the end of the world saith that The Sun shall be darkned Matth. 24.29 and the Moon shall not give her light St. Augustine proves the Divinity from these things which we call portenteous and he blameth the Mathematicians for affirming those extraordinary effects in naturall bodies caelestiall or terrestiall to be contra naturam against nature De Civit. 21.8 quomodo est enim contra naturam quod Dei fit voluntate cum voluntas tanti Creatoris Creaturae natura sunt Portentum enim fit non contra naturam sed contra quod nota est natura 3 This station of the Sun and Moon at this time doth serve to justifie the lawfulnesse of a just war Reas 3 for they attended the arrows and the spear of God This was a just war for 1 It had a warrant from God to possesse Gods Israel of their own land which God had given them this is the warrant of policy 2 It was against Idolaters whom they were sent to destroy the warrant of Religion 3 It was in the behalf of the Gibeonites their confederates by oath Lex Gentium the Law of Nations It is a sin to set and look on when either our Common-wealth or Gods Religion or the Oath of confederacy suffereth This war was here managed openly and in the sight of the Sun and God declared himself both of the Council of War and an auxilary friend to his Israel in the same for none but he could have stayed the course of the Sun and Moon Now these extraordinary operations of God Vse as St. Austine saith are called Monstra ut a Monstrando so they are called portenta à portendo prodigia à porro dicendo therefore let us see what they shew and what they teach us 1 They teach us the great Comandement of the law to love God and to keep his Comandements This power in doing so great things and this mercy in doing the same for Israel doth well deserve that service from his Church observe it in a touch remember it in the front of the law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt for that leadeth us into the full story of Israels peregrination and is there used to move obedience And we cannot make a bettter use of our frequent Commemoration of the manifold mercies of God to us then to stir up our selves to serve him so Christs greater deliverance is urged by Zecharie ut liberati serviamus 2 It serveth to direct us in the estimation of the creatures of God for the honour that we can do them lawfully is but to glorifie God for the good we receive by them honour is onely due to him that implyeth them Take heed of Idols take heed of superstition let not another Gospel bewitch any of us when the Sun communicateth his light to all the world every corner and part of the world is not illuminate alike there be some pretious stones that reflect the light of the Sun more then others doe vve value these above other yet we know that the light is all borrowed of the Sun And though in our fellow creatures the gifts and graces of God be in differing measures given for which we value them above an ordinary price yet we reserve to our God the honour of the gift of every good and perfect gift who is the Father of lights and we do him wrong if we draw any of our fellow creatures into the communion of his glory 3 Let me adde this for caution let not our thoughts be so ravished with the contemplation of Gods extraordinary power sometimes expressed in the service of his creatures as that we do neglect his ordinary providence which in true judgement is more admirable It is Saint Austins note Quae sunt rara sunt mira But he saith it is more admirable to behold so many faces so unlike in forme feature and proportion yet we do more wonder to see two faces alike It is not so admirable in true judgment to see the Sun stand still in heaven as a glorious candle set upon a Candlestick as to see it move and set and rise in so constant manner as it doth Therefore let the common providence of God loose nothing by his extraordinary lightnings of Power and flashes of Prerogative 4 This serveth also to encourage us in the cause of religion or in the just defence of the oppressed to awake our courage and to take pains It belongeth not to us who are Gods Ministers to enquire what cause of wars we have at this present what means must be used to commence and maintain them This belongeth to us to animate all that are called to just wars to take courage from this example If the sun stood stil whilst Joshua did fight for the Gibeonites because Gods oath had bound Israel to them is confederacy I cannot doubt but the Son of righteousnesse the Captain of Gods guards the Lord of his Hosts will cover their heads in the day of battail that fight for the oppressed Church of God their brethren the professors of the same faith the worshippers of the same God Whereas this miracle of the station of the Sun and Moon was done at the instance of Joshua we are taught to behold the truth of Gods promises made to his servants He had promised Joshua to magnifie him in the sight of his people and the blessing of the people on Joshua was onely the Lord be with thee as he was with Moses So he was in the division of the waters of Jordan Iosh 1.17 so was he in the conquest of Iericho and Ai and never was there such a thing seen that the Lord heard the voice of a man to make the day two days long 1 This was done to prevent Idolatry that the people might not erect any memory to Moses to honour him with divine honour which also God feared and therefore he buried Moses himself and would let no man know where he was buried to prevent Idolatry The Devil no doubt knew the place that was the quarrell between Michael and the Devill about the body of Moses for the Devil would faine have discovered where it was to have mis-led the people to Idolatry but Michael resisted him Now when the people see that he which was great in Moses is as great in Joshua and they have experience that Joshua hath of of the same spirit that Moses had this doth direct their judgements not to look upon the instruments by whom wonders are done but on God who doth them and can do them as well by Joshua as by Moses 2 This was done to assure the former promises of the quiet and full possession of the land against the fear which the Spies suggested Iosh 10.14 for if God declare by these signes that he fighteth for Israel as it is said upon this signe Israel need not fear the power of their enemies they may go forth in the strength of the Lord his
they mis-do all these are excluded from this salvation Jesus Christ died for none such and goeth not forth with his anointed amongst them These shall have no salvation hereafter they can have no true joy here and therefore when the evill day commeth they are shaken with the terrour of the Lord and they finde no balm in Gilead their sins do appear to them greater then the mercies of God Let those who have the comfortable assurance of their salvation rejoyce therein in the Lord Vse 2 and take heed of presumption of Gods mercy which is one of the worms of faith let them take heed of receiving the grace of God in vain of recidivation and relapse into their former sins of murmuring at the Lords chastisements of quenching the spirit of crucifying again the Lord for we see that it is possible Heb. 6.4 5 for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made pertakers of the holy Ghost have tasted the good Word of God and the power of the world to come to fall away which putteth Jesus Christ to open shame Therefore the joy of our salvation must not be rooted and grounded in our selves but in the Lord that the whole honour of it may redound to him as the whole benefit and profit of it doth redound to us Our salvation is onely of God Doct. 2 It is Jonahs faith Salvation is of the Lord. It is Davids faith Salvation belongeth onely unto the Lord. Jonah 2.9 Psal 3.8 Ps 43.11 God taketh it upon himself I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour He giveth it as a reason of his first Commandement Ose 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour beside me I may call heaven and earth to record this day to avouch the truth of this for who is it that supporteth the great frame of the whole universe who is he that knoweth the numbers of the stars and calleth them all by their names that sendeth forth the Sun as a bridegroom out of his chamber and as a mighty gyant to run his race who is it that maketh and keepeth the covenant between day and night to take their turns for the use of man who is it that clotheth the lilies that feedeth the birds of the ayr that can neither labour nor spin that preserveth man and beast but the Lord Psal 36.6 All these look up unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season It is glory and happinesse enough for the Angels in glory to behold the face of God always Hail and snow stormy winds and vapours the dragons and all deeps mountains and all hils fruitfull trees and all cedars beasts and cattel creeping things and feathered fouls Kings of the earth and all people yong men maids old men and children all Queristers in this great temple of the world and this is the matter and argument of their song salus Jehovae salvation is of God for their being is derived from him their supportation is borrowed of him their operation is guided by him their whole addresse is directed to him The Angels that kept not their first estate of glory man that kept not his first estate of innocency could not lose could not forfeit their existence and being their happy being they might they did forfeit he preserveth the Devils and the reprobate and he maketh them immortall that he may be glorious in his just punishment of them But especially he is the salvation of his elect so St. Paul We trust in the living God 1 Tim. 4 10 who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe He is the saviour of all men by universall providence but of them that believe by singular and especiall grace And that is the salvation here meant our preservation in this life our sanctification for a better life our glorification in heaven is of the Lord. Because the Kingdome is his and none hath power to make us Kings but he Reas 1 whose Kingdome ruleth over all and salvation maketh us Kings Because salvation is a work of power and none can give it but he who is able to put all our enemies under our feet and none but God can do this Because salvation is a work of glory of glory to him that worketh it of glory to them upon whom it is wrought for he maketh his Saints glorious by deliverance and the saved do serve him and glorifie him in earth and in heaven These three we ascribe to him in our Lords prayer for thine is the Kingdome the power and glory Salvation is a work of mercy and David saith Apud te est misericordia with thee is mercy and God hath committed the dispensation of mercy to no creature it is one of the glories of his Crown and prerogatives of his supream Diadem onely his son who thought it no robbery to be equall with him hath the dispensation of his mercies This teacheth us where to seek and finde salvation Vse 2 God saith seek ye my face We are wise enough in our quest of temporall either protection or preferment to observe which is the way to the fountain of honour and to direct our observance that way let us not be wise for this life and fools for the life to come With men on earth there be some small brooks of a present life but apud te est fons vitae with thee is the well of life and the brooks and cisterns that we seek after do derive themselves from this fountain These brooks doe often change their channell for men have their breath in their nostrils they die and their thoughts perish but God is the same and his years do not fail And our Saviours method that he teacheth his Disciples is seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and then all these things shall be cast upon you This also serveth to stir us up to a godly life Vse 2 for that hath the promises of this life and of the life to come David putteth us in good comfort Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Son and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that live uprightly and the Apostle saith For the eyes of the Lord are open to the righteous 1 Pet. 3.12 and his ears are open to their prayers but the face of the Lord is against them that do evill And who is he that wil harm you Verse 13. if you be followers of that which is good Let the wicked take root in the earth and spread his boughs never so far God hath not denyed him this yet his face is against him and though the Sun shineth on him for a time and the early and later rain do make him grow and flourish yet our Saviour will tell us that Every plant which his heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out This
done in former ages page 105 Religion in the Head is speculation in the Heart affection in the Hand action page 169 Rich mens duties to the poor page 161 S. SAlvation is a work of power 210. of glory Ibid. Of mercy page 211 Salvation only of God page 229 Satans Suggestions that God is merciful animates sinners to do evil page 58 Satan is but Gods instrument in afflicting of the Church page 84 Selah what it signifieth page 49 Self conceited men how they ought to be taught page 32 Self-opinion is a kind of spiritual drunkennesse page 32 Set-prayers both lawful and necessary to be used page 6 Senselesse and livelesse creatures are subject to Gods will page 119 133 Sigionoth what it signifieth page 2 Signes of true spiritual joy page 201 203 Six Signes of ensuing judgment page 146 Sin is that which parteth God and us page 146 Sometimes God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy-Ghost page 56 T. TEmporal things have but a resemblance of good and evil spiritual favours are reall Pag. 202 Thanksgiving ought to be joyned with Prayer Pag. 106 Thanksgiving is a work of Justice which puts us in mind of our unablenesse to requite God and of our unworthinesse Pag. 69 The Contemplation of Gods justice in punishing the sins of his Church of his vengeance in revenging the quarrels of it of his mercy in his mercy in healing the wounds of it give the faithful occasion to resort to God by prayer Pag. 3 The Churches Plea in affliction is for mercy Pag. 45 The Church of God hath a special interest in the power and protection of God Pag. 54 The best forme of thanksgiving is that which maketh particular commemoration of Gods mercies Pag. 68 The sense of Scripture is the soul thereof Pag. 76 The welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies Pag. 82 The truth of God is a good ground because the word of God is a sure word Pag. 112 The devil knew where Moses was buried Pag. 137 The effectual fevrent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Pag. 139 The poor are under Gods protection and his own flesh Pag. 160 The very Elect are shaken with fear Pag. 177 The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt Pag. 178 The same hand that put the children of Israel in possession of the land of Canaan put them out again Pag. 186 The Chaldaeans armies the Troops of God Pag. 186 The Saints of God have their sorrows on earth yet they always rejoyce in the Lord. Pag. 202 The general apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ will not justifie a man in the sight of God Pag. 207 The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of her troubles Pag. 220 They that joy in the Lord rest in the Lord and rejoyce in nothing otherwise then as a means to serve the Lord. 200 and because God is Lord. Pag. 201 Three notes of a lawful promise and oath Pag. 115 VAin repetitions not to be used in Prayer Pag. 33 W WE ought to give the whole glory and praise for all good to God 70. And thanks to creatures as ministers and instruments of God Pag. 71 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Pag. 107 What use may be made of Davids Psalmes in our frequent reading and meditation of them Pag. 19 What is meant by the works of God Pag. 19 What is meant by the midst of years Pag. 21 Whether we ought to swear at all Pag. 114 Whether every oath ought to be kept Pag. 115 Wheresoever there is Election there is Vnction pag. 130 154 Where God loveth a People his favour runneth in a full stream in the channel of his Church Pag. 138 Where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporal affliction can extinguish or eclipse it Pag. 195 X Xerxes angry with the sea causeth it to be beater with stripes pag. 102 FINIS A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION UPON The Prophecy of HABAKKVK CHAP. I. Verse 1. The Burthen which HABAKKUK the Prophet did see THis first verse tels us what we shall find in the ensuing Prophecy and it openeth to us three things which give light to that which followeth 1. The Minister of God in this Prophecy 1. By his name Habakkuk 2. By his Function the Prophet 2. The manner how he came by it Vision 3. The matter of it the Burthen 1. Of the Minister First of his name The name Habakkuk is rendred by Philo the Jew amplexans embracing so doth Pagnine give it our English a wrastler for they that wrastle do embrace and hold fast one the other a name well expressing the office and employment of this Prophet who wrastled with the sinners of those times and their horrible iniquities to cast them 1. But as God wrastled with Jacob that he might leave behind him a blessing His tribe Dorothaeus saith was Simeon I know not upon what information for the silence of the holy Scripture doth argue it to be conjectural Concerning the time when he prophecied it is not particularly exprest but it appears to be before the deportation into Babylon for the Chaldeans invasion is here threatned and therefore Junius thinks him contemporary with Jeremiah and referreth his Prophecie to the end of Josias his Government Others after the Hebrews referre it is the â—â—me of King Manasseh Master Calvin very truly affirmeth it before the time of Zedekiah Arias Montanus gives a probable conjecture by comparing that which is said 2 Reg. 21.12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing forth an evill upon Jerusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his ears shall tingle That in the eleventh verse t is said Because Manasseh King of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him and hath also made Iudah to sinne with his idols And this Commination is almost in the same words in the fifth verse of this chapter Saint Hierome in his Prologue to this Prophet saith that he is called a wrastler quia certamen ingreditur cum deo because he wrastled with God Nullus enim Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum ad disceptationem justitiae provocare none durst so boldly provoke God to vindicate his Justice as it appears v. 2. But he doth violate the text of Canonical Scripture and History to verifie that Apocrypha tale of Habakkuks bringing food to Daniel by miracle which destroyeth the truth of the history to make faith of a Legend For either there must be two Habakkuks or this one must live as Arias Montanus doth cast it up three hundred years if he lived to feed Daniel in the Captivity a long time of life then or this must prophecie before he was born Bellarmine hath found out two Daniels one the
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church
opinions As in the first temptation he told the woman ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that when ye eate thereof ye shall be as gods Bringing the woman into divers dishonourable thoughts of God as concerning his truth his justice his love to man For in tempting her to eate against the presse and precise commandment of God 1. She must think that God would not bring death upon her for her fault as he had threatned which toucheth the truth of God 2. She must suppose that the offence of eating taken at the worst is a small offence and so not likely to be avenged and mulcted with any such punishment which toucheth the justice of God 3. She must suppose that God who shewed so much favour to man to give him all the fruit for his meate but that had he loved man as he made shew would not have left that fruit for a snare to catch him and bring him to ruine or if he did so he was too loving to man to work upon the advantage Yet in this very suggestion wherein he infuseth so many dishonourable thoughts into the heart of the woman to dim the brightnesse of Gods excellent glory observe how he doth secretly confesse that God is jealous of his glory for faith Gen. 3.5 he doth know that in the day that you eate thereof you shall be as gods That is to say as well as he loves you he would not admit you into the society of his glory for man was created in the likeness of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse but not in the similitude of his glory That Satan knew well and therefore suggested that ambition which he knew would ruine mankind for that had cast him out of heaven Here by the way let me shew you the sting of the first sinne God had said to Adam Thou shalt not eate 2. Qua die comederis morte morieris what day thou eatest thou shalt die 1. In the eating the forbidden fruit the Commandment of God was broken therein man rebelled 2. In the eating being threatned with death for punishment of their eating there must either be 1. Presumption upon the goodnesse of God which should make him merciful against his truth and justice or 2. Unbeleife of his power to inflict that punishment or 3. Contempt of his power or 4. A carelesnesse I will taste come of it what will And in all these the glory of God is much defaced 3. In the eating to be as gods that most nearly touched the glory of God for it was a base opinion of God in the heart of the woman to conceive him such as she might come to be as wise as he this layd home upon the crown of Gods glory In which passage let me commend one observation of mine own upon the Text to your judgments Sâ—than tempted the woman only not the man and he sugard his temptation with these two arguments only 1. Non moriemini ye shall not dye 2. Eritis sicut dii ye shall be as gods There was aculeus in cauda a sting in the tayl for that last stung her to the quick When she came after to tempt her husband it seemeth that her inducements were three 1. It was good for food 2. Pleasant to the eye 3. To be desired to make one wise Here is no mention of this temptation to be like God Which makes me think that Adams sin did not violate the glory of God so much as the womans did and that the refore the Apostle faith I Tim. 2 â—4 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression For though I cannot clear Adam from doing injury that ways yet as the school faith he that cannot be excused a toto may be excused a tanto But the point which I wish terrible in your remembrance is that suggestions to sin do lay their foundation in some unworthy opinion of God which trespasseth his glory here spoken of God himself declares as much to the ungodly When thou sawest a theif thou consentedst with him c. These things thou hast done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Ps 50.21 The fool saith in his heart Psal 14.1 Non est Deus there is no God that he may sin the more securely David stirreth up God the avenger against the ungodly that boast themselves in evil that break in pieces Gods people Psal 94.5 and afflict his heritage That slay the widow and the stranger Vers 6. that murther the fatherlesse How dare they do all this Yet they say the Lord shall not see Vers 7. neither shall the God of of Jacob regard it Augustine to such In foelix homo ut esses curavit Deus non curat ut bene esses Is not this a great trespasse against the honour of God to deny his providence There be presumptuous sinners that go on in very great sins sins which Gods word detecteth and reproveth and threatneth yet as the Prophet saith They will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come upon us Thus they dishonour God that make him the patrone of their persons and their sins Mich. 3.11 But they that have true knowledge of the glory of God they behold him in Majesty and that not only opening his hand and giving and filling but stretching out his arme and striking and so in that one sight they behold both Ecce quantam charitatem and scientes terrorem Domini behold how great love and knowing the terrour of the Lord. In the due consideration of his justice and mercy both governed with wisdom to moderate exuberancie consisteth the knowledge of Gods glory This point serveth to good use For first it assureth us I. Vse that the God whom we serve is the true God because he is so jealous of his glory that he will have none to share with him therein For the gods of the Heathen were such good-fellows as they would admit society Baal and Melchom and Moloch and Rempham the god of Eckron Dagon the Devil and all I do not hear of any great jealousie between them but the true God is impatient of corrivall in glory 2. Because God claimeth glory in such extent all the earth over which none of the god of the heathen did but were content with their territories and knowing him to be the true God We are taught Vse 2 that there ought nothing be so dear to us as the glory of God Do but observe what remembrancers we have to put us in mind of this The law begins I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt That implyes who brought thee into the land of Egypt The Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heaven and the first Petition Sanctificetur nomen tuum then adveniat regnum then fiat voluntas all glory The Creed Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem
revealed to Abraham Gen. 15.13 Know that thy seed of a surety shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred Years And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judg Vers 14. and afterward shall they come out with great substance This as St. Augustine vvell understandeth doth include all the time that passed between the birth of Isaac and the entring of the people of Israel into the land of promise during vvhich time they had no land of their ovvn and in a dis-junct reading they vvere either strangers as during their first abode in Canaan and after in Aegypt or they served as after Josephs death and vvere afflicted Four hundred years are a long time yet they savv an end of their travails and afflictions and they knevv that their posterity should have rest at last and they knevv that God vvould judg their oppressours this made them able to bear the affliction Here is a picture dravvn to the life of a christian mans life here on earth for he must be a stranger and pilgrime here and must serve and suffer before he can come to Jerusalem which is visio pacis the vision of peace before he can come to rest from his labours This captivity in Babylon was a great punishment to this people but God made his vvill known to them as the Prophet here teacheth them to pray for he gave them vvarning of it long before 2 Reg. 20.17 but somwhat obscurely he came to a more cleer discovery of his purpose to Hezechiah All shall be carried into Babylon nothing shall be left The Lord also by Jeremie his Prophet gave them warning of it Jer. 16.13 I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not He threateneth to send Fishers to fish them compare that with Habakkuks prophecy Thou makest them as the fishes of the Sea Hab. 1.14 there you heard of their angle net and dragge Jeremy is yet more plain in this prediction Jer. 20.6 I will deliver all the strength of the city and all the labours thereof and all the pretious things thereof Jer. 25.11 c. to be carried into Babylon But most fully begin at the 9 verse And this whole Land shall bee a Desolation Vers 12. and an Astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years And it shall come to passe when 70 years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon Jer. 30.2 and that nation saith the Lord. There is some better news sic dicit Dominus The days come faith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to returne to the land that I gave to their Fathers and they shall possess it The miseries that smart upon afflicted men do make them forget the comforts that should heal their wounded spirits David expresseth his vexation so My soul refused comfort therefore O Lord make it known Make thy people sensible of that comfort which thou hast gratiously reserved for them And indeed the people were not quite out of heart all the time that they lived in that captivity they stil remembred Jerusalem and thought upon Sion and expected their deliverance But the dispersion of the Jews that hath now continued almost 1600 years that hath lasted long and the time of their restitution is not perticularly revealed this maketh them hang the head God in justice for the cruelty which they did execute upon his Son would not let them know the time of their deliverance as in their former afflictions he did which no doubt is a great signe of Gods heavy indignation Seeing then that the knowledge of the will of God and his purpose revealed in his Word 1 Vse is so great a comfort in afflictions we are taught to study and search the Book of Gods Will and therein to exercise our selves for he is the same God that he was and his wil is the same the just have the same promises that they had the unjust shall have the same judgments hear read the Book of God and apply it as thou goest for there thou shalt have thy portion Labour for newnesse of life and that shall bring thee to the proof and tryal to the discerning and experience of the will of God as the Apostle saith And be not conformed to the World but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12.2 that you may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God For God will not reveale himself to the ungodly but the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant We must rest in this wil of God with a fiat voluntas tua thy will be done we must not resist it we must not murmure at it we must not make haste but we must live by faith and tarry the Lords leasure and in the mean time gather strength from his promise to establish our hearts that they faint not and fail us in our tribulations 3 Petition In wrath remember mercy The plea of the true Church in afflictions is mercy Doct. 1 Reas God taught us this himself for when our first Parents had sinned they were afraid and ashamed and hid themselves from God there was no mercy yet revealed Hovv vvould they solicite God Jesus Christ vvas not yet known to them therefore they fled from God for there is no drawing neer to God for sinners without Christ then God came and sought out Adam he arraigned the offenders and finding the Serpent guilty of the temptation he cursed him and there he promised Christ When mercy was revealed to man then he called the man first and then the woman And ever since that mercy was made known to the Church the true Church hath had no other plea but mercy There is misericordia condonans a pardoning mercy he forgiveth all our iniquities an article of faith remissio peccatorum remission of sins there is misericordia donans a giving mercy he giveth medicine to heal all our infirmities The Church knoweth that they have given God cause to be angry 2 Reas they know that if his wrath be kindled but a little he is a consuming fire and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands they know that in his favour is life and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore We have nothing to keep us from the anger to come but mercy Lam. 3.22 Psal 51.1 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not all consumed for his compassions fail not Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse c. We have nothing to bring us again in favour with God whom we provoke every day but his mercy But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy
mercies Psal 5.7 The Church knoweth that God is more glorious in his mercy 3 Reas then in all his other attributes for his mercy is above all his works the justice of God is against us because we are unrighteous the wisedom of God is against us because we have walked as fools and not as wise men The holiness of God is against us because we are unclean conceived in sin and born in iniquity The truth of God is against us for omnis homo mendax every man is a lyer The power of God is against us because we have forsaken him the fountain of living water c. The Patience of God is against us because he is a God that loveth not iniquity neither shall evill dwell vvith him he hateth all those that work wickedness Onely Mercy is our friend that maketh Christ our justice our wisedom our sanctification and redemption that maketh truth perform gratious promises and his power becometh our protection his patience our peace Divitiae misericordiae riches of mercy This seemeth to excellent use 1 To assure to us the favour of God 1 Vse because it is built upon the foundation of Gods mercies of which Dauid saith The mercy of God endureth for ever his mercy is euerlasting The knowledge of salvation given by the remission of our sins is Through the tender mercy of our God Luk. 1.77 78. whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us So that if God be angry with us for our sin yet his vvrath doth not burn like fire but as he sayd of Solomon I will chasten him with the rods of men but my mercy will I not take utterly from him 2 It seemeth to rebuke those that put their trust in humane merits or works of the Law they that come to God for wages forsake their own mercy nothing so contrary to Divine mercy as humane condignity 3 Because here is anger and mercy together 2 Cor. 1.3 Naâ—u 1 2. this killeth all presumption for he that is called The God of mercies is called a jealous God and a furious Avenger And the rods of men well laid on will smart and draw bloud 4 This inviteth to new life because The goodness and mercy of God leadeth to repentance and the Crown of it Rom. 2.6 5 Seing we have so much need of mercy our selvs let us shew mercy unto others Estote misericordes ut pater vester coelestis be ye mercifull as your heavenly father for there shall be judgement vvithout mercy to him that sheweth no mercy Christ abideth yet naked and sick and imprisoned and hungry and thirsty in our poor brethren as his mercy embraceth us so let our mercy embrace him that he may say esurivi pavistis I was hungry and ye fed me Ver. 3. God came from Teman and the holy one from mount Paran Selah His glorie covered the Heavens and the Earth was full of his praise 4 And his brightness was as the light he had horus coming out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power 5 Before him went the pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet THe second part of this Psalm doth contein a celebration of the prayses of God Vid. divis p. 23. which also doth declare upon what grounds the Church in affliction and captivity doth put trust in God The whole Section is a commemoration of the great power and glory and power and mercy of God shewed in behalf of his own people v. 3 4 5. ad finem v. 15. 1 In his coming to them from Paran and Teman 2 Of the same power and glory declared in giving of the possession of the land of Canaan to Israel 3 In the dismay of the Nations v. 7. 4 In the marvellous Water-works 8 9 10. 5 In their great victories within the Land I begin at the first God came from Teman and the holy one from Mount Paran The best exposition that I do finde amongst many of these words is that here is remembred the coming of God to Israel when he gave them the Law written in two Tables of stone with his own hand For God came then from Teman and Paran Paran was a great mountain neer to mount Sinai but Teman signified the South so God came from the South thence came God to give Israel his Law wherein he did express himself the King of this people by coming so neer to them by shewing himself so openly and by revealing his wil to them so plainly This was so great a favour done to them that he addeth Selah which word is onely used in Davids Psalmes and in this Psalme and the word in the judgments of the learned is sometime vox optantis the voice of one that wisheth aequivalent to Amen or vox admirantis the voice of one admiring shewing some speciall matter or vox affirmantis of one affirming avouching what is said or vox meditantis of one meditating requiring consideration of what is said But withall it is a rest in Musique Jerome saith it is commutatio metri or vicissitudo canendi his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise And His Brightnesse was as the Light he meaneth the brightnesse of that glory wherein he appeared when he gave the Law set forth Exod. 19.16 For there were Thunders and Lightnings He had Horns comming out of his hands by Horns in Scripture strength is signified the horne of salvation is the strength of salvation the exalting of the horne is the advancing of power and these are said to be in his hands because the hands and arms are called the strong men in the body they are the instruments of power And there was the hiding of his power there in that apparition God did hide his power from the rest of the world and declared it perticularly to his Church as David saith He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments Psal 147.20 they have not known them Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet His meaning is that God then declared himself mighty in the punishment of his enemies and the enemies of his Church for under these tvvo kinds of punishments by pestilence and fire he shevveth that God hath the command of all the instruments of vvrath of vvhich these tvvo by plague and fire are the most licking and devouring putting no difference where they go And this hath reference to the many plagues wherevvith he punished the Aegyptians vvhen he brought his people from the land of Aegypt from the house of bondage The summe of all is this that God hath declared himself glorious 1 In his speciall favour to his people 2 In his just vengeance From vvhence these points of doctrine issue 1 That the consideration of Gods former mercies doth strengthen faith in present tribulations 2 That the Church of God hath a speciall interest in the povver and protection of God 3 That
dangers The God that gave us his light of Truth and hath continued it so many happy years of peace amongst us hath begun he will also make an end by this light no doubt many faithful souls have found the way to the throne of grace whose continuall prayers to God for the happy estate of his Church are able to make this Sun stay his course and not withdraw his light from us their prayers and devotions know the way to heaven so well and plead the cause of the Church so effectually that we have cause to hope that the goodness of God which endureth yet daily will not fail us but that we shall fee it and tast of it in this land of the living Once let us remember under whose shadow vve live a learned gracious King who hath seen into the darkness of Popery and laid it open no Christian Prince so much no Christian more he hath put his hand to the Plough and he cannot forget Lets Wife Let us not make our selves certain afflictions out of uncertain fears and draw upon us the evils of to morrow For sufficient for the day is the evil thereof Queen Elizabeth brought into this Church and Land True Religion and Peace King James hath continued it let us be thankfull to God for it and let us be ever telling what the Lord hath done for our souls Let not our unquiet vvranglings amongst our selves provoke the God of Peace against us neither let our busie eves-dropping the counsels and intendments of State which are above us and belong not to us make us afraid our work is In all things to give thanks For what we have received already for what we do possesse and enjoy and pray continually for that we would have for all men especially for our King that under him we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie 1 Tim. 2.2 and then Rejoyce evermore Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce He that came from Teman and Paran to a people that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and gave us light hath ever since so supplyed us with oile that we may say difficiunt vasa the want is on our part for truly God is good to Israel to all such that have faithfull and true hearts To this end let me stir you up to a remembrance of the times past beginning at the Initium regni November 17 in Anno 1558. for so long hath this Sun of righteousness shined clear upon our Church 2 Doctr. The Church hath a speciall interest in the power and protection of God gathered from hence he had hornes comming out his hands and there was the hiding of his power There is a power that God openly sheweth and that is extended to an universall protection of all the works of Gods hand but there is a power that he hideth and that is his speciall protection of his Church 1 He protecteth them David gives them a good instance in the former mercies of God to this people When they were yet but few and they strangers in the land 1 Châ—on 16.19 And when they went from nation to nation from one Kingdome is another people He suffered no man to do them any wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not my anointed and do my Prophets no harme And the Psalmist can give no other reason of this speciall protection but on Gods part because he had a favour to them and on their part that they might keep his statutes and observe his lawes And these be motives that establish Gods protection upon his Church in all the ages thereof His mercy and our obedience which lesson if we take out vvell vve shall learne thankfulnesse to him for his favour and holinesse in our lives And this is that godlinesse vvhich hath the promises of this life and that vvhich is to come 2 He hideth the horne of our Salvation 1 From his Church in some measure to keep us from presumption so that vve do often rather believe then feel the loving kindnesse of the Lord and to stirre us up to prayer for the more vve are made sensible of our vvants the more are vve provoked to invocation of the name of the Lord. 2 From the vvorld that hateth his Church that they may fulfill their iniquity and declare their uttermost malice against the Church and when he had suffered PHAROAH and his hoast to follovv his people of Israel into the red Sea and there taketh of their Chariot wheels then they shall see it and say we will fly from the face of Israel Exod. 14.25 for the Lord fighteth for them against the Aegyptians Great is the profit of this point in the case of those spirituall desertions Vse vvhereby God for a time seemeth to forsake his own children Well are they described by Gods ovvn mouth For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54.7 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Which sheweth that the hiding of Gods protecting power is not totall but partiall for it is in a little anger and it is not finall but temporary for a small moment 1 In outward things In the example in my text God hid his hand in his bosome the horn of his Salvation was almost all out of sight for the space of 70 years during the captivity of the Church So many of Gods dear Servants drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction suffering the contempt and injuries of the world in bonds imprisonments oppressions scourges such as the world is not worthy of yet do they not want a secret feeling of the power of Gods protection quickning their patience and reviving his own work in them in the midst of the years 2 In spirituall graces Sometime God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy Ghost and that they finde with much grief 1 In the oppression of the heart with sorrow wherein they feel no comfort as David My soar ran and ceased not my soul refused comfort Psal 77.2 3. I did think upon God and was troubled In the ineffectuating the means of salvation for a time For many holy zealous souls desirous to do God good service do complain that they hear the Word do not profit by it they receive the Sacraments and do not tast how sweet it is they pray but they feel not the Spirit helping their infirmities they give thanks and praise to God but they do not feel that inward dancing of the heart and jubilation of the soul and rejoycing in God that should attend his prayse yea rather they perceive in themselves a going backward from God as the Church complaineth O Lord Isa 63.17 why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and
Church of Rome lent her help to this nefarious Treason for there was here 1 The seal of Catholique Confession 2 The bond of a Catholique Oath 3 The Vow by a Catholique Sacrament 4 The indiction of Catholique prayers to be used for the prosperous success of the Catholique cause in England But I may be short in the Catastrophe of this whole danger as God was sudden in his exceeding great mercies to us The nets were broken and we escaped as a whole neast of Birds from the hands of the fowler Never was there day wherein God did so great things for this Land as on that day never did the Sun shine in more perfect strength upon this Church then on that day which God crowned with our deliverance 1 It was and is a good use of this mercy to fil our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy but that must not be all 2 We must tell the people what things he hath done and once a year at least we must say this is the day that the Lord hath made exultemus laetemur and his praise must be in our mouthes we must give unto the Lord the glory due to his name and praise him according to his excellent greatnesse 3 But that is not all wee must being delivered from the hands of our enemies serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life and remember that if we do wickedly we shall perish we and our King 4 But that is not all we must pray also for the peace of our Jerusalem for we shall prosper if we love it for our brethren and companions sake in the common faith we must wish it now prosperity for the house of Gods sake we must seek to do it good 6 But this is not all we must cast out the bond-woman and her son that is the superstition of the blondy Church of Rome I may safely perswade thus far every one of us out of his own heart and thus farre we may go without our selves to let our light shine before men that in our light they may see light The Minister may go further for he hath the warrant of a lawfull calling to reprove the works of darknesse openly and to convince heresies and to warne men to take heed of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees The Magistrate may go further to execute the just laws of our land upon such and let him see to it that he bear not the sword of God in vain The sovereign Defender of the Faith amongst us beareth that high title which is proper to all godly Kings to this end accomptable to none but God for his vice-gerency herein Verse 8. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers was thine anger against the rivers was thy wrath against the sea that thou didst ride upon thy horses or thy chariot of Salvation NOvv he procedeth to commemorate the vvonderfull things that declared God a friend to his people in their safe conduct to the land of promise 1 The power of God shewed in the waters 1 he made a passage for his Israel through the red sea as on dry land to bring them out of Aegypt 2 He made a passage through Jordan the river turned back and gave them way to passe over into the land of promise The words of my text are easie Doth any man conceive that God did take any spleen at the river of Jordan that he drove it back or that he was angry with the sea that he made dry land to appear surely God was not moved thereto from any fury against the creatures which keep their course according to his appointments And he saith that God did ride upon his horses poetically and figuratively expressing God in state riding on as the Psalmist saith prosperously And he calleth the protection of God the charâ—oâ—s of salvation because God took them up to him to preserve them Verse 9. And this is well expounded in the next words in a new figure Verse 9 Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes even thy word Selah Verse 9. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers For here by the bow of God is meant the armour wherewith with God is furnished for the defence of his Church This bow is therefore said to be made quite naked because then God declared that all the wonders which he did in the division of the waters of the red sea and of Jordan were wrought for the preservation of his Church This bow he always had that is this strength for his Church but then he made it so naked that the Aegyptians cryed let us fly from Israel and the tents of Cushan were afflicted and the curtains of Midian trembled to see this bow of the Lord. Abraham saw this bow but in the case for it was under promise the Patriarchs saw it somewhat neerer hand but yet not uncased in the deliverance from Aegypt it began to be drawn out in the possession of the land of Canaan it was made quite naked and this was done According to the oaths of the tribes even thy word that is All this was done that thou mightest make good thy word whereby thou hadst sworn to give this land to the tribes the oath of God was sworn to Abraham as Zechariah remembreth it To perform the mercy promised to our fathers Luke 1.72 73. and to remember his holy Covenant The oath which he sware to our father Abraham Selah is a rest for meditation for admiration it is a confession of the goodnesse of God Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers This was another of Gods water-works Tremelius and Junius read thus flumina diffidisti terrae and so it is no more but what before he said more plainly exprest that he clave the waters to make way for passage And to omit the various opinions of men concerning this wonderfull work of God I think it hath speciall reference to that story where the people of Israel upon the way almost perishing with thirst numb 20.11 and therefore murmuring Moses struck the rock which by the commandement he should onely have spoken to and the waters gushed out and cut themselves a channell which here is called cleaving of the earth with rivers Here was a double miracle one in giving the water out of the rock whence formerly none have issued another in the continuance of this full stream running along the way of their journey in the wilderness to supply them so the Psalmist saith He brought streames also out of the rock Psal 78.16 and caused waters to run down like rivers These words do contein three parts 1 The wonders which God shewed in the waters 2 The motive that induced him 3 The argument drawn from hence 1 The wonders here mentioned are three 1 He nameth the last as freshest in memorie the division of the waters of Jordan to give way to the passage of Israel into the promised land 2 He nameth
Abraham and his oath unto Isaac And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant And after having briefly surveyed the story of Israels deliverance and passage having recapitulated the comming of Israel into Egypt the plagues of Egypt there comming out thence vvith the vvealth of Egypt the pillar of cloud the pillar of fire the Quails the Manna the vvater out of the rock he gives this reason of ad for he remembred his holy promise Vâ—rse 42. and Abraham his servant Of this oath of God the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 6.13 for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swear by himself saying Surely blessing I will blesse thee and multiplying I will multiply thee The reason vvhy God bound himself by oath followeth Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise Verse 17. the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath This was a great obligation to bind God to this performance neither doth it any vvhit abridge his own liberty but that he remained Liberimum agens still for that he declared therein the constancy of his decree which vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because as I have shewed that and all other Gods promises have reference to the obedience of the people so that God might have cancelled this obligation upon their forfeiture thereof by disobedience if he had pleased which maketh good the former motive of his own good wil and favour vvho notwithstanding their many provocations and rebellions yet performed this promise 2 The motive is negatively set down For here it is exprest vvhat vvas not the cause of these vvonderfull vvater-vvorks vvas it vvhich is as much as it was not because the Lord was displeased at rivers it was not because his wrath was against the sea To part the Sea in two to divide Jordan to make rivers run a vvhile in full stream to serve his people was no displeasure taken at these elements God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man To the creature it is all one to keep the naturall order of creation or to suffer supernaturall alteration for omnia illi serviunt all things do serve him vvas God angry vvith the earth vvhen he cursed it after Adams fall vvhen he drown'd it after it grevv full of cruelty The insensible creatures do the will of him that made them It is recorded as a blemish to that mighty King Xerxes Herod Polihim lib. 7. Num. 173. that he foolishly overweened his power in such a case For being to passe his army over the Hellespont where the sea vvas about seven furlongs over he caused a bridge to be made of floaty vessels to that purpose But a great tempest arising and breaking his bridge vvhen he heard thereof he vvas in such passion at the sea that he commanded it to be punished vvith three hundred stripes and he cast in fetters into it to take it prisoner and caused these vvise vvords to be spoken to it O aqua amara Dominus hanc tibi irrogat poenam quod eum laesisti qui de te nihil mali meritus es te tamen Rex Xerxes velis nolisve transmittet As wisely either he himself or as Herodotus reporteth Clio 34. Cyrus Cyrus his Grandfather fell out with the river Gyndes for drowning him a white horse but his revenge was more in sight so was his deliberate furious folly For he set his army a work to cut out new channels and divided the river into 360 brooks ut à mulieribus ne genua tingentibus transiri possit But our God had no quarrell the text saith to these inanimate creatures of his which were so at his command The Church here doth God right to confesse the true motive of this extraordinary operation of God so here is a double confession 1 That Tu Domine fecisti thou Lord hast done it 2 That he did for such a cause This is not barely avouched but it is proved Thy bow was made quite naked that is thou didst let all the world take notice of thy power and strength and favour in the cause of thy Church At the comming of God in great Majesty and Glory on Mount Sinai to give the law before-mentioned there was absconsio roboris the hiding of his strength God revealed himself then to Israel onely but these three great wonders here confest did uncase the bow of God made it quite naked so that all nations might take knowledge of the arm of the Lord and might give testimony to the same The Argument drawn from hence is still the same for from the former evidences of Gods great power and mercy shewed and openly declared unto the Church they gather comfort to assure themselves of the favour of God toward them in this captivity in Babylon They know and believe that the hand of God is not shortned nor his arme weakned but that he who was able to cut a way for them through the sea and the river of Jordan and to make rivers run in dry places to relieve their fathers in the wildernesse is still as able to succour them in that captivity against the King of Babel and all the Chaldeans so hee sheweth by what faith the just shall live in their banishment Namely by faith grounded on the power and wisedome and love of God and of his truth The doctrines which this passage affordeth are these 1 God must have the glory of his own great Works Doctr. David is a full example of this duty for 1 in his own case he saith Ps 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul 2 He stirreth up others to do the like even in this case mentioned in my text Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 6. he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men He turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him The reason hereof is in sight Reas 1 for David saith this honour is due to his name We have two debts which we shall ever be paying and yet never clear with our Creditors that is of prayse to God of love to our neighbours he that came of purpose into the world to pay our debts hath not wip't off this score rather he hath set us further in debt 1 To our brother if God so loyed us as to send his Sonne amongst us we ought also to love one another so much the more 2 To himself David saith The loving kindnesse of the Lord is ever more and more toward us therefore laus ejus erit semper in ore meo his prayse shall be ever in my mouth The comming of Christ amongst us hath made it more and more seen for therein the bow of God was made quite naked 2
to keep him from attaining the perfection thereof So Eve deceived her self for when God gave her Issachar her fift son Ge 30.18 she said God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Wherein she deceived her self for by adding one wife more to the number of Jacobs Wives she did violate the state of matrimony vvhich in the institution vvas in these words I will make him a help meet for him not helps and so Adam understood it Gen. 2.24 for he said A man shall forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his wife not wives and they shall be one flesh Which lest the friends of Poligamie might understand of many wives Christ citing this place addeth by vvay of interpretation And they twaine shall be one flesh Mat. 10.8 So Saint Paul understood it Mat. 19.5 1 Cor. 6.16 two shall be one flesh So the Prophet Malachy understood it for charging his people with this sin of breach of Wedlock he speaketh as to one man Thou hast dealt treacherously against the Wife of thy youth Mal. 2.14 yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy Covenant And did not he make one yet had he the excellency of spirit and wherefore one that he might seek a godly seed So that this giving of her maid to her husband was no good service done to God that she should expect wages it was rather a trespass of vvedlock hovvsoever it pleased God to dispense vvith it in the fathers of former ages but our rule is quomodo fuit in principio hovv vvas it at the beginning for vve knovv that he vvho had abundance of spirit could have created many Wives for Adam if he had thought it fit and then for the encrease of the seed of man and the speedy peopling of the vvorld there vvas more need of Poligamy then vvas ever since I urge the fallacy here Non causa pro causa So Micah vvhen he had made him gods and gotten a Priest into his house flattered himself Now I know that the Lord will do me good Judg. 17.13 seeing I have a Levite to my Priest This vvas Idolatry one of the greatest provocations of God to anger that could be yet he vvould flatter himself that this vvould turn a cause of his vvel-doing These three examples do sufficiently open our sense to perceive the cunning of this fallacious suggestion in ourselves The Doctrine of merit vvhich the Church of Rome teacheth is a naturall Doctrine as God said to Cain If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted it is true that God accepteth even vveak services from us but as vve say it is more of his courtesie then our deserving if vve call it vvages that he giveth us in revvard vve over-ween our ovvn vvorks And this is a special sin vvhervvith God doth punish the sins of the ungodly in the Church of Rome the seat of Antichrist as the Apostle plainly describeth it God shall send them strong delusions 2 Thes 2.11 that they should believe a lye They believe that to be the cause of their salvation that is not The reason of this Doctrine Reason Why vve must fasten upon the true cause of Gods favour to us is Because faith not rightly grounded is not faith but presumption True faith can find no rest but in the assurance of Gods goodnesse to us God doth many favours to the vvicked here in this life vvhich he doth not for any love that he beareth to them but for the use that he maketh of them to vvhip and scourge others by them as for example God to Ezekiel Son of man Eze 29.18 Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the service that he had served against it Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and he shall take her multitude and take her spoile and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his Army Because they wrought for me 1â— saith the Lord God Here is the King of Babylon doubly rewarded with successe and victory against Tyrus with the possession and spoile of Egypt not for any favour that God did bear to the King of Babylon but to punish the iniquity of Tyrus and of Egypt Let not Nebuchaduezzar boast of the favor of the Lord that he set him a work and paid him his wages the sins of these ungodly people not the goodness of God to the King of Babylon did all this We see daily that the vvicked do compasse about the righteous the poor Church of God bleedeth in many places of Christendome the enemy proscribeth imprisoneth beheadeth hangeth cutteth out the tongues smiteth off the hands of Gods faithfull Servants and deviseth nevv tortures to make death more terrible and more painfull This svvelleth the enemies of God vvith pride and they impute all this successe against the Church of God to the love of God tovvard them and the justice of their cause is mainteined by the Jesuits abetments and acclamations But thus did Babylon prevail against Gods ovvn Israel for a time the distressed part of the Church vvhich groaneth under these burthens doth not hang the head for this They knovv that their sins have deserved these rods they have had the light and have not vvalked vvorthy of that light therefore is this evill come upon them yet let them take courage and say Why beastest thou thy self in mischief thou mighty man Psal 52. â— the goodnesse of God endureth continually there is our Selah the rest of our musique this is the joy of the Churches harvest And great is the profit of this point Vse 1 1 When vve have found the true cause of Gods favours to be in himself and not in us we may assure our selves that his mercy endureth for ever for his gifts and calling are without repentance 2 A greater comfort then this is that godlinesse hath not onely the promise of this life but of the life to come also 3 We may rise in comfort a degree higher to assure our selves that this favour of God will give us our fruit unto holinesse for these go together Gods love to us and our comfort and hope in him for this fruit Rom. 6.22 as the Apostle joyneth them Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father 2 Thes 2.16.17 which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good help through grace Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work This blessing of the Apostle doth shew that when the love of God is setled there followeth grace and expressure of his favour that bringeth forth inward consolation of the spirit present good hope for the time to come an establishing of the heart in holinesse This I name as the
2 It serveth for the good of our Brethren Hâ—b 5.19 for it is the end of all strife I wil not enter into the lists with the Anabaptists to confute their weak arguments against the lawfulnesse of an oath you hear it warranted by reason and examples grow thick in the book of God to justifie it 2 Quaere Whether every oath be to be kept To that we answer in a word every lawfull oath is to be kept so is every lawfull promise If a man vow a vow unto the Lord nuâ— 30.3 or swear an Oath to bind his soul with a bond he shall not prophane his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Every oath and every promise engageth our faith that is our fidelity and so it is a bond upon our souls and though it it be to our hinderance we must not break Remember how the breach of the oath of the Lord made by Joshua and the elders of the people to the Gibeonites smarted in the house of Saul Zedekiah had engaged himself by oath to Nebuchadnezzar an heathen King and brake and rebelled against him indeed it was before the doctrine of Rome was afoot Fides non est servanda cum haereticis no faith to be kept with hereticks But here the Prophet Shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered Eze. 17 15 And after saith God As I live surely mine oath that he hath despised Ver. 19. and my Covevenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head For he said He despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant when lo Vâ—rse 18. he had given his hand A lawfull promise and oath hath three notes to justifie it Truth Righteousness Judgement Jer. 4.2 1 In truth the heart joyning with the Author 2 In righteousnesse seeking Deo proximo servire serve God and our neighbour 3 In judgement it is deliberation and advice 4 Doctr. God declareth his power sometimes openly to the comfort of his Church and the terrour of the enemies thereof gathered from these words Thy Bow was quite naked for as before there was abscontio roboris the hiding of his strength when God revealed himself to his Church onely upon Mount Sinai so there was now revelatio roboris a revealing of his strength when he had made his Bow quite naked 1 For the setling of his Church in obedience to him Reas 2 so saith the Psalmist after commemoration of the wonder All works of God done for Israel That they might keep his statutes Ps 1â—5 45 and observe his Laws 2 For the glory of his name Reas 2 that he might fill the mouthes of the faithfull with his praise and this effect it wrought with Israel a while for when God had done great things for them Then they sang his praise Ps 106.12 3 For the credit of his Word Reas 3 that they might settle their faith in his promises so it is there said Then they believed his Word 4 To convince the ingratitude of men Reas 4 if they notwithstanding the manifestation of his power to them do start aside and rebell against him so doth the Psalmist taxe them where repeating the manifest and naked bow of God revealed to them it is the burthen of his song Yet they sinned more against God by provoking the most High in the wildernesse he repeateth more of his great works Psa 78 17. and addeth For all this they sinned still and believed not for all his wondrous works he repeateth more and saith Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God and kept not his testimony c. 5 To instruct posterity that should succeed them Reas 5 That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be borne Psa 78 6. who should arise and declare them to their children That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his Commandements This is the way to keep the bow of God still naked that all the ends of the world may see the salvation of our God God layeth his Bow quite naked in the sight of the world that the Egyptians may see that God fighteth for Israel against them and may fly from them that the world may see that all their consultations against the Church shall faile of successe and it will turn to bitternesse in the latter end You may easily discerne how all this is directed to our instruction Vse To awake us to a consideration of the revealed power of God for if God shew it it is that we may see it it was the cause of Israels so many rebellions For whereas God did so great things for them Ps 78.7 That they might not forget his works They forgate his works and his wonders that he hath shewed them and that made them children of disobedience To direct to the right use of this mercy of God which is as you have heard 1 In respect of God to give him due praise that he may have the honour due to his name 2 In respect of our selves to confirme our hope and faith in his word and in the arm of his strength believing that bow and the whole quiver of arrows belonging to it is on our side and we need not fear what man or Devil can do against us 3 In respect of this life that we passe the time of our dwelling here in fear living in the obedience and service of this Almighty Maker and preserver of men by keeping his statutes c. 4 In respect of posterity that we leave them our good example and the light of our knowledge to instruct them in the wonderfull works of God that generation may praise him to generation and declare his power 5 In respect of our enemies that they may see and know whom we have trusted and may know that our help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth so that we shall not need to fear their bow nor their arrows upon the string ready to goe off against us there is a Bow on our side and an arme to weild it Verse 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled the overflowing of the water passed by the deep uttered his voice and lift up his hands on high THese words have reference to the former wonders of Gods works in which the Holy Ghost Poetically and Rhethorically doth give life to things in-animate to expresse their yielding and giving vvay to Gods extraordinary operations some understanding that For such impression did the power of God make in the everlasting mountains as he calleth them before ver 6. and in the perpetuall hils that they gave way to his people as if they had seen God himself and that the feare of God had been upon them to make them tremble The like Poeticall streine we have in the Psalmist What ailed ye mountains that ye skipped like
the poor but with suppression of the relief which he should have given to Lazarus And in that overture of the last grand sessions in the gospel it is only charged upon them that are adjudged to hell fire Esurivi non pavistis me c. I was hungry and you fed me not Suppression is oppression That cold charity which St James speaketh of will be warmed in hell If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food And one of you say unto them depart in peace Jam. 2.15 Verse 16. be you warâ—â—ed and filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which be needfull for the body what doth it profit 2 Let the poor know that their God doth take care of them to visite their sins with rods Vse 2 who spoil them seeing they have forgotten that we are members one of another and have invaded the goods of their brethren God will arm them against themselves and beat them with their own staves either their own compassing and over-reaching wits shall consume their store or their unthrifty posterity shall put wings upon their riches to make them fly or God shall not give them the blessing to take use of their wealth but they shal leave to such as shall be mercifull to the poor Therefore let them follow the Wisemans-counsell Curse not the rich Eccles 10.20 no not in thy bed chamber let no railing and unchristian bitternesse wrong a good cause let it be comfort enough to them that God is both their supporter and avenger is it not sufficient to lay all the storms of discontent against their oppressours that God sees their affliction and commeth down to deliver and to avenge them 3 Rather let this move them to commit their cause to the Lord Vse 3 for as Tertullian saith Si apud Deum deposueris morbum medicus est si damnum restitutor est si injuriam ultor est si mortem resuscitator est Let not the fair weather of oppressours grieve them that live in the tempest of their injuries David will tell them that he saith ungodly flourish like a green bay tree and anon hee sought them and their place was not found Here is the exaltation of Christian charity to blesse and pray for such and this will heap coals of fire upon their head either to warm their charity which hath taken cold or to consume or devour them There was a time when he that denied Lazarus a crum begged of him a drop qui negavit dare micam non accepit guttam and he that denied a crum had not a drop Verse 15. Thou didst walk through the sea Hab. 3.17 with thine horses through the heap of great waters THese words do end the section which conteineth a thankfull commemoration of Gods former mercies to his people De Verborum interpretatione It seemeth to me cleer against all question that this text hath reference to the wonderfull passage of Israel through the red sea of which mention is made before Verse 8. Was thy wrath against the sea that thou didst ride upon thy horses and chariots of thy salvation The words expresse that miracle very fully and fitly for where it is said Thou didst walk through the sea this hath reference to that which we read concerning this passage over the red sea Exodus 14. In which this is memorable that God went before the people of Israel on the shoare but it is said when God gave Moses direction to lift up his rod and stretch forth his hand over the sea to divide it Moses having so done The Angel of God which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind it and the pillar of cloud went from before their face and stood behind them And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud of darknesse to them i. e to the Egyptians and it gave light by night to these that is to Israel so that the one came not neer the other all night This story sheweth how God did walk through the sea even between the two camps The power of Gods word went before them the presence of his Angel went behind them God himself carried the dark lanthorn which kept all light from the Egyptians and shewed a cleer light to Israel The horses of God here mentioned are the emblems of strength courage and speed For thus was Israel relieved through the heap of the great waters that is on the way made through the sea which was gathered in heaps on both sides So the words are plain and easie The summe of them is a repetition of that great wonder of the conduct of Israel per mare through the sea of which I have formerly spoken at large and now remaineth that we search the reason why this one speciall miracle is here again repeated That is Because this was the greatest miracle of power and mercy Reas 1 which made the name of God glorious amongst all nations and the fame whereof was furthest spread abroad in the world for never was the like heard of before or since Yet I will not conceal from you that Josephus writing this story of the division of the sea for the passage of Israel to give it the more credite Ne quis discredat verbo miraculi doth report a like wonder Antiquit 2 cap. 14. that God intending by Alexander the Great to destroy the Persian Kingdom did open the like passage through the Pamphilian sea to Alexander and his army he addeth Id quod omnes testantur that which all do witness who wrote the story of Alexanders conquests Quintus Curtius who writeth of purpose the life and acts and death of Alexander saith no more of it but this Mare novum itur in Pamphiliam aperuerat which being ascribed to Alexander himself doth declare it no miraculous passage But Strabo cleereth it thus that this sea was no other then such as we have within our own land which we call Washes wherein the sea forsaketh the sands at an ebbe and leaveth them bare and passable on foot or horse-back and he saith that Alexander passed his army through these washes but being belated the waters returned upon them before they could recover the shoare of Pamphilia ut toâ—o die itur faceret in mare umbilico tenus Therefore Josephus was ill advised to parallel this passage with the Israel passage through the red sea seeing there were so many disparisons and whereas he seemed to labour to give credit to Moses his history by this unlike example he rather blemished the glory of this superadmirable miracle There is not any of the great wonders that God wrought for Israel so often remembred in Scripture as this is and where the Spirit of God so often fixeth our eyes and thoughts wee shall do evill to take them of Moses biddeth Israel remember this miracle of their passage Deut. 11.4 What God did to the army of Aegypt
unto their horses and their chariots how hee made the water of the Rea Sea to over-flow them Rahab could tell the Spies Josh â— 11.12 We have heard how the Lord dryed up the water of the Red Sea for you Assoon as we heard our hearts did melt neither did there remain any courage in any man because of you Thy way is in the Sea and thy path in the great waters Ps 77.19 and thy footsteps are not seen Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron Verse 20. Therefore it is a fabulous relation of Paulus Orosius who reporteth it as an addition to this wonder that the trace of the Chariot wheels was in his days to be seen on the sands of the Red Sea at every ebbe and that if they were defaced yet they renewed again But David saith that the footsteps of this passage were not seen and we need not add any thing to the miracles of God to make them more miraculous David again remembreth it saying He divided the Sea and caused them to passe thorough Psal 78.13 53. and hee made the waters to stand on an heap The Sea over-whelmed their enemies He rebuked the Red Sea also and it was dryed up Ps 106.9 so he led them thorough the depths as through a Wilderness The waters covered their enemies so that there was not one of them left When Israel came out of Aegypt Ps 114.1.3.5 c. The Sea saw that and fled What ailed thee ô Sea that thou fleddest He divided the Red Sea into parts Ps 136.13 Verse 15. â— He overthrew Pharach and his hoast in the Red Sea Art not thou it that hath dryed up the Sea Isai 51.10 the waters of the great deep that hath made the depths of the Sea a way for the ransomed to pass over Many more are the mentions of this miracle in the book of God and here we finde it in this Psalme doubly repeated Which teacheth us that Gods extraordinary mercies must be often remembred Doct. For we must consider our God two wayes 1 Quà Deus as God and so he is to be worshipped cultu latriae propter Deum for his own sake though we could live without him Though he do hide his face from us and heap up his judgments on us as Job saith Job 7.20 though he maketh us as his mark to shâ—ot at though all his arrows do stick fast in us 2 Quà benefactor as a benefactor and that also two ways 1 Propter opus providentiae for his work of providence whereby he is to us a gratious God and merciful father taking his Church to himself and gathering it under his wings shielding it against the Sun by day and against the Moon by night 2 Propter opera privilegiata for his priviledged works especially favours of mercie quando non facit taliter For the first all our life especially the Sabbath is designed to the worship and service of God for the same the second of his extraordinary works doth exact of us singular commemoration by themselves and therefore Abulensis saith Omnia festa quae Deus instituit observanda à Judaeis fiebant ad recordationem beneficiorum ejus Now the school saith well that latria is not totaliter determinata to these or these times or ceremonies or occasions but that we may worship God alwayes quà Deus as God upon speciall occasions quà Benefactor as Benefactor And so the Jews kept the memoriall of their deliverance from Egypt in their anniversary celebration of the Passeover and of their dwelling in tents in the feast of Tabernacles And of their deliverance from Haman in their feast of Purim And the Germane Protestants do keep a Christian Jubilee every 50 year for their deliverance from the darknesse of Popery and their ejection of the Pope Wherein our Church as much beholding to God for the same benefit as they doth come short of them in matter of thankfulnesse to God for the expulsion of that man of sin from us We have three Commemorations enjoyned us by high authority the one is ortus auspicia so of all it was called the initium regni the beginning of the reigne of our Sovereign whom God sent to settle the religion and peace with his glorious predecessour Queen Elizabeth had so happily and so valiantly brought in and mainteined during her whole reign and by the providence of God we enjoy it to this day Another is the remembrance of his Majesties deliverance from the treason of the Gowries in Scotland before his reign here as it were his reserving of him for us The third is the commemoration of the admirable goodnesse of God to our land in the bloudy treason of the Papists the mortall enemies of our religion and peace in their powder-plot But this often remembrance of the mercy of God to Israel in the red sea upbraids our forgetfulnesse of that 88 sea mercy which God shewed to our land in our deliverance from the Spanish intended invasion in the times of hostility between Spain and England and though the established peace between these two Kingdomes have laid aside open wars yet let God be no loser in the glory due to his name for that deliverance I will adde another reason Reas 2 why this passage of Israel through the red sea is so oft remembred in Scripture twice in this Psalme of Habakkuk which I gather from the Apostle St. Paul Moreover Brethren I would not have you ignorant 1 Cor. 1â— â— how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea And were all baptized unto Moses in the sea Ver. 2. and in the cloud For this was memorable not onely in the history of the thing done but in the mystery also of the signification thereof You see by this Apostle that this is a memorable thing and he would not have us ignorant of it if we know it he would not have us forget it there is continual use of it in the Church even so long as baptisme continueth therein For that is the scope of the Apostle in the beginning of that Chapter to shew that the Church of the Jews as they had Sacraments of their own Circumcision and the Lords Passeover so had they types and figures of our two Sacraments also The type and representation of our Baptisme was their passage through the red sea The type of our Lords Supper was the water out of the rock and Manna But they and we do all receive the same spirituall meat and drink that is Christ So that this passage over the red sea doth figure our Baptisme here is Moses the Minister of the Sacrament here are Israelites the receivers of it and here is water the element and the cloud the sign of Gods presence here is Israel that is the persons baptized preserved in these waters and here is King Pharoah and his hoasts that is Satan and our hereditary
judgments they are For Reas 2 1 he is so quick sighted to discerne our sins that he seeth all nothing can be hidden from him but all lyeth open and naked to his sight 2 Hee is so wise to weigh the sins that we commit putting into the scales the incitements and temptations the circumstances of time person place number even the very affection wherewith sin is committed 3 He is so just as not to impute more sin to us then we have committed not to abate any of that we have mis-done 4 He is so holy as not to abide or appear the least evill for he is a God that hateth iniquity 5 He is so powerfull as to avenge it with his judgment and he hath all sorts of instruments of vengeance to punish sinne 6 He is Ubiquitarie as that no remove can avoyd him his presence filleth all places 7 He is so true of his word that heaven and earth shall passe but no part of his Word shall fail till all be fulfilled 8 He is one that cannot repent of any thing that he peremptorily decreeth All these things do declare that there is great cause to fear when he threatneth The Apostle teacheth us the use of this point Vse Româ— 3.3 wilt thou not then be afraid of the power do that which is good then shall thou have praise of the same This is the way to make us seek the face of God the first sinners fled from the presence of God behind the trees in the garden Adam confessed to God Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid A good life is a good fence against fear Solomon saith the righhteous is bold as a lyon Perfect love casteth out fear for perfect love is â—â—e fâ—â—filling of the law where our love falleth short there fear filleth the empty and void room The voyce of the Lord is comfortable and his words are sweet to those that fear him he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Psal 85.8 But let them not turn again to folly So David resolves there I will hear what the Lord will speak It is a plain sign that all is not well with us when the voyce of God doth cast us into fear when we are afraid to hear the Word preached when just reproofs of our sins are unwelcome to us and anger us and make us think the worse of our Minister that chideth and threatneth us A good life and a well governed conversation doth not fear the voyce of God the Word of God is the light which God hath set up in his Church to guide her feet in the wayes of peace they that do evill hate the light and will not come neer it lest their-works should be reproved the children of the light resort to it and call upon God search my reins and my heart and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me This fear of the Church is not joyned either with obstinacy against God or murmuring at his judgments or despair of his mercy it is that fear which is one of the effects of a godly sorrow and it is one of the documents to true repentance it is the hammer and mallet of God wherewith he bruiseth us and breaketh us that we may be truly humbled under his almighty hand it is that fear which the spirit of bondage suggesteth which is not a grace of God in us Rom. 8.15 but a punishment of God upon us and we would fain be without it it is the fear of servants and not of sons yet God useth it as a means to bring us home to him again when we like sheep have gone astray and therefore the prodigall to re-enter himself into his fathers house prayed fac me unum ex mercenariis make me as one of thy hired servants it may be that fear which in the school is called Initialis which re-entreth us into the service of God and keepeth us in awe it is ut ilis but not sufficiens and we would be glad to be delivered out of it that we might serve God without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse For so the Apostle doth recompt it a favour to the Romans Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption 2 The fear it self This fear was great both in the inward man and in the outward it was that fear of which David spake to God saying of the heathen put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men And David himself was soundly shaken with it as his complaint sheweth My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments Psal 119.120 And we finde the best of the faithfull servants of God subject to this fear and it is cleer in my text that it may be joyned with faith For after this cold fit of fear you shall see the faith of the Church to quicken it again The elect of God are shaken with fear 1 Because they are great Students in the Law of God Doct. Reas 1 for that is a speciall mark of a righteous man he doth exercise himself in the Law of God day and night And wheresoever the law is wisely understood and applyed rightly there fear doth arise for so long as we are under the Law we are under a School-master and as the Apostle doth say a child differeth very little from a servant you know when a young man came to Christ to ask him the way to heaven Christ referred him to the Law and the keeping thereof That is our first lesson it follows so in the mission of our Redeemer he was made of a woman made subject to the Law The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt and you may note it in the parable of the good Mr. in the gospel 1 He called his servant to accompt and cast up the debt 2 Then he put him to it to pay it 3 When he saw him willing but unable then he forgave it God calleth us by the light of the Law by the sight of our sins our sins are debts when we see them how can we choose but together vvith them behold the danger of them and the vvrath due to them this cannot be done vvithout fear even great horrour and dejection The thief that vvas converted upon the crosse when he had but a little time he made an example of great mercy the onely example in all the Book of God of so late a conversion yet in that short time he began at the Lavv of God and said to his fellovv We indeed are justly punished for we receive the due rewards of our deeds Lu. 2341. And after that he sought grace this Lavv vvas the Schoolmaster that brought him to Christ saying Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome for Until we compare our selves with the law of righteousness we cannot know how unjust wee are and what need we
tellus these trees do not grow in all lands our land though rich and plenteous is no fit soil for these trees They served for food and they are of speciall note for in the parable of Jotham When the trees went to choose them a King â—â—dg 9.8 they came first to the olive tree and said reign thou over us they went next to the fig-tree and then to the vine The Olive saith shall I leave my fatnesse wherewith by me they honour God and man The fig-tree saith should I forsake my sweetnesse and my good fruit The vine saith should I leave my wine which cheareth God and man You see of how excellent use these fruits were two of them used in the speciall service of God Oil and Wine and often is the Land of Canaan praised for fruitfulnesse in respect of these trees growing there which every soil doth not yield they are all of excellent use both for food and medicine and David saith of Wine that it maketh glad the heart of man of Oile that it maketh him have a cheerfull countenance The failing of these which the soil did naturally bring forth doth shew that God had called in his blessing which he gave to that land for the true nature of every soil is the Word of Gods blessing which once called in a fruitfull land is made barren and a populous countrey is soon turned into a desert But this is not all not onely God will smite the land in these excellent fruits which are for food but as Jeremie threatneth They shall cut down the choice Cedars Jer. 22.7 and cast them into the fire trees for building The reason whereof we may finde in the first of our parents Reason who no sooner had sinned but God accursed the earth for their sakes So that we may say as the Church doth in this Psalme Was thy wrath against the trees of the land that thou smotest them not so but against the sins and sinners of the land This further appeareth in the common ground for it followeth the fields shall yield no meat Bread is the staffe of life God threatneth to break the staffe of bread So he bad Ezechiel prophecy Son of man I will break the staffe of bread in Jerusalem Ezâ—k 4.16 and they shall eat their bread by weight and with care God hath many ways to perform this judgment either by taking away his blessing from the earth that it shall not bring forth bread for the use of man Thus he maketh a fruitfull land barren or he can hold in the early and the later rain that it shall not fall to moisten the earth as in the time of Aggaeus the Prophet Ye looked for much and lo Ag. 1 9 10 it came too little The heaven over you is staied from dew and the earth under you is staied from her fruit Yea God when he pleaseth can drown the fruits of the earth with too much rain and destroy the crop and when he hath shewed us plenty upon the ground hee can deceive the hope of the husbandman and make a thin harvest When we have gathered in our crop he can blow upon it and destroy it in the barn he hath his judgments in store ready to be executed upon sinners We have tasted of this rod for how did God crown the former year with plenty and how unthankfully was it entertained of many what complaint did we hear of the cheapness of Corn not able to yield the rackt rents of their ground to the labouring husbandmen to satisfie the greedy Landlord And God heard from heaven how heavy his plentifull hand was to many and he hath since shut it up and turned our plenty into dearth and now he heareth another cry of the poor their labours will scarce give them bread to eat Yet another woe the cattell fail both in the fields and in the stals fat and lean beasts the enemy destroyeth them and the barrenness of the land affordeth them no food when God gave man Lordship over all sheep and Oxen and over all the beasts of the field he did not devolve his prerogative dominion upon man but reserved his royall supremacy over them and a power of resumption that if man neglected his service these creatures in their kinds should fail him You behold in this whole passage a miserable face of a land with which God is fallen out the very foil is accursed for the peoples sakes the people either perish by the sword or go into captivity or tarrie to serve the enemy in the land The full Cities the glorious buildings therein either demolisht and laid even with the ground or inhabited by strangers You have heard before what sins have brought these evils upon this pleasant land Corruption in common conversation between man and man Corruption in religion and the service of God Corruption administration of Justice And so free as our land is from these sins so far are these judgments off from us But if either the present times or times to come are or shall be guilty of these heinous sins I think we may boldly say that God is holy now as ever he was to hate them and the committers of them and as wise as ever he was to discern them and as just as ever he was to punish them We know that these sins carried Gods people into a strange land where they had not the heart to sing the songs of the Lord. God best knows why but we see a great part of the Protestant reformed Church at this time bleeding under the sword or flying from the hand or standing upon their guard against the power of strong opposition and by the mercy of God we are lookers on and their smart is not yet shared amongst us but if Canaan were thus smitten both in the soil and fruit and beasts thereof and most in the inhabitants of it If our brethren professours with us of the same Religion do in our dayes suffer so many vexations we had need study holinesse of life and put more fire into our zeal of Religion and make the ballance of Justice even lest we drink of the same cup of bitternesse The Jews returned again to their land from their captivity they had the face of it renewed they had their Temple rebuilt Religion re-planted and then they relapsed to their former sins and in Christs time Christ was bound and Barrabaâ— was set loose And not long after the Jews went into a dispersion wherein they have continued almost one thousand six hundred years God be mercifull to us to preserve us from their sins and from their punishments that our trees may bring forth their blossoms and their fruits in their seasons that our land may bring forth encrease that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no invasion no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets Amen Amen Verse 18 Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord Hâ—b 3.18 I will joy in the God of
in sicknesse on the bride-bed on the death-bed always Quest But have not the Saints of God on this earth their sorrows do they not bear forth their seed weeping do they not sow in tears do they not feel heavinesse for the night is it not a true word Tribulus est qui non est tribulatus Was not Davids soul heavy within him did not Hezechiah tast of bitternesse of soul when he chattered as a swallow did not this very Church of the Jews in Babylon sit down by the rivers of water when they remembred Sion Did they not hang up thâ—ir harps upon the willows or could they sing the song of the Lord in a strange land True Sol. and yet all these who found such cause of mourning in themselves and exprest so much grief to others yet rejoyced in the Lord always I deny not that their cup was bitternesse yet had they sweet fruits of spirituall joy even in the midst of sorrows for as David saith They did rejoyce in trembling Optime dictum est exultate contra miseriam optimè additum est cum tremore August contra presumptionem quia tremor est sanctificationis custodia see this in the Apostle who expresseth the life of a Christian well As unknown 2 Co 6 9. and yet known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed As sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing as poor and yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Which words though neither Mr. Calvine nor Beza in their Commentaries have vouchsafed so much as a note upon them yet are they an holy riddle to flesh and bloud and both these have brought forth their light in much fairer weather Aquinas cleareth this darknesse well for he sheweth that temporall things have but the resemblance and appearance of good and evill they have no true existence and substance of them and therefore they are brought in with a tanquam as for as the Apostle saith we are tanquam ignoti as unknown c. tanquam castigati tanquam dolentes But Gods spirituall favours are reall we are known not tanquam noti as known we rejoyce not tanquam dolentes as sorrowing For the light affliction which is but for a moment trouble them and he speaketh of them rather as they appear to others then as they do feel themselves or of them rather in some crazy fits of distraction then in the constant uniformity of their true health And I deny not but the dearest of Gods Saints here on earth have their sudden qualms and their agonizing pangs and convulsions even such as do sometimes shake their very faith as you have seen in this Church of the Jews that make their bellies and bowels without them to tremble and their lips to quiver and themselves to fear within themselves but when they remember Jesus Christ the authour and finisher of their faith saying to them Eccè ego sum vobiscum ad finem saeculi behold I am with you to the end this reneweth the face of the earth and puts new life into them and quickeneth them for how can they want any thing habent enim omnia qui habent habentem omnia for they have all who have him that hath all for he that gave us his son how could he not together with him give us all things I hear St. Ambrose thus comforted upon his death bed Non ita vixi inter vos ut me pudeat vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum Dominum habemus for it is a true rule poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet Another note to distinguish this joy in the Lord from all other joys is the fulnesse and exuberancy of it 2 Signe for it is more joy then if corn and wine and oile encreased else what needed the Apostle having said Rejoyce in the Lord always to adde And again I say Rejoyce what can be more then always but still adding to the fulnesse of our joy till our cup do overflow This is that measure which the Apostle doth so comfortably speak of which is both full and pressed down and heaped and running over for it is still growing and encreasing like the waters in Ezekiels vision from the ancles to the loins to the chin over head and ears for waders for swimmers for saylers Upon working days rejoyce in the Lord who giveth thee strength to labour and feedeth thee with the labour of thy hands on holy days rejoyce in the Lord who feasteth thee with the marrow and fatnesse of his house In plenty rejoyce again and again because the Lord giveth in want rejoyce because the Lord taketh away and as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe This poor distressed Church being in deportation and feeling the heavy burthen of affliction yet it found comfort in the Lord. Jerusalem remembred in the days of her affliction Lam. 1.7 and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old And this joy was quickened with hope of the favour of God to be shewed to them even till their joy did swell into extasie as David expresseth it When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion then were we like them that dream Then was our mouth filled with laughter Psal 126.1 and our tongne with singing Therefore is the joy of the ungodly comparâ—â—â— to a candle which spends it self to the snuffe Job 18.5 and goeth out in a stench and evill savour for the very name of the wicked shall rot but to the just Isai 58.8 saith God Thy light shall break forth as the morning this begins in obscurity and groweth more and more till the Sun rising and yet groweth till the noon day that is also promised the just Thy light shall rise in obscurity Verse 10. and thy darknesse shall be as the noon day he expoundeth himself Thou shalt be as a watered garden Verse 11. and like a spring of water whose waters fail not Therefore it is said of the just that they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing and this is To shew that the Lord is upright that he is our rock and that there is no unrighteousnesse in him For his word is gone out his promise is past to his Church he will neither deny it nor reverse it to comfort them with all spirituall consolation for he is the God of all consolation not of some onely 2 The ground of this joy wherein consider 1 The main The Lord is the God of her salvation 2 The Lord is her strength 3 The Lord will perform two great mercies to her 1 He will make her fect like hindes feet 2 He will make her walk upon her high places 1 Under the title of Salvation I comprehend not onely corporall and spirituall but eternall salvation also 2 Under the name of strength I understand the whole mercy of supportation by which God doth preserve them
in their deportation and return 3 Under the title of Hindes feet I contein the mercy of expedition whereby they are delivered from their captivity in Babylon 4 Under the title of walking upon high places the mercy of restitution to their own land and of constitution and establishing of them in their land The just live and are supported by faith apprehending these full mercies 1 Of Salvation The Church of God hath need of salvation and therefore great cause to rejoyce in it 1 In respect of her spirituall enemies for your adversary the Devill goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking to devour saith the Apostle These spirituall enemies do assault the Church 1 Out of their own malignity and envy to man and to this purpose the powers and principalities of darknesse do go always armed both with temptations to corrupt them and with fiery darts of provocations to destroy them for this it is that Satan goeth and cometh to survey the earth and to pry and search where he may fasten any hold where he may gripe so St. Bernard saith Hostes indefessi nos assiduè oppugnant modò apertè modò fraudulentèr he gives this reason Invidet humano generi quia praevidet horum Deum futurum 2 By way of commission for God doth employ Devils in the Church amongst his holy ones both for probation of their faith for exercise of their patience for preservation of them in humility for punishment of their sin for sweetning to them the hopes and quickening their desires of a better life and for the polishing and burnishing of their example that others that be lookers on may know before hand that this life to a just man is militia a warfare and they that will joyn with the Church must know before they put their hand to the plough what hazards they must run lest they look back and make their sin more then it was by apostasie departing away from the living God It is cleer in Jobs example that Satan had commission from God himself to try the faith and love and patience and humility of Job and to make him an example And as clear it is which the Psalmist saith of Isratl when they started aside from God Psal 78.21 that a fire was kindled in Jacob and anger came up against Israel and in these executions God doth uphold the ministery and service of evill angels as he did against his enemies the Egyptians of whom it is so said He cast upon them the fiercenesse of his wrath Verse 49. anger and indignation and trouble by sending evill angels amongst them St. Paul confesseth that least he should be too much exalted with that Metaphysicall rapture above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 There was given me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure Thus in respect of spirituall enemies without us we have need of a salvation the rather because our own corruptions within us are false to us and ready to joyn with Satan against us 2 In respect of humane opposition for the regiment and Kingdom of Christ is thus assigned to him Be thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies David doth well expresse this For they have consulted together with one consent Psal 83.5 they are confederate against thee The tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarenes Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have hâ—lpen the children of Lot Here is no mention of this sweeping broom of Babylon that comes in the Reer of this march and carrieth them clean away Christendom hath for many years suffered from the Turke whose invasions encroach upon the bounds thereof and gain ground of it daily And even within our selves the Pope and all the friends of his Hierarchie do hate and persecute so much of the true Protestant Church as they either can or dare attempt and the earth hath nothing to shew more bloudy and cruell then the Spanish Inquisition nothing more cunning and dangerously plotting then the society of Jesuits so that in respect of humane opposition there is great need of a salvation 3 In respect of the punishments deserved for sin for what Nation hath so kept in their sins to themselves that wee have not found means to impart them even into the Church Solomon could not take a wife out of Egypt but his wisdom proved too weak a fence against the temptation to Idolatry Nehemiah presseth this example Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet among many Nations was there not a King like him who was beloved of his God and God made him King over all Israel nevertheless even him did out-landish women cause to sin The children of Israel could not eat of the fat and fruits of the land of Goshen to relieve their famine but they were mingled with the Egyptians and learned their works and worshipped their gods Therefore in regard of their many and great sins they needed salvation These sins endangered their heavenly hopes for the wages thereof is death This Doctrine may turn to great profit to us 1 If wee apply our selves to the means Vsâ— by which wee may apprehend this salvation For this generall apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ which the most part of common professors trust to will never justifie any man in the sight of God except 1 He be by the law of God brought to a sight and sense to a confession and acknowledgment of all his sins 2 To a true sorrow and mortification of the flesh for them 3 To a serious deprecation of the wrath of God due to them in the justice of God 4 To amendment of life ruled and governed by the holy Word of God rightly understood 5 To a faithfull application of the sufficient merits of Jesus Christ to our selves which faith doth so root and ground us in Christ that wee become one with him so that wee may lay the burthen of our sins upon him and put the robe of his holy righteousness upon us For so doing we may rejoyce in our salvation as his free gift to us and as our full acquitall and discharge from all our sins before God So that the ignorant person that liveth in darkness not knowing the mystery of his salvation And the blinded Papist who trusteth either to the power of his own free will or to the merit of his own works or righteousnesse or to the mediation of Saints and Angels or the mother of our Lord to propitiate on his behalf or that trusteth to the Popes indulgence and pardon of all his sins Or that believeth to have salvation by the dispensation of the Church treasure the supererogate works of over-doers that have done more then the Law of God hath required of them Also the unconscionably prophane that go on in their sins without check of the inward man their hearts never smiting them for that
we consider with what coarse fare and little rest and mean apparell the labouring man doth passe through great labour we cannot but acknowledge that experience hath sealed this doctrine that God is the strength of man for man layeth on load upon man and they that live at ease feel not the burthens that they do lay upon their brethren God is our strength in eo quod patimur in that we suffer for could we fore-think our selvs able to bear that sorrow and misery which captivity and war doth bring upon us do you not hear some say they cannot eat such and such meat they cannot rise early they cannot brook the air their tender flesh cannot endure any hardnesse Can such endure to spend their whole time in praysing the goodnesse of God toward them for his great mercy that he putteth them not to it to try what they can suffer let them hear the Prophet Jeremie complain The pretious sons of Sion comparable to fine gold Lam. 4.2 how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils The women fed on their own aborrements and did eat their own unripe fruit children of a span long Lam. 2.20 Such as were so tender that they could scarce endure to touch the ground of the street with the soals of their shoes even to such God sent word that Her own feet should carry her a far off to sojourn When it shall please God to turn the wheel of providence and to set Princes and high persons in the rank of common men in the condition of miserable and distressed men tender hands will learn to labour and God will give strength The ordinary the extraordinary the outward the inward the expected the sodain calamities of life are manifold to bear them all with patience to digest them with cheerfulnesse to turn them into the nourishment of our faith and hope this is the strength of the Lord in us our soul would soon grow weary of them if God did not establish our hearts for the sense of evils incumbent and the fear of evils ingruent would soon distract and distemper us if the strength of the Lord did not sustein us This doctrine which informeth us whence we have our strength Vse directeth us also in the use of it for so God himself hath taught us Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Deut 6.5 with all thy soul with all thy might We must put our whole strength to his service Luk. 10.27 and to the obedience of his Law All other use of our strength for this life is subordinate to this for they mistake their own creation that think they were made for themselves and employ their wits and time and strength to support to adorn and to make pleasant and easie this temporall life of ours Christ saith that this love of our God must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all our strength Some abuse their strength to oppression and spoil to wrong their brethren so Babylon is called the hammer of the whole earth for God did use these Chaldaeans as the rods of his fury to punish the transgressing nations but there came a time when this hammer was cut asunder and broken How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations Jer. 50.23 I have laid a snare for thee and thou art also taken O Babylon and thou wast not aware thou art found and also taken because thou hast striven against the Lord. Let the oppressours of their brethren consider this the snare of God is full of danger for it hath three dangers in it 1 To catch suddenly thou wast not aware 2 To hold fast thou art taken 3 To destroy for they that are taken in the snare of God are at his mercy in his power Vpon the wicked Psal 11.6 he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Some give their strength to women and by unchast and lewd conversation weaken those bodies and defile the Temples of God where Gods holy spirit should dwell It was the advice which Batsheba the mother of Solomon gave to her beloved Lemuel and she putteth it home in a mothers holy passion What my son and what the son of my womb Prov. 31.2 and what the son of my vows Give not thy strength to women nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth Kings It seemeth that Solomon had taken out his mothers lesson for he giveth all that fear God warning to take heed of the strange woman for he saith She hath cast down many wounded Prov. 7.26 yea many strong men have beea slain by her Her house is the way of hell going down to the chambers of death Some give their strength to drunkennesse they have a woe for their labour Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning Isai 5.11 that they may follow strong drink that continue till night till wine enflame them Some give their strength to covetousnesse some to pride some to their bellies some wast and consume their strength in idlenesse God gave them not their strength to any of these evill ends It is his strength that they abuse and he calleth for all of it in his service Me thinks the Apostle doth plead for God very reasonably and therein he teacheth us to try our selves whether we be innocent or faulty in this As you have yielded your members servants to uncleannesse 〈◊〉 6 1◠and to imquity to iniquity so now yield your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse It is unreasonable when God desireth but the same service done to him that made and preserveth us and would save us that we give to Satan who goeth about like a roaring lyon to destroy us and it is a good way between God and conscience to try our hearts whether we have done our God the right that we should do him in our strength for have we had as great delight in the Bible and have we read that with as much diligence as we have read other books of delight and pleasure have we heard the Word with as much attention and profit as we have heard other vain and wanton tales have we bestowed as many private hours in prayer as we have done in game Have we as much delighted in the Lords Supper the souls feast as we have done in the feasts and banquets of the body Nay have we not usurped some of Gods day for our temporall businesse and neglected the Church assembly and the ministery of the word to eat and drink and game and sleep take our ease would we have done so if some comand from some superiour powers had comanded us any speciall service This is the way to try us surely we have not given our whole strength to the Lord if