 God by the hands of Joshuah did all this The most of the old inhabitants were destroyed Some few fled into Africk and left written upon a pillar for a monument to posterity We are Phoenicians that fled from the face of Joshuah the son of Nave Verse 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people q. d. Thou wast Generalissimo in â—our expeditions in the dayes of the Judges who therefore were so successefull How could they be otherwise when God came with them into the field Camd. Elisab If Q. Elizabeth could take for her Motto Cui adhaereo praest He to whom I adhere prevaileth how much more may Almighty God say as much even for salvation with thine anointed i. e. with David 1 Sam. 16.12 13. 2 Sam. 5.3 16. and 19.22 and 22.51 Psal 20.7 a lively type of Christ that Messiah the Prince the mystery of which promised Saviour the ancient Jew-Doctours confessed to be contained in this text It is not altogether unlikely that the Prophet might intend here to point at Jesus Christ when he saith for salvation Jeshang whence Jesus for thine anointed or thy Christ There are that read the words in the Future-tense thus Thou shalt go forth for the salvation of thy people sc when Messiah that great Sospitator cometh thou shalt wound the head of the wicked sc of the Devil Rom. 16.20 Thou shalt make naked the foundation of his kingdom unto the neck Selah thou shalt utterly destroy sin death and hell A remarkable mercy indeed a mystery of greatest concernment and most worthy to be considered Gualther carries the sence this way and yet addeth that if any please to refer the words to the history of the old Testament they must be understood of those tyrants that persecuted the true Church and whom God for Christs sake subdued and subverted together with their kingdomes Verse 14. Thou didst strike thorow with his staves the heads of his villages Heb. thou didst pierce or bore thorow as with an awger with his staves a Metaphor from shepherdy according to that Psal 23.3 thy rod and thy staffe c. or with his tribes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that entred the land of promise Acts 26.7 with these men or with these weapons though never so unlikely thou diddest by the hand of David wound the hairy scalp of thine enemies those Pagans and persecutours and much more wiâ—â— by the Son of David subdue Satan and his Complices they came out as a whirl-winde to scatter me Heb. they tempested they raised an hurly-burly being turbulent spirits as the devil is to disperse me as the dust of the mountains is scattered before a whirle-winde their
then with any thing that befell himself It is said of Melanâ—thon that the miseries of the Church made him almost neglect the death of his dearest children and put him upon many prayers and tears which Idem in vita Melanch like musick upon the water made a most melodious noise in the ears of God When Luther in a certain Epistle checked him and chod him for his exceeding great care of the Churches welfare calling him pertinacissimam curarum hirudinem c. he meekly replied Si nihil curarem nihil orarem If I should not care so I should not pray so God seemeth sometimes to have lost his mercy as here How long wilt thou be unmercifull to Jerusalem and then we must find it for him He seems to have forgot his people we must remind him He seems to sleep delay we must waken quicken him with How long Lord Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come saith Daniel Psal 102.13 14 who is probably held to be the Pen man of that excellent Psal 102. Confer Dan. 9.2 and he speaks it with as much confidence as if he had been in Gods blessed bosom the while This also he spake not now by a spirit of prophecy or speciall revelation but by way of argumentation or necessary demonstration For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof They pity her and melt over her therefore thou Lord much more sith all their tendernesse is but a spark of thy flame a drop of thine Ocean against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten yeers There is much ado among Interpreters about Jeremies 70 and Zacharies 70 whether one and the same or different one from another That of Scaliger is most unlikely who reckoneth these yeers of the captivity from the first year of Xerxes with his father Darius unto the fourth year of Darius Nothus Lib. 6. de Emend Temp. How much better our countreyman Lydiat whom yet Scaliger so much scorned saying Quis est ille ex ultima Britannia Canis qui Ios Scaligerum audeat allatrare who concludes it to be 70 years from the last destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldees Lyd. Emend Temp. Anno M. 3485. to this second year of Darius Hystaspes wherein Zachariah prophecyed That of A Lapide upon this Text I cannot passe by Moraliter idipsum dicamus idipsum oremus obsecremus pro Anglia c. Let us say the same pray the same for England Scotland c. that the Angel here doth for Jerusalem How long Lord wilt thou not have mercy upon England where Heresie hath prevailed now these hundred years and upwards The English fugitives beyond-seas write upon their Colledge and Church-doors in great golden letters Jesu Jesu converte Angliam Fiat Fiat Jesu convert England Amen Amen Why yet this is somewhat better then that of Pererius the Jesuite upon Genes 15.16 If any man marvell saith He why England continueth to flourish notwithstanding the over-flow of heresie and cruel persecution of Catholikes just execution of Catholikes he should have said wee answer because their iniquity is not yet full God grant it Ier. 28.6 Sed veniet tandem iniquitat is complementum But the time is not far off and forbearance is no quittance c. Vers 13. And the Lord answered the Angel How should God do otherwise then answer his welbeloved Son with good and comfortable words sith he is all in all with the Father and can do any thing with him Father saith he Joh. 12. I know thou hearest me alwayes Did God hear Abraham for Ismael nay for Sodom Did David hear Ioab interceding for Absolom Acts 12.20 Did Herod hearken to Blastus making request for those of Tyre and Sidon with whom he was highly displeased And shall not God give ear to his Son praying for his people that are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Good and comfortable words he doth surely answer him such as were once those Joh. 12.27 28. when Christ had thus prayed Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I to this hour Father glorifie thy Name Then came there a voice from heaven Bath-chol the Rabbins call it saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again So when he shall say in his daily intercession for he ever liveth to make request for us at the right hand of the Majesty on high It irketh me that the whole earth is at rest and my Church at so much unrest Return O Lord Psal 90.13 how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants Save now I beseech thee O Lord Psal 118.25 O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity How can God do less then answer as Isa 33.10 Now will I arise now will I be exalted now will I lift up my self Or as in the words next following here which indeed are all along good words and comfortable words I am jealous for Jerusalem c. The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet chuse Jerusalem Yet for all the sorrow he shall do it Ier. 30.17 and for all that Others called her an outcast saying This is Zion whom no man seketh after and she her self concludeth her dolefull ditty with Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Lam. 4.22 Verse 14. So the Angell that communed with me See the Note on ver 10. cry thou saying q. d. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Speake ye comfortably to Jerusalem speake ye to her heart and cry unto her saying that her appointed time is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned and so the quarrell is ended for she hath received of the Lords hands double for her sins Nothing so much as I have deserved saith she Ezra 9.13 twice so much as she hath deserved saith He. O sweet contradiction O beautifull contention The same Hebrew word signifieth to repent and to comfort 1 Sam. 15.35 Esay 40.1 Gods care is to comfort those that are cast down His command to his Prophet is to cry comfort to the penitent with an extraordiny earnestnesse from the God of all consolation I am jealous for Ierusalem and for Zion with a great jealousie Love is strong as death zeal or jealousie for the same word signifieth both is hard as hell Cant. 8.6 Non amat qui non zelat saith Augustine He loves not that zeales not And Basil venturing himself very farr for his friend and by some blamed for it answered Ego aliter amare non didici I cannot love a man but I must do mine utmost for him When one desired to know what manner of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dreame to him a pillar of fire with this motto Talis est Basilius Lo such an one is Basil It is certaine that our
their cruelty the valour of the patients the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and belief bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers These were those lion-like men of the tribe of Judah that took the kingdom by violence Judah which signifieth the Confessour had the kingdom as Levi had the Priest-hood both forfeited by Reuben who was weak as water Gen. 49. and I will save the house of Joseph that is Ephraim but for the ten tribes whom God here promiseth to save not to bring back saith the Geneva-Note on Ver. 9. But others there are that gather from these words and these that follow that God will not onely preserve them but reduce and resettle them in their own countrey yea and multiply them so abundantly as that their countrey shall not be able to hold them Verse 10. Whence cometh Ashurs and Egypts subjection to Christ that is all the tract of the East and of the South verse 1. and their perpetual establishment in the faith Verse 12 And I will bring them again to place them I will place them in their houses as Hos 11.11 The Sept. render it I will cause them to dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compos The Caldee I will gather together their captivity Some special mercy is assured them by this special word of a mixt conjugation for I have mercy upon I them Here 's a double cause alledged of these so great and gracious promises and both excluding works First Gods mere mercy Secondly his Election of grace for I am the Lord their God This latter is the cause of the former for God chose his people for his love and then loveth them for his choice The effects of which love are here set down 1. That he heareth their prayers I will hear them 2. That he reaccepteth and restoreth them in Christ as if they had never offenced against him They shall be as though I had not cast them off That was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity Jer. 16.13 When God not onely threateneth to cast them out of their countrey into a strange land but that there he would slew them no favour Here he promiseth to pitty them and then they must needs think deliverance was at next door by and they shall be as though I had not cast them off And this the sooner and the rather because they called them out-casts saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how God regards them that have been so oft overcome viz. by Nehuchad-nezzar Pompey c. God therefore promiseth to provide for his own great name by being fully reconciled to his poor people whom the world looked upon abjects for I am the Lord their God And if I should not see to their safey Psal 119. it would much reflect upon me This David well knew and therefore prayes thu I am thine Lord save me and will hear them Or I will speak with them speak to their hearts It is no more saith One then if a man were in a fair dining-room with much good company and there is some speciall friend whom he loveth dearly that calleth him aside to speak in private of businesse that neerly concerneth him and though he go into a worse room yet he is well enough pleased So if God in losse of friends houses countrey comforts whatsoever will speak with us will answer us the losse will be easily made up Philip Lantgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles 5. was demanded what upheld him all that time He answered that he had felt the favour of God and the Divine consolations of the Martyrs There be Divine comforts that are felt onely under the crosse I will bring her into the wildernesse and there speak to her heart Hos 2.13 Israel was never so royally provided for with Manna Quails and other cates as when they were in the wildernesse The crosse is anointed with comfort which makes it not onely light but sweet not onely not troublesome and importable but desirable and delightful saith Bernard Thy presence O Lord made the very gridiron sweet to Laurence saith another How easily can God make up our losse and breaches Verse 7. And they of Ephraim shall be as a mighty man The same again and in the same words for more assurance because the return of the ten Tribes might seem a thing more incredible Erant enim quasi putridum cadaver saith Calvin here they were as rotten carkasses and they had obiter onely heard of these promises as if some grain of feed should be dropt by the high-way-side for they were now as aliens from the Common-wealty of Israel and their hert shall rejoyce as throught wine Which naturally exhilarateth Psal 104.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is called by Plato one of the Mitigaters of humane misery See Prov. 31.6 with the Note Some nations use to drink wine freely before they enter the battel to make them undaunted Some think here may be an allusion to such a custom I should rather understand it of that generous wine of the spirit Eph. 5.18 yea their children shall see it Therefore they were not to antedate the promises but to wait the accomplishment which should certainly be if not them yet to theirs after them even a full restauration in due season Verse 8. I will hisse for them and gather them As a shepheard hisseth or whistleth for his flock See Judg. 5.16 where it should not be translated the bleatings of the flocks but the hissings or whistlings of the shepheards to their flocks when they would get them together God who hath all creatures at his beck and check can easily bring back his hanished gather together his dispersed with a turn of a hand Zech. 13.7 with a blast of his mouth as here as if any offer to oppose him herein he can blow them to destruction Iob. 4.9 He can frown them to death Psal 80.16 He can crush them between his fingers as men do a moth Psal 39.11 and crumble them to crattle Psal 146.4 Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Psal 49.14 For I have redeemed them I have in part and that 's a pledge of the whole my hands also shall finish it as Chap 4.9 God doth not his work to the halves neither must we but if he shall be All in All unto us we must be altogether His Cant. 2.16 His is a covenant of mercy ours of obedience which must be therefore full and finall as Christ hath obtained for us an entire and everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 and they shall increase as they have increased By verue of that promise to Abraham Gen. 13.16 I will multiply thy seed as the dust of the earth and Gen 15.5 as the stars of
and Iacob-like 1 Pet. 1.17 when they see nothing but visions of love and mercy as he did at Bethel yet then to cry out How dreadful is this place Psal 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared unto you O Priests Whom I look upon as the chief of my children given me in lieu of Israels first-born the lot of mine own inheritance that stand ever before me and should by soundnesse of doctrine and holinesse of life vindicate my name from contempt and get me honour before the people Singular holinesse is required of ministers above others a double spirit they had need to wish for as Elisha Things in the sanctuary were double to those that were common as the shekel cubit c. Ministers are called Angels and they must walk as angels ne sit nomen inane crimen immane lest God renew his old complaint The leaders of his people have caused them to erre Isa 9.16 It was the complaint of Pope Pius the second In hist Austriaca that there was no notorious wickednesse committed in the Catholick Church cujus prima origo à sacerdotibus non dependeat the first beginning whereof arose not from Church-men John Hus cryes out of the priests of his time Multa quae illi ordinem dicunt c. Bel. Hussit p. 9 Many of those things that they call by the name of order have brought all things in Christendom out of order Cornelius à Lapide upon this text in his popish way bewaileth it that the ignorance and profanenesse of many of their priests had given occasion to Luthers heresie to spread the further We also have no lesse cause to complain that the insufficiency and impiety of some of our ministry hath opened the black mouth of Campian and his popish complices to bark out Ministris eorum nihil vilius Their Ministers are very base For prevention let the souls of ministers be purer then the Sun-beams as Chrysostom saith they should be and let their lives be so unblameable that no man may speak the least evil of them without a manifest lie c. that despise my name This is the crime they are directly and expresly charged with They had not honoured God as a Father feared him as a Master therefore they had despised and slighted him Not to do God right is to do him wrong not to reverence him is to rob him not to blesse him is to blaspheme him Job 1.5 That 's an excellent saying of Fulgentius Deum si quis parum metuit valde contemnit hujus qui non memorat beneficentiam anget injuriam i. e. whoso feareth God but a little slights him overmuch and he that maketh not honourable mention of his bounty doth him a great deal of injury The very not serving of God the not sacrificing to him is a crime Mal. 3.18 Eccles 9.2 How much more then a slubbered service a corrupt sacrifice There is a contempt in this latter which is worse then a bare neglect and displeasing service is double dishonour Hence the present contest with those greasie priests that despised Gods name the Septuagint hath it Ye that esteem my name at a low rate that misprise it as the French translateth it that have base and bald conceits of me and of my nomen Majestativum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majestick Name as Tertullian termeth it that take me not into your hearts under the name and notion of an infinite Highnesse the great and mighty Maker and Monarch of the whole world Our safest eloquence concerning God is our silence saith Hooker But if we take in hand to say any thing of him Nullis vocibus tam plenè Deum significamus saith learned Scaliger quam its quae ignorantiam nostram praetendunt We can set forth God so fully by no words as by those that set forth our ignorance of his excellency The very heathens when they would swear by their Jupiter out of the meer dread and reverence of his name forbare to mention him The Jews would not pronounce the name Jehovah Suidas here used in the text The first among the Christians that pronounced Jehovah was Petrus Galatinus Psal 111. following the pronuntiation of the Syriacks and Greeks If at any time we take Gods holy and reverend Name into our thoughts and truly we should think of him almost at every breath we draw according to that Let every breath praise the Lord Remember to think of God as of One at all to be thought of Psal 150. as one whose Wisdom is his Justice whose Justice is his Power whose Power is his Mercy and all himself Good without quality great without quantity Everlasting without time Omnipresent without place containing all things without extent c. This is to magnifie God to make roomth for him in our hearts and the contrary is to despise his name And ye say wherein have we despised thy Name Loe the impudencie of these frontlesse Hypocrites They traverse their aceusation stand upon their justification and put God to his proofs How ordinary is it with people still to palliate their sinnes and plead their innocencie Hos 12.8 In all my labours they shall find none imquity in me that were sin that were a foul business But men have learned to draw a fair glosse upon a foule hand to cast a colour as the Calf-fish doth to deceive the fisher-man to hide their sinnes as Adam Job 31.33 by down right denyall as did Cain Gehezi Ananias and Sapphira or else by excusing and extenuating Gen. 4.9 2 Kin. 5.25 Acts 5.8 as Saul 1 Sam. 16.20 21. Or at least by a senselesse silence not acknowleging their sinnes or being affected with them but rather out facing as Judas John 13.21 with Mat. 2.24 Sinne and shifting came into the world together and so they continue Satan knowes there 's no way to purge the sick soul but upwards therefore he holds the lips close that the heart may not disburden itself and have ease Prov. 28.13 Verse 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar Bread that is Sacrifices and Oblations so Rabbi David expounds it out of Levit. 21.6 and Levit. 3.3 and Num. 28.2 For the Hebrews call all kind of meat by the name of bread though it be flesh of Oxe Lamb or Goat offered in sacrifice to God whom they made account that they feasted in their sacrifices Psal 50.13 Hence that of the Psalmist in the person of God will I eat the flesh of Bulls or drink the bloud of Goates Now the bread was reckoned polluted when it was neither lawfull nor acceptable but prohibited and therefore abhorred as much every whit as Ezekiels bread prepared with mans dung Cap. 4.13 of which he saith verse 14. Ah Lord God behold my soul hath not been polluted neither ever came there abominable flesh into my mouth What sacrifices God had flatly forbidden see Levit. 22.20 21 22 c. Take we heed that we despite not
not preach though gifted men Rom. 10.15 with Esay 52.8 All that are in office to preach are Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastours or Teachers Eph. 4.11 Elders onely my preach Tit. 1.5 And the contrary would prevent the Apostle willeth that in the Church all things be done decent'y and in order 1 Cor. 14.4 which could not be if all were teachers for then there would be no distinction of Ministers and people But Are all teachers saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.29 And he answers himself No but onely those whom God did set verse 13. like as he set apart the tribe of Levi to execute the Priests office which whiles Corah Dathan and Abiram sought to impugne and level they went quick into the pit Num. 16.30 Meddle not therfore without a calling that in the day of Gods displeasure you may appeal unto him with Jeremy and say As for me I have not hastened or thrust in my self for a Pastour after thee neither have I desired the woful day thou knowest that which came out of my lipps was right before thee Jer. 17.16 And being able safely to say this thou mayest binde upon it that God who is in covenant with all his Levi's his faithful Ministers will be their shield and their exceeding great reward how ever the world deal with them Verse 5. My covenant was with him of life and peace Now Gods covenant saith an expositour here is of four sorts 1. General made with all creatures Gen 9.2 2. With the Church in general Gen. 17. 3. With the Church of the Elect Jer. 31.33 4. With some particulars of some special graces as here with Levi of life and peace So then to ministers above others hath the Lord bound himself by special covenant to be their mighty Protectour and rewarder to give them life and peace that is long life and prosperous See Num. 25.12 13. Life of it self though pestered with many miseries is a sweet mercy and highly to be prized Better is a living dog then a dead lion Eccles 9.4 And why is the living man sorrowful a man for the punishment of his sins Lam. 3.39 As who should say let a man suffer never so much yet if he be suffered to live he hath cause to be contented It is the Lords mercy he is not consismed When Baruc sought great things for himself Jeremy tels him he may be glad in those dear years of life Jer. 45.5 Gen. 45.26 when the arrows of death came so thick whisking by him that he had his life for a prey Jacob took more comfort of his son Josephs life then of his honour Joseph is yet alive c. Quis vitam non vult saith Austin who is it that desires not life When David moveth the question what man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Austin brings in every man answering I do and I do Long life and happy dayes is every mans desire If God give these blessings to those that are gracelesse it is by vertue of a providence onely and not of a promise and that 's nothing so comfortable life in Gods displeasure is worse then death said that Martyr if wicked men live long it is that they may make up the measure of their sins and by heaping up sin increase their torment If godly men die soon God taketh them away from the evil to come as when there is a fire in an house or town men secure their Jewels And though they fall in wars yet they die in peace 2 Chron. 34.28 Hieren as good Josiah did who also in brevi vitae spacio tempora virâ—utum multareplevit lived quickly lived apace lived long in a little time For life consists in action Esay 38.15 16. The Hebrews call running water living water Now Gods faithful Ministers if they work hard and so wear out themselves to do good to others as a lamp wasteth it self to give light or as that herb mentioned by Plâ—y that cures the patient but rots the hand that administreth it if like clouds they sweat themselves to death to bring souls to God yet shall they be sure to finde it a blessed way of dying they shall mori vitaliter die to live for ever God will not send any of his to bed till they have done their work The two witnesses could not be slain till their testimony was finished No malice of man can antedate their ends a minute The dayes of mourning for my father will come said Esae and then Hekâ—ll my brother Jacob Gen. 27.41 Here Esâ—uâ— that rough reprobate threateneth his father also as Luther conceiveth For it is as if he should have said I will be avenged by being the death of my brother though it be to the breaking of my fathers heart But what 's the proverb Threatened falk live long for even Isaac who died soonest lived above forty yeers beyond this My times are in thy hands saith David and that 's a safe hand And blessed be God that Christ liveth and reigneth alioqui tot us desperassem or else I had been in ill case said Miconius in a letter of his to Calvin Ren. 1. Ministers are stars in Christs right hand and it will be hard pulling them thence They must carry their lives in their hands and be ready to lay them down when it may be for the glory of their Master but they shall be sure not to dye whether by a natural or by a violent death till the best time not till that time when if they were but rightly informed they would desire to die But whether their death be a burnt-offering of Martyrdome or a peace-offering whether they die in their beds as Elisha or be carried to heaven in a fiery chariot as Elijah let it be a free-will-offering and then it shall be a sweet sacrifice to him who hath covenanted with them for life and peace They shall by death as by a door of hope Esay 56.2 Eccles 5.12 enter into peace they shall rest in their beds yea in Abrahams bosome and as the sleep of the labouring man is sweet unto him whether he eat little or much so heaven shall be so much the more heaven to such as have here had their purgatory Mark the upright man Psal 37.37 saith holy David and behold the just for how troublesome soever his beginning and middle is the end of that man is peace and I gave them to him Here 's the performance of Gods covenant to Levi and his posterity God doth not pay his promises with fair words onely as Sertorius is said to do Neither is he like Amigonus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignominiously so called because forward in promising slack in performing But as he hath hitherto kept promise with nights and dayes Jer. 33.20 25. that one should succeed the other so much more doth he keep promise with his people for as his love moved him to promise so his truth bindeth him to perform
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deliverer It was the thankfull acknowledgement of Generall Captaines and souldiers at Edge-hill-fight that the Lord was seen in the Mount Never lesse of man in such a businesse never more of God But what shall it prosit a man to conquer countries 2 Tim. 2.26 and yet be vanquished of vices to tread upon his enemies and yet be taken captive by the devill at his pleasure to command the whole world as those Persian kings and yet were commanded by their concubines so by their base lusts by yeelding whereunto they give place unto the very devill and receive him into their very bosomes Eph. 4.26 who therehence leads them away naked and barefoot as the Assyrian did the Egyptians Isa 29.2 How much better Valentinian the Emperour who said upon his deathbed that among all his victories over his enemies this one only comforted him viz. that by the grace and power of Christ Jesus he had got the better of his corruptions and was now more then a Couquerour even a Triumpher for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet Even the ashes of that stubble burnt in Christs oven Verse 1. This shewes their utter and ignominious destruction And the like is foretold of mysticall Babylon Rev. 18. Tota eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses sang Sibylla of old Fiat Fiat Our corruptions also shall one day be incinerated they are already buried Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 the fiery spirit of Christ will do with the body of sin as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Am. 2.1 burn its bones into lime In the day that I shall do this sc partly here but perfectly at the last day Mean while sinne may rebel in Gods people but it cannot raigne Satan may nibble at their heele but he cannot come at their head the world may kill them but cannot hurt them Re of good chear saith Christ I have overcome the world Joh. 16.33 All evils and enemies shall cooperate for their good Rom. 8.28 saith the Lord of Hosts Who hath also said Heaven and earth shall passe but not one jot or tittle of my word c. Verse 4. Remember ye the law of Moses viz. Now henceforth in the fail of Prophecy for Malachy knew that after him untill the dayes of John Baptist no Prophet should arise Hence this exhortation to read and remember the Law as leading them to Christ the Law I say in all the parts of it not excluding the Prophets those Interpreters of the Law and most excellent Commentaries thereupon with like reverence to be read and received The Jews at this day read in their Synagogues two lessons One out of the Law by some chief person another out of the Prophets correspondent to the former in argument but is read by some boy or mean companion for they will in no sort do that honour neither attribute they that authority to any part of the Bible that they do to their Law But this their way is their folly Psal 49.13 yet their posterity opprove their sayings as the Psalmist speaketh in another case Two things offer themselves to our observation from these first words First the little coherence that this verse hath with the former the Prophet chusing rather to fall abruptly upon this most needfull but too too much neglected duty of remembring the Law then not at all to mention it See the like Rom. 16.17 where the Apostle breaks off his salutations to warne them of their danger by seducers and that done returns thereto again Secondly In the Hebrew word rendred Remember Buxtorf in Comment Mafor c. 14. there is in many Bibles a great Zain to shew as some think the necessity and excellency of this duty of remembring the law of Moses It is well enough known that since the fall mans soul is like a filthy pond wherein fish die soon and frogs live long profane matters are remembred pious passages forgotten Our memories are like sieves or nets that retain chaffe and palterment let go the good grain or clear water Gods word â—uns thorough us as water runs thorough a riven vessell And as hour-glasses which no sooner turned up and filled but are presently running out again to the last sand so is it here And yet the promise of salvation is limitted to the condition of keeping in memory what we have read or heard 1 Cor. 15.2 And Davids character of a blessed man is that he meditateth in the Law day and night Psal 1.2 Hoc primum reâ—etens opus Nor. ep 6. hoc postremus omittens Bishop Babington had a little Book containing three leaves onely which he turned over night and morning The first leaf was black to inminde him of hell and Gods judgements due to him for sinne The second rod to minde him of Christ and his passion The third white to set forth Gods mercy to him through the merits of his Son in his Justification and sanctification The Law of the Lord as it is perfect in it self so it is right for all holy purposes Psal 19. â— 8 It serves to discover sinne Rom. 3.20 and 7.9 shews the punishment due to sinne Gal. 3.10 scourgeth men to Christ Gal. 3.24 And is a perfect rule of obedience it being so penned that every man maythink it speaks de se in re sâ—a as â—thanesivs saith of the book of Psalms and must therefore be of all acknowledged to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods own invention Demost Moses was but the Pen-man onely though it be here called his Law because God gave him the Morall Law written with his own hand Deut. 10.2 adding it to the promise made to Abraham that thereby guilt being discovered c. men might acknowledge the riches of free-grace and mercy and that they might walk as Luther hath it in the heaven of the promise Gal. 3.19 but in the earth of the law that in respect of beleeving this of obeying that they might live as though there were no Gospel die as though there were no Law passe the time of this life in the wildernesse of this world under the conduct of Moses but let none but Joshuah Jesus bring them over to Canaan the promised land This the generality of the Jews could not skill of though the Morall-law drove them to the Ceremoniall which was then Christ in figure as it doth now drive us to Christ in truth they would needs have Moses for a Saviour and being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse wilfully ignorant they go about to establish their own Rom. 10.3 and so lose all They jear at an imputed righteousnesse and say That every fox must pay his own skin to the fleare They blaspheme Jesus Christ and curse him in a close abbreviature of his name and call those among them that convert to Christianity Mtshumadim that is lost or undone Buxtorf syn Jud. cap. 5. Schicard de jure reg Jiebr Moses Law they extoll without meature It
would never be drawn to fear or stand in awe of For Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that in a desperate boldnesse or Cyclopicall contempt of the divine Justice hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe q Prov 28 13 yea shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy r Prov. 29.1 In executing of which dreadfull sentence though the Lord be slow yet he is sure his forbearance is no quittance But although a sinner in high contempt of Gods heavy displeasure do evill an hundred times and his dayes through Gods infinite patience be prolonged yet surely I know saith Solomon that it shall be well with them that feare that Lord which fear before him Å¿ Eccles 8.12 That is that fear him in his ministers and deputies trembling at his judgments while they hang in the threatnings t Isa 66.2 melting as Josich u 2 Chr. 34 27 at the terrour of his menaces nay by the kindnesse of his mercyes which dissolves their good hearts as weake water doth some thin substances or as the hot â—un doth the hard ice An instance hereof ye have in that solemne meeting at Mizpeh where Israel which had found the misery of Gods absence is now resolv'd into teares of contrion and thankfulnesse when he was once returned and settled in Kiriath-jearim Then they mett together at Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord w 1 Sam. 7 6. In signum expiationis iniquitatum juâ—ta Iob 11.15 R. Sâ—lomon dicit quod hâ—c feâ—erunt in signum humiliationis q d sicut aqua effusa ad nihi 'um valet ultra siâ—in conspectu tuo nihil sumus aut videmur 2 â—sal 86.11 Whether 't were teares out of their eyes or water out of their vessels as a ceremony or pledge of their hearty humiliation the difference is little Sure it was to testify the tendernesse of their hearts which having hang'd loose a long time from the Lord began now to unite again unto his fear* It is certaine that the mercies of God draw more teares from his children then his judgments do from his enemies who as in prosperity bec use they have no changes therefore they fear not God y Psal 55.19 so in adversity their hearts are the more hâ—rdâ—ed thereby from his fear z Is 63.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.7 as in Pharaoh and Ahaz till at last by long trading with the devil in the wayes of sin they come to lose with him all passive power also of being wrought upon and arrive at that that height of incurable hardnesse that neither ministry nor misery nor miracle nor mercy can possibly mollify Which is the greatest plague that can befall a man out of hell and the very next step into it But the second extreame standing in as full opposition to that fear of God we are treating of is that slavish and hellish fear and terrour that evill spirits and men conceive of God whom they look upon only as an implacable sin revenging judge or tyrant rather ready to teare the very kell of their hearts in suder a Hos 13 6. Quem metunnt Oderunt Ennius Odium timerem spirat Tert and to send them packing to their place in hell Hereupon follows an exulcerate hatred of God according to that of the Poet whom men fear they hate a desperate â—unning away from God with Cam Saul Ahrzath b 2 King 1.2 Quem quisque odit pernsse expetit Ennius c. A secret rising up against God and an inward desire that there were no such thing as God that so they might never be called to an Audit and account of their wicked wayes and sinfull courses as they are sure to be in that dreadfull day This the Devill and his impes beleeve and therefore tremble c Iam. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word seemes to imply such an excesse of fear as causeth gnashing of teeth like the clashing of armour or horrible yellings like the roaring of the sea * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est maris agnatio Hom Iâ—â—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Eustach in locum Nullum maleficium sine formidine quia nec sine conscientia sai Tert. They have no rest day nor night Apoc. 14.11 The reason of which outrage is rendred by Terâ—uâ—iam No sinner saith he escapes fear of Gods wrath and all because he can never possibly shake off Conscience which being Mans spie and Gods overseer if it be not desperately feared or sealed up securely with a spirit of slumber against the day of slaughâ—â—r doth sting the evill-doer betwixâ— whiles d Rom. 2.15 with unquestionable conviction and horrour And thus it fares ordinarily with a wicked person But now t is otherwise with the godly when they are out of temptation for then you must know it is ego non sum ego with them they are not themselves neither can any right judgment as then be made of them But usually their hearts being purisied from an evill conscience e Heb. 10.22 through the blood of sprinkling f 1 Pet. 1.2 cast upon them by the hyssop bunch of faith g Rom 5 1 they have peace with god their reconciled father in Jesus Christ Whom therefore they love in fear and fear in love wishing nothing more then his being Let he Lord live h Psal 18.44 saith David as the principle of their well-being for it is good for me to draw neer to Jehovah i Psal 73.28 Into whose presence they therefore flee as the doves unto their windowes k Esay 69 8 I will come into thine house in the mulutude of thy mercies there 's his reverence l Psal 5.7 Loe this is the guise of a godly person whiles himself He feares and loves feares and hopes feares and prayes feares and feasts m Iude 12. feares and workes yea workes out his whole salvation with fear and trembling and all because he knowes that 't is not of himself but of God a most free agent that gives both to will and to worke and all of his own good pleasure n Philip 2.12.13 as the Apostle there enforceth it SECT III. Objections and Queries touching the Fear of God cleared and answered IF any object here that of Saint John Object Perfect love casleth out fear o 1 Joh. 4.18 That is Sol. Duo sunt timores Dei servilis amicalis Bedain Prov. 1 say we for abswer servile and base fear which love is perpetually purging upon For as for filiall and friendly fear it is never cast out no not in the state of perfection neither for the very angels cover their faces and feet before God p Esay 6.2 as knowing their distance But is the fear of Gods children here purely filiall without all mixture of that which is servile Quest No Ans nor need it be For first servile fear I
is greatest gain t 1 Tim 6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in pietate 1 Tim. 4.8 saith the same Apostle such as wherein all losses are recompensed all wants supplied all curses removed crosses sanctified promises accomplished blessednesse procured Satan conquered Death destroyed the grave sweetned corruption abolished sanctification perfected and heaven opened for a more happy enterance What should I say more for a conclusion of this first Exhortation to those that are in their naturall condition There is no gain to that of grace no increase to that of Gods service The Usurer gaines six in the hundred but the gain of godlinesse is an hundred-fold here and eternall life hereafter Oh who would not then turne spirituall purchaser SECT VI. Vse 4. Exhortation to Saints to abide in Gods love and to abound in his work sith their labour of love is not in vain in the Lord. OUr second Exhortation is to be addressed to all those that are true of heart Use 4 whose names are written in heaven u heb 12.23 whose services are set down in Gods book of remembrance How should these first rejoyce in this priviledge more a great deal then if devils were subdued unto them x Luc. 10 what a mercy is his that God should set so highly by their poor performances as to record them in the high court of heaven to gratifie and grant them thereupon great suites on earth to glory and bost of them before the Prince of hell as he did of Iob y Iob 1.8 because he was jealous over himself and his with a godly jealousy z Iob 1.5 How should the Saints delight themselves in such a master and make their boasts of God all day long a Psal 44.8 How should they sing with David Lord thou hast dealt bountifully with thy servant according to thy word b Psal 119.17 carolling out and calendring up the noble acts of that Lord * Psal 105.5 who shall count when he writes up the people c Psal 87.6 that such a man was born there and there was faithfull in all his house as a servant d Heb. 3.5 with Moses kept his word and not denyed his name with Pergamus and Philadelphia e Rev. 2. 3 instantly served the Lord day and night with the twelvâ— tribes f Act. 26.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. These things he carefully recordeth and honourably mentioneth and is it not a shame for us to be slothfull and silent to be forgetlull of him that thus remembreth us and the poor things that pass from us Of all things God cannotabide to be forgotten See how ill he takes it at the hands of his people They are a froward generation children in whom â—â—no faith saith he For of the Rock that begat them they are unmindfull and the God that formed them they have forgotten And when th Lord saw it he abhorred them because of this provoking of his sons and of his daughters g Deut. 32.18 20 And a fire was kindled in hisanger thereupon even such as burneth to the lowest hell For the wicked shall be turned into hell and who too With all them that forget God h Psal 9.17 But what shall become of them in the mean while Behold I even I will utterly forget you and so pay you home in your own coyne yea I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten i Ier. 23. 39.40 See this exemplified in the rich glutton Luc. 16. who because he remembred not that God gave him his corne and wine and oile and multiplyed his silver and his gold k Hos 2.8 but sacrificed to his own net and burnt incense to his own yarn because by them his portion was fat and is meat plenteous l Habak 1.16 therefore is he not so much as once called by his name in holy scripture but lyes wrapt up in the sheet of infamy and buried in everlasting reproach which shall not be forgotten When as the poor beggar that set God alwayes before him m Psal 16 with David that remembred his name in the night and thereby kept his law n Ps 119.55 is thought worthy to have a name in Gods book and a nayle in Gods house o Ezra 9.8 the Lord saying unto him as once to Moses I have known thee by name p Exod. 33.12 thy memoriall shall endure to all generations q Psal 112. Nay the Lord Jesus remembreth such still now he is in his kingdome r Luc. 23.42 that bestirr themselves all they can and despatch a great deal of work in a little time as that samous theef did who therefore by a commendable thest after he bad offered violence to Gods king dome Å¿ Mat. 11.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arripiunt vel diripiunt ut citatur ab Hilario Metaph. â— castris aut arce quapiam quae irrumpentibus hostibus diripitur Beza stole heaven and supt in paradise SECT VII BUt secondly Doth God remember his Saints and their services then let us learn hence not only to reciprocate by remembring him and his mercies but also as his remembrancers to put him in minde in case he seem less forward to do us good of his ancient proceedings and gracious promises This is that the Prophet exhorts unto Ye that are the Lords remembrancers keep not silence t Esay 62.6 7 This the Psalmist constantly practised Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been for ever u Psal 25.9 And this the Lord though he needeth it not yet every where stands upon He exacts and expects it from us as a part of his service and as a condition on our part to be fulfilled in the new covenant Where after he had promised great things concerning Justification Sanctification and preservation he subjoyns Yet I will for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it x Ezek. 36.37 So in another Prophet I will blot out thy transgressions and not remember thy sinnes But then Put me in remembrance lit us plead together declare that thou mayest bee justified y Isa 42.25 26 Whereby you see what 's to bee done on our part if we would be remembred with the mercies of Gods people Plead wee must the gracious promises spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did Sennacheribs letter z Esay 37.14 Pray them over as David often and so put him in mind of the good he hath spoken concerning us He loves to be importuned in his own words to bee burdened with his own promises and to be urged with rguments taken from his old proceedings Arise as in the dayes of old and performe the mercy which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the dayes of old a Mic. 7.14 20 This Moses and Elias well understood and therefore the former as in pleading for the people he minds the
away his stomack as he did also for 40. dayes together in the mount of God In a word the Lord of hosts hath a thousand means ready and at hand to provide for his people his strength and wisdome ever busieth and bestirreth it self for their comfort The Lord saith Peter who had tried it knowes how to preserve his own 2 Pet 2.9 Phil. 4.12.13 1 King 22. Heb. 11. Act. 7. and to deliver the godly out of temptation And I can do all through Christ that strengtheneth me saith Paul whether it be to be full or to be hungry to abound or to be abased A beleever walks about the world like a Conquerour as Michaiah did after he had seen the Lord on his throne with all the host of heaven about him So Moses after he had by faith seen him that is invisible and Steven after he had seen the son of man on the right hand of God Angels authorities and powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3.22 And as in temporall so in spirituall regards also this holds true for the soul and inward man of the heart much distressed many times by wicked spirits in high places Ephe. 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about our interest in heavenly priviledges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Xerxis exercitu Aristi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.19.2 Cor. 12 9 Luke 22.31 Rev. 12.8 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8 37 They have the upper ground of us which is no small advantage they assault us out of the air and there-hence buffet and batter us with their fiery darts so called for the dolour and distemper they work in us like a fire in the flesh and the likest hell of any thing with the haile-shot hell-shot of their temptations But God succours us by the supplies of his spirit and by the visible ministry of his angels as he did our Saviour in his agony and after his great temptations His grace is sufficient for us his strength made perfect in our weaknesse The serpents head is broke his work dissolved his trenches thrown down and himself driven out of the field by the Captain of our salvation the author and finisher of our faith who hath also prayed that our faith fail not even at such times as Satan desires to have us as a challenger Goliath-like desires to have one of the other side to combate with Michael and his angels have disarmed and driven out the dragon and his angels they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb yea the saints do overcome or are more then conquerours because through faith in Christ they overcome before they fight they are sure of victory aforehand And although Satan is said to make warre upon the Saints and to overcome them Revel 13.7 yet this is but spoken according to humane conceit and in regard of outward persecutions But thanks be to God who maketh us alwayes to triumph through Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 The gates of hell shall not prevail against us that is Mat. 16.18 all the power and policy of hell combined for in the gates sate the Elders to consult in time of peace and at the gates was planted the best munition in time of warre Impostours should deceive if it were possible the very Elect as that third part of the stars of heaven but that cannot be Object not here that Satan with a full mouth as a fell Lion roars upon you Obj and threatens to ruin you It is a Spanish Proverb The Lion is not so fierce as he is painted Sol. Satan in sidiis tanquam Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5 8. Christus insub sidiis tanquam Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 1.10 Obj. Rev. 12.15 Draco multis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaligero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quia animal venenatum homini infestū Sol. Rom. 16.20 Colos 2.15 1 Cor. 15.55 1 Joh. 4 nor is the Devil so powerfull 〈◊〉 he makes himself well he may shake his chain at us but he cannot set his fangs in us well he may nibble at the heel but he cannot hurt us in the head He that is born of God keepeth himself and that wicked One toucheth him not that is Tactu qualitative saith Cajetan with a deadly touch Besides Christ is a Lion also even the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the victorious Tribe that can out-roar Satan and easily over-master him As for thee that humblest thy self at his feet for mercy assure thy self he will never trample on the yeelding prey Oh but Satan is not onely a Lion but a dragon hee not onely roars but spets poyson yea spews out of his mouth floods of venemous and violent temptations yea he is a great red dragon colour'd and died red as it were with the blood of souls he hath swallowed and besides he hath seven heads to plot and ten horns to push me into the pit of perdition Rev. 12.3 True all this but Mi-ca-el who is as the strong God Christ our onely Michael hath with his sore and great and terrible sword punished Leviathan that crooked piercing serpent and slain the dragon that is in the sea Esay 27.1 Under our feet he will tread him shortly as he hath done already under his own triumphing over him on the crosse with Death where 's thy sting hell where 's thy victory To be brief The Lamb with his two horns can do more then the dragon with his ten Stronger is he that is in you then he that is in the world Christ is that stronger man that casts out the strong man armed out of his castle and spoils his goods Oh but he hath so strongly entrenched himself in my heart Obj by a herd of base lusts and a frame of evil thoughts that he will hardly ever out if at all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall Sol. but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-holds or trenches casting down imaginations and every thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Christs Ministers are called his white horses whereon he rides about the world conquering Rev. 6.2 and to conquer And although for their persons they be mean and contemptible yet their message and ministery is that power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 Luk. 10 which the Devil cannot stand before Our Saviour saw Satan falling as lightning from the heaven of mens hearts when the Apostles were abroad preaching the Gospel We preach Christ crucified saith St. Paul unto the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Gentiles foolishnesse But unto them that are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1.22 23. And a verse or two before It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeve As unlikely a means in the worlds eye to do such a feat as the blowing of rams horns to over-turn
shall stop him If Salomon delight to search out the secrets of wisdom what shall be hid from him If Somson delight in Daliance what will h not dare to do for it if Ahashueroh delight in Esther what may not she have of him If the Lord delight in us saith Caleb then be will bring us into this land of giants and give it us As if he hath no delight in me said David behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him But now the Lord doth delight in every David and will shew him yea seal up unto him the sure mercies of day He delights in mercy saith the Prophet yea such a mercy saith the Apostle he rejoyceth against judgement and glories over it as over his adversary whom he hath subdued Hence it was that he erected himself of old not a judgment-seat but a mercy-seat in the midst of his people as one that settled himself to shew them mercy When the Judge sate him down in the gates of Israel it was to do justice Psal 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. When the scorner sits him down in the chair of pestilence he will scoff to some purpose so now that God sits in his mercy-seat he will surely shew mercy with ease yea a multitude of mercies When a man hath setled himself in his seat it 's supposed he is at ease and a small matter shall not raise him God is never more at ease as I may say and better pleased then when he is in his mercy-seat in his throne of grace Hence he is said to rise out of his place Heb. 4.16 to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Esay 26.21 and to do his work his strange work when he is to do justice Esay 28.21 It is an act neither so proper to him for it is his strange work nor so pleasant to him for he riseth out of his place to do it which is a kinde of diseasement and a pain to him especially from whom mercie flows as freely and as naturally as light from the sun hony from the comb water from the well-spring He quits himself in it as well apaid thereof he rests in his love and will seek no farther Zeph. 3.17 This mercy-seat was the cover of the Ark where the two tables of the Law lay to note the blessednesse of those that receive mercy their iniquity is forgiven their sin is covered Again from this mercy-seate Psal 32.1 scituate not between the Seraphim those flaming executioners of justice Isa 6. but between the Cherubims as ministers of mercy the Lord shewed himself Act. 7. and gave forth the lively oracles as St. Steven stiles them Once he spake from the burning bush or smoaking mountain so terrible that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake This was mount Sina in Arabia But we are come to mount Sion c. Heb. 12.21.22 and upon all the glory now there is a covering or mercy-seat Isa 4.5 The tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev. 21.3 Jerusalem which is from above is now called the throne of the Lord and all nations flock unto it Jer. 3. God puts them among the children of his love and saith to each of his Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me Jer. 17.19 Therefore are they before the throne of God answerable to the ancient mercy-seat serving him day and night in his temple Rev. 7.15 Where the Angel of his presence Jesus Christ offers their services powring in of his incense with the prayer of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne Rev. 8.3 And hence it is that the good Lord pardoneth every one that prepareth his heart to seek God 2 Chr. 30.18 19. though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary that he winks at small-faults shall I say and spares them as a man spares his own son that serves him nay that he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression or treason he retaineth not his anger for ever seem he never so much displeased and all because mercy pleaseth him which puts the prophet to his patheticall exclamation by way of wonderment Who is a God like unto thee c. SECT III. ANd that is the rise of our second Reason from God Reas 2 who therefore spares his people as a father his childe that they may 1. praise him for present yea for ever Cretae Jovis est imago auribus carens ait Plutarchus Non enim convenit audiri ab eo quenquam qui omnium dominus sit princeps Plut. Mor. Lucianus fingit cancellos in coelo per quos Jupiter certo tempore homines respiciat quo solummodo tempore petentes exaudiantur Psal 48.10 Tollens iniquitatem peccatuÌ„ scelus sic enim exprimitur magnitudo clementiae quod non levibus tantum delictis det veniam sed graviss quibusque sceleribus Calvin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim 1.14 that he may fill their mouths with laughter and their tongues with triumph that they may say among the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them that they may say among the saints Their Rock is not as our Rock our enemies themselves being judges Oh who is God like unto thee â— The Gods of the Nations are idols And we know that an idol is nothing and that of nothing nothing comes of such dung-hill deities no mercy is to be expected they cannot work beyond the sphere of their activity But our God is in the heavens and as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him He is a great God and a great King above all Gods And as himself is great so is his mercy and so also is his glory For according to thy name O Lord so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth Now what is Gods name Heare it from his own mouth Iehovah Iehovah God mercifull and gracious c. forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is all sorts of sins though never so heavy never so heinous Naturall pollution actuall transgression stifneckt presumption all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men saith our Saviour how much more the involuntary slips of the saints their unavoidable infirmities their sins of daily incuâ—sion for which also there is provided a pardon of course it needs no more but suing out It is the glory of a man to pass by a transgression saith Solomon Prov. 19.11 And it makes no lesse for the glory of God that he pardons the iniquity of his people that he multiplyeth pardons as they multiply sins Esay 55.7 that where grace aboundeth then doth grace superabound or abounds to flowing over as the word there signifieth that they cannot commit more then he will remit Surely hereby the power of our Lord appears to be exceeding great and as true as he liveth
all the earth is thereby filled with the glory of the Lord as it is Num. 14.17 19 21. He maketh his wonderfull works to be remembred saith the Psalmist and that in nothing more then this that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion Psal 111.4 This makes his people sing and shout Hallelujah O praise the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever SECT IIII. NExt Reas 3 as they praise him for the present so they trust him for the future which is the greatest honour they can do him as the thistle in Ionathans parable could tell Iudg. 9.15 sith every former mercy is a pledge of a future and every old mercy draws on a new as the links do one another in a chain if we break not off their course by our unbelief and diffidence Psal 36.10 O continue thy loving kindnesse saith David It is in the Hebrew O draw out thy loving kindnesse to the full length Gods mercies to his are a continued series there is a concatenation a connexion between them Eccles 1.8 As a spring runneth after it hath run so doth God spare his after he hath spared them The eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy Hence Gods servants have usually argued from what they have had to what they should have as David Paul and the church here in Micah She had praised God for his clemency in pardoning her sins and there hence confidently concludeth for power against sin If God will cover it certainly he will cure it The same mercy that moved him to pass by the transgression of his heritage will make him turne againe and have further compassion upon us say they in subduing our sins and casting them all as a stone into the mighty waters so that we shall see them no more any otherwise then the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore And all this he will do for his truth and mercies sake to Jacob and Abraham for his promise and covenants sake to our fathers of old Our father 's trusted in thee they hoped in thee and were not confounded Oh who is a God like unto thee c All nations will walk every one in the name of his God Mic. 4.5 we also will trust in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever And these are the reasons respecting God SECT V. 6. Reasons respecting the Saints themselves weo are 1. pure in heart 2. perfect in Christ A second rank of Reasons respect the Saints who are 1. Pure in heart 2. Perfect in Christ and therefore spared as a man spares his own son that serves him Reas 1 First Gods people are pure in heart they are washed they are justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Austin answered roundly when one upbraided him with the sins of his youth Quae tu reprehendis ego damnavi And when One twitted Beza with his youthly wanton poems he replied Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 they are sanctified by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God Now Yet God is good to Israel to the pure in heart Psal 73.1 Yet for all the sorrow Yet for all their faults and frailties which forasmuch as they disallow and disclaim bewail and out-grow therefore they are not laid to their charge Iob was a patient man yea he is set forth as a pattern of patience notwithstanding all his frowardnesse notwithstanding he made so many knots and brake his thread so oft as he did God accounts of him as if he had spun an even thread of patience all the time of his temptation David had his faults as great as another and yet because he was upright in the main God testifieth of him that he had followed him with all his heart and done only that that was right in his sight 1 King 14.8 Solomon at Gibeon climbes those disallowed hills the high-places and yet loves the Lord and is loved of him God will not see weaknesses where he seeth truth so pleasing a thing to him is sincerity in his service With one breath doth God report both these The high-places were not removed that was a great fault no doubt neverthelesse Asa's heart was perfect all his dayes Such is the mercy of our Gd to the pure in heart to those that study purity that he will not suffer our well-meant weaknesses to bereave us of his favour he rather pittieth then plagueth his children for the infirmities of upright hearts 2 Chro. 15.17 A slender service a small chare though but bungled at by child is much set by of the father And a bridegroom thinks nothing the worse of his bride for a little dirt she hath got being about some foul chare it being such especially as she may wash off at pleasure Zach. 13.1 1 Ioh. 2.1 We have a fountain alwaies open where we may wash and be clean and a dayly propitiation for dayly transgression even Jesus Christ the Righteous in whom SECT VII The Saints are perfect in Christ SEcondly our wants are covered and our works perfected and refined from all the filth and flesh that cleaves unto them Reas 2 For although the Saints are not so pure in heart but that their sanctification is still spotted and imperfect yet their justification by Christs righteousnes imputed is absolute and without blemish According to that He hath made him to be sinne or sinne-offering for us who knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Not that essentiall righteousnesse of God as Osiander vainly dreamt but that perfect obedience both active and passive of the Son of God performed unto his Father by whom he is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 Jer. 23.6 righteousnesse c. yea Jehovah our righteousnesse Which one Name of his would answer all our doubts and objections had we but skill to spell all the letters in it This righteousnesse of Christ made ours by imputation and acceptation is that white raiment Rev. 3.17 wherewith being clothed the shame of our nakednesse doth not appear for it is full broad large and wide enough to cover all our imperfections This is that broydered work and those bracelets wherewith the Church in Ezekiel being bedight and bedeckt became perfectly beautifull even to admiration These are those jewels of gold with studs of silver made us by the whole Trinity Cant. 6.9 that best robe of the prodigall that cloth of gold and needle-work-vesture of the royall daughter Psal 45.9 that fair mitre Zach. 3.4 5 and change of raiment of Jehoshuah the high-priest when the Lord took away his filthy garments and clothed him with better although Satan at the same time stood at his right hand had the upper hand of him because as some will have it his accusation was as true as vehement In short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the
no other way to utter it vent himself by an exclamation Oh how excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! The clouds may commend thy faithfulnesse the mountaines thy righteousnesse the great deep thy judgements but who or what can set forth thy goodnesse Psal 36.5 6 7. It is beyond all that heart of man can conceive or tongue of Angels expresse Having therefore such a mercy to make use of such a father to do service unto how is it that we are so dull and disconsolate how is that we serve not the Lord with gladnesse and come before him with singing Psalm 100.2 A son feeling the love of his father creeps neerer under his wing or elbow and is welcom So here Yea but I am so weak and worthlesse Obj that I doubt much whether I am a childe or not How weak say thou be no stronger then a childe newly quickned in the womb Sol. the very first-springings in the womb of grace are precious before God Co. 2.13 And you hath he quickned to assure the weak saith One that though they be but as the childe that lies in the womb and have not so much as the strength of a babe new-born they are accepted with God Quickned I trust I am saith another and born anew to God Obj but it s so little I know and lesse that I can do that I have no great joy of my self for though God spareth some yet it is as a father spares his son that serveth him A childe Heb. 5.11 12 Fractu â—st or est 〈◊〉 liber orum sed injantra dulcior Sence 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lun 365. Pater libros non reijeit quod aegâ—oâ—i claudi debiles deformes sint sed chariores â—ibet mollius tractat c. Spin. de justi christi Ob. during his nonage is very infirm ignorant wayward does few chars in the house makes many So is it also in Gods house for he hath sons of all sizes Such children in grace were the Disciples during the bridegrooms abode with them such also were the contentious Corinthians 1 Epist 3.1 2 3. the dull and droanish Hebrews milk-sops and babies at first who yet afterwards came to be his proper men tall Christians The greatest giant hath been in swadling-clouts the learnedst Doctour hath been in his horn-book and he that now doth God best service time was when he did him little enough But parents delight as much in their younger children that play about the house as in those bigger that can earn their livings If we can but call Abba father or but name the name of the Lord in prayer and so depart from evil 2 Tim. 2.19 he is much taken with it His ears are open to their prayers saith David to their breathing saith Jeremy as a kinde mother watcheth and listeneth to the least whimping of her childe Yea because the soul is sick the service is twice welcome as if a sick childe reach us any thing we count it more then to send another on a laborious errand Oh but I do not onely not serve my heavenly father but disobey and displease him and that often Is any childe turned out of doors because dabbled Sol. No but if he be for a while yet afterwards he is whipt and taken in again I am so vile and froward Ob. I cannot take a whipping but am ready to fret at it or to faint under it What father will abandon his childe because being weak Sol. and wearyish he is therfore thwart and waspish and cryes himself out of breath it may be when corrected especially if he have been otherwise a good-natured childe and well-deeded Ey Ob. but I am none of those I am such a childe as no father would away with Thy father is God and not man and will do more then any earthly father or friend else will or can do Sol. Jer. 3.1 And when my father and my mother forsake me the Lord takes me up Ey but if the Lord should take me up yet it would not be long ere he turned me out again for my naughtinesse Ob. Not so for he hates putting away Besides the servant abideth not in the house but the son abideth Joh. Sol. 8.35 The servant if he cannot do his masters work to his minde is dismissed and packt away as that young man of Egypt that was servant to an Amalekite was cast off by his master because three dayes afore he fell sick and became unfit for service But a son 1 Sam. 30.13 albeit he be not able to do any thing to speak of is retained and cherished because a son If I were so good a childe as some I know and could do such service as they I should be very cheerful Ob. 1. They that have more grace have more to account for that which thou hast is thy fathers allowance Sol. be contented Imploy and improve thy stock and thou shalt have more 2. Omnis Christianus Cruci anus Luther Thou knowest not their pressures and grievances whom thou so admirest thou seest but the best of them they have also enough to do with themselves if you knew all little do others know where their shooe wringeth them Every Christian is a Crucian 3. I told you before that God requires no more then he gives and yet gives also as much as shall suffice to his acceptation In Eucharisticis licebat offerre panes fermentatos ut osienderetur deum ferre nestram infir mitatem Alsted Matth. 6.28 one may be a good servant though he be not the best in the countrey All the good grounds brought not forth a like quantity of fruit some not the third part as others did and yet that little they did was good and ripe fruit and themselves were grounds respected of God and blessed by him He calls our good works the fruit of the vine and loves to taste of them though they relish stil of the old stock The vine is the weakest plant vet very fruitful The lilies spin not and yet are gorgeously attired God wil greatly glorify himself in the branch of his planting in the work of his hands so that a little one shall be come a thousand and a small one a strong nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time Esay 60.21 4. You have more cause of comfort in that little you have then of discouragement in that more that you want sith it is a far greater work to beget grace where it is not then to increase it where it is Look therefore on others bitternesse for imitation and incitation but not for slavish dejection and self-blinding Disgrace not thine own graces because of other mens perfections and precedencies but be thankfull if Christ be formed in thee to any degree and that thou hast any thing to do about God Only whatsoever thy hand sindeth to do do it with all thy might And then he that followeth after righteousnes as a servant
easie p. 152. he is a thorough-Saviour 169. a dew to his 179. King of his Church 360. Abyssines emblem of his works 457. his Deity asserted 485. he pacifieth the heart 488. be shall reigne 492. his intercession answered 506. how he is sent of his Father 513. how anointed 522. his dolorous passion 523. his subjects have peace ib. why He is called the Branch 539. All prophecies are fulfilled in him 557. his poverty stumbled at ib. the Bath of his blood 583 660. benefites thereby 682. he is Gods shepherd 589. the Sun of righteousnesse 683. the souls physitian 683. his Intercession 943. A false Christ p. 689 Clouds p. 560 Comfort God comforteth the abject 503. comforts of the scripture and of the creature 423. Company evil is contagious p. 490 513 Conference benefit of it p. 680 700 824. Satan hindereth it 680. it is an indispensable duty 812. and why 813. barrennesse in and backwardnesse unto it reproved 818. be forward and free that way 820. means and helps thereunto 821 822 823 824. Conscience naturall stoopeth to the image of God p. 700 Consideration its necessity and utility p. 473. See thought meditation Constantinople covetousnesse was its ruine 403. 591. Conversion turn to God and how p. 197 498 600. because God is gracious 499. Cyprian converted by reaâ—ing Jâ—nah 351. Covenant breach a great sin p. 643. dangerous 647. New covenant sweet p. 44. see 594 Covetousnesse restlesse p. 340 341. unsatisfiable 405. accursed 428 Councell of Trent p. 16 Courage for Christ get it p. 482. and how ib. Cruelty inhumane p. 223 225 226 227. gloried in 429. Parisian Massacre 227 Curse of God lights heavy p. 626 D DEad digg'd up p. 228 Deliverance the times of it p. 885 866 527 903. Church shall be delivered 887 888 903. pray for it 888 Dependance upon God for all p. 925 Depopulation accursed p. 455 Desertion p. 89. what to do in it 836 Desolation fruit of sin p. 36 Desires seconded with endeavours p. 483 Digressions when they are lawfull p. 441 Diligence in well-doing p. 891 Disgrace a great judgement p. 633. more feared then sin is ib. Devils first sin what p. 899 Divorce for light matters not lawfull p. 654. 655 Doctrine like rain and how p. 246 Drowsinesse spirituall p. 476 Drunkennesse mischief of it p. 104. 't is the mother of mary sinnes 426. 't is a damning sin 432. gloried in by some 265. drunken-healthing 431. drunken soâ—s 187 Duty be much in it p. 834 835 891 shall be accepted 825. and why 827 828 829 E Earthquakes terrible ones p. 597 222 394 Eclipses portentous p. 210 211 Egypt fruitfull p. 604 converted ib. Q. Elisabeths clemency p. 309. her prayer 436 Enemies of Gods people open and secret p. 214. their cruelty 215 Gods heavy hand upon them 601. set 〈◊〉 against another 602. Woe unto them 870 871 916. who they be 871. see persecutours Church England our ancient mearenesse p. 165. our Reformation wonderfull 205. our destruction may be sudden 278. God warned us by John Friths Book in a fishes-belly 321 Englands Genge 395. 't is a blessed Countrey 674 675. Pererius his prophecy of our ruine 505 Enthusiâ—sts slight the scriptures p. 129 130. see 209 Exact walking required of saints p. 910 911 Self-Examination p. 452. do it or God will punish 453 475 F FAith an hard work p. 43. wherein it consisteth 45. aâ—â—â—opriate God by it 384. it quickeâ—â—th other graces 425. founded upon the power of God 546. live by faith 426 808 889. it maketh men couragious 602. do all in faith 662. beleeve the goodnesse of God 936 Famine a sore plague p. 632 245 Fasting the exercise of it p. 197 201 202. fruit of it 204 Father God is a Father to all his faithfull ones p. 911. whence and how 91 914 he is not a Father to the wicked 915. yet they claim kindred 916. his mercy is more then fatherly 927 928. Fear it causeth hast p. 157. Panick fears 412 577 602 805 Fear of God p. 614. every true Christian feareth the Lord 708 709. how and why 707 800 801 c causes effects companions and opposites of this holy fear 800 801 802 803. kinds of it 804 627 708. who they are that fear not God 804. or other things more then God 805. The best are defective in it 807. signes of Gods holy fear 807 809. moâ—ives to it 810. means 810 811 Few exalt God p. 154. few wise 182. few good 212 377 591 Scottish fire-crosse p. 217 Forgetting of God p. 121 Fortune how represented p. 237 Free-grace p. 179. all is of mercy 509. magnifie free-grace in our adoption 920 Friends are oft perfidious p. 383 Fruitfulnesse p. 180 G GAin of godlinesse p. 676 849. many look onely at wages â—77 Garments wherefore given p. 33 Geneva upheld by the hand of heaven p. 509 5â—0 Gentiles your calling p. 623. disgusted by Jews ib. Gifts once abused blasted p. 632 Glory give all to God p. 422. in case of victory 612 Glory of saints here and hereafter p. 898 God he is a great King p. 628. 629. his name is dreadfull 629. his patience abused turns to fury 655 656. his hatred of sin 22. his omniscience 78. his liberality in rewarding 145. seek him ib. his patience 233 238. his superabundant pardoning mercy 388 389 390. his subduing grace 390. he frowaeth the wicked to destruction 286. how he is a Rock 421. He seeth therefore take heed 421 652. how he hateth sinne 4â—1 his faithfulnesse 425. We see but little of Him 438. He is with his and for them 479. his anger against sinners 497. his jealousie for his people 506 507. he comforteth the abject 503. his tender mercies 508 513. he effecteth great matters by small means 529 he is immutable 666 667. how he is said to repent ib. wicked men have base and bald thoughts of him 855. He is Lord of Hosts 867 869. what his hosts are and why so called 867 868. his truth 883. his goodnesse ib. his justice ib. he is not an hard Master 934. he taketh small things in good part 935. let us beleeve his goodnesse 936. Gospels three-fold operation p. 486 Grace of God is the greatest blessing p. 621. get it rather then gold ib. seek it first 472. it is free p. 14 179 518. See free-grace Grace hath unspeakable comfort p. 909 Great mens sins do much hurt p. 322. they must be told of them 348 Grief causing death p. 133 Grow in grace p. 684 685 Gunpowder-treason p. 58 H HArdnesse of heart p. 544 Hear attentively p. 136. enhearing ear 501 Heavens rest and happinesse p. 889 Heavenly-mindednesse p. 605 Hell-fire terrible p. 591 592 681. torments thereof 601. not beleeved 681. History usefull p. 166 Holinesse is honourable p. 907. and therefore to be sought 907 908 Honour God in 1 thought 2 words 3 works p. 921. see glory and praise Hope p. 40 The horrible Sophister p. 419 Hosea when and how long he prophesied
wicked cannot pray 620. nor be heard ib. how to know our prayers are heard 837 Preaching what it is p. 84. twice a day 493 Pride 79 80. its picture 420. it precedes a fall 456 Prins stigmata Laudis p. 589 Processions popish p. 165 Procrastination is greatest folly p. 471. punished 944 Prodigies in heaven p. 210 Priviledges of saints p. 896. price of a saint 902. honour such ib. 108. their glory at the Resurrection 904 905. their priviledges privative and positive 925 926. Promises of God they shall be performed p. 636 637. they are a strong-hold 558. pray them over 848. mixt with menaces and why 566. Prophecy obscure p. 537 Prosperity no sure signe of piety p. 163 it causeth pride 170 420. slayeth the wicked 134 71 73 74 Providence of God Doubt not of it p. 424. see 882. He will preserve his and provide for them 878 Psalms book of Psalms praised p. 442 443 Publike most to be minded p. 476 Punishment waiteth upon sinne p. 59 217 531 535 545 670 843 punishment in kind 63. in all sorts of sinners 76. punishment insensible 87. one mischief after another 260 R RAin how taken in Scripture p. 603. it is from God 560 673 245. Doctrine resembled to it 246. rain of blood 210 Reformation was ever opposed p. 630. what Magistrates and Ministers are to do in it 631 Relapse not p. 587. let the relapsed return to God and how 28 Religion reproached as rebellion p. 272 273. otherwise reproached 455. mixtures in it 446. It is the beauty and bulwark of a land 512 Remission of sinne a great comfort p. 519 Christs righteousnesse imputed ib. Repentance the parts of it p. 27. the vertue of it 39. mercy leads to it 40. necessity of it 192. there is a naturall and morall repentance 321. Reformation is the best repentance 324. See Conversion Resemble God and wherein p. 922. Restitution is necessary p. 324 Resurrection it is sure p. 319. and will be glorious 562 904 905. Retract errours and evil practises p. 586 Revenge p. 226 Reward of righteousnesse is liberall p. 673. God remembreth and requiteth all his 839. and why ib. and 840 841. his service is very gainfull 842 843 849. See gain of godlinesse Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us p. 932 Romish Edomites p. 610 Romish cruelty 347. Romes filth 611. its pride and downfall 65. avarice 66. 't is degenerate 206. must be burnt ib. Romes ruine 609. S SAbbath profaned p. 128. must be our delight 276. benefit of it ib. Sacrifices spirituall to be offered to God p. 625. our selves especially ib. Sacrilâ—dge a great sinne p. 215. punished 668 670 Saints are earthly Angels p. 608. their sinnes are most grievous 625. God will own them and honour them 895 896. despise them not for their outward meanenesse 906. their honour 907 Scandall to be shunned p. 239. scandalous Ministers 642. Professours 231 Scriptures commendation p. 120 121. See Word Seek God p. 146 Selah what it importeth p. 432 Seducers dangerous p. 584. they must be stigmatized 585. not tolerated 584. see 588. they are hardly ever recovered 587. Self-deniall to be studied p. 705 801 Self-seekers p. 137. self-ascribers 423 542 Sensuality p. 68 224 266 Septuagint translate amisse p. 629 620 628 Security fore-runneth ruine p. 263 427 Serve God with the best p. 615. not with slubbering service ib. 676. serve him with soul and body too 625. love Gods service 276 â—â—me devotion 618. honour of Gods service 687. he highly accepteth our performances 825 826 827 c. He rejecteth the services of the wicked and why 829 830. and that 's their misery 831 let them therefore repent ib. Blesse God for acceptance of our services 834. get into Gods service 846. and serve him earnestly 846. God how to bee served 917. serve God and why 937. He accepteth small services 938 939. how he is to be served 945. Setlednesse to be laboured after p. 618 Sicknesse fruit of sinne p. 378 379 Sight of sin is before sorrow p. 580 Silence in due season p. 257 Similies how to be used p. 164 Singing a Gospel-Ordinance p. 40 Sincerity accepted p. 98 Sinne a great burthen p. 606 607. It maketh God to disown people 634. to destroy them 23. remember it not with delight 42. the filth of sinne 78 518. hatefull to God 143. especially if iterated 223. 't is deceitfull 293. the greatest folly 317. hardly parted with 649. saints sinnes are most hainous 236. difference of their sins from other 933. adde not sin to sin 549 Sir whence p. 525 Slandering p. 85 86. make-bates 417 Sorrow godly p. 198. it follows upon sight of sin 580. 't is deep 581. greatest of all sorrows 581 582. 't is secret ib. forts of sorrows ib. Souls have no sexes p. 373. the worth of a soul 429. it comes from God and is like him 579. not propagated 653. precious ib. Spanish greatnesse p. 418 Spirits first work in the heart p. 852 Strength of a saint wherein p. 579 Stumbling at the word dangerous p. 642 Submission hath mercy p. 249 Suffer for God p. 144 Superstition pompous p. 70. prodigall 375 Supper Come prepared to the Lords Supper p. 616 Swearing a common sinne p. 532. dangerous 55 Sweating-sicknesse p. 247 310 T TEars powerfull with God p. 161 197 650 Temporals are to be slighted p. 24 25 saints oft have them 546 Temptation resist Satan p. 517. withstand first motions 544 Tempt not God p. 672 Thankfulnesse how it must be qualified p. 177. Think upon God and why p. 850 852. See Meditation Wicked think not on God 854 or not well 855 857 858 Thiâ—st corporall and spirituall p. 20 21 Thought not free p. 342 481 551. evil thoughts argue an evil man 856. earthly thoughts when they are naught 863 Threats shall be accomplished p. 643. wee should tremble at them 236 237. they are slighted 413. till felt 491 Time-servers p. 701 Tithings whence p. 345 Tythes to be payed p. 669 Tythe and be rich p. 673 674 Tongue order it well p. 383. an ill tongue destructive 407 Treachery to be avoyded p 646 Trinity of persons known of old p. 484 Truth little is to be found p. 53 't is ill taken 255. hated 256 274 Trust in God hath security p. 396 413. the triumph of Trust 420. Trust in Gods mercy 930 Tumults outragious p. 147 Turks Empire great p. 418. how they use their Asapi 420 Turn to God See Conversion and Repentance V Victory is of God and a great blessing p. 686. especially that over corruption ib. Vnity seek it p. 646. study it 462. Christian union 690 Vnsetlednesse in judgement p. 618 Vnthankfulnesse a grave p. 608 609. a great sinne 231. It exasperateth the Lord 572 Vnworthy Receivers p. 933 Vowes must be payed p. 318 W VVAit upon God p. 49 50 162 425 Walk exactly p. 520. worthy of God 706 Wantonnesse shun it p. 17 Warre the wo of it p. 566 595 148 153. desolation is by it
word Prophet be to be referred to Zechariah 2 Chr. 22.15 or to Iddo is uncertaine That there was a Prophet Iado we read and Zechary might well be of his line after many descents He is here mentioned as also Ezr. 5.1 ut nepoti suo Zachariae nomen decus conciliet for an honout to his ab-nephew Zechary according to that of Solomon The glory of children are their fathers Prov. 17.6 to wit if they be godly and religious What an honour was it to Jacob that he could sweare by the feare of his father Isaac to David that he could say Psal 116.16 2 Tim. 1.5 Truly Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant the son of thine handmaid to Timothy that he had such a mother as Lois such a grandmother as Eunice to the children of the Elect Lady to the posterity of Latimer Bradford Ioh 8.33 Mat. 3.9 Ridley and other of those men of God who suffered for the truth If the degenerate Jewes so boasted of Abraham their father how much more might Zechary no degenerate plant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no bastardly brood as they were Mat. 12.39 boast and beare himself bold on his father Berechiah the blessing of God and his grandfather Iddo Gods Witnesse Confessour or Ornament sith he trod in their holy steps and was adorned with their gifts and virtues The Papists brag much of Peter and other Apostles their founders and predecessours But this is but an empty title to talk of personall succession which yet cannot be proved unlesse they could also shew us their gifts and graces as all the world may see they cannot We read of a painter who being blamed by a Cardinall for colouring the visages of Peter and Paul too red tartly replyed that he painted them so as blushing at the lives of their successours Verse 2. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers Heb. He hath boyled against your fathers with foaming anger with height of heate There are degrees of anger see Mat. 5.22 and Deut. 29.28 The Lord rooted them out of their land in Anger and in wrath and in great Indignation Surgit hic oratio and the last of those three words is the same here used in the text noting an higher degree then the two former even such a fervour and fiercenesse of Gods wrath as maketh him ready to kill and cut off see 2 King 6 6. and note the affinity of that word with this like as he had much adoe to forbeare killing of Moses Exod. 4. when he met him in the Inne and as Nebuchadnezzar was not only angry but very furious and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon Dan. 2.12 Now if the wrath of a king be as many messengers of death Prov. 16.14 what shall we think of the foming and frothing wrath of God which burnes unto the lowest hell and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains Deut. 32.22 After which followeth in the next verse I will heape mischiefs upon them Deut. 32.23 I will spend minc arrowes upon them c. He had done so upon the Ancestours of these refractary Jewes who had been saepius puncti repuncti minimè tamen ad resipiscentiam compuncti ost punished but could never be reclaimed so incorrigibly flagitious so shamelesly so prodigiously wicked were they till there was no remedy This their vile stubbornnesse made him sore displeased with them and put thunder-bolts into his hands to destroy them For though Fury be not in God Isay 27.5 to speak properly he is free from any such passions as we are subject to yet if briars and thornes set against him in battle if a rabble of rebels conspire to cast him out of his throne saying We will not have this man to rule over us c. I would go through them I would burn them together saith he in the same breath Abused mercy turneth into fury Nothing so cold as lead yet nothing so scalding if molten Nothing more blunt then iron yet nothing so keen if sharpened The ayre is soft tende yet out of it are ingendered thunder and lightenings The sea is calme and smooth but if tossed with tempests it is rough above measure The Lord as he is Father of mercies so he is God of recompenses and it is a fearefull thing to fall into his punishing hands If his wrath be kindled yea but a little Heb. 10. Psal 2. woe be to all those upon whom it lights how much more when he is sore displeased with a people or person as here For who knoweth the power of thine anger saith Moses even according to thy feare so is thy wrath that is let a man feare thee never so much Psal 90.11 he is sure to feel thee much more if once he fall into thy fingers And this is here urged by the Prophet as a motive to true repentance sith by their fathers example they might see there was no way to escap◠the dint of the divine displeasure but to submit to Gods Justice and to implore his mercy men must either turn or burn For even our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Verse 3. Therefore say thou unto them These Jewes saith Cyrill had neither seen their fathers wickednesses nor heeded their calamities mittitur ergo ad cos Zacharias quasi paedagogus Zachary therefore is sent unto them as a schoolmaster or Monitour that by considering what had been they might prevent what otherwise would be and redeem their own sorrowes thus saith the Lord of hosts A farr greater Lord and Potentate then that great King of Persia who was now their soveraigne True it is that they had been commanded by a former King to desist from building the city Ezr. 4.12 21. But there was no one word in that letter to forbid the building of the Temple There was also now another King set up and of another family They are therefore by this Prophet and by Haggai called upon again and again to turn to the Lord and to return afresh to their work Ezra 5.1 Wherein because they were sure to meet with many enemies therefore here and elsewhere eighteen severall times in that eight chapter there is frequent mention made of the Lord of Hosts for their better encouragement See the Note on Mal. 3.17 turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts This is the great Doctrine of the Old Testament as Repent ye is of the New And this He purposely prefixeth as a preface and preparative to the other Prophesies both of Mercies and Judgements whereof the whole is fitly made up Sowr and sweet make the best sauce Promises and Menaces mixt make the most fruitsull discourse and serve to keep the heart in the best temper Hence Davids ditty was composed of discords Psal 101.1 I will sing of mercy and judgment and so be both merry and wise But to the words of the Text turn ye unto me c. By sin men run away
from God whereby it appeareth that sin is the greatest evill because it sets us furthest off from the greatest good and by repentance they return unto him Deut. 30.2 8 9 10. Mal. 3.7 Ier. 4.1 Hos 14.1 Act. 26.18 Hence Act 3.19 Repent and be converted Contrition is repentance for sin 2 Cor. 12.21 Rev. 9.20 Conversion is repentance from sin Act. 8.22 Heb. 6.1 Hereunto is required first a serious search of our wayes for it is a Metaphor taken from a traveller Let us search and try our wayes and turn againe to the Lord Lam. 3.39 I considered my wayes and then seeing my self farr wide I turned my feet to thy Testimonies Psal 119.59 Satius est recurrere quam malè currere said that Emperour in his symbol It is better to stop or step back then run on when out of the way for here he that hasteth with his feet sinneth Prov. 19.2 the faster he runs the farther he is out But as the deceived traveller when once he finds his errour in his judgement he dislikcth it in his will he turneth from it in his affections he grieveth at it and is angry with his false guides with his utmost endeavour he not only turns againe to the right way but makes the more hast that he be not benighted So is it here David not only turned his feet to Gods â—estimonies from which he had swarved but he thenceforth made hast and delayed not to keep his commandements Psal 119.59 60. For this true conversion we are speaking of this repentance never to be repented of is an upright earnest and constant endeavour of an entire change of the whole man from all that is evill to all which is good This is the doctrine of the Gospell Tit. 2.11 and this is all the fruit Isaey 27.9 To turn from one sin to another is but to be tossed from one hand of the devill to the other it is but with Benhadad to recover of one disease and dye of another it is but to take paines to go to hell See this in Saul Iohn Herod Agrippa and others who gave but the half turn turned not from East to West but from East to North onely their change was not essentiall but only graduall it is not a through change for subject and object but partiall and temporall as being but morall or formall or merely mentall It proceedes from conviction of judgement onely and not for aversion of will from horrour of punishment not from hatred of sin which they leave haply but loath not leave it I say for the inconveniences that follow it for the fire that is in it not for the filthinesse that is in it Now all these seeming Converts because they cast not away all their transgressions All is a little word but of large extent are therefore to be reckoned among those fooles of the people that passe on and are punished those enemies of God that instead of turning againe turning short againe upon themselves with the prodigall Prov. 22.3 and returning to the Lord with Ephraim go on still in their trespasses till their hairy scalp be wounded Psal 68.21 till evident and inevitable judgements be incurred till iniquity prove to be their utter ruine Ezek. 18.30 Wherefore now Turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts Add not to all your other sins that of Impenitency for which there remaines no more sacrifice as Herod added to all his former abominations the beheading of the Baptist but Turn you Turn you why will ye dye O house of Israel And for this consider these ensuing particulars 1. Who you are that are required to return weake and worthlesse creatures the slime of your fathers loynes dust and ashes altogether unable to avert or avoid Gods judgements beaten rebels you are and have therefore no help left but to fall down before God and implore his mercy Turn and live except ye repent ye shall all perish 2. Next see who it is to whom ye are required to return Not to some tyrant or implacable enemy that having gotten us into his hands will deale cruelly with us as the Duke of Alva rosted some to death starved others and that even after quarter but to the Lord your God Hist of Netherl who is gracious and mâ—rcifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and quickly repenteth him of the evill Ioel 2.13 He will surely both assist such as have but a mind to return why else doth he bid us turn which he knowes we cannot do without him and why doth he bid us pray to him to Turn us when we bid our children ask us for this or that it is because we meane to give it them He will also accept us with all sweetnesse as he did Ephraim Ier. 31.19 20. and the Prodigall Luk 15. The father met him ver 20. so he will doe us Isay 65.24 The Prodigall came the Father ran Tantum velis Basil Deus tibi praeoecurret he fell on his neck as Jacob did on his deare Josephs he kissed him when one would have thought he should have kicked him Ambros or killed him rather for his former riotousnesle He calleth for the best robe and for the gold-ring and for the fatted calf Filsus timet convitium Pater adornat convivium Psal 88.5 Let us eat and be merry saith He For this my son was dead given up for dead free among the dead free of that company and is alive againe He was lost and is found Of himself he lest his father and ran riot and yet he is called the lost son in the best sense Hunger drove the wolf out of the wood and yet he is accepted as if not necessitated 3. Thirdly take notice from what you are required to turn Turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye ye house of Israel Ezek. 33.11 It is your sin only that you are to part with and why should ye be so fond of it if you look upon it either in the Authour of it the devill Ioh. 8.44 Or in the Nature of it as it is an Offence against God your rightfull Lord your bountifull Benefactour and a breach of his Law which is holy and just and good Or in the horrid effects of it as upon other creatures for mans sake so especially upon man himself whom Sin hath excluded from the possession of the lower paradise and the possibility of the higher into an eternity of all extremities after many a little hell here afore-hand Or lastly in the ransome of it Christs blood and bitter sufferings that soule of sufferings which his soule then suffered when God made our sins to meet upon him Esay 53.6 Oh think on these things sadly seriously fixedly and copiously and you will soon see caule enough to turn to him from whom these children of Israel had deeply revolred Isay 31.6 and were therefore grievously plagued they and their fathers that they might return to him that smote them Which
God is a consuming fire who would set the briars and the thorns saith He that is the churches enemies against me in battel Es 27.4 I would go through them I would burn them together And yet he saith in the same place Fury is not in me Prov. 6.34 What will he do then when jealousie is in him as here Iealousie is the rage of a man and hath these three properties First it is exceeding watchfull and quick-sighted hardly shall the Paramour escape the husbands eye a wanton glance is soon noted and noticed God is no lesse sensible and observant of the least indignity done to his deare spouse his Hephzibah Gen. 4.6 Esth 7.8 be it but in a frown or a frump Why is thy countenance cast down saith God to that dog-bolt Cain Why dost lowre upon my righteous Abel What will he force the Queen also before me in the house If Davids enemies mow and make mouths at him Psal 40.15 if they cry Aha Aha so would we have it God will reckon with them for it If Edom say jearingly to the Prophet Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night If Ammon clap but his hands at Gods Israel if he stamp with the feet and rejoyce in heart only when it goes ill with the church God will stretch out his hand upon him and cut him off out of his countrey and he shall know that he is Jehovah Ezek. 25.67 yea that the Lord God of Israel is a jealous God He will be jealous for his land and pitty his people Ioel 2.18 Secondly jealousie is violent it is cruel as the grave the coales thereof are coales of fire Cant. 8.6 The same word is elsewhere put for fiery thunderbolts Psal 78.48 also for a carbuncle or burning feaver Deut. 32.24 Jealousie puts a man into a feaver-fit of outrage arms him with fiery darts yea with light-bolts makes him cast firebrands be ready to take any revenge Think the same of God in a way of justice He will spit in the face of a Miriam that shall but mutâ—er against his Moses Num. 12.14 what then will he do or rather what will he not do against Jezabel Athaliah Herodias c Thirdly jealousie is irreconcilable implacable Prov. 6.34 35. He will not spare in the day of vengeance He will not regard any ransom neither will he rest content though thou give many gifts what would not Balaac have given to have had his will upon Israel What large offers made Haman he would pay ten thousand talents of silver to those that had the charge of the businesse to destroy the Jewes Ahashuerosh yeelded but so did not God Esth 3.9 Esth 7.4 We are sold said Esther I and my people to be destroyed to be slain and to perish But God never consented to the bargaine He had warr with Amalec for ever and laid his hand upon his own throne as swearing to root him out Exod. 17.16 And this proud Agagite Haman shall feel the force of his curse in his very bowels Let the labouring Church but cry out Help O King heare O husband give eare O shepheard of Israel Isa 8.8 Isa 63.15 the enemy is come into thy land O Immanuel and the stretching out of his wings filleth the whole bredth of it Where is thy zeale or jealousie and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Doubtlesse thou art our Father our Redeemer or neer kinsman nay our husband Thy church is unto thee A sister a spouse Esay 58.7 1 Cor. 6.17 Gen. 14. 1 Sam. 30.18 Ier. 12.7 Ier. 4.10 And canst thou hide thine eyes from thine own flesh from her that is joyned to the Lord and is one spirit shall Abraham venture for the rescue of his kinsman David of his two wives and wilt thou do nothing for the dearely beloved of thy soule shall she be given up into the hand of her enemies shall the sword reach unto the soule Let Christ but heare such words from the mouth of his Spouse and he will soon gird his sword upon his thigh he will act Phineas his part and execute judgement Psal 78.66 he will smite his enemies in the hinder parts whip them as men use to do boyes and so put them to a perpetuall reproach shame them for ever as a company of punyes or Zanies Verse 15. And I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease Heb. I am in such a heate as causeth fuming and foaming I am boyling-hot and even ready to burst out upon them to destroy them for the word here used hath great affinity with another word that signifieth to cut down and to destroy 2 King 6.6 and importeth an higher degree of displeasure a greater height of heate then either Anger or wrath as may be seen in that signall gradation Deut. 29.28 The Lord rooted them out of their land in Anger and in Wrath and in great Indignation The last of these three is this word in the Text Fervore maximo ferveo I am as hot as may be against those Heathens that are at ease at hearts-ease that come not in trouble like other men neither are they plagued as better men Psal 73.5 and are therefore secure and insolent above measure Iob 21.23 haughty and haunty so that the Church cannot rest for them they thrust with the shoulder and push with the horn as afterwards verse 18.19 with Dan. 8.4 yea they push the diseased Ezek. 34.21 which is a singular cruelty they help forward the assliction they fall like dogs upon the wounded Deere This David complaines of as an unsufferable grievance Psal 69 26. Esay 27. For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded God smiteth his in mercy and in measure in the branches only Aug. and not at the root neque ad exitium sed ad exercitium Displeased he may be with his own and make bloody wails upon their backs if need be but then he lookes that others should pitty them and not lay on more load and seek to bring them to utmost extremity God puts his people sometimes into the hands of his enemies for correction sake Now they commonly being inraged with haughty revengfull and malicious desires exceed their commission and so derive the mischief upon themselves See Prov. 24.17 18 they cannot doe but they must overdoe as Nebuchadnezzar the rod in Gods hand Isai 10. and thereby utterly undoe themselves for ever For their cruelty comes up to heaven 2 Chron. 28.9 and God soon heareth the cry of his oppressed for he is gracious and avengeth himself on their pittilesse enemies standing over them and saying as Isa 47.6 I was wroth with my people I have polluted mine inheritance and given them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy upon the ancient hast thou heavily laid the yoke And againe Because these Philistines
have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a deceitfull heart to destroy it for the old hatred Ezek. 25.15 17. and 26.2 Therefore I will execute great vengeances upon them with furious rebukes and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall laymy vengeance upon them 2 Sam. 13.39 Joab never pleased David better then when he made intercession for banished Absolom for the soule of king David longed to go forth unto Absolom whom yet he had very just cause to be greatly displeased with God in a heat as it were against Israel offereth Moses a great fortune Exod. 32.10 but would have taken it very ill that Mosâ—s should have taken him at his word He is but a little angry with his people and soon repenteth him of the evill But woe be to those that help forward the indignation that deale by Gods afflicted as the Herd of Deer do which when any of the herd is shot the hest push him out of their company Camden It is said of Q. Elisabeth that she hated ho lesse then did Mithridates such as maliciously persecuted vertue forsaken of fortune Think the same of God He weareth his rod to the stumps and then throwes it into the fire He sets his horse-leeches to his people when he findes them sick of a plethory of pride when fulnesse hath bred forgetfulnesse saturity security and suffereth them to suck rill they burst and then treads them under his feet and puts them away as drosse Psal 119.118 119. Verse 16. Psal 42.7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Thus one deep calleth another the lower deep of our misery the higher deep of Gods mercy As Craesus his dumb son burst out into Kill not king Craesus so when enemies are ready to devoure the Church Gods bowels work he can hold no longer but cryes Save my child Handle the yong man gently for my sake See Ier. 31.20 Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me c. when the child swoons in the whipping God let falls the rod and falls a kissing it to fetch life into it againe A Physitian in some cases purgeth his patient till nothing be lest almost but skin and bone or blooddeth him ad deliquium animae till he faint and sink but yet his care is still to maintain nature so this heavenly Father and Physitian is carefull to keep up the spirits of his suffering Saints by comforts and cordials as here I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies Miserationibus visceralibus with multitudes of tender mercies that flow from the inwards from the bowels from the bosom and bottom of the heart had that of a Parent nay of a mother toward her child in an extremity as 1 King 3.26 And here observes how fully and sweetly the Angels prayer verse 12. is answered even ad cardinem desiderij Aug. Confes lib. 5. c. 8. God not only grants him according to his own heart but fulfills all his counsell as it is Psal 20.4 Le ts it be to him even as he will nay gives him an enlarged answer presseth upon him as Naaman did upon Gehezi's two talents when he desired but one How long wilt thou not be mercifull to Jerusalem saith He behold I am returned to Jerusalem with many mercies saith God I went away and hid me from it in my anger Hos 5.15 but am come again with many comforts to relieve it As all light is from the Sun and all waters from the sea so is all comfort from God In thy light shall we see light but Thou diddest hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 as when the Sun is eclipsed all creatures here flag and hang the head there is a drooping in the whole frame or nature and as when the extracting force of the Sun leaves the vapours that are drawn up they fall down again to the earth So sares it with the Church If God withdraw she lyes all amort yea she lieth open to all sorts of evils and enemies for her shadow is departed from her But he cannot be long absent such is his love he will repent for his people when he seeth their power is gone Dent. 32.36 when there is a dignus vindice nodus an extremity fit for divine power to interpose when misery weighs down nothing but mercy turns the scale then at furthest in the very turning and criticall point He will return to Jerusalem with mercies He will return to her not as the winter sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little comfort and heat but with a Cornu-copia of all manner of blessings will he come my house shall be built in it saith the Lord of Hosts and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem that is both Church and State shall flourish God will both do good in his good pleasure unto Sion be will also build the walls of Jerusalem Psal 51.18 but mark that he saith in his good pleasure as here in tender mercies to teachus that all the good we enjoy is merely of mercy it is all of free grace for otherwise there should not be so much as any face of Church or common-wealth as we see in the Jewes at this day a miserable dissected people because Lo-ruhamah Hos 1. such as have not obtained mercy Then Ancestours acknowledged with all thankfulnesse for so undeserved a favour that Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto them a very small remnant Isay 1.9 they should have been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah Had not the Angels laid hold upon Lots hand and the good Lord been mercifull unto him Gen. 19.16 he also had perished amongst those sinners against their own soules Jehoshua was a brand pluckt out of the fire Zech. 3.2 And when One said to Mr. Bradford the Martyr God hath done much for you since I first knew you and hath wrought wonderously in you to his glory he thus answered Truth it is for He hath dealt favourably with me Act. Mon. 1473. Ezra 9.13 in that he hath not punished me according to my sins but hath suffered me to live that I might seek repentance Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve saith Ezra And it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed saith the Church because his compassions faile not Lam. 3.22 Verse 17. Cry yet saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts my cities Here are foure Yets in this one verse and all very gracious ones to break their hard harts and to raise their faith in his promised mercies For it is as if God should say Though I was sore displeased with your Fathers and ye are risen up in their roomes a very rate of rebels so that I have had indignation against you full seventy yeers ver 12. yet I do you to know and by my Propher I proclaime with great earnestness and evidence of truth that I do
so much only as the Eccho resounds But we must be getting and growing in this grace even in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ He is the brightnesse of his fathers glory and the expresse image of his person The beam of the Sun is not so like the body of the Sun the character on the wax is not so like the seal that imprints it nay milk is not so like milke as Christ is like his father He is up and down the self-same that his Father is they differ in nothing Christus est alius à patre non aliud but that the one is the father and not the son the other is the son and not the father Hence that of our Saviour to Philip when he said Lord shew us the father and it sufficeth us Jesus saith unto him Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seen me Ioh. 14.8 9 hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then shew us the Father The very same All-powerfull God who in fellowship of his sacred person hath a soul and body glorified the same spirituall nature is the nature of the Father As if the same soul and body that is in you were communicated with the person of your child Well might our Saviour therefore say If ye had known me ye should have known my father also John 14.7 Oh learne and labour therefore to profit more and more in the mystery of Christ to know him better in his natures in his offices in his workes both of Abasement and Advancement of Humiliation and Exaltation but especially to know him as St. Paul did for the other you may easily know out of every Catechisme to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Phil. 3.10 This is the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus ver 8. this is life eternall Ioh. 17.3 We know no more of God and his will then we practise and have experience of Christ is said to know no sin because he did none and Eli's sons knew not the Lord though priests because they feared him not they deteined the truth they knew in unrighteousnesse as those Philosophers did Rom. 1.18 SECT IX Let them thankfully acknowledge his free grace in their adoption and why A Second duty we owe to God as his children is thankfull acknowledgement of that never-enough adored depth of his singular love in our Adoption The absolute and independant freedome of his grace herein was such that without any the least colour of cause or shew of reason in us without any defect on his part or desert on ours He drew us out of the most vile and servile condition that could be into the glorious liberty of the sons of God David was to be gathered to his fathers Psal 132.11 Esay 9.6 1 Tim. 1.17 Psal 2. and it was therefore a singular favour to him that he should have children to sit upon his throne after him But God is the King immortall as St. Paul stiles him the everlasting Father as Esay and therefore needs no son to succeed him But if he did he had a son of his own as like him as is possible whom also he hath set as King upon his holy hill of Sion Amongst men those that have children of their own if they adopt another mans childe it is commonly because their own are unfit for succession either from some bodily weaknesse as not likely to leave issue or for basenesse of spirit and badnesse of behaviour as uncapable and unfit for government Now none of all this can without horrible blasphemy be said of the Lord Christ But admit the case had so stood with God that it had been requisite he should have adopted any for his sons and heirs the good Angels might have drawn away his affection from us by their holinesse or the evill angels his compassion for their wretchednesse or he could for a need of very stones have raised up children to himself to be heirs of his kingdome in Christ It was his will only and nothing else that moved his will to set his love upon us as we may see both in the type Deut. 7.7 and in the truth Eâ—h 1.5 Surely as there was no defect or need in him so there was as little merit or desert in us For whereas in the civill adoption as when Pharaohs daughter adopted Moses Mordecai adopted Esther Jacob the two sons of Joseph there is something in the Adopted that moveth the Adoptant cither some outward inducement as kindred beauty favour c. or some inward as the gifts of the minde understanding ingenuity hopefulnes c. there was nothing at all in us to move God to such a mercy For outward respects there was neither kindled to mâ—â—te him for our father was an Amorite Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. Christ calls his spouse first his Love and thâ—n his fair one Câ—â—t 2.10 Homo est inversâ—s decalogus Eph. 2.1 2. our mother a Hittite we were the sons of the perverse rebellious woman as Saul reproached Ionathan nor yet beauty to intice him for we were in our blood in our blood in our blood when he spread the skirt of his garment over us and said unto us Live Blood is so many severall times there named to note our extreme filthinesse so little amiable were we when he set his love upon us And for any inward motive grace which is the only thing that God looks after Psal 14.2 is not at all to be found in the naturall man Nay he stands acrosse and is quite contrary to it as being acted and agitated by the devill and held captive as a slave by him at his pleasure Loe this was our estate thus the Lord found us when he came to adopt us And indeed Adoption to speak properly as it is a borrowed terme from the civil law imports as much For it is the raking of one foâ— a son who is for present in some servitude to another And so Lawyers distinguish it from Arrogation which is say they the chusing of one for a son that is free his own man not under the command of another But such alass was not our case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.23 for both Jews and Gentiles were shut up under sin fist shut up close prisoners in the devills dungeon whose works we did as slaves and could not but do them whose image we bear as sons and could not but resemble him being as like the devill as if we had been spâ—tout of his mouth and had perished together with him in our own filth and blood like that forlorne infant Ezek. 16. had not he of his mere grace and goodnesse when it was thetime of loves said unto us Live yea when we were weltring in our blood he said Live Oh let the deep and due consideration of this matchlesse mercy and free favour ravish and
affectiâ—â—â— hearts to greatest cheerfulnesse and thankfulnesse let it swallow up an â—â—â—â—oâ—tents and make us send up many an humble joyfull and praisefull heart to him SECT X. Let them honour their father and how A Third duty we are to performe to God as a father is Reverence according to that in the Prophet Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his father If then I be a father wher 's mine honour and that in the Decalogue Honour thy father and thy mother which saith St. Paul it the first commandement with promise Promise I say of long life to him that by honouring them lengtheneth his parents life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiâ—rocl Reverence and loving respect to parents never went unrecompenced as in Iapheth Isaac Ruth others much lesse shall that to God for them that honour him he will honour Here then we are 1. 1 Sam. 2. to have an high and honourable esteem of God in our hearts lifting up and laying open those everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in Psal 24. and come in state in his own likenesse Ignorant people cast him into a dishonourable mould as it were they have bald and base conceits of God they think him altogether such a one as themselves or worse they change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man c. Psal 50.21 Rom. 1.13.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.16 they dishonour him and therefore he gives them up to passions of dishonour or vile affections For as a king will take it ill to be entertained no otherwise by his subjects when he comes amongst them then if he were some Knight or meaner man so will God when we have low conceptions of him when we glorifie him not as God when we enlarge not his roome and let him in-dwell richly in us when we conceive not of him as the onely potentate represent him not to our thoughts in the apprehension of one that is in and of himself All-sufficient Omnipotent onely wise and in Christ our most merciful father yet still our father in heaven who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans works 1 Pet. 1.17 whom therefore if we call father we must passe the whole time of our sojourning here till he send for us home infear Lo this is to honour God in our hearts And this is that that is required so often in scripture under the term of magnifying God or making him great and of glorifying God or making him glorious so he is pleased to account of it when we get so far as to conceive of him above all creatures and that is when he comes into our hearts as a king of glory far above all the glory that can be found in earthly princes 2. We must honour him in our speeches both to him and of him 1. In our prayers to God we must take unto us words neither too curious Verba nec lecâ—a sint nec neglecâ—a nor too carelesse we must speak supplications with the poor publican we must addresse our selves unto him in lowliest manner as the Prodigal did Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am no more worthy to be called thy childe A servants place in thine house is too good for me Briefly our words to God in prayer must be as the words use to be of a childe to his father humble earnest and direct to the point avoiding vam babblings This is to be sober in prayer 1 Pet. 4.3 Eccles 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interparlance 1 Tim. 2.1 Omnino oportet nos oraâ—iotionis tempore curiam intrare coelestem in qua Rex regum stellaâ—â— sedet solâ—â— c. Quant â— ergo cum reveremia quanto timore quanto illuc humilitate accedere debet epalude suâ— procedens repens vilts ranuncula Bern. Lev. 19.12 when considering that God is in heaven and we on earth considering the infinite distance and disproportion between him and us therefore our words are few We are allowed to parle with God by prayer to use an holy and humble familiarity and to come boldly unto the throne of grace but yet we must so couch our petitions that all needless heartlesse repetitions superfluous endlesse digressions tedious and unnecessary prolixities be carefully avoided Humble and pithy prayer findes freer accesse to God and returns with better successe to us 2. As we must thus honour our heavenly father in our speeches to him so in our speeches also of him to others Take heed that we take not up that great and terrible name of his unreverently lightly loosely disrespectfully for he hath vowed that he will hold none guiltlesse he hath sworn that no vain swearers or other dishallowers of his name shall ever enter into his kingdom Reviling of parents was banishment by Plato's laws death by Gods laws Exod 21.17 How shall they escape that bore thorough the glorious and dreadful name of God tossing it in their common talk as filthy dogs do stinking carrion that swear in â—â—st and not in judgement that play with oathes as apes do with nuts not considering that there is a large roll of ten yard long and five yards broad full of curses against the swearer and that shall rest upon his house which he calls his castle and where he thinks himself most secure Zach. 5.2 Oh what will become of those hellish mouthes that belch out blasphemies against him whom yet they daily call Our father which art in heaven so ordinarily and so openly that some of them are become very inter ections of specch to the vulgar S. Edw. Sands and other-somemere phrases of gallantrey to the braver as one complaineth How should we grieve at this as those good men did when David was reviled by Shimei how should our hearts rise to hear our heavenly father thus dishonoured surely good blood will not belie it self 3. God is to be honoured as a father in our whole conversation remembring that we are ever in his eye and should therefore walk before him in an holy bashfulnesse as ashamed and afraid to do any thing unworthy of his presence or that may give him discontent It was ordered in Moses law that when any went forth of the camp to ease nature they should dig a hole with a paddle and cover their excrements And why For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp therefore shall it be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Deut. 23.13 14. Now there was more in this law then every man looks unto Sin is the souls excrements St. Iames therefore calls it the superfluity of naughtinesse Jam. 21. Hâ—b 1.13 Amos 3.3 2. Sain 12.9 〈◊〉 10.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4.13 Gen. 27.12 41 Prov. 17.2 as Samuels and 〈◊〉 sons as â—onathan the four Gâ—rshom the son of Menesseh or as some copies have it the son of Moses In
Corsâ—etur Lutherus so esse Apostatam sed â—eatam sancium qui fidem diaâ—olâ— datam non servavit Athanasius was impeached by the Arrians of adultery Basil by his brethren of heresie Luther by the Papists of Apostacy Austere John is said to have a devil Sociable Christ to be a wine-bibber And it was the worse because from Scribes and Pharisees whose word must carry such credit with it as alone to condemn Christ We would not have brought him to thee were he not worthy of death And whose life must be a rule to others Do any of the Pharisees beleeve in him Take heed therefore what you hear and to whom you give credit But may I not beleeve mine own eyes Oâ—j judge the tree by the fruits Matth. 7. Not alwayes in matter of fact Sol. Our Saviour speaks there of heretikes and seducers and bids judge of them by their fruits that is by their doctrines and opinions that are corrupt and carnall But for point of practise the best tree doth not alwayes bear or not alwayes alike An apple-tree may have a fit of barrennesse as well as a crab tree or the fruit may be nipt sometimes by a frost God onely knows what sap is in the root what truth is in the heart and let him that knows it judge of it 2. Be favourable in sinnes strengthened by naturall inclination or by long continued custome which is not so easily broke off or by multitude of temptations and enticements The best minds when troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions as water that is violently stirred sends up bubbles and how often have carnall respects drawn weak goodnesse to disguise it self with sinne 3. Judge no man by that he is in a passion whether of grief fear or anger for these are violent and have made the holiest in their behaviour little â—esse then bestiall witnesse David in his sear of Sauls fury in his roaring over Absolom and rage at Nabal Passions like kine in a narrow passage ride one upon another and like heavy bodies down steep hills once in motion they know no ground but the bottom Oh how subject are Gods best Saints to weak passions and if they have the grace to ward an expected blow how easily are they surprized with a sudden foil Sometimes both grace and wit are asleep in the holiest and wariest brests and the wisest are miscaried by their passions to their cost What shiprack of his faith and patience had meek Moses well-nigh made against the Rock Rimmon As at another time how did he in a sudden indignation cast away the two-Tables and abandon that which he would in cold blood have held faster then his life But passion doth so bemist the cleerest judgement otherwhiles that a man shall bee apt to think there is sense in sinning and that he hath some reason to be mad 4. Censure not any to be either better or worse for some particular action but consider what his main bent is and accordingly conceive of him David that saith his sinnes were more then the hairs of his head saith also in respect of his generall resolution and full purpose of heart I have not declined from thy statutes neither is there any way of wickednesse in me Saint Iohn looked upon the Lady 2 Joh 1.4 and her children as elect because they walked in the truth though not without some particular stumblings and aberrations And Saint Paul was confident of the Thessalonians election 1 Thes 1.4 though so compassed with infirmities that he doubted he had laboured in vain and feared their Apostacy 1 Thes 3.5 Perswaded also he was better things of the Hebrews Heb. 6.9 and such as accompany salvation though he found them slow of foot and dull of hearing and frights them with the terrour of the Lord upon Apostates Who can promise himself freedome from grosse infirmities when Aaron that went up into the mount comes down and doth that in the valley which he heard forbidden in the hill Gods best children may not onely be drenched in the waves of sinne but lie in them for a time and perhaps sink twice to the bottom before they recover Sudden indeliberate out-bursts contrary to the generall bent and purpose break not the league betwixt God and his people as the robberies done by Pirates of either Nation do not betwixt King and King A good man is habitually good when actually evil and an evil man is habitually evil when actually good He that goes up a hill may have many slips and falls yet is still said to be going up the hill because his face is toward the top A sheep may slip into a dich as he is leaping over it yea lye there some time till the shepheard finde it and help it out Behold I even I will both search my lost sheep and seek them out saith the Lord. I will seck that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will binde up that which was broken Ezek. 34.11 12.16 Rev 24. Psal 119.176 and will strengthen that which was sick I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day Christ the good shepheard tiddleth his lambs dyed for their ignorance Heb. 7.7 bare their infirmities Esay 53. breeds a first love in his little ones and gives charge that none despise them much lesse discard them no though they go astray as David did like a lost sheep And mark his reasons God despiseth them not Math 18.10 but senthis son to seek them and sets his Angels to tend and look to them therefore let none set light by them SECT XIV Take comfort and courage notwithstanding infirmities and failings in the manner LAstly this doctrine methinks might make the servants of God everlastingly merry it should wonderfully clear up the countenances and cheer up the hearts of all Gods chosen it should banish and bar out of their blessed souls all their unnecessary scruples distrusts dejections and discouragements arising from the sense of their manifold defects distractions in duty indisposition ignorance forgetfulnesse omissions or failings in the manner All which so long as they are groned under grieved at and striven against Peccata nobis non nocent si non placent Augustin God will never impute unto them nay he will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him Now how that is they can well tell that are parents of towardly and tractable children that are good-natured and well-conditioned And yet they cannot neither be they never so tender and their children never so tractable sith there is no more comparison betwixt their mercy and his then is betwixt a molehill and a mountain nay the least drop of a bucket and the main Ocean Yea I dare be bold to say that all the mercies of all the fathers mothers husbands wives friends allyes in the world compared to his mercy are mere cruelty This makes the Prophet as having