to a place of rest and honour Doth not this commend vnto vs the exceeding faithfulnesse of God that will not suffer his children alwayes to lye vnder the burthen and continually to passe through fire and water Psal 66. but at the length wil bring them to a wealthyer place Did not Ioseph at length see an end of his troubles Was not Mordecai quiet at length Did hee not finde rest and honour Yea surely the Lord is mercifull and will not alwayes bee chiding because mercy pleaseth him Mich 7. he will returne and haue mercy that his people may gloryfie him The rod of the vngodly shall not alwaies rest vppon the lot of the righteous Psal 50. 15. least the righteous put forth his hand to wickednesse The Lord will heare the prayers of his children Psal 125. Psal 21. 2. and he will make them hidings for others that are in trouble they shall haue gratious experience of his mercyfull deliuerance that they may bee more willing to committe them-selues to him in well-doing and so be better fitted to their eternall rest Loe thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lord. Vse 1. Mich 7. 8. 9. Reioyce not therefore against me oh myne enemies for though I fall yet I shall rise againe Oh that wee could wait the Lords leysure and hee would establish our hearts marke well the iust man and the end of that man is peace Faint not therefore vnder the burthen neither repine thereat for thy Sauiour Christ doth beare the waight thereof and at length he will case thy shoulders of all sorrow may be in the euening but ioy is in the morning Ionas 2. Esay 54. 7 8. I sayd I mas cast out of thy sight yet will I looke backe towards thy holy Temple For a little while did I forsake thee but in euerlasting compassion will I gather thee againe though I vtterly destroy al the nations where I haue scattered thee yet wil I not destroy thee but I wil correct thee by Iudgement and not vtterly cut thee off Ierem. 30. Psal 73. But I will guide thee by my counsel and after bring thee to glory Thus is Hester now receiued into the house-royall of the King Psal 30. Psal 21. The Lord hath sette her vp and not suffered her foes to triumph ouer her and because the heart of his seruant trusted in the Lord and in the mercies of the most high therefore shee shall not slide Psal 112 her heart is established in the Lord her God and therefore shee will not feare vntill she see her desire vpon her enemies And is not so great a blessing worthy remembrance yea surely the holy Ghost precisely sets downe the day and yeare thereof that so we might be prouoked to remember the same And might learne that such blessings ought so long to be remembred of vs as the daies and times continue in our vse So hath the Lord tendered great blessings to his Church at especiall times The returne of the captiuity in the first yeare of Darius the passion at the feast of the passe-ouer Dan. 1. Math. 26. Act. 2. The gift of tongues at the feast of the pentecost c. 1. That the extraordinarinesse of the time might put vs in minde of the extraordinary blessing and be a continuall remembrance of the â—ame for the praises of God So hath the Church of God appointed and set solemne times for the perpetuall remembrance of great blessings and commended therein the celebration of Gods blessings for euer Hest 9. so was the 14. day of Ader set apart to this purpose by ster and Mordecai so is the 5â— of Nouember consecrated to the remembrance of the most admirable deliuerance of the â—ritaine State and people from the gunpowder treason Obser 110. Great mercies of God are to be had in remembrance by special time appointed thereto And surely as these great fauours of God are liuelie testimonies of his power and goodnesse so are they worthy to be had in remembrance yea very profitable is the remembrance thereof to vs both to stirre vp our thankfulnesse and encrease our faith that so they may be sanctified continued and encreased vpon vs yea be vndoubted pleadges of eternall happinesse And therefore seeing the Lord hereby prouides that his blessings may not be forgotten and so passe without their true vse this may serue for the great condemnation of the world who on the contrarie vseth all occasions to put out the remembrance of Gods mercies from the earth either ascribing Gods mercies to their wit or desart or putting them off to second causes as if not the LORD but some ordinarie meanes had compassed the same or which is worst of all imputing them to blind chance c.. And are not they also as faultie herein that diminish and obscure the great workes of GOD either not regarding them at all or speaking basely of them What shall we thinke of these that gnash their teeth hereat that repine that the Lord should bee gracious vnto his people And are there not some that thinke such great deliuerances are discredits vnto a people as signifying what they had deserued and what some of their owne bowells would haue executed on their Fathers and brethren May nor pollicie aduize that so great mercies of God should be suppressed lest the reioycing thereof vpbrading the wicked should prouoke them to renue their malice and multiplie their mischiefes Surely if there were no other euidence to condemne vs of vnthankefulnesse yet the generall security of a people and encrease of sinne is a fearefull witnesse of their forgetfulnesse of a blessing and so may bee a meanes to turne it vnto a curse Well let vs looke our faces wisely in this glasse and as the Lord hath offered vs time to remember so great mercies so let vs daylie meditate on the wonders of our GOD. Let vs keepe a regester of Gods blessings that we may keepe our selues in the possessions of them And let vs withall keepe an account of our sinnes that so we may see what need we haue of Gods mercie and so the rather meditate thereon And for our comfort let vs further learne this that as God neuer bestowes great blessings but they shal be truelie sanctified vnto some so if that by this holie remembrance we shall keepe our right in them we shall not onely be deliuered in the euill day when the LORD shall take vengeance on the vnthankefulnesse of the world but we shall see some greater things then these the LORD will deale wonderfully betweene Israel and Aegipt when the obstinate shal be confounded then shall the righteous flowrish yea the Lord will prouide meanes for the constancy of their happinesse for so it followeth And the King loued Hester aboue all the women Vers 17. and shee found grace and fauour in his sight more then all the Virgins so that hee set the crowne of the Kingdome vpon her head and made
remooued from Canaan to Aegipt because Aegipt shall nourish vs when Canaan cannot and Aegipt also shall fare the better for vs that we may be honoured onely let vs be carefull that we fare not the worse for it Though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne gleane we the good of Egipt but pertake not with her in her euill Lette vs labour if we can to make Sodome better but at no hand lette Sodome make vs worse Humble wee y e flesh by greeuing at Sodome and prouoke we the flesh by crossing Haman 2 Pet so the increase of their rage shal increase our faith and their plots against vs shall ripen their sinne that is their fall may be our raizing vp and the place of sorrow may be the crowne of our glory Thus did God prouide for Mordecai by planting him in Susis But was it possible that Susis did not corrupt Mordecai Could Ioseph liue in Egipt and not sweare by the life of Pharoh Did Moses leaue Pharohs Court because he would not inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Behold here an act of Gods speciall prouidence Mordecai shall bee in Susis and yet be vndefiled Obs 33. Gods children are kept pure and made bâ—tter by their conuerâ—ation with the wicked Gods children shall dwell with the wicked and yet keepe their sincerity Else how should they know that their sinceritie is from him that the beginning and continuance thereof is from his mercy he that giues it without meanes can keep it contrary to meanes and therefore neither the terrour nor flattery nor the example nor fellowship of the Sodomites shall corrupt righteous Lot because the Lord is the giuer keeper of righteousnes where the Lord keeps contrary meanes shall further great cold without shall cause more heate within and the greater wickednesse of others shall make vs both discerne and approue better the righteousnesse that is in vs Yea wee shall hold it the faster by how much the more the wicked would plucke it from vs as more fearing our selues and more earnestly crauing the helpe of God And so growing more resolute and constant in godlynesse wee shall finde more comfort and benefit therein not onely that our enemies heereby will bee wearied and so yeeld vp the bucklers but our righteousnesse beeing iustified euen by our enemies they being hereby inwardly confounded as they are prepared to their vtter subuersion so we shal gather the fruite of such Trees which they haue planted And therefore howsoeuer wee should rather choose to conuerse with the godly Obser 34. The godly best company and why because they most please God and best suit with our affections they are trauelling our way and so shall best further vs to happinesse they onely are safe company and who yeeld true comfort 2 Cor. 6. Yet seeing we must go out of the world if we will not meddle with the wicked Obs 35. Why we may conuerse with the wicked and how and we are bound to make others better without feare of making our selues worse and God will try vs whether we do good of conscience or not and y e world must haue a stumbling-block euen by our liberty herein therfore though we are not purposely to come into euil company or principally to make choice of them yet if God do call vs we are not to refuse because his commandement is our sufficient warrant if God cast vs vpon them we cannot choose and then his prouidence is our protection Nay if they seeke vnto vs in their extremity wee may not deny them for the hole haue no need of the Phisitian but the sicke Nay we are to seek them out if they be gon astray so to ouercome them with our loue industry So shall they return vnto vs not wee vnto them Gods power shal be seen in y e land of Goshen and the righteousnes of his Saints shal haue a glorious trial wheÌ„ it is iustified desired by y e enemies therof thus was Mordecai safe in Shusan But how comes it to passe y t he is planted in Shusan the reason hereof the holy Ghost deliuers afterward namely he was called to the Kings houshold made keeper of the Court gate as chief porter keeper of the Pallace w c pallace requiring his continual attendance and the Court being vsually at Shusan therfore he is said to be in the cittie of Shusan And surely herein also the prouidence of the Almightie is no lesse wonderfull thus to prouide for his seruant in the land of his Captiuitie that he findes such fauor with the Prince as to be admitted to his seruice Obser 36. God giues his â—auour in the eyes of the wicked and that to a place of such trust imployment w c may wel giue testimony of his loyalty and dilligence as also prepare a way to his further aduancement Thus hath God giuen his children fauor in the greatest of their troubles euen with those that are Gods speciall instruments for their greater affliction Thus was Ioseph gratious Genes 39. Wheresoeuer hee came his maister highly affects him wholy hee was in his familie when he was in the prison Genes 40 41. 42. c. he winnes the Iaylors fauor when hee is out of prison Pharoh himselfe sets his heart vpon him yea he found fauor in the sight euen of all the Egiptiaâ—s who in likelyhood must needes enuy his greatnesse and practise against him But what shall we say This is the Lords doing to turne the hearts of our enemies The power of godlinesse is such as sometimes to rauish al Vers 16. 17. and God wil haue both the wicked left inexcusable hereby and his the better secured by the same as hauing a friend in the Court so gratious with the greatest who at the best are but seruants to further the cause of the Church 1 Vse And therefore though seruice of princes bee no inheritance and their fauor as them-selues partiall and mutable and so not ambitiously or corruptly to be bought or begd of vs yet neither must we neglect to demerite the same by all lawfull obedience nor if it be cast vpon vs proudly to reiect it as being both a true note that wee preuaile with God worthily if we be gratitious in their eyes who are onely vnder him and being a meanes also not so much to aduance our selues as that the Church of God may finde fauour hereby This was the end why the LORD brought Mordecai to the Court and so did Mordecai very gratiously answer this end Well thus wee haue heard of the place of his habitation But may wee not know of what Country he was Yea the holy Ghost tels vs he was a Iew by nation a son of Iacob and heire of the Couenant who in the greatest Apostacie of his bretheren remained faithfull with his GOD and therefore in that greatest misery findes fauour with men Obs 37. God no accepter of persons
her Queene insteede of Vashty In which words the spirit of God setteth downe what befell Hester after her taking into the Kings house Namely that she is aduanced further to bee Queene in steed of Vashtie which is notably described First by the occasion hereto Namely that the King loued her aboue all the women And secondly by the signe of this preferment hee set the crowne of the Kingdome vpon her head Concerning the extraordinarie fauour and affection Obs III. God makes his children gratious when it may serue for his glory and their good that the King is here sayd to beare vnto this gracious maiden As it was the admirable worke of God for her more speedie and sure aduancement necessarily to be taken at this time when the yron was in the fire Carnall loue being so inconstant especially when it is in some sort satisfied And the poore maiden no doubt much humbled with yeelding to the present necessity and therefore had neede of some meanes to cast light out of darkenesse that their might be hope of sanctifying of this sinne into her So doth it herein most notably commend the power mercie and Wisdome of GOD vnto vs. His power in this that he both can turne the affections of the wicked vpon his Children and settle them constantlie therevpon when as the cause in them rather threatenes change His wisdome also appeares in this that this extraordinary fauour of the Prince being now necessary for the aduancement of Hester and so for the good of the Church though afterward it bated to shew the inconstancie of flesh and also a further power of God in the reuiuing of the same yet now it increaseth contrarie to the carnall occasion which being satisfied vsually breedes loathing especiall in those whose honour and delight in is change so that aboue all the rest onely Hester is gracious the fauour of this great Monarche is constant to her And the mercie of God doth also shine herein most comfortably both to the good of the Church and perticular contentment of his seruant The Church hereby is now prouided for a deliuerer before she be plunged into the extremitie of her daunger and the poore maiden is by this aduancement recompenced for hir losse and comforted also in some measure with the sanctifying of the same in a lawfull calling Aud surely that the Lord prouided a Sauiour before man had sinned Obser 112. God prouides a deliuerer for his Church before it be cast into the extremity of daunger Esay 65. Math. 6. that Moyses is borne before Israels oppression is encreased that Iosephes aduanced before the famine is in Canaan that Hester is aduanced before Hamans conspiring breakes forth doth not this exceedingly commend the watchfulnesse of GOD ouer his Church Doth not this manifest the freenesse of his loue that goes before the particular obiect Doth not this serue much to the confirmation of our faith that before we call he will heare vs before we haue neede hee willl prouide for vs So did the LORD prouide an Elizabeth before the great and sharpe storme fell vpon his Church Vse 1. And shall we then feare that the Lord will forsake vs in our troubles when he prouides meanes of deliuerance before troubles come Is he a God a farre off and shall we not beleeue him to be a GOD nere at hand 2 Pet. 1. 8. Oh let vs learne to liue by faith so shall we see a farre off Let it stay vs in our present troubles that God loued vs before we were that euen when we were his enemies Psal 139. he sought vs and preuented vs and shall he not now much more reskue vs beeing his friends Oh wee of little faith But are the mercies of God here at an end No surely Obs 113. The mercies of God to his children past finding out the mercies of the Lord are euerlasting and his truth past finding out Wade wee yet further into them in this particular case of Hester and let vs willingly loose our selues in the meditation thereof Was it not a great mercy of the Lord to aduance her to the Kinges house And was it not a greater mercy that in the Kings house shee is humbled that so by renuing her repentance shee might bee better fitted to her further estate And was not the mercy of God very admirable herein that being abased by the King she yet finds extraordinary fauour in his sight that so shee might finde comfort in her former sorrow But was it not yet a further mercy that beeing a subiect yea a stranger and of the abhominable and inthralled Nation yet shee is called to bee the lawfull wife of so mighty a Monarch and not onely so but euen to bee aduanced to the hyghest dignitye of all So constant is the LORD that whome hee loueth Iohn 13. 2. hee loueth to the end Such a priuiledge hath godlynesse that to the pure all thinges are pure 1 Tit 14. So sure is our saluation that euen all thinges shall turne to our good Rom. 8. 29. Vse 1. And shall wee then sinke vnder the burthen of our sinnes seeing wee cannot sound the depth of the mercies of God Shall wee plead vnwisely against GOD seeing hee cannot choose but loue vs seeing his loue is manifested in our sinnes and his power in our weakenesse Shall wee repine at his chastisements seeing of very faithfulnesse hee doth correct vs Shall wee distrust his blessinges seeing hee bestowes them in mercy Surely if we see not mercy euery where wee want the eye of faith And if wee laye not hold of eternal mercies we fight not y e good fight of faith But lette vs examine a little further this case of Hester 1 Tim 4. Obs 114. Whether great prosperity be a blessing in mercy to Gods children May wee truly say that here 's nothing but mercy Was it the mercy of God that shee should bee so highly aduanced VVhy then doth the spirit teach Gods children to pray that the Lord would not giue them neither pouerty nor riches Obiect Prouer 30. least beeing full they should deny him being empty they should blaspheme God Ans Surely the prayer of the seruant of God as it was conditionall not simply renouncing either fulnesse or want but as it might stand with the will of God and good of the receiuer so thereby doth it graunt a power vnto God to giue either fulnes or impose wāt at his pleasure And seeing where God giues in loue he also sanctifies the gift may not then the Lord giue fulnesse and yet preserue in humility and obedience May he not lay pouerty on his child and yet keepe him from impatience Yet at least so farre as that he shall not take the name of God in vaine Indeed if nature be left to it selfe and that as this most likely and vsuall be considered in this case fulnesse may breed forgetfulnesse and pouerty prophanesse and distrust of Gods prouidence And therefore in
they be still emptied how can they prosper And how can they then bee the glory of the Kingdome Wel Behold our Persian Monarch here doth not only giue rest vnto the Prouinces but also Gaâ—e gifts according to the power of the King Obs 119. Wicked brideled and furnished vvith good gifts for the good of the Church Thus euen the wicked when they are imployed in Gods seruice for the good of his Church shall not only bee bridled from much euill which they would do but moued also to doe much good in shew though otherwise they would not do Here 's no mention of drunkennesse no calling for Vashty as were in the former feast The marriage of Gods seruant shal not be dishonoured with such abuses But what here 's rest giuen to the Prouinces who were like to indure heauier burthens gifts distributed according to y e power of the King whose power is vsually seene in taking from his people So doth God honour his children by restrayning the wicked so doth hee harden the wicked in that they shall not want the shew of vertue in the seruice of those which yet notwithstanding onely for their vertue they doe most deadly hate so doth he get him glory by them both in confirming hereby the faith of his children Obs 120. Princes are to be liberall to their subiects and ripening the wicked to their appointed damnation And if wee shall further consider the bounty of this Monarch in giuing gifts so magnifically Doth not the Lord hereby further honour this aduancement of his seruant May not Princes learne hence to bee bountifull to their subiects and insteed of pilling of them to bestow sometimes largesse vpon them May they not we ldoe it seeing they giue them but their owne and doe they not winne their hearts therby 3. and can they store it vp better then there where they may require it againe And do they not ease themselues of much care and feare Surely as it was the custome at such extraordinary kinds of ioy and feasting to enlarge the heart in such gifts and so shall Princes finde a great commodity herein the people are contented and the kingdome well fenced vertue is encouraged and miserie releiued and Princes herein do most come neere vnto God and the people are more faithfully knit vnto their Gouernors But marke I pray you the bountifulnesse of this King Obs 121. Gods children ought to be liberall according to their ability and with all their power it is said that he gaue gifts according to the power of the King Not niggardly and basely but bountifully and according to his abilitie So ought the children of God much more to extend their liberality according to their callings least this heathen Monarch rise vp in iudgement against them And therefore they are 1. to distribute in faith with warrant from the word and looking for recompence at the hands of God Prou. 5. not being wearie of well dooing 2. They are to giue in righteousnesse both of that which is their owne and also where it may bee lawfull not to maintaine sinne but for loue of the person yea where it is most necessary to those that are in greatest want and among them especially to the houshold of faith 4. Wee must respect the end of all our well-doing principally the saluation of the soule and glory of God whereby wee may both condemne all Popish charitie which generally faileth in all these circumstances and so trie our selues whether we be truely charitable or no. Thus is the mariage of Hester solemnized with all the state and complement sutable thereto Obser 122. Gods prouidence in vnequall matters and societies of vnlike thus is a Captiue Virgin aduanced to bee a royall Queene Thus is vertue ioyned to vice to bridle the same Thus is vice a companion of vertue thereby to humble and so to trie the same Thus two are in a bed the one forsaken the other elected both brought together by the Lord and by him hereby fitted to their seuerall ends Behold here some resemblance of the estate of Gods children in a visible Church where shall they sit but they may meete with a Iudas in their dish 1. Cor. 5. if they will not conuerse with the vncleane must they not goe out of the world doth not the Lord hereby humble the one and harden the other is not his prouidence most admirable in accomplishing hereby his righteous will in them both But of this more fitlye by Gods grace hereafter And thus farre concerning the aduancement of Hester wherein for conclusion we may note 1. The faithfulnesse of God Obs 123. The Lord faithfull in in making good his word making good his promise That whereas the Prophet Ieremis perswaded Iechoniah the King not to stand out against Nabuchadnezzar when he came to besiedge the Citie but to yeeld himselfe willingly to the decree of God to goe into captiuitie promising him there-withall and the people in the name of the Lord that if they obeyed his councell it should both go well with them in the land of their captiuitie and after seuentie yeares they should againe returne into their countrie The King obeying this councell is honorably according to his estate respected during his life and among the rest this Hester being daughter to one of those that were in that captiuitie is here aduanced to the most eminent dignitie and so is a meanes for the most gratious preseruation of the Church of God So constant is the Lord in performing his promise Because he is God and cannot alter his loue hee is all sufficient and who can hinder his purpose hee is truth it selfe and therefore hath he said it and it shall stand neither will hee for his glory disappoint the expectation of his people which are his praise his delight and glory Vse 1. Let therefore the faithfulnesse of God condemne our distiust let the wicked bee confounded that make a mock thereat In the experience of what is past let vs bee confirmed in what is behinde let this teach vs to keepe faithfully lawfull promises to each other and as the Lord is faithfull in his promises so is hee also as faithful in his threatnings and therefore let vs feare him for the one and loue him for the other and giue him both the glory of his mercy and his iustice Thus doth the righteous Lord make good his promise but doth he not magnifie also his power in the means thereto Behold through many crossings and contrary blasts is this shippe brought to the hauen and through many desperate plunges is this poore captiue at length aduanced to greatest dignity 2. Cor 4. 6. Lumene Tenebris So doth the Lord worke by contrary means that his power may be more manifest in making such vnlikely meanes serue him Whereas otherwise if the means were likely Obser 124. The Lord accomplisheth his will by contrary meanes he might be thought to serue them That
THE CHVRCHES DELIVERANCE Contayning Meditations and short notes vppon The booke of HESTER In remembrance of the wonderfull deliuerance from the Gunpoulder-Treason BY THOMAS COOPER AT LONDON Imprinted by G. Eld for T. Adams and are to be sold at the white Lyon in Paules Church-yard 1609. ⧠To the right worshipfull and truly religious Ladies the mother and the daughter The Lady Katherine Rotheram and the Lady Elizabeth Wakerings my very good Aunt and Cousine Beloued in the LORD grace and peace in GOD the Father through IESVS CHRIST our common Sauiour RIght Christian Ladies whome I loue in the truth till IESVS CHRIST be perfited in you It hath pleased the LORD of glory by a long yet mild and fatherly visitation of late to summon me his vnprofitable seruant to make ready my Account In the casting vp whereof finding my selfe indebted vnto your Ladyships for many christian and extraordinary kindnesses conferred vpon me a dispised braÌ„ch and out-cast in the world I haue indeauoured in these my poore laboures to make acknowledgement of my debt not with any purpose to clear the score for how should true meÌ„bers of Christs body not be euer bound to each other but rather with intent to prouoke to a further debt because the debt of loue as it ought alwaies to be payd so it must alwaies be due and the more it is paid the more the debt is increased Til it be at length perfited and so fully recompenced in heauen Whether seeing it pleaseth my god very mercifully to hasten me by keeping me through many tedious and linggring infirmities in an earnest hungring and fainting after my deliuerance therfore haue I rather hastened to performe this duty vnto your Ladyships as to whom in regard of your places such mementos from a withered branche cannot be vnseasonable and most seasonable on his part to bee preformed who while hee hath tyme and can doe no other good yet hath obtained mercy of the LORD to puâ— his seruants in mind of his wonderfull mercies towards them that the memoriall thereof may hold them in due thankefulnesse vnto so gratious a father that so their happinesse in this life may be a pledge vnto them of that glorious crowne which remaines for the Saintes in that blessed Kingdome These are my heartes desire vnto our gratious GOD for you And that you may be happily furthered therto and haue a true and liuely glasse to behold the bounty of our GOD I haue bin bold to committe to your remembraÌ„ce that wonderful deliuerance of our Church and State from that horrible plot of poulder-Treason Wherin euery true hearted Christian and Subiect may take a full view of al GODS former mercies towards him and if he do beleeue may see in the same a ful assurance of whatsoeuer blessings of GOD are yet laid vp in store for him The greatnesse whereof howsoeuer I haue heretofore endeauored once and againe to measure and so commend my scantling therof to the due consideration of a thankeful heart yet seeing the measure of that blessing is like the waters of the sanctuary which the more they were measured the more vnmeasurable they did appeare till at length they became a deepe that could not be passed ouer Therfore I haue bin glad to take this oportunity of my dayes yet lengthned out once againe to measure this great deepe And by an history of a like wonderful deliuerance to reuiue the dead memory therof in the cares of a secure and vnthankefull world That so I might both pay my vowes vnto my GOD for my life of late renued me as a prey and as neere as I may haue my conuersation in heauen imploying the small residue of my wretched life in meditations of GODS wonderful mercies which is the onely seruice that the saints performe in heauen Oh what a glorious thing it is to be thankfull when by dooing this duty we come nearest to the Saints in glory And how wil this wonderful deliuerance teach vs to be thankefull How is this deliuerance of the Iewes from Hamans malice a most liuely glasse to behold our deliuerance from the bloody Papists And may not the LORD lengthen out my threed vntill I haâ—e finished this story This that I now tender you is but onely the gate into the cittie if it please GOD that I may go through the Citty as Ionas did who knoweth whether by that time Niniue may repent and turne and so the LORD may repent him of the euil and reuiue the good that is ready to dye The patient abiding of the righteous is ioy and he that beleeueth maketh not haste yet If we beleeue we shall see greater thinges then these and blessed are wee if we see a farre off A lesson which for a farewell I do heartily commend vnto your Ladyships not onely to see into the present but to behold a farre off to looke vp to Moses to the recompence of the reward and not to esteeme to be accounted the sonne of Pharoahs daughter if we see not the present blessings how can we see a farre off And yet we may so doate on the present as not to desire to see a far off and if we desire not is not the Lord iust to giue vs our present desire and send leanesse into our soules Behold therefore your present happinesse in that wonderfull deliuerance yet looke vp with Moses and see therein also your future happinesse And so I heartily commend your Ladyships to the view of this glasse and therein also to the mercy of the almighty who giue you wisdome to redeeme the time by seeing your faces often herein and hauing viewed not to forget what Iacob did gratiously remembr Genes 32 Luke 17. 12. and what our Sauiour wished to be remembred of his Disciples So shall you preuaile with GOD and find fauour with men your age shall bee a crowne of glory and your posterity shall be blessed They shal be of you which shal build the old waste places shal be called the repairers of the breach the stoÌ„es of the field shal be in league with you the beasts of the field shal be at peace with you you shal laugh at destruction death and shal not be affraid of the beasts of the earth GOD hath and shall deliuer you from all aduersity and you shall see the felicity of the chosen these blessings the LORD of glory increase vpon your Ladyships to your full perfection in IESVS CHRIST To whose blessed protection I most heartily commend both you and yours From my house at Couentry Ianuary 1609. Your poore kinsman most bounden in the Lord Iesus THOMAS COOPER To the Christian and discerning Reader wisdome to see the plague and grace to hide himselfe WHen great blessings breed security and prophanesse wee must looke for sodaine iudgements These are begun and haue increased in the land so much the more fearefull because they are especially spiritual and the rather dangerous because they are lesse discerned or discerned onely
ground of that grosse opynion that we may be so perfit as not to erre in our iudgements It casteth to ground all pleas for sinne whereof few can hold but from this assumpsit that wee may and must be iudges in our owne cases whatsoeuer you say I know it is otherwise you know not my case and if you were in my steed you would thinke otherwise All which proceed from this only ground that their is no competent iudge of my estate but my selfe A notable fallacy whereby Satan deceiues sinners that because others many times iudge wrongfully of them therefore they conclude that they best know themselues and best may be their owne Iudges concerning their sinnes A priueledge which how-soeuer they stand vpon principally for this end that their iniquity may be hidden from the eye of the world seeing this is an especiall meanes not onely to ripen the sinne but further also to harden the heart of the sinner Therefore behold the admirable iustice of GOD in taking the wicked in their owne snares that hardnesse of heart continuing impenitency and so in the end working despaire hereby it comes to passe that they which would haue the iudgment deuolued to themselues that so they may not discerne the true iudgment of sinne it shal be vnto them as they do desire they shall haue iudging enough euen to sinke them to hell they shall truely iudge of their damnable estate and many times pronounce sentence against themselues and therein mis-iudge of the mercies of GOD. And this is a third point condemned herein If therefore Obser 51. Wherein a man may be Iudge in his owne case we wil be safely Iudges in our cause let vs iudge our selues for sinne that wee bee not iudged of the LORD And that we may thus iudge our selues let vs bee iudged by others submit we our selues wisely to the iudgement of the word and let vs not neglect the Iudgement of the world if it iudge wrongfully we haue wherein to reioyce If it iudge aright be we the more confounded that our righteousnesse is cracked in the worlds opynion only beware we here of desperat iudgement whereby we may exclude our selues from hope of mercy so iudging ourselues by the law that we also seeke pardon in the Gospell that so wee may be eased of our heauy burthen Math. 11 Thus being iudged we shall come to true repentance and recouering againe the fauour of God we shall also recouer the vprightnesse of our conscience and so we shal be able to iustifie our owne innocency 1 Cor. 4. 4. And theÌ„ we may safely not esteeme to be iudged of mans iudgment and yet not esteeme our selues iustified thereby seeing as what the law condemnes for is in our selues so that for which we are acquitted is ours onely in Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 1. 12. and though our reioycing bee the testimony of our good conscience which we may lawfully cleaue to and thereby acquite yet seeing that GOD is greater then the conscience Iob. 9. and wee know not our owne soules and also that vprightnesse which wee know proceedes from the righteousnesse of our Sauiour therefore as by the imputacion of his righteousnesse we are onely happy so to the same only we must ascribe euen the power of that iustification before men that not withstanding proceeds from inherent righteousnesse Obser 52. Princes are to refer themselues to the iudgment of their lawes that so Christ may be all in all Vers 22. Well the King will not be his owne iudge whom then will hee bee iudged by The holy Ghost answereth by the lawes of his Kingdome which generally no doubt did determine of the dutie of Mariage though perticulerly for this case the Law was made afterward Now seeing this was practized among the heathen how much more righteous wise a course is it that euen yet Christian Princes though in cases concerning themselues should refer themselues to the iudgment of their owne lawes Because as they are of their owne making and therefore it stands with their honor to iustifie the same so it is in their power to expound their owne lawes and therefore may lawfully make fauorable constructions for themselues according to the equity of the law Yea beeing also Iudges of the law themselues and therefore may in discretion mitigate the same Vse 1. Which as it condemneth the grosse flattery and iggnorance of those that exempt the Prince from y e gouernement of his owne lawes making him thereby not onely a grosse hipocrite but a very Tyrant so it iustifieth that lawfull prerogatiue of Princes which is to bee makers and interpreters yea Iudges of their owne lawes Againe this also reprooueth the abuse of lawes which great ones breake thorough and onely small flies are caught in As also that man of sinne is here condemned who hath reiected the law of GOD and wil be gouerned onely by his owne filthy lusts Lastly whosoeuer measure their righteousnesse by example or opinion stand vpon custome or any such like reiecting the law of God for the rule of their life they are also condemned in this place Sixtly we are here taught to blesse GOD for good lawes and to pray vnto him for the executing thereof that great ones may lead and the rest may follow and that euery man may do as he lift may not bee heard of in our streetes Well thus hath the King referred the matter to the Iudgment of the law and surely herein he did not amisse onely in this may he be iustly charged of folly that he kept not the sword of expounding and approouing the law in his owne hand but vnwisely puts it ouer to the determining of his Councellors The reason whereof although we may partlie gesse because he would not be rid of his wife but with some colour and other must do that which he would not be seene in Obser 53. Wicked Princes imâ—loy their seruants in base purposes A matter vsuall in wicked Princes to deuolue the enuie 2 Samu. 12. of their vile courses vpon their Ministers of state by putting for a time the sword in their hands as Dauid did into the hands of Ioab yet that this was not done without great inconuenience may appeare liuely by their handling thereof See what it is to put a sword into a mad-mans hand harke how Memucan the Eunuch laies about him And Memucan said before the King and the Princes Vers 16. 17. 18. The Queene Vashty hath not onely sinned against the King but against al the Princes and people which are in all the Prouinces of the King Ahashuerosh c. Thus insteed of a Iudge he becomes an accuser and the Summe of his exaggeration or rather indeed accusation contained in these three verses is this that Queene Vashties sinne is herein exemplary such as shall prouoke like contempt throughout the Land among all sortes as pleading herein the example of the Queene and thereby taking occasion to disobey
be a meanes to increase the same Yea the enemies of the Church shal become seruants vnto it Psal 72. Her weapons are mighty to cast downe the strongest hold And her soundings are meanes to reuiue her againe 2 Cor. 10. 4 What should I say Her outward abasing increaseth inward glory her inward glory makes way to outward conquests She must be purged of her drosse that she may be cloathed with perfit beauty she must be blacke among men that she may be faire in the eyes of her God and so remaine more constant in his fauor and protection Vse Which being so 1. as therefore the bandyings of the wicked are in vaine against Gods Church So is ouâ— feare as vaine that the Church may be destroied And therefore as the Church is continued by being led aside into the wildernes so let vs now liue by faith in the discerning of this Church Let vs not forsake that fellowshippe Hebr. 10. which God wil not forsake but let vs cleaue to y t Church that shall abide for euer old things are passed away and the shadowes are renewed the vaile is pluckt off and the hand writing of ordinances put out Oh let vs not end in the flesh that haue begenne in the spirit Let vs hold the profession of our hope without wauering and continue to the end so is the crowne of righteousnesse laid vp for vs which the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day And that we may be the rather certaine hereof behold the Lord knoweth who are his he calls them by their names yea their names are registred finally recorded in the word that they may be the better perswaded that their names are written in heauen so faith the spirit Obser 41. Fit names to be giuen to our children Whose name was Mordecai See here the person whom God appoints for the deliuerance of his Church Mordecai is his name bitternes is his portion he is the son of contrition y t must be son of cosolation So do the children of God answere their names y t which they are they also make profession of So doth God sanctifie his childreÌ„ to y e accomplishmeÌ„t of his worke So are they fitted to giue him al y â— glory Vse 1 Wherby we may learne As giue fit names to our children to shew our hope of them or to put theÌ„ in minde of their natural condition or of the means of God towards them So we are to acknowledge the loue of God vnto his children that takes perticular notice of them in giuing and changing their names Sara Sarah Abram Abraham Iacob Israel y t they may be witnesses of his loue towards them Yea herein also may we obserue a special art of Gods prouidence in recording the names and generations of such champions of his as haue stood out valiantly for the cause of his church being his instruments for the peace thereof that so we may be the better conuinced in the truth of their stories and so our historicall faith iustyfiyng the truth of the word may make way for that iustifying faith in the Sonne of GOD that so we haue in him euerlasting life Ioh 3. To this end it followeth This Mordecai was the sonne of Iair the sonne of Shemei the sonne Kish a man of Gemine In which words the holy Ghost sets downe the pedegree of Mordecai by the lineall descent from his auncestors And yet very briefely too Obse 42. Genealogiâ—s how recorded in the word omitting many generations as the manner of the spirit is the recording of some being sufficient to avouch the truth of the story and among the rest mentioning espetially such who might more set forth the truth of Gods promises to the faithful and therby more settle faith for future occasions To this purpose is it that many others being omitted there is speciall mention made here of the tribe of Beniamin and of some such in speciall which may seeme to come out of the house and family of Saul That so we might know how that this Mordecai was of the house of Saul and therein behold the great mercy of God who though he reiected Saul and in a manner rooted out his posterity yet he shewed great mercy vnto the posterity of Ionathan not onely in preseruing the same in a lineall descent for the summe of fiue hundred yeares if this Mordecai draw his petigree there Obs 43. Children shall not be punished for the fathers offence and surely it must be here or not from Saul because his other children left no issue behind them but in restoring also the same in some sort to the gouernment which Saul and his posterity was vtterly depriued of A notable demonstration of the mercies of God that indeed they are aboue all his workes 2. Sam. 9. 3. he retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will not punish the the children for the fathers transgression but the righteous seede shall lâ—ue though the wicked stock be rooted vp for shal not the Iudge of al the world do right are not al soules his hath not he a fatherly care ouer all so that it is not he but their sins that make the difference of their conditions Vse 1. Surely if this lesson were througly learned how would it humble the first borne that they loose not their birth-right how would it comfort the out-cast and despised that he may get the blessing how is he taught hereby to repaire his fathers house euen by declaring wisely the sins of his father how may hee hope by this meanes to see light in darkenesse Esay 58. and to turne the curse into a gratious blessing what glory shall it be to him to borrow the repaire of the breach and the restorer of the paths to dwell in Such was Mordecai of the family of wicked Saul such was the sonne of God many of whose auncestors in the flesh were wicked persons So will not God be tied to nature in the bestowing of his blessings and so wiâ— God make nature beholding to him in blessing beyond desert the fruit thereof And surely where God bestowes blessings they come not alone behold the same God that prouides out of the loynes of Ionathan those that shall build vp the old wast places he also continewes the line of Ionathan euen for the space of fiue hundred yeares and very likely in the posterity of Mordecai hath not cut of the same 1. Sam. 10. 15. so requested Ionathan that mercy might not be cut of from his house for euer so promised Dauid and so the Lord makes it good the seed of the righteous shall be mighty vpon the earth and the posterity of the Iust shall abide for euer Obs 44. God continueth and blesseth the posterity of the reighteous but for the seede of the wicked it shall be cut of and their generations shal be destroyd from the face of the earth which as it stands
with the righteousnesse of God that they which are heyres of the couenant should also be partakers of the blessing thereof â—al 112. so it concernes his power to maintaine the righteous seede 〈◊〉 37. 26. 28 29. which the world especially labours to roote out y e yea his mercy is exalted in giuing his children herein a pledge of eternall happinesse and his Church is by this meanes continued and aduanced on the earth Which as it containeth that Doctrine of diuels which forbiddeth marriage to the best sort of men as if it made them bad and their posterity worse so it also checketh the infidelity of such who esteeme the plentiful issue as a crosse vnto them if they be otherwise crossed and pinched in the world Neither can they also here be excused who hauing children do rather nourish corruption in them that so they may depriue them of the blessing of the couenant then by holy education fit them thereto Math. 2. surely that Lord that therfore made one though he had aboundaunce of spirit because he sought a Godly seede Pro 2. will vndoubtedly destroy the seed that the stranger hath sownne and the bastard slips shall not take roote Obs 45. Posterity how to be continued Wouldst thou therfore know how thy posterity may abide for euermore First then graft thou in an holy stocke and then drinke the waters of thine owne cisterne Pro 3. 15. offer vp the first borne to God and prune thy oliue plants with holy discipline Set not thy heart vpon them neither dishonor the prouidence of thy God in a distrustful scraping for theÌ„ imploy them in such callings as may humble the flesh and season them with instruction to set them to grace so shalt thou be a happy father of gratious children and thou shalt not only to thy comfort see thy childrens children but to thy greater comfort peace vpon Israel Wel thus we have heard of the habitation and country of Mordecai Now lets a little further confider of his condition it followeth Psa 128. Which had beene caried away from Ierusalem with the captiuity that was caried away with Ieconiah King of Iudah Vers 6. whome Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel had carried away Obser 46. They let Gods Church to go into captiuity In which word being referd as we haue proued before to the faith of Mordecai the spirit of God sets downe the estate and condition of Mordecai by a consequent namely that he was borne in the land of his countries captiuity He was a captiue in a strange land so were his fore-fathers in Egypt and so are his posterity now slaues to all nations so are the children of God exercised with this affliction Ioseph was sould for a bond-slaue it is the lot of y e poore Christians vnder the Turke and such enemies of the Gospel to be sould led captiues into a strange land And that not without the especiall prouidence of God both to put his children in minde of their naturall condition that they are no better then the slaues of Satan Ecele 23. and also punish them iustly for their â—ornications with other nations by giving them vp as a prey vnto them and yet even to their especial good and his great glory Psal 137. Who while they are in Babilon remember Sion and thereby not only apprehend the true cause of their affliction namely the contempt of Sion and the comforts thereof but remembring Sion they also reuiue such comforts as before they had stored vp thereby to maintain in them the true life of grace and so often remembering Sion and meditating thereon as ther by they witnesse their harty longing after the same so hereby they fit them-selues to the restoring of Ierusalem To this end is it that while they are in captiuity they hartily labour the conuersion of others that so they may offer vp the riches of the gentiles vnto God and so the prouidence of God is magnified ouer them not only in humbling the flesh in the land of their captiuity their soule refuseth comfort Exod 54 but further also in quickning the life of grace their vowes are renewed Ezra 45. and heauen suffers violence Eehe 45. whereby preuayling with God they do also preuaile with men and so find such fauour in the sight of the heathen that once by them they are sent forth to Sion againe Obs 47. Church how prepared to Captiuit Vse Thus captiuity being a iudgment with may befall the Church of God as this condemneth the vaine presumption of those that dreame of a locall perpetuity and visibility of the Church of God so it also chalendgeth their extreame folly that prepare the Church of God to so heauy a iudgement either by bringing the Church in bondage at home while they captiuate the liberty here of to the lusts of men or by impudent communicating the wickednesse abroad they do thereby choose the threshing floore where the Church must be purged Surely as God is righteous in his iudgements so is he mercifull and therefore we shall beare the rod before we feele it yea one correction of the almighty shal foretel another that so we may see the plague and hide our selues and happily avoyd the vengenace to come who so is wise let him vnderstand these things and to whom the arme of the Lord hath reuealed them Well the Churh of GOD is in Captiuity and is it not to some purpose that the holy Ghost makes such perticular and often mention of it Iere. 39. 1 Yea surely Iere. 51 2 As the Lord is knowne by executing of Iudgements Reg 25 2 2. So would he have vs meditate and contemplate the same Chro. 36. c. that so we may be confirmed more and more in knowledge Obs 48. Gods Iudgements are to be recordeâ— meditated 3. And surely as they are some of those workes of God which are worthier our consideration 4. So do they keepe vs from security in sinne and presumption of Gods mercies They confound Atheists and scorners of religion Psa 16. They keepe vs in obedience and increase our faith Psal 111 Vse 1. And therefore seeing the Lord doth daily bring his iudgements to light Psal 10. 4. let them not passe aboue our sight as if they concerned vs not Let vs not esteeme them as the ordinary effects of nature and therefore haue no reference at all to sinne Let vs not suppresse them in policy or depraue them by malice Let vs not in pride diminish them or in security forget them But in the feare of God take we speciall notice of them as the admirable workes of God though nature be vsed in them As seasonable messengers or Gods will and therefore to be hearkened to Profits of Gods iudgements as liuely glasses to see our faces in and therefore not to forget our iniquities that are censured thereby and as profitable furnaces to
all at once least they should be drunke thereby and so returning to their vomit Esay 17. make no right vse thereof but by degrees Obs 55. God chastiseth his children in measure and by degees now a little then som-ewhat more the rod being a teacher euen while it lay vpon them and therein teaching vs the singuler wisdome and mercy of our God in the chastising of his children he comes not vpon them sodainly neither sweepes he them away at once but as he giues them warning of the rod that so they may be prepared for it so he orders his iudgements that they may best preuaile And therefore first he shootes forth his more gentle and scattering arrowes of the famine and pestilence which though they hit some yet they flye ouer the heades of many that by these being warned they might be brought to repentance when these milder corrections will not serue then hee smites them yet seauen times more Leuit. 1 here come in ciuill dissentions and forreyne Inuasions to humble abait the pride of the great ones and if as yet they will not returne vnto him then behold hee will smite them seauen times more Amos. The cuppe of Capiuitie shall be ministred vnto them yet shall they drinke thereof at times in measure and by degrees So doth the Lord in iustice remember mercy so doth hee measure out his Iudgements both that wee may beare them and that by them we might be brought to repentance As for the wicked the Lord deales not so with them Affliction shall not rise the second time 1 Nehemia with one stroke will he make an end of them roote and branches head and taile Genes â—9 will he cut off at one blow Vse Which prouidence of God is manifested most infallibly in the course of his chasticements vpon his Church as it namely confoundeth the insolency of the wicked who thinke to make an end when God doth begin so it is also a gratious checke to the preiudice and impatience of Gods children who notwithstanding this apparant difference that God makes between them and the wicked in the seuerall chasticements which he laies vpon them for many times in y t folly doe they both censure God as their enemie Iob. Lament 2. and them-selues to be dealt withall not as friends but enemies And seeing affliction giueth vnderstanding and the Lord especially aimeth hereat in this ordering of his chasticements Therefore lette the man of God feare the rodde and who hath appointed it Lette vs taker notice hereby that God appointeth them in that they are so wisely and mercifully ordered and so let vs patiently vndergoe this burthen and be comforted therein that wee are vnder the hands of a father who knoweth whereof we are made and therefore will lay no more vpon vs then we shall be able to indure And seeing the Lord hereby intends our repentance Amos. 2. â—3 that if we will â—ase him of our sinnes he will ease vs of his rods Let vs here wisely take notice of the cause of the continuance of his iudgements namely impenitencie and increase of sinne And lette this be our marke to looke for seauen times more if we do yet multiplie our sinnes against the Lord of glory And therefore let vs meet the Lord by repentance that he may stay the hand of his iustice Let al States be humbled because y e Lyon hath roared Ierem 13. Amos. 3. And seeing the hand of the Lord is stretched our stil let vs not liue by examples build our happines vpon y â— broken reeds of Egipt Let vs not run to Ashur trust in vain helps but let vs turn to y e Lord for he hath wounded and he wil heale vs he wil render vs the losse that the pestilence and inundations the intollerable frosts and fearefull earth-quakes our cruell oppressors at home and treacherous friendes abroad have made he wil yet devell among vs for his name sake and restore beauty for ashes yea we shall for euer liue in his sight Thus haue we now the condition of Mordecai he is in the state of bondage and slauery to y s â— wicked How doth he now behaue him-selfe in this condition Doth he yeeld to necessitie and imbrace the present world Doth he renounce he God and the care of his country to eat of such things as please the wicked No you haue heard before that he liued vnrebukeably but what instance haue we to giue euidence thereof It followeth therefore He nourished Hadassah that is Hester Verse 7. his vncles daughter What reason had he to moue him thereto Here is first the bond of nature She was his vncles daughter Secondly Here is the bond of necessitie for she had neither father nor mother Thirdly here 's a priuiledge of nature And the Maid was faire and beautifull to looke on rather to allure and perswade him thereto Fourthly here is the bond of conscience likely it is she was committed vnto him after her fathers and mothers decease and therefore it is said And after the death of her father and mother Mordecai tooke her for his owne daughter First he not only tooke vpon him her education and maintenance but adopted her also as his owne daughter and so to conferre vppon her the priuiledges of a Child Wherein first we may behold the great mercie of God vnto his children that in their greatest afflictions they shall be prouided for Mordecai shall be able to nourish Hester and Hester shall haue her Vncle Mordecai not only to preserue her from the extremitie of misery which Orphanes are subiect to but to traine vp this tender Maiden in the feare of God and to defend her chastitie froÌ„ the rage of lust Two notable priuiledges of Gods children vnder the crosse that either they shall be able to succor others or they shall find reliefe with the safety of their credit and peace of conscience And surely that Gods children in their troubles Obser 56. Gods children are to comfot releeue each other in their troubles as they are able so they should comfort others this serues to the magnifying of GODS power and faithfulnesse towards them and also to the great tryall of their most holy faith The power of God is seene herein that the wicked are brideled who out of question would not haue the righteous liue by them vnlesse they will hang vppon them if they might haue their wills they would keepe them bare ynough from doing good to others and so the children of God are planted in the midst of their enemies and herein also doth appeare the great faithfulnes of our god who inables his children to lend where they should borrow and by this to be assured of a good successe in al occasions seeing in y e land of their captiuity they can minister to others and is not our faith very gratiously tried herein when hauing our liues continually in our hands and therfore no certainty of
iniquities did not many times depriue vs of the best that the world should thinke the worst to good for the best Surely though wee haue not the best in it selfe yet contednesse may make it the best to vs And if we be faithful in vsing the least we may by Gods mercy attain to the best let this be our comfort that wee shall haue what 's best for vs and therein if wee liue by faith we may take hold of the best inheritance onely waite we the Lords leysure and hee will giue vs our hearts desire and resigne our selues alwaies into the handes of our most gratious father who only knoweth what 's best for vs. Well thus is Hester now prouided honourably for in y e house of the maidens How doth shee now behaue her selfe to keepe her in fauor Doth she reueale her country which was odious to these Gentiles Doth shee conceale her religion which was to these abhomination Or doth she fal to temporising after y e manner of the Court Doth she forget her former affliction and so grow headstrong Doth shee now hauing changed her keeper change her obedience Hearken I pray you what the holy Ghost saith of her But Hester shewed not her people nor her kinred Vers 10. That is she did not make knowne that she was a Iew Vers 20. nay she did not discouer she was Mordecaies Kinswoman Wherby it is apparant that it was not yet knowne so the reason of this concealment may be coniectured to be this namely that had Hester yet bene knowne to be a Iew she might insteed of good intertainment receiue both dishonour and disgrace too as beeing in regard of her country most abhominable to these Gentiles Obs 80. Truth may be concealed how c. Reason therefore she might haue to conceale her country and surely such I take it as may stand well with religion Which though it inioyneth vs a true profession of truth in the simplicity of our hearts when wee are to giue an account of our faith it allowes vs also in spirituall wisdome to conceale the truth when it may stand 1. with Gods glory 2. the satisfying of others 3. ad securing of our selues 4. without the preiudice to the truth and iust scandall to our profession especially when we are not questioned thereof So doth Samuel and Moyses conceale part of truth Exod. 5. 1. Samuel 16. So doth the Prophet Elisha conceale the whole truth when meeting with the messenger of the Kings of Syria who were sent of purpose to seeke him insteed of telling them that hee was the man which hee wisely conceales hee tels them that that was not the way nor that the Towne in aâ—l which hee spake truth but if they would follow him hee would lead them to the man they sought for So doth Hester here wisely conceale the truth because shee is neither demanded the matter and the concealing therof would further her safety And surely as none is to bring vnnecessary troubles on himselfe by reuealing of what may bee lawfully hidden so by such concealments both much glory hath redounded to the truth and also Gods Children hereby reserued to better times and therfore so we intend not to smother the truth by our present concealment thereof Cautions â—o be obserued in 〈…〉 but only to refer the discouery to in fit oportunity so we are not ashamed of the truth of God but onely conceale it that it may not bee reproached So we do not by silence betray the truth but rather by this hely wisdome keepe it from treachery So we deny not our â—â—ofession but only defend our person So we indammage not our neighbour by concealing the truth so we 〈◊〉 not only the auoyding of danger but rather purpose to do the most good hereby Surely vpon these grounds I take it truth may be concealed especially if it be a truth concerning only ciuil occasions And this was the case of Hester in this place she conceales not her religion she denies not her profession but onely not being demaunded shee reueales not her country nor her kinred both ciuill things Obiect If it shall be demanded how she could conceale her country seeing her diet and religion which could or should not be hid must needs declare it though she hold her peace as Daniel and his followers euen by this were necessarily discouered And therfore it was vnpossible to conceale her country vnlesse you wil say shee framed in her diet an outward ceremony of religion to the present time so she would proue no lesse then a deep disseÌ„bler Ans Surely as wee may not in any case iustifie dissembling so I doubt not but we may very well cleare Hester from the same if we consider that in some things her diet might be answerable to the place wherein shee liued the Iew agreeing with the Gentile in the promiscuous eating of the most things and so by y t her country might not be discouered Doubt The greatest doubt is concerning her religion how she could conceale her country vnlesse shee also concealed this and if she concealed her religion how she could practise it which in my opinion may be easily resolued if we consider her present condition Answer who liuing priuate might wel performe her deuotioÌ„s and yet not be obserued especially hauing now no other meanes and liberty to practise her religion but such as might well bee performed secretly in her closet onely in the presence of her God If it shal be imputed vnto her y t she should haue made a bold profession of her nation and religion therby the rather to free her from that present bondage and so to preuent her future defiling rather choosing to be disgraced and cast out of the Court again then to indure y e pleasure of sinne for a season Surely concerning the profession of our religion Obs 81. Religion when how to be giuen account off as y e Apostle would haue vs principally readie thereto that so in due season we may publish the same so he seemeth to aime at a speciall season namely when we are demaunded a reason of our hope 1. Pet. 3. 15. And therefore though no doubt this seruant of God was ready to giue an account of her religion yet I take it now it was not a fitt season because she was not demanded the same of any If you say her own case did now especially require it y t she might be deliuered from y e imminent danger Surely for any danger wherein yet she was I see not but she was to vndergo the same with patience as being so farre subiect to gouernement as might stand with the saluation of her soule as for future dangers concerning her defiling c. though they were likely in regard of man yet if wee looke vp to God might not they be preueÌ„ted Especially seeing she walked on her wayes she yet did no more then necessitie and her dutie imposed vpon her and
come on the suddaine Vse Oh that we were wise to consider these things that our Time-seruers would lay it to their hearts what a heauy wittnes time wil be against them when neglecting the Iewell thereof the saluation of our soules they are only slaues to the corruptions of time Did our gamesters wisely consider of this that togither with their witte and money and honestie they also play away their time that most pretious time which can neuer be wonne againe surely they would labour with God Psa 90. â—2l that he would teach them to number their daies that so they might apply their hearts vnto wisdome And shall not time be a witnesse against our wordlings who haue no leysure to come to the marriage of the Kings sonne but all time is to little for their farmes and for their oxen What shall I say to our prophane Eâ—awes that say it is not yet time to build the house of God good time enough behinds for the saluation of our soules Let vs be wise and take the time while wee may let vs looke to the maine chance Let our owne houses go forward What is this birth-right to vs shall we die for hunger hearken how our voluptuous-persons haue disposed of time At all times let thy garments bee white and let no oyle be lacking vpon thy head Eccle. 9. 8. Let vs eate and drinke 1 Cor. 15. 25 for to morrow we shal die soule take thy ease thou hast goods laid vp for many yeares Shall not the Lord of that â—eruant come in an houre when he knowes not shall not he say and make it good thou foâ—le this night shall thy soule be taken away from thee Luk. 12. 20. But why speake we to the bellie that hath no eares Surely the voice of Time yet was in our streets and the man of wisdome Math 6. 1 Pro. Esay 55. 2 Tâ—me how to be redeemed Pro. 6 shall heare the name of God Oh yee foolish how long will yee loue foolishnesse Why doe yee lay out siluer and not for bread Why do you spend your time and strength without being satisfied Say not with thy selfe yet a little sleepe yet a litle slumbeâ— put not off as Felix did til a more conuenient time Oh boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth rather admire the mercy of thy God that thou art not alreadie consumed and seeing the Lord hath spared thee Eccle. 5. 12 to recouer what thou hast lost Oh thinke it sufficient that thou hast spent the time past Lam. 3. 13. after the lust of the Gentiles the more time thou hast lost the more doe thou labour for the time to come and redeeme thy time with the price of thy former pleasures Account daily with thy selfe how thou dost bestow it and esteeme euery minuite pretious that is offered thee Eccle. 5. and be sure thou feest therein an image of eternity And considering that the patience of the Lord doth lead thee to repentance Rom 2. 4. make no long tarying to turne to the Lord thy God least abusing his patience Gen. 27. thou harden thine heart and though thou cry after yea bitterly as Esau did yet the Lord will not heare thee Pro. 1. 24. 28. because thou wouldst not heare him Oh that we were wise to consider these things But they that are filthy will be filthier still Behold his drunkennesse added to thirst you haue heard how these Princes Minions spend their time Obs 91. Another marke of the wicked to riot cut Gods good creatures a whole yeare at least must be spent to fit them to vncleanesse that so they may more desperately follow the same all their life long And shal they only giue an account of y e mispending of their time No surely what is there that escapes taynture by this abuse of time The soule that is hardned and made impudent in sinne the body is made a factor and baud for sinne the good creatures of God are made fuell to sinne heer 's no sparing of cost to maintaine sinne All the creatures of God are to little in this case but that Art also must be made a broker euen to corrupt nature six moneths with oyle of myrhe and six moneths with sweet odors and such other purifyings as do belong to women No end of excesse vpon pretence of our right in the creature No end of abuse to condemne our vsurped power ouer them so corrupt is our nature to abuse our liberty Rom. 8. 19. so iust is the Lord to turne our liberty to our further condemnation Ioel. 1. that the creature abused being subiect to vanity might cry vnto the Lord to be eased of the burthen and so hasten vengeance vpon the wicked while they heape abuse vpon the creature Vse 1. A notable euidence of the fearefull condition of the wicked who in the iudgement of the world seeme therfore to be most happy because they haue most commaunds ouer outward blessings Whose great liberty on the creatures prouoking to greater abuse doth either thereby moue the Lord to cast out such Nebuchadnezzars as beasts in this life Dan. 4. and to strippe them of all or else there continuance in these blessings encreasing sinne vpon them doth thereby further vengeance against the day of reckoning A thing which because the wicked cannot avoyd as vsurping ouer Gods blessings and therefore necessarily making them strangers vnto them How to preuent abuse of the creatures â— Cor. â— 17. 1. Tim. 4. 4. That we may therefore avoyd running into the same excesse let vs labour to be in Christ that so we may haue a right in these things and let vs renew our right by prayer and holy imployment of them in our seuerall callings that so we may attaine to a right vse of them frugally husbanding them as the good blessings of God and vsing them soberly as hand-maides to higher graces 1. Tim. 6. 19. that so we may lay vp a good foundation by them and also giue a cheerefull account for them at the day of Christ Iesus But is there no colour for this great excesse might not this be imputed as a complement of state Obs 92. The wicked haue pretences for their greatest abuses that these maidens should haue such exquisite preparations because it was for the most excellent personage might not seemelinesse and necessity be here pretended that they might be offered fitly and vnspotted to the bed of a King might not liberty be pleaded and therefore who shall restraine might not ability be avouched to iustifie this cost Surely the greatest sinnes will haue their cloakes pride must go for cleanlinesse and excesse must keepe state the clensing of the body must be with the defiling of the soule and lust will haue a law to enrage and prouoke the same Thus are the wicked deceiued while they deceiue others thus are they hardned in their sinne while it
they may bee compelled to send y e Arke home Genes 15. 14. Thus will the Lord Iudge the Nations before he deliuer his people that their hearts hereby being hardned more indurate against God and his people the deliuerance of the Church may be more free and glorious and y e confusion of the wicked more iust and fearefull Thus doth the Lord awake and returne when he will deliuer his children giuing them herein these apparant markes Namely First The clearing of his children by the mouthes of their enemies Second The raizing some vp among them to spend their liues in his cause Third inflicting many secret and open iudgements vpon their mallicious enemies Fox So before he deliuered his Church from the tyrants of Antichrist among vs were not some of the persecutors made fearefull spectators of Gods wrath to bridle or harden the rest And to iustifie the Church of God And surely if we do consider the state of the Church of God 2 In regard of the church when the Lord prepares it to a gratious deliuerance we shall find many euident tokens therein to giue good hope of the hastening of the work by which we may be confirmed in the expectation thereof To this purpose we may obserue a different estate of y e Church of God vnder troubles First she standes vpon her priuiledge as if she had wrong herein shee looks to former times and meruailes why she is thus she growes impatient vnder the burthen and complaines of her louers that they haue deceiued her she dissembles with God and seekes to humaine helpers she yeelds to the present necessity and so she bowes her neck to the yoakes and her conscience to the lust of the oppressor she giues her most pretious things for meat and obiecting her selfe to the iniquitie of the time she giues ouer hope euer to rise againe Thus you shall find to haue beene the state of the Church of God vppon it entrance into captiuity and so along toward the time of her appoynted deliuerance As the Prophets do most liuely decipher the same Vid. Ierem 41. 42. who liued with them in the captiuity and obserued their vse therof And surely if we obserue the prouidence of God herein Lament 2. 3. 1 Lamen 11. Ezech. doth it not exceedingly iustifie this righteous haÌ„d of god against his church Doth not the church of God hereby sink deeper in the myre and so set her selfe more strongly in the bondes of Gods iustice that so the time appointed of her trouble may be accomplished ouer her And doth not the Lord admirably by this meanes bring light out of darkenesse and so prepare his Church to her appointed deliuerance Yea surely the more Gods children wrestle with the rod the more they are beaten and at length tired therewith and so in the end being throughly weary y e poore church of God would gladly find some rest And seeing the hope of the Hils is but in vaine and she findes it too true that her louers haue deceiued her Ierem 3. Therefore shee resolues to go and returne to her first husband 1 Lamen 19. to looke vp vnto the Lord and wait for God her Sauiour Osea 2. Mich 7. Assuring her selfe that her God will heare Psal 66. And being fully resolued that if there be iniquity in her hand the Lord will not heare her prayers therefore she purposeth to forsake her Louers and renounce her sinnes Heere is it Lament 1. that shee weepes continually and giues no rest to her eyes because the Lord hath forsaken his rest And that her sorrow may be more kindly Psal 137. and take deeper impression Shee remembers Syon Lamen 5. 18. while she sits in Babilon shee remembers all her pleasant things that she had in times past And withall remembers her rebellion which was the cause of that great losse 1 Lamen 7. And so apprehends her affliction from the cause and greatnesse thereof Thus is shee brought to iustifie the Lord 1 Lamen 18. because shee hath rebelled against him Psal 6. And beeing sent out of her selfe by an holy dispaire Ezec 28. 45. acknowledging that she is worthy to bee cutte off Shee recouers strength in God from her owne weakenesse the more vile shee findes her selfe the more shee striues with her God to restore her beautie vnto her 1 Lamen 21. 22. shee layes hold on GODS promises for the confusion of her enemies and in their confusion sees a farre off her deliuerance here she staies not but drawes neerer vnto God Lament 2. and so yet further abaseth her selfe in the fury of her misery Lament 3. and so farre she wades in the apprehension thereof as that she dispaires of Gods mercy Lament 5 â—1 shee concludes in her weakenesse Lam 3. that her strength and hope is perished from the Lord. Lamen 3. 54. 23. 24. 56. 57. 58. 59. 31. 40. 41. 44. 45. Being thus past hope and so euen her spirituall weapons fayling her now she is recouered by the Lord hopes aboue hope she confirmes her faith from former experience and comforts her selfe in hir true humiliation and so gathers assurance that the Lord wil not forsake for euer She is perswaded he will returne she sees him comming a farre off Here-vpon she prepares her selfe to meete her God by examining of her selfe and trying her waies she incounters her God by earnest and hearty prayer though shee haue the repulse yet she will haue no nay Her eye droppeth without stay till the Lord looke downe and behold from heauen And considering the promises of God for the reseruing of the Church she presseth the Lord to arise and haue mercy vpon Syon and by the power of faith gathers y â— the appointed time is come Psal 102. 14. 15. That his seruaÌ„ts might delight in the stones thereof and shew compassion vnto the dust of the same Thus is the Church changed and purged inwardly that so shee may bee fitter for outward glory And so being fitted shee applaudes the time thereof not so much for her owne good as for the glory of God which shall be magnified in the restoring thereof And from hir own estate may the Church of God gather apparant notes of her deliuerance Now if wee shall looke into the practises of Gods enemies 3 In regard of our enemies they will also teach vs to gesse at the time of the Churches deliuerance Psal 119. VVhen they make no spare of destroying and will roote out GODS word then it is time for the Lord to put to his hand for they haue destroied thy law wheÌ„ by their pollicy cruelty they haue made such hauock that there is none to offer him-selfe in the cause of God Esay 59. 16. then shall the Lords arme saue it his righteousnesse it selfe shall sustaine his cause when they shall open their mouthes against heauen and blaspheme the power and mercy of God
regard of our weakenesse and aptnesse to offend in the excesse Yea considering our folly that wee knowe not what 's fittest for vs and the wisdome of God which wee must not sette to schoole The spirit teacheth vs rather to pray for the meane that God would feede vs with food conuenient for vs neither yet simply to tye God to this measure as if no other were fit for vs but to acknowledge herein our infirmity to God who as without GOD wee are not able to compasse any so least able to sway that state w t is most subiect to temptation yet this doth not preiudice but God may giue euen fulnes seeing hee doth make euen y e greatest honors conuenient for his children and therein doth shew his great mercy in their preseruation by how much the more their estate is subiect to temptation Yet if it shall now be demanded Ques VVhether a man may praie for aboundance seeing the Lord giues fulnesse whether I may not lawfully seeke it by prayer of him Ans Surely where God in particular hath promised aud leades me along with apparant likelyhoods thereof there I may safely draw on the Lord to the accomplishment of his worke because by faith we obtaine the promises and prayer is the meanes to expresse and increase our saith And this was the case of Dauid when he prayed for the accomplishment of Gods promise concerning the Kingdome But where there is no such manifestation of Gods purpose in perticular there I may safely desire in generall what God will cast vppon me for my fitting vnto him but for this or that condition I must leaue it to God least I preiudice his wisdome and discouer my distrust least I presume to come to god wheras al he giues vs is of free mercy Only I deny not but some extraordinary instinct may warrant some perticuler extraordinary practise in this case which being singular is not to be imitated of vs. If it shall be further demanded whether it be lawfull to receiue such excellent blessings as are cast vpon vs Ques Whether it be lawfull to receiue great blessings offered seeing Elisha refused Nahamans gifts c. Daniel at the first refused the Kings reward Ans Surely I see not but God being the only giuer and wee hauing the best right much good likely to be redeemed hereby and good meanes vsed in the compassing thereof these thinges considered I see not but we may lawfully receiue them as the speciall pledges of Gods fauor if there be no leprosie or such like mischiefe attending vppon them As for Elisha and Daniel their refusal was iust because the giftes of these giuers were respectiue and conditional if they would doe such a thing for them Ques Whether the Minister may receiue wages for his paines or in regard of such a thing done and therefore the seruants of God to shew they were not mercenary did iustly refuse these reprochfull giftes Say you may we not then receiue a recompence in lieu of our paines Is not the labourer worthy of his hire May hee not iustly exact it May he not lawfully receiue it Yea surely 1 Cor 9. the Lord hath appointed that they which serue at the Altar should â—ue of the Altar It is a sinne not to giue It is a greater sinne to spoile and deny and therfore it is most lawfull to receiue what is due vnto vs. And yet sometime we may refuse though not simply as Elisha did Sometime we may not exact though we haue power as the blessed Apostle Paul did 1 Cor. 11. Yea may refuse first yet receiue afterward as Daniel did refuse wee may when the wicked thinke our paines no better worth then their gifts or hope that only by these gifts they may compasse the benefit of our paines So did Daniell first refuse the gifts of the King So did Peter refuse the gifts of Simon Magus And yet to shew our right wee may also receiue them for our vse when these stumbling-blockes are remoued So did Daniel afterward receiue those honours which before he refused Ques Hesters marriage whether lawful or no And was there not some such stuÌ„bling-block in the aduancement of Hester Might she safely marry with him that was diuorced from his wife and acccording to the custome of these countries was not without his choyce of wiues Surely the Lord Iesus him-selfe the most perfect examiner of the Law he hath determined y t whosoeuer puts away his wife vnlesse it be for fornication commits adultery And therefore it followeth that who soeuer marrieth with the party that takes this liberty to be diuorced not vpon that vrgent occasion doth no lesse commit adultery And did not the Lord therefore though hee had aboundance of spirit yet appoint this knot in marriage to bee onely of two and no more because he sought an holy seed How then may Hester bee cleared from the case of adultery How can she bee freed from an vnholy marriage Ans May not the Law-giuer dispence with his Law And may not that in Hester be good by a dispensation which in others without such extraordinary priuiledge is simply euill And what though the Lord shoulde admitte sinne in the accomplishment of the worke may hee not pardon the sinner and get him-selfe the glory Surely though wee dare not simply iustifie Hester in this case yet if we shall measure things by the manner successe did not the Lord admirably bring this thing to passe Did it not tend to the great good of the Church Nay who I pray you were loosers hereby The Lord hee winnes him-selfe great glory in aduancing so highly his hand-maid from so base an estate Hester looses not heereby shee obtaines the greatest honour and content that the earth can afford and yet shee forsakes not her righteousnesse but rather increaseth it The King hee gaines hereby some truer contentment of his mind and restraint of his lusts yea his reproche in repudiating Vashty is hereby well cured The Prouinces and whole Kingdome they obtaine rest from their grieuous oppressions And the poore Church of God that is the greatest gayner as being deliuered from a most desperate extremity and aduanced also to great peace and prosperity euen in a strange land But yet ther is an other flaw in this marriage Ques Whether lawfull to marry with an Infidel she marries with an Infidell and cursed Idolater how may this bee dispensed withall Surely by the same Lord who brings light out of darknesse and turnes the euills of his children to his glory and their good And yet wee may not simply condemne this maiden herein she was a subiect and therefore could not do what she would in this case And yet the Lord here did what he would Ios 23. yea what Hester simply was not to refuse For though the Lord had commanded that his people should not marry with Idolaters Iudg. 3. Deut 21. yet doth he also not simply deny them
vppon conditions to marry with such captiues as they had taken in war And the Saints of God haue warrantably matched with strangers the Idolatrous brood c. As Boaz with Ruth Sampson with the Philistian c. When the occasions haue beene extraordinary and the dispensation heauenly And therefore no warrant for vs that haue choyce of holy seede to sowe amongst the thornes thereby to wound our owne soules and choake our seed or else by the egge of the Serpent to breed the Cockatrice to haue mungrell issue that shall speake halfe Ashur and halfe Canoon shall not this vnequall yoake cast out the yoake of Christ shall not the stranger deuoure our sdtrength shall not the curse of God cast out such roote and branches from the face of the earth Well thus wee see the mercy of God truly iustified in Hesters aduancement let vs now see how Ahashuerosh the King iustifieth and adorneth the same It followeth Hee sets the Crowne of the kingdome vpon her head and made her Queene c. Loe here the ensigne of this great honour which is due vnto this poore captiue the Crowne of the Kingdome is set vpon her head So doth this new Bride-grome striue to doe all honour vnto his bride So doth God confirme his child in this extraordinarie dignitie by this meanes is Hesters aduancement made knowne to the Church of God and by this full performance of complement is more honored and approoued But this is not all It followeth Then the King made a great Feast to all his Princes and Nobles Verse 18. c. In which words the holy Ghost sets downe vnto vs the solemnization of this royall mariage and that by fiue circumstances 1. The King makes a great feast thereat to all his Princes and seruants 2. This Feast is dedicated to the memoriall of Hester which was Hesters feast 3. Rest is giuen to the Prouinces they are made pertakers of this common ioy that the mariage of Hester might be more acceptable to them 4. The King gives giftes vnto the poore and sends presents abroad farre and neere 5. Hee shewes the power of the King in this his magnificence to signifie his true contentmeÌ„t ioy in this mariage And first to adde greater state solemnity to y e mariage of his new spouse the King yet further makes a solemne feast to all his Princes and Nobles of the lawfulnesse and right vse whereof we haue spoken plentifully heretofore Obser 115. Feasting lawfull at mariages Only thus much we may further adde concerning the occasion of this feast that the custome of solemnizing mariages with feasts hath beene ancient and commendable as being a time of great ioy and therefore fitte to be shewed in the meanes of ioy especially in regarde of such company as at such times come togeather who may lawfully take occasion of a more liberall refreshing And therefore not vnlawfull to bee vsed and hereby euen of Christians who as they know their libertie so also they can best tell how to vse it in a wise diuiding of the time and moderation of Gods blessings That which followeth concerning the dedication of the feast to the memory of Hester Obseru Dedication of feasts to the memory of perticular persons as it doth discouer the greater affection of the King towards his spouse so it magnifieth yet further the mercy of God toward his servant who by this memoriall is commended to posteritie and euen highly honored of the enemies of God which though it be no warrant for that popish custome of dedicating feasts to the honor of Saints vnlesse the fact of a wicked Prince shall iustifie the same so notwithstanding in the equity there of doth approue such holy remembrances of the Saints of GOD which may both put them in minde of Gods mercies towards them and prouoke posterity to an holy imitation thereof as tombes trophes c. Thus doth Ahasâ—uer osh celebrate the memory of Hester by a solemne feast and so shall the children of God bee honored of their enemies so shall their names and memorials be continued to posteritie And yet the affection of this Monarch stayes not here but yet furt her to grace this wedding of Hester behold he giues rest to the Prouinces which were euen tyred with taxes and exactions so dâ— the wicked fare the better euen for Gods children sake so doth the Lord make away for his children euen to be iustified of the wicked And surely whither he caused these nuptials generally to be solemnized throughout his kingdome by setting a part the day thereto that the subiect might bee pertaker in the Princes ioy and celebrate his mariage with feasting and libertie or rather spared his subiects for the time of some tribute that was due This as it makes to the great honor and celebration of Hesters mariage because God being glorified Obs 116. When the righteous are aduanced the people reioice there is peace with men so it also serues to the great approbation of godlinesse the whole land it at rest when Gods Church is respected when Gods children are aduanced Prou. 29. 2 when the righteous are in authoritie then the people reioyce Prou. 28. 12 then is great glory great peace and contentment So doth the Lord sanctifie great blessings vnto his children that they may be good foundations against y e day of Christ I. Tim. 6 so doth he secure here by their ticklish estates by knitting the hearts of the people vnto them through the benefit therof So doth he make y e world without excuse when they shall hate that which is the onely cause of their great est honor security contentmeÌ„t Vse And doth not this condemne the folly of men that complaine of righteousnesse as if it were the greatest trouble-house trouble-state that may be Nehem. 2. that thrust out Gods children as the only disturbers of their rest happinesse are not they more then blind Iob. 21. 15. which see no profit in godlinesse Psal 4. but still are poaring like the Sodomits when the doore is before them saying who will shew vs any good do not they open their mouthes against heauen Malach. 3 that say it is in vaine to serue the Lord Are not they the greatest enemies to themselues that keepe downe Gods children and hinder their aduancement that aboue all things feare least the Lord should bee glorious in his Saints Psal 2. Math. 10. 34 least hee should set his King vpon his holy hill of Syon Surely if the sonne of GOD Luk. 12. bring a Sword vpon the earth it is not because hee is not the Prince of peace Esay 9 because hee offers not also peace vnto them Math. 20 but because the world refuseth peace therefore doe they plucke downe a Sworde vpon them and the corner stone becomes a rock of offence And if any be afra de wherein they should take most comfort they are the sinners in
of writing and printing but herein especially to magnifie his prouidence that by this meanes the word of truth hath bene preserued and purely conueied vnto vs. Surely though the soule be the register of the blessings of God yet must the flesh vse such meanes to stir vp the heart as humbling the same in that it needs these outward helpes may therby sanctifie and continue the right vse of God mercies in the holy remembrance and y e meditation thereof let those boast of the spirit which are not clad with the flesh and let such despise these helpes as haue not a body of â—inne to hinder spirituall duties And seeing though the letter of the word be not the power of it yet y e power cannot bee conceiued but by meanes of the letter let such despise the word writteÌ„ Anabaptist that desire not the power of it and in the pride of their harts wil not be confined within the bounds thereof And doth not the spirit of God herein further teach vs to record the blessings of GOD to posterity Obs 159. The blessings of God are to be recorded to posterity and to commend to the generations to come the wonderfull thinges that the Lord hath done for vs yea certainly this shal be written for the generations to coâ—â— and the people that are created shall praise the Lord. The Lord hath commanded great mercies to be commended to posterity Psal 102. and hath appointed the monuments therof to be preserued to all generations 〈◊〉 18. so were the rod of Aaron and the potte of Manna kept to this end Exod. 14. so were Alters erected Heb. 9. 4. and new names imposed Exod 16. to put Gods children in mind of his mercies towards them Genes 17. Genes 32. so did Samuel write the office of the King in a book 1 Sam. 10. 25. and laid it vp before the Lord y â— it might be a perpetual glasse Num 2â— 14. for the Prince to look his duty in so are the memorable Acts of God which hee did at the red Sea and at the riuer of Arnon written in a booke So doth Iob wish that his words were written in a booke that so y â— equity of the cause might remaine for euer Iob 19. 13. So when the Lord will publish his wil and haue it commended to the vse of posterity for our better assurance of the accoÌ„plishment therof he commands it to be written in a booke yea in a great volume Esay 8. Yea not only to a book hath the Lord committed his blessings Ierem. 36. 2. but he hath called also the times to witnesse the same Exod 14 he hath appointed special daies for y e perpetuall memory of his mercies to be kept sollemnly throughout al generations this care hath y e Lord taken for the remeÌ„brance of his blessings as being worthy to be had in remembrance and profitable for vs to preuent forgetfulnesse the maine cause of prophanesse Psal 78. and whereby the blessings of God are taken away from vs we exposed to the burthen of his Iudgements And shall not this care of the Lord for the remembrance of his blessings bee an heauy conuiction of our vnthankefulnesse for the same Shal God thus striue to put vs in minde of his mercies Shal he cause vs to record them in bookes to posterity Shal he moue vs to set a part a day for the memoriall thereof for euer And shall we not bee stirred vp by this meanes to cleaue vnto our God and to root out the name of Amelecke from vnder heauen Who so is wise lette him vnderstand these things to whom the arme of the Lord hath reueald them FINISH
Psal 6. 12. Psal 9. 16. Then I wil vp saith the Lord to auenge the poore then shall the Lord be knowne by exempting of iudgements the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Isay 28. 15. Yea when the wicked haue made a couenant with hell and so in their security do blesse their soules as if they had Gods children so sure that none could deliuer them as if their happinesse were so sure 1 Thess 5. 3. that none could remoue them Then shall a sodaine destruction come vpon them and they shal not be able to auoid it Then shall the destruction of the wicked bee the deliuerance of the Church Thus euen from our enemyes wee may heare good newes of deliuerance their owne mouthes will tell vs their practises cannot hid eit A second probabilitie of Hesters aduancement is that shee is of the seed of the righteous Psal 111. which shall be mighty on the earth Obs 103. Gods children in this life aduanced to highest dignity she is say they The daughter of Abihail the Vncle of Mordecai i. She is a Iew to whom belongeth the birth-right whose priuiledge it was to rule the Nations to whom Esau and all his posterity should bow and do homage So faithfull is the LORD in keeping couenant for euer So truly is Godlinesse profitable for this life so all are ours both by right and possession so are Gods children best able to vse prosperity so is eternall happines hereby sealed vp vnto them So would the Lord hereby teach vs that these temporal blessings are not euil because he bestowes them in greatest measure vppon them The vses hereof see Obs 79. Onely wee may not here forget what the holy Ghost vouchsafes vs againe to remember Namely that Hester was taken by Mordecai for his daughter Thus the Lord thinks it fit againe to make honourable mention of this charitable worke of Mordecai The good deeds of Gods children are not forgotten of the Lord. As wherin he was glorified and did delight therin to confounde the practize of the wicked that seeke to obliterat the same and to approue to his children the acceptaunce of the same as also to assure them hereby of the reward to come and withall to prouoke the Saints to the imitation thereof Oh how vainely then doth the wicked hope to put out their names from vnder Heauen whose names as they are written in the booke of life so their workes also are registred in the eternall word of God how wickedly do they depraue and obscure those gratious deeds which the Lord of glory makes glorious by his remembrance how weake are the Saints to doubt of their well doing seeing the God of truth giues euidence thereto What comfort may we haue in the acceptance of our labours seeing the righteous Lord takes such delight in them how may we be established against the reproches of the world how little need we esteeme to be iudged of men 1. Cor. 44. seeing it is God that approueth who can condemne with what confidence may we prepare our selues to stand before that righteous Iudge Reue. 3. who allready presents our prayers in the golden censor of his righteousnesse and doth not onely make mention of vs but mediation for vs at the throne of glory that wee might not bee confounded in the day of refreshing A third likelyhood here set downe of Hesters aduancement is her confidence in God and relying on his immediate prouidence specified in this that it is said She desired nothing but what Hege the Kings Eunuch the keeper of the women said Wherein the spirit of God would giue vs to vnderstand that though the other maydens standing vpon there preferment vsed all art to set out there beauty as the meanes thereof and therefore spared not to demaund of the Eunuch such meanes of painting c. as might further the same yet this gratious virgin contenting her selfe with y â— image which God had set on her and resting on the diuine prouidence that had enclinde the heart of the Eunuch towards her she doth not impudently presse him further then God should moue his heart but humbly takes what Hege directs her to who no doubt being enclined of the LORD to shew her extraordinary fauour was also restrained of the LORD that hee should not offer her otherwise then was fit for her profession The LORD as it is likely giuing her a like fauour in the eyes of this Eunuch as he gaue vnto Daniel with the other that she was not defiled with this vaine and superfluous preparation but as she was willing to leaue the Eunuch to his liberty so the Eunuch also might leaue her to hers how-so-euer though in other things she might happily submit her selfe to the present necessity as to take that which the Eunuch offers her Obse 105. Gods childrens preferment is in faith and so might discouer her weakenesse and want of courage yet in this doth her faith appeare not obscurely that she doth not ambitiously seeke by corrupt meanes to aduance her selfe but soberlie entertaines the meanes that are cast vpon her resting on GODS prouidence for the good successe thereof Sect. 1. 3 Notes of faith And surely as I take it wee may here obserue diuers notes of liuelie faith One is that she presseth not impudently to insinuate into the fauour of this wicked Eunuch though by the Kings avthority shee might haue occasion thereto lest shee should seeme to depend vpon him and giue him some aduantage ouer her pretious liberty To receiue what is offered by him especially moued thereto by the LORD herein shee shewes her faith which knowing all was hers doth herein take her right and shewes her power therein in that shee refuseth not her owne though tendred by the wicked Shee knew the prophanesse of the Eunuch could not make GODS blessing ineffectuall to his children And therefore shee receiues them aright though from an vniust possessor And lastly in that she vseth such ordinary meanes as were offered not seeking to aduance her-selfe by adulterating or prophaning of nature herein also in the third place she sheweth her faith which as it refuseth not meanes so it is not curious of meanes but takes what are offered reiects such as are not warrantable Whereby we may learne that the aduancement to Gods children is warrantable and for their good seeing it is in faith and hereby to try our selues whether we be in the faith or no. A fourth token of her aduancement is this which followeth Note of Hesters aduancement And Hester found fauor in the sight of all them that looked vpon her Thus did the Lord make her gratious in the eyes of all men that her aduancement might be with more power and lesse enuy both for her owne and the good of others that shee both to the wicked might be a great terror as being conuinced with the brightnesse of maiesty appearing gloriously in her