God by the promise made to Solomon and so prevailed against the children of Ammon 3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin The love of sin hinders beleeving Sin will not act beleevingly nor faith sinfully It s the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear it expects not performances but repulses from God How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me Besides the love of any one sin hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise it would be loose and yet have God bound whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust but to engage us to holinesse Nor will faith act sinfully Faith embraceth the whole word of God even precepts as well as promises and respects the rules prescribed as well as the rewards promised it works uniformly and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands not in the precipices of sin Trust in him and do good Psal 31.3 Besides it acts warily and in the eye of God and therefore holily and tells us that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause much lesse to procure our own comforts 4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise This is the noted sin of Israel Psal 78.41 They limited the holy one of Israel they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy Dcum metiri suo modulo Cal. in loc within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions Whereas if hee will work who shall hinder him Faith triumphs over difficulties and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason knowing that things that are impossible with us Rom. 4.19 are easie with God This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead Heb. 11.17 nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations And this is indeed the duty of beleevers only to consider who promiseth and who commands and neither to question what is promised though never so impossible nor to forbear what is commanded though never so unpleasing 5. When God affords thee creature-props trust not to them Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs if they did not confide in it when it stayes If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them Could we live upon God alone in the use wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature It s a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon 2 Chron. 14.8.11 2 Chron. 17.14 15 2 Chron. 20.12 when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him adventur'd not upon so feeble a crutch but expresseth himself thus in his prayer Lord we have no power and we rest on thee and the later when his enemies made warre upon him though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men professing thus Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse 6. Trust God in the serving of his providence and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified He that will not do for himselfe what he can may not trust that God should do for him what hee would Though man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God yet that word is by God annexed unto bread not to stones and that man shall not trust God but tempt him In viis custodiet nun quid in praecipitiis Bern. ser 14. in Psal Qui hab who should expect to have stones turned into bread If God hath provided staires it is not faith but fury to go down by a precipice thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah Jacobs supplicating of God made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order not in confidence of their own help the creature must be the object of our diligence though not of our trust Faith while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means as if God were to do all for us He who in observing the other rules hath also added this may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy lay the matter before God and humbly put him to the accomplishing part VER 6. And the Angls which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day IN this second example of Gods severity which was exprest against the falne Angels these two parts are contained 1. The revolt and defection of the Angels 2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels I. In the first these three particulars are principally considerable 1. By whom this defection was made 2. From what this defection was made 3. Wherein this defection was made 1. It was made by the Angels 2. It was from their first estate and their owne habitation 3. It was 1. in not keeping the former and 2. In leaving the later II. In the second are considerable these two parts 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison they being in that reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse 2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr They being reserved c. unto the judgement of the great day In the former their punishment of the prison is twofold 1. Reservation in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darknesse In the later their punishment is considerable 1. In that to which they shall be brought viz to judgement 2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgement viz. at the great day I begin with the first part Part 1. their defection and revolt and therein I consider 1. The persons by whom this defection was made viz. the Angels EXPLICATION The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels Angelorum nomen sacrae scrip turae peculiare prafani Scriptores Graeci per vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Geniorum ferè exprimunt Synop. pur theol disp 12. p. 117. is a terme peculiar to the Scripture profane Writers among the Grecians expresse them
lose it shall lose it when he would save it Fear not troubles because he sleeps not that preserves thee but fear sin because he sleeps not that observes thee Account it a greater mercy in all the sinfull agitations of these times that God hath kept thee from being an actor then a misery that God hath made thee a sufferer 3. Obs 3. Psal 37. Psal 91. The people of God are never unsafe If the Lord be the Watchman what though it be an estate a life nay a soul that is the City we should not fear the losse of it The meanest of the people of God stir not out without their life-guard Agnoscit se justè dedisse stultae securitatis poenam est etiam filiis Dei pia securitas Calv. inloc Psal 30.6 1 Pet. 4.19 1 Pet. 2.23 if they wanted there 's not a creature in heaven or earth but would take their part they are the hidden the secret the preserved ones Security is not so great a sin as distrust our Friend being much more able to help then our Foes to hurt What one said sinfully every child of God may say holily I shall never be moved We must commit our selves to God in wel-doing Christ though he committed himself not to man knowing what was in man yet himself living and dying he committed to his Father we do quite contrary Finde out the danger in which God cannot or the time when God did not or the Saint for to him I speak that God hath not kept and then distrust him Say not If worse times yet come what shall I do to be kept Will not he that provided a City of refuge for those that kil'd men finde out a City of refuge for thee when men labour to kil thee for God Hath God so many chambers so many mansions in his house John 14.2 so many hiding places upon the earth his with the fulnesse of it in the earth in heaven and shall his children be shut out Thy work is not to be solicitous how to be kept but how to be fit to be kept labour to be alway in wel-doing then who will harm thee Keep faith and a good conscience keep never a sin allowedly in thy soul do thy part and let God alone with his but this is our busie sinfulnesse we will needs be doing of Gods work and neglect our own 4. Obs 4. A strong engagement lies upon Gods people to endeavour the preservation of Gods honour 'T is true in this case Protection draws allegeance If he be a wall of fire to us our souls and bodies let not us be a rotten hedge when we should defend his Name Servants Ordinances if he be a tower let not us be a tottering wall Let us labour to say Lord he that toucheth thine honour toucheth the apple of mine eye If we look that God should keep us in our we must maintain his cause in its danger 5. Obs 5. The gain-sayers of perseverance are deceived Their doctrine most cleerly as hath been proved opposeth Scripture and most incurably wounds a Christians comfort What joy can we have that our names are written in the book of life if again they may be blotted out The life of our mortall life is the hope of an immortall but how unsteddy a foundation of hope is the stedfastness of our wils nay thus faiths foundation is overturn'd 't is this He that beleeves shall be saved but this opinion saith Some that beleeve shall not be saved for it maintains that some who truly beleeve do not persevere and those which do not persevere shall not be saved it makes the decree of God to depend upon mans most uncertain will Arminians say that beleevers shall persevere if they be not wanting to themselves if they alwayes will persevere But what is this but to say Beleevers shall persevere if they persevere for alwayes to will to persevere and to persevere are all one It s a prodigious errour to hold that God works nothing in us for perseverance the effectuall use whereof depends not upon mans free-will God gives saith an Arminian to persevere if we will but God gives say We †Nobis qui verè Christo insiti sumus talis data est gratia ut non solùm possimus si velimus sed etiam ut velimus in Christo perseverare Aug. de Cor. gra c. 11. 12. Non solùm ut sine isto dono perseverantes esse non possint verum etiam ut per hoc donum non nisi perseverantes sint to will to persevere And how can we pray to God for perseverance the condition wherof depends upon mans will and not upon Gods working Christ promiseth Joh. 14.16 to pray the Father to give his disciples his Spirit which shall abide with them for ever now the cause of the abiding of the Spirit for ever with them is not their will to have the Spirit abide in them but the abiding of the Spirit was the cause of their willingnesse I conclude According to this Arminian errour of falling from grace its possibe that there may not be one elect person for if one finally fall away why may not another and by the same reason why not all and then where 's the Church and to what end is the death of Christ Lastly He that will approve himself a true Obs 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Roh l. 2. c. 21. must shew himself a stedfast Christian All the sanctified are preserved Instability is an argument of insincerity He was never a true friend that ever ceaseth to be a friend What hath levity to do with eternity an inconstant Christian with an eternall reward Not he that cometh first in this race of Christianity is crowned but he that holdeth out to the last All that which is done of any thing is held as nothing as long as any thing remaineth to be done If any one draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 A thatch'd roof sutes not a precious foundation nor a wicked conclusion beautifull beginnings of Christianity Within a while all possibilities of falling will be removed one stile or two more and thou art haply at thy fathers house Difficilius saepiùs inchoare quà m semel perseverare the longer thou continuest the sweeter will be the wayes of God It s harder often to begin then once to persevere Take heed of falling from thy stedfastnesse God preserves us but we our selves must not be negligent Get a sound expecience of the truth thou professest tasting the sweetnesse as well as hearing of its sweetnesse Follow not Religion as some hounds do the game onely for company Love the truth for single not sinister respects Let Christ be sweet for himself Tremble at the very beginnings of sin look upon no sin as light keep a tender conscience as our apparel so our consciences when spotted become neglected Apostacy hath modest beginnings the thickest ice that
fore-sight of sin Yet that the sight of sin was neither in order of nature or time before Reprobation nor after it but purely evenly and equally accompanying it That Gods decree to permit sin from whence comes prevision of sin and to condemn for sin were not the one subordinate to the other or of a diverse order as if the one were the end and the other the mean but co-ordinate and of one and the same order and means both accommodated to one and the same end God neither condemning that sin may be permitted nor permitting sin that he might condemn but permitting sin and condemning for sin that the glory of his justice might be manifested the glorious manifestation of his justice being not advanced only by permission of or only by condemning for sin but by both joyntly or together according to which apprehension sinne fore-seen could not bee the cause of Reprobation They conceive that God not depending upon any condition in the creature no other way fore-knew the futurition of sin than by his own decree to permit it And they further urge if consideration of sinne were before Gods decree of Reprobation then the decree of permission of sin should have been before the decree of Reprobation and so God should intend the permission of sin before he intended the damnation of man for it and then it would follow in regard that what is first in intention is last in execution that damnaton for sin should be in execution before the permission of sin for which men are damned And this is the Argument oft urged by D. Twiss to which he sometimes adds that whatsoever is first in intention hath the nature of an end in respect of that which followes it but the permission of sin cannot be considered as an end in respect of the damnation of men it being impossible that men should be damned to this end that sin should be permitted And they of this opinion assert that if because God decreed that condemnation shall onely be for sin it followes that sin is a cause of that decree it will also unavoidably follow because God hath decreed that salvation shall onely be in a way of good works that good works are a cause of that decree they conceiving that though good works do not go before salvation with the same efficacity wherein sin goeth before damnation good works being only dispositive causes of the one and sins meritorious causes of the other yet that they go before it Non eadem dispositionis eâ—icacitate sed tamen eodem necessitatis ordine with the same order of necessity And they adde that the Apostle removes both from the election of Jacob and the reprobation of Esau the consideration of all works either good or evill as well in respect of their prevision as actuall existence to the end that he might shew that the purpose of God according to election was not according to works but of him that calleth and so by the same reason that the decree of the reprobation of Esau was not of evill works but of him that cals and leaves whom he will 2. As to Reprobation in regard of the effect or rather consequent thereof the things decreed and willed or as God wills that one thing should be for another It is not doubted albeit Gods eternall volitions or decrees depend not upon any temporall object or causes as the prime motives therunto but that God by his eternall decree ordained that this or that event in the temporall execution shall not follow but upon this or that going before as that in those of years the actuall bestowing of eternall life shall depend upon beleeving repenting and persevering and that the actuall punishing with eternall death shall depend upon finall unbelief and impenitency This is not to make the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation dependent upon the fore-seen contingent Acts of mans freewill but to make temporall events Acts or Things one to depend conditionally upon another for their being or not being in time And yet 1. The cause of Reprobation in respect of denying of grace external whether in regard of the outward means or internall either common or saving is the will and pleasure of God As it is the meer will and pleasure of God whereby in time men are reprobated from grace was from eternity for as God doth or doth not in time so it he purposeth to do or not to do from all eternity Now that in time the denyall of grace is from the will and pleasure of God is most evident from Scripture which teacheth that God calls to grace and gives the very means of salvation to whomsoever he will Act. 16.7 Mat. 11.24 25 Deut. 29.4 Nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arceredonum Prosp The Spirit suffered not Paul to preach at Bithynia To you it is given saith Christ to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven and to them it is not given And because it seemed good in his Fathers sight he hid these things from the wise and prudent Tyre and Sidon would have made better use of the means of grace than the Jews yet God bestowed those means not upon the former but up on the later But 2. The cause of Reprobation in regard of Gods denyall of glory is not meerly from Gods will and pleasure but from the pravity and sin of men God in time denyes glory in regard of mens impiety and therefore he purposed to deny it for that Depart from me will Christ say only to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 There shall enter into the new Jerusalem nothing that defileth The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And 3. The cause of Reprobation in regard of blindnesse and obduration in sin in this life and eternal damnation in the life to come is from mans impiety God decreed that Condemnation should not be but for sin nor hardning but for preceding rebellion nor that the wages of death should be paid without the work of sin No man is ordained to a just punishment but for some sin but the with-drawing of grace the blindnesse and obduration of sinners are the punishments of preceding sin as appears Rom. 1.27 God gave them up c that they might receive the recompence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their error which was meet To crown or to damn is an act of judiciary power and proceedeth according to the tenour of the revealed Gospel The eternall dedecree of the damnation of the very Devils was never determined to be executed otherwise than for their own misdeeds 2. This expression of old notes the immutability and unchangeableness of this Ordination the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De rationâ— aeternitatis est immutabilitas Aug. Cons l. 12. c. 15. the immutability of his counsell that which is eternall is unalterable This Ordination is like such a booking and writing down of a thing as shall unfailingly be performed Nor can this book or
to despaip the tempted person knowing there 's not one of many who either beleeves or perseveres that he for his part hath hitherto resisted the motions of the Spirit and started aside from all inclinations to good and finding also by his own experience and now by Satans arguing who at last in part turns orthodox that by his own power he can no more beleeve then carry a Mountain But the opinion which makes Gods decree absolute arms a man against temptation to despair and gives him cause to blesse God as it hath made thousands to do that their salvation depends not upon fore-seeing what good courses out of their own free-will Incerta est mibide meipso voluntas Dei. Quid ergo tuane tibi voluntas de teipso certa est nec times Aug. de praed Sanc. c. 11. they would take and continue in that the bending of mens hearts to beleeve and persevere are the supernaturall fruits of Gods eternall decree and not the naturall fruits of mans depraved and frail free-will And though he be uncertain of the eternall will of God yet is he more uncertaine as Augustine saith of the strength and stability of his own Nor do I at all understand but that by the same reason whereby Arminians argue that the absolute decree tends to drive men to despair they must also grant that the decree doth the like as founded upon the prevision of mans impenitency for the Divine eternall prescience of future actions and events as much inferreth their absolute certainty and necessity as the decree of absolute Reprobation And therefore as 't is commonly observed the Schoolmen are as much troubled and * In ignorantia sola quietem invenio p. 1. q. 22. a 4. Cajetan though a learned man confesseth himselfe to be at a loss in resolving whether the prescience of God as whether Predestination imposeth a necessity on future events 4. Nor is this Doctrine of Reprobation injurious to a godly life It hinders not the use of the holy indeavors which God requireth of those who expect happiness and would shun wretchedness Mans industry must not cease about things or ends determined by Gods absolute unrevealed decree Though our endeavours doe not make the end otherwise quoad eventum then God did fore-determine it yet it was so determined by God as that it should never bee acquired without the use of our indeavours God doth not by the absolute decree of Election absolutely determine to save us whether we beleeve or not beleeve repent or not repent And therefore Faith and Repentance are not to be rejected nor doth he by the absolute decree of Reprobation determine to damne any whether they believe Bishop Davenant Gen. 4.7 Rom. 2.10 Cum praedestinatio ad finem includit media non potest hunc sperare qui ista negligit Prid. lec 1. or not believe repent or not repent Such absolute decrees saith a learned man are the absolute mistakings of the Arminians We may truly say to every man in the world elected or not elected as God to Cain If thou do well shâ—lt thou not be accepted And to every one that worketh good shall be glory c. Never did God make any decree to damn any man though he should beleeve and live righteously yea God hath published a quite contrary decree Whosoever beleeveth shall have everlalasting life John 3.16 And there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh Rom. 8.1 From a godly life we may conclude we are no reprobates and may make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 So that this doctrine is so far from quenching that it quickens holy endeavours seeing none but the unholy are ordained to condemnation and that we are as well ordained to the works of grace as the reward of glory Wilt thou not fear reprobation as Paul spake of fearing the civill Magistrate dothat which is good fear to do evil but if thou wilt upon hearing the doctrine of Gods absolute decree conclude that holinesse is vain and fruitlesse by the same reason resolve because the length of thy life is certainly decreed by God therefore thou wilt never either eat or drink to lengthen out thy life If but one man in the world were elected thou shouldest use the means appointed to life If but one man in the world were reprobated thou shouldest shun the wayes which lead to death 2. In regard of God there 's no chance Observ 2. nor any event by fortune All which ever was is or shall be was written before him as in a book In regard of men Vid. Aug. retr l. 1. c. 1. et Alex. Alens p. 1. q. 24. Deus cognoscit praeterita et futura praesentialiter temporalia aeternaliter mutabilia immutabiliter futura contingentia infallibiliter nature may seem to have many mischances being not as it were brought to bed with her ordinary effects But we who know the true God should acknowledge instead of chance only his divine providence That blind goddesse Fortune holds her Deity only by the tenure of mens ignorance Infinitely too weak is the axel-tree of Fortune for the least motion of the world to be turned upon it Punishments directed by Gods providence are not to be entertain'd as the pastimes of fortune That which is casuall to us is ordained by God 3. 3 Observ Occurrere periculo voluit Judas ne quos rei novitas turbaret Calv. in loc The faithfull should not be surprized with wonder at the disturbance of the Church by Seducers The opposition of the truth by such as would be and have been accounted its greatest maintainers is oft to Christians the most unexpected evil It may make an honest heart not only to fear its own apostacy from the truth but even to question whether ever heretofore it did embrace the truth or no. This fore-ordaining of many glistering professors to this condemnation should be a preservative from such a distemper Alas God did not only see through them when they were in their fairest appearances but fore-saw when they would prove before they either were men or were appearing Christians Church-disturbers are no men of yesterday He that fore-saw would have prevented their entrance into the Church had he not intended not only the preservation of his elect from them Mat. 24.24 but the benefiting of the elect by them 4. Observ 4. There 's no judging of any ones reprobation We are comanded to read over Gods oracles but we are not so much as admitted to look into his rolls Who is before of old ordained written down shall never be known till the books be opened There 's a peradventure of Gods giving repentance even to opposers 2 Tim. 2.25 De nullius hominis salute de sperandum quem Dei patientia sinit vivere de sui ipsius minime omnium Tanquam caput omnis noxiae tentationis repellatur ab animo Christiani haec mortifera conclusio
it be sweet or no. Jesus Christ hath given us no commission to study the pleasure but the preservation of our people It s better that our people should be angry for not pleasing their lusts than that God should be angry for not profiting their souls 6. Observ 6. The truths of the word are to be known unchangeably Gal. 1.6 Ephes 4.14 Si fidem scrutari haesitando caeperimus omnium patiemur jacturam Theophylact. in Rom. 1. Col. 2.2 Helps hereunto see pa. 238 239. stedfastly once for all Christians must not be removed from the truth they must labour to be men in understanding and not be children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine They must be known by the truth as men say they will by the gift of a friend many years after 't is delivered Holy instructions must be entertaind with full assurance of understanding and look'd upon not as opinions but assertions more sure than what we see with our bodily eys A seepticall doubtfull staggering Christian will soon prove a falling an apostatizing Christian A Christian must be rooted and grounded in the love of the truth Ephes 3.17 Thus far of the first part of the verse viz. the Preface prefixed I come now to the second namely the Example propounded in these words How that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that beleeved not In the Example I consider 1. A famous deliverance The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt 2. A destruction following that deliverance Afterward destroyed 3. The meritorious cause of that destruction Vnbeleef Those that beleeved not I. The deliverance is contained in these words The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt EXPLICATION The greatnesse of this mercy in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt is frequently mentioned in Scripture Deut. 4.20 Lev. 26.13 Psa 77.15 16 19 20 Psa 78.12 13 14. and from ver 41. to 54. Psal 105. form ver 23. to 39. Psal 106. from ver 6. to 13. Psal 114.3 5. Isa 63.11 12 13 Psal 136. from ver 9. to 17. Acts 7.18 19 c. to 37. Besides the large historie thereof in the book of Exodus it 's prefixed briefly to the ten Commandments as a most prevailing motive to obedience and often set down as one of the most famous deliverances that ever God bestowed upon his Church And indeed so it was if we consider 1. What the Egyptians did to the Israelites in abusing them during their abode in Egypt 2. What God did both to the Egyptians and Israelites when he delivered the Israelites from the abuses of the Egyptians For the first 1. The Egyptians offered many cruell injuries to the bodies of the Israelites 2. By their heathenish idolatry they were great enemies to their souls The first of these the Scripture expresseth in setting down First The bondage and servitude of the Israelites whereby their libertie and ease were taken away Secondly The murderous Edicts which were given out for the taking away also of their lives First The cruel bondage of the Israelites was so great Exod. 20. that Egypt is call'd in Scripture the house of bondage and Egyptian bondage is even become a Proverb The Israelites were not more lovingly received by one Pharaoh Exod. 1.6 then they were cruelly retein'd by another They who of late were strangers are now slaves With Joseph died the remembrance of his love to Egypt Thankfulnesse to him by whom under God the lives and beings of the Egyptians were preserved is swallowed up in envie at the increase of his kindred and posterity The great fault of the Israelites is this that God multiplieth them To pull them down though by opposing of God and to make them as unfit for generation as resistance the Egyptians make them serve with rigour Exod. 1.13 14 and make their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and brick Every word notes Egyptian cruelty The word translated to make them serve signifies to oppresse by meer force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hanc habet vim praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frangere and it is a word noting properly a tyrannicall abuse of power and therefore translated by the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such a proud and cruel domineering as is used by tyrants Nor is the word translated with rigour without an emphasis it signifies saith Cajetan a making them to serve even to the breaking of their bones It is added that the Egyptians made their lives bitter a word transferr'd from the body to the minde to note the grievousnesse and unpleasingnesse of a thing The same word is used Lam. 3.15 where the Church saith Hee hath fill'd me with bitternesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made me drunk with wormwood And as Lorinus thinks Miriam the sister of Moses had that name given her which signifies bitterness because she was born in those times The Seventy in their Translation expresse this imbittering of the Israelites lives by a word which signifies the most sharp and cutting pains in child-bearing And much doubtlesse was this bitterness increased by the nature of the work wherein the Israelites were imployed which was in mortar dirt and brick and all manner of service of the field they were put upon the most sordid and servile imployment Philo and Josephus with others report 2. Antiq. c. 5. that the works of the Israelites were meer drudgeries the most mean and dirty as scouring of pits the casting up of banks to keep out inundations the digging and cleansing of ditches and carrying the dung out of the Cities upon their shoulders And it 's said Psal 81.6 I removed his shoulder from the burden and his hands were delivered from the pots And that which yet made their servitude more extreme and bitter was that being in these dirty drudgeries of mortar and brick Exod. 5.10 the tale of the bricks is by the taskmasters laid upon the people though the straw wherewith to make brick be denyed them The poor Israelites now take more pains to please and yet please their cruell masters lesse than ever before They are commanded to gather straw and yet cruelly beaten because while they were gathering of straw they were not making of brick that is because they performed not impossibilities and did not make straw as well as brick Do what may be is tolerable but do what cannot be is cruell Hereupon the Israelites cry and complain to Pharaoh of their want of straw and their plenty of stripes In a word all that they desire is that they may but work as for wages they desire none In stead of relieving them he derides them and with a cruelly cutting scoff and a sarcasticall insultation he wounds their very wounds and tells them against hisown knowledg they are idle they are idle Hereupon
severest punishing of offenders and not wound like murderers to destroy but like Chyrurgeons to cure and to prevent the spreading of sin yea punishment 8. Observ 8. It should be our great desire by all our own sufferings for sin to prevent the like sin in and sufferings of others We must not be like those that have the Plague who love to inffect others with it A gracious heart rather desires to hear of converts by his falls and woes then to have companions in either They who have been by sin examples of imitation should pray that by their sufferings they may become examples of Caution How rare is this heavenly temper in sufferers Most Christians when they are in troubles only desire the removall of them perhaps the sanctifying of them to themselves but who prayes for the sanctifying of them unto others It s ordinary for men under their sufferings to have thoughts of impatience against God and of revenge against the instrument of their troubles but unusuall for men to have aimes of benefiting beholders by their troubles If the Lord would throughly affect us with love to his glory and hatred to sin we should be willing to have the house pulled down upon our own heads so as sin may be destroyed in others and hereby we may do more good at our death then we have done throughout our whole lives The sinners of these laters times sin more heinously then they who lived in former ages Observ 9. The sins committed by those who have others for an example are greater then those committed formerly though they be the same for kind He who falls by stumbling at the same stone at which he dash'd who went before him falls without apology Wee in these times stand upon the shoulders of those who lived of old and therefore ought to see further we may behold by what meanes they stood where also and how they fell and how by either they sped More exactnesse in working and walking becomes us who have more light to guide us How happy were we if as we strive to excell our forefathers in other arts we did not come behind them in that heavenly art of a holy life though their helps were fewer then ours It is a common observation concerning our buildings that though they are of more curious contrivement yet lesse substantiall and durable then those of old time Non tulit nos sine exemplo◠ut inveniat sine delicto vel tollat sine patrocinio I fear this may be more truly said of our religion then of our buildings It will be more tolerable at the last day for those who lived in the times of Sodom then for sinners in these days upon whom the ends of the world are come Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Surely as we pay dearer for our worldly commodities we must pay much dearer for our sinfull pleasures then our fore-fathers have done We had better never have heard of Sodoms ruin then not to mend our lives by the example 10. Observ 10 It s our duty to make an holy improvement of the worst things which fall out in the world Even Sodom and Gomorrha were our examples and we should make lye to cleanse us of their ashes A good man should sail as they say of skilfull Mariners with every wind and as Samson take honey out of the carcass of the Lion Vespasian raised gain out of an excrement the Estrich concocts iron Even the waters of jelousie which rotted the bellies and limbs of some made others healthfull and fruitfull The sins of the worst should and sometimes do teach the godly to walk more closely and humbly with God Were we not wanting to our selves the sin of Sodom might be to us felix culpa an happy fault But alas most men more imitate then shun the sins of others nay which is much worse they rather take occasion to oppose deride and so get hurt by seeing the holy strictnesse of the godly then to grow more watchfull and holy by observing the sinfull loosenesse of the wicked But here is the excellency of grace to make a man like David Therefore to love the Commandments of God Psal 119. i 27. because wicked men make void the Law 11. Observ ult It is our wisdome to learn how to behold the examples of caution which God hath set forth especially in Scripture with most advantage to our souls Against that which God shews we must not shut our eyes To this end 1. Let us give our assent to the truth of examples as delivered in Scripture which doth not only relate the judgments themselves but their causes also the supreme God the deserving sin Faith takes into its vast comprehension every part of Gods word It hath been the Divels policy to strike at the truths of Scripture-stories either by denying or adulterating them * Prophani quidam ex Schola Porphirii ut miraculū elevarent Confinxerunt Mosem peritissimum naturae observasse fluxum refluxum maris Erithraei refluente illo suos traduxisse Riv. in Exod. Porphiry to overturn the miraculousnesse of the Israelites passing through the Red sea saith that Moses took the advantage of a low ebbing water and so went through safely which the Egyptians not understanding were drowned by the flowing of the water Strabo likewise perverts the truth of this story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Graeci Scriptores Sodomam cum vicinis civitatibus eam ob causam incendio periisse sentiunt quod regio illa cavernosa esset sulphurea atque ita hujusmodi exitio obnoxia Muscul in 19. Gen. by attributing it to naturall causes and reporting that these cities were seated on a soyl sulphureous and full of holes from which fire breaking forth consumed them Examples of the dreadfullest aspect will never affright us from sin when we look upon them in the Divels dress Let us not sport at examples and make them our play-fellows Read not the example of Lots wife as the Poeticall fiction of turning Niobe into a stone What judgement thou readest beleeve though never so severe never so farre beyond thy apprehension 2. Look upon examples with deep and diligent observation They must sink into us we must set our hearts to them Steep our thoughts in them and ponder them in their certainty causes severity Posting passengers cannot be serious observers of any place How profitable is it sometime to dwel in our meditations upon these monuments of divine justice Assent must be followed with consideration Transient thoughts become not permanent examples 3. Look upon these examples with an impartiall examination Enquire within whether was such an one whom vengeance overtook a greater sinner then I am Ask thy conscience that question which the Prophet put to the Israelites are there not with me even with me the same sins against the Lord Ransack thy soul to find out the traytor hide not that in