The rule therfore is that he that willeth the same thing which God willeth doth the same thing which God would have done sinneth except he willeth and doth the same thing in the same matter and for the same end which God projecteth Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus arme your selves with the same mind That mind is an armour against the wrath of God 1. Pet. 4.1 we know we cannot displease him so long as there is an harmonie of our mind with his that mind is an armour against the revenge of men for if we be abundant always in the work of the Lord we know that our labour is not Eph. 4.23 cannot be in vaine in the Lord for we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind we must not be like the axe and hammer in the hand of the artificer which knoweth not who useth it nor what he doth nor why we are living instruments and our minds must set our hands awork we must know what we do for whom and why or else our work is against our selves We do nothing but as God doth guide the hand so he frameth the heart and affections to it if he do not also enlighten our understandings and apply our minds to it we are carried as bruit beasts we are not led as men So then I leave those Chaldaeans though the armies of God at this time and doing the will of God ignorantly yet for the corruption of their intention culpable and in as ill case as they whom they persecute and overcome All the injuries that we do by word or deed to our brethren they are done with Gods privity Vse he knoweth thereof he disposeth them to their punishment who suffer by us or for the exercise of their patience or the tryal of their charity to them that hurt them or their constancie in obedience to him Let us not so much consider what good God doth work out of us to them as what evil breedeth in our heart and so no thank to Iosephs brethren that he is the second man in Aegypt All the fat of the land of Goshen and the sweet exchang of their pinching famine for a swelling plenty will not still the clamorous accusing voice of their guilty conscience for the sinne of their evil intention against their brother for as soon as their father died their fear revived they doubted that Joseph would revenge that fault The old word was animus cujusque is est quisque every mans mind is himself and so when David saith of the just man the floods of many waters shall not come near him it is expounded it shall not come so high as his mind to the disquieting thereof it shall not come so high as his faith to the weakning thereof Remember this when you pray fiat voluntas tua thy will be done that you desire of God not only a correspondence with his hand that you may do that which he would have done but correspondence of Will that you may do it for the same cause 2. How far the punishment shall extend 1. To a full Conquest 2. To a proud triumph Divis p. 78 The full Conquest is set forth vers 6. They shall march through the bredth of your land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs v 9. They shall come all for violence and shall gather together the captivity as the sand Wherin is described a full possession of the land of the Jews and a deportation of the people a losse even of the birth-right and the blessing The land of Canaan is called the land of promise for God promised it to Abraham and swore to him that his seed should inherit it but by way of Covenant which had reference to their obedience of the law of God for so Moses forewarned them If thou forget the Lord thy God c. I testifie unto you this day yee shall surely perish Deut. 8.19 as the nations which the Lord destroyeth before you so yee shall perish because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God And Moses saith unto them Behold I set before you this day Deut. 11.26 a blessing and a curse Blessing if you obey the Commandments of the Lord c. And the curse if you will not obey Now God is free of his promise and oath that he made to them for they have disobeyed him they have corrupted their ways they have contemned and slacked the Law of God therefore they have forfeited their estate in that good land and their persons stand obliged to the punishment of their disobedience The lesson is Doct. that all the promises of Gods favour to men are not absolute but conditional and are referred to the obedience or disobedience of men For man is mutable Reason God is unchangeably just he must not he cannot favour disobedience his love goes not in the blood but in the faith of Abraham Israel the posterity of Abraham is no more to him then the posterity of Canaan who had his fathers curse except that Israel do serve him better then they do He hath told them so by Moses for seeing there was no merit in them to deserve his love at first and no means for them to continue his love but their obedience that failing they are to him as heathens Christ teacheth us that if any be wilful and will not obey the Church he must be to us as an Heathen and a Publicane we can never excommunicate such ex communione charitatis out of the communion of charity for as much as in us lieth we must have peace with all men and we must never hide our selves from our own flesh and we must do good unto all men but we may we must exclude them ex Communione Ecclesia from the Communion of the Church we must not admit them to our Congregations nor esteem them members of the Church till they be reconciled Religion is the knot of true union that knitteth us to God that uniteth us to one another that once dissolved farewel fair weather we must turn all into chiding and reproof and as the Apostle saith come to them with the rod. We must complain of them to God and awake his Justice upon them So that if we would keep our land from invasion and depopulation our persons from captivity and deportation our goods from direption and deprecation let us serve the Lord in feare and obedience in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our lives 2. The punishment shall extend to a proud triumph which is exprest v. 10. They shall scoffe at the Kings and the Princes shall be a scorne to them and they shall deride every strong hold This is another of Gods rods Doct. he punisheth the despisers with scorne and contempt as you heard out of Obadiah Behold I have made thee small Vers 2. thou art greatly despised Therefore Saint Paul repeating this prophecie doth by way of
for if we be truly regenerate we shall be saved certainly and this righteousnesse is a full assurance of our regeneration as the Apostle saith 1. Ioh. 2.29 Ye know that every one which doth righteousnesse is born of him So that righteousnesse is the earnest of our salvation it is salus in semine salvation in the seed here it is salus in Messe in the harvest hereafter for St. James saith The fruit of righteousnesse is sown in peace For where righteousnesse is once rooted Iam. 3.18 there is peace and assurance both of grace and glory 3. This righteousnesse doth honour God in this world for when men live in the conscience of their ways and in the holy fear of God 3. Benefit abstaining from evil all they can doing all the good they can rather suffering and forgiving then doing and revenging injuries striving to bear themselves uprightly before God and men our Saviour saith Others seeing their good works will glorifie their father that is in heaven 4. This righteousnesse is the only witnesse of our sincerity in the love and service of our God for let no unrighteous man say he loveth God or serveth God the proud the covetous 4. Benefit the wanton the breaker of the Sabbath the drunkard let them come to Church hear and receive the Sacrament now and then let them not deceive themselves without this righteousnes no man shall please God Neither shall the Church esteem such as members of the body of Christ for we are taught that no adulterers fornicators covetous persons c. shall inherit the Kingdome of heaven But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evil doers Vers 16. they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ Let men hunt for fame and reputation in the way of honour and high place in the way of great dependance or of riches if they be ungodly and want this righteousnesse they want the falt that should pickle them to keep the just shall be in everlasting remembrance their candle doth not go out by night their name shall be like to precious unguent But let the ungodly do what they can the name of the wicked shall rot 5. This righteousnes upon a death-bed wil comfort 5. Benefit when neither meat nor medicine will down with us for there follows after righteousnesse a gracious traine a comfortable sequence The Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and Peace Rom. 14.17 and joy in the Holy Ghost Mark the upright man and observe the just Ps 37.37 for the end of that man is Peace What a joy of heart was it to Hezekiah he did not say I have reigned a King over thine inheritance so many years I have gotten so much riches and treasure I have subdued so many enemies but Remember Lord I beseech thee now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Is 38.3 c. Thus having learnt what this righteousnesse is and having surveyed the benefits that attend it let us take a few necessary cautions to order and regulate both our judgement and our life 1. Let us not take that for righteousnesse which is no such matter 1 Caution for all that glistereth is not gold Satan hath good skill in varnishing and guilding and painting to make things that are not seem as though they were I do not think but the Pharisees thought themselves just men and that opinion was held of them abroad and that Christ seemed a strange Preacher that told the People Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees c. Acta 26.5 for Saint Paul doth call their sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must exceed that or else no salvation yet if that righteousnesse which consisted in great chastisement of the flesh in great austerity of life in so many real acts of devotion would not serve Beloved that cheap and soft and tender Religion that eats and drinks of the best and wears soft garments and lies easily and consisteth only in hearing much and knowing something and talking of good things and an outward formal representation of goodnesse will never passe for righteousnesse before God This doth not come near the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Their Doctors were never out of Moses chair they were faithful and painful in teaching the law Alas many of our labourers loyter Their auditors were frequent and attentive when they knew of the sitting of their Rabbies they would tell one another and call one another to it as Jerom saith faying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wise repeat And they would hasten thither They compasse sea and land to make Proselytes to their sect We by our evill Conversation lose many from our Congregations It is the complaint of them of the separation that our evill life is one great cause of their forsaking of us and though that do not excuse them yet it doth accuse us and we cannot plead not guilty to that enditement They gave God a quarter of their life in prayer Let every mans own conscience speak within him how farre he out-goeth them in this They read they studied they repeated they carried about them alwayes some part of the Law and were expert in the understanding of it And do not Pamphlets of newes vaine Poems and such like froth of human brains devour much of the time the holy Bible should have bestowed upon it Beloved the righteousnesse that should be in us to fill us with true love of God and our neighbour is wanting in most it is imperfect in the best in too many it is but seeming In Religion zeale is gone some false fires there are yet in the Church that boast themselves to be zeal and are good for nothing but to finde faults and pick quarrels true devotion which had use to shew it self in all outward holinesse and reverence is so retired that many are more homely at Church in presence of God and the holy congregation then they dare to be in the private houses of many that are here present Our heads are grown so tender that even boyes must be covered at Church In prayer our knees are too stiffe to bend we grow drousie in hearing the very face of Religion hath lost the complexion that it had when knowledge was yet but coming out as if we would revive that Romish fancy that ignorance is the mother of devotion In civil conversation how is righteousnesse turned into a cry the words once past of our forefathers though ignorant were faster tyes then bonds recognizances statutes oaths now are It was once the imputation of one Nation as Tully chargeth the Greeks Da mihi manuum testimonium It was once Romes
prayeth a sacrifice to God a scourge to the devil and his agents pag. 183 Prayer the Word and the Sacraments are means to preserve faith pag. 228 Preparation required in those who go to Church pag. 344 Pride a cause of strife pag. 25 Pride consists in three things In thinking too well of our selves contemptibly of others boasting and glorying in vain ostentation pag. 240 Pride is the ground of insatiablenesse pag. 241 Pride the ruine of Charity Justice Temperance and Religion pag. 243 Proofs of a sincere faith pag. 227 Prosperity of this world fils the hearts of men with pride and vain estimation of themselves pag. 131 Proud men resemble death and hell pag. 243 Punishment in its nature is evil yet God may work good out of it pag. 69 Punishment of Idolatry pag. 334 Punishments of Pride 247. Just Reprehension 155. Derision 257 Spoyle and destruction pag. 262 Punishments of Ambition 279. They consult shame to their own house Ibid. Sin against their own souls 283. Labour in vaine and without successe pag. 286 Punishments of drunkennesse 315. Who will punish it God 316 how he will punish it 319. Why he will punish it pag. 324 Q. OVantity of the fault is the measure of the judgment pag. 5 R. REasons why Ambition makes men unhappy Pag. 274 Religion contemned is a signe of a diseased and desperate state 38 Reasons thereof Ibid. Riligion is the knot of true Vnion that knitteth us to God and uniteth us to one another Pag. 78. Religion hath the bowels of compassion and they have no Religion that have no mercy Pag. 99 Religion the best bond of brotherhood Pag. 129 Remedy for mans fall 222. Which is Christ Pag. 223 Remedies against drunkennesse Pag. 308 S. SAthan suggesteth that the way of righteousnesse is painful pag. 287 Sathans chiefest temptation is by blemishing of Gods glory pag. 296 Seekers of strife condemned pag. 25 Service performed to God without zeal is without life pag. 51 Shame rather hardeneth then reformeth a sinner pag. 16 Sincere Faith cannot be lost pag. 228 Sharp and satyricall tartnesse not alwayes unlawfull pag. 259 Sin is a burthen to God 3. To men 4. And awakes Gods vengeance Ibid. Sins seen in others moves man to a loathing of sin and to charity pag. 68 Sin is like Leaven a little sowreth the whole lump pag. 204 283 Sins of Omission 218. Of evil motion 219. Of evil affection and of evil action pag. 220 Sins grow in clusters and one sin begetteth another 265. Examples thereof pag. 266 Sins committed against the Law of God are done against the committers souls pag. 283 Souls in heaven wait upon the performance of Gods Promises pag. 178 Stephens prayer at his death a means of Pauls conversion pag. 102 Suggestions to sin lay their foundation upon some unworthy opinion of God pag. 298 T. TEares of bitternesse are the bloud of the Soul pag. 285 Teaching by familiar resemblances is much used in both Testaments pag. 123 Temples not built in 200 years after Christ pag. 336 Temples and Churches necessary pag. 337 Temporall things can afford no true content pag. 39 There is no peace to a wicked man pag. 6 The sound of Gods Word preached cannot be truly heard by us unlesse he open our hearts pag. â—2 The soul of prayer is the holy zeal of him that prayeth pag. 22 Three speciall benefits of a godly life pag. 40. 41 The Chaldeans raised by God against the Jews pag. 56 They who are sealed with the Spirit of Promise have their infirmities lapses and relapses yet sin not to death pag. 64 They who fulfilling the Will of God which they know not do fulfill their own will which they aime at are not rewarded but rather punished for it pag. 74. 75 The way to avoid contempt is humility pag. 81 There is such a concatenation of duties of Religion and Justice that he that offendeth in one breaketh the chaine pag. 267 The fear of the wicked shall come upon himself pag. 280 The house of the righteous shall stand pag. 281 The Elect sin against their own souls in regard of the fault 283 and also in regard of the punishment pag. 284 The delivery of Gods Church and his vengeance upon her enemies gives honour to the Name of God upon earth pag. 294 The sting of the first sin pag. 297 The knowledge of Gods glory consisteth in the true consideration of his justice and mercy pag. 299 Though the Church of God live under the crosse for a time it shall not be alwayes so pag. 82 Those whom God useth as his rods are limited pag. 83 To know the glory of God here on earth we must observe the course of his judgments pag. 302 To make others drunk is a more grievous sin then drunkennesse pag. 310 U. VAnity of Idolatry pag. 326 Vncharitablenesse corrupteth a Common-wealth and makes all Gods servants complaine pag. 34 Vngodly men outragious when they finde a way open to their violence pag. 125 Vngodly men have no bowels pag. 136 Vnrighteous mens labours described pag. 287 Voluntary and involuntary drunkennesse pag. 318 W. WAnt of zeal a sinne pag. 52 Want of Faith the true cause of Idolatry pag. 90 Way to Hell all down hill yet very uneasie 286. And that is gotten by it is but meere vanity pag. 283 We ought to avoid causes of complaint pag. 34 We ought not to limit God to a set time for our deliverance nor to any set means nor measure of affliction pag. 107 We must not think long to tarry Gods leasure 173. to avoid these two evils Of murmuring against God or seeking unlawfull means to accomplish our desires pag. 178 We ought not be too busie to search into the wayes of God to know things to come pag. 174 We must beleeve Gods Promises whatsoever appearances do put in to perswade us to the contrary pag. 175 Where God is pag. 336 Whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time pag. 160 What duty is owing to him pag. 336 Where Religion is despised the courts of Justice must needs be corrupt 28. and power and authority degenerate into tyranny and oppression pag. 29 When God undertaketh a work he accommodateth all fit means though he need none for a full execution pag. 71 When we pray that Gods Will may be done we must also pray that it may be done for the same cause pag. 77 Whensoever God punisheth there is a fault deserving that punishment 253. Objections to the contrarie answered pag. 254 When God putteth his hand to spoyling the oppressor he will spoil him in all that he trusted in pag. 263 Whom God pardoneth Sathan tempteth most pag. 87 Whosoever gives divine Worship to a creature is an Idolater pag. 91 Wicked men have no peace pag. 84 Wicked men rejoyce at the Churches sorrow pag. 128 Woe to the man which gathereth not his own pag. 275 Written Scripture sufficient for salvation pag. 153 Z ZEale
Church of God that when Christ left his sheep among Wolves saying In the world you shall have affliction He left the Holy Ghost in his Church in the office and under the name and title of a comforter to assure this David gives a good reason hereof Reas 1 for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth we are but dust Indeed we are made of such stuffe and by our sin we have so marred our own first making that if God did not support us in afflictions with a strong supply of faith wee should soon sink under the burthen of our own infirmities David confesseth as much I have fainted unlesse I had believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27.13 Blessed be God that ministreth ever some comfort to sweeten the calamities of life and to keep the soul from fainting to keep the head above water that the deep waters swallow us not up The true Church of God when the ambition of the Bishop of Rome to be universall Bishop began to sway Religion to the service of humane policy then began to lose of her full numbers many of them most of them defecting to popery and superstition the true professors of the Gospel were pursued with all kinds of bloudy persecution and in many years the true Church of God lived in concealment yet God did never suffer this little remaining spark to be quite put out and when the Pope thought himself absolute Lord of all then arose Martin Luther an arrow out of their own quiver and in the low ebbe of the true Church he opposed the Pope and put a new life into the true Christian Church which ever since his time hath grown to a cleerer light and the man of sin is more and more revealed and the mystery of ungodlinesse detected and in many parts of Christendome the Pope ejected as an usurper both in Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy and temporall Sovereignty At this time this poor Church doth suffer persecution in France and is threatned with utter extirpation In Bohemia the Protestants feel the uttermost of extremity the Prince Palatine and the Kings Children remain under proscription and in exile from their inheritance and their country invaded and depopulated doth groan under the fury of war Religion is oppressed the fig-tree and the vine and olive fail the earth is not husbanded to profit to feed the inhabitants In this extremity what comfort surviveth but this that our God the husband of his Church will not chide continually nor reserve his anger from generation to generation but even in this extremity of distresse we have joy in his favour and love to his Church This holy care of Religion now assaulted and the naturall care that our loyall allegiance to our Sovereign and his children doth lay upon us inciteth us to joyn as one man with united strength to work for God and his truth to the uttermost of our best abilities and who knoweth whether God having crowned our land so many years with peace and truth doth now try us what we will do for Religion and peace and how forward we will be in his cause and how charitably compassionate of the afflictions of our brethren abroad wherein if we shall acquite our selves like the children of light and the sons of peace we may prevent a further tryall of us neerer hand in our own land Blessed be the God of mercy and of all consolation who hath revealed to us this comfort and joy in him in all our afflictions that we may be able to comfort the distresses of our brethren as we our selves are comforted of our God His Majesty by his letters gratiously inviteth all his loyall subjects to this commiseration of his children to this religious compassion of Gods afflicted Church he requireth us your Ministers to lay this as neer as we can to your hearts to stir up your willing and forward affections to a tendernesse and encrease of zealous love of this cause and he believeth that our labour in the Lord will not be in vain If it be heavy to us to part with some small portion of our estates to this assistance what is it to his children to lose all Impius haec tam culta novalia miles habebit Barbarus has segetes shall we look on whilst Papists possesse the inheritance of Protestants while superstition and Idolatry usurpeth the temples where the holy worship of God and the gospell of truth and peace have been so many years gloriously mainteined Hia Majestie hath well acquited himself to us to be a Prince of peace who hath with unmeasurable expence assaid by mediation and treaties to compose the bloudy wars in Christendome with fair conditions of peace he hath shewed himself tender in the case of Christian bloud and he would have all the Christian world bear him witnesse that if he could recover the inheritance of his children in peace he would not draw a sword nor hazard a life in that cause He is now put to it to seek peace by the way of wars and his children being shut out of their own in the way of inheritance must wade in again by way of conquest or sit out altogether If that part of the afflicted Church have hope in this disconsolate extremity and trust in God for deliverance and restitution they shal sing Carmen in nocte and let God strengthen their faith and trust in him and let them not think it long to await his leasure till he have mercy upon them Worse was the condition of Jerusalem and the people of Judah Gods own inheritance yet when they had summed up their miseries and cast them into one totall of full calamity they have both faith to assure both deliverance and restitution and hope to expect it and joy to recreate and refresh their present droopings And truly to our understanding it is time for the Lord to put to his hand for the cause is his The strife was for a kingdome but Religion is such a party in the quarrell that it cannot but share in the sufferings of those who fare the worse for Religions sake Be we comforted in the Lord. Rome and Roman Idolatry can neither spread further nor gather more strength then her elder sister Babylon did her armies are called here the troops of God God employed them and God prospered thē they prevail'd against Gods inheritance But the same Prophets who are sent to tell Judah of their deportation into Babylon do also foretell the ruine of Babylon for this read at your leasure Isaiah 46.47 Chap. Jerem. 50 51. and when you have read them compare them with Revel 17.18 Chap. and you shall see that Babylon in Chaldaea was but a type of the present Babylon in Rome a double type of sin and punishment Therefore comfort your selves in the Lord God worketh as we see against the usurper of Rome by his own domestiques and they tell tales of him and discover the nakednesse of that
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
If you were of the world the world would love you for the world loves all her own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you You see how they compasse about the just men in whom any Religion appears or any care of a good conscience or any fire of holy zeal the wicked come about such to quench this fire and beset such round about that they may not escape them Let Lot say to the Sodomites I pray you brethren do not so wickedly Gen. 19 9 they will presse upon him and threaten him Now will we deal worse with thee then with them then they pressed to break the door Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth Because things are carried by the licentious and unbridled will of power without Religion or conscience of Equity therefore there is wrong judgment I understand the Prophet thus That private injuries and oppressions between man and man were frequent and the wicked used all means to molest the just and when they did flie for remedy to the courts of Justice they were also so corrupt and did so favour the cause of the wicked that there they had wrong judgment The Judges and Magistrates that should execute the judgments of God upon the wicked and should deliver the oppressed out of the hands of the oppressour they were guilty 1. Of favouring and animating and abetting the wicked in their ungodlinesse which they should have punished for which also they were ordained 2. Of unjust judgment punishing where they should spare and oppressiing whom they should defend Here was a corrupt common-wealth and this was the grief of the Prophet and he had no remedy but to put the scrole of their sins and to spread it before the Lord and in the behalf of the oppressed to appeal from the courts of men to the tribunal of God The words thus opened and the sense cleared let us consider this text 1. In the totall summe it is a verie serious complaint of the Prophet to God 2. In the particulars of which he complaineth He complaineth of two things 1. Of the corruption of the state of the common-wealth of the Jewes 3. Of Gods declaring the same corruption to him The corruption is exprest in three things 1. In the Conversation 2. In the Religion 3. In the Justice of that Nation 1. In the totall the Prophet doth complain to God seriously and out of a greived heart of the people 〈Complaint is a part of Prayer 〉 Doctr. Prayer is a pouring forth of the heart to God wherein we prostrate all our desires to God and crave his help Sometimes we call to remembrance the mercies of God and summe up his benefits which though it be joyned with prayer and doth passe under the name of prayer yet is it rather a speciall and distinct part of Gods worship in it self then properly any member or part of prayer Sometimes we begge of God supply of our wants and that we call Petition Sometimes we plead the cause of our brethren and begge for them that is Intercession Sometimes we pray against judgment and sin and that is Deprecation Sometimes we have cause to complain to God of the sins and transgressions of our brethren when either the honour of God or the peace of brethren is violated so here this is Imprecation For when we see that the outward means of reclaiming men from giving offence to God to the Church and to Christian Religion do not work effectually to reforme them yet we must not forsake the cause of God so but make our complaint unto him and put the matter into his hand Thus when there was a councel held against the Apostles Act. 4. and therein consultation for the quenching of the light of the Gospel then beginning to shine more clearly Vers 17. Peter and John went aside from the councel dismissed with a straight and severe charge to speak no more in that name They came to their brethren and informed them of these things and They lifted up their voice to God with one accord Vers 24. In that prayer they complain of their enemies 1. For that which they had done already For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles were gathered together 2. For that which they meant to doe And now Lord behold their threatnings This also is twice included in the Lords Prayer for when we desire that the Kingdome of God may come we do complain of the enemies of that Kingdome and desire God to arise and scatter them and defeat all their designes against the same And when we pray not to be led into tempation but to be delivered from evils we do secretly complain of all those evils which Satan and his wicked instruments do plot against the body of the Church or any particular members thereof 1. The reason is because vengeance belongeth to God and we must remember of what spirit we are and must not take the quarrel of God into our hands but leave it to God to see and require 2. Because the times and seasons are only in his power and we must leave it to his wise Justice to take the fit time for the conversion or confusion of his enemies in the mean time resting our selves on his sure Protection and faithful care of us 3 Because we may have enemies for the present who may come to a sight and sense of their sins and may by our complaint of them to God receive his saving mercy to reconcile them to the Church as he did Saul at the Prayer of Saint Stephen who shortly after became an Apostle and proved a chosen Instrument of Gods Glory 4. We must complain of these things to declare our zeal of Gods Glory and our holy impatience to see his Commandements despised of men 5. To shew our charity to our brethren who do suffer by this cruel and wicked world whose estates we pitty and we go to God as a common father to us all to take the matter into his own hands From whence we conclude that it ever ought to be a part of our Prayer to call upon the name of God by way of complaint of the iniquity of the times in which we do live that God may give an end to it and that it may not prevail against his Church least the enemies thereof do grow too proud This manner of complaining and calling upon God for Justice against the ungodly doth not die with us here the separated souls parted from earth and from their bodies do retain it I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held Rev 6.9 And they cryed with a loud voice saying how long O Lord and holy and true Vers 10. dost thou not judg and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth This
And this 1. In sincerity not with eye-service to be seen of men against hypocrisie 2. In zeal and fervency of spirit his word in our hearts must be as a burning fire Ier. 20.9 against cold and perfunctorious Profession which is the general disease of Professors 3. With perseverance to the end without any intermission or cessation against Apostasie back-sliding even as our great example did who was obedient to the death even he bowed down his head and gave up the Ghost This and nothing else doth make this life peace and the next life glory This is the old and good way walk in it and you shall find rest for your souls 3. The corruption of Justice is another of the Prophets complaints Doctr. Corruption of Justice is a dangerous signe of a drooping Common-wealth The Magistrate sitteth in the place of God Reas 1 and he is the common father of the People and God hath put his own sword into his hand and commanded him to judge justly between man and man If either there be no Magistrate as when there was no King in Israel the People did what seemed good in their own eyes Then every man is his owne judge and the stronger prevaile against the weaker Or if the Magistrate be corrupt there goeth forth wrong judgment good causes have unequal hearings and right taketh no place Solon in the Athenian Clâ—o and Lycurgus in the Lacedemonian Common-wealth got them honour in the books of time for their Justice and Herodotus reporteth that amongst the Medes when they yet had no King Deioces being but a private man by com-promising contentions betwixt man and man justly and equally got that reputation amongst the People that in short time all the causes of the countrey were referred to his hearing which got him such a name of doing justice that when they found it necessary to put themselves under the Government of a King they found no man so fit to invest in that honour as Deioces and they with one censent chose him to be their King And Solomon saith Prov. 16.12 The Throne is establisted by righteousnesse Therefore where justice faileth Gods Ordinance is made an instrument of cruelty and the Kings Throne is set on a slippery place as we find it exemplified in this Kingdome of the Iews whereof Zephaniah complaineth Her Princes within her are roaring Lâ—ons Zeph. 3.3 her â—udges are evening Wolves And Mica They build up Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity Mic. 3 10 The Heads thereof judge for reward Werse 12. Therefore shall Sion for your sakes be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest For God cannot long endure that his sword shall he drawn against his People and that his gods for he giveth Iudges his own title should become lyons and bears and buls and wolves and devils amongst the sheep of his pasture He did the Government then a great honour who bore in his shield the picture of Iustice having in one hand the sword in the other the states with this word Dum illa evincam But when Tribunalia may be called Tributalia where Iudgment is given according to the gifts and rewards that are given or where corrupt affection serveth its own turn any way from the way of Iustice God seeth it and is angry that there is no judgment qui videt requiret 2. Corruption of Iustice is a signe of a drooping Common-wealth because it not only is contrary to Religion Reas 2 and the written Law of God but it is contrary to the Law of God written in the heart of man For as Lactant. saith well Radix Justitiae omne fundamentum Devin Instit aequitatis est illud vide ne facias ulli quod pati nolis This Counsel is good Transfer in alterius personam quod de te sentis in tuam quod de altero judicas And if this law of nature must bind all men to do Instice one to another much more must it oblige those to whom the office of administration of justice is committed let them make it their own case and so no wrong judgement shall go forth For this same Jus naturale is the fountain of all justice which Religion hath so enlightned that God having planted true Religion in his Church the Prophet saith He looked for judgment The proper application of this text is to the Magistrate Isay 5.7 to admonish him to execute the judgements of God justly Vse 1 that neither the People may have cause to complain of wrong but may know where to have right done them neither the Prophets of God may have cause to awake the justice of God against those that manage the sword of justice cruelly or partially or any way corruptly But I have none such in this audience to admonish and therefore I omit that exhortation as unproper for this hearing For us if we hear the cry and complaint of our brethren Vse 2 or feel the smart of oppression in our selves we see the danger of it to the State in which we live threatning it with ruine and it ought to stirre us up as the Apostle doth admonish to pray to God for his help I exhort therefore that first 〈◊〉 Supplications Prayers 1 Tim. 2.1 Intercessions and giving of thanks 〈◊〉 made for all men 2. For Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour Insurrection against the Magistrate and deposition of Kings and violence offered to their Persons even unto death is a Presbyterian doctrine Buchanan the Scottish Chronicler our Kings first Schoolmaster in his book de jure regni was the first broacher hereof who maketh Kings to derive their authority from the People and giveth power to the People to take away the same if he govern not justly Against this we have Gods own word saying Touch not mine annointed where he calleth Kings his annointed by a special title not given to any other Persons but such as exercise regal Authority all the Scripture through And if they may not be touched much lesse may they be deposed or their Persons violated And this title is not only given to David but to Cyrus Thus saith the Lord Isay 43.1 Lib. 5. to Cyrus mine annointed For as Ireneus saith Inde illis potestas unde Cyrus For so the Apostle The powers that be are ordained of God Therefore the Presbytery and Papacy like Herod and Pilate are friends to do a shrewd turn when they both put power on the People to right themselves against Kings that do not execute judgement The Apostle is a better guide he bids pray for them and if you consider what Kings then raigned you will say there could not be worse I must therefore with the Apostle admonish
up together with the profession of the Gospel which could not be if we had zeal proportionable to our knowledge such as was in David All false wayes Iutterly abhorre We see also great corruptions in manners which holy zeal might soon eat out and without which Religion may bring us to Church and to the Font and to the Lords Table and may rank us with outward professors but till we grow to such an hatred of sin as the very patience and forbearance of God toward those that do abominably and will not be reformed doth disquiet and greive us and make us complain we fail and come short of duty to God 2. Another complaint of the Church is of inordinate zeal Which is 1. Either in Persons without a lawful calling seeking to reform things amisse 2. Or in respect of the things when men carryed with the strong current of opinion find fault where no fault is or make the fault greater then it is 3. Or in respect of times when men prevent the time and exasperate the judgments of God and provoke his justice against their brethren before they have done all that can be done by the spirit of meeknesse 4. Or in respect of time when they expresse their zeale First against those things that may with least hurt to the Church be forborn till more concerning affairs of the Church be advisedly thought upon 5. Or in respect of the measure of zeal if it be more or lesse then the cause of God requireth 6. In respect of the mixture of it if it be commeded with any of our own corrupt and furious perturbations 2. Seeing therefore we may make so boldwith God as the Prophet here doth we are to be taught that God is so slow in the execution of his judgments even upon them that do ill that till he find that his patience is a burthen to his Church and till he be even chidden to it by his faithful ones he cannot strike Wherefore we must both stirre up our selves and our brethren to a serious consideration of this goodnesse of God and that which the Apostle doth call The riches of his patience that we despise it not that we spend not such riches unthriftily but bestow it upon our repentance and making our peace with God 3. Seeing we may thus call God to account as the Prophet here doth and chide his remissenesse let us not take it ill at the hands of God if he chide us for our sins which do well deserve it and he contest with us for our neglect of our duties either to him or our brethren 4. Seeing we have so good warrant for it when we see any unremedied evils which do threaten ruine to our Church or Common-wealth which perchance the Minister may be forbidden to reprove or to disswades uch as these in my text Violence and oppression corruption of Religion and corruption of Courts of Justice which the Minister in general terms may reprove but he must not with Nathan say tu es homo thou art the man to any delinquent in any of these kinds This then is the remedy we may go to God himselfe and chide with him for it without any feare of scandalum magnatum and in holy indignation and zeal of Gods glory laying aside our own corrupt passions we may call him to account for shewing us and making us to see such things And I do not doubt but we shall have as good successe as this Prophet had as the next section of this chapter doth declare Vers 5. Be hold yee among the heathen and regard and wonder marvellously for I will work a work in your days which you will not believe though it be told you 6. For lo I raise up the Chaldeans that bitter and hasty Nation which shall march through the bredth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs 7. They are terrible and dreadful their judgement and their dignity shall proceed of themselves 8. Their horses also are swifter then the Leopards and more fierce then the evening Wolves and their horsemen shall spread themselves and their horsemen shall come from farre they shall fly as the Eagle that hasteth to eat 9. They shall come all for violence their faces shall sup up as the East-wind and they gather the captivity as the sand 10. And they shall scoffe at the Kings and the Princes shall be a scorne unto them they shall deride every strong hold for they shall heap dust and take it 11 Then shall his mind change and he shall passe over and offend imputing this his power unto his God THese words are the second section of this chapter and do contain Gods own answer to the former complaint of the Prophet wherein God declareth how he will be avenged on his own People for the oppression and violence which they have used for the corruption in manners in religion and in the administration of Iustice Let us begin at the words Verse 5. and search the will of God revealed therein Behold ye among the heathen and regard and wonder marvellously Here is God himselfe speaking to his sinful people the Iews and awaking them to behold the anger to come Here is first the roaring of the Lion Cap. 1.2 as in Amos. The Lord will roare from Sion and utter his voice from Jerusalem This is the thunder the thunderbolt doth after follow 1. He biddeth them behold that is to take this threatning of Gods judgement and to spread it before their eyes and to peruse the sad contents thereof 2. Behold yee among the heathen He turneth their eyes to the heathen whom God will now make their sharp schoolmasters to instruct them for seeing they will learn nothing by the ministry of his Prophets whom he hath sent to them to chide them and guide them and seeing they are not moved with the lamentable complaints of their brethren groaning under their oppressions and grievances and injustice now he biddeth them to look among the heathen as to the quarter from whence the following tempest is like to arise for by them God intendeth to punish the Iews 3. He addeth Regard for beholding without regarding and taking the matter into due and serious consideration is but gazing As the Apostle presseth an exhortation Consider what I say God had sent his Prophets to instruct them and they heard them but regarded them not Now he will not be so neglected 4. He addeth and wonder maxveilously attoniti este obstupescite Here he prepareth their expectation for some extraordinary judgement this is that which the Apostle doth call Terror domini and ira ventura the terrour of the Lord and the wrath to come 5. He addeth in general terms the matter of their feare and consternation For 1. There is a work to be done 2. God himself professeth to be the worker 3. The time is at hand in your days 4. The wonder is that though God himself foretell them thereof Non credetis
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
conscience endeavouring to serve God sincerely for that either diverteth the judgment that the Sun shall not smite us by day nor the Moon by night or it maketh us able to bear it as from the hand of a Father that cannot finde in his heart to hurt us You heard the faith of this Prophet concerning this point we shall not die Thou hast ordained them for judgment thou hast established them for correction Only let not us be incorrigible nor faint when we are rebuked for he chasteneth every son that he receiveth The fourth grievance is the pride and vain-glory of the proud Chaldeans exprest in two things 1. In the joy of their victories They rejoyce and are glad 2. In their attribution of this glory to themselves which is self-idolatry 1. They rejoyce and are glad The enemies of the Church have their time to laugh the Wiseman calleth it the candle of the wicked it lighteth them for a time it is unius diei hilariis insania they dance to the pipe and drink their wine in bowles they eate of the fat and they remember not the affliction of Joseph to pity it they remember it to result over Joseph The King and Haman sate drinking together when the Edict was gone forth for the destruction of the Jewes Hest 3.15 and then the City Shushan was perplexed The grief of the Church is the joy of the ungodly It is Davids complaint Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Ps 35.21 Aha our eye hath seen it They have Davids deprecation Let them not say in their hearts Vers 25. Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed them up They have Davids imprecation Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion that rejoyce at mine hurt Vers 26. let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me He was in the very passion of this Prophet for this Lord how long wilt thou look on Saint Augustine upon these words saith Vers 17. Quod capiti hoc corpori what was to the head that to the body for thus did the Jewes rejoyce in the Crosse of Christ they had their will of him it is vox capitis the voyce of the head But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together against me Vers 15. Saint Augustines comfort against this calamity is Quicquid faciunt Christus in caelo est honoravit ille pâ—nam suam jam crucem suam in omnium frontibus fixit which hath reference to the signing with the signe of the Crosse in the Baptisme of Christians then in the use of the Church The reason of this joy in the wicked at the sorrowes of the Church is Reason 1 because the wicked do want the knowledge and feare of God they do not know that God is the protector of the Church but because they see them in outward things most neglected they judge them given over of God and forsaken Davids complaint For mine enemies speak against me Ps 71.10 and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together Saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him For they measure the light of Gods countenance according to the scantling of outward prosperity 2. The wicked want the unity of the spirit Reas 3 which is the bond of peace for the God of peace is not in their wayes they love not they call not upon God Charity is a Theological virtue where there is not true Religion there can be no true love I am sure this is a true Rule in Divinity whatsoever humane policie have to say against it Christ foretold his Disciples in the world ye shall have affliction These things I command you that ye love one another Joh. 15.17 Vers 18. Vers 19. If the world hate you ye know it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the world the world would love his own Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace and they that in Religion do stand in termes of contradiction it is not possible to fit them with a girdle This point is thus made profitable to us 1. For our selves seeing Religion is the best bond of brotherhood Vse and where no Religion is there can be no sincere love let us labour to grow up more and more in the knowledge and love and obedience of the truth that we may be fortified throughout both in our bodies and in our souls and spirits for this maketh us all one body and we can no more fall out then the members of our natural bodyes can disagree one with another the Orator spake ignorantly of the union of affections by the same Country Patria omnes in se charitates complexa est the love of charity comprehends all love for we know that we have had many unnatural fugitives which have abandoned their Country and plotted treasons abroad against it and have returned full of forraine venome and poyson to corrupt the affections of the natural subjects of their Soveraign with hatred of Religion and peace That is only true of Religion for that so sweetneth the affections of men that as they are content to do any thing they can one for another so they can be content to endure any thing one for another to beare for one anothers sakes and to put up at one anothers hands many things to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven times For the true Church as Bernard saith doth suspendere verbera producere ubera hide the rod and lay forth the breasts 2. For our children we must instruct them betimes in the knowledge and fear of God that they may learn the doctrines of piety charity and may be taught to be members one of another 3. This fetteth a mark upon the enemies of God because where there is strife and envying where there is hatred and malice are not they carnal If it be our duty to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to weep with them that weep they belong not to the fold of Christ that rejoyce at the weeping or weep at the rejoycing of their brethren 4. This declareth the vanity of the joy of the world for seeing their rejoycing is evill it cannot be long lived and therefore it is said that the candle of the wicked shall be put out but the joy of the elect shall no man take from them Therefore wo to them that laugh here for their Harp shall be turned into mourning and their Organs into the voyce of them that weep but blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and the time shall come when they shall rejoyce over them who have joyed at their paines and rejoyce over her O heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets Pro. 18.20 for God hath avenged you on her 2. They attribute the glory of the conquest to themselves they understand not who raised them up against the
worser then self-opinion we esteem one poor and proud very odious and such are they that ascribe any thing to themselves because we are not able of our selves to think to move to live to subsist without our God 7. There is no vice that pleaseth Satan better then self-confidence for that quitteth Gods part in us and separateth us from God which is all that Satan seeks for then he hath sure possession and all that he holdeth is in peace 8. A proud man that ascribeth all to himself must needs be unthankful I may stirre up all the inconveniences of self-opinion with this for it is an old truth Ingratum sidixeris omnia dixeris Say he is unthankful and you have said all this is a full imputation and Saint Bernard saith Ingratitudo est ventus urens siccans sibirorem misericordiae fluenta gratiae 2. The Remedies These we may reduce to these few 1. A frequent and serious consideration of our selves what we were by Creation what we are by our sal for so we shall find how poor and impotent we are in our selvs how we have no strength to do any thing but we are debters to God for all all that we have is borrowings quid habes o homo quod non accepisti We have lost the freedom of our Will to any thing that is good we do carry about us legem membrorum corpus peccati so that our strength is weaknesse our wisedom is folly our friendship with the world enmity with God 2. The clearest mirrour to behold our selves in is the Holy Word of God which reporteth to us the story of our Creation and of our Fall which openeth and revealeth God to us in his Justice and Holinesse and Wisedome and Power and Mercy 3. Let us set God always before us and the nearer we approach to him the more shall we perceive whereof we are made and we shall then remember that we are but dust We shal perceiv wherfore we are made namely to live in the obedience and service of our Maker to bestow all our time constantly therein even to the end to glorifie God in our bodies and in our souls We shal see how unable we are to perform any part of this duty without God how we stand obnoxious to the curse of the law for either omitting the duties which we should perform or committing any thing against that just law What have we then to be proud of seeing in him and for him and by him are all things 4. Let us often revolve and recount the good favours of God to us and remember all his benefits and consider what he hath done for us and we shall find that there is a full stream of favour coming towards us whether we sleep or awake whether we drink of that brook in the way or not The Apostle joyneth two Precepts together which do sweetly serve to exercise a Godly and Christian life Pray continually in all things give thanks which do shew that all good gifts come from above to us and therefore all our holy duties must direct themselves that way and as our help cometh from those hils so our eyes must be ever to those hils It is not bread that man doth live by but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God it is not the letter of the Word that quickeneth us but the spirit Our whole help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth Hallowed be that name we are his People and the Sheep of his Pasture Let us go into his gates with Thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise let us be thankful to him and speak good of his name Let us do this faithfully and we shall see it is no thank to our own net or drag that our portion is fat and our meat plenteous For none but he filleth the hungry with good things Peter and his company though they had their nets and fished all night yet they caught nothing when at Christs word they let fall their net and made a great draught they knew whom to thank for it A domino factum est hoc this is the Lords doing Is the voice of the Church therefore non nobis non nobis twice he putteth it from our selves sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not unto us but unto thy name give the glory 5. Grievance Ver. 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations He continueth his former figurative manner of speech and presseth his grievance shall those fishing Chaldaeans when they have filled their net with fish empty it and return to another fishing will it hold out that they shall go from nation to nation and make all theirs as they go The grievance is that the Prophet doth not see any end of their cruel perfecutions as yet for the lingring afflictions which gather increase of strength by time do threaten final ruine whereas violent extremities spend themselves into vanity and nothing 2. Things are here feared 1. The hurt that they may do if they may fill and empty and fill again their net as often as they will 2. The pride of heart that they may gather by the vain-glory of their Conquests The point here confiderable is Doct. that The ungodly man hath no bowels Cain must kill Abel his own natural brother and Judas must betray innocent blood They that be once flesh't in the blood of men can make no spare thereof there is oculus in sceptro but not oculus in gladio an eye in the Scepter not in the sword Agags sword made many women childlesse The growing Monarchies ruined all before them as they went and overflowed all as a deluge nations and kingdomes that prevented not sacking and destruction with timely dedition perished before them But it is a signe of an unestablish't state when the foundation thereof is laid in blood and such as must be watered in blood to make them grow shall have an informer against them vox sanguinis fratris tui clamat de terrâ the voice of thy brother cryeth from the earth This makes all that love the gates of Sion and take pleasure in the prosperity of our Ierusalem to give God no rest in their earnest devotions praying him not to deliver our Church into the hands of Papists because it is a bloody Religion such as doth hazard Princes more then common men which doth bear them out in murthers and legitimateth Massacres for the safety and increase of their Church 2. It is wisedome out of the present state of things to forecast what may come hereafter as the Prophet doth the Chaldaeans must come and invade the land they shall fill their net with fish God hath spoken it it is like to be a merry time with them they shall rejoyce and be glad They are like to grow very proud upon it sacrificabunt lagenae suae c. They shall sacrifice to their net But shall this conquest so
long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
readeth This taunting speech against the King of Babel How hath the oppressor ceased the golden City ceased c. You see in derision she is called the golden City Isa 14.4 And after All they shall speak and say unto thee Vers 10. Art thou also become weak as we art thou also become like unto us How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Vers 12. c. Thus the great glory of the mighty Monarchy is become ludibrium vulgi fabula mundi the scoffe of the vulgar and the tale of the world So Jeremy declareth that this shall be one part of the punishment of Babylon she shall be laughed to scorne read at your leasures the 50. and 51. of Ieremy Amongst many salt and sharp taunts spent upon Babel this is one for a taste Babylon is suddenly fallen Jer. 51.8 and destroyed howle for her take balm for her paine if she may be healed It is Davids phrase But thou O Lord shall laugh at them Psal 59 8. thou shalt have all the heathen in derision It was no small part of the passion of Jesus Christ the subsannations and scornful derisions of his enemies they made sport with him as the Philistims did with Sampson Thou that couldest build the Temple Come down c. It pleaseth God sometimes to suffer his good servants to be tongue â—â—â—itten as we see in the example of David and of Jeremy and Job and others And we have many examples of his permission of it in the punishment of the wicked This doth not justifie contumelies or make libels and scandalous derisions lawful but it declareth them to be the rods of God Therefore let men tender their reputations and do that which is right in their places be they high or lo that they may not deserve ill of the times in which they live that they may have good report of all men and of the truth it self Amongst other things which by way of caution we may take warning of 1. Let them that would live out of the danger of scorne and derision apply themselves to glorify God in their bodies and in their souls and to honour him for God hath spoken it He that honoureth me him will I honour 1 Sam. 2.30 but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 2. Let such take care that they be no despisers of their brethren that they sit not in the chaire of the scornful for the wages of the scorner is scorne and they that trust in themselves and despise others go away from the sight of God unjustified Can pride have a fall and the lookers on not laugh them to scorne 3. Let such keep a good tongue in their own heads for many fair pretenders of Religion and outward professors are as long as Pambo in Eusebius taking out of that lesson from David Servabo circa os meum capistrum ne peccem lingua I will set a watch c. It was in fashion while that they that sought as they pretended Reformation of the Church sought it in the way of libelling and breaking jests upon the Prelates and Malignants of the Church But St. James telleth us That if any among us seem to be religious Jam. 1.26 and refraineth not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 4. Let such take out the lesson of the Apostle Cor. 4.6 Let their speach alway be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer every man This is the seasoning of wisdom from above which being the breath of the holy Ghost which is the spirit of meeknesse doth rather put the burthens of our brethren upon us in Christian compassion then heap burthens upon them in spight and disdain 2. Yet I do not determine all sharp and satyrical tartnesse of speach unlawful the acrimonie of a taunt hath sometimes due place and it may be some of the fire from Gods own Altar when they do not proceed from anger envy desire of revenge vaine ostentation of wit flattery of others whom it may please pride of our own hearts When Adam had transgressed and God had laid his curse upon him God said Behold the man is become like one of us to know good and evill Gen. 3.22 St Augustine saith Verba sunt insultantis quòd non solùm factus fuerit qualis esse voluit sed nec illud quod factus fuerat conservavit God derideth the folly of man fallen away from him It is said of Eliah And it came to passe at noon that Eliah awaked them 1 Reg 18.27 and said cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or hee is in a journey or peradventure hee sleepeth and must bee awakeed So the Prophet Isaiah plays upon the Idolmakers and Idolaters as if he had one of our Papists in hand For he sets a man upon the stage having cut down a tree He burneth part of it in the fire Is 44.16 with part thereof he eateth flesh he rosteth rost and is satisfied yea he warmeth himself and sayeth Aha I am warme I have seen the fire And the residue thereof he maketh a god Vers 17. even his graven image he falleth down to it and worshippeth it and prayeth to it and saith deliver me for thou art my god You see what sport the Prophet maketh with Idolaters and sure he had the Spirit of God The Apocryphal book of Baruch 6. chap. is a very pleasant bitternesse against Idols and Idolaters Surely this example in my Text is justifiable for it taxeth the covetous oppressours of the earth for fools that take so much pain and do so much wrong to load themselves with thick clay But is it not an injury to Almighty God Object to set no higher price and to give no better tittle to the richest of all mettels that which God himself was pleased should be used in the choice vessels and ornaments of his own house then thus to indignifie it I answer Sol. the Prophet doth not indignifie the creature but as God said to man Pulvis es thou art dust and he told him true out of what materials the frame of his body was built so it is no disgrace to gold to call it thick clay it being no other in the matter of it And howsoever good use may be made of these outward riches yet are they never to be esteemed for themselves but for their use which if men on earth could once understand and beleive they would not set their hearts upon them Saint Peter calleth them Corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Tim. 6.57 Saint Paul calleth them Vncertain riches Every man is easily drawn to study and labour to the getting of this burthen and so insatiable in desire that few say with Esau I have enough There is a singular wisdom in the use of riches which few do seek because they do not understand for what this thick clay serveth In the Latine phrase all those
the Church and the Common-wealth Yet they that are thus overtaken do commonly excuse themselves that they have been amongst their friends but this pot-friendship which hath the power to divide a man from himselfe will scarce prove a glue strong enough to unite and knit him to another The kisses of such friends betray thee and thou maist say rather Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends It was Davids prayer let it be thine Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit Ps 141.5 and let him reprove me and it shall be a precious oyle that shall not break my head but Incline not mine heart to evill that I should commit wicked works with men that commit iniquity and let me not eate of their delicates nor drink neither It is a good observation of Cardinal Bellarm. here ubique nocet conversatio malorum sed nusquam magis quam in conviviis compotationibus This is no new danger but a disease of former ages infectiously transmitted by imitation to our times and in them grown epidemical Saint Ambrose describeth a surfetting and drunken meale De Helia Jenin 6.13 primo minoribus poculis velut velitari pugnâ praeluditur verum haec non est sobrietatis spes sed bibendi disciplina ubi res calere caeperit poscunt majoribus poculis certant pocula cum ferculis Deinde procedente potulongius contentiones diversae magna certamina quis bibendo praecellat Nota gravis si quis se excuset All you that call God Father and do desire either the honour of his name or the coming of his Kingdom or the fulfilling of his will make conscience of this great sin call it no longer good-fellowship for St. Ambr. saith vocatis ut amicos emittitis inimicos Ibid. c. 14. Vocas ad jucunditatem cogis ad mortem invitas ad prandium efferre vis ad sepulturam vina praetendis venena suffundis Say to him that tempteth thee to drink drunk vade retro me Sathana get thee be hind me Satan the Kingdom of God is not meate nor drink God shall finde thee out thou hast his woe upon thee and thou shalt see anon how he will punish thee 1. Ad quid ut videant nuditatem It is the boast of brave drunkards how long they have sat at it how many pots and pottles they have swallowed how many they have made drunk this is thy nakednesse Litterally drunkennesse doth make men do things uncomly some use this lewd practise to make way for their lust some to take advantages otherwise Modesty cannot utter what unclean provocations do arise from drunkennesse what lewd and unchaste actions are done what profane and filthy words are spoken Noah himself full of wine doth lie uncovered in his tent and sheweth his nakednes St. Ambrose complaineth of women That full of wine did come immodestly into the street singing and dancing Ibid. c. 18. irritantes in se juvenum libidines Coelum impuro contaminatur aspectu terra turpi saltatione polluitur aer obscenis cantibus verberatur O the miserable state of man in whom sin reigneth he is not only tempted to do evil horrible and shameful evil to drink drunk but to be his neighbours devil to draw him into evill by making him drunk and also this propter malum even to discover the nakednesse of his brother Some shew themselves in their pots like lyons furious and quarrelsome others are dull and heavy only serving for whetstones to sharpen the wits of the company others drowsie and sleepy others talkative every man in his humour all in their nakednesse To do evil that good may come of it is an heinous sin for God needs not Satans help But to do evil our selves to draw others into evil for so evil an end this doth make sin out of measure sinful 1. Take nakednesse literally for the discovering of those parts which modesty doth hide out of sight so after the transgression the man and woman saw that they were naked and they were ashamed being but themselves alone in the garden and they sowed fig-leavs together to hide their nakednesse from each others sight so much remained in them that having left primas sapientiae they yet retained secundas modestiae and could not for shame behold each others nakednesse The Apostle saith These members of the body which we think to be lesse honourable 1 Cor. 12.23 upon these we bestow more abundant honour and our uncomely parts have more abundant comelinesse The honour here meant is the decent hiding of their nakednesse and the modest covering of our shame Where the Apostle doth declare the care that is in the natural body the comely parts which need no hiding from sight do cover the uncomely parts from sight Therefore they that uncover nakednesse do shew themselves to be no members of the body so that such drunkards as give strong drink to their neighhour to this end to discover their nakednesse declare themselves to be no parts of the body of the Church Surely much nakednesse is discovered in many drunken meetings and no marvel when men and women having laid aside reason and temperance religion and the fear of God if they then turn beasts and do those things that are uncomely 2. Take this nakednesse in a spiritual sense then St. Ambrose will tell you Lib. de Noe Arca c. 30. Omnis impius quoniam ipsedevius disciplinae est aliorum lapsus pro sui erroris solatio accipit quod consortes invenerit culpae Then is the season for the Cosener to invade the purse of his neighbour for the cunning insidiator to take advantage of words to find out the infirmitits of his brother that he may keep him in aw thereby I cannot dive so deep into this mystery of iniquity as to declare all and again I fear to go farre in it least I might teach the ignorant sinner more cunning then he had before This I dare say that it is not love that maintaineth drunken acquaintance for true love is a coverer of nakednesse if literal you may see it in Sem and Japhet if spiritual you may hear it from the Apostle love covereth a multitude of sins And out of that love David weeps fot them that keep not the law It becomes them best in my text who know not God but were abominable and to every good work rebrobate to make men drunk to make them sport but these things must not be so much as named amongst those that call God our father that come to Church that hear the word that offer themselves to be guests at the Lords boord Bur I remember the wise man saith Rods be for the backs of fools What greater folly then to sell our inheritance in heaven for strong drink a worse bargain then Esaus and an harder penny-worth The rods for this are 2. Poena peccati the punishment of sin 1. Thou art filled with shame for glory 2. It shall be thine own
to do in the Government of the world and therefore they adored many gods as thinking it too much to believe any one God able to manage the universal Government of all things These gods they represented some formes either cast in mettal or graven in gold silver wood and stone this they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 video to see signifying somewhat that was to be seen for they walked by sight and not by faith and would have somewhat to see before they would worship 2. The vanity of this worship is derided here because this idol which they worshipped could profit them nothing for no man would do service where nothing is to be gained by it He proveth that it cannot profit 1. Because it hath a Maker for so there was a time when it was not and how can he profit a man that is beholding to man for his making 2. Because every idol is a teacher of lies for it teacheth a man to trust in his own work and is a meer illusion planting his trust and directing his worship in and to that which is able to do him no good when he needeth 3. Because these idols are dumbe and can give man no answer to his demands or Petitions 4. Because when man hath bestowed his workmanship upon it and all his cost in over-laying it with gold and silver it is yet a dumb statue it hath no life in it there is no breath at all in the midst of it So that the doctrine of this place is Idolatry is a grievous sin The reasons to prove this are great Doctr. two chiefly 1. In respect of God there is no sin that doth more dishonour God because this doth as it were un god him and setteth up the creature in the place of the Creator at once breaking the two first Commandments of the first Table of Gods holy Law 1. Thou shalt have no other gods but me 2. Thou shalt worship no graven image c. But this reason God omitteth as having now to do with those who knew not the true God 2. He urgeth a second reason this sin is against them that commit it for they trust in and call upon that thing which cannot profit them the two great acts of Religion cast away and lost that is trust and invocation This is a great Argument in our temporal affairs for will a man bestow his time his labour his love and service where no profit is like to arise to him But this kind of idolatry is so extinguished by the light of the Gospel and so little cause of fear of it that I need bestow no time nor pains on it for there is none of us who doth not confesse ' one God in three Persons But there is an idolatry amongst those that call themselves Christians and would have none be the Church of God but themselves that is the Church of Rome and though they protest against it and plead not guilty to our accusation yet the evidence of truth will convince them of it Under the name of idol Cardinal Bellarmine doth understand only falsam similitudinem representantem id quod revera non est a false similitude representing that which indeed is not as the dols He saith the heathen did represent fained gods such as never were but were only the fictions of humane device they have none such Theirs are imagines imago ab imitando of imitating and they be Counterfeits representing in similitude such Persons as have been and have lived in the world So idols they defie images they embrace In this very beginning of their defence both absurd in the strife of words making distinction where there is no difference for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly a visible Representation and so is an image and therefore both in Greek Latine and English one and the same thing but the custome of speech hath impropriated certain words to set fictâ—ons as that an image is the representation of any thing but an idol is commonly taken with us for the representation of some thing that is worshipped Therefore the best part of the Papists defence of their Religion against our imputation of idolatry is this 1. That for the images that they do retain either in the Churchoratories or in their private use they know them in their matter to be no other then the creatures of God of wood stone mettal or some other mixt matter they know them to be in their formes the art of the workman they do know and confesse them to be dead inanimate senselesse things in themselves and they protest against any adoration of them as much they say as we do Here Cardinal Bellarmine speaks for the rest and he will charge the Protestant Church with slander in this point and say there is no such matter they do not worship any idols He complaineth that by this slander some of the Protestants have so distasted the Religion of Rome to many that knows it not that though they do hear of worthy men amongst them who for gravity of manners holinesse of life and all exemplary vertues deserve reverence and respect yet our opinion of their idolatry distasteth them so to us that we will not heare them speak 2. They answer that their images are of two sorts which they use in divine worship Either they be of God or of the creature In the images which represent God they only do worship God in the Image not the Image it self with Holy-worship In the images of the Creatures as of the mother of the Lord Angels and Saints they do but honour God in his Saints and in their invocation they use them but as means of quickning their memories and turning up their devotions by that which the eye beholdeth and God loseth no honour by it to have so many means used to him This is that which they give out for themselves we charge them that they adore creatures and give divine Worship to Images s the heathen did For it is plain that they worship the wood of the Crosse in that they speak that to the Crucifix which can only be applyed to the Crosse it self and not to Christ Salve crux spes unica They adde thou only wert worthy to bear the ransome of the world O faithful Crosse Which agreeth with their doctrine That all the honour due to the Samplar is given to the image thereof And where they excuse their idolatry that they do not worship the image but God represented in the image if that be not idolatry neither were the Athenians Idolaters who worshipped in their images the same God whom Paul preached Act. 17.23 Neither were the Israelites idolaters who worshipped the true God in the Calfe which Aaron made for they could not be so ignorant as to ascribe their deliverance from Aegypt to such a thing as Aaron could make This doctrine and practice of idolatry in the worship of images came in by little and little into the
Church of Rome for it is clear that there was a time wherein there were no images at all known in the Church There were some desirous then to bring them in but the councel of Eliberis decreed that no picture or image should be brought into the Church lest it should be adored And Epiphanius finding an image painted on a cloth Can. 36. hanging in a Church rent it down and said it was against the Authority of Scriptures that any image should be in the Church Saint Origen saith of his time Con. Cels l. 7. nos imagines non adoramus we do not worship images Eight hundred years after Christ the second Nicene Councel set up images but The Councel of Franckford which was a general Councel and where the Popes Legates were present repealed it and affirme The Catholick Church doth affirme that mortal man ought to worship God not by images and Angels but by Christ our Lord. And whatsoever the practice of the Church of Rome now is in the use of them they shall never be able to reconcile the judgments of their best learned concerning them For Some condemn all divine adoration given to them some condemn external bowing before them some confesse that the ancient fathers condemned them some think their use dangerous And they which have gone farthest in defending them have done it by so nice distinctions that the common People cannot understand how to beware of idolatry themselves not understanding themselves therein Even in the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they are idolaters in worshipping the hoast which I prove from Cardinal Bellarmines own penne De justif lib. 3 cap. 8. Ne que potest certus esse certitudine fidei se percipere verum Sacramentum cum Sacramentum sine intentione ministri non conficiatur intentionem alterius nemo videre potest And thus much Garnet the Provincial did ingenuously confesse upon his private conference with some of our Bishops Wherefore how they can excuse their idolatry in the worship of the elevated hoast I cannot see seeing they worship they know not what Any man may easily conceive that they do carry a corrupt mind that way because in all their Catechismes set forth for the institution of young beginners they do leave out the second Commandment quite and to make up the number they divide the tenth Commandment into two Now having convinced them of idolatry which is the high sin against God and toucheth him in his Majesty and Glory we see how dangerous a thing it is to have conversation with such least we receive of the plagues due to them Though the Church of Pergamus did hold fast the name of Christ and denied not his faith yet had the Lord something against her Rev. 2.14 Because she had there them that held the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication The same quarrel had our Lord to the Church at Thyatira in which though he approved her works and charity and service and faith and patience yet he saith Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel who calleth her self a Prophetesse Rev. 2.20 to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols We have no law to favour idolatry or idolatrous meetings to masse we have severe laws against them yet it is in sight that Masse is frequented by multitudes of all sorts in the sight of Israel in the sight of the sun whence this boldnesse grows we cannot judge but from â—n negligent execution of our godly and just laws Have we forgotten 88 have we forgotten the fifth of November 1605 do we not believe experience Were not the Canaanites whom Israel suffered to live amongst them against the Commandment of God Jude 2.3 thorns in their sides and pricks in their eyes and were not their gods a snare to Israel Is not Popery a dangerous religion to the Soveraign Authority of the King setting the Pope above him to over-rule him and to deprive him of his Crown if he be not for his turn Is not Popery a profest enemy to the Religion that we professe light and darknesse God and Belial may as soon be reconciled and therefore an enemy to our Clergy who are all armed with the Word of God against it Or is it good and wholesome doctrine which the Anabaptists this last year tendred to the King Prince Nobility Judges and Commons of Parliament that Freedome of Religion is not hurtful to any Common-wealth or that Freedome of Religion depriveth not Kings of any Power given them of God The times are foule God is much dishonoured where the fault is and of whom the Church and Religion hath cause to complain is not so much our duty to enquire as to pray to God to amend all I le tell you where you shall have him 2. The punishment of this sinne is exprest in one word Vae Wo and it containeth the whole Cup of Gods indignation 1. In this life they trust in that which cannot help them 2. They invocate that which cannot hear them They trust in lying vanities and they forsake their own mercy they are taught by teachers of lies and therefore the light that is in them is darknesse Baals servants cried from morning to evening upon Baal their god to hear them and it would not do here is a double woe 1. Losse of labour 2. Want of help In the first they bewray their folly the god of this world hath made fools of them for turning the glory of the invisible God into the images of creatures But it the second they find the misery for we cannot subsist without help and they trust to idols where there is no help But that is not all the woe the Apostle telleth us that no idolaters shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Gal. 5.20 this is terror domini the terrour of the Lord for how shall they hope to have glory witch God who deny glory to God will God give them glory that seek to take away glory from him or let them into heaven that would thrust him out Observe it in that law concerning graven images God hath more exprest himself then in any of the rest to be a God of vengeance for there is ratio legis God is jealous And there is Comminatio judicis visitabit and it goeth in descent to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him Observe he calleth them such as hate him There is a promise He will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him And I conceive this added to this Commandment rather then any of the rest because Gods Israel did most often offend in this kind by worshipping God in creatures and by performing external adoration to them which is in this law chiefly forbidden The fear of this woe hath
wherein he prophecyeth the birth of Christ in Bethlehem In both these Prophecies we observe that the promise of God hath not only assured the spreading of true Religion but the assemblies of beleivers to certain places for instruction that they may bee taught vias Domini the ways of the Lord. Never was there Religion in the world without some places of publick-Worship for meeting of people together Even in Adams time there was a place where Adam and his children met to offer sacrifice and Cains flying from the presence of the Lord was his wilfull excommunication from that place And in truth they that would have no Churches may aswell cry down Religion and the publique ministry of the Word and pluck down the hedge which God hath planted about his Vine and lay all common Understand us rightly we do not affix holinesse to the place nor think any speciall sanctity inherent in it but seeing God is by a singular right become master of the house that is separate to his use as the Apostle saith judge I pray you is it comely that wee put not difference between Gods House and our owne houses It is observed that Christ when he purged the temple purged only that part of the temple which was set apart to prayer and hearing of the Word because that use of the Church was to continue in the time of the Gospel and after he had cast out the oxen and the doves which were provisions for sacrifice then he citeth that place and reneweth the sanction My house shall be called an house of prayer to all nations which is a sanctification of all Churches to the Worship of God That this was so understood Know that before they had any Churches built for the publick exercise of Religion they had some places of meeting which they called Aedes sacras holy houses of which the Apostle putting difference sayth have ye not houses to eat and drink in Cor 1 1◠22. despise ye the Church of God Here be our own houses for common and natural moral and civil use here is the Church of God the place of assembling of the Congregations to the Worship and service of God No sooner is a place consecrate to this use but it is a Temple of Gods So when Jacob had set up a stone for a pillar Gen. 28.19.22 in the place where he dreamed and had the vision of the ladder he called the name of it Bethel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods house And after At his returne he came to that place and having first put down all the strang gods Gen. 35.7 he built an altar to the Lord and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good of Gods house It is palestra in which we do meet with God to wrestle with him in our fervent prayers and supplications He by his word wrastleth with us to overcome both our ignorance and impiety And therefore as Jacob Gen. 32.31 so may we call our Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the face of God for there God did look upon him And in the times of the Gospel these houses of prayer have had several tittles Aedes sacrae in respect of their succession to them and Templa in respect of their succession to that at Jerusalem Tectum amplum some derive it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Propter dedicationem 2. Propter usum 3. Propter jus perpetuum 4. Propter sabbatum For there is Dominica in Dominico thence came the word Kirke Yet in use in Scotland And Ecclesiae in respect of the meetings there When David could not come to the sanctuary of God he worshipped toward it Hear the voyce of my supplications Psal 7. Ps 28.2 Dan. 6.10 when I cry unto thee when I lift up my hands towards thy holy temple Daniel being farre from the temple opened his window toward Jerusalem and prayed three times a day The Temple is a type of Heaven where the Saints of God do meet to praise God which is the worship that is done to God in heaven And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men Rev. 21.3 and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God This Mr. Brightman understandeth of the Church of the Gentiles where God is seen So doth James Brocard an Italian understand it of the Church delivered from Poperie and Mahometry and all haeresie But Master Bullinger better advised saith that as in the former part of this Revelation hell is described so in this chapter heaven is set forth And that as you see in the similitude of a tabernacle so doth Junius and Napier well interpret this place I conclude then that all the Churches wherein the Christians meet to call upon God are the temples of Gods presence wherein God is invisibly resident both to give his Spirit where he thinketh good and to direct our service of him and to receive our prayers and sacrifices of thanksgiving and to communicate to his servants the ordinances of his grace the means of their salvation 2. As God is in these temples made with hands and declareth his presence in his house in his Word and Sacraments and in the solemne meetings of his children so is he in heaven which is his highest temple whereof these are but types and figures We beleive in him as maker of heaven and we pray to him our father which art in heaven this place he himself calleth his habitation I dwell in the high and holy place 1. In heaven Yet as Solomon saith The heaven of heavens is not able to containe him Isa 57.15 2 Reg. 8.27 So he is there as in the most excellent part of his creation but not comprehended there for there he is most purely worshipped thence cometh our Sicut in Coelo The heathen gods are no where in heaven they are not that is the temple of the true God in earth they are not for they are no gods that have residence in earth and have no power at all in heaven As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the world Here by the name of Idol is not meant the material image representing their god for that is a bodily substance to be seen and felt and it is in the world but he speaketh it de numine the divinity is a non ens For he addeth that there is no God but one and whereas many be called gods in heaven and in earth as there be many gods and many Lords yet he saith there is but one God the rest are nomina not numina For there were that worshipped the Sun the Moon and the starres these as creatures and second causes do us good but they serve our God When our God is in his Temple all those help to make up the quire of them that praise him For the heavens declare the glory of
canit By singing prayed and by praying sung So the 70 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Tremelius and Junius read Oratio Habak Prophetae secundum odas mixtas That is not accommodated to any set kind of verse but mixt of sundry kinds And so they do not understand the word Sigionoth to be the the name of the instrument upon which it was sung but the name of the verse into which their prayer is digested As the Greeks and Latines had their severall kinds of verses Heroick Iambick Asclepediake Phaluciake and such like I cannot better expresse this to the understanding of the weakest judgment then by referring you to the varieties of verse in our English Psalmes that we sing in the Church for if they were all composed in one kind of verse they might all be sung to one tune Some have their set tunes and admit no other because they are of a severall kind of verse So I take it that this Sigionoth was the name of that kind of verse in which this Psalme was written Thus much of the words of the title The things which we may make profit of in this title are these 1 That the Prophet composeth a prayer for his own use and for the use of the people in captivity 2 That he putteth this prayer into a song or psalme Concerning the first The contemplation of the Justice of God in punishing the sins of his Church Doct. of the vengeance of God revenging the quarrels of his Church and of the mercy of God in healing the wounds of his Church and restoring it again to health doth give the Faithfull occasion to resort to God by prayer The reason is because these things well considered that God is just and mercifull do breed in us Fear and Faith which being well mingled in us cannot chuse but break forth into prayer Fear discerning the danger of his power wisely and Faith laying hold on the hand of his mercy strongly For howsoever Fear be an effect of weaknesse yet doth it serve to good use in the fitting of us to prayer because 1 Fear breedeth humility which is necessary in prayer as St. James adresseth Cast down your selves before the Lord and St. Peter Jam. 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God And howsoever the proud despise humility as too base a vertue for heroick and generous spirits St. Peter commendeth it for a speciall ornament Deck your selves inwardly in lowlinesse of mind 1 Pet. 5.5 That feare which is in the reprobate doth drive them quite away from God but the fear of the elect brings them to his hand and casteth them at his feet the Publican full of fear yet it had not power to keep him from the Temple nor from prayer rather because he feared he came to Church to pray 2 Fear breedeth in us a desire to approve our selves to God and keepeth us in awe setting both our sins always in our own sight and our selves in the sight of God which sheweth what need we have to fly to him 3 Fear doth serve for a spur to put us on and to mend our pace that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 run the way of Gods Commandements For men run for fear With this fear is joyned faith which layeth hold on the comfortable promises of God and so filleth us with the love of him that we resolve under the shadow of his wings we shall be safe This also doth break forth into prayer as the Prophet saith I believed therefore did I speake Fear directed by Faith will soon finde the face of God For fear humbleth us faith directeth this humiliation to the mighty hand of God Fear makes us ful of desire faith directeth our desire to God Fear makes us runne faith sheweth us the face of God and biddeth us runne thither and thus the contemplation of Gods justice and mercy doth fill the heart with zeale and the spirit of supplications as in this present example The Church seeth God remisse in forbearing them it feeleth God sharp in punishing them it discerneth him just in avenging them and it is promised mercy and favour in delivering them therefore the Prophet teacheth them to pray We are taught to think on these things 1 Vse which may move us to seek the face of our God and that is a work for the soul when it keepeth a Sabbath of rest unto the service of God as appeareth in the Psalme Psal 92. for the day wherein the Church doth consider the justice and mercie of God Our idle and wandring thoughts runne all the world over in vain imaginations we could not bestow them better then in sweet contemplation of the works of God here in the government of the World We are taught also when we behold these things to pray to God for prayer being a conference with God we cannot offend him in any thing that we shall say out of fear and faith This duty is by God commanded he hath directed it he hath promised his Spirit to helpe us in it hee hath made many promises to them that use it aright and it is here prescribed as a sovereign remedy against affliction to use it for it is fitted for the use of the Church in captivity in Babylon This prayer being made for the use of the Church 2 Doct. as we have said we are taught That the afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the faithful but that even in exile they will assemble together to do service to their God and therein also to comfort one another 1 The reason is in respect of themselves the faithfull are one body and the ligaments and bonds of their communion are love and peace therefore much water cannot put out this fire of charity neither can the flouds drown it so afflictions are in Scripture resembled in flouds and waters 2 In regard of the service they know it to be a debt from them an honour to God and though each of them in severall may do it yet when a Congregation meeteth together their conjoyned zeal is like a bonefire for every ones zeal enflameth another What needed the faithful else to seek out corners and private places to assemble in in the times of persecution for their devotion if single and severall persons had been either so fervent in it self or so acceptable with God so that before persecution ceased they began to build Oratories for their meetings Therefore Vse though some do separate from our society others tarry with us to disturbe our peace some cry out against the use of our Churches let us thank God that we have liberty of Religion and places to meet in to serve our God and let us not neglect the society of the Church Ecce quà m bonum quà m jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is to see one holy congregation set upon God by prayer This prayer made for the use of the Church doth teach
svavity of matter and order as is often involved in tropes and figurative and parabolicall Phrases so that all readers of holy Scripture finde the poeticall parts of the Bible exceeding difficult more then the historicall and morall Now where most cost is bestowed of search to finde out the meaning of the holy ghost and most delight is reaped it being found that doth tarry by us better and we hold it with strongest retention This pleaseth God well that we hide his word in our hearts that we do not runne it out in a leake This doctrine of the holy use of Poetry in the worship and service of God serveth Vse 1 To stir us up to affect the best gifts of all in Gods worship if there be any way more excellent then others to use that in our prayers and thanksgivings and prayses of our God I remember what David said to Araunah the Jebusite when he offered to give him his threshing floore to erect an altar upon it for God I will not offer a burnt Offering to the Lord my God 2 Sam. 24.24 of that which cost me nothing Let it cost us the highest straine of our invention the lowdest extension of the voice the earnestest intention of the heart we have nothing good enough for him all we have is of him let it be all for him and for the advancement of his glory 2 Seeing this kind of exercise of Hymns and Psalmes hath been by Gods holy Servants consecrated to the worship of God let us bestow our wit and inventions that way not in devising Satyres to gird and lash our Brethren not in amorous and wanton evaporations of our lustfull affections not in base flattery of the corrupt times and soothing of ungodly persons not in broaching and venting uselesse fictions the scumme and froth of idle and unsanctified brains but let our wits and pens be exercised in glorifying of our God and our readings rather bestowed in the Psalmes and Hymns of holy Scripture then in the vain and artlesse dull and brainlesse Ballads and Poems which fly abroad amongst us and devoure precious time which should be better spent and transport affections which should bend their strength to Gods service 2 I consider that this song of Habakkuk was directed to the Musician to be fitted to the stringed instruments so to be not onely sung but played in the meetings of the Church from whence I collect That Church-musique hath the honour of antiquity and of holy use also I need not prove this out of the old Testament for the examples grow so thick there that he hath read little in the Old Testament that hath not informed himselfe of the Churches use and practise therein We have Myriams consort Exod. 15.20 There were Timbrels and Dances all the women came out after them We have Jephthaes Daughters consort Judg. 11.34 meeting her victorious Father with Timbrels and Dances We have Davids full example in the Tabernable Solomons constitution for the full Musique of the Temple If any object that these be those old things which are done away but now all things are made new those were but shadows and ceremonies serving onely for those times but now antiquate and abolisht Let me tell them that in the time of the Gospell where the Church hath more cause of joy then ever it had before we can give no cause to abate any thing of Gods worship Who can deny but that the first tydings of the birth of Christ was proclaimed by an Angell and the Proclamation was seconded by a Quire of heavenly Souldiers even a multitude of them the whole consort of heaven praising God The Anthume which they sung is upon record in the living Book of the Gospell Gloria in excelsis Luke 2.14 Ob. But yet the singing and Musick of instruments in the time of the Law were shawdows of things to come at the coming whereof they must cease whereof then were they shadows It is answered of the inward and spirituall joy of the faithfull for the coming of the Messiah Sol. Had not then the faithfull before Christ this inward and spirituall joy and why should we which have it more in the inward man expresse it lesse in the outward worship Ps 48.10 David saith According to thy name so is thy praise to the ends of the earth Christ saith I have manifested thy name to them that thou gavest me doth it not follow well where there is manifestum nomen there should be manifesta laus The Church use to prayse God with instruments of Musick the Church hath more cause to prayse God since the coming of Christ then before why should any thing not repealed and forbidden to be used be neglected to manifest Gods prayse Ob. But all things in the Church must be done to edification Musick doth not edifie Sol. Then was it never of lawfull use in the Church and David and Solomon did ill to bring it into the Tabernacle and the Temple and the Church did as ill to contiune it if it be without edification But if ever it seemed for edification why not now as well as ever it is the same God that is now served whom they worshipped and as Augustine Tempora variata sunt fides vna times vary but faith is one how where and when did Musick loose that honour that use in the Church of God Ob. But it spendeth time which were much better bestowed in hearing the Word of God preached Sol. I answer it was used when much more was to be done in the Church then we have now to do and they thought it not tedious They had many Sacrifices to offer and the time spent in prayer and hearing of the word yet they use it Ob. But popish superstition hath so defiled it that it is not now fit to receive it in our Christian Churches Sol. I finde that our fathers before the coming of Christ were not so squeamish to like their own holy worship the worse because Idolaters did use some of their formes of worship for Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and that was worshipped with all kinde of stil and loud Musick yet that did not defile the holy worship of the Church It is a dangerous rule of religion to menage it by opposition they are not all opera Diaboli workes of the Devill which the devill doth for you know that he confest Christ which many Scribes and Pharisees did not They that condemne all that popish superstition hath also abused may want a candle to light them to bed I professe sincerly I cannot see but that the same motives that bgan to bring in Musick into the Church may hold it there still for any thing that I can see 1 In respect of God to glorifie him in the best manner that we can by any gifts of art or nature And Musick being one of them we see how much it hath decayed and how much Students in that excellent art have been discouraged from that
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
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
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
serpent for Christ calleth the vvicked genimina viperarum generation of vipers and to such he saith Vos estis ex patre vestro Diabolo you are of your father the Devill John 8.44 For this Rupertus saith that the Bible is called the Book of the battails of the Lord Num. 21.14 because it conteineth the story of the vvars betvveen these tvvo the Church and the vvorld From this enmity vvhich God put betvveen the Church and the vvorld ariseth this hatred and opposition so that the prosperity of the vvicked is Davids grief the miseries of David be the vvorlds joy the joy of the Church is the affliction of the vvorld God left the Devill in his fall and took him not up again thereby forsaking him he put enmity into him and he for the hatred that he beareth to God hath ever since persecuted him in his Church because his malice cannot extend to hurt him And herein he is the more cruel because he knovvs his time is but short Satan is but Gods instrument in the afflicting of the Church so it is said to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Reas 2 Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison Revel 2.10 that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days He goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour If he be kept from devouring he biteth and rendeth and doth vvhat hurt he can for he is a murtherer but if God shevv the light of his countenance to them vvhom he pursueth he is sick of that mercie and so are all the tents of Cushan the vvhole brood of vipers have this venome from the old serpent to be afflicted at the prosperity of the Church For instance I vvill prevent the time David saith one day telleth another and one night certifieth another To morrovvs memoriall teacheth this day this vvas the vigill of that popish holy day vvhich the same Papists here at home and many beyond the seas hoped to have made festivall to all posterity The children of darkness had provided to put out our light to quench the light of our Israel it was an affliction to the Papists to behold religion and peace setled under the government of a learned King who knew what he believed and why and who had discovered himself an enemy to their Antichristian and hereticall synagogue They saw a fair issue ready for timely succession so gratiously seasoned with the salt of heavenly wisedom from the first of their capacity and apprehension that there remained no hope for their politique religion to finde footing in these Churches Their flourishing state of Church and Common-welth was such an affliction to them that some Zealots of their Religion the sons of thunder could no longer contein themselves but their study was how to put their grief upon us and to transfer our joy upon themselves They shewed us the vvay of their rejoycing their mercies vvere cruel nothing could remove their grief at our vvelfare but the destruction of the head and body root and tree and all in a day And they that vvould have destroyed us thought and the Jesuites and Priests of the Roman Faith taught them to believe that they should do God good service We see the mercies of that religion so clearly in this horrible Treason that all that knovv and serve the God of peace have just cause to esteem Papists disloyall subjects secret enemies to the State bloudy persecutors of the Gospell of peace Our stories are full of their malice vvrackings imprisonments starvings burnings hangings and many exquisite torments executed upon innocent and holy Martyrs But vvhen vve remember the Povvder-Treason that calleth all the tormentors of the Church before them mercifull the Devill did never roar so loud before the Buls of Rome never bellovv'd such terrour to the Church as in that damnable and desperate attempt The provocation vvas their affliction at our prosperity and griefe at our vvelfare again this venome of the generation of vipers boiled over and they that bore evill vvill to our Sion sayd one unto another Catosby to his confederates I have bethought me of a way at one instant to deliver us from all our bonds and without any forriegn help to replant the Catholique Religion which is to blow asp the Parliament house with Gunpowder for in that place have they dohe us all the mischief and perchance God hath designed that place for their punishment for this striketh at the root and will breed a confusion fit to beget new alterations What alterations could be here meant but those that Job felt that our Land and Church might complain Thou hast turned my Harp into mourning and my Organs into the voice of them that weep How did they swallow up the joy of this change in hopeful expectation of successe but the children came to the birth and there was no strength to bring forth Their own fear came upon them For it was Catesbyes own Lenvoy to his revealed Treason But saith he If this take not effect as most of this nature miscarry the scandal will be so great to the Catholick Religion as not onely our enemies but our friends will with good reason condemn us Thus did their minds mis-give and abodements of evil did secretly call upon them to fly from the anger to come This diverted them a while from this execution and put them into a new project Thomas Winter was sent as his confession under his own hand reporteth to inform the Constable of Spaine then coming in Ambassy from the King of Spain to our Sovereigne of the state of the Catholicks in England and to entreat his mediation to solicite our King for the revocation of some penall laws and the admittance of the English Catholicks into the ranke of his other Subjects Winter met with him at Bergen neer Dunkirk and by the meanes of Owen an apostate Traitor he had accesse to him mooved him in his suite and had a fair promise from him to do all good offices in that errand But Owen discouraged that hope saying that he believed nothing lesse and that they sought onely their own ends meaning the state of Spaine holding small accompt of Catholiques Owen animated the Treason and promised to send Faux over to help to set it forward From thence Winter went to another of our fugitives Sir William Stanley to Ostend where he asked his opinion whether if the Catholiques of England should do any thing in England to help themselves the Arch-Duke would second them he answered no for all those parts desired peace with England After all these despairs they had no remedy to cure their disease of envy at the gratious peace of this State but their powder-plot in which none but profest Papists within the land had any hand None that we can discover but Priests and Jesuites here or abroad did blow the fire No forreign Prince hath the dishonorable name of privacy with it or abetment of it onely the
our God for ever we may go forth boldly in the strength of the Lord both against the enemies of our temporall estate and the spirituall adversaries of our souls for who can wrong us if we follow the thing that is good God who maketh in us both velle facere to wil and to do and make us able for this work of our salvation Verse 14. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me Hab. 3.14 there rejoycing was to devour the poor secretly THis as you have heard before in the exposition of the words hath reference to that victory which God gave against the Midianites to his Israel Judg. 7.22 wherein the Lord set every mans sword against his fellow throughout all the hoast for there he strook them with their own staves and armed them against themselves to their own ruine Wherein consider with me two things 1 Their punishment 2 Their sin In the punishment we are taught That God in his just judgment maketh the ungodly rods to punish one another of them Doct. if they have no other enemies but themselves they shall go together by the ears amongst themselves and smite one another This is that which God threatned against the sinnes in Israel no man shall spare his brother Isai 19.19 He shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and he shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh and they together shall be against Judah This was the burthen of Egypt And I will set the Aegyptians against the Aegyptians Isai 19.2 and they shall fight every one against his brother and every one against his neighbour City against City and Kingdome against Kingdome In the first of these two places the Prophet doth foretell how the Tribes shall fall out among themselves and how their greedinesse of wealth and honour shall make them devour one another For the Apostle giveth warning that we be tender how we bite one another Lest we be devoured one of another This is sin and punishment both wherein they offend therein they are punished In the second example of the Egyptians destroying one another we behold the uncertain state of ungodly nations and people they can have no constant peace 1 Because they know not Reas 1 they serve not the God of peace and where true Religion doth not unite hearts they may cry a confederacie which may hold so long as it may some private turns but the next great provocation turns all into fury and combustion for there wants the foundation of peace within them 2 Because he would thereby maintain the equity of that naturall law written in every mans heart by the finger of God Reas 2 Do as thou wouldest be done to Wouldest thou bee content to be beaten with those staves that thou hast made to beat others to be hewed and mangled with those weapons of violence therefore God in his justice employeth this preparation against themselves and scourgeth them with their own rods 3 That we may know that all things in the administration of the world are directed by the wisedome and providence of God Reas 3 who though he be a God of peace yet he also causeth divisions and contentions amongst men and punisheth transgressours therewith The ten Kings in the Revelation which are the 10 horns of of the beast that is of Rome These at first joyn their forces against the Lambe and set up the beast Revel 17.13 These have one mind and shall give their strength unto the beast But in the end And these 10 horns which thou sawest upon the beast Verse 16. these shal hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her with fire For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and to give their Kingdom to the beast untill the words of God shall be fulfiâ—â—â—d From whence we gather that that agreement which is amongst wicked men against Christ and against his Church is strengthened by the will and providence of God for a time till that time the confederacies of the ungodly do hold but when he pleaseth to dissolve them they end in self-woundings and intestine combustions This serveth to settle our judgments Vse 1 concerning the combinations of the wicked against the Church they are of God and he hath his secret and just ends therein either to chasten the errours and transgressions of his people or to bring their patience and piety to the test to try whether any thing will make them forsake their hold and relinquish their trust in him Or to bring the greater condemnation upon those whom he useth as instruments in this tryall of his chosen servants Therefore now that we both hear the news and see the effects of this new bloudy league to destroy the Church and to root out the Protestant Religion whereby much Christian bloud of Innocents is already shed more is feared let it establish our hearts and settle our judgments upon this rest The Lord will have it A Domino factum est hoc Tu Domine fecisti thou Lord hast done it Surely there is much drosse in our gold which must be purged we have not spared one another with schismaticall mouthes and pens to break the peace of the Church and God in his just judgment suffereth the wicked to prevail against us This comforteth the Church against these tempests of fury Vse 2 that her enemies do raise against her For though they weaken us thereby and exalt their own horn on high yet when the waves of the sea do rage horribly God that is on high is more mighty then they and he will smite them with their own staves that supported them and wound them with their own swords that defended them 3 This admonisheth us not to settle any confidence or trust in the friendship of man Vse 3 whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be trusted The Prophet Micah saith The good man is perished out of the earth Mical. 7.2 there is none upright among men they all lie in wait for bloud they hunt every man his brother with a not That they may do evill with both hands earnestly The Prince asketh Verse 3. the Judge asketh for a reward and the great man uttereth the mischief of his soul so they wrap it up The best of them is a bryar Verse 4. the most upright of them is sharper then a thorn hedge And from this consideration of the generall falshood that is in friendship his caution is Trust ye not in a friend Verse 5. put no confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosome For the Son dishonoureth the Father Verse 6. the Daughter riseth up against her Mother the Daughter in
law against her Mother in law and a mans enemies are the men of his own house What shall we do then Therefore Verse 7. I will look upon the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Christ our Saviour doth apply this text to his own comming into the world Mat 10.34 he professeth it that he came not to bring peace into the world but the sword In which words hee rather expresseth the events and effects then the intention and purpose of his comming for where the light of the gospel doth shine Father Mother Brother Sister are but nuda nomina bare names where Christian Religion is not for the true Gospeller will fall out with all and forsake them all for Jesus Christ The rest of the Church is God in Christ let us seek peace with men if it be possible as much as in our power let us have peace with all men but let us trust no humane or temporall supportation Seeing it is here set down as a great judgment of God upon Midian Vse 4 that they were beaten with their own staves and wounded with their own weapons Let us take notice of this judgment and take it for a great signe of Gods indignation against us when we break the bonds of peace and Christian charity byting and beating one another libelling and defaming woorrying one another with suits of molestation schismatically forsaking the fellowship one of another and changing publique Congregations into private Conventicles and forsaking the setled Priesthood of the Church for such as do labour most to break the peace of the Church for what is this but the angel of Satan beating of us with our own staves Doth not this home-contention in our Church open an easie way to the enemie of both to enter in and spoil all And this I have observed that two sides have gained by our Church contentions The Anabaptists have recovered some from us who standing so violently against Popery have questioned all that they received The Papists have recovered many who have gone so far in the defence of the mean that themselves have staggered into the extream God be mercifull to our land and continue the peace of the State even the sweet correspondence of our Sovereign and his subjects and we shall have hope that our arms shall be strengthened against our enemies and our own staves shall do us no hurt 2 Their sin it was a trespasse against the Church of God devouring of the poor and that by open violence comming like a whirlwind in sudden fury against them and by secret practises to hurt and annoy them teaching us that It is a grievous and provoking sin Doct. openly or secretly to distresse the poor There be two words of strong signification here used 1 Scattering which signifieth their expulsion out of their places where they dwelt to go as the Levite did to get them a place where they can finde one which suiteth well with the humour of the covetous rich man who desires to dwell alone upon the earth 2 Devouring which signifieth taking away from them all that they have to put it to their own heap whereby they become vassals to those that strip them This is a grievous sin Reas 1 and well deserves the punishment above mentioned 1 Because God hath declared himself the patron and protector of the poor and therefore the Psalmist saith The poor committeth himself unto him for he is the father of the fatherlesse so that to distresse those is to clip the wings of the hen that gathereth in her chickens it is 2 Because the poor are our own flesh Reas 2 so they are called by the Prophet and it is used as an argument to perswade compassion To deal thy bread to the hungry to bring the poor that are cast out to thy house Isa 58 7. when thou seest the naked to cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh The poor and rich both digged out of the same pit both cast in the same mould 3 Because Reas 3 Natura paucis contenta nature is content with a little and we have enough amongst us to minister that For if we have food he meaneth not Manna and Quails but necessary food and raiment he meaneth not costly but necessary raiment we must be therewith content To strip the poor naked to multiply our changes of raiment or to take away a whole garment from them to put one lace more upon ours this is inhumane irreligious To scatter them that we may have elbow-room enough and more then needs for our selves that we may have so much the more to look upon and lie by us this is Midianitish and heathenish Vos autem non sic do not you so Because God hath committed together with riches Reas 4 the care and custody of the poor to the rich and as they hold their wealth not as rightfull owners but as mercifull stewards and dispensers thereof so in the dispensation they are accomptants to God for the overplus and he wil call for the inventory and judg their administration of those things Understand therfore that God doth not at any time relinquish his interest that he hath in the gifts which he bestoweth on men but still he saith The silver is mine Hag. 2.9 and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hoasts When David gave up all the provisions that he had made for the building of Gods temple to Solomon his Son he blessed the Lord and he confest saying O Lord our God 1 Ceron 29 16. all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thy holy name commeth of thine hand and is all thine own so before all things come of thee and of thine own hand have we given thee The use then that we must make of this point is Vse 1 For the rich let them know their duty to the poor love is a debt that they owe to them not an arbitrary courtesie they may not 1 Either encroach upon them by robbing or spoiling them of that which they have as here those Midianites did to spoil their corn to take away any thing of theirs 2 Neither may they come upon them as a whirlwind to encompass and gird them in by their devices of power or wit or authority to make prizes of their labours whilst they eat the bread of adversity and drink the waters of Marah 3 Neither may they withhold their hands in their bosomes in their wants but stretch them forth to relieve their necessities The wise son of Jakeh saith Pro. 30.14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords and there jaw teeth as knives to devour the poor from off the earth and the needy from among men And Solomon saith The soul of the wicked desireth evill Pro 21.10 his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes Let them remember that the rich man in the gospel is not charged with any oppression of
serveth to reprove the doctrine and faith of the Church of Rome Vse 3 who teach that God hath committed to his Son the dispensation of Justice but to his sons mother the dispensation of mercy which opinion was no sooner afoot but they turned Domine into Domina Lord into Lady and so in the Church of Rome the Virgin Mary hath more Devotoes vowed to her service then Christ hath she hath more temples dedicated to her honour then Christ and far more miracles ascribed to her then to Christ Yea they shame not in print to tell the world that she hath saved some from hell whom her son had condemned thether and she hath released many from hell whom her son had already sent thither I onely alleage against them the plain words of our Saviour Thou hast given him power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast gived him Therefore beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees the poisonous doctrines of the Church of Rome which take salvation out of the hands of God and ascribe the donation thereof to creatures This was wont to be called Idolatry in the sermons and writings of the learned to invocate the Virgin Mary as they do in their Rosaries and Letanies of the holy Virgin Mother of mercy Gate of heaven our salvation she that hath bruised the head of the serpent They make their vulgar Latine Bible say so Ipsa conteret caput tuum There be two Psalters both printed in Paris in French and set forth with the approbation of the Sorbonne one called St. Bonaventures Psalter in which wheresoever God is named for Dominus they have put Domina printed in Anno 1601. The other Psalter is digested into fifteen demands printed the same year with the same approbation wherein the Virgin Mary is called the first cause of our salvation the finder out of grace and putteth her before Christ even in gloria Gloria Virgini Maria Jesu Christo What think you doth that Church wish the salvation of of any man in good earnest that swerveth us from the God of our salvation and directeth us to seek it from a creature Yet this is the religion which is now grown in fashion with many in these doubtfull and giddy times which as it robs God of one of his highest prerogatives and doth divest him of his power of salvation so the professours thereof will finde it a thief in their things temporall for in ordine ad Deum the Church will engrosse all the Apostles of that Church wil not be content till all be laid at their feet Let me commend to you the Kings Majesties confession of his faith published in Latine and in English directed to all Christian Kings in this perticular his words are For the blessed Virgine Mary I yield her that which the Angel Gabriel pronounced of her that she is blessed amongst women and that which she prophecyed of her self in her Canticum that all generations shall call her blessed I remember her as the mother of Christ whom of our Saviour took his flesh and so the mother of God since the divinity and humanity of Christ are inseparable and I freely confesse that she is in glory both above Angels and men her own Son that is both God and man onely excepted But I dare not mock her and blaspheme God calling her not onely Diva but Dea praying her to commend and controul her Son who is her God and her Saviour You see what opinion his Majesty hath of the Doctrine and practise of Rome in this point he doth call it mocking of her and blaspheming of God to ascribe salvation to her or to seek it from her I hope you have lived too long in the light of the Gospel to be taken with any of these baits and to be befooled with any of these inchantments of palpable heresie I hope if an Angel from heaven should come and teach you this doctrine to seek your salvation any where else but from God you would answer him 〈…〉 as Nehemiah did answer Sanballat There is nothing as thou saiest but thou feignest it out of thine own heart Beloved let all that love Jesus Christ and his holy truth joyn as one man against popery and seek to the light of the Word whil'st it shineth upon us that we may not lose the way of salvation which that Word revealeth Popery robbeth the Church of this Word and putteth this candle under a bushell it sendeth us the wrong way for salvation and like the blind Aramites it leadeth them into the midst of Samaria even putteth them into the hands of their enemies God did much for this land when he gave us this light let not our unthankfulnesse to him or our peevish waiwardnesse amongst our selves or our evill and unworthy conversations forfeit this light or remove our candlestick So long as we know where our salvation is setled and who hath it in keeping for us so long as we look that way and direct all our obedience and worship our thanks and prayse that way we are safe for Blessed is the people that be in such a case blessed is the people whose God is the Lord for ipse est qui dat salutem 2 Ground of their hope The Lord is my strength This comfort supporterh in afflictions and this is that which is our ability of which the Apostle saith But God is faithfull 1 Cor. 10.13 who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able for what are we able surely of our selves to nothing that is good for us the name of man ever since the fall of man hath been a name of impotency and weaknesse Cease ye from man Isai 2.22 whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accompted of Christ hath told us sine me nihil potestis facere For by strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2.9 Psal 71.10 I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will maeke mention of thy righteousesse even of thine onely The words of my text are Doctrinall Doct. The Lord is the strength of his Church Consider this which way you will 1 In eo quod sumus in that we are In him we live 2 In eo quod facimus in that we do the good that we do he doth it himself O Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us Isai 26.12 The skill that we have in our severall professions and trades and mysteries it is his spirit that giveth it the strength that we have to labour in our severall callings is his strength and that blessing was included in the curse of man Gen. 3.19 Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face that God would give man strength to earn his bread and his labour should be his physick it should make him breath out evill and noxious vapours in his body which might offend health in sweat And if
Ps 73.16 Vers 17. then understood I their end Which teacheth us in these great deeps of the wisdom of God not to resolve any thing out of humane reason but to consult God himself and to hearken what he will say to the matter to speak after him and follow him Our experience telleth us that there hath been much opposition much injustice here in our land that the Common-wealth groaned under the burthen thereof The wayes of God are not like our wayes did not God see this did not the cry of the poor and the oppressed go up to him even to his ears is he not come down to visit the transgressors and to take the matter into his own audience even now in the cool of the day he is come at last to keep a Sessions and to search Jerusalem with a candle and lanthorn now his eye-lids do begin to try the sons of men and the joyful Church and Common-wealth cry to him saying Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Ps 45 3. with thy glory and thy majesty And in thy Majesty ride prosperously Vers 4. because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 2. His instruction of others He will not only hearken to satisfie himselfe but he will furnish himself from the mouth of God with answers to satisfie them that shall dispute and argue with him against the Providence of God That is the use of our study and labour in our Ministry 1. To teach the truth 2. To convince contradictors This second part of our duty the Prophet had now special use of for the Church foreseeing the fearful judgements of God upon the Jews did argue the matter with the Prophet and all those former grievances they objected as arguments against Gods Government of his Church The Prophet holdeth the foundation and seeketh to inform himself how he may be able to maintain the same against opposition and strife of tongues Docemur We are taught In the Church of God there will be ever some that will argue and dispute against God Doct. 1. Because men are first taught by the wisedome of the world Reas 1 and that is enmity with God This proceeds from our original pravity of nature corrupt in the first derivance from our Parents which albeit it hath the seasoning of the Law of God written in the heart yet the law of the members which is contrary to the law of God doth prevaile against that law and leadeth us captive unto sin 2. Because as the Apostle saith for who hath known the mind of the Lord Reas 2 Ignorance of the ways of God doth breed in us many sinister opinions as we find in David in this very case Rom. 11.34 for he confesseth that the prosperity of the wicked troubled him till he went into the house of God there he learned the mind of God and then he was well satisfied Even this Prophet knew not how to answer them that would argue with him against God till he had called to account and disputed the matter with him 3. Because the Apostle saith of the Elect Reason 3 For we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Now in many of Gods chosen the sight and sense is full the faith is weak and imperfect and when we come to hear of the equal Justice of God in punishing sinners and feel the smart of his rod upon the Church it is an hard matter to assure the heart by believing against that which is suffered in feeling 4. Because Solomon saith Reas 4 Eccl. 7.29 God hath made man upright but they have sought many inventions for surely the equal and constant ways of God are suspected by the unequal and inconstant inventions of men who in favour of themselves spare not to cast the afflictions of the Church rather upon the will of God of which they are not able to give the reason then upon the evil deservings of their own sins 1. The Minister must learn of the Prophet Vse 1 to apply himself to the remedy of this inconvenience to maintain the cause of God against all contradiction and strife of tongues for as we are the Peoples Oratours to plead their cause with God so are we Gods Oratours to defend him against the corrupt and perverse censures of men by proclaiming his constant Justice and Wisdome and truth and by teaching them as the Psalmist saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We need not strain our selues much for this for wisedome will be justified of her children and he whom we defend against the calumniations of prophane or against the distrustfulnesse of the ignorant and weak will fill our mouths with arguments in his own defence Job saith to his friends Iob. 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly of God and talk deceitfully for him The Cause of God is an upright Cause we shall not need to be put to our shifts to defend him against the dispute and arguing of men It s enough that we rest in this principle of undeniable truth Surely God is just there is no unrighteousnes with him as Abraham That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked Gen. 18.25 and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right 2. The People that are our hearers are taught to hearken to the voice of our message and to learn this lesson of the Justice Vse 2 wisdome and truth of God that they may rightly know God and sincerely love him that if any thoughts of distast of Gods Government or distrust of his Justice shall arise in their hearts they may presently call to remembrance our pleadings for him and confesse that how admirable soever the ways of God are in our judgements yet they are always equal how secret soever they be yet they are always just It is a malicious suggestion when Satan shall bely us to God as he did Job when he said Job served not God for nothing but there is no great danger in it Ioh. 2.25 for he knows Satan to be a liar and a murtherer and he needeth not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man It is a dangerous suggestion when he shal belie God to us First either flattering us with an overweening of his mercy to encourage sin as when he told Evah You shall not die at all Secondly Or shall affright us with the terrour of his Iustice as if there were no â—ope of favour as he did to David setting some awork to tell him Non est tibi salus in deo tuo there is no help for thee in thy God Thirdly or shall taxe to us the Government of God as if he were either negligent of the affairs of the sons of men or ignorant altogether of the sufferings of his Church or partial in administration of
Justice or directly unjust in suffering his own servants to be opprest with the injuries of men The Minister must diligently preach the hearer must reverently hear and faithfully believe the truth concerning the Providence of God or else all Religion will sink and want foundation Vers 2. And the Lord answered me and said Write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry HEre begins the second part of the chapt which contains the Lords answer to the Prophets expostulation Containing 1. A Direction to the Prophet ver 2 3. 2. A Declaration of his holy will in the general administration of Justice 1. Concerning the Direction given to the Prophet And the Lord answered me and said For the manner how God maintained intelligence with his holy Prophets we are not very particularly informed we find inspiration and revelation and ision mentioned he that made the light that is in us and gave us our understanding can best make his ways known to his holy ones and as I do not think that Habakkuks contestation with God was verbal and vocal but rather a wrastling and striving of his spirit and inward man neither do I think this answer of God was audidle presented to the eare but by some secret divine illumination suggested And where he saith The Lord answered and said These phrases do expresse so plain an answer as is made in conference between man and man Write the vision That is set down in writing my answer It is our manner for the better preservation of such things as we would not forget to set them down in writing But because this request of the Prophets doth concerne others that he may inform them God addeth Make it plain upon Tables that he may run that readeth it That is write my answer in a Table in great Characters that though a man be in haste and run by yet he may read as he runneth shewing that he was desirous to satisfie all such as the Prophet spake of before who should argue against him As out manner is to fix publike Proclamations and Edicts on wals or on Posts in ways of common passage that any Passenger may take notice thereof seeing it concerneth every one to that the Lord alludeth in this place giving the Prophet great charge for the declaration of his holy will in this great matter so to expresse it that every one of his People may receive information thereof Vult aperta esse verba apertè scribi saith St. Hierom. For the vision is yet for an appointed time The time is not yet fulfilled for the execution of the Will of God but it is in the holy wisedome and purpose of God determined when it shall be fulfilled At the end it shall speak and not lie That is in the time prefixed by Almighty God it shall take effect and the counsel and decree of God shall be executed For God that hath promised cannot lie The answer of God is full as it after will appear and doth not only clear the Iustice of God in the present cause of the oppressed Iews against the Chaldaeans but it maketh a further and more general overture of Gods decree against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men so that this Prophecy shall not only comfort that Church and those times but it is directed to the perpetual use of the Church in all the ages thereof He therefore addeth Though it tarry wait for it do not think by any importunity to draw down the judgements of God upon the ungodly or to hasten the deliverance of the Church God doth all things tempore suo in his time and the servants of God must tarry his leasure Because it will surely come it will not tarry He giveth assurance of the complement of his Will in the proper and prestitute season thereof which nothing shall then hinder The parts of this text containing Gods direction given to his holy Prophet are three 1. The care that God takes for the publishing of his Wil to the Church vers 2. 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance thereof in the time by him appointed 3. The patient expectation which he commands for the performance thereof 1. The law that he takes for publishing it The Prophet must not only hear God speak the Seer must not only behold the vision but he must write the same litera scripta manet the written letter abideth I will not stand to search how ancient writing is wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the law in two Tables Exod. 32. But because I find in Exod. 24 that Moses wrote all the word of the Lord Vse 4 and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the old world I will not question Josephus his Record of the two pillars erected before the flood engraven for the use of posterity with some memorable things to continue in succeeding ages whereof one remained in Syria in his own time It is frequent in Scripture to expresse a perpetuity of record by writing In the case of Amalek Write this for a memorial in a book Ex. 17.14 Iob. O that my words were now written that they were printed in a book Job 19 23 Graven with an iron pen Vers 24. in lead and in the ink for ever Isay the Prophet I heard a voice from heaven saying to me write all flesh is grasse Ioh. Audivi vocem dicentem Beati mortui I heard a voice from heaven saying Blessed are the dead Beloved thus have we the light that shineth upon the Church and guideth our feet in the ways of peace by writing for all Scripture is given by inspiration holy men wrote as they were inspired It was given to them by inspiration to know the will of God they impart it to the Church of God by writing and that boundeth and limiteth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus hath God revealed himself to his Church 1. Cor 4.6 both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life then what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the word giveth understanding to the simple And as this word from the immediate mouth of God doth warrant this particular prophecy so doth the Apostle say of all the body of Canonical Scripture that all Scripture is given by inspiration and Gods care is double 1. That it be written to continue 2. That it be written plain to be read 1. It must be written that it may remain 1. Written For in the old world because of the