Ezek. 14. 4. Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his Idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and cometh to the Prophet I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his Idols Balaam had a mind to the wages of unrighteousness but yet he durst not go without God and till God had permitted him he would be asking again and again Numb 22. 12. compared with the 20 and 22 Verses God answered him in wrath according to the Idol of his Heart Thus you see men tempt God when either out of diffidence or presumption they seek an experience of his Wisdom Power Justice Truth Goodness against his Word and Command and the order he hath established as the Israelites when means failed murmured and prescribed Time Means and Manner of deliverance as if they would subject God to their Lusts. II. The Heinousness of the Sin 1. Because it is a great Arrogancy when we seek thus to subject the Lord to our Direction Will and Carnal Affections Prescribing to God argueth too great an Ascribing to our selves Certainly the Lord cannot endure that his People who ought wholly to depend upon him submit to him and be ruled by him should prescribe as they please how and when he should help them and that his Power and Goodness should lacquey upon and be at the beck of our idle and wanton humors The direction of the affairs of the world is one of the Flowers of Gods Crown Now to dislike of his Holy Government is a presumptuous Arrogancy in the creature we will take upon us to model our mercies and choose our means and will not tarry the time that he hath appointed for our relief but will anticipate it and shorten it according to our own Fancies God is Soveraign we are as clay in his hands he is our Potter and must prescribe the shape in which we must be formed and the use we must be put to Ier. 18. 6. O house of Israel cannot I do with you as the potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel He hath full right to dispose of the Creature as he pleaseth and according to the counsel of his own Will to which we are to be subject without murmuring or repining We cannot say to him what makest thou or why dost thou this Isa. 45. 9. Wo unto him that striveth with his maker let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou or thy work he hath no hands Tempting before the Event is the same almost with murmuring after the Event 2. It is great Unbelief or a calling into Question Gods Power Mercy and Goodness to us We should entirely depend upon God for Salvation and whatsover is necessary to salvation and that he will supply our wants and bring us out of every streight in a way most conducing to our own welfare and his Honour But now we are not satisfied with the assurance God hath given us in those Lawes of Commerce which are established between him and us we must have extraordinary proofs or else we question all Tempting God seemeth rather to be opposed to the Fear and Reverence that we should have of him yet primarily and in it self it is rather opposite to our Trust. And though we take it for a sin which argueth too much Trust or an unwarrantable boldness in expecting unusual wayes of help from God yet generally it belongeth to unbelief and diffidence and ariseth from it For therefore we put him to proof tempt or make trial of God because we distrust his help and are not satisfied with his Goodness and Power till we have other Testimonies thereof than are ordinarily dispensed Therefore this Reason is given of their tempting God because they believed not God and trusted not in his Salvation Psal. 78. 22. They must have their own Salvation their own way of supply or deliverance or else they cannot trust God if he doth not help them at their time and by their means 3. It looseneth the bonds of all Obedience because we set up new Laws of Commerce between God and us For when we suspect Gods Fidelity to us unless he do such things as we fancy we suspect our Fidelity to him Therefore disobedience is made the fruit of tempting God Psal. 78. 56. Yea they tempted and provoked the most high God and kept not his testimonies They that tempt God cast away Gods Rule and Gods terms of Obedience and make others to themselves The Question is whether God shall direct us or we him We say unless God will do thus and thus we will no longer believe his power and serve him 4. It is great ingratitude or a lessening Gods benefits and works already done for us Psal. 78. 20. Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people As if what he had done formerly were nothing Now God cannot endure to have his benefits lessened or his former works forgotten and despised 5. It is wantonness rather than want puts us upon Tempting of God There is a Humour in men we are very desirous to try Conclusions condemning things common and are fond about strange Novelties It was told the Israelites as plain as could be that they should not reserve Manna till the morning and they need not to have reserved it they had fresh every day yet they would needs keep it for experiments sake to try whether it would stink or no Exod. 16. 20. And though they were forbidden to gather it on the Sabbath day having on the evening before enough for two dayes and it was told them they should find none on the Sabbath day yet they must try Where need is there a man may commit himself to the Providence of God and rely upon him and where means fail us God can help us by Prerogative that we may say with Abraham when we have no help present In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Gen. 22. 14. and with Moses when the Red Sea was before them and the Enemy was behind them Fear ye not stand still and ye shall see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you to day Exod. 14. 13. when Elias was in distress the Angel brought him meat 1 King 19. 5 6. when Hagar and Ishmael was in the Wilderness and the bottle spent then God comforted her from Heaven Gen. 21. 17. when the three Children were in the fiery furnace then God sent an Angel to be their Deliverer Dan. 3. 28. But now in Wantonness to desire extraordinary proofs of Gods care over us when he hath in ordinary wayes provided for us is to tempt the Lord Psal. 106. 14. They lusted exceedingly in the desert and tempted God in the wilderness when
on to enterpose the Clouds between us and him for we are not able to bear his glorious and majestick presence Ioh 26. 9. He holdeth back the face of his Throne and spreadeth his Cloud upon it What would become of us if he should discover all his Glory this is his condescension to the lower World to appear under a vail and cover his Throne with Clouds But though we do not know his full Majesty yet there is enough discovered both to Faith Reason and Sense that God is great and glorious both in himself and in all his Works Scripture declareth it to Faith and Reason will soon subscribe to so evident a Truth that he that made and sustaineth all things must needs be a great God What other conceptions can we form of him when we look to the Heaven and this Earth which he sustaineth by his great Power and he declareth himself to Sense by his dayly Providence to be a God of great Majesty The proof of it needeth not so much to be spoke to as the improvement of it which we are called upon for every where 1. It is a Mercy that being so great he taketh notice of us Psal. 8. 3 4. When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and Stars which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him When we consider how the Majesty of God shineth forth in the heavenly Bodies and those many glorious Creatures God hath made besides us we may wonder that God should esteem of man and take care of man and be so solicitous about mans welfare who was formed at first out of so vile materials as the dust of the Earth and is still of so very frail infirm and mortal condition and hath carryed himself so unthankfully to God that he should take care of him above his whole Creation Psalm 113. 6 7. The Lord our God dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things in Heaven and Earth That the great God of such glorious Majesty should take notice of Worms and behold us not only by visiting over-seeing and governing the affairs of this lower World but should condescend to this low estate of ours in taking our flesh whose Excellency and Majesty is so great that he might despise the Angels of whom he hath no need but to stoop so low towards men is matter of wonder praise and adoration 2. We should be humble in our conversing with him considering what he is and we are Iob 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear now mine eye seeth thee therefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes This should keep his children in a holy awe Oh how low should we lye before this great God Gen. 18. 27. Who am I that am but dust and ashes that I should speak unto God 3. That we must not please our selves with the performance of ordinary service to him but we should raise it to an eminent degree of Worship and Adoration Psal. 48. 1. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God and Psalm 145. 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised Alass the best we do is much beneath God what low thoughts had Solomon of his stately Temple 2 Chr. 2. 6. Who is able to build thee an house seeing the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him who am I that I should build him an house Thus should we see that our best resolutions and performances come much short of the excellency and greatness of God All formality and lifeless service proceedeth from hence that we have not due and raised thoughts of his Majesty and Being Mal. 1. 14. I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts The greatness of God calleth for other service then usually we give to him he gets nothing from us that is perfect But surely we should not put him off with our refuse but spend the best of our strength time parts and affections in his service Superficial dealing in it argueth mean thoughts of God it is a lessening of his Majesty 4. We serve a great Master and so may expect great things from him He discovereth himself unto his people according to the greatness and Majesty of his Being Ps. 126. 2 3. The Lord hath done great things for them yea the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Kings or Princes do not give pence or brass Farthings but bestow Gifts becomming their Magnificence The Heathens were forced to acknowledg it and the people of God do willing acknowledg it so Ioel 2. 21. Fear not O Land be glad and rejoyce for the Lord will do great things Be the Mercies never so rare the way never so difficult God is able to accomplish them 5. This should banish the fear of man as to any danger can come from them to us or to any attempts against God Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and Soul in Hell fire they may threaten great things to us but God threatneth greater See Exod. 18. 11. Now I know that God is greater then all Gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly God was above them There is a greater being we have to depend upon 6. Because God is of such Majesty and Greatness we should quarrel at none of his dealings for he is too high to be questioned by the Creature and his Counsels are carryed on in such a way as we cannot judg of them no more then a Worm can judge of the affairs of a man he is great in Counsel and wonderful in working 7. This should keep his children in an holy awe Heb. 12. 28 29. Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear for our God is a consuming fire When we come in the Holy Assemblies Gen. 28. 17. How dreadful is this place In our general course we must not slight his frowns nor despise his favours all comes from a great God nor behave our selves irreverently in his presence but still walk as those that have to do with a great and glorious God II. That in this present state we are not able to bear any extraordinary manifestation of his Greatness and Majesty 1. Because of his Glory which would consume and swallow us up This was a Voice from the excellent Glory 2 Pet. 1. 17. Now if this excellent Glory by the Vail of the Firmament were not obscured man were not able to bear it Iob 37. 20. If man speak he shall be swallowed up 1 Tim. 6. 16. He dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see till we are received to Heaven Thus it is his Glory would kill us his Voice confound us There is a mighty disproportion between Mortal
and ministred to him So Psal. 34. 19. Many are the afflictions of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Here is their present conflict and their final conquest Look on a Christian on his dark side and there are Afflictions and Afflictions many for number and kind look on his luminous part and there is the Lord to take care of him to deliver him and the deliverance is compleat the Lord delivereth him out of them all God will put an end to their conflict sooner or later sometimes visibly in this Life or if he doth not deliver them till death or from death he will deliver them by death then he delivereth them from all sin and misery at once for death is theirs The Reasons are these 1. God considereth what will become Himself his Pity and Fidelity 1. His own Pity and Mercy Iames 5. 11. Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy God will give an happy end to our Conflicts and Trials as he did to Iob that he may be known to be a God pitiful and merciful Iob is set up as a publick visible Instance and Monument of Gods tender Mercy We must not measure our Afflictions by the smart but the end of them what the merciful God will do at length the beginning is from Satan but the end from the Lord. If we look to the beginning we draw an ill picture of God in our Minds as if he were harsh severe and cruel to his Creatures yea to his best servants but in the end we find him very tender of his people and that sense hath made lies of God At the very time when we think God hath forgotten us he is ready to hear and to remove the trouble Psal. 31. 22. I said in my hast I am cut off nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications The Son of God was hungry transported and carried to and fro by the Devil from the pinacle of the Temple to an high Mountain tempted by a blasphemous suggestion to fall down and worship the impure spirit but at length the devil leaveth him and the angels came and ministred to him 2. His Fidelity which will not permit him to suffer you to be tempted above measure We do not stand to the devils courtesie to tempt us as long as he list but are in the hands of the Faithful God 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but what is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it what a heap of consolations are there in that one place as 1. That temptations are but ordinary and to be looked for there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incident to humane nature it hath nothing extraordinary in it If the Son of God in humane Nature was not exempted why should we expect a priviledge apart to our selves not common to others 2. That God's conduct is gentle he inflicteth nothing and permitteth nothing to be inflicted upon you beyond measure and above strength but as Iacob drove as the little ones were able to bear so God proportioneth Tryals to our strength Before you have final deliverance you shall have present support 3. That he will together with the temptation give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passage out a way to escape And all this is assured to us by his faithfulness the conflict shall be tolerable when it is at the highest and the end comfortable God doth bridle the malice and hatred of Satan and his instruments he hath taken an obligation upon himself to do so that he may omit no part of his care towards us A good man will not overburthen his Beast 2. The Lord considereth also our frailty both with respect to natural and spiritual strength 1. Natural strength The Psalmist telleth us that he will not alwayes chide and keep his anger for ever Psalm 103. 9. Why One Reason is that he knoweth our frame and remembreth we are dust verse 14. He may express his just displeasure and correct us for our sins for a while but he taketh off his punishing hand again because he knoweth we are soon apt to faint and fail being but a little enlivened dust of a weak constitution not able to endure long troubles and vexations Iob pleadeth chap. 6. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brass We have not strength to subsist under perpetual troubles but are soon broken and subdued by them 2. With respect to spiritual strength the best are subject to great infirmities which oft betray us to sin if our vexations be great and long Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands to iniquity The oppressions of wicked men shall not be so lasting and durable as that the temptations should be of too great force this might shake the constancy of the best He knoweth nothing in Divinity that knoweth not that God worketh congruously and attempereth his Providence to our strength and so will not only give an increase of internal Grace but lessen and abate the outward temptation that his external Government conduceth to the preservation of the Saints as well as his internal by supporting their spirits with more liberal aides of Grace Therefore God will cause the temptation to cease when it is overprossing But all must be left to his Wisdom and holy methods 3. With respect to the Devil and his instruments to whose malice he sets bounds who otherwise would know no measure 1. For the devil see Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Mark how they are comforted against the persecution coming upon them partly because the cause was clearly Gods for all this trouble was by the instigation of the devil making use of his instruments Eph. 2. 2. he is called the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience partly because the persecution raised would not be universal some of you not all and those not persecuted unto the death but onely cast into prison partly from the end that they should be tryed it was not penal or castigatory but probatory The devil would destroy you but God would suffer you only to be tryed so that they should come forth like the three Children out of the furnace without singing of their garments or like Daniel out of the Lyons Den without a scratch or maim or as Christ here the devil got not one jot of ground upon him partly from the duration ten dayes that
is in Prophetical account ten years reckoning each day for a year Numb 14. 34. It was not long the saddest afflictions will have an end All which sheweth how God bridleth and moderateth the rage of Satan and his evil influence 2. For his instruments God saith Zech. 1. 15. I am very sorely displeased with the Heathen that were at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction The instruments of Gods chastisements lay on without mercy and being of cruel minds and destructive intentions which are heightned in them by Satan are severe executioners of Gods wrath and if God did not restrain them by the invisible chains of his Providence we should never see good day more Well then you see the reasons why the Children of God though they have many troubles and conflicts yet they are not everlasting troubles Use of Instruction to the People of God It teacheth them three Lessons Comfort Patience Obedience 1. Comfort and encouragement to them that are under a gloomy day this will not alwayes last he may try you for a while and you may be under great conflicts and wants and difficulties as he tryed the Woman of Canaan with discouraging answers but at last Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Matth. 15. 28. He tryed his Disciples when he meant to feed the multitude Iohn 6. 5 6. Whence shall we buy bread that all these may eat This he said to prove them for he himself knew what he would do A poor Believer is tryed Children increase Trading grows dead in hard times how shall so many mouths be filled He promiseth Abraham a numerous posterity but for a great while he goeth childless He promiseth David a Kingdom yet for a while he is fain to shift for his Life and skulk up and down in the Wilderness He intended to turn water into Wine but first all the store must be spent He meaneth to revive the hearts of his contrite ones but for a while they lye under great doubts and fears Moses his hand must be made leprous before it wrought miracles Jesus loved Lazarus and meant to recover him but he must be dead first But I must not run too far There will be tedious conflicts and tryals but yet there is hope of deliverance God is willing and God is able He is willing because he is sufficiently inclined to it by the grace and favour that he beareth his people Psal. 149. 4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation The Lord loveth their persons and he loveth their Prosperity and Happiness Psal. 35. 27. He hath pleasure in the prosperity of his Servants He is able either as to wisdom or power Wisdom 2 Pet. 2. 7. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation Many times we know not which way but God knoweth he is never at a loss Then for his Power power hath a twofold notion of Authority and Might He hath Authority enough the soveraign Dominion of God is a great prop to our Faith all things in the World are at his disposal to use them for his own Glory Psal. 44. 4. Command deliverances for Iacob Angels Devils Men the Hearts of the greatest men are all at his command He hath might and strength Dan. 3. 17. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and what then can let 2. Patience we must be contented with the Son of God to tarry his leisure and undergo our course of tryal as Christ patiently continued till enough was done to instruct the Church Isaiah 28. 16. He that believeth will not make hast The people of God miscarry in their hast Psal. 31. 22. I said in my hast I am cut off but thou heardest the voice of my supplication Psalm 116. 11. I said in my hast all men are lyers even Samuel and all the Prophets who had assured him of the Kingdom It will come in the best time when it cometh in God's time neither too soon nor too late it will come sooner then your Enemies would have it sooner than second causes seem to promise sooner than you deserve soon enough to discover the Glory of God to you Psal. 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he enclined unto me and heard my cry God will not fail a waiting soul his delay is no denyal nor a sign of want of love to you Iohn 11. 5. Iesus loved Lazarus and yet verse 6. When he had heard that he was sick he abode two dayes still in the same place where he was It may come sooner than you expect Psal. 94. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up David was apt to think all was gone help would never come more to him and in that very season God delivered him 3. Obedience the Son of God submitted to the Holy Spirit while the impure Spirit tempted him If you would look for a ceasing of the conflict do as he did carry it humbly fruitfully faithfully to God 1. Humble carriage will become you under your conflicts 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time The stubborness of the Child maketh his correction double to what it otherwise would be The more submissive you are the more the cross hath its effect whether you will or no you must passively submit to God 2. Carry it fruitfully otherwise you obstruct the kindness of the Lord. He proveth us that we may be fruitful Iohn 15. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit The Rod hath done its work when it maketh us more holy then the comfortable dayes come Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Righteousness brings peace along with it inward and outward This maketh amends for the trouble Then God beginneth to take it off 3. Carry it faithfully to God still opposing sin and satan for the more you give way to satan the more you are troubled with him and your misery is increased not lessened But if you repel his temptations he is discouraged Eph. 4. 27. Neither give place to the Devil The devil watcheth for a door to enter and takes possession of your hearts that he may exercise his former Tyranny If he gaineth any ground he makes fearful havock in the soul and weakneth not only our comfort but our Grace Therefore imitate Christs resolution and resistance here But this will deserve a point by it self Therefore II. Doctrine When the Devil is thoroughly and resolutely resisted he departeth As here when the adversary was put to the foil he went his way Therefore this is often pressed upon us in Scripture Iames 4. 7.
the three fundamental Graces Faith Hope and Love so the spiritual Armour is represented 1 Thess. 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the hope of Salvation 1. A strong Faith 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith This is in the general a sound belief of Eternity or a deep sense of the World to come When we believe the Gospel with an assent so strong as constantly to adhere to the duties prescribed and to venture all upon the hopes offered therein 2. A fervent love arising out of the sense of our obligations to God that we do with all readiness of mind set our selves to do his will levelling and directing our actions to his glory Love is strong as death and many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Cant. 8. 6 7. This love will neither be bribed nor frightned from Christ. 3. A lively Hope that doth so long and wait for glory to come that present things do not greatly move us either delights 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory or the terrors of sense Rom. 8. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us III. Doctrine That those that come out of eminent conflicts are usually delivered by God in a glorious manner Christ was a pattern of this The devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him When God delivered his people after a long captivity he delivered them with glory and some kind of triumph when he turned the Egyptian Captivity they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians so that they lent unto them such things as they required and they spoiled the Egyptians Exod 12. 35 36. So in the Babylonian Captivity Cyrus chargeth his subjects in the place where the Jews remain to furnish them with all things necessary for their journey Ezek. 1. 4. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with beasts besides the free-will-offering for the house of God that is in Ierusalem So in a private instance Iob 42. 10 11. And the Lord turned the captivity of Iob when he prayed for his Friends also the Lord gave Iob twice as much as he had before Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him in his house and they bemoaned him and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him every man also gave him a piece of mony and every one an ear-ring of gold It is said the Lord turned the captivity of Iob because he had been delivered to Satans power till the Lord set him at Liberty again and then all his Friends had compassion on him even those that had despised him before releived him So Isaiah 61. 7. For your shame you shall have double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their Land they shall possess the double Everlasting joy shall be unto them They should have large and eminent Honour double honour for their shame such a reparation would God make them for all the troubles and dammages they had sustained So in an ordinary Providence God raiseth up comforters to his servants after all the injuries done them by satan's instruments And so also in spirituals the grief and trouble that cometh by Temptation is recompensed with more abundant consolation after the conquest and victory and God delighteth to put special marks of favour upon his people that have been faithful in an hour of Tryal Now God doth this 1. To shew the World the advantage of Godliness and close adhering to him in an hour of temptation Psalm 119. 56. This I had because I kept thy precepts And Psalm 58. 11. So that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth 2. To check our diffidence and murmurings under trouble Within a while and Gods Children will see they have no cause to quarrel with God or repent that they were in trouble For sometimes God giveth not only a comfortable but a glorious issue There is nothing lost by waiting on Providence though we abide the blows of Satan for a while yet abide them God is it may be preparing the greater mercy for you Isaiah 25. 9. And it shall be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Afflictions are sharp in their season but the end is glorious USE Do not always reckon upon temporal felicity refer that to God but do as Jesus who in his sharp tryals Heb. 12 2 3. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God There is a sure Crown of Life Iames 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him That is enough to content a Christian the eternal reward is sure In this World he shall receive with persecution an hundred fold but in the World to come Eternal Life Mark 10. 29 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with Persecutions and in the World to come Eternal Life IV. Doctrine That God maketh use of the Ministery of Angels in supporting and comforting his afflicted servants He did so to Christ he doth so to the people of Christ. Partly for the defence and comfort of the Godly Ps. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be the heirs of Salvation Their Ministry is now invisible but yet certain And partly also for the terror of their Enemies When David had said The Lord hath chosen the hill of Sion to dwell in Psalm 68. 16. he adds verse 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels implying that no Kingdom in the World hath such defence and such potent and numerous Armies as the Church hath and the Kingdom of Christ God hath
if I have not those strong and earnest desires I answer yet keep not off from Prayer for 1. Good desires must be asked of God for it is said he prepareth the Heart 2. Such desires as we have must be expressed and that is the way to encrease them and to quicken us more A sincere Heart that would serve God with his best findeth more in a duty than he could expect and by Praying gets more of the fervency and Ardours of praying as a Bell may be long a raising but when it is up it jangleth not as it did at first 3. Those cold Affections which we have are killed by disuse and turning away from God therefore go to him to get thy heart warmed II. Of the second Consideration If he prayed for this Transfiguration Observe That God often answereth his People in the very time while they are praying Isa. 58. 9. When they call I will answer and when they cry he shall say Hear I am This hath been the course of Gods dealing with the Prayer makers all along Abel Gen. 4. 4. God had respect to it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set his offering on fire Daniel prayeth and saith he Dan. 9. 21. While I was speaking in Prayer the Angel Gabriel was sent unto me And he said at the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth While many of the Disciples were gathered together praying God sent Peter to them Acts 12. 12 13. While Cornelius was in the Act of Prayer at the ninth hour of the day which was the Hour of Prayer he saw in a Vision the Angel of God Acts 10. 3. to 9th ver while Peter went up to the house top to pray then he had the Heavenly Vision so when Paul was in Prayer Ananias was sent to him Acts 9. 11. Behold he Prayeth and then God taketh care of him so Acts 4. 31. When they had prayed the house was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Thus God delighteth to Honour his own Ordinance and to reward the waiting soul that is frequent and constant in this way of waiting upon God which should encourage us to be more frequent and serious in this work You shall see how in the very Act of Prayer God hath 1. Averted Iudgments 2. Bestowed Mercies and Favours 1. He hath put a stop to Judgments Psal. 99. 6 7 8. Moses and Aaron among the priests and Samuel among them that call upon his Name They called upon the Lord and he answered them he spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them Thou answerest them Oh Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest Vengeance of their Inventions The drift of the Psalmist in this place is to shew by eminent Instances of Holy Men that were most notable for Prayer how they have stopped Judgments when they begun to be executed Moses at his Prayer God was propitiated after the provocation of the Golden Calf for it is said Exod. 32. 11. Moses besought the Lord his God Verse 14. The Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do The second Aarons making an Atonement for the People whereby the Plague was staid Numb 16. 46. Take a Censer quickly for wrath is begun And Verse 48. presently the Plague was staid upon Samuels prayer the Philistines were discomfited when they were over-running Israel 1 Sam. 7. 5. with 9 10. ver With every one of these God was pleased to talk and commune as a Friend such Honour was God pleased to put on these his Faithful Servants and when the people had provoked God and Gods wrath was already gone out against them for their crying sins their prayers were so effectual as to divert the plagues and obtain Remission 2. So powerful also are they for obtaining Blessings Elijah Iam. 5. 17 18. though a man of like passions with us yet he could lock Heaven and open it at his pleasure 1 King 18. 42 45. The Rain came as soon as Elijah put himself into a zealous posture to obtain it Often success hath overtaken the prayer and the Blessing has been gotten before the supplication hath been ended Isaac went out to meet with God to meditate or pray and he espied Rebecca afar off Isa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answer and whilst they are yet speaking I will hear Oh therefore let us not entertain hard thoughts of God as if he did not regard our suites and requests and prayer were a lost Labour II. I come now to the Transfiguration it self as it is here propounded and explained Doct. That one necessary and solemn Act of Christs Mediation and Manifestation to the World was his Transfiguration before competent Witnesses This was one solemn Act and part of Christs Manifestation to the World for we have the Record of it here and it was necessary for Christ doth nothing in vain and here are competent Witnesses three persons of eminent Holiness before whom all this was done and they were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty and Ear-witnesses of the Oracle which they heard from Heaven or the Voice from the excellent Glory I shall open First The Nature of this Transfiguration Secondly The Ends of it First The Nature of this Transfiguration It was a Glorious Alteration in the Appearance and Qualities of his Body not a substantial Alteration in the Substance of it It was not a change wrought in the Essential form and substance of Christ's Body but onely the outward form was changed being more full of Glory and Majesty then it used to be or appeared to be Two things are to be handled 1. How it differed from his Body at another time whilst he Conversed here on Earth 2. How this change differed from the State of his Body as it is now in Glory 1. How his Body now Transfigured differed from his Body at other times during his Conversing with Men. Though the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him always yet the state of his Body was disposed so as might best serve for the decency of Humane Conversation as the Sun in a Rainy Cloudy day is not seen but now as it might cover his Divine Nature it would break out in Vigor and Strength 1. It was not a Change or Alteration of the substance of the Body as if it were turned into a Spiritual Substance no it remained still a true Humane Mortal Body with the same Nature and Properties it had before onely it became bright and glorious 2. As the substance of the Body was not changed so the Natural Shape and Features were not changed otherwise how could it be known to be Christ the shape and Features were the same onely a new and wonderful splendor put upon them 3. This new and wonderful splendor was not in Imagination and Appearance onely but real and sensible If it had been in Imagination shew and Appearance it would make Christ like those Deceivers who would dazle