suffereth in us as when the head suffereth all the members suffer and when the members suffer the head suffereth Is not Christ the head are we not the members of his body This was the cause why the Apostles after they were beaten x Act. 5.41 reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs name for this same cause the Apostle reioyced that he was y Eph. 4.1 the prisoner of the Lord that a Gal 6.17 he bare in his body the markes of the Lord Iesus that b Col. 1.24 hee filled up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ for though all Christs sufferings bee accomplished and c Ioh 19.30 finished in capite in the head for the redemption of the Church yet they are not all fulfilled in corpore in the body for the edification of the Church but as long as there shall be in the world one faithfull to suffer Christ shall have some evill to suffer because Christ and the faithfull are one S. Paul was scholed with this Iesson before his entry into the Church when the Lord Iesus cryed unto him d Act. 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me even as when ye tread a man upon the foot the head will cry Why treadest thou on me What wonder then if e Phil. 3.8 10. he counted all things but doung that he might know Christ and the fellowship of his sufferings that he might be made conformable unto his death and if hee rendred testimonie to all the Christians of his time that f Rom. 5.3 they gloried in tribulations O bonds more honourable than the Diadems of Kings O tribulations more glorious than the glory of Salomon Is there any golden chaine so glistering as the irons wherwith the Confessors are shackled for Christ Is there any glory to be matched with the glory of the blessed Martyrs suffering with Christ and in their sufferings made conformable to his image The Pagans say that it is sweete and honourable to dye for our countrey The souldiers glory in the wounds which they have received for the defence of their chimneyes And those which are led to the gallows for the service of their King feele glory in their shame and professe that they diâ—content seeing they die for their Soveraignes sake What is our native soyle compared with the Church what is the most glorious King of the earth paragoned with Christ Lesse than nothing We glory in our death for men which when we are dead cannot reward us and shall we bee ashamed to dye for Christ who when we are dead giveth us life and satiateth with immortall honours those which honor him for g Rom. 8.17 if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him For this cause h Tert. Apologet cap. 1.46 ult Iust Apol 1. the first Christians when they were condemned thanked their Iudges but principally they thanked God saying i Aug. ser de Cypriano Deo gratias Thankes be to God so did our fathers and so must we doe So then ye have heard the causes why God will have his children to suffer for their owne sakes He will eyther chastise them for the sinnes which they have committed or restraine them from the sinnes which they might perpetrate or try them to make knowne how they can carry themselves in affliction or put in practice the manifold graces wherewith hee hath endued them or honour them with the glory of his Confessors and Martyrs X. When they are thus afflicted God hath also regard to other men First their afflictions are meanes whereby the Elect are converted to God Christ when he was persecuted in one Towne fled into another and preached there He k Mat. 10.23 commanded his Disciples to doe the like By occasion of the persecution in Ierusalem l Act. 8.1 4 Act. 11.19 20. the brethren were scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Iudea of Samaria of Phenice of Cyprus of Antioch where they preached the Lord Iesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. Why were n Act. 16.19 31. Paul and Silas cast into prison at Philippi The event shewed that God did it for the conversion of the Iaylor who was one of his Elect. And therefore Paul said o 2 Tim. 2 10. that hee endured all things for the Elects sake that they might also obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glory And writing to the Philippians from the prison at Rome where hee received the glorious crowne of Martyrdome he saith p Phil. 1.13 that the things which happened unto him had fallen out to the furtherance of the Gospel so that his bonds in Christ were manifest to all Cesars Court and in all other places For howsoever he was q 2. Tim. 2.14 bound the word of God was not bound The prison was his Church there he preached and there he converted many Thus the Albigenses of France being dispersed by a most furious and violent persecution went preaching the Gospel in Germanie in Bohemia in England All the flourishing Churches in Europe at this day are the harvest which they sowed but especially r Tert. Apologet ca. ult Idem ad Scapul cap. ult Clemens Alex Strom. 4. the seede of the Church is the bloud of Christians for those which behold their constancy wonder wondering they inquire the cause thereof inquiring they learne it learning it they are converted Å¿ Iustin Apolog 1. Euseb lib. 4. cap. 8. Iust Mart. beholding the unexpugnable constancie of Christians in the atrocitie and extremitie of their torments said to himselfe that such men which made no account of death could not bee men given to pleasures and wickednesse because voluptuous men being timorous and faint-hearted cannot suffer any thing which is grievous to be felt and above all things fear death therupon he was converted became of an Idolater a ChristiaÌ„ of a Philosopher a Martyr I might relate unto you a most true storie of a Noble man converted by the wonderfull constancy of those of whom I spake in my last Sermon and protesting at the houre of his death that hee dyed in their faith But by this which I have said ye see that the temporall death of Gods Saints is eternall life and salvation to many of Gods Elect. Likewise their constancie and wonderfull boldnesse to maintaine the Gospell against all the wisedome and power of the world their holy stoutnesse to die for it is no small comfort to the Church and a great confirmation to the weake brethren which use the Apostle found in his bonds as he saith That t Phil 1.14 by them many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident were much more bold to speake the word without feare For this cause Saint Iohn saith that v 1. Ioh. 3.16 as Christ laid downe his life for us so wee ought to lay downe our lives for
his and his righteousnesse cannot but moove him to undertake the defense thereof Vpon this foundation the Church made this prayer to God q Psal 44.22 23. For thy sake are wee killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever 3. Because he hath promised to deliver the righteous and it is a part of his righteousnesse to keepe his promise Hence is this prayer of David r Psal 71.2 Deliver mee in thy righteousnesse ſ Psal 143 1. answer me in thy righteousnesse Hence is this excellent saying of the blessed Apostle t 2. Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing Sweet v Bern. de gratia libero arbitrio in fine Bernard How calleth he the crowne which hee presumeth to be laid up for him the crowne of righteousnesse Is it not because that which is promised gratis of meere good will is asked righteously and as a thing due Finally he saith x 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe depositum meum that which I have committed unto him He calleth Gods promise his depost and because he beleeved him who had made the promise hee redemands considently the thing promised promised through mercy but now to bee payed through righteousnesse The crowne then which Paul looketh for is the crowne of righteousnesse but of the righteousnesse of God not of his owne righteousnesse for it is a righteous thing that he render that which he oweth and hee oweth that which he hath promised this then is the righteousnesse whereof the Apostle thinketh so well even the promise of God For this cause David called Gods promises the word of his righteousnesse saying y Psal 119 123. Mine eyes faile for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousnesse XIX Now God not onely delivereth the righteous man but also delivereth wicked men and fills them with many blessings for the righteous sake z Gen. 7.7 He saved Ham in the Arke for Noah his fathers sake a Gen. 6.9 who was a iust man and perfect in his generations walking with God b Gen. 18.32 If there had been tenne righteous men in Sodom God would not have destroyed it for tennes sake c Gen. 19.22 neither could he destroy it as long as righteous Lot was in it d Gen. 17.20 Ismael was blessed for Abrahā his fathers sake e Gen. 30.27 Laban confessed that the Lord had blessed him for Iacobs sake f Gen. 29.5 He blessed Potiphars house for Iosephs sake How often was the people of Israel saved from the fierie Wrath of God through the praiers of g Exod. 32.14 Num. 14.13 Psal 106.13 Moses Were not h 2. King 2.12 2. King 13 14. Elijah Elisha the Charet of Israel and the horse-men thereof more steedable to their people than an armie of horsemen i Act. 27.24 37. God gave he not to Paul all them that sailed with him which were two hundred threescore and sixteene soules When it was said to the soules that were under the Altar that k Rev. 6.11 they should rost yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should bee fulfilled This is to teach us that Gods Elect and the righteous men which are in the world are the upholders thereof and that it must finish when they shal be taken away from it as if ye pull from a ruinous house the props wherewith it is supported it goeth swiftly to the ground XX. Therefore let us above all things set our minds and hearts upon righteousnesse and endeavour to attaine to true holinesse of life that as it was said to Abraham l Gen. 12.2 Thou shalt be a blessing so may we be a blessing both to our selves and others namely that in the darke day of Gods indignation we may be m Psal 1.5 able to stand in judgement and with the congregation of the righteous n Psal 118.19 20. enter into the gates of righteousnesse and dwell forever o 2. Pet. 3.13 in these new heavens promised unto us wherein dwelleth righteousnesse and that through the most precious and powerfull merits of our onely Lord and Saviour p 1. Ioh. 2.2 Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise glory and honour both now and evermore Amen SERM. VII Of the infinite number and of the divers meanes of the Lords deliveries PSALM XXXIV XIX But the Lord delivereth him out of them all 1 THe righteous mans evills and the Lords deliverances are the exposition of Sampsons riddle 2. As many evills as many deliverances yea of each evill many deliverances 3. Exhortation to hope and trust in the Lord. 4. The Lord delivereth by meanes against means without meanes 5. He delivereth by weake meanes as by flight whereof shall be spoken in the next Sermon 6. Hee opposeth men to men and delivereth his Church by the sword 7. He maketh his creatures of all kinds to fight for his Church 8. He is wonderfull in the delivering of his Church against the nature of the meanes 9. He delivereth also without meanes 10. When his Church is destitute of all helpe and of all hope hee alone delivereth her without any visible helpe 11. When the righteous man is overcome he overcommeth his enemies and so is delivered 12. As it is most evident by the examples of Shadrach Meschah and Abednego 13. Of Eleazer 14. Of the seven brethren and of their mother mentioned in the second book of the Maccabees 15. As also of Christians in great number as of Steven 16. Of many Martyrs in the Primitive Church 17. And since the reformation 18. Such victories come of faith love and zeale 19. Prayer 1 THis text is a cleere exposition of Sampsons riddle a Iudg. 14.14 Out of the eater came forth meate and out of the strong came foorth sweetnesse afflictions are the eaters and as it seemes to men the destroyers of the righteous man and what is stronger than death what meat so good so seasonable of so excellent a rellish as comfort in affliction as joy in the middest of sorrow as glory and honor in shame what so sweet as to find heaven in hell content in discontent life in death Many are the evills of the righteous man There is the roaring Lyon rising up against him not one lyon but many there is the eater or rather there be the eaters b 1. Pet. 5.8 which walke about seeking to devoure him But the LORD delivereth him out of them all there is
forgivenesse of sinne And such were some of you saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. reckoning many fins light and heavy usuall and horrible And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified If then he say that they are sanctified let every beleever say I am holy This is not pride of one that is haughty Non est ista superbâ—â—â—â—â—â— sed confessio non ingratâ— but a confession of one that is not unthankefull for if thou say that thou art holy of thy selfe thou art proude Againe beleeving in Christ and being a member of Christ if thou say not that thou art holy thou art unthankefull For the Apostle reproving pride saith not Thou hast not but he saith 1. Cor. 4. What hast thou that thou didst not receive Thou wast not reproved for saying that thou hadst that which thou hadst not but because thou wouldest have of thy selfe that which thou hadst yea acknowledge both that thou hadst and that thou hast nothing of thy selfe to the end that thou be neither proud nor unthankefull Dic Deo tuoe Sanctus sum quia sanctifieastime quia accepi non quia habuâ— quia in dedist non quia ego meruâ— Say to thy God I am holy because thou hast sanctified me because I have received it not because I had it because thou hast given it not because I have deserved it For on the other part thou beginnest to offer an iniury to our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe For if all Christians and beleevers and all that are baptized in him have put him on as the Apostle saith Gal. 3. As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ if they be made members of his body and say that they are not holy they offer a wrong to the head it selfe whose members are holy Looke now where thou art and take dignitie from thy head For ye were sometimes darkenesse but now are ye light in the Lord Ephes 5. He saith Yee were sometimes darknesse but have ye remained darknesse He that enlightneth is he come that yee should remaine darkenesse or that ye should be light in him Let therefore every Christian say yea let the whole body of Christ say Let him that suffereth tribulations diverse tentations and innumerable scandals cry and say Preserve my soule because I am holy IX It is no matter what many men which are not righteous thinke and speake of themselves every foole is a wise man in his owne eyes Many beggers have kings hearts and will bragge much of their antiquitie and worthinesse of their kindred and of the glory of their riches At Athens there was a certaine man called Å¿ Athenae lib. 12. Thrasylaus who detained with a pleasant madnesse deemed that all the ships which arrived there were his and in this same towne there is a foole who thinketh verily that he is King of great Britanne If a foole think that he is wise shall a wise man call himselfe a foole If a begger say that he is rich shall a rich man say of himselfe that he is poore If a man troubled in his hypochondres imagineth that hee is King of this Island shall the King mistake himselfe and put in question whether he be King or no If an hypocrite or a wicked man crack much of his owne righteousnesse shall he whom God hath mercifully clothed with this wedding garment denie what he hath received and say to his benefactor who hath bought him Thou art not my father X. We must not weigh such men in the deceiving weights of their owne imaginations but take the true balances of Gods word and weigh them therein There you shal reade of them that which was said to Belschatsar King of Babylon t Dan. 5.27 Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting There you shall finde them set out in very darke smoakie and hellish colours both in their inside and outside v Psal 59. Their inward part is very wickednesse There is no faithfulnesse in their mouth their throat is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue x 2 Pet. 2.14 Their eyes are full of adultery y Ier. 5 8. They are as fed horses when they rise in the morning every one neigheth after his neighbours wife a Psal 144.8 Their right hand is a right hand of falshood b Esa 59.7 8. Their feet runne to evill and they make haste to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no iudgement in their goings With all this having in themselves c Deut. 29.18 19. a root bearing gall and wormewood they adde drunkennesse to thirst hardnesse of heart contempt of God to sinne d Iob 21.14 15. They say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profite should we have if wee pray unto him The cause of all is e Psal 36.1 2 3 4. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart There is no feare of God before his eyes For he flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes when his iniquity is found to be hated The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit he hath left off to be wise and to doe good He deviseth mischiefe upon his bed he setteth himselfe in a way that is not good he abhors not evill For this cause such men are called f Psal 14.4 workers of iniquity God judging of them qualifying them not according to the ill which they do but according to the ill which they are willing to do For as righteous men doe not the good which they would doe and do the evill which they would not do so they contrariwise do often the good which they would not doe and doe not all the evill which they would doe XI For being servile and base minded often thorough a slavish feare of punishment they abstaine from evill and now and then through a mercenary hope of reward they doe some good like unto the Scribes and Pharisees whom Christ cursed with many woes for their manifold sinnes and namely because g Matt. 23.25 they made cleane the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they were full of extortion and excesse Such mens works which have a goodly shew what are they else but as one of the ancient Doctors of the Latin Church called them h Splendida peccata Glorious and glistering sinnes Therefore Christ said to his Disciples i Mat. 5.20 that except their righteousnesse should exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should in no case enter into the Kingdome of heaven Neverthelesse both hypocrites who abstaine from ill-doing through feare and i Matt. 23.5 doe all their workes to be seene of men having a k 2. Tim. 3.5 shew of godlinesse but denying the power
over it the vaile of silence and make here a pause ending this action with hearty prayers to God for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem O Lord our God thou hast fed us with ashes for bread thou hast given us teares to drinke in great measure Thou hast beene angry against our prayers we have cryed unto thee and thou hast not listened unto our supplications But now O Lord but now turne thine eare unto us and turne our hearts unto thee Cause thy face to shine upon us and we shall be saved through the merits of our onely Saviour Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost bee all honour and glory both now and for ever Amen SERMON III. Of the righteous mans Evills PSALM XXXIV XIX Many are the Evills of the Righteous 1. HOw Christ was upbraided and dishonoured in his death 2 As likewise the holy Apostles and the first Christians 3 How our brethren are abused in Spaine and elsowhere 4 The righteous mans evills tread one another on the heeles 5 He hath many enemies which are the cause of the great number of his evills 6 His greatest enemies are his neerest kinsmen 7 All kind of persons were enemies to Christ 8 And to his Apostles and their disciples 9 All kind of men are enemies to the Church of our time 10 Hence come the inward evills which disquiet the righteous man 11 The righteous is persecuted unrighteously 12 Howsoever his persecuters iudge or speake otherwayes 13 The vanitie of many accusations set on foot against him 14 The iniquity of the Iudges proceeding against him 15 How these which live in peace as we in England may be said to have many evills 16 Exhortation to thankfulnesse and godlinesse of life I. THat which is most grievous to the righteous man in all the evills whereof I have spoken is the upbraiding disgrace and shame wherewith hee is exercised For whereas all criminalls finde pitty and commiseration in those that behold them who either accompany their death with teares or behold it with silence The faithfull and the righteous man can neither live nor die but he shall be followed with opprobrious hues and cryes o Gen. 21. v. 9. Ismael mocked Isaac that is according to Pauls exposition p Gal 4. v. 29. persecuted him When the Apostle faith that q Heb. 11. v. 26. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt he giveth us to understand that the Church hath beene from the beginning subject to contempt defamations taunts and dishonour for Christs sake It was of Christ that Isaiah prophesied r Isa 8. v. 18 Heb. 2. v. 13 Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and for wonders in Israel of him first and then of his children He was upbraided in his life time with the nicke-names of a seducer a drunkard a glutton a sorcerer and of Beelzebub the Prince of the divells but he was most outragously mocked in his death In Å¿ Luk. 22. v. 64. Caiphas house they blindfolded him they strooke him on the face they asked him saying Prophecye Who is it that smote thee In t Luk. 23. v. 11. Herods Court he was set at naught mocked and arrayed in a white gorgeous robe as a foole In v 28 29 30. Pilats common hall the souldiers stripped him u Mat. 27. to put on him a skarlet robe and when they had platted a crowne of thornes they put it upon his head with a reede in his right hand then they bowed the knee before him and mocked him crying Haile King of the Iewes then they spat upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head In Golgotha where hee was crucified betweene two theeves as if he had beene a malefactor they that passed by reviled him and wagged their heads saying x v. 39.40 41 42 43 44 46 47. Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy selfe If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the crosse likewise the chiefe Priests the Scribes and Elders mocking him said y He saved others himselfe he cannot save If he be the King of Israel let him now come downe from the crosse and we will beleeve him He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him The theeves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth Last of all some of them perverted his words saying that he called for Elias when he prayed Eli Eli My God my God c. Then was fulfilled that which he spake by David saying y Psal 21. v. 6 7 8. I am a worme and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoote out the lip they shake the head saying He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him II. His children his holy Apostles received no better entertainement of the men of the world for what were they but a 1 Cor. 4. v. 9 13. a spectacle unto the world to Angels and to men Complaine they not that they were made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things walking b 2. Cor. 6. v. 8 9. by honour and dishonour by evill report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknowne and yet well knowne The Apostles disciples fared they better No no. The Apostle writeth of the Hebrews that c Heb. 10. v. 33. they were made a gazing stocke by reproaches and afflictions which I take literally for we know that the custome was to draw Christians to the threatres and publike play-houses to carry them ridiculously disguised from scaffold to scaffold for a shew to set them on pillories to disgrace them and then to cast them naked to the Lyons to be dismembred and devoured in the eyes of the people which delighting insuch spectacles were accustomed to cry d Tertul. Apologet. cap. 40. Christianos ad Leonem The Christians to the Lyon Tantos ad unum So many to one saith Tertullian e Ioid. cap. ultima Ad LenoneÌ„ damnando Christianam potius quam ad Leonem c. Ambe tom 3. serm 90. Euseb hiâ—t Ecâ—l lib. 8. cap. 11. And because the Governours and Magistrates perceived that to Christian women the defiling of their chastitie was more horrible and grievous than all kinds of torments and most exquisite deaths they condemned them rather to serve bawdes in stewes than to be torne by Lyons which many of them prevented by killing of themselves f Ibid. c. 9. Others they stript Aug. de civ Dei l. 1. c. 26. and tying them by one foot hoised them up in the ayre their heads downeward and letting them hang so while they died made of their naked bodies a most filthie and cruell spectacle to all those that passed by g Ibid. c. 12. Of some
our enemies our evils b Psal 138.6 Though the LORD be high yet hath he respect unto the Lowly but the proud he knoweth afarre off Almighty without a peere in heaven among the Angels in earth among the most dreadfull creatures as the Church singeth c Psal 89. 6 8 9 11 13 For who in heaven can bee compared unto the LORD Who among the sonnes of the mighty can bee likened unto the LORD OLORD God of Hosts who is a strong LORD like unto thee or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them The heavens are thine the earth also is thine As for the world and the fulnesse thereof thou hast founded them Thou hast a mighty arme strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand When wee complaine and make our moane to God d Psal 93.3 4. The flouds have lifted up O LORD the flouds have lifted up their voice the flouds lift up their waves we are taught to comfort our selves and to say The LORD who is on high is mightier than many waters yea than the mighty waves of the sea All-righteous for e Psal 103.16 the LORD executeth righteousnesse and iudgement for all that are oppressed All-good and most willing to deliver us for he is the LORD our God f Psal 50.1.7 The mighty God even the LORD hath spoken saying I am God even thy God hee is appeased to wards us he is reconciled with us through the blood of the crosse of his deare Sonne Our cause is his cause We are persecuted for righteousnesse sake Righteousnesse is the daughter of God We are persecuted for the Gospel The Gospel is his word We are persecuted for Christs sake Christ is his Sonne his deare Soone his onely Sonne I say then that he is All-wise and can All-mighty and may All-good and will deliver us Whatsoever he is hee is it to us and for us because hee is the LORD our God Hee hath delivered all our fathers predecessors g Psal 22.4 Our fathers saith David trusted in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them He will also deliver us And therefore every righteous man prayeth h Psal 106.4 Remember mee OLORD with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit mee with thy salvation that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may reioice in the gladnesse of thy nation that I may glory with thine inheritance IIX Here is the comfort here is the consolation of the Church and of every righteous man in her that God heareth their prayers and delivereth them even then and namely then when they are forsaken of all men Iacob was alone when he fled from his fathers house because his brother Esau had vowed to kill him Then the Lord appeared unto him in a dreame and said unto him i Gen. 28.15 Behold I am with thee and will keepe thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee againe into the land for I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of David complaineth that k Psal 25.16 hee was desolate and afflicted yet hee seeketh comfort in the assurance of Gods assistance and saith l Psal 27.10 When my father and my mother forsake me then the LORD will take me up What extremitie was the Church brought into under the persecution of the cruell Tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes m Dan. 11 32 45. who corrupted by flatteries such as did wickedly against the covenant and afflicted those which were upright so cruelly and so puissantly that there was none to help them Then the Church prayed n Psal 74.1 O God why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoake against the sheepe of thy pasture Then Sion said againe o Esa 49. 14 15. The LORD bath forsaken me and my LORD hath forgotten me Then the Lord answered againe Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee For then was fulfilled that Prophecy of Daniel p Dan. 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the booke Who is this Michael who like unto God who but our Lord Iesus Christ the great Prince which standeth and fighteth for his people when they can neither stand nor fight for themselves Was it not hee which cryed from heaven to Saul q Act. 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me When an hoste came from the King of Syria and compassed the Citie of Dothan where Elisha was to take him his servant was affrighted and said r 2. Kin. 6.15 16. Alas my master how shall we doe But hee answered Feare not for they that be with us are moe than they that be with them After the same manner when the king Hezekiah was brought by Senacheribs army to such a pinch that he was constrained to inclose himselfe within the walls of Ierusalem for the safetie of his life all his kingdome being taken from him and having no power to resist fortified himselfe in the Lord his God and heartned his people saying f 2. Chron. 32.7 8. Be strong and courageous bee not afraid nor dismaid for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be moe with us then with him With him is the arme of flesh but with us is the LORD our God to helpe us and to fight our battells Yee see a good and godly king see also a good and godly people And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Iuda i.e. notwithstanding their weakenesse and fewnesse they leaned upon God and were delivered S. Raul with good reason did complaine of all his followers that at his first answer before Nero t 2. Tim. 4.16 No man stood with him but all men forsooke him Was he for that destitute and left alone Notwithstanding saith he the Lord stood with me and strengthened me And therefore when he saw all the powers of hell and all the malice of the earth uncoupled after poore Christians hee defied them saying v Rom. 8.30 If God be for us who can be against us Even as David said x Psal 27.1 3. The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The LORD is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid though an hoste should encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against me in this will I be confident and as Iesus Christ said to his Disciples y Ioh. 16.32 Ye shall leave
are as a shadow and there is none abiding Earth is onely the place of their peregrination d Ioh. 17.11 16. They are saith Christ in the world but they are not of the world Heaven is their home e Heb. 13.14 For here have we no continuing citie but we seeke one to come Every day wee heare God saying vnto vs f Micha 2.10 Arise yee and depart for this is not your rest Therefore as g 1 Kings 19.8 Eliah walked forty dayes and fortie nights till he came unto Horeb the mount of God So we walke apace and goe still forward till we come to the heavenly Mannor whereof the Apostle saith that h Heb. 4.9 there remaineth a rest to the people of God i Matt. 6.21 There is our treasure there is our heart also As a way-faring mans heart is at home because at home are his wife his children and whatsoever he loveth There is k Phil. 3.20 our conversation though our bodies be here The wicked may see that which we beleeve and daily experience teacheth them to say with the women of Tekoah l 2 Sam. 14.14 We must needs die and are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up againe Yet notwithstanding they m Phil. 3.19 minde earthly things n Psal 49.11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations They call their lands after their owne Names Therefore seeing they have nothing before their eyes no end of their thoughts and actions but the earth it is no wonder that they should be called the inhabitants of the earth Out of the earth were they taken In earth they dwell in earth they have their portion to earth shall their bodies returne and if hell be in the center of the earth as many say there shall they have their last and eternall habitation VI. For what cause will the Lord visite them so rigorously For their iniquitie that is to say for the excessivenesse of their most immoderate sinnes as the word must be taken here what sinnes were those Questionlesse too too many amongst a people enemies to God and to his Church but above all the persecution of the Church They thought undoubtedly that all the harme which they did to the Church was righteousnesse and good service done to their gods As Christ hath forewarned us that they who shall kill us will deeme o Ioh. 2.16 that they doe God service But God calleth this their pretended service iniquity a most hainous and enormous sinne and if ye desire a specification of the kind of this sin God in the text calleth it blood or according to the Hebrew word bloods for by that word God signifieth the extreame and unquenchable thirst of bloud wherewith these murtherers were so dry that when they had shed it all they would have gladly shed more and wished that each of those whom they had slaine had possessed a hundred lives to furnish to them more blood to spill They kill because they take pleasure in killing like unto the Tyrant Caligula who wished that the people of Rome had all one necke that at one blow he might cut it off VII O Tyrants O bloud-thirstie butchers ye slay the Saints of God under coolur of justice and ye think that not onely God will not avenge it but that he will rather allow and reward it Whereas God saith that the earth shall disclose her bloods and shall no more discover her slaine The earth it selfe shall open her wombe and unfold her bowells and cry to God Loe here is the innocent blood which thy enemies have shed Loe here are the bodies of thy beloved servants whom these Massacrers have slaine p Iob 26.6 Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering O then shall the earth conceale your murthers from him Have ye not read that q Psal 5.6 the Lord will abhorre the bloudy and deceitfull man Doubt not but that which is written is true r Psal 116 1â— Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints and therefore hee will with an hand of yron thrust hard together the bellies of those horse-leeches which have drunke their bloud and straine them till they spue it out of their bloudy throats He hath said that Å¿ Gen. 9.5 6. he will require the life of man at the hand of every beast and at the hand of every mans brother How much more will he require the life of his deare servants at the hands of their murtherers Hee hath ordeined before the law of a most just and inexorable law that who so sheddeth mans blood by man his blood shall bee sbed whereof he rendreth two reasons The first that mens lives are in their bloud The second that in the image of God made he man Vnder the Law he confirmed this Law by another law and said t Num 35.33 that bloud unjustly shed defileth the land though it bee the blood of an ill man And the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it This law is irrevocable for Christ hath also said in the Gospell that v Mat. 26.52 all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword If men put it not in execution God will and till he doe it the land where the blood of his Saints who are restored to his image is shed shall remaine polluted x Gen. 4.10 The voice of Abels blood cryod unto him from the ground and hee listened unto it The soules of a great many Abels which are under the Altar cry unto him with a loud voyce y Rev. 6.9 10. How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth And will hee not heare them He will he will z Rev. 13.10 for he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints They expect with patience it shall be so because they know by faith it must be so IIX God who hath spoken it is truth it selfe he is strength it selfe a 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent Therefore it must be so He is justice it selfe therefore it shall be so For howsoever we be sinners the cause for which we are molested and vexed is his His who is Almighty and just his who loveth it his who will not suffer it to bee overthrowne by the malice and wickednesse of men his who will defend them who maintaine it and destroy them who seeke to overthrow it This is the comfort which the Apostle giveth to the Thessallonians who bare a crosse as heavy then as your brethren beyond seas doe now saying unto them b 2. Thes 1.6 7. It is a righteous