revealed to Abraham Gen. 15.13 Know that thy seed of a surety shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred Years And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judg Vers 14. and afterward shall they come out with great substance This as St. Augustine vvell understandeth doth include all the time that passed between the birth of Isaac and the entring of the people of Israel into the land of promise during vvhich time they had no land of their ovvn and in a dis-junct reading they vvere either strangers as during their first abode in Canaan and after in Aegypt or they served as after Josephs death and vvere afflicted Four hundred years are a long time yet they savv an end of their travails and afflictions and they knevv that their posterity should have rest at last and they knevv that God vvould judg their oppressours this made them able to bear the affliction Here is a picture dravvn to the life of a christian mans life here on earth for he must be a stranger and pilgrime here and must serve and suffer before he can come to Jerusalem which is visio pacis the vision of peace before he can come to rest from his labours This captivity in Babylon was a great punishment to this people but God made his vvill known to them as the Prophet here teacheth them to pray for he gave them vvarning of it long before 2 Reg. 20.17 but somwhat obscurely he came to a more cleer discovery of his purpose to Hezechiah All shall be carried into Babylon nothing shall be left The Lord also by Jeremie his Prophet gave them warning of it Jer. 16.13 I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not He threateneth to send Fishers to fish them compare that with Habakkuks prophecy Thou makest them as the fishes of the Sea Hab. 1.14 there you heard of their angle net and dragge Jeremy is yet more plain in this prediction Jer. 20.6 I will deliver all the strength of the city and all the labours thereof and all the pretious things thereof Jer. 25.11 c. to be carried into Babylon But most fully begin at the 9 verse And this whole Land shall bee a Desolation Vers 12. and an Astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years And it shall come to passe when 70 years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon Jer. 30.2 and that nation saith the Lord. There is some better news sic dicit Dominus The days come faith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to returne to the land that I gave to their Fathers and they shall possess it The miseries that smart upon afflicted men do make them forget the comforts that should heal their wounded spirits David expresseth his vexation so My soul refused comfort therefore O Lord make it known Make thy people sensible of that comfort which thou hast gratiously reserved for them And indeed the people were not quite out of heart all the time that they lived in that captivity they stil remembred Jerusalem and thought upon Sion and expected their deliverance But the dispersion of the Jews that hath now continued almost 1600 years that hath lasted long and the time of their restitution is not perticularly revealed this maketh them hang the head God in justice for the cruelty which they did execute upon his Son would not let them know the time of their deliverance as in their former afflictions he did which no doubt is a great signe of Gods heavy indignation Seeing then that the knowledge of the will of God and his purpose revealed in his Word 1 Vse is so great a comfort in afflictions we are taught to study and search the Book of Gods Will and therein to exercise our selves for he is the same God that he was and his wil is the same the just have the same promises that they had the unjust shall have the same judgments hear read the Book of God and apply it as thou goest for there thou shalt have thy portion Labour for newnesse of life and that shall bring thee to the proof and tryal to the discerning and experience of the will of God as the Apostle saith And be not conformed to the World but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12.2 that you may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God For God will not reveale himself to the ungodly but the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant We must rest in this wil of God with a fiat voluntas tua thy will be done we must not resist it we must not murmure at it we must not make haste but we must live by faith and tarry the Lords leasure and in the mean time gather strength from his promise to establish our hearts that they faint not and fail us in our tribulations 3 Petition In wrath remember mercy The plea of the true Church in afflictions is mercy Doct. 1 Reas God taught us this himself for when our first Parents had sinned they were afraid and ashamed and hid themselves from God there was no mercy yet revealed Hovv vvould they solicite God Jesus Christ vvas not yet known to them therefore they fled from God for there is no drawing neer to God for sinners without Christ then God came and sought out Adam he arraigned the offenders and finding the Serpent guilty of the temptation he cursed him and there he promised Christ When mercy was revealed to man then he called the man first and then the woman And ever since that mercy was made known to the Church the true Church hath had no other plea but mercy There is misericordia condonans a pardoning mercy he forgiveth all our iniquities an article of faith remissio peccatorum remission of sins there is misericordia donans a giving mercy he giveth medicine to heal all our infirmities The Church knoweth that they have given God cause to be angry 2 Reas they know that if his wrath be kindled but a little he is a consuming fire and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands they know that in his favour is life and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore We have nothing to keep us from the anger to come but mercy Lam. 3.22 Psal 51.1 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not all consumed for his compassions fail not Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse c. We have nothing to bring us again in favour with God whom we provoke every day but his mercy But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies Psal 5.7
vvhose hearts do smite them and vvhose consciences do accuse them that though the zeal of Gods house do bring them to Church yet the fear of their unvvorthiness doth make them stand a far off beating their breasts and not daring to lift up their eyes to heaven These had need of comfort we must labour to put metall into such by telling them that he whose face they seek is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and the God of all comfort David is a full example of a distressed man Psal 119.107 fearing and yet praying for he confesseth I am very sore afflicted yet he prayeth God to quicken him he saith My soul is continually in my hand he was even ready to yield it up yet the comfort that he had in God established his heart And herein God is most gratious for when our sins come in our sight and we are horribly afraid of Gods judgments even then God sendeth his Spirit to us not to take away our infirmities quite but to help them not to turne our sorrow into joy but to sanctifie our sorrow and to supply it with sighs and groanes and this addition of fear and grief doth also mend devotion To such we must say that though he to whom we pray be in Heaven yet he is our Father and though great and glorious be his Majesty yet he is the preserver of men David calleth him our Sun and Shield the brightnesse of this Sun may dazle our weak sight but the protection of this shield will save us from danger Be strong then and God shall establish your hearts he shall anoint you with the oile of gladnesse and he shall say to your soul I am thy Salvation 2 Subjectum Vide divis supr Pag. 29. This prayer is for the Church that is for all those that then were the visible society of such as worshiped the onely true God It is the duty of every child of God Doct. and member of the Church to pray to God for the whole body of the Church The Church at this time was within a pale and confined to the house of Abraham not in his whole bloud for Ishmael was excluded in Isaac was the promise not in his whole bloud for Esay was excluded Jacob was Israel and prevailed with God of him came the Fathers and in his seed was the Church continued This Church was now threatned with deportation and sundry great judgments the Prophet teacheth them how to pray one for another To this there are great motives 1 The direction of Christ in the Lords Prayer which calleth God our Father and in the processe of it sheweth that the Church of God is still included Give us forgive us lead us not 2 The content that we give to God in these generall prayers which the Apostle doth well expresse I exhort that first of all prayers c. be made for all men For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.1 3.4 who will have all men to be saved All are or may be members of the Church of God for ought we know 3 The benefit that we reap hereby is great for thus we come to have our portion in the charitable prayers of others Ambrose Si prote rogas tantum prote solus rogabis Hâ—xam 1. si autem pro omnibus rogas omnes pro te rogabunt 4. It is a true rule that extra Ecclesiam non est salus without the Church there is no salvation Acts 2.47 it is said that God added to the Church daily such as should be saved the reason hereof is because Christ is no where to be found as a Saviour but in his Church and the meanes of salvation Preaching Prayer and Sacraments they are only found in the Church Without are dogs enchanters Revel 22.15 c. Christ is the good Shepheard and he hath his fold all the sheep that are without must be brought to that fold as himself saith alias oves habeo quae non sunt de ovili hoc illas oportet adducere I have other sheep c. they shall hear my voice Joh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Shepheard Therefore there is no safety in singularity they that forsake the Church forsake the fold the unity of spirit not the singularity is the bond of peace We are members one of another the common safety of the body communicateth perticular safety to all the members of the body In the temporall state the peace of perticular persons is included in the peace of the whole kingdome therefore Jeremiah saith to the Church then in deportation Seek the peace of the City Jer. 29.7 whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Much more shall we have peace in the peace of the Church seeing Christ bequeathed his legacy of peace not to some parts and members of his Church but to the whole body thereof Joh. 14.27 Pacem meam do vobis I give unto you my peace It must be so understood for as he left his Spirit the Comforter so he left his peace the comfort not to his Disciples onely but to all the Church therefore pray all that it may be well with thee in communi bono in the common good This teacheth us to incorporate our selvs in the communion of Saints per communionem pietatis et charitatis by the communion of piety and charity to be one anothers Orators but especially to study and pray for the peace and welfare of the Church let us consider it is the Spouse of Christ it is a Lilly among thorns it is a flower in the field not only open to all weathers but to the tooth and foot of the beasts of the field Satan going about seeking to devoure it Let our prayers to God resist Satan and fight the Lords battail against him We heare of the troubles of the Church in other countreys we heare of the tyranny of Popery and the oppressions of faithfull professours if we give them no other help yet let our prayers give God no rest till he have mercy on them and give them deliverance This teacheth us to maintain truth and peace amongst our selves let not the wounds and soars of a Church that is heresie and schisme and separation be so much as named amongst us as it becommeth the Saints of God let not the common enemy of our Religion hope to build upon our ruines and to raise up himself by our fall to strengthen his peace by our contentions to be-night our clear and glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel so many happy years crowned with peace and the fruits of peace propagation with his Egyptian and Cymmerian darknesse Let us be of good comfort their darknesse dare not come so near our light for our light will discover it their errour dare
against crying sinnes of the time is discreet and necessary pag. 52 The Contents of the third Chapter A Double plainnesse of Scripture Rationall and Spirituall pag. 77 Afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the Faithfull pag. 5 Afflictions of the Church are such a deading to it that unlesse it were quickened with souâ—â— beams of grace it would be a burthen to it more then it could beare pag. 41 Affection of love most vehement in a woman pag. 94 All Gods favours to men proceed from his love towards such as are thankfull for them pag. 69 As God brought Israel into the land of Canaan by the sword so by the sword he driveth them out pag. 144 C CAtesbie's speech concerning the Gun-powder treason pag. 89 Christ descended into hell pag. 78 Christ was alwayes before the Gospel and even from the beginning of the world the hope of all the ends of the world pag. 150 Church musick ancient and of holy use pag. 22 Comfort in afflictions groweth out of a right understanding of the Will and purpose of God therein pag. 43 Commination of Gods judgments makes the Church of God to fear pag. 174 Consideration of former mercies strengthens faith in present troubles pag. 50. 68 Cushan is Aethiopia so called from Cush the son of Cham. pag. 80 Cyrus angrie with the River Gyndes pag. 103 D. DAvids Psalmes a common store-house of good learning pag. 195 Description of Repentance pag. 1â—5 Distressing of the poor a greivous and provoking sin pag. 159 E EVery childe of God and member of the Church ought to pray for the whole body of the Church pag. 34 F. FAith in Christ takes away the horrour of the terrour of the Lord pag. 82 Faithfull men who worship God with fear and trembling how they ought to be taught pag. 33 Fear is a proper passion of a true Believer and is inseperably joyned with saving Faith pag. 28 Figurative speeches are in use in Scripture pag. 72 G. GOD is not so glorious in any thing that he hath wrought as in his Church pag. 38 God will not suffer us to be tempted further then he thinks fit pag. 41 God is armed with instruments of vengeance to punish sin pag. 57 God never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth pag. 60 God is glorious in Heaven and in Earth pag. 61 God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man 102. For he hath no quarrell to them pag. 103 God must have the glory of his own great works pag. 104 God is without variablenesse or alteration pag. 113 God sometimes declareth his power openly to the comfort of his Church and terrour of its enemies pag. 115 God is above all second causes pag. 133 God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church 151. Therefore we need seek no further for it pag. 153 God in his judgment maketh the ungodly rods to punish one another pag. 155 God in Christ is the rest of his Church pag. 158 God never forsaketh us till we forsake him pag. 185 God punisheth one evil nation by another pag. 87 God is the strength of his Church 214. both in that we are and in that we do and in that we suffer pag. 215 God is the restorer of his Church wil renew the face glory of it pag. 222 Gods word must minister matter to our prayers pag. 25 Gods Church is Gods work both in respect of its calling 37. and of his perpetuall presence in it pag. 38 Gods mercie and our obedience are motives of re-establishing his protection upon his Church pag. 55 God's secrets revealed only to them that fear him pag. 75 God's power shewed in the terror of the wicked proves that there is a God pag. 80 God's promises are either for this life or for the life to come pag. 124 God's extraordinary mercies must be often remembred pag. 166 God's mercie in giving must not destroy his justice in punishing of evill doers pag. 186 Good use is to be made of some temptations H. HOrnes in Scripture signifie strength page 49 How God was said to have divided the Land of Canaan amongst the children of Israel page 63 73 How many ways spiritual enemies assault the Church page 205 How many ways men abuse their strength page 216 I. JErusalem and the Temple shall lye desolate untill the second coming of Christ page 68 Jewish Feasts were instituted for remembrances of favours received from God page 166 In the last calling of the Jews their Common-wealth shall be restored page 66 In reading of holy Scripture we ought carefully to observe what is spoken literally and what figuratively 74. and not to make figures where none are 77. Nor understand that literally which is figurative page 79 In all wars God is Lord of Hosts and General of the armies that fight his quarrels 143. and he ordereth all wars page 144 Jotham's Parable page 188 Joy dilateth the heart page 195 Joyes of the ungodly compared to a candle page 205 Israel a type of Gods Church on earth page 99. L. LAnd of Canaan not above 300 miles in length and 100 in bredth 173. The fruitfulnesse of it shewn ibid. Logick and Rethorick requisite and necessary in a Minister page 76 M. MAnna and Water out of the Rock were types of our Lords Supper and the children of Israels passage through the red Sea a type of Baptisme page 168 Matter of thankesgiving is an acknowledgment of all benefits page 68 Mercy is the most glorious attribute that God hath page 46 Miseries of afflicted men make them forget comforts page 44 Monarchie of the Assyrians lasted 1300 yeers page 250 Moses charged by Heathens to be a Magician page 97 105 Motives inducing us to blesse those that persecute us and pray for those that hate us page 70 N. NO lesson so hard for a child of God to take out as to take up Christ's Crosse page 41 No counsel or strength can prevaile against God 65. nor any prescription ibid. No Oratory nor eloquence comparable to the holy elocution of Scripture page 75 O. OBjections against Church musick answered page 13 Obedience to God assures and gains all good things to us page 180 Over-weening of our fellow creatures is and hath been a cause of Idolatry page 134 P. POetry ancient and of use in the Church page 10 Polygamy unlawfull page 108 Prayer a faithful messenger page 43 Prayer hath the same force now as it had in former times page 141 Praysing of God in Hymns and Songs ancient and much used in the Church Prophane mens hearts are hardned with custome of sinning page 31 Prophane and carnal men how they ought to be taught page 30 Prophets Apostles and Ministers of the Word are the fittest Persons to be used for direction of devotion page 7 R. REading of Scripture good to make us understand what the Lord hath
the Prophet will give God no rest till he heare and answer for the Prayer of the just if it be fervent prevaileth with God zeale is an holy fire the flame of it ascendeth to heaven and penetrateth all the passages till it come to God Cold and perfunctory devotions intermitted and given over do not prevaile with God they please him best that use most violence for the kingdome of heaven suffereth violence 3. Vnto thee he directeth his prayers aright for Baals Priests may cry from morning to night may cut and lance their flesh and make many signes of zeale and earnest importunity without successe because their God heareth not his eyes see not his ears hear not his hands handle not there is no breath in his mouth to give them answer But the cry of the Prophet went up to God who beholdeth ungodlinesse and wrong that he may take the matter into his own hand Thus farre we have seen what the Apostle did 1. He cried 2. He cryed loud 3. To God 2. What cause had he to cry For violence this is fully and largely exprest in the second part of his contestation with God ver 3 4. I therefore only observe here two things 1. That he complained not without great provocation for violence was Gods own complaint and quarrel against the old world The earth is full of violence Gen. 6.13 and behold I will destroy them with the earth It was Gods quarrel against Edom for thy violence against thy brother Iacob shame shall cover thee Obad. 10. and thou shalt be cut off for ever 2. We consider where this violence was not of Esau against Iacob but of Iacob against Iacob as Isaiah describeth it Every man eating the flesh of his own arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh Isa 9. ult and both of them against Judah Civil and Domestick warres in the bosome of the Church grievances and vexations one of another these differences it is likely that the Prophets had laboured to compound and used all meanes to settle Peace there but it appeareth that they prevailed not therefore he complaineth 3. With what Successe 1. Thou wilt not hear the Cry of the Prophet was to awaken the Iustice of God to chasten his People for this violence for so desperate was the disease of the Church that they needed the sharpest Physick to heal it even the rod of God to correct them Yet God is so slow to wrath and so long-suffering that he would not hearken to the voice of his Prophets as yet to pull his hand out of his bosome though they said with David It is time for thee Lord to put to thine hand 2. Thou wilt not save 1. Thou wilt not succour them that suffer violence against the hand of their oppressours as his not hearing is to be imputed to his mercy and patience so his not saving is to be imputed either to his wisedome putting his children to the trial of their faith by afflictions or to his Justice making one of them who have corrupted their wayes a rod to scourge the other neither of them being as yet worth the saving till he had humbled them The text thus cleared the doctrines which grow upon this stemme and first branch of the Prophets contestation are these 1. That the weapons wherewith the holy servants of God do fight against sinne are their Prayers to God 2. That one necessary ingredient in our Prayers is earnestnesse and importunity 3. That the zeal of Gods glory and the love of Peace cannot dispense with tumule and combustion in the Church of God 4. That God sometimes suspendeth the desired successe of the earnest Prayers of his most faithful servants when they do pray according to his will and doth not heare them by and by Of the first of these first 1. Doctr. The weapons wherewith the holy servants of God do fight against sin is their Prayers I find that this People to whom God had sent his Prophets rising early and sending them were grown incorrigible and therefore even the Prophets that loved them and wished them well having no other way to reform them were now put to it to pray against their violence to God They that had wont to stand in the gap to turn away ingruent judgements do take such offence at their ungodlinesse that they are put to it to pray to God against them Thus Ioseph carried the evil report of his brethren to his father and made them to be shent wherein he did a brotherly office to seek their Reformation The spleen of Habakkuk is not against the Persons of his brethren they are not so much as named here he cryeth out of violence And so Saint Paul saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men David did thus in a case of violence Psal 109.3 4. They compassed me about with words of hatred and fought against me without cause For my love they are mine adversaries but I give my selfe unto Prayer Ego oro Quaere How doth it stand with the rules of charity to complain to God of our brethren and to stirre up his indignation against them Sol. I confesse that this asketh an especial tendernesse in the servants of God for to begin here without using other means to reclaim our offending brother may shake the walles of our charity and may accuse us of want of love therefore all those ways of charity must be first tried as to admonish privately or not speeding so joyn another with thy self in the private chiding of his sinne after failing to communicate the matter to the Church If all these supports which we do owe to our brother will not keep him up then let him be as an heathen and then is Davids Prayer in season Let the heathen know that they are but men But in my text here was the body of the Church diseased the members parts of the body in armes one against another only some few of Gods holy servants lived with grief in their righteous souls to behold the ungodly conversation of men nefariously wicked and carelesse of religion therfore what other way was left them but that of David I will yet pray against their wickednesse take away their ungodlinesse and thou shalt find none The Prophets and Seers of former times have had speciall Revelations of the Will of God concerning the ungodly of the earth whereby they might as boldly use imprecation as deprecation or supplication We that come short of their measure of the spirit must not dare to go to the farthest extent of their liberty in Prayer to pray against our brethren only thus farre we may with Habakkuk cry out unto God and make our moan to him for violence 1. Committing our cause and the care of our safety unto him as to a faithful Creator and so the care and safety of our brethren 2. Desiring God to bring to an end the wickednesse of the ungodly and
let 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
let every soul submit it selfe Let no man let not a confederacie of men seditiously and maliciously advance themselves against the Lords annointed hand off offer him violence use not the tongue to curse him use not the pen against him to libel him Curse him not in thy heart touch him no noxious and offensive way and if subordinate Magistrates do let wrong judgement proceed appeal from them to him that sitteth on the Throne of Iustice who doth drive away all evil with his eye If he will not do thee right go in the Prophet Habakkuks way wrastle with God by thy prayers and make thy complaint to him He heareth the complaint of the poore 2. He complaineth and chideth with God for shewing him all this iniquity and violence Vid. sup p. 36. Doctr. From whence we are taught It is lawful in our Prayers to expostulate and contest with God Habakkuk goeth farre in this you have heard Jerome saith Nullus Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum provocare Yet we shall find that others have gone very farre this way David for one My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me Psal 22.1 and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day but thou hearest me not and in the night season I am not silent And he professeth it I will say unto God Psal 42.9 My rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I a mourning because of the oppression of the enemy David is very frequent in these expostulations so is holy Job so is Jeremie and both these are very much overgone in passion and therefore examples rather of weaknesse which we must decline then rules of direction to imitate St. Paul doth give us good warrant for this wrastling with God it is his very phrase Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God He useth a word that signeth such striving as is in trying of mastery who shall have the best And Jacob is a type hereof who wrestled with the Angel till the break of the day and though he got a lamenesse by striving with his over-match yet would he not let him go till he had gotten a blessing Representing the fervent petitioners that come to God in the name of Christ as the woman of Canaan did for her daughter neither the Disciples nor Christ could make her turne aside or be silent But here is a Quaere for the Apostle doth say Quer. Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that replyest against God When once God hath declared himself in any thing how daâ—e we call him to accompt and aske him a reason for any thing he doth And again the Prophet Isay saith Isa 45.9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Further is it not contrarie to that petition in the Lords Prayer Fiat voluntas tua For doth not the Prophet declare here a dislike of that which God did as seeming to wish it had been otherwise when he asketh why dost thou shew me iniquity and make me to behold violence The best way to clear this doubt Sol. is to behold this passion in some chosen servant of God and see what he makes of it we will take David for our example and let us hear him first complaining and then answering for himself his complaint is passionate Will the Lord cast off for ever Psal 77.7 and will hee be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Vers 8 doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Vers 8. hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies He recovereth himself saying And I said Vers 10. this is mine infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Surely there be infirmities in the Saints of God and this expostulation with God is an effect of infirmity Yet shall you see that this doth no way weaken the doctrine before delivered that it is lawfull to expostulate with God in our prayers The infirmities of Gods servants are of two sorts 1. Naturall 2. Sinfull We must so destinguish for when Christ took our nature into the unity of his person with it he took upon him all our infirmities but not our sinfull ones For he was like man in all things but sin Three especially are noted in the story of the Gospel that is to say Sorrow Fear Anger 1. Sorrow for he wept and mourned 2. Fear for he was heard in that he feared 3. Anger for he did often chide and reprove These affections be naturall and so long as they be affections they are without blame when they exubrate and grow into perturbations then they are faulty For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inclination and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the inflammation of nature God who in creation gave these affections to nature hath not denyed us the use of them yea he hath ordained them as excellent helps for his work of grace in us Therefore we find fear mingled with faith to keep it from swelling into presumption that fear is not a sin in the Elect as some weak consciences ignorantly mistake it but it is Cos fidei the whetstone of faith to give it the more edge As in that complaint of David My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where the first part of that complaint is vox fidei the voice of faith My God my God the second is vox timoris the voice of fear quare me direliquisti and we say fear is a good keeper it makes us lay so much the faster hold on God by faith Yea it is a warning to us to avoyd any thing that may do us hurt The wise-man feareth and departeth from evill Pro. 14.16 Sometimes we find fear mingled with joy as for example When the Lord brought again the captivity of Sion Ps 126.1 we were like them that dream They were overcome with joy for their deliverance and restitution and yet they felt withall a fear that it was too good to be true and doubted that it was but a dream We do not receive any good newes but before the hearing of it we fear Luk. 1.13 the Angel that appeared to Zecharie the Preist found him afraid The Angel that came to the Virgin Mary found her afraid so did he that brought the newes of the birth of Christ to the shepheards for all men know that we have no cause to expect any newes from heaven wee are so evill and sinfull And although the comforts of God do remove that fear for a time yet God would not have it quite extinguished in us for the Prophet biddeth us Serve the Lord with fear Psal 2.11 and rejoyce with trembling And the Apostle doth bid us too workout our salvation
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
expostulation with God for bearing so much with them and therefore did stirre up God to judgement to chasten them in the first section of this chapter Now that God hath answered him in the second with declaration of his purpose to punish the iniquities of the Jews by the Chaldaeans whom God would stirre up to fight against them and to prevail Now in this third section the Prophet is as much troubled and grieved at their punishment as he was before at their sin Now he chides as fast and disputes as hotly against the remissenesse and patience of God toward the Chaldaean as he did before toward the Jew Before he pleaded the cause of the glory of Gods Iustice in punishing the iniquity of the Iews now he pleads the glory of Gods mercy in sparing them The first part was imprecation this deprecation And herein the Prophet doth declare his mixt affection to the Jews for out of his hatred to their sins he desired their correction but now out of his love to their Persons he prayeth against their punishment so farre that it may be moderate as in Ieremies Prayer Correct us O Lord yet in thy judgement not in thy fury lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Which teacheth us that Religion hath the bowels of compassion Doctr. Truly they have no true religion that have no mercy This is given us in precept with a sicut Reason 1 Luk. 6.36 Be yee merciful as your heavenly father is mercifull there is nothing wherein the image of our God doth more shine in man then his mercy because that is the heavenly nature the wisedome of God is too high for us the power of God too great for us the justice of God too strict for us all these vertues of the Godhead be out of the reach of our imitation The furthest that our Saviour goeth in the patterne and president of wisedome is est ote prudentes ut serpentes Wisedom Be yee wise as serpents In innocency Innocentes ut columba be ye innocent as doves it is not estote prudentes ut pater vester Be yee wise as your heavenly father Concerning fortitude The mother of Samuel saith Fortitude Non est fortis sicut deus Sicut leo Salomon hath it siout quorcus Amos hath it Concerning Iustice let us take the righteous men at their best Justice then Iustus fulgebunt ut sol the righteous shal shine as the Sun but to misericordes ut pater vester We must strive to imitate him in mercy that is the divine nature because it is super omniâ— operadei above all the works of God and that is the humane nature also because it is called Humanity and therefore wel-becometh the man of God 2. There is nothing that every one of us doth more stand in need of then mercy Reason 2 without which all the frame of nature would shake and dissolve it is anima mundi the soul of the world it is the juncture of every limb thereof it is the garment that hideth our nakednesse it is the grave the sea that burieth that swalloweth all our reputed sinnes it is the taylour to our backs the cater to our bellies the soule that quickneth us the strength that supporteth us the grace that saveth us the power that raiseth us the glory that crowneth us And they that shew no mercy shall have none 3. The consideration of our own infirmities doth plead for our mercy to our delinquent brother Reas 3 not to make the most of their faults and scrue their punishment to the uttermost rather to save our brethren Ga. 6.1 and to pull them out of the fire least we also be tempted for we have many suits to God for pardon of our own sinnes and therefore by the law of Justice let us do as we would be done to that is sollicite the favour of God for our brethren and although the zeale of Gods glory do put us to it to pray for their correction that they may be amended yet considering how bitter the medicine is that healeth sinne let us entreat the Physitian to look but on the corrupt humours in the body of the Church to purge them to take no more blood from the body thereof then may stand with the health of the body 4. It is a more easie suit to obtain the mercy of God Reas 4 then to stirre up his anger for as he is slow to wrath and long-suffering and when he doth begin to chide he will not keep his anger continually so he is rich in mercy abundant in goodnesse oleum supernatat vino the oyle swims above the wine Christ his sonne the character of his fathers glory of his mercy the true coppie of that sicut Pater vester qui est incaelis as Our father which is in heaven Of whom Saint Augustine sweetly commenting upon his pater ignosce eis father forgive them saith De utilet paen l. 1. he left them not quojusque ejus jam sanguinem possent bibere credentes quem fuderant saevientes they know how to drink believing the blood which they shed raging which is called in the Psalmist Multitudo dulcedinis Saint Hilary upon the Parable of the parable in the vineyard saith Ad spem omne tempus est liberum In Ps 129 mercedem non operis sed misericor diae undecimae horae operarii consequuntur God loves to be sollicited for mercy 4. Because in the contrary Ionah had a chiding from God himselfe Reas 4 that he stood more upon the credit of his office then he did upon the honour of his God that sent him being so angry at Gods sparing of Niniveh Wherein God himself pleaded the cause of his own mercy and justified his suspense of the threatned judgement against Iohan c. David had good cause to choose to fall into the hands of God rather then into the hands of men for with God there is mercy And had Niniveh been in the hand of Jonah their fasting with sackcloth and repenting should not have cleared nor calmed the storme threatned God said in Niniveh there were more then six score thousand Persons that knew not the right hand from the left there were a great many more in the nation of the Jews many also that served God with a true heart many that was not yet com to the height of sinning of whom there was hope many that had drunk deep already to the Cup of affliction by the sins of others who had thereby provoked God Therefore Habakkuk could do no lesse then stand in the gap now and keep out some of this wrath To make use of this doctrine Vse and of the holy example of this Prophet let me use the words of the Apostle to you Put on therfore as the Elect of God holy and beloved Col. 3.12 bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have aquarrell against
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
flesh them that they shall empty their nets and fish again amongst the nations and not cease to shed bloud Ezcchiah hath the name of a good King he prayed to God Let there be Peace or as the Kings Pible reads is it not not good that there be Peace and Truth in my days But careful Princes will look beyond their own days and fit their designes to the good of Posterity Present evils being in their growth threaten furture dangers and we say of them as our Saviour doth These are but the beginnings of sorrows and there is fear that there will be semper deterior posterior dies the latter times will be the worser The best remedy is to awake the tender love of God to his Church with an expostulation Shall they do this O Lord Thy will be done Shall they do it continually wilt thou suffer it when the time is come he will have mercy CHAP. II. Vers 1. I will stand upon the watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I an reproved IN this Chapter God answereth all the Prophets grievances and it containeth two parts 1. The Prophets attendance upon God for his answer vers 1. 2. The Lords answer in the rest of the chapter In the first The Prophet having disputed with God and as his name importeth having wrastled with him doth resolve I will stand upon the watch and set me upon the tower alluding to the military practice of souldiers who appoint some in some eminent place to observe the enemie and to give timely warning of their doings And seeing God hath declared himself an enemy to the Iews by all those evils which he hath threatned to bring upon them the Prophet watcheth him and attendeth to receive further advertisement from himself concerning his purpose toward them I will watch to see what he will say unto me for the secrets of the Lord are revealed unto them that fear him And God spake in the mouth of all the Prophets which have been since the world began Neither doth the Prophet attend God out of a curiosity scire ut sciat to know only as Bern. speaks but that he may know what to answer for God when he is reproved or as the Margent saith much better when he is argued with and others come to dispute with him upon those grievances as he hath done with God for you must understand that in all the former complaints this Prophet hath not argued as a particular man but as undertaking the cause of the Church and sustaining the Persons of all his afflicted brethren for whose sakes that he may satisfie them and for Gods sake whose Minister he is that he may know how to maintain to them the cause of Gods Wisedome and Iustice he doth now attend Gods answer By this standing upon the watch and upon the tower in this place is meant the Prophets attending upon a further Revelation of the Will of God concerning these grievances because in those times God did speak to his Prophets by visions and dreams and secret inspirations And holy men then had accesse to him immediatly whereby they knew the mind of God and yet did communicate to them his counsels Yet so as he put them to it to await his good leasure and to expect his answer So David in his own case I will heare what the Lord God will say unto me These words do wel expresse the whole duty of a faithful Prophet and Minister of the Word consisting of two parts 1. His information of himself implet cisternam he fils the Cistern 2. His instruction of others for then he will turn the Cock. In the first observe 1. His wisedome he will borrow all his light from the Sun What he will say unto me 2. His vigilancy I will stand upon the watch 3. His patient expectation I will set me upon the tower 4. His holy care to see what will be said to him 1. His Wisedome He will take his information from the mouth of God teaching us That the faithful Minister of God must speak only in the Lords message he must see before he say Doct. he must be first a Seer and then a Speaker and he must not go from the instructions which God shal give him to speak more or lesse This is our wisedome and understanding to take our light from the father of lights to gather our wisedome from him that is wisest Whose foolishnesse is wiser then man as the Apostle telleth us 1. Because of our nature which is corrupt Reas 2 so our reason and judgement subject to errours and mistakes as we see in Nathan who encouraged David in his purpose of building a Temple which in his humane reason seemed a good intention and David a fit person to undertake it But God directed him to repeal that Commission and to assigne that work to Salomon Davids sonne 2. Because we are Ambassadors from God Reas 2 and Ambassadours go not of themselves but are sent and they must remember whose Persons they beare and be careful to speak according to their instructions 1. This as it is a direction to us to limit our Ministry Vse that we may not do more or lesse then our erand 2. So it is a rule for you to whom we are sent to receive or refuse our Ministry accordingly as you shall justifie our Preachings by the Will of God revealed in the sacred Canon of Scripture searching the Scriptures as the men of Berea did whether those things which we teach be so or not And if any shall in the name of God broach or vent the doctrines of men you may say to him as Nehemiah did to Sanballat There are no such things as thou sayst but thou feinest them out of thine own heart Nehem. 6.8 But take heed you exceed not this example of Nehemiah for he did not charge Sanballat thus till he perceived that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this prophecy For many hearers are so seasoned with prejudice against their Teachers that if any thing sound not to the just tune of their own fancies they will suddenly quarrel it Yet as Gamaliel saith If the Counsel be of God it will stand whosoever oppose it 3. This reproveth those forward intruders into the Lords harvest who come unsent and bring not their Sickle with them they will work without tools and they will teach before they have learnt Like the foolish Virgins they would spend of the wise Virgins oyle they do sapere ex Commentario and take their Sermons upon trust hearkning what God hath said to others and not tarrying till God speak to them It is no wonder if these Merchants do break who set up without a stock they be but broken Cisterns though some water run through them they hold none The faithful Minister must not only observe quid dicit dominus what the Lord saith but quid dicit mihi what
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
that abuse it or to stop the course of his justice to them whom correction doth amend then we say he repenteth him of that which he hath either promised or threatned for clearing whereof understand That God never changeth in promise or in threatning but only in things concerning this life as in all the examples repeated all those promises and threatnings be used as motives to induce obedience and therefore they are not absolute but conditionall For it is no good argument to perswade a man to be Religions and to fear God abstaining from all the pleasing delights of the world to promise him his hearts desire if he know that that promise doth bind God that whatsoever he do he shall be partaker of the promise And it is no inducement to disswade sin by the commination of judgment if the judgment must of necessity be inflicted Therefore this revealed Will of God is conditionall and hath reference to our obedience and faith and good life and use of the means ordained by God and tendered to us This is the rule of life and by this Will is the Church of God governed for by this he doth reveal himself both in his word and in his permissions and in his operations 1. God signifieth his Will by his Word for that doth declare in precepts prohibitions and examples what God would have to be done what not to be done it revealeth both rewards and punishments and it useth both promises and threatnings 2. God signifieth his Will by permissions because he declareth thereby that what he suffereth to be done that he willeth to be effected 3. By operations for what God doth he doth according to his Will 2. Voluntas beneplaciti is the secret Will of God reserved in himself in wiâ—ch 1. There is consilium the wisdom of God foreseeing what is to be done 2. There is decretum determining it and herein the counsell of God is not the rule of his Will for there is nothing in God above his Will but wiling all things to be thus as he hath decreed he foreseeth in wisdom what he willeth and therefore the rule is not with God This is good therefore I decree it but this I decree therefore it is good Now sometimes there seems to be an opposition between these two Wils of God which is thus reconciled The Will of God is revealed to man 1. Either for necessary and absolute obedience as in the whole morall Law of God 2. For probation and tryall as in the commandment given to Abraham to offer up Isaak wherein God concealed his secret Will which was to preserve Isaak and concealed the purpose of his commandments which was to try the saith of Abraham So on the contrary he sent to Pharaoh commanding him to let Israel go yet it was not his secret will that Israel should go yet but the commandment was given to convince Pharaoh of hardnesle of heart and as in Abraham the commandment did cause him to declare his faith so in Pharaoh did it convince him of rebellion to the Will of God So all our preaching wherein we perswade repentance and promise life eternal it serveth to direct all that look for salvation in the way of life and it serveth to convince the world of unrighteousnesse if they obey not The answer then is that whatsoever God willeth and decreeth voluntate beneplaciti by the will of good pleasure doth take effect What God willeth voluntate signi by the Will signified not always Reply How then shall I know what to do seeing the signifying Will of God is my rule and that seemeth uncertain and not agreeable to the secret Will of Gods good pleasure Sol. Do as Abraham did prepare to offer thy son do as thou art commanded leave the event and the disposition of thy obedience to God who wil further reveale himselfe unto thee Do as Hezechiah did set thine house in order yet use the means by repentance and Prayer to prolong thy life Do as the Ninivites did fast and repent and call upon the name of the Lord and try him as the Prophet saith Whether hâ— will shew thee mercy or not But to bring this home to my text when God pronounceth the Decree of Judgement against the enemies of the Church and promiseâ—h mercy to his Church believe him in both for neither can Gods enemies repent to change the course of his Iustice neither can his Church sinne unto death that he should take his mercy utterly from it So then the Argument holdeth strong God hath said and decreed what he wil do against these Chaldaeans what for his Church therefore it shall come to passe Quest But if this be true Quest what need then is there of Prayer doth it not argue in us a kind of distrust in the favour of God when we do not take his word but are still importunate to sollicite his favour To this our answer is that this cannot discourage Prayer because the decree is past and unchangable this is the proper foundation of Prayer for the Apostle saith And this is the confidence that we have in him 1 John 5.14 that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us So that it is a necessary knowledge before we undertake to pray to know what is that good that acceptable and perfect Will of God For we not only lose our labour but we do also offend God if we ask any thing against or beside his Will therefore that we might not run into the errour of the sons of Zebedee Nescitis quid petatis you know not what you should ask Our Saviour hath set down a forme of Prayer so absolute as that we cannot justifie the asking of any thing according to the Will of God that hath not reference to one of those petitions Reply If then we prevail in our Prayers Object why do we commend Prayer seeing all events do follow Gods will and decree and not our Prayers Our answer is that though the supreme agent in all operations be the Will of God Answ yet the hand of operation in many things is prayer which God hath ordained and commanded as a means to draw forth his Will to execution So God giveth every good gift yet we are without any wrong to God thankful to men by whose means any good cometh to us So that the doctrine doth remain firm Whatsoever God hath promised to his Church or threatned the perverse enemies therof that he will surely perform for the decrees and the word of God are unchangable Quest But when God threatneth me punishment and denounceth judgement against me how shall I know whether it be voluntas signi or bene placiti is there not an hope left me that God may repent him of the evil that he threatned It is a note of the evil conscience to feare where no fear is â—e where there is no cause of fear an elect man fearing judgement threatned which shall not come near him feareth where no cause
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church
which is unclean Therefore the Spirit of God working faith in us doth set our eyes upon the quarry out of which we were digged and pointeth us to this first corruption 1. There is great use of this looking back that we who think our selves brave creatures to whom God hath put so many of our fellow witnesses into service may know that we are but men so it serveth to humble us under the mighty hand of God It is Augustines saying Magna pars humilitatis tuae est notitia tui 2. I find it also urged by the Prophet Isay Hearken to me ye that follow righteousnesse Isa 51.1 ye that seek the Lord look to the rock whence you were hewen and to the pit whence ye are digged This to consider the small beginnings of the Church for God called Abraham being one and from him is the house of Israel 3. I find it urged to remember our unworthinesse and to establish the Faith of Gods free grace Ezch 16.3 Thus saith the Lord unto Jerusalem thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite and thy mother was an Hittite c. To chide the rebellion of Israel to whom God had shewed mercy being so unworthy Three good uses of this point if these vertues do follow 1. Humility 2. Thankfulnesse 3. Repentance This Doctrine of Originall sin hath found some haeretical opposition though the voice of Scripture and Reason doth speak out loud and clear for it The Pelagians long agoe denied propagation of sin and ascribed all to imitation The Romanists deny it to be peccatum mortale a mortal sinne But the Anabaptists of our times have revived both the Pelagian and the Popish haeresie For in their last book printed 1620. they do deny that Infants traduce sin from their parents and therefore are not borne in sinne I only admonish you if any such corrupt suggestions shall obtrude themselves to your judgments that you wave them as contrary to the expresse word of holy Scripture that you never forget the pit out of which you were digged 2. Sinnes of omission This is another corruption of nature for our originall imperfection doth so incline us to evil that we are ready to leave the duties undone which the law of God requireth to be done The Spirit of God working faith in us doth shew us that whatsoever holy duty we omit we transgresse the Law which in every precept doth bind the conscience to obedience and leaveth them guilty before God who do not those things which the Law commandeth Note it that in the processe of the last judgment it is said non pavistis me non amicivistis me non visitastis ye fed me not c. And in the parabolical example of the rich man and Lazarus it is declared that the rich man went to hell for not feeding Lazarus Consider this ye that forget God How often have you neglected publike prayers when you have had no just occasion to detaine you how often have you neglected to heare to come to the Sacrament when the Table of the Lord hath been prepared for you you have turned your back and gone away To such the Master of the feast saith Non sunt digni non gustabunt coenam meam they are not worthy they shall not taste of my supper God doth offer occasions every moment to praise him or to pray to him it is part of mans misery that he is negligent and taketh not the benefit of these occasions to serve God He was adjudged to utter darknesse who hid the talent of his master in the ground Take that uprofitable servant and cast him into utter darknesse yet was this but a sin of omission The Law saith Hoc fac vives do this and live and not only they that do Contrarium huic contrary to this but they that do not Hoc facere are prevaricatours of the Law To do good and to distribute forget not he doth not say forbear to do evill or omit not to do good but forget not it is a sin to forget our duty more to omit it willingly but most horrible to do the contrary 3. Sins of evil motion These are against the tenth Commandement non concupisces thou shalt not covet for there is a conception of sinne a vegetation and a putting forth The Conception of sin is the first motion thereof the first titillation of the sense as Galasius Quamvis non planè assentiamur desiderio si tamen nos titillat sufficit ad nos reos peragendos So Chrysost Aliud est concupiscere aliud velle Saint Bern. doth distinguish our Cogitations thus 1. Sunt Cogitationes otiosae idle thoughts ad rem non pertinentes these he calleth Lutum simplex that is a thinne clay which cleaveth not yet it coloureth 2. Sunt Cogitationes violentae fortius adhaerentes violent and faster cleaving thoughts These he calleth Lutum viscosum a viscous clay stick-fast 3. Sunt Cogitationes faetidae Filthy thoughts quae ad luxuriam invidiam avaritiam c. pertinet which belong to luxury c. Coelum immundum foul mud The first of these cogitationes motus primi may be either in phantasie only so they defile not or in voluntate in the will a little infecting that so they break the law St. Chrysost Si concupiscentiae non consentit voluntas sola concupiscentia non condemnat if the Will consenteth not the Concupiscence condemns not I dare not embrace his judgement Saint Paul found by the law and he could find it by no law but this of the tenth Commandement that Concupiscentia est peccatum Concupiscence is sin This is part of the misery of our fall from God we cannot think a good thought of our selves 4. Sins of evil-affection The spirit doth detect this further misery when the consent of the will and the bent of desire doth affect evil in which kind our Saviour the best interpreter of the Law doth call anger murther and unchast desires adultery and desires of our neighbours goods theft These are not only sins in proventu ex corde but in corde as Christ saith out of the heart cometh murther adultery theft 5. Sins of evil action These are evil praevarications and actual transgressions of the law such as the erecting of another God against the true God worshipping of idols Swearing and blasphemy Breach of the Sabbath in the first table of the law Disobedience to authority murther adultery theft false witnesse in the second Table They that do these things have not God in their ways Haec sunt quae polluunt hominem saith Jesus Christ It is a principal work of the Spirit of God in man to make him sensible of the pollution of sin it is a thing natural to fear punishment and to decline it but the perfect hatred of sin is in respect of the pollution so that if there were no further danger yet because it fouls my soule and defiles my body I
then should keep thee from this remedy 1. Consider that there is no man in better case then thou by nature for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God 2. Confider that this remedy is without thy self if it were of thy self thou hadst cause to distaste it but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee 3. Consider that the giver of the Remedy is the giver of faith also by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed and if thou do not feel this faith in thy self do not judge thy self void of it for there may be and is faith often where is no feeling thereof 4. Tarry the Lords leasure as before wait for the vision will not lye How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Bethesda and though still hindered yet was he not without hope We must not part the truth of God and his justice and mercy for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement and the truth of his mercy Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nourished in us 2. How our faith may be proved Because there may be a shew and seeming of faith where the true substance thereof is wanting the best way to try our faith is by the true touchstone for as gold is tried by the touch so faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth hath a proper touchstone to try it 1 Pet. 1.7 1. That is the conscience of man within for that doth declare to himself his faith 2. That is good conversation and godly life for that doth declare our faith to men 1. A good Conscience For being justified by faith we have peace toward God Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have Non est pax impio saith God No peace to the wicked Against this is a double objection 1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing Object they are not humbled like other men they are not poured from vessel to vessel therefore their sent remaineth in them The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghost Sol. The wicked mans joy is not such it is but a flash it is neitâ—â—â—â—ound for when any tryal cometh it faileth neither is â—t 〈…〉 for it perisheth in time neither is it growing and increâ—â—â—â—g neither is it excusing 2. Many of the best of Gods servants have their minds troubled and suffer great distresses in their conscience for sinne Object 2 yea such a winter there is upon their souls that they feel not any life of grace at all in them True but observe from whence this ariseth Sol. even from the warre of the spirit against the flesh the world and the devil in which conflict often times the spirit is daunted and dismayed for a season but there is ever joy in tribulations and joy arising and growing out of sorrowes whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith dye in them And this fire is from heaven the covering of it with oppressions doth make it burn so much the hotter and the strring of it up with temptations doth make it shine the clearer so that peace of conscience is a sure signe of a good Faith 2. Another touch-stone for this gold this Faith is an evidence of godly conversation to approve our selves to God and man both by doing all the duties of a godly life and avoyding the contrary This is the only work of Faith in us 1. The pit whence we draw this water of life is deep the bucket by which we fetch it up is Faith for whatsoever desire or strength we have or endeavour to live godly it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jesus Christ I live by Faith in the same God 2. Faith only doth assure to us the loving kindnesse of God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son c. Ecce quantam charitatem what eye shall behold this but the eye of Faith 3. Faith worketh love that is it breedeth a correspondence between Christ and us for the beleeving soul assured of Christs love to it doth cast about within it self quid rependam and finding nothing to recompence that love it seeketh how God may be pleased and walketh in that way so neer as he can So it is said of the faithful that they walk with God and they answer every temptation to evill as Joseph did How shall I do this and sin agaâ—â—â—â—â—â—d Or if by infiâ—â—â— â—hey fall they cry God mercy and they groan and grieâ—â—â—â—hin themselves that they cannot performe better service to God Thus we love God 1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. because he loved us first And Christ said Many sins are forgiven her quia dilexit multum This is a fruit of the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts by faith Observe it when faith doth lie concealed in us that our selves cannot discern it yet may we discern in our selves our love of God and of such as love God and this proves Gods love to us for we could not love him except he loved us first 4. Faith maketh us sincere for it is the notation of our faith it is called faith unfained and Christ saith Blessed be the pure in heart faith purifieth the heart as the Apostle saith These are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes of which Solomon spake but the other of which David his father spake Haec est generatio quaerentium faciem tuam Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis the perfection of works God is pleased if there be puritas cordis purity of heart 2 Cor. 1.12 which the Apostle calleth Simplicitie and godly purenesse And that is known by these signes 1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for sins which he knoweth himself guilty of and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conscience that God hath forgiven them 2. If he consider his own weaknesse so farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many sins that he knoweth not and prayeth earnestly and often with David à secretis meis munda me cleanse me from my secret sins 3. If he finde in his heart a present strife of his spirit against the flesh wrastling with his own corruptions and not suffering sin to reign in his mortal body leading him captive to the Law of sinne 4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and fasting and watching and all exercises of mortification striving to bring his body in subjection to the law of God 5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart to arme him against Satans temptations as Christ did with scriptum est it is written 6. If he finde a desire of perseverance therein to the end which is discerned by his spiritual growth from grace to grace bringing forth more fruit even in age as Christ testifieth of the Church of Thyatira more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 For he that beleeveth in
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
fidem proficientem For as Clemens saith Apostolus unicam tantum fidem annunciat quae crescendo proficit Till it grow up to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulnesse of faith Heb. 10.22 And so this text is well cited for the just man who is made just by faith doth live in it and by it For how can the Gospel be the power of God to salvation except it revealeth to us the life of saith seeing it is so only to such as do believe This first place cleareth the point that the Apostle doth understand Gods word in my text so as that the means of life is faith and faith only for so it is further urged by Saint Paul who saith But that no man is justified by the works of the law in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 is evident for the just shall live by faith Here these words are brought in to prove that faith only doth justifie in the sight of God which is thus proved Life eternal comes only by faith therefore righteousnesse comes only by faith The antecedent is Gods own word in my text The consequence is thus proved for Righteousnesse is the foundation of life eternall They which receive the abundance of grace Rom. 5.17 and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life And in the next verse it is called Justification of life Vers 18. And this sequence doth the Apostle make in his own comfortable perswasion of himself I have fought a good fight this is the great fight with Principalities and Powers 1 Tim. 4.8 And I have kept the faith this is the shield which beareth off the fiery darts discharged against him in this fight his comfort is From henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse This righteousnesse is not of the law which he hath fulfilled but the righteousnesse of the faith which he hath kept It is not the brest-plate of righteousnesse but it is the shield of faith that beareth off all the fiery darts of Satan and therefore the just man doth not live and come out of this battail victorious by righteousnesse but by faith This place thus applied by our Apostle is the ground of our Church tenet against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile namely that sola fides justificat faith alone doth justifie That which the Romanists do lay to our charge is that we exclude good works and upon that slanderous imputation both Dr. Stapleton Harding Bellarmine Campiane Bishop and indeed generally all Popish writers do proclaim us Hereticks and they will not hear us saying that the justifying faith which we preach must be such as worketh by love They like the Pharisee trust in themselves that they are perfect we with the Publican cry out in faith of Christ's sufficient satisfaction Domine miserere Lord have mercy upon whose example Saint Augustine saith Videte fratres magis placuit humilitas in malis factis quam superbia in bonis factis The cause is in sight the humility of the one was with faith the pride of the other was in presumption And God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble I conclude this point wherein I have held you long I know with how much comfort and profit to my self I hope without your losse of time What man is he that desireth life who would live as a man as a good man and as an happy man I answer in the words of the Sonne of God As thou believest so shall it be unto thee Or in the Words of the Father of that Son in my text The just man shall live by his faith Vers 5. Yea also because he transgresseth by wine he is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all Nations and heapeth unto him all People NOw that God hath declared what rest and comfort his Church hath in the manifold oppressions of the enemies thereof they shall live by their faith In all the rest of this chapter he declareth his own just Providence in the Government of the world and in the severe execution of his judgments upon impenitent offenders that the Prophet may inform himself and others that God hath not forgotten to be just The last verse of the chapter is the total of the chapter The Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him That he sitteth not there idle but is awake that his eyes do see and his eye-lids do try the sonnes of men that we shall hear from his own mouth Concerning the words of this fifth verse Yea also because he transgresseth by wine he is a proud man neither keepeth at home These words are read diversly both by Translators and by Expositors Our first English Church-bibles read thus Like as the wine deceiveth the drunkard even so the proud shall faile and not endure The Geneva followeth the same sense Yea indeed the proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine therefore shall he not endure Arias Montanus Et quo modo vinum potantem decipit sic erit superbus non decorabitur In his Interlineary he followeth the text in the original but in his Commentary he followeth the vulgar Latin authorized for the Canon by the Councel of Trent Pagnine Quanto magis patator vini qui praevaricatr qui est vir superbus non permanebit So Mr. Calvin Etiam certè vino transgrediens vir superbus non habitabit The 70 have no mention of wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here be three words to expresse pride fully 1. To think too well of our selves 2. To think contemptibly of others 3. To boast and glory in vain ostentation It seemeth to me that the purpose of this place is to expresse the insolency and pride of the king of Babel proud Nebuchadnezzar and generally of the enemy of the Jew the Chaldaean and that the scope of the place is to resemble them big swoln in their own self-opinion to a man that is drunk with wine This hath good coherence with the former words for shewing how the just man and the proud man do stand in opposition His soule which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by faith faith shall establish the just man But the proud man who is drunk with the vain over-weening of himself he shall not continue non habitabit he shall not be established And here I forsake the Kings Bible for I cannot find either sense or coherence in it The words following are plain enough for God therein doth expresse that he taketh notice of the insatiable desire of the Chaldaean who incouraged by his victories doth covet to be Monarch of all the world And this is now the partition of the rest of this chapter 1. Faults 2. Punishments The first fault here named infatiablenesse The punishment v. 6 7 8. 1. The ground and note of this disease of
no divided hearts 3. Thou mistakest the cause of thy disease and thy Physitian for thou thinkest it to be some propension in thee to sin which needeth some preventing physick wheras it is a coroding plaister to eat out dead flesh yet flesh and blood hath many inventions we use to shoot another arrow after the first and like Balak try in anoth place and see if it will prosper there Vers 14. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea 3. The effect Vide sura pag. IT is plaine that Gods remissenesse in the execution of his just judgments upon the proud and cruel Babylonians and the miserable face of the Church disfigured with tears her voyce hoarse with roaring for help her throat dry her heart aking and no relief appearing all this had not only made the ungodly and profane confident that there was no such thing as Providence but it appeareth by this Prophet that the faith of Gods children was staggered hereby But when God shall declare his justice against these his enemies then he shall recover his glory then shall they both know that Christ is the Lord both the oppressour shall know it and the delivered shall know it and they that are no parties to the cause of any side shall all understand The words of God in this text are full of marrow and fatness for God is rich in mercy aper it manum implet so he dilateth his favours 1. In the latitude all the earth over 2. In the plenitude the earth shall be filled 3. In the magnitude the knowledge of Gods glory 4. In the profundity as the waters cover the sea We are taught from hence Doctr. 1 that the delivery of Gods Church from the power of the enemies and his vengeance upon them doth give honour to the name of God upon earth so David we are in great misery Help us O God of our salvation Bs 79 9 for the glory of thy name and deliver us 1. Because if the wicked overcome the Church Reas 1 they will triumph against God So Moses Wherefore shall the Egyptians speak and say Ex. 32.12 he hath brought them out maliciously to slay them Rabshakeh the General of Senacheribs forces proudly insulteth Who is he among all the gods of these lands Is 36 20. that hath delivered their Country out of my hands But God delivering his Church and punishing the enemies thereof is magnified thereby Isa 37.20 as Ezechias did pray Now therefore O Lord our God save thou us out of his hand that all the Kingdomes of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. 2. Because as the Schoole saith Reas 2 gloria est clara notitia cum laude and what doth more make the name of God known with praise then his present help to his Church his quick vengeance upon the enemies thereof The Heathen shall say the Lord hath done for them great things 3. Because this declareth the justice of God Reas 3 for First He is just and faithful in performing the gracious promises that he hath made to his Church Secondly He is just in the punishment of oppression and iniquity which his soul abhorreth Vse The use of the point is to teach us that whensoever we see the Church or any part thereof delivered from the hands of their enemies and so the righteous God taking vengeance upon them that we ascribe glory to God for the same Moses song is a good example of this duty for when the Egytians that pursued Israel into the red sea were covered and destroyed by the returne of the waters of the sea upon them Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord Exod. 15.1 for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he throwne into the Sea This deliverance was a type of the final deliverance of the Church from all her enemies and therefore in Johns Vision it is said They sang the song of Moses the servant of God Rev. 15.3 and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvailous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee Verse 4. for thy judgments are made manifest We have great and gracious examples at home of this our blessed Queen of happy memory Queen Elizabeth Anno 1588 after defeat of the Spanish Armado came in person to the chief Church in her Kingdom where having upon her knees devoutly given the glory of that deliverance to God she heard the Sermon at Pauls crosse and taught her people by her godly example to know the glory of God for in those dayes Spaniards loved us not and we thought it a great favour of God to be delivered from them The like publike declaration did our Soveraign that now is make of the glory of God for the deliverance of his royal person Crown and posterity the Religion and peace of the Kingdom in the last session of that first Parliament delivered by the hand of God from the bloody designe of the Papists whose Religion was also in those times thought dangerous to this Common-wealth his speech and recognition of the protection of God is extant in print And as States and great Common-wealths have their dangers and deliverances wherein as every one that is a member thereof hath their share of benefit so from every one is growing a debt of duty Isa 38.19 to acknowledge the same so that as Ezechiah faith The father to the children shall make known the truth of God So in our particular estates we have many tastes of the sweetnesse of God in our deliverances from dangers at sea on shoare from sicknesse imprisonment infamy and many other evils which annoy our life in all which God revealeth to us the knowledge of his glory and we shall do him but right to give him as David faith the glory due to his name and to invite our brethren as David did I will tell you quid Deus fecil animae meae what God hath done to my soul Seeing God promiseth to fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God Doctr 2 we are taught that God is glorious and so we ought to conceive of him our Saviour hath taught us so to acknowledge in the close of the Lords Prayer Tua est gloria thine is the glory St. Stephen saith The God of glory appeared to our fathers Act. 7.2 And of this God is so jealous that he saith My glory will I not give it another Hold this fast the Devill when he tempteth us to sin Isa 42 8. Reas 1. doth not finde an easier way to fetch us about then to blemish the glory of God and to dim that to our sights and
opinions As in the first temptation he told the woman ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that when ye eate thereof ye shall be as gods Bringing the woman into divers dishonourable thoughts of God as concerning his truth his justice his love to man For in tempting her to eate against the presse and precise commandment of God 1. She must think that God would not bring death upon her for her fault as he had threatned which toucheth the truth of God 2. She must suppose that the offence of eating taken at the worst is a small offence and so not likely to be avenged and mulcted with any such punishment which toucheth the justice of God 3. She must suppose that God who shewed so much favour to man to give him all the fruit for his meate but that had he loved man as he made shew would not have left that fruit for a snare to catch him and bring him to ruine or if he did so he was too loving to man to work upon the advantage Yet in this very suggestion wherein he infuseth so many dishonourable thoughts into the heart of the woman to dim the brightnesse of Gods excellent glory observe how he doth secretly confesse that God is jealous of his glory for faith Gen. 3.5 he doth know that in the day that you eate thereof you shall be as gods That is to say as well as he loves you he would not admit you into the society of his glory for man was created in the likeness of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse but not in the similitude of his glory That Satan knew well and therefore suggested that ambition which he knew would ruine mankind for that had cast him out of heaven Here by the way let me shew you the sting of the first sinne God had said to Adam Thou shalt not eate 2. Qua die comederis morte morieris what day thou eatest thou shalt die 1. In the eating the forbidden fruit the Commandment of God was broken therein man rebelled 2. In the eating being threatned with death for punishment of their eating there must either be 1. Presumption upon the goodnesse of God which should make him merciful against his truth and justice or 2. Unbeleife of his power to inflict that punishment or 3. Contempt of his power or 4. A carelesnesse I will taste come of it what will And in all these the glory of God is much defaced 3. In the eating to be as gods that most nearly touched the glory of God for it was a base opinion of God in the heart of the woman to conceive him such as she might come to be as wise as he this layd home upon the crown of Gods glory In which passage let me commend one observation of mine own upon the Text to your judgments Sâ—than tempted the woman only not the man and he sugard his temptation with these two arguments only 1. Non moriemini ye shall not dye 2. Eritis sicut dii ye shall be as gods There was aculeus in cauda a sting in the tayl for that last stung her to the quick When she came after to tempt her husband it seemeth that her inducements were three 1. It was good for food 2. Pleasant to the eye 3. To be desired to make one wise Here is no mention of this temptation to be like God Which makes me think that Adams sin did not violate the glory of God so much as the womans did and that the refore the Apostle faith I Tim. 2 â—4 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression For though I cannot clear Adam from doing injury that ways yet as the school faith he that cannot be excused a toto may be excused a tanto But the point which I wish terrible in your remembrance is that suggestions to sin do lay their foundation in some unworthy opinion of God which trespasseth his glory here spoken of God himself declares as much to the ungodly When thou sawest a theif thou consentedst with him c. These things thou hast done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Ps 50.21 The fool saith in his heart Psal 14.1 Non est Deus there is no God that he may sin the more securely David stirreth up God the avenger against the ungodly that boast themselves in evil that break in pieces Gods people Psal 94.5 and afflict his heritage That slay the widow and the stranger Vers 6. that murther the fatherlesse How dare they do all this Yet they say the Lord shall not see Vers 7. neither shall the God of of Jacob regard it Augustine to such In foelix homo ut esses curavit Deus non curat ut bene esses Is not this a great trespasse against the honour of God to deny his providence There be presumptuous sinners that go on in very great sins sins which Gods word detecteth and reproveth and threatneth yet as the Prophet saith They will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come upon us Thus they dishonour God that make him the patrone of their persons and their sins Mich. 3.11 But they that have true knowledge of the glory of God they behold him in Majesty and that not only opening his hand and giving and filling but stretching out his arme and striking and so in that one sight they behold both Ecce quantam charitatem and scientes terrorem Domini behold how great love and knowing the terrour of the Lord. In the due consideration of his justice and mercy both governed with wisdom to moderate exuberancie consisteth the knowledge of Gods glory This point serveth to good use For first it assureth us I. Vse that the God whom we serve is the true God because he is so jealous of his glory that he will have none to share with him therein For the gods of the Heathen were such good-fellows as they would admit society Baal and Melchom and Moloch and Rempham the god of Eckron Dagon the Devil and all I do not hear of any great jealousie between them but the true God is impatient of corrivall in glory 2. Because God claimeth glory in such extent all the earth over which none of the god of the heathen did but were content with their territories and knowing him to be the true God We are taught Vse 2 that there ought nothing be so dear to us as the glory of God Do but observe what remembrancers we have to put us in mind of this The law begins I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt That implyes who brought thee into the land of Egypt The Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heaven and the first Petition Sanctificetur nomen tuum then adveniat regnum then fiat voluntas all glory The Creed Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem
art about Confesse your sins together pray together give thanks together confesse your faith the common faith together hear the Word together both read distinctly and preached profitably Remember that God speaketh in the Ministry of his Word and say with David I will heare what the Lord God will say Gather Manna whilst you may for you and your houses Take heed that Satan coole not your zeale of Gods glory by suggesting irreverent opinions of the Prayers and forme of service of the Minister of the Ceremonies of the Church or uncharitable opinions of the Congregation For all these be whips of Satans twisting to whip thee out of Gods Temple and to make the ordinances of God ineffectual Bring with thee an humble and contrite heart and say within thy self as St. Paul did I am the worst of sinners I am the worst Person in all this Congregation for I know mine own wickednesse and my sinne is ever against me Bring faith with thee that will shew thee the glorious and gracious face of God by that eye thou shalt see the sonne of God making intercession for thee and thou shalt feele the spirit of God helping their infirmities mingle faith with thy hearing and the word shall profit thee Hide the word in thy heart be not like a leaking vessel to let it out as fast as it is poured in Take heed of the cares of this life and voluptuous living least they choak the good seed of the Word when it cometh up In thy whole carriage at Church consider that the service is publick hoc age do all thou dost at Church according to the occasion separate not thy self from the body of which thou art apart by reading praying or any other meditation which may divide thee from the Congregation Tarry it out to the end and depart not without Gods blessing pronounced by his Minister to whom he hath given power from above to blesse in his name 2. God is in his holy Temple Let all the earth be silent before him This serveth for the direction of our whole life for 1. This dwelling of God declareth his Omnipotency The Lord is in heaven he doth whatsoever he will The earth is but as the drop of a bucket compared to the unbounded unsounded ocean of his fulnes of power and strength 2. This dwelling declareth the graciousnesse of God for every good and perfect gift cometh from above and unlesse the heavens heare the earth the earth perisheth utterly 3. This dwelling declareth the Omniscience of God there God standeth in the Congregation of God as upon a watch-tower and from the heaven the Lord beholdeth the earth the eye of the Lord is over all the world 4. This declareth the eternity of God so he saith The high and lofty that inhabiteth eternity which makes his purpose established with stedfast decree Isa 57.15 without variablenes or shadow of change a God that repenteth not his gifts and calling are without repentance 5. This declareth the wisedome of God for the Master of that house is the wisest as the Prophet saith of him He that ruleth that house well where the Angels dwell that excel in strength Isa 31.2 The Lord of Hoasts is his name and they are his ministring spirits how can it be but his wisedome is incomprehensible and his ways past finding out 6. This declareth his justice for there is the throne of judgement heaven is his Throne and all the holy ones give him that glory Even so Lord God Almighty Rev. 16.7 true and righteous are thy judgements To conclude 1. Tremble O earth at the presence of God who hath such power tempt not provoke not this power against thee he can rain snares but if he be thy father fear not there are more with thee then against thee 2. Love the Lord who is so rich in goodnesse and mercy who dwelleth in the storehouse of blessings and who giveth liberally with an open hand and filleth c. 3. Be jealous of thy words works and thoughts before the eye of jealousie which seeth all things 4. Be strong and God shall establish thy heart for he is unchangable whom he once loveth he loveth to the end that is finis sine fine 5. Let his wisedome guide thee and seek that wisedom which is from above ask it of him for he giveth it liberally and never upbraideth thee He upbraideth many with his gifts never did he any with the gift of his wisedome for that cannot be abused his grace may 6. Remember that for all that thou hast done in this life God shall bring thee to judgment every man shall give an account unto God of himself Felix trembled to hear this Let all the earth keep silence before this God A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON HABAKKUK HABAK. 3.1 A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Sigionoth THese wordes are the title of this Chapter shewing the contents thereof It is called a prayer and it is a Psalme or Hymne such as Davids Psalms the Heathen Poets call them Odes or Songs It is called the prayer or song of Habakkuk both as composed by him used by himself and addressed to the use of the people of God in their captivity in Babylon It is a song upon Sigionoth The Hebrews affirm this song to be one of the hardest places to interpret in all the old Testament because it is full of dark Parables such as could not be well understood till he came Who hath the key of David who openeth and no man shutteth Our former Translation readeth a Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet for the ignorances and it is expounded diversly Some understanding it a prayer to God for the pardon of all those sins which the people of God have committed ignorantly Others conceive thus that seeing the Prophet in the behalf of the Church in the first Chapter had taxed God of too much remisness toward his people in bearing with their sins and forbearing to punish them and then again fore-seeing how God in time would awake and punish them by the furious Chaldaeans hee doth as much tax the severity of God towards his Church Now that God in the second Chapter hath declared his justice in punishing his people and reveiled the decree of his vengeance against his and their enemies now the Prophet maketh this recantation and prayer for the ignorances because they not knowing the secret purposes of God have been so forward to judg his ways But we must admit this confirmation and the learned translators of the Kings Bible finding this to have been an errour in the former translations have followed the Originall more faithfully and call it The Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Sigionoth Some say this Sigionoth was some speciall instrument of Musick upon which this song was sung in the Church of God and the last verse of this Chapter saith To the chief singer on my stringed instruments For as Titleman saith in this Psal the Prophet Canendo orat orando
kind of study since the Church cast out Musick 2 In respect of Gods service the more pompe and solemnity is used the more glorious is the house of God made and the more differing from our common house of habitation 3 In respect of our selves we have need to have the help of outward things to draw us on with delight to entertain our thoughts with cheerfulnesse to incite and move our affections to quicken our devotion and to blow the fire of our zeal and to relieve our naturall wearinesse in Gods service These reasons brought in the song and instruments into the Church and gloriously was it setled in Solomons time in the temple according as his Father David had left it in the tabernacle where he designed to that service men of cunning 288. 1 Chrom 25.7 Ob. But Christ and his Apostles and the primitive Church had no such musique in Churches Sol. They had no Churches but in their meetings they sung Psalmes so did Christ and his Apostles in the roome where he kept his last Passeover and in the Emperour Trajanes time Mat. 26.30 which was before the death of St. John Pliny writeth to the Emperour of the manner of the Christians this one amongst the rest that They did meet together early in the morning and sung Hymns to their Christ But after Religion had found favour with Princes and began to appear in peace then came in Churches and Church Ornaments then were Liturgies devised and used then were instruments of musique intermixed with the service and God glorified in all St. Aug. Confess 9. Cap. 6. Quantum flevi in Hymnis Canticis svave sonantis Ecclesiae tuae voces illae influebant auribus meis eliquabatur veritas tua in cor meum ex ea aestuebat inde affectus pietatis currebant lachrymae benè mihi erat cum eis In the next Chapter hee tels how the Arrians attempted the taking of Ambrose B. of Millain whom they accused of heresie and Justina the Empresse bearing them out in it they meant him a mischief he went to the chief Church and much people followed him ready to dispatch their holy Bishop St. Augustine and his Mother were amongst them and there Aug. saith Tunc institutum ut Hymni Psalmi canerentur more orientalium Ecclesiarum ne populus moeroris taedio contabesceret quod ad hodiernum diem retentum est c. The Hymns and Psalmes were ordained to be sung c. Ob. It is a means often to carry away our thoughts more with the tune then with the matter St. Augustine maketh it one of his Confessions that he was so transported Sol. And may not the same happen in our singing of Psalms let us not lay our faults to the charge of the Church what good shall we go about but we shall finde Satan busie to divert us from it Obj. It is costly to maintain Musique in our Churches and that mony were better bestowed on the poor and other better uses Sol. What better bestowed on the poor then upon God himself is the cheapest religion the best they had poor in the time of the Law and yet that hindered not the magnificence of the Temple and the Ornaments thereof and the maintainance of Gods worship alit pauperes 288. in Templo ut ante The earth hath not the like glory now to shew as that of Gods House And shal Aaron that vvas but for a time be thus glorious and shall Melchizedeck a Priest for ever vvant honour It is true that it hath been policy in these later times to keep the Church lean and to strip it out of all outward pomp and to transfer Gods inheritance into the hands of strangers But remember the great Commandement Thou must love God above all things and so doing he shall have the best of all that thou art the best of all that thou hast Our prayer is Sicut in coelo as in heaven and Christ promises is to the just that they shal be as the Angels of God in Heaven Reve. 15.3 there they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and David saith Blessed is the people that can rejoyce in thee Psa 89.15 we have more cause to use both voices and instruments in his praise because he hath redeemed us from Satan hath made us all Priests of the high God to offer to him the calves of our lips and with such sacrifices God is well pleased Ver. 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid O Lord revive thy work in the middest of the years make known in wrath remember mercy THis vvhole Psalme as it is in the composition of a mixt kind of verse so in the matter of it mixt for it consisteth 1 Of supplication and petition ver 2. 2 Of celebration of the prayses of God 3 15. 3 Consternation before God ver 16 17. 4 Consolation in God 1 Of the supplication O Lord I have heard thy speech that is all that thou hast said in the former Chapter in defence of thy justice and in propheticall revelation of thy holy will both concerning thy Church how that shall be afflicted and concerning the enemies of thy Church how they shall be punished in the end And I was afraid fear came upon me when I heard thee recompt thy judgements O Lord revive thy work in the middest of the years here be three quaeries 1 What he meaneth by the vvork 2 What by the middest of the years 3 How this work should be revived 1 Thy work Lyranus saith Opus tuum in punitione Chaldaeorum qued fiet virtute tua magis quà m humana 2 Beza by the work of God here understandeth the Church of God the people of Israel So do Tremelius and Junius for they parellel this place vvith those vvords of God in the Prophet Isa Ask me of things to come concerning my sons Isa 45.11 and concerning the work of my hands command ye me Where he calleth his Church opus manum my work Thus doth Master Calvin here understand statum Ecclesiae the state of the Church vvhich is called The vvork of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the most excellentest part of his work wherein he is most glorified So David prayeth for the Church under that appellation Psa 138.8 Forsake not the works of thine own hands So doth Isaiah name them Thy people also shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified Isa 61.3 So in the next Chapter Christ is anointed for the good of his Church Isa 61.3 that they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord. 3 Novv there is such a correspondence betvven the head and the body betvveen Christ and his Church that sometimes that vvhich is literally spoken of the Church is mystically applyed to Christ Jeremie expressing the great
knovvn he re-inforceth his former petition novv desiring that God vvould reveale his gracious purpose of succouring his Church and triumphing over the enemies thereof In the mean time vvhile thy Church is groaning under the burthen of their exile make thy vvill knovvn to them This favour of God vvil svveeten the adversity of their banishment vuhen they shall knovv the loving purpose of God tovvard them In wrath remember mercy They confesse that they have given God cause of displeasure and have provoked him to vvrath they feel the smart thereof in a strange land and they have no plea but mercy they dare not make so bold vvith him as to entreat him to turn avvay all his vvrath from them because they are so guilty to themselves that they have provoked him and deserved his indignation Onely they desire that in the midst of his vvrath he vvould remember mercy By vvrath in this place is not meant any such affection in God vvhereof his unchangeable and constant nature is not capable for God is semper idem ever the same vvhom hee loveth he loveth vvith an everlasting love and he cannot at any time be angry vvith them But vvhom he loveth upon occasion he rebuketh and chasteneth every son vvhom he receiveth and this love sometimes bringing forth the effects of that vvhich in man is called vvrath vve speak after the manner of men and avouch it of God Thus then the text is literally to be understood O Lord I have heard vvhat thou hast spoken in the defence of thy upright justice I have heard vvhat thou purposest in the punishing and in the avenging of thy Church in the mean time preserve it and make it knovv thy love tovvards it and vvhilst thou art punishing of it remember mercy The parts of this are tvvo 1 The preparation to prayer 2 The prayer it self 1 In the preparation I observe Motum the motive Metum fear 2 In the prayer I observe 1 Subjectum the subject 2 Petitiones the petitions The petitions are three 1 O Lord revive thy Work in the middle of the years 2 O Lord in the middle of the years make knovvn 3 In wrath remember mercy First of the preparation 1 of the Motus O Lord I have heard thy Speech The Word of God is vvell bestovved on them that vvill hear it vvith reverence and receive it vvith humility here vvas a maze the Prophet and the Faithfull of the land had lost themselves they knevv not vvhat to think till they had put the matter to God himself Cap. 1. and God having made a ful ansvver novv the Prophet saith in his ovvn name and in the name for whom he consulted God I have heard thy speech All the Scripture is full of examples of the Children of God hearkening to his word of precepts and admonitions to us to hearken of promises to them that do hearken The reason is because it is a speciall note of Gods children to heare his Word even as our Saviour himself saith He that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therefore hear them not Joh. 8.47 because ye are not of God And now seeing God hath given over speaking by miracles extraordinarily to his Church St. John saith We are of God 1 Joh. 4. he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of errour The Spirit of truth is left in the Church by our Saviour and he speaketh in such who by the Ordinance of Christ are the Priests of the new Testament of whom Christ saith Qui vos recipit me recipit qui recipit me recipit eum qui misit me he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me we must hear him before he hear us for St. Paul telleth us true Rom. 8.26 We know not what we should pray for as we ought The art of prayer is not so quickly learned as some forward proofessours make themselves believe John besides his continuall preaching to his Disciples taught them also to pray And never had any Disciples a better Master then the Disciples of Jesus Christ yet they living in the eare of his Doctrine and in the eye of his holy example were glad to come to him to be taught to pray he taught them the Lords prayer privately which after he taught the whole multitude in a Sermon openly My observation is that his Word must minister matter to our prayers Doct. and all our petitions must be grounded thereupon The reason is because God heareth not sinners John 9.31 and David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me But the prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 if it be fervent Against sin we have no such remedy as the word So David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119.11 that I might not sin against thee Our Lessons from hence are 1 We must take it for a great favour of God to us that he giveth us his word for that is a lanthorne to our feet that is our counsalor as David calleth it This word is given us to profit withall and it is deposited 1 In the Books of the Canonical Scripture which we have not as the Church of Rome shut up in an unknown language but translated faithfully into our own tongue that all of us may be partakers of it 2 As in the time of the law the Priests lips did preserve knowledge and men were to require the law at their lips so in the time of the Gospel St. Paul saith of the Apostles and of all the Ministers that should succeed them in their office in the Church 1 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed to us the word of reconciliation he hath so committed it to his Son first as he gave him power to transmit it in the Priesthood of the New Testament to all ages of the Church till his second coming The spirit which Christ left to comfort and instruct his Church was not given at large to all men but in perticular ordinance to them whom he sent to teach all Nations as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.6 Our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life So we are the Ministers of the word that giveth life and there is no life to be had but by our Ministry This gives us interest in your affections in your understandings in your goods in your prayers 2 Now we know where we may hear God we are taught also not to neglect him speaking to us for as the Author to the Hebrews saith Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven
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
Abraham and his oath unto Isaac And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant And after having briefly surveyed the story of Israels deliverance and passage having recapitulated the comming of Israel into Egypt the plagues of Egypt there comming out thence vvith the vvealth of Egypt the pillar of cloud the pillar of fire the Quails the Manna the vvater out of the rock he gives this reason of ad for he remembred his holy promise Vâ—rse 42. and Abraham his servant Of this oath of God the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 6.13 for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swear by himself saying Surely blessing I will blesse thee and multiplying I will multiply thee The reason vvhy God bound himself by oath followeth Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise Verse 17. the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath This was a great obligation to bind God to this performance neither doth it any vvhit abridge his own liberty but that he remained Liberimum agens still for that he declared therein the constancy of his decree which vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because as I have shewed that and all other Gods promises have reference to the obedience of the people so that God might have cancelled this obligation upon their forfeiture thereof by disobedience if he had pleased which maketh good the former motive of his own good wil and favour vvho notwithstanding their many provocations and rebellions yet performed this promise 2 The motive is negatively set down For here it is exprest vvhat vvas not the cause of these vvonderfull vvater-vvorks vvas it vvhich is as much as it was not because the Lord was displeased at rivers it was not because his wrath was against the sea To part the Sea in two to divide Jordan to make rivers run a vvhile in full stream to serve his people was no displeasure taken at these elements God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man To the creature it is all one to keep the naturall order of creation or to suffer supernaturall alteration for omnia illi serviunt all things do serve him vvas God angry vvith the earth vvhen he cursed it after Adams fall vvhen he drown'd it after it grevv full of cruelty The insensible creatures do the will of him that made them It is recorded as a blemish to that mighty King Xerxes Herod Polihim lib. 7. Num. 173. that he foolishly overweened his power in such a case For being to passe his army over the Hellespont where the sea vvas about seven furlongs over he caused a bridge to be made of floaty vessels to that purpose But a great tempest arising and breaking his bridge vvhen he heard thereof he vvas in such passion at the sea that he commanded it to be punished vvith three hundred stripes and he cast in fetters into it to take it prisoner and caused these vvise vvords to be spoken to it O aqua amara Dominus hanc tibi irrogat poenam quod eum laesisti qui de te nihil mali meritus es te tamen Rex Xerxes velis nolisve transmittet As wisely either he himself or as Herodotus reporteth Clio 34. Cyrus Cyrus his Grandfather fell out with the river Gyndes for drowning him a white horse but his revenge was more in sight so was his deliberate furious folly For he set his army a work to cut out new channels and divided the river into 360 brooks ut à mulieribus ne genua tingentibus transiri possit But our God had no quarrell the text saith to these inanimate creatures of his which were so at his command The Church here doth God right to confesse the true motive of this extraordinary operation of God so here is a double confession 1 That Tu Domine fecisti thou Lord hast done it 2 That he did for such a cause This is not barely avouched but it is proved Thy bow was made quite naked that is thou didst let all the world take notice of thy power and strength and favour in the cause of thy Church At the comming of God in great Majesty and Glory on Mount Sinai to give the law before-mentioned there was absconsio roboris the hiding of his strength God revealed himself then to Israel onely but these three great wonders here confest did uncase the bow of God made it quite naked so that all nations might take knowledge of the arm of the Lord and might give testimony to the same The Argument drawn from hence is still the same for from the former evidences of Gods great power and mercy shewed and openly declared unto the Church they gather comfort to assure themselves of the favour of God toward them in this captivity in Babylon They know and believe that the hand of God is not shortned nor his arme weakned but that he who was able to cut a way for them through the sea and the river of Jordan and to make rivers run in dry places to relieve their fathers in the wildernesse is still as able to succour them in that captivity against the King of Babel and all the Chaldeans so hee sheweth by what faith the just shall live in their banishment Namely by faith grounded on the power and wisedome and love of God and of his truth The doctrines which this passage affordeth are these 1 God must have the glory of his own great Works Doctr. David is a full example of this duty for 1 in his own case he saith Ps 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul 2 He stirreth up others to do the like even in this case mentioned in my text Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 6. he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men He turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him The reason hereof is in sight Reas 1 for David saith this honour is due to his name We have two debts which we shall ever be paying and yet never clear with our Creditors that is of prayse to God of love to our neighbours he that came of purpose into the world to pay our debts hath not wip't off this score rather he hath set us further in debt 1 To our brother if God so loyed us as to send his Sonne amongst us we ought also to love one another so much the more 2 To himself David saith The loving kindnesse of the Lord is ever more and more toward us therefore laus ejus erit semper in ore meo his prayse shall be ever in my mouth The comming of Christ amongst us hath made it more and more seen for therein the bow of God was made quite naked 2
We must do God this right to honour him in his own works Reas 2 because if we be silent and do not our duty herein yet David saith Ps 145.10 All thy works shall praise thee O Lord. 3 We see the enemies of God do not spare to do all they can to rob God of his glory Reas 3 and as one saith Vigilat bostis tu dormis the enemy waketh and dost thou sleep Some gave out amongst the Egyptians that this passage over the sea on dry land was onely an advantage taken by Moses of a great ebbe occasioned by an extraordinary wind which comming of the land at the head of the bay made all the head of the bay dry land for many miles together but the text is against that for it sheweth how the waters were a wall unto them on both hands Again the waters were divided by an East vvind but that vvind blows not from that shore but rather it should have been a Northerly vvind others imputed this to Moses as done by magicall arts vvhich if it had been so no doubt but there vvere vvith Pharcah of his Magitians that could in the learning of the Egyptians have vvrought vvith Moses hand to hand And surely that is the reason that there is so often mention of this vvonder in Scripture to stirre up all faithfull people to vindicate the honour of God against the depravers thereof This admonisheth us both to the hearing and reading the story of the Bible Vse 2 that we may understand what the Lord hath done in former ages Gen. 18.19 God himself made Abraham so much of his counsail for that because he knew that Abraham would teach his children And for that the Sacrament of the Passeover was instituted Ex. 12.26 for that it might teach their children after them For this were the twelve stones set up in Gilgall Josh 4.21 to teach the story of the passage over Jordan and in the New Testament the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted in remembrance of Christ till his coming so many as would learn matter enough to fill their mouthes with the praise of God let them open the two Testaments and read therein let them hear and study that holy story there is enough in it to make a man wise to salvation For this is your wisedom and understanding to know the Lord and to serve him and to honour him for For him that honoureth me I will honour saith our God 2 This reproveth those that swallow the gratious favours Vse 2 of God without any relish or tast of them neither consider the former mercies of God nor his present blessings that live like bruit beasts saying this day is like yesterday and to morrow will be like this day and more abundant and such sensuall and carnal sons of nature there are that reap benefits where they never sowed prayers and gather mercies where they never scattered supplications 3 This chideth the Euchites of our time Vse 3 that are all for prayer and they never give God rest from petitious but like the nine Leapers when they are healed they never return any thanks I have ever commended to you the use of prayer it is a speciall part of Gods worship and God loves both frequent and importunate petitions but if we part praise from it and do not joyn thanksgiving with supplication we have the profit but God hath not the honour of his own favours All our care must not be who will shew us any good we must also offer to him the sacrifices of righteousness as well as call upon the name of the Lord for quid recipiam we must have quod retribuam Seeing God must have the glory of his own great works Vse 4 we must take the pains to search after them not onely content our selves with such as offer themselves to our consideration but we must take delight to look them out so David The works of the Lord are great Psa 111.2 sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is honorable and glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred Which shews that our praising of the name of God is no meritorious act of free-will but an officious service due to him and it is a great injustice in you to deny it to him for David saith He is worthy to be praised This serveth for caution Vse 5 It is a glory to God vvhen vve thankfully remember vvith praise the vvonderfull vvorks that he hath done but it is no honour to him at all vvhen vve report of him more then he hath done and put miracles upon him that he never did The Church of Rome hath long had a busie hand in these false ascriptions the golden legend of vvorm-eaten authority amongst them and their Speculum exemplorum set forth by John Major a Jesuite in Anno 1607 and Cantipatranus a Domican Friers full Volume of miracles set forth Anno 1605. tell fine tails ridiculous even to children yet the implicite faith of Papists doth svvallovv all for canonicall vvherein God is dishonored vvith humane inventions and truth it self vvith lies their legends of their Ladies of Loretto and Hales are of the same coynage and it is the policy of that Strumpet of Rome to keep this mint alvvays at vvork to amaze the ignorant vvith strange vvonders But I say unto them in the vvords of Iob Job 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Gregory their own Pope upon these words saith Veritas fulciri non quaerit auxilio falsitatis he saith that it is the trick of hereticks It is I am sure the practise of Papists but thou man of God fly these things truth is not honored but vvith truth 2 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Doct. 2 It is Aristotles Doctrine in his Elenches that Elene 1.4 id quod non est causa ut causam ponere to make that a cause which is not is a capatious and sophistical manner of reasoning So the Serpent over-reach't Eve in Paradise for when God had given our Parents there a precise Law Thou shalt not eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden The true cause why God put that restraint upon them vvas to try their obedience to him in a small and easie precept forbidding them a thing in it self good to shew his reservation of his own power to awe them So saith Moâ— 35.10 Saint Gregory But Satan tempting the woman to break this Law and to cast off this light burthen and easie yoak of God suggested another cause Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eys shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil as if God had dealt too sparingly with man in the communication of his own similitude to him and had set him that bar
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
corruptions drowned and destroyed in the same waters And the Apostle saith I would not that ye should be ignorant of this thing which admonisheth both you and us that are your ministers 1 You not to be ignorant in those great mysteries of salvation 2 Us not to leave you untaught or unremembred thereof We that preach to a mixt auditory consisting incipientes Abcedaries in religion who are not yet out of their first elements which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of beginnings And some few proficients who also have their measures not all of equall growth but some few as much better grown then others as Saul was higher then all the rest of the people must as well give milk with the spoon as break bread and divide strong meat and me thinks there be two places that direct us well in the dispensation of the Word of God 1 That of the Prophet Isaiah The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept precept upon precept Isa 2. â—3 line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little in which words The matter of our preaching is exprest in two words 1 precept which teacheth us what to do 2 line which exemplifieth doctrine and serveth as a copy to write by And again the manner of our preaching is declared profitable if the same things be well taught till they be well learned And this is modicum ibi modicum ibi here modicum not too much at once for oppressing the spirituall stomack and here is ibi and ibi ibi amongst the proficients and ibi amongst the incipients 2 That of St. Peter Wherefore 2 Peâ— 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you in mind of those things though ye know them Yea I think it meet so long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance This sheweth the use of often repetitions of such things as we ought not to forget for it is not enough to have light in our understanding there must be also zeal in our affections Religion in the head is speculation in the heart affection in the hand action If we do our duty thus as we are directed it must be your great fault if either you be ignorant or forgetfull of these things The spirit of God is our example for he remembreth this passage of Israel often and modicum ibi a little here in the old Testament modicum ibi a little there in the new Testament for this is also profitable for us This sheweth that the often preaching and learning and remembring the doctrine of our Baptisme is a most necessary lesson in the school of Christ that we do not enter into a new peace with the Egyptians whom God hath drowned in the red sea that we do not revive and quicken in us those things which the laver of new byrth hath purged by suffering sin to reign in our mortall bodies and by obeying it in the lusts thereof That we do not so much as in heart return again into Egypt out of which God hath so gratiously delivered us Profitable is the remembrance of our Baptisme for it is the sacrament and seal of our deliverance from the curse of the 〈◊〉 from the spirituall bondage of Satan from the dominion of sin iâ—â—heweth us the old Adam dead in the death and buried in the grave of Christ It also serveth being often remembred to stirre us up to a practise of Christian conversation and to an holy imitation of Christ in godly life that we may not receive the grace of God in vain that wee be not again defiled with the world for the Apostle will tell us That if Christ hath opened us a new and living way through the vail Heb. 20.22 23. that is his flesh we must draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth Veâ—se 26. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins But a certain fearfull looking for of judgment Verse 27. and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I conclude in the Apostles words therefore brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning this passage of the Lords Israel through the red sea Vers 16. Hab. â— 6. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up unto his people he will invade them with his troops AT this verse beginneth the third Section of this Chapter and it conteineth the consternation of the Prophet dejected before the Lord with the former considerations and the sad estate of the land of Canaan 1 Concerning the words When I heard The Prophet fitting this Psalme as you have heard for the common use of the Church doth not speak in this place in his own person perticularly When I heard but in the person of that Church of God to which this prophecy was sent Verse 14. They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me is spoken of the Midianites invading Gods people not the Prophet Habak So that Theard here is collectively the whole Church and perticularly every member thereof But what is that is here heard Surely this hath a double reference 1 To the former prophecy of Gods threatned judgments against his people of which you heard before Verse 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid For it was a fearfull judgment which God had denounced against them 2 It hath reference to the full commemoration of Gods former mercies for howsoever faith may grow upon this root of experience of Gods favour yet when the Church of God shall consider all that former favour now turned into indignation and shall feel that power which once protected them so miraculously now armed against them this cannot but cast them into great fear This fear is described fully and rhetorically in four severall phrases 1 My belly trembled 2 My lips quivered 3 Rottennesse entred into my bones 4 I trembled in my self It is the manner of the spirit of God in such like phrases to expresse a great horrour and dismay by the belly is meant the inward parts and bowels So the Prophet upon the denunciation of the burthen upon the desert sea saith Therefore are my loyns filled with pain Isai 21.3 pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it My bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab Isa 16.11 and mine inward parts for Kirharesh So Job Job 30.27 My bowels boyled and rested not And David Mine eye is consumed with grief yea Psal 31.9 my soul and belly I am poured out like water all
desire the release of us hence which is rest from all labours 4 They that take this fear to be contrary to faith and assurance of the favour of God do mistake it for it is true that a doubtfull and despairing fear doth destroy faith but the faithfull cannot fall into that fear because God presseth not his temptations above that which his children are able to bear And fear in them is but contrary to presumption it is not contrary to faith which thus appears because this fear doth not make the servants of God give over the work of their salvation rather it makes them double their endevours and redeem the time But in the reprobate their fear doth make them give heaven gone from them and professe it lost labour to serve God Ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances Mal. 3.14 and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hoasts But they that feared the Lord spake often one to another that is encouraged one another and it is said the Lord hearkned and heard it c. 3 The effect of this fear That I might rest in the day of trouble This also sheweth that this fear of the Church was not separated from faith for it is entertained of purpose to settle the heart and to give it rest in the day of trouble I cannot but often remember that sweet saying of Austine Medicina est quod pateris thy suffering is the Physick for the Physick that we take to purg the ill humours of the body doth make the body more sick for the time and so do the chastisements of God The fear of judgment threatned is more pain to the children of God then the sense of the judgment inflicted It is a note of the just that they rejoyce in tribulations yet you see they fear tribulations before they come which shews that the bitternesse of that cup is more in the cause then in the effect The righteous in these threatnings do behold God in displeasure themselves in the guilt of provocation and nothing goeth so neer the heart of a godly man as that his God should take any unkindnesse at him for in his favour is life To help this when God threatneth the just man feareth and that fear doth both remember him of the occasion of this judgment and composeth him to repentance of his sin and to prayer to divert it or to patience in it Fear joyned with faith prepareth us for peace and rest in the day of trouble Doct. An admirable work it is of wisedome and mercy to extract rest out of fear but to him that brought light out of darkness nothing is impossible more to give rest in the day of trouble when the soul refuseth comfort and even begins to take a kind of pride in the fulnesse of miserie and saith videte si dolor sicut deloâ—â—â—us 1 Because these inward convulsions of the hid man of the heart are joyned evermore in the godly Reas 1 with an hatred of the sin that deserved them for from hence ariseth this confession Peccavi Observe it in Job he did not ask Reas 2 Quid patior but Quid faciam tibi so it worketh in us a care and conscience of obedience hereafter It also discerneth an issue out of trouble Reas 3 for where fear doth not overgrow there is a sweet apprehension of joy in the end as the Apostle saith afterward it yieldeth Heb. 12.11 The peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercized thereby Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees Vse 1 Make streight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed The way is there described Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Look diligently lest any man fall from the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up in you trouble you Out of this whole passage you may observe a sweet description of a full repentance 1 Here is the law of God revealing both sinne and the judgment due to it called here the hearing of the voyce of God 2 Here is the conscience agonized with the fear of Gods judgments 3 Here is the fruit and benefit thereof even peace and rest â—n the day of trouble Here is sowing in tears and reaping in joy rather it is Sun-shine in a tempest for the outward man is shaken and the flesh suffereth but the just do say with the ever blessed Virgin My spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Impii non sic not so with the wicked for God hath said it that there shall be no peace at the last to them but as the raging of the angry sea which casteth up nothing but foam and dirt 2 The miseries of the land This is described fully 1 In the agent 2 In the patient In the agent two wayes 1 The Primus motor the supream agent God 2 The instruments of action his troops these are the Chaldaeans In the patient the land of Canaan distrest as you have heard 1 In the trees bearing fruit 1 The figtree 2 The vine 3 The olive 2 In the field or arable 3 In their Cattell 1 Such as feed abroad 2 Such as are stalled 1 Concerning the agent Supream God The same hand that gave them possession of that good land Doct. doth now remove them thence here is Mutatio dextrae It is a thing notable that God is ever in Scripture described to us constant yesterday and to day and the same for ever without variablenesse or so much as a shadow of alteration yet in his government of the world he sometimes giveth and sometimes he taketh away sometimes he filleth and sometimes he emptieth The reason hereof is partly in our selves Reas 1 for as our obedience and service of him doth both gain and assure to us all good things Isa 1.19 20. as himself telleth us If you consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land So our disobedience and transgression doth lose us all these things as he addeth If you refuse and rebell you shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Partly it is in God for his mercy in giving must not destroy his justice in punishing of evill doers Reas 2 for if it be a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble us 2 Thes 1.6 it must needs be as righteous to recompence tribulation to them that trouble him It is an heavy complaint that God made of this people I have nourished and brought up children Isal 1.2 and they have rebelled against me It is well observed in God that he is primus in amere postremus in odio he loveth us before we can seek his face and we are tender in sight before we know the right hand from the left as in the
tellus these trees do not grow in all lands our land though rich and plenteous is no fit soil for these trees They served for food and they are of speciall note for in the parable of Jotham When the trees went to choose them a King â—â—dg 9.8 they came first to the olive tree and said reign thou over us they went next to the fig-tree and then to the vine The Olive saith shall I leave my fatnesse wherewith by me they honour God and man The fig-tree saith should I forsake my sweetnesse and my good fruit The vine saith should I leave my wine which cheareth God and man You see of how excellent use these fruits were two of them used in the speciall service of God Oil and Wine and often is the Land of Canaan praised for fruitfulnesse in respect of these trees growing there which every soil doth not yield they are all of excellent use both for food and medicine and David saith of Wine that it maketh glad the heart of man of Oile that it maketh him have a cheerfull countenance The failing of these which the soil did naturally bring forth doth shew that God had called in his blessing which he gave to that land for the true nature of every soil is the Word of Gods blessing which once called in a fruitfull land is made barren and a populous countrey is soon turned into a desert But this is not all not onely God will smite the land in these excellent fruits which are for food but as Jeremie threatneth They shall cut down the choice Cedars Jer. 22.7 and cast them into the fire trees for building The reason whereof we may finde in the first of our parents Reason who no sooner had sinned but God accursed the earth for their sakes So that we may say as the Church doth in this Psalme Was thy wrath against the trees of the land that thou smotest them not so but against the sins and sinners of the land This further appeareth in the common ground for it followeth the fields shall yield no meat Bread is the staffe of life God threatneth to break the staffe of bread So he bad Ezechiel prophecy Son of man I will break the staffe of bread in Jerusalem Ezâ—k 4.16 and they shall eat their bread by weight and with care God hath many ways to perform this judgment either by taking away his blessing from the earth that it shall not bring forth bread for the use of man Thus he maketh a fruitfull land barren or he can hold in the early and the later rain that it shall not fall to moisten the earth as in the time of Aggaeus the Prophet Ye looked for much and lo Ag. 1 9 10 it came too little The heaven over you is staied from dew and the earth under you is staied from her fruit Yea God when he pleaseth can drown the fruits of the earth with too much rain and destroy the crop and when he hath shewed us plenty upon the ground hee can deceive the hope of the husbandman and make a thin harvest When we have gathered in our crop he can blow upon it and destroy it in the barn he hath his judgments in store ready to be executed upon sinners We have tasted of this rod for how did God crown the former year with plenty and how unthankfully was it entertained of many what complaint did we hear of the cheapness of Corn not able to yield the rackt rents of their ground to the labouring husbandmen to satisfie the greedy Landlord And God heard from heaven how heavy his plentifull hand was to many and he hath since shut it up and turned our plenty into dearth and now he heareth another cry of the poor their labours will scarce give them bread to eat Yet another woe the cattell fail both in the fields and in the stals fat and lean beasts the enemy destroyeth them and the barrenness of the land affordeth them no food when God gave man Lordship over all sheep and Oxen and over all the beasts of the field he did not devolve his prerogative dominion upon man but reserved his royall supremacy over them and a power of resumption that if man neglected his service these creatures in their kinds should fail him You behold in this whole passage a miserable face of a land with which God is fallen out the very foil is accursed for the peoples sakes the people either perish by the sword or go into captivity or tarrie to serve the enemy in the land The full Cities the glorious buildings therein either demolisht and laid even with the ground or inhabited by strangers You have heard before what sins have brought these evils upon this pleasant land Corruption in common conversation between man and man Corruption in religion and the service of God Corruption administration of Justice And so free as our land is from these sins so far are these judgments off from us But if either the present times or times to come are or shall be guilty of these heinous sins I think we may boldly say that God is holy now as ever he was to hate them and the committers of them and as wise as ever he was to discern them and as just as ever he was to punish them We know that these sins carried Gods people into a strange land where they had not the heart to sing the songs of the Lord. God best knows why but we see a great part of the Protestant reformed Church at this time bleeding under the sword or flying from the hand or standing upon their guard against the power of strong opposition and by the mercy of God we are lookers on and their smart is not yet shared amongst us but if Canaan were thus smitten both in the soil and fruit and beasts thereof and most in the inhabitants of it If our brethren professours with us of the same Religion do in our dayes suffer so many vexations we had need study holinesse of life and put more fire into our zeal of Religion and make the ballance of Justice even lest we drink of the same cup of bitternesse The Jews returned again to their land from their captivity they had the face of it renewed they had their Temple rebuilt Religion re-planted and then they relapsed to their former sins and in Christs time Christ was bound and Barrabaâ— was set loose And not long after the Jews went into a dispersion wherein they have continued almost one thousand six hundred years God be mercifull to us to preserve us from their sins and from their punishments that our trees may bring forth their blossoms and their fruits in their seasons that our land may bring forth encrease that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no invasion no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets Amen Amen Verse 18 Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord Hâ—b 3.18 I will joy in the God of
in sicknesse on the bride-bed on the death-bed always Quest But have not the Saints of God on this earth their sorrows do they not bear forth their seed weeping do they not sow in tears do they not feel heavinesse for the night is it not a true word Tribulus est qui non est tribulatus Was not Davids soul heavy within him did not Hezechiah tast of bitternesse of soul when he chattered as a swallow did not this very Church of the Jews in Babylon sit down by the rivers of water when they remembred Sion Did they not hang up thâ—ir harps upon the willows or could they sing the song of the Lord in a strange land True Sol. and yet all these who found such cause of mourning in themselves and exprest so much grief to others yet rejoyced in the Lord always I deny not that their cup was bitternesse yet had they sweet fruits of spirituall joy even in the midst of sorrows for as David saith They did rejoyce in trembling Optime dictum est exultate contra miseriam optimè additum est cum tremore August contra presumptionem quia tremor est sanctificationis custodia see this in the Apostle who expresseth the life of a Christian well As unknown 2 Co 6 9. and yet known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed As sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing as poor and yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Which words though neither Mr. Calvine nor Beza in their Commentaries have vouchsafed so much as a note upon them yet are they an holy riddle to flesh and bloud and both these have brought forth their light in much fairer weather Aquinas cleareth this darknesse well for he sheweth that temporall things have but the resemblance and appearance of good and evill they have no true existence and substance of them and therefore they are brought in with a tanquam as for as the Apostle saith we are tanquam ignoti as unknown c. tanquam castigati tanquam dolentes But Gods spirituall favours are reall we are known not tanquam noti as known we rejoyce not tanquam dolentes as sorrowing For the light affliction which is but for a moment trouble them and he speaketh of them rather as they appear to others then as they do feel themselves or of them rather in some crazy fits of distraction then in the constant uniformity of their true health And I deny not but the dearest of Gods Saints here on earth have their sudden qualms and their agonizing pangs and convulsions even such as do sometimes shake their very faith as you have seen in this Church of the Jews that make their bellies and bowels without them to tremble and their lips to quiver and themselves to fear within themselves but when they remember Jesus Christ the authour and finisher of their faith saying to them Eccè ego sum vobiscum ad finem saeculi behold I am with you to the end this reneweth the face of the earth and puts new life into them and quickeneth them for how can they want any thing habent enim omnia qui habent habentem omnia for they have all who have him that hath all for he that gave us his son how could he not together with him give us all things I hear St. Ambrose thus comforted upon his death bed Non ita vixi inter vos ut me pudeat vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum Dominum habemus for it is a true rule poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet Another note to distinguish this joy in the Lord from all other joys is the fulnesse and exuberancy of it 2 Signe for it is more joy then if corn and wine and oile encreased else what needed the Apostle having said Rejoyce in the Lord always to adde And again I say Rejoyce what can be more then always but still adding to the fulnesse of our joy till our cup do overflow This is that measure which the Apostle doth so comfortably speak of which is both full and pressed down and heaped and running over for it is still growing and encreasing like the waters in Ezekiels vision from the ancles to the loins to the chin over head and ears for waders for swimmers for saylers Upon working days rejoyce in the Lord who giveth thee strength to labour and feedeth thee with the labour of thy hands on holy days rejoyce in the Lord who feasteth thee with the marrow and fatnesse of his house In plenty rejoyce again and again because the Lord giveth in want rejoyce because the Lord taketh away and as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe This poor distressed Church being in deportation and feeling the heavy burthen of affliction yet it found comfort in the Lord. Jerusalem remembred in the days of her affliction Lam. 1.7 and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old And this joy was quickened with hope of the favour of God to be shewed to them even till their joy did swell into extasie as David expresseth it When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion then were we like them that dream Then was our mouth filled with laughter Psal 126.1 and our tongne with singing Therefore is the joy of the ungodly comparâ—â—â— to a candle which spends it self to the snuffe Job 18.5 and goeth out in a stench and evill savour for the very name of the wicked shall rot but to the just Isai 58.8 saith God Thy light shall break forth as the morning this begins in obscurity and groweth more and more till the Sun rising and yet groweth till the noon day that is also promised the just Thy light shall rise in obscurity Verse 10. and thy darknesse shall be as the noon day he expoundeth himself Thou shalt be as a watered garden Verse 11. and like a spring of water whose waters fail not Therefore it is said of the just that they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing and this is To shew that the Lord is upright that he is our rock and that there is no unrighteousnesse in him For his word is gone out his promise is past to his Church he will neither deny it nor reverse it to comfort them with all spirituall consolation for he is the God of all consolation not of some onely 2 The ground of this joy wherein consider 1 The main The Lord is the God of her salvation 2 The Lord is her strength 3 The Lord will perform two great mercies to her 1 He will make her fect like hindes feet 2 He will make her walk upon her high places 1 Under the title of Salvation I comprehend not onely corporall and spirituall but eternall salvation also 2 Under the name of strength I understand the whole mercy of supportation by which God doth preserve them
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
we consider with what coarse fare and little rest and mean apparell the labouring man doth passe through great labour we cannot but acknowledge that experience hath sealed this doctrine that God is the strength of man for man layeth on load upon man and they that live at ease feel not the burthens that they do lay upon their brethren God is our strength in eo quod patimur in that we suffer for could we fore-think our selvs able to bear that sorrow and misery which captivity and war doth bring upon us do you not hear some say they cannot eat such and such meat they cannot rise early they cannot brook the air their tender flesh cannot endure any hardnesse Can such endure to spend their whole time in praysing the goodnesse of God toward them for his great mercy that he putteth them not to it to try what they can suffer let them hear the Prophet Jeremie complain The pretious sons of Sion comparable to fine gold Lam. 4.2 how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils The women fed on their own aborrements and did eat their own unripe fruit children of a span long Lam. 2.20 Such as were so tender that they could scarce endure to touch the ground of the street with the soals of their shoes even to such God sent word that Her own feet should carry her a far off to sojourn When it shall please God to turn the wheel of providence and to set Princes and high persons in the rank of common men in the condition of miserable and distressed men tender hands will learn to labour and God will give strength The ordinary the extraordinary the outward the inward the expected the sodain calamities of life are manifold to bear them all with patience to digest them with cheerfulnesse to turn them into the nourishment of our faith and hope this is the strength of the Lord in us our soul would soon grow weary of them if God did not establish our hearts for the sense of evils incumbent and the fear of evils ingruent would soon distract and distemper us if the strength of the Lord did not sustein us This doctrine which informeth us whence we have our strength Vse directeth us also in the use of it for so God himself hath taught us Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Deut 6.5 with all thy soul with all thy might We must put our whole strength to his service Luk. 10.27 and to the obedience of his Law All other use of our strength for this life is subordinate to this for they mistake their own creation that think they were made for themselves and employ their wits and time and strength to support to adorn and to make pleasant and easie this temporall life of ours Christ saith that this love of our God must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all our strength Some abuse their strength to oppression and spoil to wrong their brethren so Babylon is called the hammer of the whole earth for God did use these Chaldaeans as the rods of his fury to punish the transgressing nations but there came a time when this hammer was cut asunder and broken How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations Jer. 50.23 I have laid a snare for thee and thou art also taken O Babylon and thou wast not aware thou art found and also taken because thou hast striven against the Lord. Let the oppressours of their brethren consider this the snare of God is full of danger for it hath three dangers in it 1 To catch suddenly thou wast not aware 2 To hold fast thou art taken 3 To destroy for they that are taken in the snare of God are at his mercy in his power Vpon the wicked Psal 11.6 he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Some give their strength to women and by unchast and lewd conversation weaken those bodies and defile the Temples of God where Gods holy spirit should dwell It was the advice which Batsheba the mother of Solomon gave to her beloved Lemuel and she putteth it home in a mothers holy passion What my son and what the son of my womb Prov. 31.2 and what the son of my vows Give not thy strength to women nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth Kings It seemeth that Solomon had taken out his mothers lesson for he giveth all that fear God warning to take heed of the strange woman for he saith She hath cast down many wounded Prov. 7.26 yea many strong men have beea slain by her Her house is the way of hell going down to the chambers of death Some give their strength to drunkennesse they have a woe for their labour Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning Isai 5.11 that they may follow strong drink that continue till night till wine enflame them Some give their strength to covetousnesse some to pride some to their bellies some wast and consume their strength in idlenesse God gave them not their strength to any of these evill ends It is his strength that they abuse and he calleth for all of it in his service Me thinks the Apostle doth plead for God very reasonably and therein he teacheth us to try our selves whether we be innocent or faulty in this As you have yielded your members servants to uncleannesse 〈◊〉 6 1◠and to imquity to iniquity so now yield your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse It is unreasonable when God desireth but the same service done to him that made and preserveth us and would save us that we give to Satan who goeth about like a roaring lyon to destroy us and it is a good way between God and conscience to try our hearts whether we have done our God the right that we should do him in our strength for have we had as great delight in the Bible and have we read that with as much diligence as we have read other books of delight and pleasure have we heard the Word with as much attention and profit as we have heard other vain and wanton tales have we bestowed as many private hours in prayer as we have done in game Have we as much delighted in the Lords Supper the souls feast as we have done in the feasts and banquets of the body Nay have we not usurped some of Gods day for our temporall businesse and neglected the Church assembly and the ministery of the word to eat and drink and game and sleep take our ease would we have done so if some comand from some superiour powers had comanded us any speciall service This is the way to try us surely we have not given our whole strength to the Lord if
we have done these things and therefore unlesse we redeem the time and amend our ways our consciences will tell us that his servants we are whom we obey and the servants of sin must look for the wages of sin that is death But let us do no more so seeing the Lord is our strength let our strength be the Lords let it serve him for himself our brethren for his sake Another use of this point I learn from the song of Moses Vse 2 the man of God and of the children of Israel after they came out of the red sea The Lord is my strength and song let him that is our strength Exod. 15 ◠be our song also that is let us praise him with joy and thanksgiving it is the honour that David giveth to the Lord as his strength is always from him so he promiseth My song shall be always of him he desireth that his mouth may be fil'd with his prayse all the day long these be called the calves of the lips of them that confesse his name they are sacrifices of righteousnesse and they please God better then bullocks that have horns and hoofs this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service It followeth there and it is another use of this point Vse 3 The Lord is my strength I will prepare him an habitation In which words though literally there be a propheticall reference to the Tabernacle of God which God did after appoint to be erected and consecrated to his speciall worship and further yet to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem the joy of all the earth yet in thankfull retribution to God for the strength that we have from him every faithfull soul must within it self erect an habitation for God and his anointed Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost doth not Christ dwell in us by faith is not the soul the body of the Church is not the understanding and intellectuall part the holy of holies the chancell of the Church where the glory of God dwelleth and where the memorials of his mercies are kept is not the heart the altar wherupon all our sacrifices of thanksgiving the incense of our praiers are burnt Is not the mouth of them that confesse his name the beautiful porch of this Temple Doth not Christ stand at our doors and knock and desire our entertainment O let us receive him he is our strength there is not a stronger man to come in and bind him and cast him out that day we receive him that day is salvation come home to our house Let him not come in as a guest and sojourner to tarry a night and be gone let him have the rule of the house Christ will then tell us that the Kingdome of God is within us and where he ruleth there is peace which passeth all understanding 3 The next ground of their hope is a strong faith that he will make my feet like hynds feet That is he will give me a swift escape out of all my affliction and I shall come again out of captivity The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of all her troubles Doct. This is a good ground of hope Because it is one of Gods honourable titles to be a deliverer so is he called in this 18 Ps v. 2. Reas 1 From whence these words are taken so Thou art my help and my deliverer Psal 70.5 Thus David honoureth God with that great title for it includeth a confession of prayse both of the power of God able to deliver and of his wisedome and love applying that power to the comfort of his afflicted Church Because it was the office of his anointed the Son in whom he was well pleased Reas 2 to deliver his people from the hands of all their enemies He gave redemption to his people He shall save his people from all their sins he confesseth it his errand hither He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted Isai 6.11 to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Because God knoweth the weaknesse of his Church Reas 3 and though he chasten them with the rods of men yet will he not take his mercy utterly from them Psal 125.3 lest the righteous should put forth their hand unto wickednesse This hath speciall vertue to comfort us both Vse 1 Generally in our whole life and 2 especially in the severall crosses and distresses incident to the body of the Church or any member of the body 3 And individually to each perticular person in their personall vexations and unrest 1 For the generall calamities incident to life Job saith Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery If a man have no time of respiration from sorrow if his body be in sicknesse his mind in grief his estate in poverty his person in prison suppose him as much afflicted as his time and strength can bear yet death determineth all and setteth the oppressed and the prisoner free as Job saith 2 The Church or any part of it be it afflicted and driven into corners persecuted as in the time of the ten bloudy persecutions and as at this day the Protestants are cruelly pursued both in our neighbour France and in the Palatinate and in Bohemia Ministers banished as raisers and strivers of sedition which was laid to the charge of Jesus Christ and after of St. Paul The Lord hath ever heretofore been a deliverer of his Church and his hand is not shortned our hope is that he will also make his Saints hearts glad by a timely deliverance and will give them hinds feet to escape from the arrow that fleeth after them by day and from the dogs that hunt and pursue them with open mouth 3 In the case of personall grievances how can we either in dangers feared or in oppressing griefs and pains receive any peace to our souls but in the faith of deliverance believing that no miseries can so environ us but that there may be found an open way out of them so David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous Dominus ex omnibus liberet This admonisheth the afflicted to Vse 2 call upon God for this deliverance and to seek it no where but in his hand wo be to them that go to Egypt for help it was the undoing of Israel their trust in the broken staffe and reed of Egypt And they that trust to Idolatrous nations to help them in their distresses and wants thrust thorns into their own eyes and goads into their own sides and their trust shall be their ruine Israel did finde it so and smarted sharply for it This also as all other favours of God either possessed or expected doth awake us to a duty of service of our God Vse 3 for we are servi quasi servati and we must serve him that we may be
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
ruine of the Chaldeans for being puffed up and proud of their victories they shall not acknowledge the great God of heaven the God of their warre or esteem themselves his agents to chasten the Jews but shall give the glory of their conquest to their own Idol god Now in these words thus interpreted observe 1. The Totall 2. The Particulars 1. The Totall is the answer of God to the greivous complaint and expostulation of the Prophet 2. The Particulars are two 1. The Judgment threatned 2. The executioners of this Judgment very fully and Rhethorically described 1. The Totall God answereth the Prophets complaint Yeildeth this Doctrine that God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complain of violence Doctr. to execute his judgments upon them that offend The story of holy Scripture is full of examples of this truth Cain for Abel vox sanguinis the voyce of bloud The whole old world was punished with a general inundation for the cruelty that was upon the earth their violence made the Lord repent that he made them You have heard out of Obadiah how the cruelty of Edom was intolerable and God heard the cry of the Church and delivered them and punished Edom with desolation And when Israel was in the land of Egypt in the house of bondage God sayeth I have seen Acts 7 34. I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them Even Israel his own people is not spared Sion his holy mountain Jerusalem his holy City is punished for oppression He doth this First Reas 1 In regard of his servants that do complain to him to let them see the power of their prayers that he may stirre them up in all greivances to commit their cause to him and not to seek private revenge Injuriam as Tertull. Si apud deum deposueris injuriam ipse ultor est si damnum restitutor est Therefore let not the oppressed wrong their own cause with vexing Vse and disquieting their own hearts at them that lie heavy upon them for St. James tels us that The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1.20 Let them not vent their spleen in bitter cursings and execrations which be the voyce and language of impatience and impiety and turne upon us and all to tear us But let them seriously complain to God and he will hear them and do them right Let them tarry the Lords good leasure and they shall see that he will take the matter into his own hand 1. Either he will take the oppressed out of the world and give them rest from their labours and lay them in the beds of ease and lock them in the chambers of peace till all stormes be over and then he will say Returne ye sons of Adam 2. Or he will change the heart of the oppressours and for stony hearts give them hearts of flesh and fill them with compassion and tendernesse 3. Or he will restrain the power of the wicked against his chosen and suffer no man to do them wrong but will reprove even Kings for their sakes the rage of man will he restrain 4. Or he will give the oppressed such a measure of patience and charity as he shall bear injuries without murmuring and blesse them that hate and persecute him 5. Or he will pour forth his wrath upon the oppressor and let him feel the weight of his hand either upon his body by inflicting diseases upon it or upon his minde by the troubles of an unquiet conscience Or upon his familie by cursing the fruit of his loyns that they shall be his sorrowes by taking ill wayes Or upon his estate by cursing all his gatherings that though all the streams of profite runne every way into his bagges nothing shall make him rich like the Caspian sea into which many rivers do pour in water continually yet is it never the fuller rather like the lean kine never the fatter Or upon his life by taking him out of the world and thereby giving occasion to the afflicted to rejoyce Therefore art thou afflicted pray and complain and expostulate with God for he will hear thee 2. God heareth the complaint of the just against the oppressours for his names sake Reas 2 for so David urgeth him Hear me O God for thy names sake For it toucheth God in honour when his faithfull servants do appeal from the school of unrighteousnesse where they are oppressed to the tribunal of his judgment where they should be releived and cannot be heard You remember when Christ was on the crosse and his enemies had their cruel hearts desire against him they contented not themselves to be cruell and scornfull to him but they blasphemed also the name of God saying He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Mat. 27 43 The very theives that were fastened then to the crosse on either hand of him cast that in his teeth When the wicked prevail against the just the next word is Where is now their God Let us then know the name of God is himself Vse he cannot deny himself he hath a name above all things and a speciall glory due to that name he cannot suffer that name to be blasphemed He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Therefore in all greivances let us say with David Our help is in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth It is our comfort in trouble that we do suffer together with the name of God and if we do lay fast hold on that we shall be delivered together with it we may well cast our trust upon that name for in hoc vinces in this thou shalt overcome is the Motto and word thereof it is a strong tower to all that trust in it 3. God will hear the complaints of the just Reas 3 for his truths sake for he hath promised the just I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And he hath said He shall call upon me and I will hear him I am with him in trouble I will deliver him and he shall glorifie me And David saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We have more then his promise we have his oath against the ungodly I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest Ps 95.11 Vse Let us build then upon this promise for God is faithful that hath promised The violent and the oppressour hath part in the wrath of God as he saith And I will come near to you in judgement Mal. 3.5 and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against them that oppresse the hireling in his wages and the fatherlesse and the widow and that turn aside the stranger from his right and that feare not me saith the Lord of hosts Here is Gods
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