need no other rods to scourge us here no other fewell to enfire us hereafter then our owne sins this is Hilaris insania to make our selves merry with these and to set in the chair of the scornfull 6 Incorrigibility when the gratious warnings of God do not lead them to repentance when the angry threatnings of God do not draw bloud of them when the rods of Gods favourable chastisement doe not smart upon them O Lord saith Jeremy Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Correction had wont to be the way to reclaime sinners but when iniquity is come to the full ripeness God may lay on while he will they that have not known the way of peace will harden their hearts as Pharaoh did and correction will but make them curse and blaspheme God to his face This was the full iniquity of these nations whom God threshed and wounded and digged up and cast out that he might plant his Israel therein And it teacheth us to be wise to salvation Vse as the Apostle saith Thou man of God fly these things And let me say to you as Lot to the Sodomites I pray you my brethren do not so wickedly Take heed of Idols Babes keep your selves from Idols Idolatry hath growen bolder of later then heretofore the Factors of Rome are busie amongst us trading for proselites but God stirreth up the spirits of his religious servants to solicite the cause of Religion and the worthies of our land stand up with zealous fervency of spirit for the truth of God This is the light of Israel so long as we keepe the fire of God burning upon our Altars we shall have hope that God is with us and that he will give us his blessing of peace Let us break off our sins by repentance that we may turn away the indignation of God from us let not sin reign in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Let us take heed that we give not way to sin either in our selves or in others left it over-grow us but let us examin our own hearts in our chambers and turn to the Lord. And if a brother by occasion fall into sin let them that are spirituall restore him with the spirit of meeknesse Let shame cover our faces for the evils that we have done it is no shame to be ashamed of our evils as there is a godly sorrow so there is a godly shame let us say with Job I covered not my transgression with Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosome Let it grieve us that wee have sinned and let us not boast thereof but say with Job Peccavi quid faciam tibi with Saul I have sinned and done foolishly Let the remembrance of our sin smite our hearts as Davids heart smote him when he had numbred the people and let us do no more so Let the judgments of God make us afraid Let the corrections of God humble us and cast us at the feet of God that he may shew us mercy and with Paul let us pray three times that the Angel of Satan may be taken from us Then shall we neither feel the flail of God threshing us nor the sword of God wounding us nor the spade of God diging up but we shall rejoyce every man under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree 2 What he did in favour to his own Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine annointed David saith Truly God is good to Israel The everlasting comfort of the Church hath been planted and grounded in the favour of God by the mediation of Jesus Christ his anointed For although Christ were not so manifest to his Church before and in the time of the law as he hath been in the time of the Gospel yet he hath been always the hope of all the ends of the world The reason is Reason because Christ is not onely a Mediatour of intercession to pray for us and a Mediatour of satisfaction to die for us and a Mediatour of salvation to prepare eternall mansions for us but he is and ever was and will be a Mediatour also of temporall protection all to keep and defend us from all evils So that the Sun shal not smite us by day nor the Moon by night For as God created us to his own image so he fitted to his only begotten Son a body in our image he was made of a woman and so soon as his word had made him the promised seed so soon was he crucified for us and was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Then did he take his Church into his bosome and married her to himself and they became one body and ever since his Angels have charge over her to keep her in all her ways and this must comfort Israel in Babylon that God vvent before them vvith his anointed to setle them in the promised Land There be no other mercies that vvill tarry by us but those which God doth vouchsafe us by the means of this Mediator He importeth many outward blessings even to the vvicked by the means of his holy ghost For all the knovvledg that they have all the vvisedome in arts and sciences be the gifts of the holy ghost but they have no portion at all in the office of Christ he vvas not anointed for them From hence the Apostle doth conclude that God hath not forsaken the Jevvs but that they shall be called again for he saith Hath God cast away his people he ansvvereth God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Ro. 11 1 2. The election of grace vvhich made them his doth confirm them to him forever and therefore they mention his going before them with his anointed to assure them that though they go into captivity and abide a long time there yet they shall not be left in bonds for ever For the spirit of the Lord is upon this anointed to preach liberty to Captives Isal 61.1 and the opening the prison to them that are bound This is now the true comfort of the distressed parts of the Church which groan under the burthen of oppression and bloudy persecution They cry for the help from men and no Nation doth succour them they weep and pray to God and to his annointed and no doubt but in good time he wil come down to them to visit them in his mercy they are Christians and they carry the name of Gods anointed his name is in them and his righteousnesse and truth are their hope and strength It is time for thee Lord to put to thy hand for the wicked sons of Belial the children of Edom cry out against thy Church down with it down vvith it even to the ground The Bishop of Rome abetteth the unchristian shedding of Christian bloud by his letters and disperseth his vvhetstones to sharpen the sword of Gods enemies against Gods Church Let us say vvith old Jacob O Lord
done in former ages page 105 Religion in the Head is speculation in the Heart affection in the Hand action page 169 Rich mens duties to the poor page 161 S. SAlvation is a work of power 210. of glory Ibid. Of mercy page 211 Salvation only of God page 229 Satans Suggestions that God is merciful animates sinners to do evil page 58 Satan is but Gods instrument in afflicting of the Church page 84 Selah what it signifieth page 49 Self conceited men how they ought to be taught page 32 Self-opinion is a kind of spiritual drunkennesse page 32 Set-prayers both lawful and necessary to be used page 6 Senselesse and livelesse creatures are subject to Gods will page 119 133 Sigionoth what it signifieth page 2 Signes of true spiritual joy page 201 203 Six Signes of ensuing judgment page 146 Sin is that which parteth God and us page 146 Sometimes God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy-Ghost page 56 T. TEmporal things have but a resemblance of good and evil spiritual favours are reall Pag. 202 Thanksgiving ought to be joyned with Prayer Pag. 106 Thanksgiving is a work of Justice which puts us in mind of our unablenesse to requite God and of our unworthinesse Pag. 69 The Contemplation of Gods justice in punishing the sins of his Church of his vengeance in revenging the quarrels of it of his mercy in his mercy in healing the wounds of it give the faithful occasion to resort to God by prayer Pag. 3 The Churches Plea in affliction is for mercy Pag. 45 The Church of God hath a special interest in the power and protection of God Pag. 54 The best forme of thanksgiving is that which maketh particular commemoration of Gods mercies Pag. 68 The sense of Scripture is the soul thereof Pag. 76 The welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies Pag. 82 The truth of God is a good ground because the word of God is a sure word Pag. 112 The devil knew where Moses was buried Pag. 137 The effectual fevrent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Pag. 139 The poor are under Gods protection and his own flesh Pag. 160 The very Elect are shaken with fear Pag. 177 The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt Pag. 178 The same hand that put the children of Israel in possession of the land of Canaan put them out again Pag. 186 The Chaldaeans armies the Troops of God Pag. 186 The Saints of God have their sorrows on earth yet they always rejoyce in the Lord. Pag. 202 The general apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ will not justifie a man in the sight of God Pag. 207 The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of her troubles Pag. 220 They that joy in the Lord rest in the Lord and rejoyce in nothing otherwise then as a means to serve the Lord. 200 and because God is Lord. Pag. 201 Three notes of a lawful promise and oath Pag. 115 VAin repetitions not to be used in Prayer Pag. 33 W WE ought to give the whole glory and praise for all good to God 70. And thanks to creatures as ministers and instruments of God Pag. 71 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Pag. 107 What use may be made of Davids Psalmes in our frequent reading and meditation of them Pag. 19 What is meant by the works of God Pag. 19 What is meant by the midst of years Pag. 21 Whether we ought to swear at all Pag. 114 Whether every oath ought to be kept Pag. 115 Wheresoever there is Election there is Vnction pag. 130 154 Where God loveth a People his favour runneth in a full stream in the channel of his Church Pag. 138 Where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporal affliction can extinguish or eclipse it Pag. 195 X Xerxes angry with the sea causeth it to be beater with stripes pag. 102 FINIS A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION UPON The Prophecy of HABAKKVK CHAP. I. Verse 1. The Burthen which HABAKKUK the Prophet did see THis first verse tels us what we shall find in the ensuing Prophecy and it openeth to us three things which give light to that which followeth 1. The Minister of God in this Prophecy 1. By his name Habakkuk 2. By his Function the Prophet 2. The manner how he came by it Vision 3. The matter of it the Burthen 1. Of the Minister First of his name The name Habakkuk is rendred by Philo the Jew amplexans embracing so doth Pagnine give it our English a wrastler for they that wrastle do embrace and hold fast one the other a name well expressing the office and employment of this Prophet who wrastled with the sinners of those times and their horrible iniquities to cast them 1. But as God wrastled with Jacob that he might leave behind him a blessing His tribe Dorothaeus saith was Simeon I know not upon what information for the silence of the holy Scripture doth argue it to be conjectural Concerning the time when he prophecied it is not particularly exprest but it appears to be before the deportation into Babylon for the Chaldeans invasion is here threatned and therefore Junius thinks him contemporary with Jeremiah and referreth his Prophecie to the end of Josias his Government Others after the Hebrews referre it is the â—â—me of King Manasseh Master Calvin very truly affirmeth it before the time of Zedekiah Arias Montanus gives a probable conjecture by comparing that which is said 2 Reg. 21.12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing forth an evill upon Jerusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his ears shall tingle That in the eleventh verse t is said Because Manasseh King of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him and hath also made Iudah to sinne with his idols And this Commination is almost in the same words in the fifth verse of this chapter Saint Hierome in his Prologue to this Prophet saith that he is called a wrastler quia certamen ingreditur cum deo because he wrastled with God Nullus enim Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum ad disceptationem justitiae provocare none durst so boldly provoke God to vindicate his Justice as it appears v. 2. But he doth violate the text of Canonical Scripture and History to verifie that Apocrypha tale of Habakkuks bringing food to Daniel by miracle which destroyeth the truth of the history to make faith of a Legend For either there must be two Habakkuks or this one must live as Arias Montanus doth cast it up three hundred years if he lived to feed Daniel in the Captivity a long time of life then or this must prophecie before he was born Bellarmine hath found out two Daniels one the
threatning against two of the sins of this People violence and the want of the feare of the Lord whereby the law is slacked And for corruption of Justice they that turn judgement into wormwood have their doom Judgment without mercy shall be shewed to them that have no mercy Let us not therefore feare them or be troubled at them that go in these wicked ways for the Judge of all the world will do justly The cry of the oppressed shall prevaile against them He also will heare their cry and will help them The Lord is King the earth may be glad thereof and the multitude of the Ilands may rejoyce for he is known by executing judgment he is the husband of the widow and the father of the fatherlesse The poore committeth his cause unto him for he relieveth the oppressed 2. The particulars of this judgment threatned contain two things 1. The Judgment threatned 2. The Executioners thereof 1. The judgement threatned is that he will punish them by the conquering hand of the heathen This calleth to our remembrance divers points of doctrine delivered out of the prophecy of Obaâ—iah 1. That the decrees of Gods judgments upon the wicked are constant and unchangeable 2. That God useth warre as one of his rods to punish sin 3. That all wars are ordained by God for he stirreth up this warre against the Jews 4. That God punisheth one evil Nation by another 5. That God giveth warning of his judgments to those whom he fore knoweth to be such as they will take no warning to amend 6. That God requiteth sinners in the same kind in which they offend The Jews sinne was violence and violence is their punishment 7. That the judgment of God upon the wicked and unmerciful shall be without all mercy The point that I will now adde Doct. is That the Justice of God doth not spare his own People if they provoke him The Jews shall have no favour if the Prophets and holy men have cause to complain of them All the promises that God made to Israel are limited by the condition of their obedience and the law given to them is called the Lords Covenant because all those promises did follow the obedience of that law otherwise God stood free to withdraw his mercie from them So Moses The Lord made a Covenant with us in Horeb. The Covenant is 1 Pet. 2.5 You shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God commanded you that yee may live and that it may go well with you Vers 33. and that yee may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possesse God himselfe confesseth Psal 89.3 I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant Thy Throne will I establish for ever Vers 4. and build up thy Throne to all Generations But yet with condition of obedience for If his children forsake my law Vers 30. Vers 31. Vers 32. and walk not in my judgements If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes So that no promise or oath of God doth give Priviledge or immunity to any to offend the law of God And such is the equal Justice of God that David though a man after Gods heart although a servant of Gods finding a king of Gods own annointing doth confesse If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me Moses his sister Miriam must be a Leper and shut out of the Camp for murmuring Moses and Aaron shall not go into the promised land for their want of sure trust in God For God is no accepter of Persons Those who are sealed with the spirit of promise Reas have their infirmities lapses and relapses but as they sin not unto death 1. The second death so they can't suffer any other then temporal chastisements yet these they cannot stop for by this Physick God doth often purge them and restore them to health in this fire of tribulation he doth often purge their drosse For some water will serve them to wash them if they be taken in time for some that have taken rust with Gods long forbearance and their own custome of sinning fire is necessary to burn out their drosse But none escape of this all are Partakers and as personal sins have personal chastisements so epidemical sins have popular punishments when a Common-wealth is diseased what though it be a People as Israel whom God hath chosen out of all the nations of the world what though he have rooted out the heathen to plant them in although he have given them a land flowing with miâ—k and honey setled the Priesthood and his Worship given them his Word continued them in peace many generations Yet if they shall use violence and oppression if they shall break the Law of God and corrupt the seat of judgement The Lord will see it and be angry and Noah Daniel and Job shall not keep out judgment rather the complaints of the just shall help to hasten the coming of wrath against that land We have heard also that judgment beginneth at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 When God sent destroyers into Jerusalem their Commission was Slay utterly old and young both maids and the children Ezech 9.6 and the women and begin at my Sanctuary We may say that England hath been for many years since the restitution of our Religion Gods pleasant plant Vse he hath given it rest he hath hedged you walled it with his Providence He hath given us peace within he hath given us victories abroad he hath kept out the Chaldaeans the Spaniards whose invincible strength came to possesse and divide the land He hath spoken the word and we have had multitude of Preachers Religion and all kind of learning all Mercature hath flourished and we have traded to the ends of the world Mechanical and manual arts have come up to their full growth we may say Non fecit Deus taliter we have peace now with all the world at least in shew and pretence Let not these favours of God swell us and make us presume in our hearts that our God cannot be lost to us to encourage sinne if the sins of the Iews be found amongst us violence contempt of Religion and corruption of Justice God will do a thing in our days which he that heareth will not believe by reason of our long rest All the favours of God came in with true Religion and the contempt thereof wil carry them out again for God is no accepter of Persons as we are Angli if we were Angeli he would cast us out of our heaven upon earth and give our land to strangers that shall punish us and make them that hate us to be lords over us 2. The executioners of this judgment wherin observe 1. By whom God will punish 2. How farre the punishment shall extend 3. What shall become of
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
canit By singing prayed and by praying sung So the 70 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Tremelius and Junius read Oratio Habak Prophetae secundum odas mixtas That is not accommodated to any set kind of verse but mixt of sundry kinds And so they do not understand the word Sigionoth to be the the name of the instrument upon which it was sung but the name of the verse into which their prayer is digested As the Greeks and Latines had their severall kinds of verses Heroick Iambick Asclepediake Phaluciake and such like I cannot better expresse this to the understanding of the weakest judgment then by referring you to the varieties of verse in our English Psalmes that we sing in the Church for if they were all composed in one kind of verse they might all be sung to one tune Some have their set tunes and admit no other because they are of a severall kind of verse So I take it that this Sigionoth was the name of that kind of verse in which this Psalme was written Thus much of the words of the title The things which we may make profit of in this title are these 1 That the Prophet composeth a prayer for his own use and for the use of the people in captivity 2 That he putteth this prayer into a song or psalme Concerning the first The contemplation of the Justice of God in punishing the sins of his Church Doct. of the vengeance of God revenging the quarrels of his Church and of the mercy of God in healing the wounds of his Church and restoring it again to health doth give the Faithfull occasion to resort to God by prayer The reason is because these things well considered that God is just and mercifull do breed in us Fear and Faith which being well mingled in us cannot chuse but break forth into prayer Fear discerning the danger of his power wisely and Faith laying hold on the hand of his mercy strongly For howsoever Fear be an effect of weaknesse yet doth it serve to good use in the fitting of us to prayer because 1 Fear breedeth humility which is necessary in prayer as St. James adresseth Cast down your selves before the Lord and St. Peter Jam. 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God And howsoever the proud despise humility as too base a vertue for heroick and generous spirits St. Peter commendeth it for a speciall ornament Deck your selves inwardly in lowlinesse of mind 1 Pet. 5.5 That feare which is in the reprobate doth drive them quite away from God but the fear of the elect brings them to his hand and casteth them at his feet the Publican full of fear yet it had not power to keep him from the Temple nor from prayer rather because he feared he came to Church to pray 2 Fear breedeth in us a desire to approve our selves to God and keepeth us in awe setting both our sins always in our own sight and our selves in the sight of God which sheweth what need we have to fly to him 3 Fear doth serve for a spur to put us on and to mend our pace that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 run the way of Gods Commandements For men run for fear With this fear is joyned faith which layeth hold on the comfortable promises of God and so filleth us with the love of him that we resolve under the shadow of his wings we shall be safe This also doth break forth into prayer as the Prophet saith I believed therefore did I speake Fear directed by Faith will soon finde the face of God For fear humbleth us faith directeth this humiliation to the mighty hand of God Fear makes us ful of desire faith directeth our desire to God Fear makes us runne faith sheweth us the face of God and biddeth us runne thither and thus the contemplation of Gods justice and mercy doth fill the heart with zeale and the spirit of supplications as in this present example The Church seeth God remisse in forbearing them it feeleth God sharp in punishing them it discerneth him just in avenging them and it is promised mercy and favour in delivering them therefore the Prophet teacheth them to pray We are taught to think on these things 1 Vse which may move us to seek the face of our God and that is a work for the soul when it keepeth a Sabbath of rest unto the service of God as appeareth in the Psalme Psal 92. for the day wherein the Church doth consider the justice and mercie of God Our idle and wandring thoughts runne all the world over in vain imaginations we could not bestow them better then in sweet contemplation of the works of God here in the government of the World We are taught also when we behold these things to pray to God for prayer being a conference with God we cannot offend him in any thing that we shall say out of fear and faith This duty is by God commanded he hath directed it he hath promised his Spirit to helpe us in it hee hath made many promises to them that use it aright and it is here prescribed as a sovereign remedy against affliction to use it for it is fitted for the use of the Church in captivity in Babylon This prayer being made for the use of the Church 2 Doct. as we have said we are taught That the afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the faithful but that even in exile they will assemble together to do service to their God and therein also to comfort one another 1 The reason is in respect of themselves the faithfull are one body and the ligaments and bonds of their communion are love and peace therefore much water cannot put out this fire of charity neither can the flouds drown it so afflictions are in Scripture resembled in flouds and waters 2 In regard of the service they know it to be a debt from them an honour to God and though each of them in severall may do it yet when a Congregation meeteth together their conjoyned zeal is like a bonefire for every ones zeal enflameth another What needed the faithful else to seek out corners and private places to assemble in in the times of persecution for their devotion if single and severall persons had been either so fervent in it self or so acceptable with God so that before persecution ceased they began to build Oratories for their meetings Therefore Vse though some do separate from our society others tarry with us to disturbe our peace some cry out against the use of our Churches let us thank God that we have liberty of Religion and places to meet in to serve our God and let us not neglect the society of the Church Ecce quà m bonum quà m jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is to see one holy congregation set upon God by prayer This prayer made for the use of the Church doth teach
an holy nation a purchased people it is that we should shew forth the praises of him 1 Pet. 2.9 who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light Survey thy soul peruse thy vvhole conversation vvithout search thy heart vvithin suffer not the Work of the Lord in thee to be defaced and defouled vvith the uncleannesse of grosse and foul sins If Satan have been too strong for thee that he holdeth thee captive and bindeth thee and maketh thee go vvhere thou vvouldest not and do vvhat thou abhorrest yet declare it by thy resisting of him that he hath usurped thou hast not yielded him possession let not sin set up a stool of vvickednesse vvithin thee let it not reign in thy mortall body Do thy Maker so much right to preserve and keep his vvork as clean as thou canst from the defiling of the vvorld 2 Gather boldnesse from this consideration to solicite God in prayers for so it is used as an effectuall argument Vivifica opus tuum revive thy Work as David I am thine O save So Solomon enforceth his suit to God for Israel for thou didst seperate them from all the people of the earth to be thine inheritance Therefore 1 Reg. 8.52 53. he prayeth that the eyes of God would be open to their supplications and that he would hearken to them in all that they pray for 2 In the petition that God vvould revive and quicken his Church in the mean time that is during the affliction and vexation of it vve are taught That afflictions and the withdrawing of the light of Gods countenance from his Church for a time 2 Doct. is such a deading of it that except it be quickened with some beams of grace and light and have some lucida intervalla it is a burthen more then they can bear Satan is a cunning Serpent a roaring Lion when he can get leave to assault he putteth his whole strength to it as in the sifting of Peter and in the buffering of Paul and in the afflicting of Job If Peter had not he had Christs ego oravi pro te I have prayed for thee and Paul had not heard his sufficit tibi gratia mea thy grace is sufficient for me and Job had not had the preserver of men to friend how had it gone with them And great reason there is for this why the Church should faint under the crosse if it were not strongly supported by grace For there is no lesson so hard for a child of God to take out as to take up the crosse of Christ and to follow him to suffer the smart of affliction with patience and thanksgiving For in the very regenerate man the flesh is both strong and unruly and nothing so contrary to the flesh as affliction and tribulation is Therefore doth God measure to his Children their portion and draught of this cup because he knowes whereof we be made So the Psalmist saith Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity And for this St. Paul saith God is faithfull 1 Cor. 10.13 who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to bear it Wherein note for comfort in tribulation 1 That though Satan have no stay of his fury and malice in our temptations yet God will not suffer us to be tempted further than he thinks fit For there is good use to be made of some temptations as St. James saith My brethren Jam. 1.2 count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations he meaneth temptations of tryall by which we do approve our faith and our patience St. Peter saith That the triall of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise 1 Pet. 1.7 and honour and glory at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 We see that all the elect children of God have a measure of strength to bear temptation and he that gave them their measure and knoweth what it contains will not suffer them to be tempted further then they are able Herein many mistake themselves and think their ability to bear affliction lesse then it is for indeed till God put us to it we do not know how much we are able to suffer and many great examples in Church story we finde of those Christians young men and aged tender Virgines that have feared their own weaknesse much who have filled the catalogue of Gods confessours and martyrs with invincible constancy 3 We see that when God openeth a way out of tribulation that the faithfull see an issue though for the time the temptation be more then our strength yet the issue in-sight doth put mettle into us to bear it Howsoever the flesh will be more then a looker on in this conflict Heb. 12.11 because no chastning for the time seemeth to be joyous but grievous For many fears arise in the hearts of the afflicted and Satan is still suggesting that God hath forsaken him that is afflicted Especially such a great affliction as this that was now threatned to the Church the sword of the Chaldaeans depopulation of their Cities and Towns destruction of the temple deportation into the land of their enemies and seventy years captivity this shaketh their faith in the promise of God made to his Church and maketh them to doubt that God hath forgotten to be gratious and will shew no more mercy Let us learne of the Prophet what use we must make of afflictions in this kind even prayer O Lord revive thy work let us comfort our selves in all tribulations that we are the work of Gods hand and let us commend our selves to his fatherly love Prayer is fidelis nuncius a faithfull messenger we may dispatch away this messenger from Babylon from the Lions den from the belly of the whale from the fiery furnace of heaven and it will do our errand to God faithfully and effectually It is St. Augustines comfort In Psal 65. Cum videris non à te amotam deprecationem tuam securus esto quia non est amota misrecordia ejus 2 Petition In the midst of the years make known That is in the mean time whilst thy Church is in captivity reveal to thē thy gratious purpose of restoring avenging them The true comfort in afflictions groweth out of a right understanding of the will and purpose of God therein that is Doctr. that he beareth a constant love to his Church however he punish them 1 This maketh them able to bear affliction Reas 1 1 Cor. 10.13 when we see that God maketh a way to escape as you heard from St. Paul And this is very cleer in this people for God made known to them his purpose concerning their bondage in Aegypt his vvill vvas thus
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
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
A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecie of Habakkuk Together with many usefull and very seasonable OBSERVATIONS Delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-hith LONDON many yeeres since By EDWARD MARBURY the then Rector of the said Church Psal 101. v. 1. I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee O Lord will I sing Isa 8. v. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Isa 26. v. 9. When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Verse 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Rose in Pauls Church-yard 1650. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD Dr. Henry King L. BISHOP OF CHICHESTER TO THE MUCH HONOURED Sr. Rich Hubbard OF LANGLEY IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX KNIGHT JOHN DVTTON OF SHERBOURNE IN THE COUNTY OF GLOSTER Esq JOHN MILLINGTON of LANGLEY aforesaid Esq TOGETHER With their worthy Consorts three gracious Sisters and Branches of that Noble Family of Dr. KING late L. BISHOP of LONDON And to the Religious and Vertuous Gentlewoman M rs MARY KING the late Wife of Dr. JOHN KING EDWARD MARBVRY their poor Kinsman and Servant doth by many relations and engagements being thereunto obliged Together with his best wishes humbly Present Devote and Dedicate this his COMMENTARY Presuming upon their favourable acceptance and protection thereof An Alphabetical TABLE of the principal heads contained in this precedent Commentary The Contents thereof in the first and second Chapters A. ADam's sin did not violate God's glory so much as the womans page 298 Adrian the sixth his allegory 35. applied page 36 A good conscience declares a mans faith to himself 225. and a godly conversation to others page 226 All evill actions are justly judged by the intentions of their agents but good actions are not so page 75 All injuries we do to our brethren are done with God's privity 76. and so are all treasons and conspiracies page 120 All Churches wherein Christians meet to call upon God are Temples of Gods presence page 341 All excesse in drinking is drunkennesse page 306 Alexander excused by his flatterers for killing of Clitus page 324 Ambition is an inordinate desire of honour page 271 Ambition came in with sin and cannot be without sin page 273 Ambition puts us out of the way of life page 275 Ambition is painful page 286 Ancientnesse of writing page 151 As personal sins have personal chastisements so epidemical sins have popular punishments page 64 B. BAbylon taken by storme on a day of feasting page 249 Better apta then alta sapere page 157 Beholding without regarding is but a kinde of gazing page 53 Behold a word to move attention page 184 Benefits of the righteousnesse of Faith page 198 Blood-guiltinesse consists not in blood-shedding only page 278 Boldnesse in sinning page 24 C. CAlvin's judgment of Habakkuk page 117 Cautions to order and regulate our judgment and life concerning righteousnesse page 200 Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace page 129 Christ took the burthen of our sins upon him page 5 Christ took upon him our infirmities but not our sinful ones page 48 Christian charity coÌ„mon justice great props of a Common-wealth page 37 Committers of sin are of two sorts page 283 Complaint is a part of prayer 31. the reasons thereof page 32 Confession threefold page 193 Contempt of the Law brings in licentiousnesse custome of sinning page 28 Contempt is a provocation which moveth God to severe judgments page 72 Contempt is most grievous to mans generous nature Corruption of justice a dangerous signe of a drooping Common-wealth 45. Reasons for it page 43 Covetousnesse is an inordinate desire of the wealth of this world page 275 Covetousnesse is Ambitions hand-maid page 275 Covetousnesse a fruitful sin Vsury Rapine Fraud Bribes and Cimony are its daughters page 276 Crie of blood page 12 Crie of a Prophet is a loud cry page 13 Cruelty manifold page 278 Cruelty is a companion of Ambition and Covetousnesse page 278 D. DEsire is the whetstone of prayer page 178 Despisers punished with scorne and contempt page 78 Devill author of Idolatry temptor to it and promoter of it page 93 Distrust in God the mother sin of all evill wayes page 267 Diâ—ers wayes to spend the time well page 180 Doctrine of faith most necessary to salvation page 205 Drunkards the pictures of proud men page 242 Drunkennesse a horrible sin confessed by all men to be a sin page 305 Drunken men mentioned in Scripture page 305 Drunken men cannot pray as they ought page 310 Drunkennesse a disease of former ages but now grown epidemical page 313 Duties to be performed in the Church page 345 E. EAstern winds most unwholsome in Judea page 58 Every mans mind is himself 77 Eternity of God page 103 Every sin is a trespasse against God page 103 Expostulations and contestations with God in our prayers are lawfull 46. Objection against it and solution of the objection 47. Reasons for confirmation thereof page 51 F. FAith defined page 206 Faith's greatnesse and its effects page 20â— Faith how it may be gotten 208. How proved 225. How preserved 228. How used page 229 Faith usefull in the naturall life 230 In the spiritual life 234. And in the eternall life ibid. Faith useful both in prosperity and adversity page 233 Faith not rightly grounded is presumption page 109 Fear mingled with faith is no sin page 48 49 Few seeke the true use of riches page 261 G. GIving of almes doth not purifie ill gotten goods page 292 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to him and so is his word threatning judgment page 8 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the Prophet that utters them in respest of his fidelity to him that sends him 9. And in respect of his zeale ibid. And in respect of his compassion page 10 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the people to whom they are sent both to the penitent 10. and to the impenitent page 11 God's servants fight against sin by prayer page 14 God s Ministers may by their prayers awake God's judgments against unrepenting sinners page 15 God sometimes suspends the successe of his servants prayers page 20 God doth himself take notice of the peoples sins and acquainteth his Prophets and Ministers therewith page 21 God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complaine of violence to execute his judgments upon them that offend 59. Reasons thereof page 60 61 62 God's justice doth not spare his own people if they do provoke him page 63 God's promises made to Israel were all limited with condition of their
If you were of the world the world would love you for the world loves all her own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you You see how they compasse about the just men in whom any Religion appears or any care of a good conscience or any fire of holy zeal the wicked come about such to quench this fire and beset such round about that they may not escape them Let Lot say to the Sodomites I pray you brethren do not so wickedly Gen. 19 9 they will presse upon him and threaten him Now will we deal worse with thee then with them then they pressed to break the door Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth Because things are carried by the licentious and unbridled will of power without Religion or conscience of Equity therefore there is wrong judgment I understand the Prophet thus That private injuries and oppressions between man and man were frequent and the wicked used all means to molest the just and when they did flie for remedy to the courts of Justice they were also so corrupt and did so favour the cause of the wicked that there they had wrong judgment The Judges and Magistrates that should execute the judgments of God upon the wicked and should deliver the oppressed out of the hands of the oppressour they were guilty 1. Of favouring and animating and abetting the wicked in their ungodlinesse which they should have punished for which also they were ordained 2. Of unjust judgment punishing where they should spare and oppressiing whom they should defend Here was a corrupt common-wealth and this was the grief of the Prophet and he had no remedy but to put the scrole of their sins and to spread it before the Lord and in the behalf of the oppressed to appeal from the courts of men to the tribunal of God The words thus opened and the sense cleared let us consider this text 1. In the totall summe it is a verie serious complaint of the Prophet to God 2. In the particulars of which he complaineth He complaineth of two things 1. Of the corruption of the state of the common-wealth of the Jewes 3. Of Gods declaring the same corruption to him The corruption is exprest in three things 1. In the Conversation 2. In the Religion 3. In the Justice of that Nation 1. In the totall the Prophet doth complain to God seriously and out of a greived heart of the people 〈Complaint is a part of Prayer 〉 Doctr. Prayer is a pouring forth of the heart to God wherein we prostrate all our desires to God and crave his help Sometimes we call to remembrance the mercies of God and summe up his benefits which though it be joyned with prayer and doth passe under the name of prayer yet is it rather a speciall and distinct part of Gods worship in it self then properly any member or part of prayer Sometimes we begge of God supply of our wants and that we call Petition Sometimes we plead the cause of our brethren and begge for them that is Intercession Sometimes we pray against judgment and sin and that is Deprecation Sometimes we have cause to complain to God of the sins and transgressions of our brethren when either the honour of God or the peace of brethren is violated so here this is Imprecation For when we see that the outward means of reclaiming men from giving offence to God to the Church and to Christian Religion do not work effectually to reforme them yet we must not forsake the cause of God so but make our complaint unto him and put the matter into his hand Thus when there was a councel held against the Apostles Act. 4. and therein consultation for the quenching of the light of the Gospel then beginning to shine more clearly Vers 17. Peter and John went aside from the councel dismissed with a straight and severe charge to speak no more in that name They came to their brethren and informed them of these things and They lifted up their voice to God with one accord Vers 24. In that prayer they complain of their enemies 1. For that which they had done already For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles were gathered together 2. For that which they meant to doe And now Lord behold their threatnings This also is twice included in the Lords Prayer for when we desire that the Kingdome of God may come we do complain of the enemies of that Kingdome and desire God to arise and scatter them and defeat all their designes against the same And when we pray not to be led into tempation but to be delivered from evils we do secretly complain of all those evils which Satan and his wicked instruments do plot against the body of the Church or any particular members thereof 1. The reason is because vengeance belongeth to God and we must remember of what spirit we are and must not take the quarrel of God into our hands but leave it to God to see and require 2. Because the times and seasons are only in his power and we must leave it to his wise Justice to take the fit time for the conversion or confusion of his enemies in the mean time resting our selves on his sure Protection and faithful care of us 3 Because we may have enemies for the present who may come to a sight and sense of their sins and may by our complaint of them to God receive his saving mercy to reconcile them to the Church as he did Saul at the Prayer of Saint Stephen who shortly after became an Apostle and proved a chosen Instrument of Gods Glory 4. We must complain of these things to declare our zeal of Gods Glory and our holy impatience to see his Commandements despised of men 5. To shew our charity to our brethren who do suffer by this cruel and wicked world whose estates we pitty and we go to God as a common father to us all to take the matter into his own hands From whence we conclude that it ever ought to be a part of our Prayer to call upon the name of God by way of complaint of the iniquity of the times in which we do live that God may give an end to it and that it may not prevail against his Church least the enemies thereof do grow too proud This manner of complaining and calling upon God for Justice against the ungodly doth not die with us here the separated souls parted from earth and from their bodies do retain it I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held Rev 6.9 And they cryed with a loud voice saying how long O Lord and holy and true Vers 10. dost thou not judg and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth This
let the men of this world share amongst them things temporall and let them break and slack the Law of God to humour the present times as those Jewes at this time did of who the Prophet doth complain I will give them sauce to their meat For three things well considered will call us away from these temporall desires and make us despise the world 1. Though one man had all that this world affordeth delightful yet all this could not satisfie his unbounded desire he could not take use of it all he should have but the beholding of some of it with his eye and that the least part of the whole 2. All these things could not give rest and peace to the conscience or heal the diseased soul or comfort at the dying hour they cannot stand in the gap to turn away the judgement of God they cannot so much as cure the head-ach or the tooth-ach or any disease of the body When our sins be ripe and ready for the gathering all the wealth of the world cannot keep out the sickle of vengeance 3. None of all this sublunary happinesse can extend it selfe to eternity we brought it not with us and we must leave it behind us and as Zophar said He that hath swallowed down riches shall vomit them up again Iob 20.15 God shall cast them out of his belly Neither do all men tarry till they die to lay down these things we have heard with our ears and seen in our owne times how some have outlived great honours and seen them conferred upon others we have seen great esteemed rich men break and their Poverty come upon them like an armed man On the contrary the man that keepeth the Law of God with his whole heart and doth his best to walk conscionably before God and man that man hath three benefits which would encourage any man to embrace the law of God with obedience and they are the three things in this life most of all to be desired 1. Safety from evils 2. Comfort within himselfe 3. Estimation abroad 1. Safety The greatest danger that the just man feareth in this life is the wrath of God for all other evils be the exercise of his vertue that evil of Gods displeasure is the wound of the soul for there is no peace where God is angry but only the terrour of the Lord. From this he that keepeth the law of God is safe for he knoweth that whom God loveth once he loveth for ever and the grace of Election cannot be lost He may chasten such with the rods of men but his mercy he cannot utterly take away for the foundation of the Lord is sealed with this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Whom he knoweth he electeth he predestinates be calleth he justifieth he sanctifieth he glorifieth They cannot sinne unto death He will cover them under his wings and they shall be safe under his feathers 2. Comfort within himselfe This cometh from a pure fountain of grace the Spirit of God witnessing to our Spirit that we are the Sons of God and then the answer of a good conscience to that Spirit which hath this effect that the more we do see and feele the failling of all our temporal comforts the more we cleave to God and seek our comfort in him 3. Estimation abroad 1. They are deare to God who loveth them and declareth them heyres of his promises 2. They are deare to the Sonne of God he bought them with a price and he though it well bestowed on them he gave them his word in the Holy Ghost to abide with them for ever and he is gone to prepare a place for them 3. They are deare to the Angels of God they pitch their tents about them living and minister unto them and when they dy they carry their souls into Abrahams bosome 4. They are deare to their mother the Church of God who saith to them as Solomons mother What my sonne What the sonne of my wombe What the sonne of my vows And she is ready to tender her children to God saying Loe here am I and the children which thou hast given me Prov. 31.2 5. They that live in the obedience of the law of God have the testimony of the wicked for they cannot complain of them if they do them wrong they suffer it without seeking revenge if they need the help of the godly they give it them without respect of Persons if they be sick the faithful pray for them if they do evill they reprove them friendly And when they die they will rather cast the care of their estates and children upon such as fear God then upon other men whom they have loved more for their similitude of manners And note this they that walk severely in the obedience of Gods law are at the most taxed but for hypocrisie which sheweth that even the world cannot blame them if they be sincere and truly and really answerable to their outward Profession To all this we may adde as the full comfort of all that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Of this life we hold that which we possesse in a good right by our obedience to the law of God and we have Gods word and promise for it that nothing shall be taken from us if that we do enjoy here but for our greater good 2. Of the life to come that is double 1. Here In our good name In our Posterity a sure house 2. Hereafter in glory fulnesse of joy I do not doubt but God hath wrought that sad effect by the plentiful Ministry of his Word in our Church that he hath many holy soules here amongst us which hold the Commandments of God more dear then all that they possesse or that the world hath to give them and for their sakes God is merciful to our land and gives us that peace plenty which many of our neighbour Churches do want And if God should shut up these in the chambers of death the candle of the wicked would be soon put out But we cannot but see that Papists do grow both more and more bold then they have been whence they have their encouragement God best knoweth We see that Schismaticks and Separatists are increased and much of the knowledge that is gotten turneth into swelling and pride and contention We see that the Sabbath of God is most neglected even of those that owe God most service for the abundance of things temporal we see that profit and pleasure and company and custome of sinning hath brought the law of God into contempt with such as are prophane Let such see and consider how God dealt with his own People in such a case as the next part of this chapter sheweth and let them feare For us let us know that in keeping of the Law of God there is great reward and let us learne to love this law and put our whole strength to the keeping of it that we may live
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
read and they returned saying Never man spake like that man If they that run from the word may be taken thus with a glance upon it you may soone conceive what effect it may work in those that run to it that are swift to hear that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse If they that hear or read the word immediately aliud agentes may perceive the mind of the Lord by the plain opening thereof much more they that come of purpose and run to it that come with appetite and desire after it with delight in it with purpose to profit by it and with due Preparation of the heart by earnest Prayer for the holy blessing of God upon the Ministry and hearing of it therefore quid Scriptum est quomodo legis what is written how readest thou 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance of his purpose in due time The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie Next verse It will surely come it will not tarry This is Rhetorically set down For 1. Here is veritas decreti the truth of the decree The Vision is yet for an appointed time 2. Here is veritas verbi the truth of the word it shall speak it shall not lye 3. Here is veritas facti the truth of the deed It will surely come it will not tarry 1. Decretum the Decree The Vision is here put for the thing seen as you have heard and that is the declaration of Gods just judgment in the cause of his Church against the Chaldaeans for he saith the time is appointed meaning in his own holy and fixt decree which is unchangeable 2. Verbum the Word God will speak his minde by this Vision and declare what he intendeth against the Chaldeans and therein he will deal truely and faithfully for he is truth he cannot lye For these be two Premises or Antecedents to one conclusion for we may conclude both wayes 1. The Decree of God is past Ergo veniet non tardabit he shall come he will not tarrie 2. The Word of God is past Ergo. From thence we are taught Doctr. That whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time The holy word of Scripture confirmeth this Indeed who should alter Gods decrees for he himself will not I may say truly he cannot change them for the Apostle saith he worketh all things after the councell of his will Eph. 1.11 And the Will of God is himself And he cannot deny him self 2 Tim. 2.13 Neither can he repent as Samuel told Saul The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent 1 Sam. 15.29 for he is not a man that he should repent And if God himself be without variablenesse and shadow of change his Will being established by his counsell and wisdom we may be sure that there is no power beneath him that can swerve him from his own ways for the wiseman saith There is no wisdom nor understanding Pro. 21.30 nor counsell against the LORD One reason may serve of this Doctrine God is equall infinite in his wisdom justice and mercie to conceive him infinite in power to do whatsoever he will and not infinite in wisdom to decree whatsoever he will do were to make him a Tyrant not a King but David saith The Lord is King and we do ascribe it to him Tuum est regnum potentia thine is the Kingdom and power for power without equall proportion of wisdom must needs degenerate into cruelty This wisdom foreseeth all things that shall be this wisdom decreeth all things that he will do which his power after in the times appointed doth performe and bring to act Against this Doctrine is Objected Object 1. Why then do so many texts of Scripture tell us that God repenteth Sometimes he repenteth of the good that he hath done for to make man upon the earth was a good work yet it is said And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth Gen. 6 6. and it greived him at his heart So to make Saul King over Israel was a good work for it was his own choise yet himself saith It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King 1 Sam. 15.11 Sometime God is said to repent of the evil that he hath done malum poenae the evil of punishment is there to be understood So after the great plague when David had made a fault in numbring the people When the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evil 2 Sam. 24.16 and said to the Angel It is enough stay thy hand And concerning his Word we have frequent examples in Scripture of events contrary to the letter of his Word For example His word was to Hezekiah by Isaiah set thy house in order for thou shalt dye non vives Yet Hezekiah did live 15 years after that his word was to Nineveh by Jonah 40 days and Niniveh shall be destroyed yet yet it fel not out so and the story saith God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do to them Joh. 3.10 To all we answer Sol. 1. That the Will of God that is his counsell decreeing what he will do is constantly the same and unchangeable as we have taught 2. Where it is in Scripture charged upon God that he doth repent we say with Chrysost it is verbum parvitati nostrae accommodatum a word accommodated to our weaknesse Hom. 22. in Gen. For we are said to repent when we change our mindes now the God of wisdom and power never changeth his minde but sometimes he doth change his operations there is not mutatio mentis but mutatio dextrae Exclesi as St. Aug. Paenitudo dei est mutandorum immutabilis ratio by which he without changing of his own decree maketh alterations in the disposition of things mutable This for want of understanding in us to comprehend the ways of God is called repentance and greif in God but as Aug. saith Non est perturbatio sed judicium quo irrogatur poena as Saint Paul I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh 3. I approve that received distinction of the Will of God 1. Voluntas signi of the Signe 2. Voluntas beneplaciti of his good Pleasure 1. God doth reveal his ways to the sons of men and sheweth them what he would have them do and openeth to them the knowledge and tendereth to them the use of fit means to performe that which he would have them and so it is said he would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of his Truth According to this revealed Will of God he doth offer mercy to all and he doth withall threaten judgment to such as forsake their own mercy as Jonah saith And when he seeth cause to call in either his mercy from them
of our duty permitte Deo Caetera leave the rest to God Faith now doth all that remains to be done By Faith Isaak blessed Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. and Esau concerning things to come By Faith Jacob when hee was dying blessed both the sonnes of Joseph 2. In adversity Thus it serveth to furnish us with 1. Patience 2. Hope 1. With Patience to bear the present distresse without murmuring at God David is a notable and a full example of this Faith I shall shew you him in distresse For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag 1 Sam. 30. and had carried away captives all the people therein and amongst them Davids two wives Abinoam and Abigael David was greatly distrest so were all the people They lift up their voice and wept untill they had no more power to weep David beside this sorrow of his losse and compassion of the losse of his people c. Feared For the people speak of stoning him because the souls of all the people were greived every man for his sons and his daughters No remedy against all this sorrow but Faith 1 Sam. 32.6 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 2 Chor. 20. The like example of Jehoshaphat When some came and told the King of an army coming against him to invade him instead of mustering his men surveying his armour sending out for oxciliaries to resist this armie Or instead of sending a messenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy and to prevent war Jehoshaphat lets the enemy come on Vers 3. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Juda he goes to Church and prayes O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us Vers 12. neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee In the very distresse to which this remedy is applied God hath threatned the Jews with an invasion by the Chaldeans he hath declared the enemy insolent and violent what shall the Jews do in the misery Observe God takes no care of the wicked let him sin let the Chaldeans do his worst to him but The just man shall live by his Faith For he shall possesse his soul in patience Beloved we hear of distresses abroad if we do but crosse the water the sword is drawen against the professours of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they that have armes put them on to save their lives and stand upon their guard The bloody Iesuits cry to the French King of our Religion Rase it Rase it We know not how God may visit us hereafter when the light of Israel shall be quenched although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the distresses of our own mothers children filios ecclesiae children of the Church such consultations are far above us yet let us pray for them to God that God would give them Faith to depend upon him and the just amongst them shall live by that Faith There is an example nearer kinne to this land the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh in whose quarrel the honourable house of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treasures to put on armes and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the just cause of restoring them to their rightful inheritance and all such honours as their just claime shall challenge In their distresse I know no other comfort but my Text. The just shall live by Faith In a word where these three great and crying sins do raigne which in this Prophecy are threatned That is corruption of conversation when there is no honesty nor truth left amongst men but that every man studyeth the building of his own house he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter Corruption of Religion that schisme and heresie do carrie it from peace and truth Corruption of justice that honours places of service in the Common wealth and justice it self are sold for mony good men punished evil men rewarded Comfort Justus ex fide sua vivet the just shall live by his Faith 2. Faith furnisheth us with Hope That also 1. In Prosperity 2. In Adversity We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindnâ—sse to us and not take away from us the light of his countenance So David Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23.6 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Observe in Davids hope two things 1. The ground of it Faith in Gods protection for that is the part of the whole Psalme The Lord is my shepheard he shall feed me he restoreth my soul In the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me Thou preparest my table thou anoyntest my head with oyle my cup runneth over 2. The means by him used to continue the assurance thereof even by dwelling in the house of God continually that is by consecrating his whole life to Gods service and worship 2. In adversities We have hope that either God will strengthen us to bear it or give issue out of it This is grounded upon that promise of God to his Church I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And if we hope for that we see not Rom. 8.25 we do with patience waite for it There is no such comfort in the sorrows and distresses of life as reading the holy Scriptures for the support of our hope For They are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 This hope keeps the heart from breaking for building upon the truth of God it cannot be shaken 2. How Faith must be used in the Spirituall life 1. For this the Apostle doth call it the sheild of Faith and it serveth for defence against the fiery darts of Sathan to keep off the evil that is yet without us either in temptation or provocation 2. It serveth also to purify our hearts from that evil which we do bear about us in the infection thereof 3. It serveth for a provocation to stirre us up to resist the power of the enemy 1 Pet. 5.8 For so Saint Peter saith Though Sathan go about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Vers 9. 4. It serveth for victory This is the victory by which we overcome the world even our Faith 5. Many that returne out of the field victorious yet may bring home some dangerous wound that they have received in the battaile and there is another good use of Faith to cure and heal all the wounds For our Faith maketh us whole 6. It serveth for the effectuating the means 1. Hearing 2. Sacraments 3. Prayer 3. For our eternall life Faith is profitable unto all things which hath the Promise of
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
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
dangers The God that gave us his light of Truth and hath continued it so many happy years of peace amongst us hath begun he will also make an end by this light no doubt many faithful souls have found the way to the throne of grace whose continuall prayers to God for the happy estate of his Church are able to make this Sun stay his course and not withdraw his light from us their prayers and devotions know the way to heaven so well and plead the cause of the Church so effectually that we have cause to hope that the goodness of God which endureth yet daily will not fail us but that we shall fee it and tast of it in this land of the living Once let us remember under whose shadow vve live a learned gracious King who hath seen into the darkness of Popery and laid it open no Christian Prince so much no Christian more he hath put his hand to the Plough and he cannot forget Lets Wife Let us not make our selves certain afflictions out of uncertain fears and draw upon us the evils of to morrow For sufficient for the day is the evil thereof Queen Elizabeth brought into this Church and Land True Religion and Peace King James hath continued it let us be thankfull to God for it and let us be ever telling what the Lord hath done for our souls Let not our unquiet vvranglings amongst our selves provoke the God of Peace against us neither let our busie eves-dropping the counsels and intendments of State which are above us and belong not to us make us afraid our work is In all things to give thanks For what we have received already for what we do possesse and enjoy and pray continually for that we would have for all men especially for our King that under him we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie 1 Tim. 2.2 and then Rejoyce evermore Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce He that came from Teman and Paran to a people that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and gave us light hath ever since so supplyed us with oile that we may say difficiunt vasa the want is on our part for truly God is good to Israel to all such that have faithfull and true hearts To this end let me stir you up to a remembrance of the times past beginning at the Initium regni November 17 in Anno 1558. for so long hath this Sun of righteousness shined clear upon our Church 2 Doctr. The Church hath a speciall interest in the power and protection of God gathered from hence he had hornes comming out his hands and there was the hiding of his power There is a power that God openly sheweth and that is extended to an universall protection of all the works of Gods hand but there is a power that he hideth and that is his speciall protection of his Church 1 He protecteth them David gives them a good instance in the former mercies of God to this people When they were yet but few and they strangers in the land 1 Châ—on 16.19 And when they went from nation to nation from one Kingdome is another people He suffered no man to do them any wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not my anointed and do my Prophets no harme And the Psalmist can give no other reason of this speciall protection but on Gods part because he had a favour to them and on their part that they might keep his statutes and observe his lawes And these be motives that establish Gods protection upon his Church in all the ages thereof His mercy and our obedience which lesson if we take out vvell vve shall learne thankfulnesse to him for his favour and holinesse in our lives And this is that godlinesse vvhich hath the promises of this life and that vvhich is to come 2 He hideth the horne of our Salvation 1 From his Church in some measure to keep us from presumption so that vve do often rather believe then feel the loving kindnesse of the Lord and to stirre us up to prayer for the more vve are made sensible of our vvants the more are vve provoked to invocation of the name of the Lord. 2 From the vvorld that hateth his Church that they may fulfill their iniquity and declare their uttermost malice against the Church and when he had suffered PHAROAH and his hoast to follovv his people of Israel into the red Sea and there taketh of their Chariot wheels then they shall see it and say we will fly from the face of Israel Exod. 14.25 for the Lord fighteth for them against the Aegyptians Great is the profit of this point in the case of those spirituall desertions Vse vvhereby God for a time seemeth to forsake his own children Well are they described by Gods ovvn mouth For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54.7 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Which sheweth that the hiding of Gods protecting power is not totall but partiall for it is in a little anger and it is not finall but temporary for a small moment 1 In outward things In the example in my text God hid his hand in his bosome the horn of his Salvation was almost all out of sight for the space of 70 years during the captivity of the Church So many of Gods dear Servants drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction suffering the contempt and injuries of the world in bonds imprisonments oppressions scourges such as the world is not worthy of yet do they not want a secret feeling of the power of Gods protection quickning their patience and reviving his own work in them in the midst of the years 2 In spirituall graces Sometime God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy Ghost and that they finde with much grief 1 In the oppression of the heart with sorrow wherein they feel no comfort as David My soar ran and ceased not my soul refused comfort Psal 77.2 3. I did think upon God and was troubled In the ineffectuating the means of salvation for a time For many holy zealous souls desirous to do God good service do complain that they hear the Word do not profit by it they receive the Sacraments and do not tast how sweet it is they pray but they feel not the Spirit helping their infirmities they give thanks and praise to God but they do not feel that inward dancing of the heart and jubilation of the soul and rejoycing in God that should attend his prayse yea rather they perceive in themselves a going backward from God as the Church complaineth O Lord Isa 63.17 why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and
sed fecit te ad similitudiuem suam suum exigit retribue ei similitudinem suam in te Look to the common blessings of the God in generall upon the Church in which thou livest pay God his debt for the good he hath done before thou finde fault with the defect in it recompt what he hath done for the Common-wealth in which thou livest Looke home to thine own family to thine own person recompt thy spirituall graces thy temporall blessings consider what God hath given thee what he hath forgiven thee the preventions the subventions of his love what spirituall what temporall evils thou hast either not felt by his keeping of thee or escaped by his delivering of thee and to all and to each of these say The Lord be thanked It is a small duty that is required of us to repeat what God hath done for us 2 Doct. Hee stood and measured the Earth he drove asunder the Nations hee scattered the everlasting mountains Here wee are taught to give the whole glory and prayse of all good to God We know that Joshua brought this people into the promised land that he caused the land to be measured that he led them against the Inhabitants of God and that the people of God did valiantly yet Not unto us not unto us but to thy name give the praise We need no other reason for this Doctrine then that of St. James Reason For every good and perfect gift cometh from him Thanks are given to creatures as the ministers and instruments of God by whom he worketh the good pleasure of his will but none hath a proper right to them but God onely The Lord giveth the Lord forgiveth in both he useth the ministeriall means for both he must be thanked 1 This serveth to inform our understanding in the truth of this Doctrine Vse 1 because the ignorance hereof is the mother of unthankfulness It is Gods complaint The Oxe hath known his own the Asse his masters Crib but my people do not know Isa 1.3 c. It was charged on them in Hosea She did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oile Hos 2.8 and multiplyed her silver and gold 2 This serveth to reprove all those that ascribe the benefits which they receive to themselves Jer. 2.8 like them in the first Chapter of this Prophecy that did sacrifice to their net Hab. 1.16 and burn incense to their dragge because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous 3 This reproveth them that murmur for seeing God is the Author and giver of all good we must seek all from him but we must not be our own carvers we must learn to abound if the Lord giveth and to want if the Lord taketh away 4 This chideth those that repine at common blessings when they do abate any thing of their own perticuler profits Of this God hath given us a fearfull example for the last year our portion was fat and our bread plenteous great was the unthankfulness of many to God for it Then the Landlord complained he could not have his rent the Tenant that he could not pay it plenty had undone him Such is the unconscionable rack of rents generally through the Common-wealth that plenty is a punishment to many even a sharpe and smarting rod. And doth not God begin to visit our land with sudden dearth how much of the hope of the earth doth now lye in steep in the drowned earth never likely to pay the seed that the earth borrowed It is time for the Lord to pull thy hand out of thy bosome and to whet thy sword when thy mercies become burthens to the sons of men 5 This reproveth all those that study men and tender all their addresses to them seeing their advancement and establishment here on earth by the purchased love and favour of men they seek not the Lord. Did ever age sow precedents so thick for posterity of drooping declining and falling greatness Truly God is the Lord and his name onely is excellent If God must have the glory all that is done for us whatsoever is done for us must be done by him else it must needs miscarry 6 This serves to establish the hearts of those who have obteined any competency for the support of this life with contentment for if God be the giver of my daily bread and if his hand do minister to my necessities he knows best what state of life is fittest for me I will not aspire higher he knows how much will serve me I will not covet more this resolution wil give thee much peace For it casteth all thy care upon God who will never leave thee nor forsake thee 7 This also stirreth us up to walk in the obedience of the Laws of God for if we consent and obey we shall eat the good things of the land let us seek the face of God and depend upon his providence for all things let us consider the fowls of the air and the lillies of the field and wherein we are better then they even in our reasonable service of God conclude that God will not let them want any thing that lead a godly life so will he furnish us with matter of praise that we may ever be telling of his goodness from day to day Unlawful and indirect means of bettring our estates by corrupting of our consciences do break our bags and spring leaks in our Ships that we and our good perish but the fear of the Lord maketh us rich and what wanteth in the peace of the world is supplied in the peace of a good conscience 3. Doct. Figurative speeches are in use in holy Scripture this Text is full of them so is this whole Psalm I will onely note these figures which in this verse do offer themselves to us for a tast 1 It is here said that God stood This is spoken after the maner of men for when hearing and seeing and smelling and touching and tasting which are our senses are attributed to God when our parts of body our eyes ears mouth hands feet armes are given to him our motions as setting standing rising going striking and such like are spoken of God know that these be figurative forms of speech wherein the holy Ghost doth retein our weak capacities and under those forms of words doth present to our understandings the unconceiveable operations of the most high God And let us take heed that we do not conceive God in our thoughts like to man in the structure and composition of the body as the Anthropomorphites did For it is here understood by the standing of God that when he brought the people to the promised land there the progresse ended he stood there where he brought them to rest 2 It is here said that he measured the earth that is also a figurative manner of speaking wherein that is charged upon him which was done by his direction and warrant 3 He beheld and drove in
Church of Rome lent her help to this nefarious Treason for there was here 1 The seal of Catholique Confession 2 The bond of a Catholique Oath 3 The Vow by a Catholique Sacrament 4 The indiction of Catholique prayers to be used for the prosperous success of the Catholique cause in England But I may be short in the Catastrophe of this whole danger as God was sudden in his exceeding great mercies to us The nets were broken and we escaped as a whole neast of Birds from the hands of the fowler Never was there day wherein God did so great things for this Land as on that day never did the Sun shine in more perfect strength upon this Church then on that day which God crowned with our deliverance 1 It was and is a good use of this mercy to fil our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy but that must not be all 2 We must tell the people what things he hath done and once a year at least we must say this is the day that the Lord hath made exultemus laetemur and his praise must be in our mouthes we must give unto the Lord the glory due to his name and praise him according to his excellent greatnesse 3 But that is not all wee must being delivered from the hands of our enemies serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life and remember that if we do wickedly we shall perish we and our King 4 But that is not all we must pray also for the peace of our Jerusalem for we shall prosper if we love it for our brethren and companions sake in the common faith we must wish it now prosperity for the house of Gods sake we must seek to do it good 6 But this is not all we must cast out the bond-woman and her son that is the superstition of the blondy Church of Rome I may safely perswade thus far every one of us out of his own heart and thus farre we may go without our selves to let our light shine before men that in our light they may see light The Minister may go further for he hath the warrant of a lawfull calling to reprove the works of darknesse openly and to convince heresies and to warne men to take heed of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees The Magistrate may go further to execute the just laws of our land upon such and let him see to it that he bear not the sword of God in vain The sovereign Defender of the Faith amongst us beareth that high title which is proper to all godly Kings to this end accomptable to none but God for his vice-gerency herein Verse 8. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers was thine anger against the rivers was thy wrath against the sea that thou didst ride upon thy horses or thy chariot of Salvation NOvv he procedeth to commemorate the vvonderfull things that declared God a friend to his people in their safe conduct to the land of promise 1 The power of God shewed in the waters 1 he made a passage for his Israel through the red sea as on dry land to bring them out of Aegypt 2 He made a passage through Jordan the river turned back and gave them way to passe over into the land of promise The words of my text are easie Doth any man conceive that God did take any spleen at the river of Jordan that he drove it back or that he was angry with the sea that he made dry land to appear surely God was not moved thereto from any fury against the creatures which keep their course according to his appointments And he saith that God did ride upon his horses poetically and figuratively expressing God in state riding on as the Psalmist saith prosperously And he calleth the protection of God the charâ—oâ—s of salvation because God took them up to him to preserve them Verse 9. And this is well expounded in the next words in a new figure Verse 9 Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes even thy word Selah Verse 9. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers For here by the bow of God is meant the armour wherewith with God is furnished for the defence of his Church This bow is therefore said to be made quite naked because then God declared that all the wonders which he did in the division of the waters of the red sea and of Jordan were wrought for the preservation of his Church This bow he always had that is this strength for his Church but then he made it so naked that the Aegyptians cryed let us fly from Israel and the tents of Cushan were afflicted and the curtains of Midian trembled to see this bow of the Lord. Abraham saw this bow but in the case for it was under promise the Patriarchs saw it somewhat neerer hand but yet not uncased in the deliverance from Aegypt it began to be drawn out in the possession of the land of Canaan it was made quite naked and this was done According to the oaths of the tribes even thy word that is All this was done that thou mightest make good thy word whereby thou hadst sworn to give this land to the tribes the oath of God was sworn to Abraham as Zechariah remembreth it To perform the mercy promised to our fathers Luke 1.72 73. and to remember his holy Covenant The oath which he sware to our father Abraham Selah is a rest for meditation for admiration it is a confession of the goodnesse of God Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers This was another of Gods water-works Tremelius and Junius read thus flumina diffidisti terrae and so it is no more but what before he said more plainly exprest that he clave the waters to make way for passage And to omit the various opinions of men concerning this wonderfull work of God I think it hath speciall reference to that story where the people of Israel upon the way almost perishing with thirst numb 20.11 and therefore murmuring Moses struck the rock which by the commandement he should onely have spoken to and the waters gushed out and cut themselves a channell which here is called cleaving of the earth with rivers Here was a double miracle one in giving the water out of the rock whence formerly none have issued another in the continuance of this full stream running along the way of their journey in the wilderness to supply them so the Psalmist saith He brought streames also out of the rock Psal 78.16 and caused waters to run down like rivers These words do contein three parts 1 The wonders which God shewed in the waters 2 The motive that induced him 3 The argument drawn from hence 1 The wonders here mentioned are three 1 He nameth the last as freshest in memorie the division of the waters of Jordan to give way to the passage of Israel into the promised land 2 He nameth
the end of the world saith that The Sun shall be darkned Matth. 24.29 and the Moon shall not give her light St. Augustine proves the Divinity from these things which we call portenteous and he blameth the Mathematicians for affirming those extraordinary effects in naturall bodies caelestiall or terrestiall to be contra naturam against nature De Civit. 21.8 quomodo est enim contra naturam quod Dei fit voluntate cum voluntas tanti Creatoris Creaturae natura sunt Portentum enim fit non contra naturam sed contra quod nota est natura 3 This station of the Sun and Moon at this time doth serve to justifie the lawfulnesse of a just war Reas 3 for they attended the arrows and the spear of God This was a just war for 1 It had a warrant from God to possesse Gods Israel of their own land which God had given them this is the warrant of policy 2 It was against Idolaters whom they were sent to destroy the warrant of Religion 3 It was in the behalf of the Gibeonites their confederates by oath Lex Gentium the Law of Nations It is a sin to set and look on when either our Common-wealth or Gods Religion or the Oath of confederacy suffereth This war was here managed openly and in the sight of the Sun and God declared himself both of the Council of War and an auxilary friend to his Israel in the same for none but he could have stayed the course of the Sun and Moon Now these extraordinary operations of God Vse as St. Austine saith are called Monstra ut a Monstrando so they are called portenta à portendo prodigia à porro dicendo therefore let us see what they shew and what they teach us 1 They teach us the great Comandement of the law to love God and to keep his Comandements This power in doing so great things and this mercy in doing the same for Israel doth well deserve that service from his Church observe it in a touch remember it in the front of the law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt for that leadeth us into the full story of Israels peregrination and is there used to move obedience And we cannot make a bettter use of our frequent Commemoration of the manifold mercies of God to us then to stir up our selves to serve him so Christs greater deliverance is urged by Zecharie ut liberati serviamus 2 It serveth to direct us in the estimation of the creatures of God for the honour that we can do them lawfully is but to glorifie God for the good we receive by them honour is onely due to him that implyeth them Take heed of Idols take heed of superstition let not another Gospel bewitch any of us when the Sun communicateth his light to all the world every corner and part of the world is not illuminate alike there be some pretious stones that reflect the light of the Sun more then others doe vve value these above other yet we know that the light is all borrowed of the Sun And though in our fellow creatures the gifts and graces of God be in differing measures given for which we value them above an ordinary price yet we reserve to our God the honour of the gift of every good and perfect gift who is the Father of lights and we do him wrong if we draw any of our fellow creatures into the communion of his glory 3 Let me adde this for caution let not our thoughts be so ravished with the contemplation of Gods extraordinary power sometimes expressed in the service of his creatures as that we do neglect his ordinary providence which in true judgement is more admirable It is Saint Austins note Quae sunt rara sunt mira But he saith it is more admirable to behold so many faces so unlike in forme feature and proportion yet we do more wonder to see two faces alike It is not so admirable in true judgment to see the Sun stand still in heaven as a glorious candle set upon a Candlestick as to see it move and set and rise in so constant manner as it doth Therefore let the common providence of God loose nothing by his extraordinary lightnings of Power and flashes of Prerogative 4 This serveth also to encourage us in the cause of religion or in the just defence of the oppressed to awake our courage and to take pains It belongeth not to us who are Gods Ministers to enquire what cause of wars we have at this present what means must be used to commence and maintain them This belongeth to us to animate all that are called to just wars to take courage from this example If the sun stood stil whilst Joshua did fight for the Gibeonites because Gods oath had bound Israel to them is confederacy I cannot doubt but the Son of righteousnesse the Captain of Gods guards the Lord of his Hosts will cover their heads in the day of battail that fight for the oppressed Church of God their brethren the professors of the same faith the worshippers of the same God Whereas this miracle of the station of the Sun and Moon was done at the instance of Joshua we are taught to behold the truth of Gods promises made to his servants He had promised Joshua to magnifie him in the sight of his people and the blessing of the people on Joshua was onely the Lord be with thee as he was with Moses So he was in the division of the waters of Jordan Iosh 1.17 so was he in the conquest of Iericho and Ai and never was there such a thing seen that the Lord heard the voice of a man to make the day two days long 1 This was done to prevent Idolatry that the people might not erect any memory to Moses to honour him with divine honour which also God feared and therefore he buried Moses himself and would let no man know where he was buried to prevent Idolatry The Devil no doubt knew the place that was the quarrell between Michael and the Devill about the body of Moses for the Devil would faine have discovered where it was to have mis-led the people to Idolatry but Michael resisted him Now when the people see that he which was great in Moses is as great in Joshua and they have experience that Joshua hath of of the same spirit that Moses had this doth direct their judgements not to look upon the instruments by whom wonders are done but on God who doth them and can do them as well by Joshua as by Moses 2 This was done to assure the former promises of the quiet and full possession of the land against the fear which the Spies suggested Iosh 10.14 for if God declare by these signes that he fighteth for Israel as it is said upon this signe Israel need not fear the power of their enemies they may go forth in the strength of the Lord his
judgments they are For Reas 2 1 he is so quick sighted to discerne our sins that he seeth all nothing can be hidden from him but all lyeth open and naked to his sight 2 Hee is so wise to weigh the sins that we commit putting into the scales the incitements and temptations the circumstances of time person place number even the very affection wherewith sin is committed 3 He is so just as not to impute more sin to us then we have committed not to abate any of that we have mis-done 4 He is so holy as not to abide or appear the least evill for he is a God that hateth iniquity 5 He is so powerfull as to avenge it with his judgment and he hath all sorts of instruments of vengeance to punish sinne 6 He is Ubiquitarie as that no remove can avoyd him his presence filleth all places 7 He is so true of his word that heaven and earth shall passe but no part of his Word shall fail till all be fulfilled 8 He is one that cannot repent of any thing that he peremptorily decreeth All these things do declare that there is great cause to fear when he threatneth The Apostle teacheth us the use of this point Vse Româ— 3.3 wilt thou not then be afraid of the power do that which is good then shall thou have praise of the same This is the way to make us seek the face of God the first sinners fled from the presence of God behind the trees in the garden Adam confessed to God Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid A good life is a good fence against fear Solomon saith the righhteous is bold as a lyon Perfect love casteth out fear for perfect love is â—â—e fâ—â—filling of the law where our love falleth short there fear filleth the empty and void room The voyce of the Lord is comfortable and his words are sweet to those that fear him he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Psal 85.8 But let them not turn again to folly So David resolves there I will hear what the Lord will speak It is a plain sign that all is not well with us when the voyce of God doth cast us into fear when we are afraid to hear the Word preached when just reproofs of our sins are unwelcome to us and anger us and make us think the worse of our Minister that chideth and threatneth us A good life and a well governed conversation doth not fear the voyce of God the Word of God is the light which God hath set up in his Church to guide her feet in the wayes of peace they that do evill hate the light and will not come neer it lest their-works should be reproved the children of the light resort to it and call upon God search my reins and my heart and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me This fear of the Church is not joyned either with obstinacy against God or murmuring at his judgments or despair of his mercy it is that fear which is one of the effects of a godly sorrow and it is one of the documents to true repentance it is the hammer and mallet of God wherewith he bruiseth us and breaketh us that we may be truly humbled under his almighty hand it is that fear which the spirit of bondage suggesteth which is not a grace of God in us Rom. 8.15 but a punishment of God upon us and we would fain be without it it is the fear of servants and not of sons yet God useth it as a means to bring us home to him again when we like sheep have gone astray and therefore the prodigall to re-enter himself into his fathers house prayed fac me unum ex mercenariis make me as one of thy hired servants it may be that fear which in the school is called Initialis which re-entreth us into the service of God and keepeth us in awe it is ut ilis but not sufficiens and we would be glad to be delivered out of it that we might serve God without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse For so the Apostle doth recompt it a favour to the Romans Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption 2 The fear it self This fear was great both in the inward man and in the outward it was that fear of which David spake to God saying of the heathen put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men And David himself was soundly shaken with it as his complaint sheweth My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments Psal 119.120 And we finde the best of the faithfull servants of God subject to this fear and it is cleer in my text that it may be joyned with faith For after this cold fit of fear you shall see the faith of the Church to quicken it again The elect of God are shaken with fear 1 Because they are great Students in the Law of God Doct. Reas 1 for that is a speciall mark of a righteous man he doth exercise himself in the Law of God day and night And wheresoever the law is wisely understood and applyed rightly there fear doth arise for so long as we are under the Law we are under a School-master and as the Apostle doth say a child differeth very little from a servant you know when a young man came to Christ to ask him the way to heaven Christ referred him to the Law and the keeping thereof That is our first lesson it follows so in the mission of our Redeemer he was made of a woman made subject to the Law The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt and you may note it in the parable of the good Mr. in the gospel 1 He called his servant to accompt and cast up the debt 2 Then he put him to it to pay it 3 When he saw him willing but unable then he forgave it God calleth us by the light of the Law by the sight of our sins our sins are debts when we see them how can we choose but together vvith them behold the danger of them and the vvrath due to them this cannot be done vvithout fear even great horrour and dejection The thief that vvas converted upon the crosse when he had but a little time he made an example of great mercy the onely example in all the Book of God of so late a conversion yet in that short time he began at the Lavv of God and said to his fellovv We indeed are justly punished for we receive the due rewards of our deeds Lu. 2341. And after that he sought grace this Lavv vvas the Schoolmaster that brought him to Christ saying Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome for Until we compare our selves with the law of righteousness we cannot know how unjust wee are and what need we
tellus these trees do not grow in all lands our land though rich and plenteous is no fit soil for these trees They served for food and they are of speciall note for in the parable of Jotham When the trees went to choose them a King â—â—dg 9.8 they came first to the olive tree and said reign thou over us they went next to the fig-tree and then to the vine The Olive saith shall I leave my fatnesse wherewith by me they honour God and man The fig-tree saith should I forsake my sweetnesse and my good fruit The vine saith should I leave my wine which cheareth God and man You see of how excellent use these fruits were two of them used in the speciall service of God Oil and Wine and often is the Land of Canaan praised for fruitfulnesse in respect of these trees growing there which every soil doth not yield they are all of excellent use both for food and medicine and David saith of Wine that it maketh glad the heart of man of Oile that it maketh him have a cheerfull countenance The failing of these which the soil did naturally bring forth doth shew that God had called in his blessing which he gave to that land for the true nature of every soil is the Word of Gods blessing which once called in a fruitfull land is made barren and a populous countrey is soon turned into a desert But this is not all not onely God will smite the land in these excellent fruits which are for food but as Jeremie threatneth They shall cut down the choice Cedars Jer. 22.7 and cast them into the fire trees for building The reason whereof we may finde in the first of our parents Reason who no sooner had sinned but God accursed the earth for their sakes So that we may say as the Church doth in this Psalme Was thy wrath against the trees of the land that thou smotest them not so but against the sins and sinners of the land This further appeareth in the common ground for it followeth the fields shall yield no meat Bread is the staffe of life God threatneth to break the staffe of bread So he bad Ezechiel prophecy Son of man I will break the staffe of bread in Jerusalem Ezâ—k 4.16 and they shall eat their bread by weight and with care God hath many ways to perform this judgment either by taking away his blessing from the earth that it shall not bring forth bread for the use of man Thus he maketh a fruitfull land barren or he can hold in the early and the later rain that it shall not fall to moisten the earth as in the time of Aggaeus the Prophet Ye looked for much and lo Ag. 1 9 10 it came too little The heaven over you is staied from dew and the earth under you is staied from her fruit Yea God when he pleaseth can drown the fruits of the earth with too much rain and destroy the crop and when he hath shewed us plenty upon the ground hee can deceive the hope of the husbandman and make a thin harvest When we have gathered in our crop he can blow upon it and destroy it in the barn he hath his judgments in store ready to be executed upon sinners We have tasted of this rod for how did God crown the former year with plenty and how unthankfully was it entertained of many what complaint did we hear of the cheapness of Corn not able to yield the rackt rents of their ground to the labouring husbandmen to satisfie the greedy Landlord And God heard from heaven how heavy his plentifull hand was to many and he hath since shut it up and turned our plenty into dearth and now he heareth another cry of the poor their labours will scarce give them bread to eat Yet another woe the cattell fail both in the fields and in the stals fat and lean beasts the enemy destroyeth them and the barrenness of the land affordeth them no food when God gave man Lordship over all sheep and Oxen and over all the beasts of the field he did not devolve his prerogative dominion upon man but reserved his royall supremacy over them and a power of resumption that if man neglected his service these creatures in their kinds should fail him You behold in this whole passage a miserable face of a land with which God is fallen out the very foil is accursed for the peoples sakes the people either perish by the sword or go into captivity or tarrie to serve the enemy in the land The full Cities the glorious buildings therein either demolisht and laid even with the ground or inhabited by strangers You have heard before what sins have brought these evils upon this pleasant land Corruption in common conversation between man and man Corruption in religion and the service of God Corruption administration of Justice And so free as our land is from these sins so far are these judgments off from us But if either the present times or times to come are or shall be guilty of these heinous sins I think we may boldly say that God is holy now as ever he was to hate them and the committers of them and as wise as ever he was to discern them and as just as ever he was to punish them We know that these sins carried Gods people into a strange land where they had not the heart to sing the songs of the Lord. God best knows why but we see a great part of the Protestant reformed Church at this time bleeding under the sword or flying from the hand or standing upon their guard against the power of strong opposition and by the mercy of God we are lookers on and their smart is not yet shared amongst us but if Canaan were thus smitten both in the soil and fruit and beasts thereof and most in the inhabitants of it If our brethren professours with us of the same Religion do in our dayes suffer so many vexations we had need study holinesse of life and put more fire into our zeal of Religion and make the ballance of Justice even lest we drink of the same cup of bitternesse The Jews returned again to their land from their captivity they had the face of it renewed they had their Temple rebuilt Religion re-planted and then they relapsed to their former sins and in Christs time Christ was bound and Barrabaâ— was set loose And not long after the Jews went into a dispersion wherein they have continued almost one thousand six hundred years God be mercifull to us to preserve us from their sins and from their punishments that our trees may bring forth their blossoms and their fruits in their seasons that our land may bring forth encrease that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no invasion no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets Amen Amen Verse 18 Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord Hâ—b 3.18 I will joy in the God of
serveth to reprove the doctrine and faith of the Church of Rome Vse 3 who teach that God hath committed to his Son the dispensation of Justice but to his sons mother the dispensation of mercy which opinion was no sooner afoot but they turned Domine into Domina Lord into Lady and so in the Church of Rome the Virgin Mary hath more Devotoes vowed to her service then Christ hath she hath more temples dedicated to her honour then Christ and far more miracles ascribed to her then to Christ Yea they shame not in print to tell the world that she hath saved some from hell whom her son had condemned thether and she hath released many from hell whom her son had already sent thither I onely alleage against them the plain words of our Saviour Thou hast given him power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast gived him Therefore beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees the poisonous doctrines of the Church of Rome which take salvation out of the hands of God and ascribe the donation thereof to creatures This was wont to be called Idolatry in the sermons and writings of the learned to invocate the Virgin Mary as they do in their Rosaries and Letanies of the holy Virgin Mother of mercy Gate of heaven our salvation she that hath bruised the head of the serpent They make their vulgar Latine Bible say so Ipsa conteret caput tuum There be two Psalters both printed in Paris in French and set forth with the approbation of the Sorbonne one called St. Bonaventures Psalter in which wheresoever God is named for Dominus they have put Domina printed in Anno 1601. The other Psalter is digested into fifteen demands printed the same year with the same approbation wherein the Virgin Mary is called the first cause of our salvation the finder out of grace and putteth her before Christ even in gloria Gloria Virgini Maria Jesu Christo What think you doth that Church wish the salvation of of any man in good earnest that swerveth us from the God of our salvation and directeth us to seek it from a creature Yet this is the religion which is now grown in fashion with many in these doubtfull and giddy times which as it robs God of one of his highest prerogatives and doth divest him of his power of salvation so the professours thereof will finde it a thief in their things temporall for in ordine ad Deum the Church will engrosse all the Apostles of that Church wil not be content till all be laid at their feet Let me commend to you the Kings Majesties confession of his faith published in Latine and in English directed to all Christian Kings in this perticular his words are For the blessed Virgine Mary I yield her that which the Angel Gabriel pronounced of her that she is blessed amongst women and that which she prophecyed of her self in her Canticum that all generations shall call her blessed I remember her as the mother of Christ whom of our Saviour took his flesh and so the mother of God since the divinity and humanity of Christ are inseparable and I freely confesse that she is in glory both above Angels and men her own Son that is both God and man onely excepted But I dare not mock her and blaspheme God calling her not onely Diva but Dea praying her to commend and controul her Son who is her God and her Saviour You see what opinion his Majesty hath of the Doctrine and practise of Rome in this point he doth call it mocking of her and blaspheming of God to ascribe salvation to her or to seek it from her I hope you have lived too long in the light of the Gospel to be taken with any of these baits and to be befooled with any of these inchantments of palpable heresie I hope if an Angel from heaven should come and teach you this doctrine to seek your salvation any where else but from God you would answer him 〈…〉 as Nehemiah did answer Sanballat There is nothing as thou saiest but thou feignest it out of thine own heart Beloved let all that love Jesus Christ and his holy truth joyn as one man against popery and seek to the light of the Word whil'st it shineth upon us that we may not lose the way of salvation which that Word revealeth Popery robbeth the Church of this Word and putteth this candle under a bushell it sendeth us the wrong way for salvation and like the blind Aramites it leadeth them into the midst of Samaria even putteth them into the hands of their enemies God did much for this land when he gave us this light let not our unthankfulnesse to him or our peevish waiwardnesse amongst our selves or our evill and unworthy conversations forfeit this light or remove our candlestick So long as we know where our salvation is setled and who hath it in keeping for us so long as we look that way and direct all our obedience and worship our thanks and prayse that way we are safe for Blessed is the people that be in such a case blessed is the people whose God is the Lord for ipse est qui dat salutem 2 Ground of their hope The Lord is my strength This comfort supporterh in afflictions and this is that which is our ability of which the Apostle saith But God is faithfull 1 Cor. 10.13 who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able for what are we able surely of our selves to nothing that is good for us the name of man ever since the fall of man hath been a name of impotency and weaknesse Cease ye from man Isai 2.22 whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accompted of Christ hath told us sine me nihil potestis facere For by strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2.9 Psal 71.10 I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will maeke mention of thy righteousesse even of thine onely The words of my text are Doctrinall Doct. The Lord is the strength of his Church Consider this which way you will 1 In eo quod sumus in that we are In him we live 2 In eo quod facimus in that we do the good that we do he doth it himself O Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us Isai 26.12 The skill that we have in our severall professions and trades and mysteries it is his spirit that giveth it the strength that we have to labour in our severall callings is his strength and that blessing was included in the curse of man Gen. 3.19 Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face that God would give man strength to earn his bread and his labour should be his physick it should make him breath out evill and noxious vapours in his body which might offend health in sweat And if
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