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
not wrought enough upon the Romanists who are guilty of grosse idolatry so on the other side it hath wrought too much upon some zealous Professors who fearing superstition and idolatry dare scarce shew any external reverence to God himself either when they come into Gods house or when they come to Gods Table Yet the Angel that would not be worshipped said Worship thou God and that is all the Church exacteth not an inward Worship only but an outward also commanded in the second Commandment Vers 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him The Temple of Gods holinesse is understood here as you have heard two ways 1. For the Temple at Jerusalem 2. For heaven In both let all tremble before him This is the second part of the Antithesis True Religion containing two parts 1. Where God is 2. What duty is owing to him 2. He is in his Temple at Jerusalem Vbi est and in all other Temples dedicate to his service For the Temple at Jerusalem he appointed the making of it and chose the man to whose care he committed the trust of the work David might not do it but Solomon was the man When it was finished and Solomon had assembled the People to the consecration of it and prayed there God answered the Prayer of Solomon with a visible expressure of his Presence for a cloud filled the house it was filled with the Glory of God But some of our Sectaries say there is no need of Churches for Gods publick service there is neither precept nor example in Scripture for it but the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria leave it at large The houre cometh and now is John 4.23 when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth Saint Augustine calleth this heresie in the Massilians that they denied the use of Temples because Christ foretold that the use of the Temple at Jerusalem should cease which was a shadow of things to come In the Old Testament beside the Cathedral and Mother-Church the People had their Synagogues for their meetings to Gods service which continued even to and in Christs time Christ himself designed a place for that meeting wherin he celebrated the last Passeover and instituted the Sacrament of his Supper The Disciples had a place of meeting wherein Christ twice found them the first day of the week The persecutions of those times gave no sodain liberty to settle a Church and to erect Temples nor that I can read for the first 200 years after Christ were any Temples built Yet before the persecutions ceased they had erected Oratories for their meeting to Prayer and hearing of the Word for in the tenth Persecution under Dioclesian Euseb 8.2 An. Reg. 19. Mense Martio he made an Edict for the pulling down of the Temples of the Christians But under Constantine when Christian religion had the favour of Authority regal then Concurrebant populi ad populos quasi os ad os Ecclesiae quae antea impiis tyrannorum machinis destructae fuerant redivivae c. Then the People came together Eus 10.2 And ever since the Church hath continued this practise of maintaing Oratories for the meeting of the Congregations for the praise and service of God There is warrant enough from the example of the Church and the Authority thereof to maintain this holy practice Those places be the Temples of Gods holinesse the houses of God separate from all common use to the holy service of God And God who by his Omnipotency filleth all places is in our Churches by a more special presence for if the Glory of God filled the Temple in the time of the Law why may we not believe that in the light of the Gospel he reveileth his Presence more because the place wherein we serve God is Gods house and all Civil and common use of it is resigned to consecrate it to Gods service If God be present where two or three are assembled surely where there is a meeting of a full Congregation he is present with a special presence And therefore it hath ever been esteemed a pious charity in those that have been founders enlargers restorers or adorners of Churches as Saint Origen saith quam gloriosum est si dicatur in Tabernaculo domini Illius fuit hoc aurum hoc argentum In ex 25. Hom. 13. c Rursus quam indecorum ut dominus veniens nihil muneris tui inveniat in eo nihil a te cognoscat oblatum Ego optarem si fieri posset esse aliquid meum in auro quo arca contegitur Nollem esse infoecundus c. These houses of God are the temples of his holinesse where the name of God is declared to the Church wherein God by his Spirit speaketh to the Churches in the outward ministry of the word where the holy ones of God do speak to God by the same Spirit in prayers in hymnes and spiritual songs where the sacrifices of righteousnesse are offered And herein is that gracious Prophecy of Isay fulfilled which our Saviour alleadgeth in the Gospel For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Observe Isa 56 7. here is not only oratio prayer which is cultus divinus divine worship but here is Domus mea my house a place designed for the worship of God and that for all people This cannot be made good in the temple of Jerusalem nor in any one Church but must determine both the extent and dilatation of Gods worship and the designation of fit houses for the same Another like Prophecy we have before in Isay It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountains of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 and shall be exalted above the hils and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the top of the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem The common exposition is that after the returne of the people of Israel from the 70 years captivity in Babylon then Religion and Gods Worship shall be setled at Ierusalem But observe how this exposition shriveleth up the promise of grace for this is not all He saith this shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last time and he addeth that all nations shall flow to it and he saith not that one mountain but The mountains of the Lord shall be established which must needs be understood of the Churches of the Christians to which the faithful should resort For further proof hereof read Micha 4. where you shall find this Prophecy totidem verbis Vers 1.2 in so many words and a commentary upon it Micah 5.
word is their warrant his truth their assurance When we behold the same power of God in the change of Ministers of his will Vse vve learn to know vvhatsoever alteration the vicissitude of time maketh on earth yet thou Lord art the same and thy years do not fail Therefore as David saith Put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in them there is help by them but it is not in them our help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth 2 This shevveth the perpetual course of Gods favour to his Church the faithfull servant of God Moses dieth but the spirit that God put upon Moses survived him Eliah Elisha Num. 27.18 and rested upon Joshua he was consecrated to that imployment 1 By Gods own election and designation 2 By the imposition of Moses hands and the devolution of some of his honour upon him 3 By Gods own gift of the same spirit that vvas upon Moses Thus vvhere God loveth a poople the favour of God runeth in a full stream in the Chanel of his Church 3 Seeing this constant truth of God in his gratious promises to to his Church hath reference to our obedience this much teach us to obey and serve our God in all things that his sun may shine upon our Tabernacles and that vve may anoint our paths with butter for as David saith No good thing will he with-hold from them that serve the Lord. Dâ—uâ— 28. He hath shevved his people vvhat they shall trust too blessings and cursings life and death 3 Doctrine This also teacheth us as the Apostle doth The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much James 5.16 He proveth it by the example of Eliah who though he were a man subject to the like passions as we are he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth in three years and six moneths And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain So this example of Joshua praying is a full example of the effectuall power of prayer these examples as that also of Moses praying upon the Mount when Joshuah fought with Amalek do all seeme to prove the force of prayer Exod 17. And great reason there is that this should be effectuall with God 1 Because there is no service that man can perform to God wherein he doth so much part with himself and even lay himself down in prayer for therein he openeth his heart to God and poureth forth his spirit to him and his faith doth bring God to him face to face When men pray as they ought they know God and themselves they know and confesse him the faithfull Creatour the mercifull redeemer the gracious preserver the bounteous rewarder of men And they know themselves to be but men that is indigent and needy having nothing but what they receive from his hand and of his free gift immerent deserving none not the least of his favours Which two considerations do serve to humble us and to honour him We finde in Scripture watching and fasting often joyned with prayer as outward means to tame and subdue the flesh that it may be the lesser able to resist the power of the spirit for the spirit is willing in the servant of God but the flesh is weak 2 There is no part of Gods worship that hath so many precepts to impose it on us as prayer hath in both the Testaments none that we have so many examples of great successe and prevayling with God none that we have so good means to perform as prayer none that hath so many promises made to it in holy Scripture 1 For precepts 1 Precept so soon as God had established him an house for his publique worship he commanded it to be called an house of prayer to all nations Solomon dedicated that house to God by prayer it is Gods own Word seek ye my face it is the Churches answer Thy face O Lord will I seek And Christ our Saviour often in the gospel the Apostles after him enjoyns it 2 For example we have Abraham 2 Example Isaac and Jacob Moses David Solomon Hezekiah Eliah Manasseh Nehemiah Job Samuel Daniel all the Prophets all the holy men Christ his Apostles all with admirable successe 3 For means 3 Means Christ taught us to pray shewed us the way to the Father in his mediation and by his name And the spirit which Christ left in his Church helpeth our infirmities Christ hath comprehended all in a few words 4 Promise Whatsover you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be given you Ask and receive that your joy may be full petite quaerite pulsate These great examples of successe do all seem to stirre us up Vse to the performance of this part of Gods worship both 1 In obedience to the Commandement of God who hath imposed this duty on us whose Commandements are mighty and ought not to be light layed 2 In an holy ambition of the best graces of God vvhich are this way obteined of him 3 In an humble love to our God to whose presence and conference we come by prayer 4 In an holy imitation of those great examples vvhich are so frequent in Gods faithfull ones in the double Testament of God 5 In a thankfull use of the means by God ordeined to facilitate this service that we receive not the grace of God in vain 6 In a confident faith in Gods gratious and free promises vvhich are yea and Amen 7 In an humble sense and feeling of our ovvn vvants and the necessities of our brethren for so vve do exercise both our piety to God and our charity to our selves and our brethren But this discourageth many Ob. we read of great power of prayer of old as that Moses prayer gave Joshua victory Joshuahs prayer made the Sun stand still Eliah by prayer shut up heaven by prayer he opened it Daniel by prayer shut up the mouths of the lions in their den We see no such effects of prayer now and therefore we think prayer is not of such effect now as heretofore To this our answer is Sol. that great and extraordinary examples of the successe of prayer are but thinly scattered in the Book of God to shew the power of Gods Ordinance Neither may that be a rule to us that prayer is not of force as it hath been because we do not see such great effects thereof as have appeared in former times For in the time of the shadow when Christ was seen in type and under a veil there was need of extraordinary examples to confirm faith but to us that live in the cleer light of the gospel to whom Christ is made manifest to be our intercessor this may seem to strengthen faith If God did hear the prayers of his faithful owns and answered them by miracles they had speciall warrant to demand those things at the hands of
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
working in that means Thus in the Church of Rome Angels by God employed for the service of man by the over-doing thankfulnesse of man were honoured with the honour due to him that sent them Those that leave the service of God and study men and apply themselves wholly to their humours to better their estates do set up new and strange gods against the true God and give his glory to creatures and make their means their idols do commit idolatry and break the first great Commandement of the Law The Romanists cannot clear themselves of this trespasse though Bellarmine their Champion do his best to excuse it He distinguisheth between images which he calleth veras rerum similitudines the true similitudes of things but he calleth idols false Representations of things that are not But not to trouble our selves to examine his frivolous distinction the image it selfe of a true thing subsisting is a creature and to give that the honour due only to God is grosse idolatry for example that in their Romane Breviary which is directed to the Crosse be it not to the image and representation of the Crosse before their eyes but in it to the Crosse it selfe is it not idolatry O Crux ave spes unica hoc passionis tempore auge piis justitiam reisque dona veniam 2. This text chargeth them that they offend whereby it appeareth that idolatry is an offence you see how high it reacheth even to the ungodding of the Almighty and we shall shortly see how sore it smarteth upon the offenders 1. The devil is the Authour of idolatry Reas 1 for when God had buried Moses secretly to prevent idolatry the devil would have discovered the place to move the People to idolatry that was the strife which Saint Jude mentioneth between Michael the Arch-angel and the devil about the body of Moses wherein the Arch-angel prevailed against him 2. The devil is a great tempter to idolatry Reas 2 Matth. 4. for he assaulted Christ so si procidens adoraveris me if thou wilt fall down and worship me 3. The devil is the chief Agent in the Ministery of the idolatrous Priests Reas 3 as the evil spirit offered his service to be a lying spirit in the mouths of Baals Prophets foure hundred of them at once 1 Reg. 22.22 The promise of Satan is that which he profest to Christ to draw men from the worship of God to worship him and there is no mean all worshippers that do not worship the true God worship Satan so the Chaldaean imputeth their force to Satan for he that is not with him is against him The use of this point is taught by the Apostle Saint John Vse 1 John 5.21 Babes keep your selves from idols give not the glory of God to creatures It is an admirable thing in the whole course of the story of Israel and after of the Iews Moses could tell them for what Nation is there so great Who hath God so nigh unto them Deut. 4.7 as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Yet was idolatry their national sinne although upon all occasions they might advise with God though they had the pillar of fire the pillar of cloud the Arke the Law the Priesthood the Temple and all the oracles of God committed to them Therefore no wonder if the Chaldaean who had none of this did commit idolatry These are examples for us and because we have no feare but of the idolatry of the Church of Rome we must take warning to keep our selves from their idols and their idolatry This we understand is now the study and care of the religious Patriots in the honourable and high Court of Parliament let us joyn with them in our Prayers to God for the rooting out of the Romish Religion let us give God our hearty thanks that he worketh by his spirit such zeal of the glory of his truth in the godly faithful hearts of the Commons of this land to stirre and rowze up themselves in a matter so much concerning the honour of our God as this doth For who delivered us from the Spanish violence in 88 And who delivered us from the bloody powder treason in An. 1605 If the gods that our enemies serve could have prevailed against our God had we not been as Sodom and as Gomorrah Therefore let us pray God to preserve us from idols and from them that love and serve them of whom I may say truly with David The words of their mouths are smoother then butter but warre is in their heart Ps 55.21 Their words are softer then oyle yet are they drawn swords There can be no hope that those men which will rob God of his glory and give it away to creatures will ever be true to us Let every one in the zeal of Gods glory shew and professe his hatred to idolatry and his love of the true Worship of God and as they need the sword of the Lord and of Gideon so let us cry The sword of the Lord his word in the mouths of his faithful Ministers and the sword of Gideon the sword of the religious Court of Parliament against them Vers 12. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God my holy one we shall not dye O Lord my God thou hast ordained them for judgement and O mighty God thou hast establisted them for correction 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill and canst not look on iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he 14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea and as the creeping things that have no ruler over them 15. They take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragge therefore they rejoyce and are glad 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net and burn incense unto their dragge because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations AFter God hath denounced his judgment upon the Jews contained in the former Section now the Prophet beginneth a new wrastling with God in the behalf of the afflicted members of his Church The Prophets speech is addressed to God himself wherein he first ascribeth to God Eternity Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God He ascribeth to him Holinesse My holy One And this Pronoune possessive My doth lay hold upon a special interest that Habakkuk by faith claimeth in God From which consideration he draweth this cheerful Conclusion We shall not die O Lord speaking of himselfe and of the afflicted in the Church of the Jews that though God had threatned such an invasion by the hand and power of the Chaldaeans yet shall it not proceed to their ruine God will keep his Church there is a remnant that God will save from the
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
we read Remember the fearful quarrel of Christ with Capernaum And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven Luk. 10.15 shalt be thrust downe to hell It is one of the works of the preaching of the Gospel I may call it one of the miracles of the power of our ministry Every mountain and hill shall be brought low Chrysost Elatos superbos nomine montis denunciat Luk. 3.5 he cals the proud by the name of a mountain the early and the later rain that falleth on them doth slip off and fall into the under vallies and the vallies as the Psalmist saith do abound with corne The power of the Word extendeth to the humiliation of many that are lifted up for it revealeth unto us Christ without whom we can do nothing without whom no man cometh to the Father And this leaves us nothing to lift us up I have spoken of this sin out of the former chapter where the Chaldeans proud of their victories do rejoyce and ascribe the glory thereof to themselves And from the mouth of an heathen man Artabanus the Uncle of King Xerxes I take it Herodit Polymnia gaudet Deus eminentissima quaeque deprimere his reason Quia Deus neminem alium quà m seipsum sinit magnifice de se sentire Yea sometimes we finde when God doth owe a man a shrewd turn he will lift him up himself that he may throw him downe as David complaineth Thou hast lifted me up and cast me downe But the lifting up here understood is the pride of heart which maketh men to esteem of themselves above all that is in them such are their own Parasites and the Wiseman saith there is more hope of a foole then one of these In this Argument I went so farre in the former chapter as to teach you two things 1. To decline this as a disease 2. To embrace the remedies against it 8. Reasons I gave against it to perswade declining of it 1. It trespasseth primum magnum mandatum legis the first and great Commandment of the Law c. 2. Connumerat nos filiis Sathanae patri fil superb 3. Exterminat charitatem voluntas Dominium exercet 4. Subjicit nos opposicioni divinae Deus resistit superbis 5. Tollit à nobis talentum dum nostra quaerimus 6. Male nos decet poore and proud 7. Nullum vitium Sathanae magis placet 8. Superbus ingratus and so omnia dixeris The remedies 1. Serious consideration of our selves 2. Studious searching in the word of God 3. Putting our selves often in the sight of God 4. Frequent casting up the favours of God to us 5. Earnest and devout prayer This is a slie and cunning insinuation of Satan to lift us up in our own opinion there is a tang of our hereditary corruption that runnes in the same channel with our blood we are all apt enough to value our selves above the lone price Few of the mind of Agur the son of Jakeh I am more brutish then any man Few of the mind of Saint Paul Of whom I am cheif It is a great victory that a man hath gotten of himself if he be once able to keep himself under for whether we do encrease in outward goods or spiritual graces we shall have much ado to avoid this sin 2. The censure Non est recta anima ejus This Physitian doth search the disease to the bottome he finds where the fault is the soule is naught the inward man is corrupt And if the light that is in us be darknesse how great is that darknesse It is the searcher of hearts and reines that findeth this fault who but he can examine and try the inward man We see what bodie what complexion what stature man hath we may see what honours he attaineth in the world how he encreaseth goods what delights a man useth for recreation we cannet see what souls men have rectas an obliquas But if we see and observe men proud and lifted up high in their own opinion we see there is cause of fear that they have not rectas animas right souls And though the judgment of our brethren belong not to us yet let us judge our selves by this for if we do finde in our selves an elevation above our pitch Doctr. that either the opinion of our wisdome and strength or riches or honours or friends do swell us it is a certain Symptome of a diseased soul 1. Because this lifting up doth dislodge God from the soul he will not dwell with a proud man he hath so declared himself Reas 1 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the hight and holy place Isa 57.15 with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble to revive the spirit of the contrite ones Now as Augustine saith Vita corporis anima vita animae Deus If he say to our soul I have no delight in thee we may complain in pace mea amaritudo our soul is sick even to the death 2. Because this pride of life which lifteth us up Reas 2 is not able to keep us up for the elevation of our souls is like the violent casting up of an heavy body into the aire which will fall down againe with its own weight Jam. 1.14 it is a mans own lust that draweth and driveth and forceth him up And if Satan do put his help to it to lift us up he will be the first that will put hand to the casting of us down again When he had lifted up Christ to the pinnacle of the Temple the next temptation was Cast thy self down 3. Because this pride of life filleth the soul so full of it self that there is no roome for the spiritual graces of God to dwell there Reas 3 Christ lodged in a stable quia non erat locus in diversorio 4. Because as the eating of somethings doth put the mouth out of taste that it cannot relish wholesome food Reas 4 so the pleasing of the souls palate with the lushious sweetnesse of temporal vanities doth make the soul out of taste with the bread of life that wholesome dyet which should keep our souls in health Let us make profit of this Doctrine Vse 1. Let it be the main and cheif care and study and endevour of our whole life to get and keep animam rectam an upright soule To keep your accompts strait to keep your estate upright to keep your body in health by a regular observation thereof to keep your interest in the love of your freinds all those be lawful cares of life and this is an incumbent duty which obligeth and engageth all men but let not these cares swallow us up and devour our whole life These things perish in the very using of them The soul of every man that is the man if that be not kept upright What profit will it be to a man to winne all
God and the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4 1◠who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdome Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrines God hath given and committed to us the Ministry of the Word of faith by which we must live and if we be not found faithful in the dispensation thereof our souls shall answer for the sins of the People which are committed by our negligence and for want of our giving warning 2. To you it is a provocation of you to be swift to hear to take heed how you heare to heare with meeknesse to hear willingly to hear attentively to meditate in the Word that you hear to search the Scriptures to believe the word spoken to be obedient to the forme of doctrine delivered not to despise him that speaketh in our ministry it is said of Lydia that she heard us This was the outward means of her saith This had never done good alone for he that planteth is nothing and he that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the increase He is nothing saith the Apostle that planteth that is the Minister of the Word is nothing There were two things much amisse amongst the Corinthians at that time 1. One was they did too much depend upon their Ministers and ascribe too much to them wherein he that sent them had wrong 2. They were partial in their estimation of their Ministers some affecting and preferring one some another that it came to a schisme To remove which double disease in the Church the Apostle telleth them that the Minister is not any thing his meaning is not to disgrace the Ordinance of God to defile his own nest to dishonour his own high-calling but to bring them to true judgment of it and to let them understand that the Ministry of men is outward that God hath no need of it he can convert and establish souls without it And further whatsoever the Minister doth it is by the suggestion and help and efficacy of the Holy Ghost The purpose of the Apostle is to withdraw us from dependance on outward means he doth not seek to discourage the use or to disparage the honour of them or to question their necessity but to shew that as planting and watering of a tree are to the bearing of fruit so is our preaching to your good life except God do give the encrease the means in it selfe is not any thing Therefore let us search deeper for the power of God in the increase of our faith and we shall find it a special work of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 4.31 and so Saint Paul speaking of the spirit of faith doth give us to understand that faith is wrought in us by that Spirit of God which bloweth where he listeth So it is said of Lydia that the Lord opened her heart The manner of the operation of this Spirit in the work of faith in thus 1. It worketh upon the supreme part of the soul that is the understanding 2. Vpon the inferior part that is the Will and affections 1. Upon the understanding and there it openeth to us three things 1. The Excellency of our Creation 2. The misery of our fall 3. The remedy thereof 1. The Excellency of our Creation For man was made in the image of the Trinity that is in holinesse and righteousnesse he had Free-will to have continued that happy estate and he had the tree of life whereof he might have eaten and have lived for ever in the state of his creation It is necessary that we be instructed in the story of mans creation that we may understand the power wisdome and goodness of God shewed in man who out of so base a matter composed so excellent a frame as this of mans body and inspired it with a reasonable soule endowing it with heavenly light and giving to man the lordship of the works of his hands leaving it in his own free-will to perpetuate the tenure of his happinesse This is called mans state of innocency wherein 1. His knowledge 2. His holinesse was full and perfect 1. His knowledge was full 1. Of God 2. Of himself 2. Of the creatures 1. Of God knowing him so farre forth as a fraile creature was capable of the knowledge of an infinite nature and therein man was no whit inferiour to the Angels of God Coloss 3.10 for God created men and Angels in his own image and this knowledge is the image of God so saith the Apostle Created in knowledge after the image of him which created him 2 Of himself for he was then sensible of all that God had done for him and I cannot doubt but that light which God set up in this excellent creature did shew him the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of himself so that he knew the secret of his own composition the admirable faculties of the intellectual animal part the Symmetrie the Anatomy the use of every part of the body the end use of his creation 3. Of the creatures for as all the creatures were brought before him to declare to him his dominion over them so for more expressure of his lordship he gave to every creature a name surely the light of his understanding penetrating so deep as to the secret nature of all things sublunary as also well read in the great volume of the celestial bodies and furnished with all science whereby either the content of the minde the honour of his high place being lord of all or the use of his life or the glory of his Maker might be maintained or procured Such was man in the state of innocency in respect of his knowledge and though his fall eclipsed that light very much and much of that particular knowledge which Adam had perished in him yet sure that which remained after the fall which was the stock wherewith he set up in the world did give the first rules and lay down the grounds of all arts and sciences which being perfected by observation study and experience in the long life of the fathers descended upon succeeding times like rivers which gather in some brooks to mend their streame as they hasten to the sea and so improve their strength in current and dilate their banks Much of this maketh much against man for in this exellencie of his knowledge extending it self so to the creature no doubt but he knew the Angels also and knew of their fall I cannot suppose that so excellent a creature as man bearing the image of God that made him and of the Angels that stood and kept their first estate could be ignorant or that God would conceale from him such an example of weaknesse in so excellent a creature of justice in him I cannot suppose but that he knew into what condition the fall of Angels had dejected them and how farre their sinne had corrupted them he could not but know them hating of and
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
knovvn he re-inforceth his former petition novv desiring that God vvould reveale his gracious purpose of succouring his Church and triumphing over the enemies thereof In the mean time vvhile thy Church is groaning under the burthen of their exile make thy vvill knovvn to them This favour of God vvil svveeten the adversity of their banishment vuhen they shall knovv the loving purpose of God tovvard them In wrath remember mercy They confesse that they have given God cause of displeasure and have provoked him to vvrath they feel the smart thereof in a strange land and they have no plea but mercy they dare not make so bold vvith him as to entreat him to turn avvay all his vvrath from them because they are so guilty to themselves that they have provoked him and deserved his indignation Onely they desire that in the midst of his vvrath he vvould remember mercy By vvrath in this place is not meant any such affection in God vvhereof his unchangeable and constant nature is not capable for God is semper idem ever the same vvhom hee loveth he loveth vvith an everlasting love and he cannot at any time be angry vvith them But vvhom he loveth upon occasion he rebuketh and chasteneth every son vvhom he receiveth and this love sometimes bringing forth the effects of that vvhich in man is called vvrath vve speak after the manner of men and avouch it of God Thus then the text is literally to be understood O Lord I have heard vvhat thou hast spoken in the defence of thy upright justice I have heard vvhat thou purposest in the punishing and in the avenging of thy Church in the mean time preserve it and make it knovv thy love tovvards it and vvhilst thou art punishing of it remember mercy The parts of this are tvvo 1 The preparation to prayer 2 The prayer it self 1 In the preparation I observe Motum the motive Metum fear 2 In the prayer I observe 1 Subjectum the subject 2 Petitiones the petitions The petitions are three 1 O Lord revive thy Work in the middle of the years 2 O Lord in the middle of the years make knovvn 3 In wrath remember mercy First of the preparation 1 of the Motus O Lord I have heard thy Speech The Word of God is vvell bestovved on them that vvill hear it vvith reverence and receive it vvith humility here vvas a maze the Prophet and the Faithfull of the land had lost themselves they knevv not vvhat to think till they had put the matter to God himself Cap. 1. and God having made a ful ansvver novv the Prophet saith in his ovvn name and in the name for whom he consulted God I have heard thy speech All the Scripture is full of examples of the Children of God hearkening to his word of precepts and admonitions to us to hearken of promises to them that do hearken The reason is because it is a speciall note of Gods children to heare his Word even as our Saviour himself saith He that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therefore hear them not Joh. 8.47 because ye are not of God And now seeing God hath given over speaking by miracles extraordinarily to his Church St. John saith We are of God 1 Joh. 4. he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of errour The Spirit of truth is left in the Church by our Saviour and he speaketh in such who by the Ordinance of Christ are the Priests of the new Testament of whom Christ saith Qui vos recipit me recipit qui recipit me recipit eum qui misit me he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me we must hear him before he hear us for St. Paul telleth us true Rom. 8.26 We know not what we should pray for as we ought The art of prayer is not so quickly learned as some forward proofessours make themselves believe John besides his continuall preaching to his Disciples taught them also to pray And never had any Disciples a better Master then the Disciples of Jesus Christ yet they living in the eare of his Doctrine and in the eye of his holy example were glad to come to him to be taught to pray he taught them the Lords prayer privately which after he taught the whole multitude in a Sermon openly My observation is that his Word must minister matter to our prayers Doct. and all our petitions must be grounded thereupon The reason is because God heareth not sinners John 9.31 and David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me But the prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 if it be fervent Against sin we have no such remedy as the word So David Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119.11 that I might not sin against thee Our Lessons from hence are 1 We must take it for a great favour of God to us that he giveth us his word for that is a lanthorne to our feet that is our counsalor as David calleth it This word is given us to profit withall and it is deposited 1 In the Books of the Canonical Scripture which we have not as the Church of Rome shut up in an unknown language but translated faithfully into our own tongue that all of us may be partakers of it 2 As in the time of the law the Priests lips did preserve knowledge and men were to require the law at their lips so in the time of the Gospel St. Paul saith of the Apostles and of all the Ministers that should succeed them in their office in the Church 1 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed to us the word of reconciliation he hath so committed it to his Son first as he gave him power to transmit it in the Priesthood of the New Testament to all ages of the Church till his second coming The spirit which Christ left to comfort and instruct his Church was not given at large to all men but in perticular ordinance to them whom he sent to teach all Nations as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.6 Our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life So we are the Ministers of the word that giveth life and there is no life to be had but by our Ministry This gives us interest in your affections in your understandings in your goods in your prayers 2 Now we know where we may hear God we are taught also not to neglect him speaking to us for as the Author to the Hebrews saith Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven
not come so neer our truth our truth will confute it and the God of Truth wil not suffer his truth to fail Yet if our unthankfulness to God for his light so long shining in our Church if our evil lives so unanswerable to our outward profession if our contentions so displeasing to the God of peace our want of zeal and devotion in prayer do turn away the face of God from us we may thank our selves and his justice may say Perditio tua ex te Thy destruction is of thy self 2 The Petitions these are three vide p. 29. 1 Revive thy work in the middest of the years that is as we have expounded it literally in the mean time preserve thy Church In which Petition we are taught That the Church of God is the work of God 1 Doct. ye have heard it so acknowledged by God himself Ask me concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands Isa 45.11 command ye me Wherein God confesseth his Church to be his own work and therefore so comprehended in his care that they may challenge his protection Again He calleth his Church thus The Branch of my planting the work of my hands Isa 60.21 that I may be glorified And David upon this prayeth Forsake not the works of thy own hands Psal 138.8 The reasons why the Church is thus called Because the Church is not an Assembly that doth gather themselves together as we say That Birds of a feather do fly together but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a congregation of such as the free election of grace hath called out of the world by the ministery of the Word of God and the Sacraments The first Church of God in whom God was glorified consisted of Angels intellectuall spirits whereof many kept not their first estate but were excōmunicated never to be redeemed The first Church of God on earth were our first Parents whom God created in his image The Creation miscarried by the fall of our Parents who might have stood if they would The election of grace remained unchangeable and continued a Church in Adam in Abel in Seth which separated from Cain and his issue in Noah and Sem and in Japhet perswaded to the tents of Shem in the calling of the Gentiles so that all that have the election of grace do come to be members of the Church by vertue of an effectuall calling election designeth them vocation declareth them to be the members of the Church and both these are the work of God Will you take it from Gods own mouth who saith Levit. 20.26 Ye shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that you should be mine The Church is called the work of God in respect of his perpetuall presence with it and preservation of it both by his own speciall providence which is the priviledge of the Church also by the subordinate ministery of his holy Angels 1 For his own providence he hath declared it in a promise I will not sail thee Josh 1.5 nor forsake thee in which promise what interest the Church hath and every member thereof the Authour to the Hebrews shevveth Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have Heb. 13.5 for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man shall do unto me For which gratious protection 1 Pet. 4.19 St. Peter willeth us to commit our souls to him in wel-doing as to a faithfull Creatour so called saith Lyranus quia secure conservat gloriose coronat non relinquit opus He not onely buildeth but standeth to reparations 2 For the ministry and subvention of Angels the Psalmist saith Psal 91.11 12. He hath given his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hands Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them Heb. 1.14 who shall be heirs of Salvation The Church of God is called the Work of God to honour God for God is not so glorious in any thing that he hath wrought as in his Church for therein mercy and truth met together righteousnesse and peace kissed each other our election adoption is to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 Is 60.21 You heard himself say of his Church The work of my hands that I may be glorified For God is more glorified in those things which he hath wrought by Jesus Christ in our flesh and in those things which he doth for his sake then in all the other works of his hands This will one day appear it is revealed already in part to us for whatsoever God did work sine verbo incarnato without the word incarnate it all shall fail and come to dissolution or to a worse condition that is an eternall being in wo. For example the heavens and the eath shall all perish and new shall be made in their place a nevv heaven and a nevv earth vvherein God vvill plant righteousnesse The Angels that fell and the reprobate shall suffer eternall flames What remains now but Angels and just men the elect Angels and the holy Church of God the one sort elected in Christ established in blisse by Christ the other redeemed by Christ these are reserved to glory the just shall be as the Angels of God in heaven In this Church then God is most glorified The Church is called the Work of God to give honour to it here on earth for God would have the World knovv that he owns his Church and that they are a peculiar people a chosen generation a royall Priesthood that he delighteth in in them And again the faithfull delight in nothing but what he hath vvrought in them and from them So Augustine bringeth in the Church saying Opus tuum in me Domine vide non meum nam meum si videris damnum tuum si videris Coronas Behold thy work in mee c. It is Davids glory I am thine All things else have the same maker that have any being but the Church hath the honour of curious and costly vvork all the rest of the vvorks of God are not vvorth the cost that he bestovved in the vvhite vvashing of this vvork To turn this point into profit 1 Seeing vve are the vvork of God in regard of election of grace of creation and protection this teacheth us to live godlily righteously and soberly in this present vvorld and to keep our selves unspotted of the vvorld 1 For election Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 For creation Ephe. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in them 3 For all his other favours as that we are a royall priesthood
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
still and the earth that we live upon had moved when this miracle was by the spirit of truth recorded it had been so set down to us as followeth At the light of thine Arrows they went at the shining of thy glittering spear The meaning I conceive to be this that the Sun and Moon did not now keep their ordinary motion appointed in their Creation but by a miraculons dispensation they attended the arrows of God and his spears For God declared himself in this war to be the God of Israel by shining arrows and glittring spears he meaneth not onely the arms of Israel his people but the apparent demonstration of his owne miraculous and extraordinary power declared in this war For you heard in the story that God cast down great stones from Heaven upon them which slew more then Israels sword did These were arrows of God and his spears with which he fought for Israel they are called bright and glistring both 1 Because the Sun-shining upon these great hailstones reflected a dazeling light from them as experience telleth us both in snow ice hailstones and all waterie bodies 2. And because in this judgment there was so manifest appearance of the immediate hand of God in this war Thus Mr. Calvine doth understand these words and saith Sol retentus est ut daret locum sagittis hastae Dei. Onely he seemeth to me somewhat too strict when he saith per sagittas hastam nihil aliud intelligit quam arma populi Dei Yes sure he meaneth his own weapons too with which he fought from heaven and those rather as the more shining and glittering Montauus also upon these words saith Solem Lunam cursus suos ad commoditatem exercitus sacri temperasse Junius also and Beza do conceive that these hailstones fell not without thunder and lightning which are the terrours of heaven and the voice of God it followeth Thou diddest march through the Land in indignation thou diddest thresh the heathen in anger this as I conceive hath reference to the following victories by which all the land of Canaan was subdued to Israel for the Church here confesseth that as God by deed of gift had long before assured this promised land of the heathen to his Israel so he gave them a full possession thereof by marching through the land and by threshing the inhabitants thereof Thus the Church confesseth We have heard with our ears O god our Fathers have told us Psal 44.2 what work thou didst in their days in the time of old How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them in how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out For they gate not the Land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them this phrase of marching through the Land doth expresse God in arms for Israel But the other phrase of threshing the heathen doth imply victory and full power over them even to the stripping them out of all Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine annointed The cause why God put himself into this quarrel was the preservation of his people where Israel is twice call'd the people of God which must be understood of the adoption of grace for by right of creation all people of the world are Gods people This was Israels glory and it was also their safety that they were Gods people and how they came to be so Moses will tell The Lord did not set his love upon you Deut. 7.7 choose you because ye were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people But because the Lord loved you Ver. 8. and because he would keep the oath that he had sworn unto your Fathers that is He loved you because he loved you But he addeth thou wentest forth with thine annointed Which Mr. Beza doth understand of David and so maketh a long stride from the conquest of Canaan to the reigne of David and from these victories to Davids victories many many years after And Tremelius and Junius do so apply the text Mr. Calvine lead them all into this Exposition Others conceive that the former commemoration is continued and they that are before called Gods people are here called Gods annointed for wheresoever there is election there is unction and we may say of Israel that God annoined them with the oile of gladnesse above all their fellow nations for David saith Non fecit taliter I am sure the Seventy read and understand the text thus for they read that God went forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine reading is Cum Christo tuo and the originall Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Messiah which moveth me to refer this to Christ who was the bond of that love which knit God so to Israel for whose sake God was so favourable to Israel Master Calvine doth confesse that this hath reference to Christ and includeth all the favours of God declared to Israel from their coming out of Egypt to the last mercy shewed to them to have come to them non nisi interposito Mediatore not without a Mediatour But he addeth that the promise of Christ did more cleely appear and was more manifestly revealed in the reigne of David then before which might give comfort to the Church in distresse that makes Master Calvine go so low as Davids reigne to apply these words But the next words shew that the former history of the wars of Israel to settle their possession in Canaan and not yet at an end So then I understand that God went forth with his anointed that is with Jesus Christ to save his people and there is the the life bloud of all the comfort in this whole Psalme of the Church and by this faith by faith in this Messiah the just shall live It followeth Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked By the house of the wicked the land of Canaan is here meant and by the head that God wounded either the wisedome and policy or the sovereignty and power of the Land is meant for none of the Kings of the land could stand before Israel so that the very head of the house was wounded By discovering the foundation to the neck This was the manner of Gods working against the head of the house of the wicked by making the foundation naked that is digging up the very roots thereof by an utter extirpation of the Inhabitants of this land It was Edoms cry against Jerusalem Rase it Rase it the Margent make bare even the foundation thereof Psa 137.7 as before you heard out of Psal 44. Thou hast cast out the Nations and placed them in It followeth Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of the Villages That is thou didst overthrow the Inhabitauts of the land
need no other rods to scourge us here no other fewell to enfire us hereafter then our owne sins this is Hilaris insania to make our selves merry with these and to set in the chair of the scornfull 6 Incorrigibility when the gratious warnings of God do not lead them to repentance when the angry threatnings of God do not draw bloud of them when the rods of Gods favourable chastisement doe not smart upon them O Lord saith Jeremy Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Correction had wont to be the way to reclaime sinners but when iniquity is come to the full ripeness God may lay on while he will they that have not known the way of peace will harden their hearts as Pharaoh did and correction will but make them curse and blaspheme God to his face This was the full iniquity of these nations whom God threshed and wounded and digged up and cast out that he might plant his Israel therein And it teacheth us to be wise to salvation Vse as the Apostle saith Thou man of God fly these things And let me say to you as Lot to the Sodomites I pray you my brethren do not so wickedly Take heed of Idols Babes keep your selves from Idols Idolatry hath growen bolder of later then heretofore the Factors of Rome are busie amongst us trading for proselites but God stirreth up the spirits of his religious servants to solicite the cause of Religion and the worthies of our land stand up with zealous fervency of spirit for the truth of God This is the light of Israel so long as we keepe the fire of God burning upon our Altars we shall have hope that God is with us and that he will give us his blessing of peace Let us break off our sins by repentance that we may turn away the indignation of God from us let not sin reign in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Let us take heed that we give not way to sin either in our selves or in others left it over-grow us but let us examin our own hearts in our chambers and turn to the Lord. And if a brother by occasion fall into sin let them that are spirituall restore him with the spirit of meeknesse Let shame cover our faces for the evils that we have done it is no shame to be ashamed of our evils as there is a godly sorrow so there is a godly shame let us say with Job I covered not my transgression with Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosome Let it grieve us that wee have sinned and let us not boast thereof but say with Job Peccavi quid faciam tibi with Saul I have sinned and done foolishly Let the remembrance of our sin smite our hearts as Davids heart smote him when he had numbred the people and let us do no more so Let the judgments of God make us afraid Let the corrections of God humble us and cast us at the feet of God that he may shew us mercy and with Paul let us pray three times that the Angel of Satan may be taken from us Then shall we neither feel the flail of God threshing us nor the sword of God wounding us nor the spade of God diging up but we shall rejoyce every man under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree 2 What he did in favour to his own Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine annointed David saith Truly God is good to Israel The everlasting comfort of the Church hath been planted and grounded in the favour of God by the mediation of Jesus Christ his anointed For although Christ were not so manifest to his Church before and in the time of the law as he hath been in the time of the Gospel yet he hath been always the hope of all the ends of the world The reason is Reason because Christ is not onely a Mediatour of intercession to pray for us and a Mediatour of satisfaction to die for us and a Mediatour of salvation to prepare eternall mansions for us but he is and ever was and will be a Mediatour also of temporall protection all to keep and defend us from all evils So that the Sun shal not smite us by day nor the Moon by night For as God created us to his own image so he fitted to his only begotten Son a body in our image he was made of a woman and so soon as his word had made him the promised seed so soon was he crucified for us and was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Then did he take his Church into his bosome and married her to himself and they became one body and ever since his Angels have charge over her to keep her in all her ways and this must comfort Israel in Babylon that God vvent before them vvith his anointed to setle them in the promised Land There be no other mercies that vvill tarry by us but those which God doth vouchsafe us by the means of this Mediator He importeth many outward blessings even to the vvicked by the means of his holy ghost For all the knovvledg that they have all the vvisedome in arts and sciences be the gifts of the holy ghost but they have no portion at all in the office of Christ he vvas not anointed for them From hence the Apostle doth conclude that God hath not forsaken the Jevvs but that they shall be called again for he saith Hath God cast away his people he ansvvereth God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Ro. 11 1 2. The election of grace vvhich made them his doth confirm them to him forever and therefore they mention his going before them with his anointed to assure them that though they go into captivity and abide a long time there yet they shall not be left in bonds for ever For the spirit of the Lord is upon this anointed to preach liberty to Captives Isal 61.1 and the opening the prison to them that are bound This is now the true comfort of the distressed parts of the Church which groan under the burthen of oppression and bloudy persecution They cry for the help from men and no Nation doth succour them they weep and pray to God and to his annointed and no doubt but in good time he wil come down to them to visit them in his mercy they are Christians and they carry the name of Gods anointed his name is in them and his righteousnesse and truth are their hope and strength It is time for thee Lord to put to thy hand for the wicked sons of Belial the children of Edom cry out against thy Church down with it down vvith it even to the ground The Bishop of Rome abetteth the unchristian shedding of Christian bloud by his letters and disperseth his vvhetstones to sharpen the sword of Gods enemies against Gods Church Let us say vvith old Jacob O Lord
I have waited for thy salvation for thy Jesus 2 This repetition of salvation Doct. 2 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation teacheth us That God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church Therefore he goeth before them for salvation and he doth never leave them nor forsake them 1 God hath many gratious titles Reas 1 which do assure his love and favour to us He is cal'd Jehovah so we live move have our being in him He is callrd by Job The preserver of men Saint Paul addeth especially of the elect for their salvation is a peculiar grace no common favour And so his right hand both supporteth and guideth us that vve neither stray out of the vvay nor fall in the vvay He is called our Shepherd and so we come to want nothing for he leadeth us both to the green pastures and to the waters of comfort He is called the husband of the Church and Christ preserveth her to him sine macula ruga without spot or wrinckle and Christ teacheth us to call him our father so as a father hath compassion c. The Lord is our King of old he maketh salvation in the middest of the earth All these titles declare him no Non-residont from his charge he is always Incumbent For ipse est qui dat salutem 2 Because the Church committeth it self to him Reas 2 and casteth her care upon him and he never failed them that trust in him Saint Paul I know whom I have trusted Commit thy ways to the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to pass 3 The Church of God giveth him no rest Reas 3 but by continual supplications importuneth his saving protection saying O Lord I pray thee save now O Lord I pray thee now give prosperity he hath commanded her so to do To seek to aske to knock and invocation is one of the marks of Gods children He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved They are called the assembly of Gods armies and their prayers be their weapons Heaven is their abiding City which they besiege and Christ saith the violent take it by force For multorum preces impossibile est contemni 4 Christ himself always prayeth the Father for his Church Reas 4 that God would keep it and he saith to his Father I know that thou hearest me always This comfortable Doctrine serveth to refresh the grieved soul in time of affliction Vse the smart of Gods rod doth many times puts us into fits of impatience and murmuring and the delay of Gods saving help doth often stagger our weak faith that the man after Gods one heart doth sometimes feare that God hath given him over In great losses as of our honours and preferments of our libertie of our wealth of our dear friends it is some time before wee can recover from this shaking fit of feare that God hath forsaken us and we say Why standest thou so far off O Lord and hidest thee in due time Psal 1◠1 in time of affliction But when we remember thou art with me it establisheth our footsteps it strengtheneth our weak knees and comforteth our sorrowfull hearts and biddeth us Rejoyce in the Lord again it saith Rejoyce so David I waited patiently for God and so he comforteth his soul Psal 43.5 Wait on God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his presence he is my present help and my God So then if present issue appear not out of affliction let us not faint in our troubles but perswade us that God is with us and the rock of our salvation will not fail us 2 This sheweth that we need not seek further for salvation Vse 2 then to God himself and his anointed seeing they are always with us It is a foolish and idle superstition and idolatry to seek our salvation from or by the means of Angels or Saints or the mother of our Lord when we have both him and his anointed Messiah that is both the giver and the mediatour of salvation with us This foolish devotion of the Roman Church of making way by Angels and Saints hath three great defects which all the wit of Rome and hell could never cover or conceal 1 It hath no Commandement to require it 2 It hath no example to lead us to it 3 It hath no promise in Scripture to reward it Whom have I in heaven but thee and I have none upon earth Psal 73.25 that I desire besides thee They be our glorious fellow creatures we honour God for the good that they have done in his Church We believe that they pray for our happy deliverance from all miseries of life and the society of their lives We imitate their holy examples and do strive to follow them in their vertues and pray for the graces of God that sanctified them on earth But for our salvation we know that he is always with us that saveth us and his anointed doth never forsake us that keepeth us from evill We hear him saying Come unto me and he calleth us not to heaven to him but Lo I am with you to the end of the World he is neer unto all that call upon him and he is easily found of them that seek him 3 This doth give us fair warning to take heed that we do not leave our God and live in sin Vse 3 for he is not so neer us but that our selves may separate between him and us for it is also true that God putteth a great deal of difference between an ungodly and godly man as Solomon saith The Lord is far from the wicked Pro. 15.29 but he heareth the prayer of the righteous And as God is far from them so is salvation as David saith Psal 119. Salvation is far from the wicked Verse 155. As we tender the favourable protection and love of God let us take heed of sin Behold Isay 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God Verse 2. and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear 4 Seeing our salvation is of him Vse 4 onely by his anointed let us remember that we are called Christians after his name not onely Christum Lo I am with you and Spiritum Christi whom I will send you from the father but we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very anointing it self left and deposited in the Church as S. John saith But ye have an Vnction from the holy one 1 Joh. 2.2 If we keep this Unction we are sure of this salvation therefore grieve not the spirit of God resist not the holy ghost receive not the grace of God in vain And so let the enemy of mankind and his agents do their worst to annoy us our salvation is bound up in the bundle of life with
my salvation 19. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like Hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon my high places To the chief singer upon my stringed Instruments THis is the last part of this Psalme it endeth in consolation notwithstanding all these afflictions of the Church threatned though they shall fall upon it and it must needs suffer this sharp Visitation Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. It is the Apostles counsell Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and here the Church doth so the Apostle resumeth it again I say rejoyce and the Church here resumeth it I will joy in the God of my salvation shewing the reason and ground of her joy Psal 13.5 which is Gods salvation My heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation The Lord God is my strength they are the words of David and he is more full and Rhetoricall in the expressure thereof I will love thee Psal 18.1 2. O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock and my fortresse my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation my high tower David speaks like one in love with God for he doth adorn him with confession of praise and his mouth is filled with the praise of the Lord which he expresseth in this exuberancy and redundance of holy Oratory the Church addeth He will make my feet like hinds feet this also is borrowed of David in the same Psalme He maketh my feet like hinds feet and setteth me upon my high places Psal 18.33 that is he doth give swiftnesse and speed to his Church as St. Augustine interpreteth it transcendendo spinosa ambrosa implicamenta hujus saeculi passing lightly through the thornie and shadie incumberances of this world He will make me walk upon my high places David saith he setteth me upon my high places For consider David as he then was when he composed this Psalm it was at the time when God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul For then God set his feet on high places setting his Kingdome and establishing him in the place of Saul The Church here hoping to obtein of God the like deliverance by faith apprehendeth the same mercy and favour of God that God will again restore them to their high places and establish them in the same that is in the free and undisturbed possession of their own land and the liberties thereof Isaiah 58.14 Those are called high places Deut. 32.13 because God was exalted in them in the profession of Religion and God exalted them above all other places of the world by his speciall favour as it is said Non fecit taliter St. Augustine goeth higher in the mysticall surveigh of these words and looketh up to the future glory of the Church saying Super Coelestem habitationem figet intentionem meam ut impleat in omnem plenitudinem Dei The last words of the Psalm are a dedication thereof to the use of the Church dedicating it to the chief singer to be fitted to the Church musique that it may be sung in the congregation The words are taken from Davids Psalmes Doct. 1 and applyed to this perticular occasion of the Church From whence we are taught what use we may make of Davids Psalms in our frequent reading and meditation of them Our Church hath divided the Psalms into so many equall portions for our reading that in every thirty days such as can read may read over the whole book of Davids Psalmes and it is no great task for every one of us so to read them over privately in our houses the benefit is great that will redound to them that shall do this for this will our experience finde that St. Augustine long ago hath testified of the book of Psalms that it is Communis quidam bonae doctrinae thesaurus a common store-house of good learning it will instruct the ignorant it will draw on forward those that are incipients it will perfect those that are proficients it will comfort all sorts of afflictions veteribus animarum vulneribus novit mederi recentibus remedium applicare it knows how c. He that would pray to God may make choice here of fit forms dictated by the Spirit of God to petition God upon all occasions whatsoever he would desire of God either to give him or to forgive him He that would make confession of his sins to God is here furnished accommodated with the manner of searching and ripping up of the conscience and laying the hid man of the heart open before God He that would make confession of praise hath his mouth filled with forms of praise to set forth the goodness of God either in perticular to himself or in general to the whole Church He that is merry and rejoyceth in the Lord may finde here the musique of true joy and may from hence gather both matter and manner of Jubilation you see that the Church in my text resorteth to this store house of comfort He that findeth himself dul and heavy in the duties of Gods service may here finde cheerfull strains of musique to quicken his dead affections and to put life into them Many are too well conceited of their own sufficiency for those holy services of God so that in confession of sins in prayer or in praysing God they over-ween their own measure of the spirit of God and are too much wedded to their own forms of addresse to God But let no man despise these helps the best of us all need them the most able amongst us shal abate nothing from his own sufficiency to borrow of them we are sure that the Holy Ghost hath indited them and if a wise judgment do make choice and fit application of them to our severall purposes and occasions we cannot more holily or more effectually expresse our selves then in them the sweet singer of Israel hath furnished us plentifully by them 2 Before I come to handle the text in the parts thereof let me return your thoughts to the former verse where the Church putteth her own case in great affliction supposing the good land flowing with milk and hony touched and accursed for their sakes so that neither their best fruit trees nor their common fields nor their fruits nor their flocks and herds shal yield encrease yet saith she Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Teaching us that where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporall affliction whatsoever Doct. 2 though it extend even to deprivation of the necessaries of life can either extinguish or so much as eclipse that joy but that as a light it will shine in darknesse The Book of God is thick sown with examples and promises with doctrine and use with assertions and experience of this truth and it is so sealed to the perpetuall consolation of the
we consider with what coarse fare and little rest and mean apparell the labouring man doth passe through great labour we cannot but acknowledge that experience hath sealed this doctrine that God is the strength of man for man layeth on load upon man and they that live at ease feel not the burthens that they do lay upon their brethren God is our strength in eo quod patimur in that we suffer for could we fore-think our selvs able to bear that sorrow and misery which captivity and war doth bring upon us do you not hear some say they cannot eat such and such meat they cannot rise early they cannot brook the air their tender flesh cannot endure any hardnesse Can such endure to spend their whole time in praysing the goodnesse of God toward them for his great mercy that he putteth them not to it to try what they can suffer let them hear the Prophet Jeremie complain The pretious sons of Sion comparable to fine gold Lam. 4.2 how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils The women fed on their own aborrements and did eat their own unripe fruit children of a span long Lam. 2.20 Such as were so tender that they could scarce endure to touch the ground of the street with the soals of their shoes even to such God sent word that Her own feet should carry her a far off to sojourn When it shall please God to turn the wheel of providence and to set Princes and high persons in the rank of common men in the condition of miserable and distressed men tender hands will learn to labour and God will give strength The ordinary the extraordinary the outward the inward the expected the sodain calamities of life are manifold to bear them all with patience to digest them with cheerfulnesse to turn them into the nourishment of our faith and hope this is the strength of the Lord in us our soul would soon grow weary of them if God did not establish our hearts for the sense of evils incumbent and the fear of evils ingruent would soon distract and distemper us if the strength of the Lord did not sustein us This doctrine which informeth us whence we have our strength Vse directeth us also in the use of it for so God himself hath taught us Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Deut 6.5 with all thy soul with all thy might We must put our whole strength to his service Luk. 10.27 and to the obedience of his Law All other use of our strength for this life is subordinate to this for they mistake their own creation that think they were made for themselves and employ their wits and time and strength to support to adorn and to make pleasant and easie this temporall life of ours Christ saith that this love of our God must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all our strength Some abuse their strength to oppression and spoil to wrong their brethren so Babylon is called the hammer of the whole earth for God did use these Chaldaeans as the rods of his fury to punish the transgressing nations but there came a time when this hammer was cut asunder and broken How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations Jer. 50.23 I have laid a snare for thee and thou art also taken O Babylon and thou wast not aware thou art found and also taken because thou hast striven against the Lord. Let the oppressours of their brethren consider this the snare of God is full of danger for it hath three dangers in it 1 To catch suddenly thou wast not aware 2 To hold fast thou art taken 3 To destroy for they that are taken in the snare of God are at his mercy in his power Vpon the wicked Psal 11.6 he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Some give their strength to women and by unchast and lewd conversation weaken those bodies and defile the Temples of God where Gods holy spirit should dwell It was the advice which Batsheba the mother of Solomon gave to her beloved Lemuel and she putteth it home in a mothers holy passion What my son and what the son of my womb Prov. 31.2 and what the son of my vows Give not thy strength to women nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth Kings It seemeth that Solomon had taken out his mothers lesson for he giveth all that fear God warning to take heed of the strange woman for he saith She hath cast down many wounded Prov. 7.26 yea many strong men have beea slain by her Her house is the way of hell going down to the chambers of death Some give their strength to drunkennesse they have a woe for their labour Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning Isai 5.11 that they may follow strong drink that continue till night till wine enflame them Some give their strength to covetousnesse some to pride some to their bellies some wast and consume their strength in idlenesse God gave them not their strength to any of these evill ends It is his strength that they abuse and he calleth for all of it in his service Me thinks the Apostle doth plead for God very reasonably and therein he teacheth us to try our selves whether we be innocent or faulty in this As you have yielded your members servants to uncleannesse 〈◊〉 6 1◠and to imquity to iniquity so now yield your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse It is unreasonable when God desireth but the same service done to him that made and preserveth us and would save us that we give to Satan who goeth about like a roaring lyon to destroy us and it is a good way between God and conscience to try our hearts whether we have done our God the right that we should do him in our strength for have we had as great delight in the Bible and have we read that with as much diligence as we have read other books of delight and pleasure have we heard the Word with as much attention and profit as we have heard other vain and wanton tales have we bestowed as many private hours in prayer as we have done in game Have we as much delighted in the Lords Supper the souls feast as we have done in the feasts and banquets of the body Nay have we not usurped some of Gods day for our temporall businesse and neglected the Church assembly and the ministery of the word to eat and drink and game and sleep take our ease would we have done so if some comand from some superiour powers had comanded us any speciall service This is the way to try us surely we have not given our whole strength to the Lord if
the west Country This is the help in trouble ready to be found let us awake this help with the loud voice of our importunate supplications saying O Lord help now O Lord now give prosperity Let us give him no rest till he hath bowed the heavens and is come downe to visit the distresses of his faithfull servants Our Saviour comforteth us well saying My Father worketh as yet and I work and if our labour which is opus in Domino a work in the Lord be not in vaine his labour which is opus Domini a work of the Lord will prosper in his hand He is as strong in the river of Rhine as in he was Jordan and his Church is as dear to Him now as ever it was and he is as diligent in making inquisition for bloud and as attentive to the complaints of the oppressed as he was Verse 11. The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation at the light of thine arrows they went at the shining of thy glittring spear 12 Thou didst march through the Land in indignation thou didst thresh the heathen in anger 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine Anointed thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation to the neck Selah 14 Thou doest strike through with his staves the head of his villages they that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me their rejoycing was as to devoure the poor secretly I Read all this together because I conceive it hath reference to one story and that is recorded in the book of Joshua For after Israel came into the land of Canaan and had destroyed Jericho and the City of Ai the Gibeonites terrified with this news craftily pretending themselves to be a people dwelling in a far Country and for the name of Gods sake whose wonderfull works they had heard of they desired to make a league with Joshua Joshua and the Elders were deceived and confirmed a league with them by oath But after the fraud was detected Israel made the Gebeonites serve them but they were under the protection of Israel This league of Gibeon with Joshua did much trouble the neighbouring Kings for they feared Gibeon being a strong City therefore five Kings do make war against Gibeon to smite it The Gibeonites send to Joshua for succours Ioshua according to his oath of confederacy with them came from Gilgal he and all the people of war with him Ver. 7. and all the mighty men of valour he gave the assault to the five Kings and their Army he discomfited them and made them fly Then the Lord rained stones from Heaven upon them Ver. 11. there were more that died with the hailstones then they whom the children of Israel slow with the Sword Then spake Joshua to the Lord Ver. 12. in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sun stood stil Ver. 13. and the Moon stayed untill the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies Is not this written in the book of Jasher so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to goe down about a whole day And there was no day like that before it nor after it Verse 14. that the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel This is the wonder that Habakkuk our Prophet doth here commemorate a miracle yet fresh in the memory of the Church yet by computation of times from the time of Joshua when this was done to this time of Habakkuk when this is remembred were past more then 700 years Habakkuk doth well to remember this for of all the miracles that God wrought for Israel this was the greatest here Heaven fought against Earth the Sun and Moon stood still to give light to the Battail and the faithfull witnesses of Heaven so the Sun is called staid his course to bear witnesse how God fought for Israel We may truly say to Israel Tibi militat aether Observe the words of the Prophet how well they follow the history in Joshua Habukkuk saith The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation they stood in their severall sphear wherein they move for these be their habitations and note that they both stood stil Sun and Moon For the Moon borrowing all her light of the Sun had she kept her course while the Sun had stood still the length of a day there had been great irregularity of motion in these Caelestiall bodies from the constant order set them by their Maker in their Creation Observe also that he doth not say the earth stood still but the Sun it had been as some said the Earth and the Moon stood still as the Sun and the Moon and our understanding would have as soon apprehended if that new Astronomy had had been then revealed which some of our Empericks and Journeymen in that excellent Science of Astronomy have of late revived in their Almanacks telling the world that they have long been in a wrong belief that the Sun moveth and the earth is fixed for they believe that the Sun is fixed and the earth is moved And to evade the cleer evidence of this text which tels it for a wonder that the Sun stood still they say this is spoken to our capacity because to our sight it so seemeth that the Sun moveth and the earth is fixed but indeed it is otherwise Our capacity I think hath much wrong done in this for if the Word of God had told us that God had created the Sun to stand still and the Earth to move it is more likely that we should have taken his Word for it and have believed it as it is as well as now we believe it as it appears We are neither incapable nor incredulous but that many against the letter of Scripture have written and made more believe that the Sun stands still from the creation The common defence of this opinion grounded upon Gods application of himself to humane capacity doth make figures in story where is no need and maketh David a man of small judgment in the knowledge of the Sun who saith that God hath set a tabernacle for the Sun in the Heavens called here an habitation Which is a Bridegroome comming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race His going forth is from the end of the Heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it Doth not this Prophet speak of the glory of God declared in the motion not the station of the Sun or in the glory of God shewed in our opinion of the Suns motion not in the truth thereof Greater secrets then this are revealed in holy Scripture which are against the vouchie of the outward sense or the rationall discourse of man and no doubt but if the Sun had stood