the Prophet will give God no rest till he heare and answer for the Prayer of the just if it be fervent prevaileth with God zeale is an holy fire the flame of it ascendeth to heaven and penetrateth all the passages till it come to God Cold and perfunctory devotions intermitted and given over do not prevaile with God they please him best that use most violence for the kingdome of heaven suffereth violence 3. Vnto thee he directeth his prayers aright for Baals Priests may cry from morning to night may cut and lance their flesh and make many signes of zeale and earnest importunity without successe because their God heareth not his eyes see not his ears hear not his hands handle not there is no breath in his mouth to give them answer But the cry of the Prophet went up to God who beholdeth ungodlinesse and wrong that he may take the matter into his own hand Thus farre we have seen what the Apostle did 1. He cried 2. He cryed loud 3. To God 2. What cause had he to cry For violence this is fully and largely exprest in the second part of his contestation with God ver 3 4. I therefore only observe here two things 1. That he complained not without great provocation for violence was Gods own complaint and quarrel against the old world The earth is full of violence Gen. 6.13 and behold I will destroy them with the earth It was Gods quarrel against Edom for thy violence against thy brother Iacob shame shall cover thee Obad. 10. and thou shalt be cut off for ever 2. We consider where this violence was not of Esau against Iacob but of Iacob against Iacob as Isaiah describeth it Every man eating the flesh of his own arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh Isa 9. ult and both of them against Judah Civil and Domestick warres in the bosome of the Church grievances and vexations one of another these differences it is likely that the Prophets had laboured to compound and used all meanes to settle Peace there but it appeareth that they prevailed not therefore he complaineth 3. With what Successe 1. Thou wilt not hear the Cry of the Prophet was to awaken the Iustice of God to chasten his People for this violence for so desperate was the disease of the Church that they needed the sharpest Physick to heal it even the rod of God to correct them Yet God is so slow to wrath and so long-suffering that he would not hearken to the voice of his Prophets as yet to pull his hand out of his bosome though they said with David It is time for thee Lord to put to thine hand 2. Thou wilt not save 1. Thou wilt not succour them that suffer violence against the hand of their oppressours as his not hearing is to be imputed to his mercy and patience so his not saving is to be imputed either to his wisedome putting his children to the trial of their faith by afflictions or to his Justice making one of them who have corrupted their wayes a rod to scourge the other neither of them being as yet worth the saving till he had humbled them The text thus cleared the doctrines which grow upon this stemme and first branch of the Prophets contestation are these 1. That the weapons wherewith the holy servants of God do fight against sinne are their Prayers to God 2. That one necessary ingredient in our Prayers is earnestnesse and importunity 3. That the zeal of Gods glory and the love of Peace cannot dispense with tumule and combustion in the Church of God 4. That God sometimes suspendeth the desired successe of the earnest Prayers of his most faithful servants when they do pray according to his will and doth not heare them by and by Of the first of these first 1. Doctr. The weapons wherewith the holy servants of God do fight against sin is their Prayers I find that this People to whom God had sent his Prophets rising early and sending them were grown incorrigible and therefore even the Prophets that loved them and wished them well having no other way to reform them were now put to it to pray against their violence to God They that had wont to stand in the gap to turn away ingruent judgements do take such offence at their ungodlinesse that they are put to it to pray to God against them Thus Ioseph carried the evil report of his brethren to his father and made them to be shent wherein he did a brotherly office to seek their Reformation The spleen of Habakkuk is not against the Persons of his brethren they are not so much as named here he cryeth out of violence And so Saint Paul saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men David did thus in a case of violence Psal 109.3 4. They compassed me about with words of hatred and fought against me without cause For my love they are mine adversaries but I give my selfe unto Prayer Ego oro Quaere How doth it stand with the rules of charity to complain to God of our brethren and to stirre up his indignation against them Sol. I confesse that this asketh an especial tendernesse in the servants of God for to begin here without using other means to reclaim our offending brother may shake the walles of our charity and may accuse us of want of love therefore all those ways of charity must be first tried as to admonish privately or not speeding so joyn another with thy self in the private chiding of his sinne after failing to communicate the matter to the Church If all these supports which we do owe to our brother will not keep him up then let him be as an heathen and then is Davids Prayer in season Let the heathen know that they are but men But in my text here was the body of the Church diseased the members parts of the body in armes one against another only some few of Gods holy servants lived with grief in their righteous souls to behold the ungodly conversation of men nefariously wicked and carelesse of religion therfore what other way was left them but that of David I will yet pray against their wickednesse take away their ungodlinesse and thou shalt find none The Prophets and Seers of former times have had speciall Revelations of the Will of God concerning the ungodly of the earth whereby they might as boldly use imprecation as deprecation or supplication We that come short of their measure of the spirit must not dare to go to the farthest extent of their liberty in Prayer to pray against our brethren only thus farre we may with Habakkuk cry out unto God and make our moan to him for violence 1. Committing our cause and the care of our safety unto him as to a faithful Creator and so the care and safety of our brethren 2. Desiring God to bring to an end the wickednesse of the ungodly and
let every soul submit it selfe Let no man let not a confederacie of men seditiously and maliciously advance themselves against the Lords annointed hand off offer him violence use not the tongue to curse him use not the pen against him to libel him Curse him not in thy heart touch him no noxious and offensive way and if subordinate Magistrates do let wrong judgement proceed appeal from them to him that sitteth on the Throne of Iustice who doth drive away all evil with his eye If he will not do thee right go in the Prophet Habakkuks way wrastle with God by thy prayers and make thy complaint to him He heareth the complaint of the poore 2. He complaineth and chideth with God for shewing him all this iniquity and violence Vid. sup p. 36. Doctr. From whence we are taught It is lawful in our Prayers to expostulate and contest with God Habakkuk goeth farre in this you have heard Jerome saith Nullus Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum provocare Yet we shall find that others have gone very farre this way David for one My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me Psal 22.1 and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day but thou hearest me not and in the night season I am not silent And he professeth it I will say unto God Psal 42.9 My rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I a mourning because of the oppression of the enemy David is very frequent in these expostulations so is holy Job so is Jeremie and both these are very much overgone in passion and therefore examples rather of weaknesse which we must decline then rules of direction to imitate St. Paul doth give us good warrant for this wrastling with God it is his very phrase Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God He useth a word that signeth such striving as is in trying of mastery who shall have the best And Jacob is a type hereof who wrestled with the Angel till the break of the day and though he got a lamenesse by striving with his over-match yet would he not let him go till he had gotten a blessing Representing the fervent petitioners that come to God in the name of Christ as the woman of Canaan did for her daughter neither the Disciples nor Christ could make her turne aside or be silent But here is a Quaere for the Apostle doth say Quer. Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that replyest against God When once God hath declared himself in any thing how daâ—e we call him to accompt and aske him a reason for any thing he doth And again the Prophet Isay saith Isa 45.9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Further is it not contrarie to that petition in the Lords Prayer Fiat voluntas tua For doth not the Prophet declare here a dislike of that which God did as seeming to wish it had been otherwise when he asketh why dost thou shew me iniquity and make me to behold violence The best way to clear this doubt Sol. is to behold this passion in some chosen servant of God and see what he makes of it we will take David for our example and let us hear him first complaining and then answering for himself his complaint is passionate Will the Lord cast off for ever Psal 77.7 and will hee be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Vers 8 doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Vers 8. hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies He recovereth himself saying And I said Vers 10. this is mine infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Surely there be infirmities in the Saints of God and this expostulation with God is an effect of infirmity Yet shall you see that this doth no way weaken the doctrine before delivered that it is lawfull to expostulate with God in our prayers The infirmities of Gods servants are of two sorts 1. Naturall 2. Sinfull We must so destinguish for when Christ took our nature into the unity of his person with it he took upon him all our infirmities but not our sinfull ones For he was like man in all things but sin Three especially are noted in the story of the Gospel that is to say Sorrow Fear Anger 1. Sorrow for he wept and mourned 2. Fear for he was heard in that he feared 3. Anger for he did often chide and reprove These affections be naturall and so long as they be affections they are without blame when they exubrate and grow into perturbations then they are faulty For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inclination and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inflammation of nature God who in creation gave these affections to nature hath not denyed us the use of them yea he hath ordained them as excellent helps for his work of grace in us Therefore we find fear mingled with faith to keep it from swelling into presumption that fear is not a sin in the Elect as some weak consciences ignorantly mistake it but it is Cos fidei the whetstone of faith to give it the more edge As in that complaint of David My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where the first part of that complaint is vox fidei the voice of faith My God my God the second is vox timoris the voice of fear quare me direliquisti and we say fear is a good keeper it makes us lay so much the faster hold on God by faith Yea it is a warning to us to avoyd any thing that may do us hurt The wise-man feareth and departeth from evill Pro. 14.16 Sometimes we find fear mingled with joy as for example When the Lord brought again the captivity of Sion Ps 126.1 we were like them that dream They were overcome with joy for their deliverance and restitution and yet they felt withall a fear that it was too good to be true and doubted that it was but a dream We do not receive any good newes but before the hearing of it we fear Luk. 1.13 the Angel that appeared to Zecharie the Preist found him afraid The Angel that came to the Virgin Mary found her afraid so did he that brought the newes of the birth of Christ to the shepheards for all men know that we have no cause to expect any newes from heaven wee are so evill and sinfull And although the comforts of God do remove that fear for a time yet God would not have it quite extinguished in us for the Prophet biddeth us Serve the Lord with fear Psal 2.11 and rejoyce with trembling And the Apostle doth bid us too workout our salvation
to some persons left behind to the wo she was made an example of present calamity and turned into a pillar of salt Therefore remember Lots wife for terrour to strike fear in thee that thou sin not least thou be smitten so soon as thou hast offended this to prevent sin 2. That such as sin and find not the present wrath of God avenging sin may make use of that patience of God to repent least a lingring judgment be but the whetting of a sword to a sharper cutting when it cometh For the remissenesse of God doth not proceed from any respect of Persons nor from a liking of any kind of sin but out of free and undeserved favour and for the glory of his own mercy that he may be feared Who knoweth the mind of the Lord Vse or who hath been of his Counsel who can tell when he is tempted to any sin and embraceth the temptation and committeth the sin whether God will make him an example of his patience and mercy long-suffering by giving him both the time and grace of repentance and open to him the fountain for sin and for uncleannesse to wash him and cleanse himself from his sin or whether he will make him an example of his severe justice in chastening his trespasse with some speedy vengeance as he did the rebellion of Corah or the lying of Ananias and Saphirah Therfore our care must be to keep our heart with all diligence from conceiving sin to take heed to our ways that we offend not in our tongue to take heed to our foot to our hand that they act not sin ever remembring that God is a jealous God and that loveth not iniquity and that he hath pure eyes which cannot behold evil to allow thereof Herein the example of Christ is good Ps 16 8s I have set the Lord always before me for godly feare doth put God always in sight of us and of all our ways Let us set our selves always in the sight of God and answer every temptation to sin with this answer Thou O Lord art of purer eyes then to behold evil For therefore hath God so clearly revealed his Majesty Power and Justice to the sons of men Ex. 20.20 That his feare may be before your eyes that you sin not The King on earth chaseth away all evil with his eye because men feare the wrath of a King as the roaring of a lion and shall the pure eyes of God seeing all our ways being about our path and about our bed understanding our thoughts long before nothing awe us Christ saith Fear not them that can kill the body and can do nothing more but feare him that can cast both body and soul into hell fire This God that hath this power over the work of his own hands as he hath pure eyes from whose sight nothing can hide or conceal it self so he hath a right hand inveniet dextra ejus inimicos ejus his right hand will find out his enemies yea strong is his arme and the sword that he wieldeth is sharp for David saith he hath whetted it of purpose to cut off from the earth the ungodly thereof he hath also a bowe and that is bent he hath a quiver and that is full of deadly arrows and howsoever we shall slight him our God is a consuming fire to the Elect he is ignis in rubo a fire in the bush burning but not consuming but to the ungodly that make no conscience of sin he is ignis devorans a fire devouring as David saith The flame shall burn up the ungodly The crying sins of our times injustice in the Courts of judgement contempt of Religion oppression of the poore breach of the Sabbath profane swearing beastly drunkennesse abomâ—nable wantonnesse contentions and such like do give evidence against us that there is no fear of God before our eyes that we fear not the Presence of God we regard not his pure eyes We would have cured Babel of those diseases and she is not healed the Word which is the proper Physick for these maladies is either not heard with attention or not kept with retention we mingle it not with faith when we hear it so that we heap up wrath against the day of wrath my brethren do not so wickedly sin not against God sin not against your own souls for so Moses cals Korah his company Num. 16.38 he cals them sinners against their own souls that are ensamples recorded for the perpetual use of the Church even for them upon whom the ends of the world shall come When the judgement of Korah and his company was in sight it is said All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them Num. 16.34 for they said least the earth swallow us up also These Records of former times are kept for us that we might always have them in sight that we might make it our own case and feare before the Lord and fly from the tents of such wicked persons who make no conscience of the pure eyes of God beholding all their ways least we perish with them 2. Upon this ground he doth dispute for seeing he resolveth that God is most just and there can be no shadow of changing in him he enquireth of him how it comes to passe that so many evils be suffered in the world in the eye and sight of God From whence we are taught that in all our considerations of the carriage of things under the government of Gods Providence Doct. howsoever strange the effects may seem to us yet we must take heed that we never question either the Wisedome Justice or Goodnesse of God Let us resolve on that and we may safely sit down and wonder at the effects of his will for David saith Tu facis mirabilia solus Thou alone dost wonders And Augustine saith that God doth manage things Judicio saepe arcano sed semper justo often by secret but always by just judgment And upon this holy resolution of the Prophet which giveth God his due and no way doth tax him but pronounceth him to be himself I dare not receive the judgment of Mr. Calvin upon this passage because I am perswaded that he is too harsh in his censure of this Prophet and yet I find it so much against his will to find fault that he doth what he can again when he hath wounded him to heal him again I honour the memory of Mr. Calvin as of a clear light set up in the Church of God and am as unwilling to tax him as I find him unwilling to tax the Prophet and therefore I wish his Reader to read him out upon this place and he shall find that it is not motus violentus but trepidationis not a violent but a trembling motion that carries him For 1. He saith descendit ad humanos affect us he descendeth to humane affections so he may do and yet not offend 2. He addeth ostendit se
fidem proficientem For as Clemens saith Apostolus unicam tantum fidem annunciat quae crescendo proficit Till it grow up to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulnesse of faith Heb. 10.22 And so this text is well cited for the just man who is made just by faith doth live in it and by it For how can the Gospel be the power of God to salvation except it revealeth to us the life of saith seeing it is so only to such as do believe This first place cleareth the point that the Apostle doth understand Gods word in my text so as that the means of life is faith and faith only for so it is further urged by Saint Paul who saith But that no man is justified by the works of the law in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 is evident for the just shall live by faith Here these words are brought in to prove that faith only doth justifie in the sight of God which is thus proved Life eternal comes only by faith therefore righteousnesse comes only by faith The antecedent is Gods own word in my text The consequence is thus proved for Righteousnesse is the foundation of life eternall They which receive the abundance of grace Rom. 5.17 and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life And in the next verse it is called Justification of life Vers 18. And this sequence doth the Apostle make in his own comfortable perswasion of himself I have fought a good fight this is the great fight with Principalities and Powers 1 Tim. 4.8 And I have kept the faith this is the shield which beareth off the fiery darts discharged against him in this fight his comfort is From henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse This righteousnesse is not of the law which he hath fulfilled but the righteousnesse of the faith which he hath kept It is not the brest-plate of righteousnesse but it is the shield of faith that beareth off all the fiery darts of Satan and therefore the just man doth not live and come out of this battail victorious by righteousnesse but by faith This place thus applied by our Apostle is the ground of our Church tenet against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile namely that sola fides justificat faith alone doth justifie That which the Romanists do lay to our charge is that we exclude good works and upon that slanderous imputation both Dr. Stapleton Harding Bellarmine Campiane Bishop and indeed generally all Popish writers do proclaim us Hereticks and they will not hear us saying that the justifying faith which we preach must be such as worketh by love They like the Pharisee trust in themselves that they are perfect we with the Publican cry out in faith of Christ's sufficient satisfaction Domine miserere Lord have mercy upon whose example Saint Augustine saith Videte fratres magis placuit humilitas in malis factis quam superbia in bonis factis The cause is in sight the humility of the one was with faith the pride of the other was in presumption And God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble I conclude this point wherein I have held you long I know with how much comfort and profit to my self I hope without your losse of time What man is he that desireth life who would live as a man as a good man and as an happy man I answer in the words of the Sonne of God As thou believest so shall it be unto thee Or in the Words of the Father of that Son in my text The just man shall live by his faith Vers 5. Yea also because he transgresseth by wine he is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all Nations and heapeth unto him all People NOw that God hath declared what rest and comfort his Church hath in the manifold oppressions of the enemies thereof they shall live by their faith In all the rest of this chapter he declareth his own just Providence in the Government of the world and in the severe execution of his judgments upon impenitent offenders that the Prophet may inform himself and others that God hath not forgotten to be just The last verse of the chapter is the total of the chapter The Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him That he sitteth not there idle but is awake that his eyes do see and his eye-lids do try the sonnes of men that we shall hear from his own mouth Concerning the words of this fifth verse Yea also because he transgresseth by wine he is a proud man neither keepeth at home These words are read diversly both by Translators and by Expositors Our first English Church-bibles read thus Like as the wine deceiveth the drunkard even so the proud shall faile and not endure The Geneva followeth the same sense Yea indeed the proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine therefore shall he not endure Arias Montanus Et quo modo vinum potantem decipit sic erit superbus non decorabitur In his Interlineary he followeth the text in the original but in his Commentary he followeth the vulgar Latin authorized for the Canon by the Councel of Trent Pagnine Quanto magis patator vini qui praevaricatr qui est vir superbus non permanebit So Mr. Calvin Etiam certè vino transgrediens vir superbus non habitabit The 70 have no mention of wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here be three words to expresse pride fully 1. To think too well of our selves 2. To think contemptibly of others 3. To boast and glory in vain ostentation It seemeth to me that the purpose of this place is to expresse the insolency and pride of the king of Babel proud Nebuchadnezzar and generally of the enemy of the Jew the Chaldaean and that the scope of the place is to resemble them big swoln in their own self-opinion to a man that is drunk with wine This hath good coherence with the former words for shewing how the just man and the proud man do stand in opposition His soule which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by faith faith shall establish the just man But the proud man who is drunk with the vain over-weening of himself he shall not continue non habitabit he shall not be established And here I forsake the Kings Bible for I cannot find either sense or coherence in it The words following are plain enough for God therein doth expresse that he taketh notice of the insatiable desire of the Chaldaean who incouraged by his victories doth covet to be Monarch of all the world And this is now the partition of the rest of this chapter 1. Faults 2. Punishments The first fault here named infatiablenesse The punishment v. 6 7 8. 1. The ground and note of this disease of
kind of study since the Church cast out Musick 2 In respect of Gods service the more pompe and solemnity is used the more glorious is the house of God made and the more differing from our common house of habitation 3 In respect of our selves we have need to have the help of outward things to draw us on with delight to entertain our thoughts with cheerfulnesse to incite and move our affections to quicken our devotion and to blow the fire of our zeal and to relieve our naturall wearinesse in Gods service These reasons brought in the song and instruments into the Church and gloriously was it setled in Solomons time in the temple according as his Father David had left it in the tabernacle where he designed to that service men of cunning 288. 1 Chrom 25.7 Ob. But Christ and his Apostles and the primitive Church had no such musique in Churches Sol. They had no Churches but in their meetings they sung Psalmes so did Christ and his Apostles in the roome where he kept his last Passeover and in the Emperour Trajanes time Mat. 26.30 which was before the death of St. John Pliny writeth to the Emperour of the manner of the Christians this one amongst the rest that They did meet together early in the morning and sung Hymns to their Christ But after Religion had found favour with Princes and began to appear in peace then came in Churches and Church Ornaments then were Liturgies devised and used then were instruments of musique intermixed with the service and God glorified in all St. Aug. Confess 9. Cap. 6. Quantum flevi in Hymnis Canticis svave sonantis Ecclesiae tuae voces illae influebant auribus meis eliquabatur veritas tua in cor meum ex ea aestuebat inde affectus pietatis currebant lachrymae benè mihi erat cum eis In the next Chapter hee tels how the Arrians attempted the taking of Ambrose B. of Millain whom they accused of heresie and Justina the Empresse bearing them out in it they meant him a mischief he went to the chief Church and much people followed him ready to dispatch their holy Bishop St. Augustine and his Mother were amongst them and there Aug. saith Tunc institutum ut Hymni Psalmi canerentur more orientalium Ecclesiarum ne populus moeroris taedio contabesceret quod ad hodiernum diem retentum est c. The Hymns and Psalmes were ordained to be sung c. Ob. It is a means often to carry away our thoughts more with the tune then with the matter St. Augustine maketh it one of his Confessions that he was so transported Sol. And may not the same happen in our singing of Psalms let us not lay our faults to the charge of the Church what good shall we go about but we shall finde Satan busie to divert us from it Obj. It is costly to maintain Musique in our Churches and that mony were better bestowed on the poor and other better uses Sol. What better bestowed on the poor then upon God himself is the cheapest religion the best they had poor in the time of the Law and yet that hindered not the magnificence of the Temple and the Ornaments thereof and the maintainance of Gods worship alit pauperes 288. in Templo ut ante The earth hath not the like glory now to shew as that of Gods House And shal Aaron that vvas but for a time be thus glorious and shall Melchizedeck a Priest for ever vvant honour It is true that it hath been policy in these later times to keep the Church lean and to strip it out of all outward pomp and to transfer Gods inheritance into the hands of strangers But remember the great Commandement Thou must love God above all things and so doing he shall have the best of all that thou art the best of all that thou hast Our prayer is Sicut in coelo as in heaven and Christ promises is to the just that they shal be as the Angels of God in Heaven Reve. 15.3 there they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and David saith Blessed is the people that can rejoyce in thee Psa 89.15 we have more cause to use both voices and instruments in his praise because he hath redeemed us from Satan hath made us all Priests of the high God to offer to him the calves of our lips and with such sacrifices God is well pleased Ver. 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid O Lord revive thy work in the middest of the years make known in wrath remember mercy THis vvhole Psalme as it is in the composition of a mixt kind of verse so in the matter of it mixt for it consisteth 1 Of supplication and petition ver 2. 2 Of celebration of the prayses of God 3 15. 3 Consternation before God ver 16 17. 4 Consolation in God 1 Of the supplication O Lord I have heard thy speech that is all that thou hast said in the former Chapter in defence of thy justice and in propheticall revelation of thy holy will both concerning thy Church how that shall be afflicted and concerning the enemies of thy Church how they shall be punished in the end And I was afraid fear came upon me when I heard thee recompt thy judgements O Lord revive thy work in the middest of the years here be three quaeries 1 What he meaneth by the vvork 2 What by the middest of the years 3 How this work should be revived 1 Thy work Lyranus saith Opus tuum in punitione Chaldaeorum qued fiet virtute tua magis quà m humana 2 Beza by the work of God here understandeth the Church of God the people of Israel So do Tremelius and Junius for they parellel this place vvith those vvords of God in the Prophet Isa Ask me of things to come concerning my sons Isa 45.11 and concerning the work of my hands command ye me Where he calleth his Church opus manum my work Thus doth Master Calvin here understand statum Ecclesiae the state of the Church vvhich is called The vvork of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the most excellentest part of his work wherein he is most glorified So David prayeth for the Church under that appellation Psa 138.8 Forsake not the works of thine own hands So doth Isaiah name them Thy people also shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified Isa 61.3 So in the next Chapter Christ is anointed for the good of his Church Isa 61.3 that they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord. 3 Novv there is such a correspondence betvven the head and the body betvveen Christ and his Church that sometimes that vvhich is literally spoken of the Church is mystically applyed to Christ Jeremie expressing the great
knovvn he re-inforceth his former petition novv desiring that God vvould reveale his gracious purpose of succouring his Church and triumphing over the enemies thereof In the mean time vvhile thy Church is groaning under the burthen of their exile make thy vvill knovvn to them This favour of God vvil svveeten the adversity of their banishment vuhen they shall knovv the loving purpose of God tovvard them In wrath remember mercy They confesse that they have given God cause of displeasure and have provoked him to vvrath they feel the smart thereof in a strange land and they have no plea but mercy they dare not make so bold vvith him as to entreat him to turn avvay all his vvrath from them because they are so guilty to themselves that they have provoked him and deserved his indignation Onely they desire that in the midst of his vvrath he vvould remember mercy By vvrath in this place is not meant any such affection in God vvhereof his unchangeable and constant nature is not capable for God is semper idem ever the same vvhom hee loveth he loveth vvith an everlasting love and he cannot at any time be angry vvith them But vvhom he loveth upon occasion he rebuketh and chasteneth every son vvhom he receiveth and this love sometimes bringing forth the effects of that vvhich in man is called vvrath vve speak after the manner of men and avouch it of God Thus then the text is literally to be understood O Lord I have heard vvhat thou hast spoken in the defence of thy upright justice I have heard vvhat thou purposest in the punishing and in the avenging of thy Church in the mean time preserve it and make it knovv thy love tovvards it and vvhilst thou art punishing of it remember mercy The parts of this are tvvo 1 The preparation to prayer 2 The prayer it self 1 In the preparation I observe Motum the motive Metum fear 2 In the prayer I observe 1 Subjectum the subject 2 Petitiones the petitions The petitions are three 1 O Lord revive thy Work in the middle of the years 2 O Lord in the middle of the years make knovvn 3 In wrath remember mercy First of the preparation 1 of the Motus O Lord I have heard thy Speech The Word of God is vvell bestovved on them that vvill hear it vvith reverence and receive it vvith humility here vvas a maze the Prophet and the Faithfull of the land had lost themselves they knevv not vvhat to think till they had put the matter to God himself Cap. 1. and God having made a ful ansvver novv the Prophet saith in his ovvn name and in the name for whom he consulted God I have heard thy speech All the Scripture is full of examples of the Children of God hearkening to his word of precepts and admonitions to us to hearken of promises to them that do hearken The reason is because it is a speciall note of Gods children to heare his Word even as our Saviour himself saith He that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therefore hear them not Joh. 8.47 because ye are not of God And now seeing God hath given over speaking by miracles extraordinarily to his Church St. John saith We are of God 1 Joh. 4. he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of errour The Spirit of truth is left in the Church by our Saviour and he speaketh in such who by the Ordinance of Christ are the Priests of the new Testament of whom Christ saith Qui vos recipit me recipit qui recipit me recipit eum qui misit me he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me we must hear him before he hear us for St. Paul telleth us true Rom. 8.26 We know not what we should pray for as we ought The art of prayer is not so quickly learned as some forward proofessours make themselves believe John besides his continuall preaching to his Disciples taught them also to pray And never had any Disciples a better Master then the Disciples of Jesus Christ yet they living in the eare of his Doctrine and in the eye of his holy example were glad to come to him to be taught to pray he taught them the Lords prayer privately which after he taught the whole multitude in a Sermon openly My observation is that his Word must minister matter to our prayers Doct. and all our petitions must be grounded thereupon The reason is because God heareth not sinners John 9.31 and David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me But the prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 if it be fervent Against sin we have no such remedy as the word So David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119.11 that I might not sin against thee Our Lessons from hence are 1 We must take it for a great favour of God to us that he giveth us his word for that is a lanthorne to our feet that is our counsalor as David calleth it This word is given us to profit withall and it is deposited 1 In the Books of the Canonical Scripture which we have not as the Church of Rome shut up in an unknown language but translated faithfully into our own tongue that all of us may be partakers of it 2 As in the time of the law the Priests lips did preserve knowledge and men were to require the law at their lips so in the time of the Gospel St. Paul saith of the Apostles and of all the Ministers that should succeed them in their office in the Church 1 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed to us the word of reconciliation he hath so committed it to his Son first as he gave him power to transmit it in the Priesthood of the New Testament to all ages of the Church till his second coming The spirit which Christ left to comfort and instruct his Church was not given at large to all men but in perticular ordinance to them whom he sent to teach all Nations as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.6 Our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life So we are the Ministers of the word that giveth life and there is no life to be had but by our Ministry This gives us interest in your affections in your understandings in your goods in your prayers 2 Now we know where we may hear God we are taught also not to neglect him speaking to us for as the Author to the Hebrews saith Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven
vvhose hearts do smite them and vvhose consciences do accuse them that though the zeal of Gods house do bring them to Church yet the fear of their unvvorthiness doth make them stand a far off beating their breasts and not daring to lift up their eyes to heaven These had need of comfort we must labour to put metall into such by telling them that he whose face they seek is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and the God of all comfort David is a full example of a distressed man Psal 119.107 fearing and yet praying for he confesseth I am very sore afflicted yet he prayeth God to quicken him he saith My soul is continually in my hand he was even ready to yield it up yet the comfort that he had in God established his heart And herein God is most gratious for when our sins come in our sight and we are horribly afraid of Gods judgments even then God sendeth his Spirit to us not to take away our infirmities quite but to help them not to turne our sorrow into joy but to sanctifie our sorrow and to supply it with sighs and groanes and this addition of fear and grief doth also mend devotion To such we must say that though he to whom we pray be in Heaven yet he is our Father and though great and glorious be his Majesty yet he is the preserver of men David calleth him our Sun and Shield the brightnesse of this Sun may dazle our weak sight but the protection of this shield will save us from danger Be strong then and God shall establish your hearts he shall anoint you with the oile of gladnesse and he shall say to your soul I am thy Salvation 2 Subjectum Vide divis supr Pag. 29. This prayer is for the Church that is for all those that then were the visible society of such as worshiped the onely true God It is the duty of every child of God Doct. and member of the Church to pray to God for the whole body of the Church The Church at this time was within a pale and confined to the house of Abraham not in his whole bloud for Ishmael was excluded in Isaac was the promise not in his whole bloud for Esay was excluded Jacob was Israel and prevailed with God of him came the Fathers and in his seed was the Church continued This Church was now threatned with deportation and sundry great judgments the Prophet teacheth them how to pray one for another To this there are great motives 1 The direction of Christ in the Lords Prayer which calleth God our Father and in the processe of it sheweth that the Church of God is still included Give us forgive us lead us not 2 The content that we give to God in these generall prayers which the Apostle doth well expresse I exhort that first of all prayers c. be made for all men For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.1 3.4 who will have all men to be saved All are or may be members of the Church of God for ought we know 3 The benefit that we reap hereby is great for thus we come to have our portion in the charitable prayers of others Ambrose Si prote rogas tantum prote solus rogabis Hâ—xam 1. si autem pro omnibus rogas omnes pro te rogabunt 4. It is a true rule that extra Ecclesiam non est salus without the Church there is no salvation Acts 2.47 it is said that God added to the Church daily such as should be saved the reason hereof is because Christ is no where to be found as a Saviour but in his Church and the meanes of salvation Preaching Prayer and Sacraments they are only found in the Church Without are dogs enchanters Revel 22.15 c. Christ is the good Shepheard and he hath his fold all the sheep that are without must be brought to that fold as himself saith alias oves habeo quae non sunt de ovili hoc illas oportet adducere I have other sheep c. they shall hear my voice Joh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Shepheard Therefore there is no safety in singularity they that forsake the Church forsake the fold the unity of spirit not the singularity is the bond of peace We are members one of another the common safety of the body communicateth perticular safety to all the members of the body In the temporall state the peace of perticular persons is included in the peace of the whole kingdome therefore Jeremiah saith to the Church then in deportation Seek the peace of the City Jer. 29.7 whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Much more shall we have peace in the peace of the Church seeing Christ bequeathed his legacy of peace not to some parts and members of his Church but to the whole body thereof Joh. 14.27 Pacem meam do vobis I give unto you my peace It must be so understood for as he left his Spirit the Comforter so he left his peace the comfort not to his Disciples onely but to all the Church therefore pray all that it may be well with thee in communi bono in the common good This teacheth us to incorporate our selvs in the communion of Saints per communionem pietatis et charitatis by the communion of piety and charity to be one anothers Orators but especially to study and pray for the peace and welfare of the Church let us consider it is the Spouse of Christ it is a Lilly among thorns it is a flower in the field not only open to all weathers but to the tooth and foot of the beasts of the field Satan going about seeking to devoure it Let our prayers to God resist Satan and fight the Lords battail against him We heare of the troubles of the Church in other countreys we heare of the tyranny of Popery and the oppressions of faithfull professours if we give them no other help yet let our prayers give God no rest till he have mercy on them and give them deliverance This teacheth us to maintain truth and peace amongst our selves let not the wounds and soars of a Church that is heresie and schisme and separation be so much as named amongst us as it becommeth the Saints of God let not the common enemy of our Religion hope to build upon our ruines and to raise up himself by our fall to strengthen his peace by our contentions to be-night our clear and glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel so many happy years crowned with peace and the fruits of peace propagation with his Egyptian and Cymmerian darknesse Let us be of good comfort their darknesse dare not come so near our light for our light will discover it their errour dare
corruptions drowned and destroyed in the same waters And the Apostle saith I would not that ye should be ignorant of this thing which admonisheth both you and us that are your ministers 1 You not to be ignorant in those great mysteries of salvation 2 Us not to leave you untaught or unremembred thereof We that preach to a mixt auditory consisting incipientes Abcedaries in religion who are not yet out of their first elements which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of beginnings And some few proficients who also have their measures not all of equall growth but some few as much better grown then others as Saul was higher then all the rest of the people must as well give milk with the spoon as break bread and divide strong meat and me thinks there be two places that direct us well in the dispensation of the Word of God 1 That of the Prophet Isaiah The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept precept upon precept Isa 2. â—3 line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little in which words The matter of our preaching is exprest in two words 1 precept which teacheth us what to do 2 line which exemplifieth doctrine and serveth as a copy to write by And again the manner of our preaching is declared profitable if the same things be well taught till they be well learned And this is modicum ibi modicum ibi here modicum not too much at once for oppressing the spirituall stomack and here is ibi and ibi ibi amongst the proficients and ibi amongst the incipients 2 That of St. Peter Wherefore 2 Peâ— 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you in mind of those things though ye know them Yea I think it meet so long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance This sheweth the use of often repetitions of such things as we ought not to forget for it is not enough to have light in our understanding there must be also zeal in our affections Religion in the head is speculation in the heart affection in the hand action If we do our duty thus as we are directed it must be your great fault if either you be ignorant or forgetfull of these things The spirit of God is our example for he remembreth this passage of Israel often and modicum ibi a little here in the old Testament modicum ibi a little there in the new Testament for this is also profitable for us This sheweth that the often preaching and learning and remembring the doctrine of our Baptisme is a most necessary lesson in the school of Christ that we do not enter into a new peace with the Egyptians whom God hath drowned in the red sea that we do not revive and quicken in us those things which the laver of new byrth hath purged by suffering sin to reign in our mortall bodies and by obeying it in the lusts thereof That we do not so much as in heart return again into Egypt out of which God hath so gratiously delivered us Profitable is the remembrance of our Baptisme for it is the sacrament and seal of our deliverance from the curse of the 〈◊〉 from the spirituall bondage of Satan from the dominion of sin iâ—â—heweth us the old Adam dead in the death and buried in the grave of Christ It also serveth being often remembred to stirre us up to a practise of Christian conversation and to an holy imitation of Christ in godly life that we may not receive the grace of God in vain that wee be not again defiled with the world for the Apostle will tell us That if Christ hath opened us a new and living way through the vail Heb. 20.22 23. that is his flesh we must draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth Veâ—se 26. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins But a certain fearfull looking for of judgment Verse 27. and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I conclude in the Apostles words therefore brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning this passage of the Lords Israel through the red sea Vers 16. Hab. â— 6. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up unto his people he will invade them with his troops AT this verse beginneth the third Section of this Chapter and it conteineth the consternation of the Prophet dejected before the Lord with the former considerations and the sad estate of the land of Canaan 1 Concerning the words When I heard The Prophet fitting this Psalme as you have heard for the common use of the Church doth not speak in this place in his own person perticularly When I heard but in the person of that Church of God to which this prophecy was sent Verse 14. They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me is spoken of the Midianites invading Gods people not the Prophet Habak So that Theard here is collectively the whole Church and perticularly every member thereof But what is that is here heard Surely this hath a double reference 1 To the former prophecy of Gods threatned judgments against his people of which you heard before Verse 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid For it was a fearfull judgment which God had denounced against them 2 It hath reference to the full commemoration of Gods former mercies for howsoever faith may grow upon this root of experience of Gods favour yet when the Church of God shall consider all that former favour now turned into indignation and shall feel that power which once protected them so miraculously now armed against them this cannot but cast them into great fear This fear is described fully and rhetorically in four severall phrases 1 My belly trembled 2 My lips quivered 3 Rottennesse entred into my bones 4 I trembled in my self It is the manner of the spirit of God in such like phrases to expresse a great horrour and dismay by the belly is meant the inward parts and bowels So the Prophet upon the denunciation of the burthen upon the desert sea saith Therefore are my loyns filled with pain Isai 21.3 pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it My bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab Isa 16.11 and mine inward parts for Kirharesh So Job Job 30.27 My bowels boyled and rested not And David Mine eye is consumed with grief yea Psal 31.9 my soul and belly I am poured out like water all
my bones are out of joynt Ps 2.14 my heart is like waxe it is melted in the middest of my bowels Thus the perturbations of griefe and fear and the passions of anguish are exprest The quivering of the lips which hindereth speech sheweth a man overcome with anger fear or grief so doth The generall disabling of the body as if the parts thereof the brains and sinews suffered luxation and debilitation And the earth-quake in the whole frame thereof and the distemper of the man within us I trembled in my self that is the inward man the hid man of the heart felt this anguish of grief and fear and all this trepidation and terrour had this good effect following That I might rest in the day of trouble For of sufferance comes ease this fear of the heavy hand of God is but a fit for faith followeth it and consumeth it and setleth the heart in a yielding to the mighty hand of God and that giveth rest in the day of trouble that day is also described When he commeth up unto his people he will invade them with his troops Either when God cometh or when the enemy whom God shall employ in the execution of this judgment cometh he will invade his people that have rebelled against him and are fallen away from him with troops that is hee will come upon them with a full power to make a full conquest of them This day is is further described in the verse following Verse 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines Hâ—b 3.17 the labour of the Olive shall fail and the field shall yield no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals IN which words he supposeth the worst that may befall to the land that God should not onely as before carry away or destroy the inhabitants thereof although he should smite the land it self with barrennesse that neither the fig tree nor the vine should relieve them nor the olive nor the fields nor the foulds yet the Church will not despair of the loving kindnesse of the Lord toward them This land so long promised to the seed of Abraham so long expected and at last by them possessed is much praised in Scripture God himself calleth it a good land and a large Exâ—d 3.8 a land flowing with milk and honey And so the spies that were sent to search it brought word num 13.9 and they brought of the fruit and shewed it to the people Again for the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land Deut. 8.7 a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hils A land of wheat and barley and wines and fig trees and pomegranates a land of oil olive and hony A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarcenesse thou shalt not lack any thing in it a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hils thou mayest dig brasse It was one of the miracles of the earth and the full blessing of the Lord was upon it for the land was small both in length and breadth as all the Charts thereof describe it For from Dan to the river of Egypt which is somewhat further then Beersheba it was litle more then three hundred miles which was the length of it and in the broadest place thereof it was not an hundred yea do I put it in this accompt all the land on this side Jordan the portion assigned to Reuben Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Yet did it contein two great Kingdomes of Judah and Israel and in Davids time there were numbred in it thirteen hundred thousand fighting men 2 Chron. 24. which cannot in probable computation be more then a fourth part of the people seeing aged men women and children and all undertwenty years of age are not reckoned and this land fed them all much is said by heathen writers of the fruitfulnesse of this land and as great a wonder is it of the change thereof now for travailers do report it at this time to be a barren and unfruitfull land it is in the possession of Gods enemies and David saith A fruitfull land maketh he barren for the iniquity of the people that dwelt therein De verbis hactenus of the words hitherto The parts of this Section are two 1 The fear of the Church 2 The misery of the Land In the first I observe also three things 1 The cause of this fear 2 The fear it self 3 The effect hereof In the second the misery of the land It is distrest in the three great commodities of life 1 In the trees yielding fruit 2 In the soil yielding corne 3 In the flocks yielding encrease 1 Of the fear of the Church and therein 1 Of the cause of this fear in these words When I heard The commination of Gods judgments Doct. doth make the Church of God to fear 1 Because this openeth to man his conscience and declareth to him his sin for we know that God is gratious and mercifull and long suffering and hideth his hand in his bosome his mercy doth often pull it out and openeth it and he filleth the hungry with good things his mercy stretcheth it out often to gather together his chosen to defend them from evill to stay and support them If his indignation do pluck it out it is a sign that sin hath provoked him and therefore we read what of old was the practise of the Church If there were any judgment abroad presently they made search for the sin that had provoked God to it for they knew him so just that he will not smite without cause God taught Joshua this when the men of Ai smote the men of Israel and made them to fly before them Joshua went to the Lord to make his moan and God told him Israel hath sinned And so there was a present search made by the commandement of the Lord throughout all Israel to finde out the sinner and Achan was defected In like manner when Saul had made a vow that none of his army should tast any food till night and Jonathan not hearing of the commandement had eaten a little hony upon the end of his rod hee went to advise with God concerning the pursuit of the Philistines by night and God answered him not wherefore Saul said Draw you neer hither all the chief of the people 1 Sam. 14.38 and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day And this is so naturall a quest as that whosoever do acknowledg a divinity cannot but upon the sense of judgment or the fear of it presently conclude God offended with some sins So the Mariners in the great storme in Jonah said every one to his fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evill is upon us Jonah 1.7 The confideration of Gods judgments do breed fear in respect of God whose
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
obedience 63. 77. so are all God's promises to his children page 78 God can make good use of the vices of men and make wicked men serve for instruments of his will page 66 God is author of all actions but not of the evill of them page 73 God fore-knoweth the sins of men page 86 Gods certain knowledge of our evils will bring forth a certain judgment to punish them page 89 Gods love to his Church is eternal as himself is page 95 God is sooner stirred to mercy then provoked to anger page 100 God loves to be sollicited for mercy page 101 God is eternal in himself in his Essence and eternal in Providence in respect of his Creatures page 104 Ged is holy therefore the punishments of his Church are for its correction only page 105 Gods children in afflictions are not discouraged in their faith of Gods mercy page 107 God is author of punishment page 108 Gods eyes are pure page 110 God is a sincere searcher and punisher of sin and his justice and truth cannot fail page 113 God will have his Church taught his ways in all ages thereof page 154 Gods promises run in semine page 154 God signifieth his will in divers ways p. 167. and his will is twofold page 169 God taketh offence at such as are lifted up page 188 God is the author of faith page 208 Gods care and providence stoopeth so low as to the regard of our cattel page 325 God is to be worshipped outwardly as well as inwardly p. 335. 344 God is glorified in the shame of the proud page 280 God bringeth all the labours of the ungodly to losse and vanity yet the ungodly perceive it not page 289 God walketh with the righteous and contrary to the unrighteous page 291 God is glorious and jealous of his glory page 296 Gods creatures and his word are two books wherein his wisdome is set forth to the soul page 301 God punisheth sin by sin page 321 Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come page 42 Good covetousnesse 263. Evil covetousnesse is joyned with ambition page 264 Greatnesse and power are fearful to the common man yet he will search into the actions of the highest page 262 Grief mingled with faith is no sin page 49 H. HAbakkuk signifieth an embracer a wrastler 2. The time of his prophecie is not exprest pag. 2. Hatred a cause of contention pag 26 Hearing the word profiteth nought without faith pag 209 Hearing and understanding the word is a means to increase faith pag 209 Hearers ought to pray for their teachers pag 144 Heathens gods not jealous of their glory pag 299 He that willeth the same thing as God willeth and doth the same thing God would have done sinneth unlesse he doth it in the same manner and for the same end which God projecteth pag 76 How far we may complain to God against our brethren pag 15 How God is said to have eyes and other parts of a mans body pag 111 and how he is said to see hear c. pag 73. ch 3 How God is said to repent pag 165 How Gods righteousnesse is revealed in the Gospel pag 237 How drunken folks are said to discover their nakednesse pag 314 How man ought to carry himself in his dominion over beasts I. IDolatry defined and described pag. 328 Idolatry a grievous sin pag 329 Idolatry amongst Christians pag 330 Idolatry in the Church of Rome in worshipping the consecrated Host pag 333 If to omit a duty be a sin the committing of a contrary evil must needs be abominable pag 312 Ill-gotten goods bring such a sin upon a man as cannot be purged but by repentance and restitution pag 293 If we find in our selves an elevation above our pitch it is a certain Symptome of a diseased soul pag 191 Image-worship crept into the Church of Rome by little and little pag 332 Imprecations forbidden pag 17 Infirmities of Gods servants twofold pag. 48 Inordinate zeal what it is pag. 53 Iniquity knoweth no measure pag. 84 In all our considerations of the carriage of things under the Government of Gods Providence howsoever the effects may seem strange to us we must not question either the Wisedom Justice or Goodnesse of God pag. 117 In the Church of God there will always be some will argue against God pag. 147 Inconveniences of Rapine pag. 277 Ingredients of a saving faith by a dissection of the word Fides pag. 187 It was no small part of Christs Passion to be scorned and derided of his enemies pag. 258 It is a singular wisedome to use the fulnesse of prosperity well 83. and a great measure of grace is required thereto pag. 84 Judgment beginneth at the house of God pag. 65. and 179. ch 3 Just man defined pag. 185 Justification by faith only pag. 237 K. KEeping silence a signe of reverence and submission pag. 327 Knowledge of Gods glory an excellent knowledge 300. and the pursuit of this knowledge is a labour which well rewardeth it self pag. 301 M MAlice may be in looking into the vices of brethren though it pretended desire of Reformation pag. 21 Man is mutable God unchangably just pag. 78 Man in mercy cometh neerest Gods image pag. 99 Mans state in his innocency pag. 213 Man is but earth and gold but clay pag. 248 Men and Angels have their Eternity from God pag. 103 Means to get an upright soul pag. 192 Mercy the soul of the world pag. 100 Ministers may in general reprove sin but not particularize any man pag. 54 Ministers ought to be first Seers and then Speakers pag. 139 Ministers must not only watch but also give warning pag. 142 Ministers must maintain Gods cause against all contradictions pag. 143 Ministers ought to open to the Church of God the whole Councell of God pag. 156 Ministers have a necessity laid upon them to preach the word pag. 211 N. NO man simpliciter Atheos but acknowledgeth some divine ruling power pag. 89. and 328 and 80. ch 3 No man would do service where nothing is to be gained by it pag. 329 No inherent holinesse in Churches pag. 339 Not that as we have but what we dispose of maketh us friends in the day of the Lord. Nothing ought to be so dear to us as the glory of God pag. 300 O. OCcasion of offence to be avoided pag. 33 Oracles ceased at Christs coming pag. 175 Original sin what it is pag. 216 Outward things unsanctified to the Owner have no power to establish the heart pag. 84 Out of natural and moral ways of life there is a wisedome of God to be learned pag. 123 Overcharge of the heart with drink is drunkennesse pag. 306 P. PApists idolaters pag. 331 People without a Ruler are unhappy pag. 114 and 124 Prayer ought to be fervent and continual 18. as well in zeal of Gods glory as for our own necessities pag. 19 Prayer what it is pag. 31 Prayer is a help to him that
too hot for them God cast them down ejecit conjecit dejecit rejecit subjecit and that anger is yet their burthen and shall be for ever The first tenants of Paradise could not they fled from the face of God and the curse of God lay heavie upon them Cain confest his punishment more then he could bear the old World all but eight persons sunk under this wrath and were drowned in the great deep The transgressing Cities suffered the consuming and tormenting flames of fire and brimstone The very earth trembled and shoke Psal 18. the foundations also of the mountains moved and quaked because hee was angry smoake went out at his nosthrils and consuming fire out of his mouth Beloved let me tell you what I fear never any times did more put almighty God to it to reveal his anger from heaven and to raine down burthens upon the sons of men for the clearer the light of the Gospel shineth the more his expectation is of walking in the light but our knowledge is rather floating in the braine then working in the obedience of our life Christ saith It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of the Lord then for those of that generation to whom the light appeared in his Ministery so clear and glorious and yet they love darknesse better then light because their works were evill Great is the weight of a milstone hanged about our neck and wee cast therewith into the bottome of the sea yet the burthen of Gods wrath hee sayeth is much heavier then that And yet we make no care nor conscience and live without fear of this anger we do this and that great wickednesse and sin against God and provoke him to anger with our actions and inventions as if the Lord saw not this as if there were no knowledge in the most High As if he could not pluck his hand out of his bosome as if we had stollen away his sword and his quiver full of deadly arrowes I beseech you my brethren do not so wickedly your oaths and blsalphemies your pride and vanities your crueltie and oppressions your frauds and circumventions your abuse of Gods good creatures in excesse and wantonnesse they are all gone up to heaven and awake vengeance and chaleng the God of mercy to declare his justice Doth not some part of the Church now in the Palatinate and in Bohemia groan under the burthen of warre wherein the goods the liberties the lives of men Christian men professours of the same faith with us do lie at the stake and bloud toucheth bloud Doth not our neighbour Church in France tremble for feare of a new massacre hath not the sword of violence tasted already of Protestant blood do not the Jesuites the incendiaries of the Christian world blow the coal and incense the King thereof to grassation and destruction of all that have not the marke of the beast either openly in their foreheads or secretly in their hands and dare we anger our God who gives us the early and the latter rain who crownes our land with peace and the daughter of peace plenty Shall we flatter our selves and say that although we do wickedly this burthen shall not fall upon us let us pray for them and amend our own lives and sin no more least some worse judgment do fall upon us for we shall else finde too late that the wrath and judgment of God is too heavie a burthen for us to bear 2 The wrath and judgments of God they are a burthen to God 2. Deo he professeth it As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner he calleth upon his Israel why will yee perish O house of Israel When he punished his people how heavy was the burthen of their punishment upon him He smarted under his own rod the burthens that he put upon his people wearied him Why should you be stricken any more Isay 1.5 The whole head is sicke and the whole heart is faint From the soal of the foot to the head there is no soundnesse in it c. Truly God doth bear with us in a double sense for he doth forbear our punishment in expectation of our amendment and he doth suffer with us in our sufferings he is our father and every stripe he layeth on us smarteth upon him O greive not the Spirit of God by whom you are sealed up to the day of your redemption 3 The word of God threatning sin is a burthen 1. To God 2. To the Prophet 3. To the People It is a burthen to God to threaten judgment 1 Deo he loves to speak us faire and to speak and treat kindly with us to draw us with the cords of men and with the bands of love to be as one that taketh off the yoake for he knoweth whereof we be made for he made us and not we our selves he will allure and perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. If Adam do transgresse his one commandment given to him in Paradise he tarrieth expecting when Adam will come to him to acknowledge his fault and cast himself at his feet to seek mercy if Adam will not he will come to him but it shall be the cool of the day first and he will call him to accompt but yet so fatherly that he cannot execute the law without preaching the Gospel he cannot banish him the earthly Paradise til he have opened to him an heavenly He cannot threaten till he have promised he cannot punish till he have pardoned 3 This is a burthen to the Prophet and that two wayes 2 Prophetae 1. In respect of his fidelity to him that sendeth him 2. In respect of his zeal 3. In respect of his charity and compassion to them to whom he is sent 1. In respect of his fidelity It is a burthen to him to keep in the word of this Prophecy he cannot conceal it When Jeremy found the people incorrigible and that the word of God in his Ministery was despised and made his reproach Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20.9 but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Some carnall men do confesse that it is true that we must preach the judgments of God against sin that is our trade but let children fear those bugbears they know as well as we can tell them that God is mercifull and his mercy is above all his works It is true that we must preach judgment against sin for we have fear of the burthen of all those sins of others which we reprove not to fall upon our selves If thou givest him not warning his blood will I require at thy hands Therefore this word of excommunication Ezek. 3 18. is our burthen and we must not conceal it 2. In respect of his zeal For the
expostulation with God for bearing so much with them and therefore did stirre up God to judgement to chasten them in the first section of this chapter Now that God hath answered him in the second with declaration of his purpose to punish the iniquities of the Jews by the Chaldaeans whom God would stirre up to fight against them and to prevail Now in this third section the Prophet is as much troubled and grieved at their punishment as he was before at their sin Now he chides as fast and disputes as hotly against the remissenesse and patience of God toward the Chaldaean as he did before toward the Jew Before he pleaded the cause of the glory of Gods Iustice in punishing the iniquity of the Iews now he pleads the glory of Gods mercy in sparing them The first part was imprecation this deprecation And herein the Prophet doth declare his mixt affection to the Jews for out of his hatred to their sins he desired their correction but now out of his love to their Persons he prayeth against their punishment so farre that it may be moderate as in Ieremies Prayer Correct us O Lord yet in thy judgement not in thy fury lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Which teacheth us that Religion hath the bowels of compassion Doctr. Truly they have no true religion that have no mercy This is given us in precept with a sicut Reason 1 Luk. 6.36 Be yee merciful as your heavenly father is mercifull there is nothing wherein the image of our God doth more shine in man then his mercy because that is the heavenly nature the wisedome of God is too high for us the power of God too great for us the justice of God too strict for us all these vertues of the Godhead be out of the reach of our imitation The furthest that our Saviour goeth in the patterne and president of wisedome is est ote prudentes ut serpentes Wisedom Be yee wise as serpents In innocency Innocentes ut columba be ye innocent as doves it is not estote prudentes ut pater vester Be yee wise as your heavenly father Concerning fortitude The mother of Samuel saith Fortitude Non est fortis sicut deus Sicut leo Salomon hath it siout quorcus Amos hath it Concerning Iustice let us take the righteous men at their best Justice then Iustus fulgebunt ut sol the righteous shal shine as the Sun but to misericordes ut pater vester We must strive to imitate him in mercy that is the divine nature because it is super omniâ— operadei above all the works of God and that is the humane nature also because it is called Humanity and therefore wel-becometh the man of God 2. There is nothing that every one of us doth more stand in need of then mercy Reason 2 without which all the frame of nature would shake and dissolve it is anima mundi the soul of the world it is the juncture of every limb thereof it is the garment that hideth our nakednesse it is the grave the sea that burieth that swalloweth all our reputed sinnes it is the taylour to our backs the cater to our bellies the soule that quickneth us the strength that supporteth us the grace that saveth us the power that raiseth us the glory that crowneth us And they that shew no mercy shall have none 3. The consideration of our own infirmities doth plead for our mercy to our delinquent brother Reas 3 not to make the most of their faults and scrue their punishment to the uttermost rather to save our brethren Ga. 6.1 and to pull them out of the fire least we also be tempted for we have many suits to God for pardon of our own sinnes and therefore by the law of Justice let us do as we would be done to that is sollicite the favour of God for our brethren and although the zeale of Gods glory do put us to it to pray for their correction that they may be amended yet considering how bitter the medicine is that healeth sinne let us entreat the Physitian to look but on the corrupt humours in the body of the Church to purge them to take no more blood from the body thereof then may stand with the health of the body 4. It is a more easie suit to obtain the mercy of God Reas 4 then to stirre up his anger for as he is slow to wrath and long-suffering and when he doth begin to chide he will not keep his anger continually so he is rich in mercy abundant in goodnesse oleum supernatat vino the oyle swims above the wine Christ his sonne the character of his fathers glory of his mercy the true coppie of that sicut Pater vester qui est incaelis as Our father which is in heaven Of whom Saint Augustine sweetly commenting upon his pater ignosce eis father forgive them saith De utilet paen l. 1. he left them not quojusque ejus jam sanguinem possent bibere credentes quem fuderant saevientes they know how to drink believing the blood which they shed raging which is called in the Psalmist Multitudo dulcedinis Saint Hilary upon the Parable of the parable in the vineyard saith Ad spem omne tempus est liberum In Ps 129 mercedem non operis sed misericor diae undecimae horae operarii consequuntur God loves to be sollicited for mercy 4. Because in the contrary Ionah had a chiding from God himselfe Reas 4 that he stood more upon the credit of his office then he did upon the honour of his God that sent him being so angry at Gods sparing of Niniveh Wherein God himself pleaded the cause of his own mercy and justified his suspense of the threatned judgement against Iohan c. David had good cause to choose to fall into the hands of God rather then into the hands of men for with God there is mercy And had Niniveh been in the hand of Jonah their fasting with sackcloth and repenting should not have cleared nor calmed the storme threatned God said in Niniveh there were more then six score thousand Persons that knew not the right hand from the left there were a great many more in the nation of the Jews many also that served God with a true heart many that was not yet com to the height of sinning of whom there was hope many that had drunk deep already to the Cup of affliction by the sins of others who had thereby provoked God Therefore Habakkuk could do no lesse then stand in the gap now and keep out some of this wrath To make use of this doctrine Vse and of the holy example of this Prophet let me use the words of the Apostle to you Put on therfore as the Elect of God holy and beloved Col. 3.12 bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have aquarrell against
any man even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And above all things put on charity with the bond of perfectnesse As it is a welcome suit to God when out of a zeal to his glory you do call upon him for his judgments to chasten the overgrown sinnes of the time in which ye live so it is a pleasing intercession which solliciteth for mercy in Justice for the pure justice of God will endure an allay of mercy and we shall have the better interest in his favour by how much the more we desire more sharers in it There be good Authours of opinion that the Prayer of Stephen Father forgive them was no weak means of the Conversion of Saul who was one of his Persecutors The point is moderation that neither we should so favour high-grown sinners as not to complain to God of them nor yet so delight in their punishment as not to pray against the whole and full displeasure of God that neither the zeal of Gods glory do extinguish Christian compassion nor the tendernes of pity quench the zeal of Gods glory but that at once we do shew our obedience to the whole law that he that loveth God may love his neighbour also God himself directed Abimilech to Abraham to pray for him and the friends of Job to use Jobs intercession because he loves to be entreated to shew mercy And the rich man in hell would not have his brethren come to that place of torment Complain then that is holy passion but begge easie punishment that is charitable compassion the children of God have as many tears to shed for the punishment of their brethren as for their sinnes 2. The Parts are two 1. The Prophets resolution concerning the Church and Common-wealth of the Jews 2. The Prophets dispute with God The first containeth an argument 1. The Antecedent Thou art from everlasting O Lord my God my holy One 2. The Conclusion Therefore we shall not die O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement O mighty God thou hast established them for correction The Proposition That God is eternal and holy needs no proof to such as know God both are clearly maintained through the whole body of Scripture 1. The Eternity of God And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba Gen. 21.33 Ps 90.2 and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God Moses Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art our God Saint Paul Rom. 16.26 speaking of the mystery of the Gospel long kept secret but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations Hast thou not known Isa 40.28 hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the end of the earth fainteth not c. Plato defined God to be aeterna mens sibi ad omnem felicitatem sufficiens summe bona omnis boni efficient in natura Neither can we rest in the search of causes till we come to one supreme eternal cause of all things the Alpha and Omega of other things of himself without Alpha or Omega 2. The Conclusion from hence issuing is Therefore we shall not die saith Habakkuk For as God is eternal in himself so is he to his Church and from the eternity of God doth the eternity of Angels and men derive it self for eternity cannot flow from any thing that is not it selfe eternal and we know that the nature of Angels and men is eternal both of them being by the eternal God created to abide for ever the elect Angels and men in eternal glory the reprobate Angels and men in eternal shame and pain Yet is the judgement of the reprobate in Scripture called by the names of Death Destruction Perishing because these be titles of the greatest horrour and dismay that the heart of man can conceive Now we have two hopes built upon this foundation of Gods eternity non moriemur 1. Temporal that God will still reserve a remnant of the Jews to return again to the possession of their fathers and to build again the City and the temple and to renew the face of a Church and Common-wealth so non moriemur hoc est omnes we shall not die that is not all 2. Eternal That God will not utterly cast off his People from his favour but that although he scourge them with the rods of men even to a temporal losse of their land their liberty and their lives yet non moriemur we shall not lose our interest in his promise of a better life So that the Prophet doth teach us the right use of the doctrine of Gods eternity to assure us against all temporal and eternal evils And this doth Moses conclude for this Antecedent Before the mountains were brought forth Ps 90.2 or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art our God Thou turnest man to destruction Vers 3. again thou sayst return ye sonnes of Adam From the power of Gods Eternity there is a return for the sons of Adam as David saith Thou renuest the face of the earth Non moriemur death our last enemy shall be destroyed and perish we shal be translated from death to life this is clear because God hath in eternal wisedom appointed an eternal redemption for some to an eternal inheritance of eternal glory This eternity of God is two fold 1. Eternitas essentiae Eternity of Essence in himself 1. Eternitas Providentiae Eternity of Providence in respect of his creatures From the first we conclude the second for if God be in his own nature eternal he hath also an eternal Providence by which he governeth all things his word by which he governeth is also eternal in the heavens Saint Augustine proveth this point of Gods eternity thus Quaest 83 l. c. 19. Quod incommutabile aeternum est That he proveth Quod semperest ejusdem modi est incommutabile Such is our God without variablenesse or shadow of change and therefore eternal And whereas from this eternity our Prophet doth conclude Non moriemur Saint Augustine doth therefore call our eternity immortalitatem rather then aeternitatem Anteced-Consequent 2. Another Argument is here inforced Thou art holy Therefore this punishment of the Jews by the Chaldaeans is for their correction only Of the Antecedent God is holy The Quiristers of heaven do attribute it to God three times in some Greek Copies we read it three times three nine times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy The song of Moses is sung in heaven and that saith Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Rev. 15.4 for thou only art holy The Seraphims say each one to another Isa 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory It was his law
1. For his Godhead that none other but he should be called God or esteemed 2. For his Worship not to be given to creatures 3. For his name not to be taken in vain 4. For his Sabbath to be kept holy And it is our first petition sanctificetur nomen Hallowed be thy name and for our conformity with him For I am the Lord your God ye shall therfore sanctifie your selvs Levit. 11.44 and yee shall be holy for I am holy So there is 1. Sanctitas increata an increate holinesse in God 2. Creata Created in man as a beam of that heavenly light a stream of that full fountain in our God This uncreated holinesse which is the attribute of God is the absolute perfection of Gods nature and attributes his full goodnesse not only that wherein he is good in himself but in his operations also 2. The Consequent From hence the Prophet concludeth that God cannot do more to his Church then correct it he cannot utterly destroy it because he is holy so is his Church his correction of the Elect is only a fire to purge out their drosse which will go out of it selfe when the combustible matter is spent Hear God himselfe I am the Lord the Holy One the Creator of Israel your King Isa 43.15 This People have I formed for my self Vers 21. they shall shew forth my praise I but our sinnes spoile all He addeth I Vers 25. even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins The Church of God is semen sanctum an holy seed God cannot forsake it he is Sanctus Creator an holy Creator and he is Sanctus Redemptor an holy Redeemer of it as the holy text stileth him You see here Applicat that as Christ saith This is life eternal to know thee Let us study God and his attributes for from thence we derive whatsoever we are or have they are our light of direction our staffe of supportation From the wisedome of God we have all intellectual illumination From the Iustice of God all our integrity From the Holinesse of God all our Sanctification From the Eternity of God our immortality From the Omnipotency of God our strength And as by our faith we cleave to him so we are made Partakers of the divine nature The juice of this text is the Prophets faith which from the Holinesse and Eternity of God doth resolve That this judgement of God Doct. threatned against the Jews is no more then a temporal chastisement according to the doctrine taught out of Obadiah Though God afflicteth his Church yet he loveth her still This perswasion of deliverance from evils is found in natural men but either it is grounded upon an opinion that they have of fortune such make chance their God or it is built upon the consideration of the vicissitude of things which maketh sundry mutations Informes hyems reducit Jupiter Hor. Car. 2. Od. 10. idem Summovet non se malè nunc olim sic erit God sendeth fowl weather and faire if it be ill now with us it will not be so hereafter This is but cold comfort to hope only in the change of times and so to look for better days Some acknowledge a Deity and ascribe all alterations to that not knowing the true God as Aeneas comforted his company Durate vesmet rebus servate secundis Continue and reserve your selves for better times Dabit Deus his quoque finem God will put an end to these your sufferings But that which comforteth the Saints of God in afflictions is their faith in the Eternity and Holinesse of God from whence they gather assurance that they shall not miscarry under the rod of God he is eternal therefore they shall not perish he is holy therefore he will but correct not destroy and hereof they make this use 1. They do not limit God to a set time when he shall deliver them so Daniel waited for the deliverance of Israel from Babylon seventy years The Church waited till the fulnesse of time for the promised Messiah 2. They do not limit God to any set means of deliverance Mordecai did see that the preferment of Hester was a likely means to save the Iews from the fury of the decree which Haman had procured against them and he putteth her to it to use her mediation with the King for it but he builded not his hopes in that means for he said to her If thou altogether hold thy Peace at this time Esth 4.14 then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Iews from another place The promise made to Abraham concerning his seed was in nature despaired by the old age of Abraham Sarah yet was not Abraham out of hope but when Isaac the sonne of Promise was come God afterward commanded him to be offered in sacrifice yet did not that weaken the faith of Abraham for he built upon the word of the promise and not upon the possibility of the means For he that promised was faithful 3. They do not limit God to the measure of affliction for they know that whatsoever the judgement be which God inflicteth upon his Church it cannot exceed a fatherly correction So Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 4. They are not discouraged in the faith of Gods mercy though they feel the contrary and therefore being in one contrary they do believe another Thus even when they feel the burthen of their sinnes they believe their justification for the heavy-laden seeke Christ for case When they feel misery they believe blessedneesse for they know Blessed are they that mourne When they feel correction they believe for he chasteneth every sonne whom he receiveth When they feel themselves forsaken of God they believe themselves interested in his favour as David and Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Both forsaken in respect of their feeling neither in respect of their faith 5. They by faith are ever in the Presence of God Ps 16.8 so David I have set God always before me for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not be moved So it is said of Moses being in danger in Aegypt Heb. 1◠27 By faith he forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible Thus strongly do they build whose foundation is not laid it any possibility of their own merits to deserve deliverance and of their own wit and cunning to decline evils or of their own strength and power to resist them or evade them or the vicissitude of things to change them but trust in the living God and make him their hiding place Whereas the Prophet saith Doct. 2 that God had ordained the Chaldeans for judgement that is for the execution of his judgement and hath established them for correction Docemur we are taught That God is the Author of
punishment God himself assumeth it to himself Shall there be evil in a city Amos. 3.6 and the Lord hath not done it Malum poenae the evil of punishment So Moses Ps 90.7 For we are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled So David Ps 39.11 When thou with rebuke dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth 1. Because every sinne is a trespasse against God as David Tibi Reas 1 tibi soli peccavi Against thee only have I sinned for every sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law and therein God is offended and he is a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children The trespasses against our brethren in the breach of the second Table be immediate sins against God For as when the plate is not cut for the mint to clippe it is no breach of the law but when it hath the stamp impressed and is coine then to clippe or wash it is treason not for the matter but because of the stampe So the matter of our brethren is but earth and the violation of it is but the defacing of earth but bearing the image of God in it it is a trespasse against him whose image is therein insculped to wrong it 2. Because every punishment as it is poena a punishment Reason 2 so it is vindicta a revenge and God layeth claim to that by Prerogative vindicta mea my revenge no man can take the sword out of his hand it is virga tua saith David thy rod. 3. Because none but God can search the heart where sinne breedeth Reas 3 and knoweth how to proportion punishment to the sinne Punishment is the Physick of the Church as Augustine Quod pateris medicina est non paena that thou sufferest is thy medicine not thy punishment He only knoweth how to temper the medicine for the health of the Patient for he knoweth wherof we be made he only can work good out of evil 4. Because there is none but God that doth whatsoever he will none but he can ordain or establish judgement Reas 4 the judgements are called Iudicia dei the Judgements of God in that cruel execution done upon Christ in our flesh Acts 2.23 as there were the wicked hands of the Jews and the Romanes so there was the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God 1. Let us not therefore sinne against God Vse 1 and make an idol of him by making him all mercy for though we call him father doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the world who upon the wicked will rain snares stormes and tempest this shall be their portion to drink rather meet a temptation with Ioseph and say How then shall I do this great wickednesse and so sin against God For our God is a consuming fire And It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God 2. Let us not fret at the means ordained by God for our correction Vse 2 remembring that God hath established them for our chastisement Psal 39 9. but let us rather say with David obmutui non aperii os meum quia tu domine fecisti I was dumb c. because thou Lord hast done it let us know and confesse who it is that smiteth us and say Thou hast smitten me and thou wilt heale me 3. Let us remember when God taketh off his hand and restoreth us again to the chearful light of his countenance Vse 3 to acknowledge his mercy to us and as Christ saith to sinne no more least some more heavy judgement fall upon us Let us with David remember the vows which we made to God in our affliction and spend the time of our so journing here in feare 4. Lastly Vse 4 Seeing God hath comforted us let us also comfort our brethren 2 Cor. 1.9 as the Apostle saith for God comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which be in any trouble by the comfort wherewith our selves are comforted of God so as Christ said to Peter when we our selves are converted we shall strengthen the brethren and the God of Peace and all Consolation shall give unto us the blessing of his Peace 2. The Prophets dispute with God The Prophet seemeth amazed at the course of Gods proceeding against the Jews by the Chaldaeans And the remain of this chapter doth contain his expostulation with God wherein 1. He layeth a ground of this Argument The eyes of God are pure 2. He questioneth God how these inconveniences following are born withal by him which are these Grievances 1. How God should look on whilst men deal treacherously v. 13. 2. How God should hold his tongue whilst the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he vers 13. 3. How God can expose the Jews his People as a prey to the Chaldaeans ver 14. And thou makest men as the fishes of the sea and as the creeping things that have no Ruler From which liberty given to them They break forth into all extremes of cruelty ver 15. They take up all with their Angle they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragge 4. They insult over the conquered ver 15. They rejoyce and are glad They commit self-idolatry ver 16. Therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their dragge because by them their portion is made fat and their meat plenteous 5. How God can so long dispense with the enemies of his Church and whether he will so forsake them ver 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations 1. Of the ground of his contestation Thou art of pure eyes This phrase is according to the capacity of humane understanding and it is doubly figurative 1. In that eyes are attributed to God 2. In that they are said to be pure 1. It is a thing frequent in Scripture to give the parts of a mans body to God the eye the eare the hand the heart the foot the bowels the arme the face the back-parts whereupon certain hereticks literally understanding those phrases have believed and taught that God is like to man in shape of bodie and that the image wherein God made man was corporeal These hereticks are called Anthropomorphites because they ascribed to God the image and corporeal likenesse of man Whom some ignorant Persons have used to point in the representation of a grave old man against the clear text of Scripture and warrant of truth Of this I will only tell you what Saint Augustine writing to Fortunatianus a bishop concerning the judgment of another Bishop Epl. 1.11 who maintained this heresie saith The text of Scripture attributing the parts of humane bodies to God must not be literally understood for then we must allow God also to have bodily wings for we read also often of the wings and feathers of God But saith he as
Ps 73.16 Vers 17. then understood I their end Which teacheth us in these great deeps of the wisdom of God not to resolve any thing out of humane reason but to consult God himself and to hearken what he will say to the matter to speak after him and follow him Our experience telleth us that there hath been much opposition much injustice here in our land that the Common-wealth groaned under the burthen thereof The wayes of God are not like our wayes did not God see this did not the cry of the poor and the oppressed go up to him even to his ears is he not come down to visit the transgressors and to take the matter into his own audience even now in the cool of the day he is come at last to keep a Sessions and to search Jerusalem with a candle and lanthorn now his eye-lids do begin to try the sons of men and the joyful Church and Common-wealth cry to him saying Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Ps 45 3. with thy glory and thy majesty And in thy Majesty ride prosperously Vers 4. because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 2. His instruction of others He will not only hearken to satisfie himselfe but he will furnish himself from the mouth of God with answers to satisfie them that shall dispute and argue with him against the Providence of God That is the use of our study and labour in our Ministry 1. To teach the truth 2. To convince contradictors This second part of our duty the Prophet had now special use of for the Church foreseeing the fearful judgements of God upon the Jews did argue the matter with the Prophet and all those former grievances they objected as arguments against Gods Government of his Church The Prophet holdeth the foundation and seeketh to inform himself how he may be able to maintain the same against opposition and strife of tongues Docemur We are taught In the Church of God there will be ever some that will argue and dispute against God Doct. 1. Because men are first taught by the wisedome of the world Reas 1 and that is enmity with God This proceeds from our original pravity of nature corrupt in the first derivance from our Parents which albeit it hath the seasoning of the Law of God written in the heart yet the law of the members which is contrary to the law of God doth prevaile against that law and leadeth us captive unto sin 2. Because as the Apostle saith for who hath known the mind of the Lord Reas 2 Ignorance of the ways of God doth breed in us many sinister opinions as we find in David in this very case Rom. 11.34 for he confesseth that the prosperity of the wicked troubled him till he went into the house of God there he learned the mind of God and then he was well satisfied Even this Prophet knew not how to answer them that would argue with him against God till he had called to account and disputed the matter with him 3. Because the Apostle saith of the Elect Reason 3 For we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Now in many of Gods chosen the sight and sense is full the faith is weak and imperfect and when we come to hear of the equal Justice of God in punishing sinners and feel the smart of his rod upon the Church it is an hard matter to assure the heart by believing against that which is suffered in feeling 4. Because Solomon saith Reas 4 Eccl. 7.29 God hath made man upright but they have sought many inventions for surely the equal and constant ways of God are suspected by the unequal and inconstant inventions of men who in favour of themselves spare not to cast the afflictions of the Church rather upon the will of God of which they are not able to give the reason then upon the evil deservings of their own sins 1. The Minister must learn of the Prophet Vse 1 to apply himself to the remedy of this inconvenience to maintain the cause of God against all contradiction and strife of tongues for as we are the Peoples Oratours to plead their cause with God so are we Gods Oratours to defend him against the corrupt and perverse censures of men by proclaiming his constant Justice and Wisdome and truth and by teaching them as the Psalmist saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We need not strain our selues much for this for wisedome will be justified of her children and he whom we defend against the calumniations of prophane or against the distrustfulnesse of the ignorant and weak will fill our mouths with arguments in his own defence Job saith to his friends Iob. 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly of God and talk deceitfully for him The Cause of God is an upright Cause we shall not need to be put to our shifts to defend him against the dispute and arguing of men It s enough that we rest in this principle of undeniable truth Surely God is just there is no unrighteousnes with him as Abraham That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked Gen. 18.25 and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right 2. The People that are our hearers are taught to hearken to the voice of our message and to learn this lesson of the Justice Vse 2 wisdome and truth of God that they may rightly know God and sincerely love him that if any thoughts of distast of Gods Government or distrust of his Justice shall arise in their hearts they may presently call to remembrance our pleadings for him and confesse that how admirable soever the ways of God are in our judgements yet they are always equal how secret soever they be yet they are always just It is a malicious suggestion when Satan shall bely us to God as he did Job when he said Job served not God for nothing but there is no great danger in it Ioh. 2.25 for he knows Satan to be a liar and a murtherer and he needeth not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man It is a dangerous suggestion when he shal belie God to us First either flattering us with an overweening of his mercy to encourage sin as when he told Evah You shall not die at all Secondly Or shall affright us with the terrour of his Iustice as if there were no â—ope of favour as he did to David setting some awork to tell him Non est tibi salus in deo tuo there is no help for thee in thy God Thirdly or shall taxe to us the Government of God as if he were either negligent of the affairs of the sons of men or ignorant altogether of the sufferings of his Church or partial in administration of
that abuse it or to stop the course of his justice to them whom correction doth amend then we say he repenteth him of that which he hath either promised or threatned for clearing whereof understand That God never changeth in promise or in threatning but only in things concerning this life as in all the examples repeated all those promises and threatnings be used as motives to induce obedience and therefore they are not absolute but conditionall For it is no good argument to perswade a man to be Religions and to fear God abstaining from all the pleasing delights of the world to promise him his hearts desire if he know that that promise doth bind God that whatsoever he do he shall be partaker of the promise And it is no inducement to disswade sin by the commination of judgment if the judgment must of necessity be inflicted Therefore this revealed Will of God is conditionall and hath reference to our obedience and faith and good life and use of the means ordained by God and tendered to us This is the rule of life and by this Will is the Church of God governed for by this he doth reveal himself both in his word and in his permissions and in his operations 1. God signifieth his Will by his Word for that doth declare in precepts prohibitions and examples what God would have to be done what not to be done it revealeth both rewards and punishments and it useth both promises and threatnings 2. God signifieth his Will by permissions because he declareth thereby that what he suffereth to be done that he willeth to be effected 3. By operations for what God doth he doth according to his Will 2. Voluntas beneplaciti is the secret Will of God reserved in himself in wiâ—ch 1. There is consilium the wisdom of God foreseeing what is to be done 2. There is decretum determining it and herein the counsell of God is not the rule of his Will for there is nothing in God above his Will but wiling all things to be thus as he hath decreed he foreseeth in wisdom what he willeth and therefore the rule is not with God This is good therefore I decree it but this I decree therefore it is good Now sometimes there seems to be an opposition between these two Wils of God which is thus reconciled The Will of God is revealed to man 1. Either for necessary and absolute obedience as in the whole morall Law of God 2. For probation and tryall as in the commandment given to Abraham to offer up Isaak wherein God concealed his secret Will which was to preserve Isaak and concealed the purpose of his commandments which was to try the saith of Abraham So on the contrary he sent to Pharaoh commanding him to let Israel go yet it was not his secret will that Israel should go yet but the commandment was given to convince Pharaoh of hardnesle of heart and as in Abraham the commandment did cause him to declare his faith so in Pharaoh did it convince him of rebellion to the Will of God So all our preaching wherein we perswade repentance and promise life eternal it serveth to direct all that look for salvation in the way of life and it serveth to convince the world of unrighteousnesse if they obey not The answer then is that whatsoever God willeth and decreeth voluntate beneplaciti by the will of good pleasure doth take effect What God willeth voluntate signi by the Will signified not always Reply How then shall I know what to do seeing the signifying Will of God is my rule and that seemeth uncertain and not agreeable to the secret Will of Gods good pleasure Sol. Do as Abraham did prepare to offer thy son do as thou art commanded leave the event and the disposition of thy obedience to God who wil further reveale himselfe unto thee Do as Hezechiah did set thine house in order yet use the means by repentance and Prayer to prolong thy life Do as the Ninivites did fast and repent and call upon the name of the Lord and try him as the Prophet saith Whether hâ— will shew thee mercy or not But to bring this home to my text when God pronounceth the Decree of Judgement against the enemies of the Church and promiseâ—h mercy to his Church believe him in both for neither can Gods enemies repent to change the course of his Iustice neither can his Church sinne unto death that he should take his mercy utterly from it So then the Argument holdeth strong God hath said and decreed what he wil do against these Chaldaeans what for his Church therefore it shall come to passe Quest But if this be true Quest what need then is there of Prayer doth it not argue in us a kind of distrust in the favour of God when we do not take his word but are still importunate to sollicite his favour To this our answer is that this cannot discourage Prayer because the decree is past and unchangable this is the proper foundation of Prayer for the Apostle saith And this is the confidence that we have in him 1 John 5.14 that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us So that it is a necessary knowledge before we undertake to pray to know what is that good that acceptable and perfect Will of God For we not only lose our labour but we do also offend God if we ask any thing against or beside his Will therefore that we might not run into the errour of the sons of Zebedee Nescitis quid petatis you know not what you should ask Our Saviour hath set down a forme of Prayer so absolute as that we cannot justifie the asking of any thing according to the Will of God that hath not reference to one of those petitions Reply If then we prevail in our Prayers Object why do we commend Prayer seeing all events do follow Gods will and decree and not our Prayers Our answer is that though the supreme agent in all operations be the Will of God Answ yet the hand of operation in many things is prayer which God hath ordained and commanded as a means to draw forth his Will to execution So God giveth every good gift yet we are without any wrong to God thankful to men by whose means any good cometh to us So that the doctrine doth remain firm Whatsoever God hath promised to his Church or threatned the perverse enemies therof that he will surely perform for the decrees and the word of God are unchangable Quest But when God threatneth me punishment and denounceth judgement against me how shall I know whether it be voluntas signi or bene placiti is there not an hope left me that God may repent him of the evil that he threatned It is a note of the evil conscience to feare where no fear is â—e where there is no cause of fear an elect man fearing judgement threatned which shall not come near him feareth where no cause
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
which is unclean Therefore the Spirit of God working faith in us doth set our eyes upon the quarry out of which we were digged and pointeth us to this first corruption 1. There is great use of this looking back that we who think our selves brave creatures to whom God hath put so many of our fellow witnesses into service may know that we are but men so it serveth to humble us under the mighty hand of God It is Augustines saying Magna pars humilitatis tuae est notitia tui 2. I find it also urged by the Prophet Isay Hearken to me ye that follow righteousnesse Isa 51.1 ye that seek the Lord look to the rock whence you were hewen and to the pit whence ye are digged This to consider the small beginnings of the Church for God called Abraham being one and from him is the house of Israel 3. I find it urged to remember our unworthinesse and to establish the Faith of Gods free grace Ezch 16.3 Thus saith the Lord unto Jerusalem thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite and thy mother was an Hittite c. To chide the rebellion of Israel to whom God had shewed mercy being so unworthy Three good uses of this point if these vertues do follow 1. Humility 2. Thankfulnesse 3. Repentance This Doctrine of Originall sin hath found some haeretical opposition though the voice of Scripture and Reason doth speak out loud and clear for it The Pelagians long agoe denied propagation of sin and ascribed all to imitation The Romanists deny it to be peccatum mortale a mortal sinne But the Anabaptists of our times have revived both the Pelagian and the Popish haeresie For in their last book printed 1620. they do deny that Infants traduce sin from their parents and therefore are not borne in sinne I only admonish you if any such corrupt suggestions shall obtrude themselves to your judgments that you wave them as contrary to the expresse word of holy Scripture that you never forget the pit out of which you were digged 2. Sinnes of omission This is another corruption of nature for our originall imperfection doth so incline us to evil that we are ready to leave the duties undone which the law of God requireth to be done The Spirit of God working faith in us doth shew us that whatsoever holy duty we omit we transgresse the Law which in every precept doth bind the conscience to obedience and leaveth them guilty before God who do not those things which the Law commandeth Note it that in the processe of the last judgment it is said non pavistis me non amicivistis me non visitastis ye fed me not c. And in the parabolical example of the rich man and Lazarus it is declared that the rich man went to hell for not feeding Lazarus Consider this ye that forget God How often have you neglected publike prayers when you have had no just occasion to detaine you how often have you neglected to heare to come to the Sacrament when the Table of the Lord hath been prepared for you you have turned your back and gone away To such the Master of the feast saith Non sunt digni non gustabunt coenam meam they are not worthy they shall not taste of my supper God doth offer occasions every moment to praise him or to pray to him it is part of mans misery that he is negligent and taketh not the benefit of these occasions to serve God He was adjudged to utter darknesse who hid the talent of his master in the ground Take that uprofitable servant and cast him into utter darknesse yet was this but a sin of omission The Law saith Hoc fac vives do this and live and not only they that do Contrarium huic contrary to this but they that do not Hoc facere are prevaricatours of the Law To do good and to distribute forget not he doth not say forbear to do evill or omit not to do good but forget not it is a sin to forget our duty more to omit it willingly but most horrible to do the contrary 3. Sins of evil motion These are against the tenth Commandement non concupisces thou shalt not covet for there is a conception of sinne a vegetation and a putting forth The Conception of sin is the first motion thereof the first titillation of the sense as Galasius Quamvis non planè assentiamur desiderio si tamen nos titillat sufficit ad nos reos peragendos So Chrysost Aliud est concupiscere aliud velle Saint Bern. doth distinguish our Cogitations thus 1. Sunt Cogitationes otiosae idle thoughts ad rem non pertinentes these he calleth Lutum simplex that is a thinne clay which cleaveth not yet it coloureth 2. Sunt Cogitationes violentae fortius adhaerentes violent and faster cleaving thoughts These he calleth Lutum viscosum a viscous clay stick-fast 3. Sunt Cogitationes faetidae Filthy thoughts quae ad luxuriam invidiam avaritiam c. pertinet which belong to luxury c. Coelum immundum foul mud The first of these cogitationes motus primi may be either in phantasie only so they defile not or in voluntate in the will a little infecting that so they break the law St. Chrysost Si concupiscentiae non consentit voluntas sola concupiscentia non condemnat if the Will consenteth not the Concupiscence condemns not I dare not embrace his judgement Saint Paul found by the law and he could find it by no law but this of the tenth Commandement that Concupiscentia est peccatum Concupiscence is sin This is part of the misery of our fall from God we cannot think a good thought of our selves 4. Sins of evil-affection The spirit doth detect this further misery when the consent of the will and the bent of desire doth affect evil in which kind our Saviour the best interpreter of the Law doth call anger murther and unchast desires adultery and desires of our neighbours goods theft These are not only sins in proventu ex corde but in corde as Christ saith out of the heart cometh murther adultery theft 5. Sins of evil action These are evil praevarications and actual transgressions of the law such as the erecting of another God against the true God worshipping of idols Swearing and blasphemy Breach of the Sabbath in the first table of the law Disobedience to authority murther adultery theft false witnesse in the second Table They that do these things have not God in their ways Haec sunt quae polluunt hominem saith Jesus Christ It is a principal work of the Spirit of God in man to make him sensible of the pollution of sin it is a thing natural to fear punishment and to decline it but the perfect hatred of sin is in respect of the pollution so that if there were no further danger yet because it fouls my soule and defiles my body I
then should keep thee from this remedy 1. Consider that there is no man in better case then thou by nature for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God 2. Confider that this remedy is without thy self if it were of thy self thou hadst cause to distaste it but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee 3. Consider that the giver of the Remedy is the giver of faith also by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed and if thou do not feel this faith in thy self do not judge thy self void of it for there may be and is faith often where is no feeling thereof 4. Tarry the Lords leasure as before wait for the vision will not lye How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Bethesda and though still hindered yet was he not without hope We must not part the truth of God and his justice and mercy for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement and the truth of his mercy Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nourished in us 2. How our faith may be proved Because there may be a shew and seeming of faith where the true substance thereof is wanting the best way to try our faith is by the true touchstone for as gold is tried by the touch so faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth hath a proper touchstone to try it 1 Pet. 1.7 1. That is the conscience of man within for that doth declare to himself his faith 2. That is good conversation and godly life for that doth declare our faith to men 1. A good Conscience For being justified by faith we have peace toward God Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have Non est pax impio saith God No peace to the wicked Against this is a double objection 1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing Object they are not humbled like other men they are not poured from vessel to vessel therefore their sent remaineth in them The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghost Sol. The wicked mans joy is not such it is but a flash it is neitâ—â—â—â—ound for when any tryal cometh it faileth neither is â—t 〈…〉 for it perisheth in time neither is it growing and increâ—â—â—â—g neither is it excusing 2. Many of the best of Gods servants have their minds troubled and suffer great distresses in their conscience for sinne Object 2 yea such a winter there is upon their souls that they feel not any life of grace at all in them True but observe from whence this ariseth Sol. even from the warre of the spirit against the flesh the world and the devil in which conflict often times the spirit is daunted and dismayed for a season but there is ever joy in tribulations and joy arising and growing out of sorrowes whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith dye in them And this fire is from heaven the covering of it with oppressions doth make it burn so much the hotter and the strring of it up with temptations doth make it shine the clearer so that peace of conscience is a sure signe of a good Faith 2. Another touch-stone for this gold this Faith is an evidence of godly conversation to approve our selves to God and man both by doing all the duties of a godly life and avoyding the contrary This is the only work of Faith in us 1. The pit whence we draw this water of life is deep the bucket by which we fetch it up is Faith for whatsoever desire or strength we have or endeavour to live godly it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jesus Christ I live by Faith in the same God 2. Faith only doth assure to us the loving kindnesse of God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son c. Ecce quantam charitatem what eye shall behold this but the eye of Faith 3. Faith worketh love that is it breedeth a correspondence between Christ and us for the beleeving soul assured of Christs love to it doth cast about within it self quid rependam and finding nothing to recompence that love it seeketh how God may be pleased and walketh in that way so neer as he can So it is said of the faithful that they walk with God and they answer every temptation to evill as Joseph did How shall I do this and sin agaâ—â—â—â—â—â—d Or if by infiâ—â—â— â—hey fall they cry God mercy and they groan and grieâ—â—â—â—hin themselves that they cannot performe better service to God Thus we love God 1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. because he loved us first And Christ said Many sins are forgiven her quia dilexit multum This is a fruit of the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts by faith Observe it when faith doth lie concealed in us that our selves cannot discern it yet may we discern in our selves our love of God and of such as love God and this proves Gods love to us for we could not love him except he loved us first 4. Faith maketh us sincere for it is the notation of our faith it is called faith unfained and Christ saith Blessed be the pure in heart faith purifieth the heart as the Apostle saith These are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes of which Solomon spake but the other of which David his father spake Haec est generatio quaerentium faciem tuam Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis the perfection of works God is pleased if there be puritas cordis purity of heart 2 Cor. 1.12 which the Apostle calleth Simplicitie and godly purenesse And that is known by these signes 1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for sins which he knoweth himself guilty of and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conscience that God hath forgiven them 2. If he consider his own weaknesse so farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many sins that he knoweth not and prayeth earnestly and often with David à secretis meis munda me cleanse me from my secret sins 3. If he finde in his heart a present strife of his spirit against the flesh wrastling with his own corruptions and not suffering sin to reign in his mortal body leading him captive to the Law of sinne 4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and fasting and watching and all exercises of mortification striving to bring his body in subjection to the law of God 5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart to arme him against Satans temptations as Christ did with scriptum est it is written 6. If he finde a desire of perseverance therein to the end which is discerned by his spiritual growth from grace to grace bringing forth more fruit even in age as Christ testifieth of the Church of Thyatira more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 For he that beleeveth in
is the fence about it and prosperity the demesnes belonging to it And the guard of Angels pitch their ten t s round about it This house is built upon a rock yet it must endure the winds and waves 3. This hath deceived many for they have thought unrighteousnesse the better and safer way because they have seen the wicked flourishing and spreading like to a green bay-tree Job disturbeth them in their ruffe and glory and fulnesse and fatnesse Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them It goeth pleasantly for two or three Verses but vers 13. in a moment they go down to the grave Job 20.9 It is an admirable wisdom that Job hath recorded to direct our observation of such Lo their good is not in their hand They are not masters of their happy estate which he proveth Vers 16. How oft is the candle of the wicked put out it is but a candle and it is put out often for God distributeth sorrowes in his anger God is angry he doth not cover them over with sorrows and and overwhelme them with woe here but he distributes sorrow giving them some lucida intervalla This varnish and paint and guilding Vers 17. of unrighteousnesse with temporal happinesse doth make it deceive many A brutish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 neither doth a fool understand this When the wicked spring as the grasse and all the workers of iniquity flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Who would have thought it every man saith when he seeth pride have a fall no for the Psalmist saith Thy thought are very deep Here God himself declareth that ambition shall end in shame and the candle of the wicked when it is put out will end in a foule and stinking smoak 4. This admisheth and exhorteth all that love their houses and study their own honour to seek it in the way of piety and charity let such serve God let them not neglect the Lords house the Lords day the Lords Table let them suffer their brethren to dwell in peace by them and to grow up with them and to be the better for them It is not the riches that we leave behind us to our heirs that doth build our house but that we bestow well to the honour of God and the good of our brethren where we live You shall see it in our Saviours sentence I was hungry and you fed me Matth. 25.35 I was naked and ye cloathed me c. Not the meat that we do eat our selves nor the cloathes that we do wear out selves nor the mony and land that we demise to our posterity maketh us friends in the day of the Lord but what we dispose A worthy Citizen of our City that had been his own steward of his goods and disposed them to many charitable uses was his own Poet for his Epitaph and caused this line among others to be insculped on his grave That I gave that I have Which calls to my remembrance a story that I read in Peraldus Bishop of Lyons in France How a great Lord thinking his tenant somewhat too rich and meaning to share with him required of him a true inventory of his estate and what his wealth was He answered it was in all 600 crowns it was objected that he dissembled his estate such a grange such a house such a farm and many other things of good value belonging to him were not named he answered Illa non sunt mea sed Domini mei qui quando voluerit potest ea accipere sed quod dedi pro Deo in manus pauperum in salvâ custodiâ posui it a quod nullus potest mihi illud auferre These are not mine but my Lords who when he please may take them from me but what I have for God given to the poor I have laid that in safe custody so as none is able to take that from me The riches wherewith we honour God do build our house always provided that they be riches well gotten for if charity have been violated in the getting of wealth the charity of giving it away to the poor will not redeem the breach of justice Justice must ever go before charity in the dispensation of our goods First Suum cuique to every one his own then Tuum thy own so Zachaeus He beganne at reddo I restore and from thence went to do I give 2. Punishment And hast sinned against thy soul The meaning as I take it is that all this evil shall one day smart upon the soul of the Chaldeans The doctrine is Doctr. All sins committed against the law of God are done against the souls of them that commit them The committers of sin are of two sorts 1. The Elect 2. The Reprobate The Elect sin against their souls 1. Culpa In the fault 2. Poena In the punishment 1. Propter culpam In regard of the fault 1. Because every sin that a man committeth doth defile the soul and polluteth the temple where the holy Ghost should dwel so that Christ saith to every soul except I wash thee thou hast no part with me 2. Because every sin that a man committeth doth hinder the influence of grace and maketh the soul the more uncapable of light and heat from the Son of righteousnesse For every sin is an eclipse of that Sun which is thus proved 1. In our hearing of the word if we be either like the high way where the seed is lost quite Mat. 13.3 or like the stony ground where the seed cannot take root or like the thorny ground where it may take root and spring up but is choaked in the growth the good seed never cometh to an harvest Our sins must be removed to make the soil good and fruitful 2. In our prayer If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psa 66.18 3. In our receiving the Sacrament 1 Cor. ii 29. If I eat and drink unworthily I eat and drink damnation 4. In almes If I do it to be seen of men I lose my reward Mat. 6.1 For I have it here Sin is leaven it corrupteth the whole soul of man and maketh it a trespasser in all that it doth so that the elect man in respect of his fault doth sinne against his own soul and defileth it 2. Propter poenam In respect of the punishment 1. Because it bringeth forth guilt of conscience which maketh us confounded and ashamed in our selves so that we dare not lift up our eyes to heaven nor look our God in the face whose mercy we have abused whose anger we have provoked whose goodnesse we have offended 2. Because sin maketh matter of sorrow in the soul of the offendor and a godly sorrow troubleth and disquieteth the soul within us In that case was Job Peccavi quid faciam tibi quòd feci I have sinned Job 7.20 what shall I do unto thee 3. Because the
Church of Rome for it is clear that there was a time wherein there were no images at all known in the Church There were some desirous then to bring them in but the councel of Eliberis decreed that no picture or image should be brought into the Church lest it should be adored And Epiphanius finding an image painted on a cloth Can. 36. hanging in a Church rent it down and said it was against the Authority of Scriptures that any image should be in the Church Saint Origen saith of his time Con. Cels l. 7. nos imagines non adoramus we do not worship images Eight hundred years after Christ the second Nicene Councel set up images but The Councel of Franckford which was a general Councel and where the Popes Legates were present repealed it and affirme The Catholick Church doth affirme that mortal man ought to worship God not by images and Angels but by Christ our Lord. And whatsoever the practice of the Church of Rome now is in the use of them they shall never be able to reconcile the judgments of their best learned concerning them For Some condemn all divine adoration given to them some condemn external bowing before them some confesse that the ancient fathers condemned them some think their use dangerous And they which have gone farthest in defending them have done it by so nice distinctions that the common People cannot understand how to beware of idolatry themselves not understanding themselves therein Even in the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they are idolaters in worshipping the hoast which I prove from Cardinal Bellarmines own penne De justif lib. 3 cap. 8. Ne que potest certus esse certitudine fidei se percipere verum Sacramentum cum Sacramentum sine intentione ministri non conficiatur intentionem alterius nemo videre potest And thus much Garnet the Provincial did ingenuously confesse upon his private conference with some of our Bishops Wherefore how they can excuse their idolatry in the worship of the elevated hoast I cannot see seeing they worship they know not what Any man may easily conceive that they do carry a corrupt mind that way because in all their Catechismes set forth for the institution of young beginners they do leave out the second Commandment quite and to make up the number they divide the tenth Commandment into two Now having convinced them of idolatry which is the high sin against God and toucheth him in his Majesty and Glory we see how dangerous a thing it is to have conversation with such least we receive of the plagues due to them Though the Church of Pergamus did hold fast the name of Christ and denied not his faith yet had the Lord something against her Rev. 2.14 Because she had there them that held the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication The same quarrel had our Lord to the Church at Thyatira in which though he approved her works and charity and service and faith and patience yet he saith Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel who calleth her self a Prophetesse Rev. 2.20 to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols We have no law to favour idolatry or idolatrous meetings to masse we have severe laws against them yet it is in sight that Masse is frequented by multitudes of all sorts in the sight of Israel in the sight of the sun whence this boldnesse grows we cannot judge but from â—n negligent execution of our godly and just laws Have we forgotten 88 have we forgotten the fifth of November 1605 do we not believe experience Were not the Canaanites whom Israel suffered to live amongst them against the Commandment of God Jude 2.3 thorns in their sides and pricks in their eyes and were not their gods a snare to Israel Is not Popery a dangerous religion to the Soveraign Authority of the King setting the Pope above him to over-rule him and to deprive him of his Crown if he be not for his turn Is not Popery a profest enemy to the Religion that we professe light and darknesse God and Belial may as soon be reconciled and therefore an enemy to our Clergy who are all armed with the Word of God against it Or is it good and wholesome doctrine which the Anabaptists this last year tendred to the King Prince Nobility Judges and Commons of Parliament that Freedome of Religion is not hurtful to any Common-wealth or that Freedome of Religion depriveth not Kings of any Power given them of God The times are foule God is much dishonoured where the fault is and of whom the Church and Religion hath cause to complain is not so much our duty to enquire as to pray to God to amend all I le tell you where you shall have him 2. The punishment of this sinne is exprest in one word Vae Wo and it containeth the whole Cup of Gods indignation 1. In this life they trust in that which cannot help them 2. They invocate that which cannot hear them They trust in lying vanities and they forsake their own mercy they are taught by teachers of lies and therefore the light that is in them is darknesse Baals servants cried from morning to evening upon Baal their god to hear them and it would not do here is a double woe 1. Losse of labour 2. Want of help In the first they bewray their folly the god of this world hath made fools of them for turning the glory of the invisible God into the images of creatures But it the second they find the misery for we cannot subsist without help and they trust to idols where there is no help But that is not all the woe the Apostle telleth us that no idolaters shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Gal. 5.20 this is terror domini the terrour of the Lord for how shall they hope to have glory witch God who deny glory to God will God give them glory that seek to take away glory from him or let them into heaven that would thrust him out Observe it in that law concerning graven images God hath more exprest himself then in any of the rest to be a God of vengeance for there is ratio legis God is jealous And there is Comminatio judicis visitabit and it goeth in descent to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him Observe he calleth them such as hate him There is a promise He will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him And I conceive this added to this Commandment rather then any of the rest because Gods Israel did most often offend in this kind by worshipping God in creatures and by performing external adoration to them which is in this law chiefly forbidden The fear of this woe hath
And the Ministers of the Gospel do speak even as if Christ himself spake in us 2 Cor. 5.10 we speak in Christs stead But as in the time of the Law God sent his Prophets sometimes to such as would not give them the hearing so doth he now in the time of the Gospel but that must not discourage our Ministry at their peril be it Gods Word will ever be Gods wisdom though the prophane count it foolishness and it will be Gods truth though heresie and schisme pick quarrels Therefore if you would learn to pray and be prepared for that holy worship hear Gods speech first and that will teach you what to ask as you ou ought Hear the word from us as the Thessalonians did 1 Thes 2.13 When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe 2 Here is metus I was afraid the Seventy read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie as St. John saith when he saw the vision of the Son of man Rev. 1.17 I fell at his feet as dead There were two things to strike the Prophet vvith astonishment 1 The Majestie of the Speaker 2 The matter of the speech And both these must both meet in our understandings and in our affections to enlighten and to move them that vve may know what vve have to do and vvith vvhom vvhen vve pray that vve may come before him vvith fear and holy reverence 1 The great glory and Majesty of God to vvhom vve resort in prayer is such as no creature can endure the sight thereof The Angels standing before him Isa 6.2 cover their faces with their wings 2 The matter of his speech conteined in his vvord to the Prophet is the summe of the Bible Justice punishing sin in his Church Vengeance destroying the enemies of his Church and Grace redeeming his Church from the povver of Satan by the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ Quae. Why should the Prophet be afraid at this here vvas matter of comfort the heaviness of the night is promised the joy of the morning The Church though it must suffer for a time for sin hath here a promise of tvvo main consolations 1 Their ovvn deliverance from dangers into a restitution of them into Gods favour 2 Their eye shall have their desire also upon their enemies they shall see the vvheel of vvrath go over them and the Lord shall let out of their throats the bloud of his people vvith vvhich they have made themselves drunk all this is matter of joy and vvhat needeth this fear Sol. Who can come without fear before him that can and will do all this for if he be angry yea but a little they are blessed that trust in him fear is a proper passion of a true believer and is inseparably joyned with saving faith For seeing the bond of our union with Christ by faith whereby he dwelleth in us is Partly the hold that he hath of us by his Spirit Partly the hold that we have of him by faith The first is firme Joh. 10.27 There shall not any one pluck them out of my hand he giveth a strong reason for it for my Father who gave them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand we are his gifts and his gifts and calling are without repentance But the flesh doth put the Spirit to it so hard some times even in the elect of God that the hold on our part is weak which breedeth fear and that fear makes us hold so much the faster From hence it comes that all the intelligence between God and man doth begin at fear in us This is not the fear of an evill conscience as it was in Adam when he hid himself from God but the fear of reverence of God and the good conscience of our unworthinesse being fallen from our originall righteousnesse The Shepheards that were keeping watch by night because of their flocks were sore afraid when they saw the light shining at that time of night that the Angel began with Nolite timere fear not yet were they in the lawfull businesse of their calling The blessed Virgin no doubt wel and holily employed Zecharie the Priest in the Church about the occasions of his office yet all afraid This is the seasoning and preparing of the heart for God to be cast down before him it is humbling our selves under the mighty hand of God and we cannot pray as we ought without it When the Apostle saith we cannot pray as we ought and that the spirit helpeth our infirmities he sheweth that such as he have infirmities and they feel them when they come to appear before God and where infirmities are there must needs be fear if they that have them be sensible of them Yea I dare say that they that come to prayer without fear come without faith and all their prayers are turned into sin Ob. We read of comming with boldnesse to God Because we have an high Priest which is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 16. in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that wee may obtein mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Sol. this is cleered by the same Authour in the same Epistle declaring how many considerations must concurre as ingrediences in this our spirituall boldness 1 Let us draw neer with a true heart Heb. 10.22 2 In full assurance of Faith 3 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Consciences 4 Our bodies washed with pure water 5 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering 6 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works 7 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together c. 8 Exhorting one another Let a man before he pray try his vvayes and examine his soul upon those interrogatories and I dare say the best of us if we sin not also in presumption vvill finde himself short in every one of these perticulars of that perfection that should accomplish boldnesse But having those things in some measure and more in desire and endeavour our boldness must needs be as much shaken with fear as these graces in us are shaken with infirmity And upon this fear our Church teacheth us to pray to God in these words Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid 12 Dom. post Trinit and giving unto us that which our prayers dare not presume to ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this some of our brethren have quarrelled as a contradiction in our prayers because we say we pray for tha we dare not pray for To whom I answer in these words of my Text O Lord I heard thy voice
and was afraid In thy word I see how corrupt I am for that sheweth me what thou requirest my conscience feareth those sins of which it is guilty for which I come to thee for mercy O give me through Iesus Christ our Lord that which my prayer without him dare not presume to ask Here is spirituall boldness through Iesus Christ our Lord here is fear in respect of our selves for we must serve the Lord in fear and rejoyce in trembling it is vvell that that is not branded vvith a mark of contradiction We have to do vvith three sorts of persons 1 The prophane and carnall 2 The generation the Wise man nameth of such as are wise in their own eyes yet want washing 3 The truly zealous faithfull ones that do worship God with fear and trembling First concerning the prophane and carnall These do not pray at all the reason is because they do not fear Psa 9.20 of such David saith Put them in fear O Lord that they may know they are but men for when they know that they will see and confesse that they have need of help Thus was Saul converted there suddenly shoon a light from heaven upon him a voyce spake to him he was cast down to the earth Then trembling and astonished he said Lord Act. 9.6 what wilt thou have mee do then was hee fit to be wrought To such wee must preach as Paul did to Felix of righteousnesse Act. 24.25 temperance and the judgment to come to put them into trembling better to put them between the two mil-stones of the law of Moses and the lavv vvritten in their hearts and to grind them as small as the dust of the earth then to let them make sinne out of measure sinfull by holding out to be abominable and to every good vvork reprobate We cannot open the gates of hell too vvide for such to shevv them the anger to come a fit text for a generation of Vipers vve cannot lift up our voyces too loud in the deaf ears of such to tell them their transgressions and to put them in fear David vvept rivers of vvaters for such and that is a good remedie let the faithfull vveep for them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich signifieth to vveep comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frango So vvhen the man of God looked on Hazael 2 Reg. 8.11 and fore-savv the cruell butcheries vvhich his bloody hand should perform he vvept this vveeping of the Prophet brake the heart of Hazael for the time and he said Is thy Servant a dog that he should do these things So St. Paul putteth them together What mean you to weep and to break my heart Act. 21.13 their vveping brake his heart The hearts of the prophane are hardened with the custome of sinning St. Bernard Aperiatur vena ferro compunctionis vve must dravv bloud of them by the preaching of the terrour of the Lord to them This bloud is the tears of compunction of vvhich David My soul melteth or drippeth for heaviness St. Augustine saith that Lachrymae compunctionis be sanguis vulnerati cordis Epist 199. vvhen the remembrance and consideration of their sins hath vvounded them and left them half dead then the good Samaritan vvill come vvith his Wine and Oile even the Oile of gladnesse and the poor patient vvill say Thou hast put gladnesse into my heart This was Sauls hard heart broken in pieces first and he that before did carry the crosse of Christ to torment others now rejoyced in nothing but the crosse of Christ himself whereby the world was crucified to him and he to the world Thus vvhen the lavv hath humbled the prophane under the mighty hand of God he turneth all into tears full of the fear of God and vovveth vvith himselfe as he did in the Poet In fontem frontem atque in flumina lumina vertam then is he fit to pray and to call upon the name of the Lord saying Sana animan mean quia peccavi contrate heal my soul O Lord for I have sinned against thee 2 Wee have to doe vvith that generation vvho are vvise in their ovvn eyes these have a good opinion of themselves that they knovv more then others and they are not in conversation like to the Publican and therefore they look God in the face they dravv neer to him they stand and pray these are so ful of the spirit that they need no help in their prayers they can pen their ovvn petitions their hearts endite good matters their tongues are the pens of ready vvriters they can talk vvith God Almighty ex tempore Dabitur illa hora. Self-opinion is a kind of spirituall drunkenesse and therein of like effect it maketh men daring and fool-hardy the prophane care not for God there is no fear of God before their eyes these make tvvo bold vvith him they also must take a little physick to purge the exuberancy of their presumption vve must give them a doze of fear and teach them to drink of the cup of trembling next their hearts there is no such antidote against tumor as timor swelling as fear It is the Wise mans counsell Be not rash with thy mouth Eccle. 5.2 and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before the Lord for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few He addeth Vers 3. a fools voice is known by multitude of words that is further urged In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin Prov. 10.19 For this Christ teaching us to pray beginneth at Our Father which art in heaven that we upon earth might consider that he to whom we pray is in Heaven that we might compose our selves with fear and reverence to come before him and to present him with our prayers And again he comprehendeth all that we may aske of God in a very short prayer to teach us that our words must be few And to that purpose in his Sermon he taught Mat. 6 7. But when ye pray use not vain repititions as the heathen do for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking They that come in presence of great persons speak their words by number and by weight the very presence doth stamp in them an impression of reverence and fear now seeing God to whom we pray is invisible our faith must behold him before us in glorious majesty as hee saith I have set God always before mee and like Abraham the neerer we come to his presence and the more that we solicite him the more shall vve be shaken vvith this holy fear considering him vvho dwelleth in the light that no man can attein unto and considering our selves that we are but dust and ashes the heathen could teach deos caste adeunto let men go reverently and inwardly cleave before their gods 3 There are yet another sort of them vvhom their sins do oppress as a burthen too heavie for them to bear
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
hardened our heart from thy fears 3 Sometimes when we have the zeal of Gods glory and a strong desire to serve him we feel a failing in the act of obedience and as the Apostle complaineth when we delight in the Law of God concerning the inner man Rom. 7.22 We finde another law in our members rebelling against the law of our minds and leading us captive to the law of sin which is in our members for Sometimes when we set and dispose our selves to the worship of God in prayer and thanksgiving or to the hearing of the Word either a covetous or a wanton or an envious or an ambitious thought thwarts us and carries us quite away for a time and we have much a doe to redeeme our selves from it 4 Sometimes we do feel such want of the Spirit of God in us that Satan takes advantage thereat perswadeth that God hath forsaken us and thus many of Gods deare children feel the bitternesse of despaire for a time in which agony Job cries For the arrows of the Almighty are within me Job 6.4 the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrour of God do set themselves in array against mee In this fit of deep agony some have died despairing and blaspheming the name of God some have done violence to themselves and have died of their own hand of whom let christian charity hope the best seeing that God hideth the horne of his salvation out of sight Therefore David prayeth O forsake not me utterly Ps 119.8 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usquè valde as our English over-long for the word utterly is somewhat too full of fear and the hiding of this power giveth hope to the distressed the light will rest in darknesse 3 Doctr. God is armed with instruments of vengeance to punish sin pestilence and burning coals The 10 plagues of Egypt do prove this and the destruction of Pharoah his hoast in the red Sea And lest the Church should presume too far upon his favor the story of the passage of the children of Israel from the Land of Egypt to Canaan is full of examples of terrour to evill doers which the Apostle doth urge and presse to the Corinthians and giveth them warning of the wrath to come For he saith 1 Cor. 10.5 first in generall termes that with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness And in perticular he nameth some sharp judgment For fornication Vers 8. Num. 25.9 there fell in one day twentie three thousand That was the plague and St. Paul speaks within compasse for we read 24000. For tempting Verse 9. Num. 21.6 Verse 20. of God they were destroyed with serpents these were the fiery serpents For murmuring they were destroyed of the destroyer which I understand the plague Those men which did bring up the evill report of the Land num 14.37 died by the Plague before the Lord. David describing the judgments of God in those dayes saith Ps 106.18 Num. 16.31 A fire was kindled in their company and burnt up the wicked meaning the 250 that offered incense who murmured against Moses and Aaron Thus you see how the pestilence still walked before him and burning coals at his feet Not onely without the pale amongst the enemies of his Church but within foul amongst such as were reckoned with the Church In which course of powerfull justice 1 Reas he hath still gone forward to put the sonnes of men in fear that they may know they are but men and that they may not dare to resist the right hand of the most High For Satan doth still suggest that God is mercifull and so animates sinners to do evill by feeding their presumption Therefore the children of God who set God always before their eyes do not only behold him as he is togatus in peace or as he is rogatus easily entreated but as he is oculatus to behold and aculeatus to sting sinners it is the voice of the Church In the way of thy judgments have we waited for thee Isa 26.6 this keepeth children in awe this shewing of the rod saves them many a swinging and for the ungodly of the earth it filleth them with the terrour of the Lord they dare not do all that they would for fear of the pestilence that destroyeth at the noon day and for fear of stirring these coals at the feet of God which can so soon overtake them So God hath these judgments at hand to put men out of hope of impunity which is the greatest flattery to sooth up sin that is The false Prophets seduced the people of God saying peace peace Ezek. 13.10 and thereby They strengthened the hands of the wicked Verse 22. that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life It is said of the Magistrates of the earth That they do not bear the Sword in vain and can we think that this supream Lord of all doth carry these rods of vengeance so near him the Pestilence before his face and these burning coals at his feet for nothing 2 Hee nameth these two judgments for all 2 Reas because they be of sudden dispatch and of quick execution the plague we do know how speedy it is in a work of destruction three days pestilence swept away threescore and 10000 in Davids time We cannot forget what desolations it hath made in this our great City and what terrour it made all the Land over Fire is a merciless Element sudden and cruel in consumption of all combustible matter the Apostle chose that resemblance to express God in a fury Deus noster ignis consumens Our God is a consuming fire Here is not onely the violence of wrath 1 Thess 5. but the suddainess also expressed the last fire that shall destroy the world shall come as a Thief in the night as that shovver of fire and Brimstone fell upon Sodom This teacheth the man of earth 1 Vse vvho is but man to feare vvhen the plague commeth to consider that he is but stubble and therefore not fit to encounter this fire he is but man and not fit to meet this devouring pestilence therefore let him not provoke the God of this povver let him not stir up these coals nor avvake judgement rather let him quench this fire with the tears of true repentance As Christ said to the Church of Sardis Remember how thou hast received and heard Râ—v 3.3 hold fast and repent if thou wilt not watch I will come to thee as a thief It is not the vvay of peace to put avvay the evill day Amos 6.3 rather let us put avvay the evil and break off our sins by repentance that vve may obtein mercy in the time of need He that hath such ready instruments of vvrath to punish sin is not to be dallied vvith he may surprise us on the bed vvhereon vve study mischief he may meet
into the red sea The most that we read of Moses concerning any art in naturall Philosophy is that Moses was brought up in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians and no man thinketh that he got all their wisedome from them how then did not the wisedome of the Aegyptians at time serve the Aegyptians themselves when this was done 6 Another memorable miracle of this passage was that before all Israel had recovered the further shore the same passage was safe to Israel and pernitious and fatall to the Aegyptians which appeared 1 Because God did not let the waters come together to hinder the Aegyptians pursuit but kept them divided till they vvere all within the verge of the sea for this God could have done as it after follovveth 2 That to hinder their journey of pursuit God turned the pillar of Cloud behind Israel between them and the Aegyptians so that Israel led the vvay by a clear light the Aegyptians follovved them in the dark 3 That their chariot vvheels vvere smitten off in the night so that they drove uneasily 4 That the vvaters came together upon their consultation to return and drovvned them all before all the children of Israel had recovered the further shore 7 The last memorable wonder was the casting up of the bodies of the Egyptians upon the further shore which Israel had recovered and whereon they pitched to make good the word of Moses you shall see them no more that is living to terrifie you thus Israel saw what God had done for them and their eyes had it desire against their enemies All these be things worth remembring 3 He addeth another wonderful mercy in cleaving the earth with rivers which hath reference as you have heard to Numb 20.11 In which 1 It is wonderfull that God hearing the murmur of his people for want of water had not punished their sin with present death but did choose rather to give them their hearts desire and to satisfie them with water 2 That he made the rock to yield them water which did not naturally but by vertue of his word 3 That it should have been done so easily as by a word of Moses that it was done so easily as by twice smiting 4 That those waters did follow the hoast to relieve it all the way of their journey till they had other supply as also the Manna did till they came to come in Canaan so these waters ran into no sea 5 That these rivers dryed up after Israel and no shew of any river ever since vvhere these vvaters ran in dry places to shevv vvho ordained that stream and for whom Though God hath had his praise for all the things before yet they desire Canticum novum a new song Here and here it is work for the rector Chori 2 The motive that induced God to do all this for his people 1 Affirm exprest in two things internus motor 1 His desire of the preservation of his Israel For he did ride upon his Horses and Chariots of salvation Pharaoh followed Israel into the red Sea on horses and in chariots these were the horses and chariots of destruction God took off their wheels and they failed in their speed But God went forth with salvation Israel could not but see in all these wonderfull works of God that God was for them 1 In their setting forth to bring them out of the house of bondage even through the sea 2 In the way of their journey to quench their thirst in the dry and unwatered wilderness 3 At their journeys end to open them a passage into the promised land through Jordan Israel is a type of the Catholique Church of God on earth and their passage from Egypt to Canaan is a type of our passage from the wombe to heaven and God is the same his Church is as dear to him as ever it was and he hath taken upon him the care of it He is called by Job The preserver of men especially of his elect Here are onely mentioned three of the most eminent wonders of God there were many more which David repeated Psal 105 106. All these were the effects of the free favour of God to his people Ps 106.21 whereby he got the name of a Saviour And thâ— Psalmist prayeth Remember me Ps 106.4 O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy saluation This was a singular favour for he saith also Non fecit taliter he did not so to any Nation That I may see the good of thy chosen Verse 5. that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance For this favour of God to his Church is a speciall grace above his universall protection This it is that the Spouse of Christ doth pray for Set me as a seal on thy heart Cant. 8.6 and as a Signet upon thine arm That wish of the Church then was thus and is now an Article of Faith that prayer was then and now is our Creed But much more evidently hath this eternall love of God to his Church in Christ Jesus shewed it self since Christ our Saviour was made manifest in the flesh and much more hath it extended and dilated it self since he was believed on of the Gentiles and preached to the world For when God once had fitted him with a body and therewith had given him a heart like ours and such an arm as we have and such hands it hath been more discerned how we were set as a seal upon that heart how we are worne upon that arm how we are ingraven in the Palms of those hands For that heart was pierced with a spear those hands were nailed to the Crosse and these be the stamps and Characters of his love to us And as the affection of love is noted to be most vehement in a woman as David doth imply when he bewailed Jonathans death Thy love to me was wonderfull passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 so our Saviour to take upon him this affection in the dearest tenderness and most intense measure and degree is said to be made of a woman and she a Virgin And that sin might not corrupt this affection Ga. 4.4 or harden the heart He was conceive by the Holy Ghost The Church doth well to remember this interest that God gave them in this land for there out suck they no small advantage This calls God the God of Israel and it cals Israel Gods peculiar people this doth spread the wings of this Hen over all her Chickens and gathereth them together under the same it makes them roome in the bosome of God 2 Another motive vvas the oaths of the tribes even Gods Word that is the covenant of God made vvith Abraham and his seed for so the Psalmist doth expresse it He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Ps 105.8 the word that he commanded to a thousand generations Which Covenant he made with
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