Moses who was faithfull in all Gods house and deliuered nothing vnto that people vpon whom God had fixed his affection aboue other nations without his warrant testifieth the Lords will in these words Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his waies and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule Where we may perceiue the two affections Feare and Loue equally required So as whosoeuer neglecteth the fearing of him though if they could be seuered he loue him or whosoeuer careth not to loue though if it were possible without the other he should feare him he becomes a transgressor Ia. 2.10 11. rendring a single seruice where a double dutie is required and so neglecting either he stands guiltie for both because he that enioyned the one commanded the other either of which who so omitteth goeth against the will of the Commander neither of them therefore must bee missing because both by the same authority commanded And as they are vnited by their Commander so in their Causes they are confounded for that Mercie should moue Loue none will question but that it should make vs Feare some may doubt and without all peraduenture to affirme it would seeme a Paradoxe if the Prophet Dauid a man after Gods owne heart and therefore knew what was his truth to bee deliuered and could not bee vnacquainted what was his will to bee reuealed and surely to the Lord himselfe durst not haue produced the of-spring of his owne braine a vaine conceit turning to the Lord had not auerred Psal 130 4. There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou bee feared What is it now in the Prophets iudgement is the cause of feare is it not mercy This harsh-seeming and bitter-deemed fruit of feare must grow vpon that truly knowne pleasant and taste-pleasing tree of his fauour for so hath the Lord ordeined as is recorded in the second of the Kings the seuenteenth Chapter Feare the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt with great power and with a stretched out arme His louing deliuerance must bee the foundation of their feare and his preseruing of them the roote from which must spring their reuerencing of him whence it is that the Psalmist attributeth the fearing of the Lords name by the Heathen Psal 103.15 16. and of his glory by the Kings of the earth vnto one speciall act of his mercy the repairing of his Zion Deut. 10.11.21 22. Now Moses though speaking with the same Spirit declared what the Lord had done for Israel how he had deliuered them from their enemies placed them in the promised Land the Land of couenant done for them great and terrible things which their eyes had seene and further of seuenty persons had so multiplied them as they became as the stars of Heauen in multitude and why doth hee number thus the Lords mercies euen for this purpose as hee himselfe expresseth that these acts of mercy might bee motiues to enflame the peoples affections to him Therefore saith he thou shalt loue the Lord thy God Deut. 10.11.21.22 Ios 23.9 In like manner doth Iosuah his successor presse the same duty from the same ground vpon the same people For the time past the Lord had driuen out before them great Nations and strong so fauourable hee was to them No man was able to stand before them to that day so mighty was he in them For the time to come one man of them should chase a thousand so powerful he would be with them all vndeniable arguments of his mercy towards them But to what end doth he call to their remembrance the one or giue them notice of the other because in the effect the consideration of the one is not so profitable as the remembring of the other is precious the truth whereof is implyed by the manner of the charge which is added Vers 11. Take heede carelesnesse will proue a corasiue take good heede a little negligence may bee the cause of great and long repentance therefore you haue seene his preseruations of you haue heard his good purpose towards you vnto your selues selfe-caused woe is a festring wound selfe-breeding folly is a double fault Take good heede therefore vnto your selues that yee loue the Lord your God Is not now the Lords mercy a motiue to loue him and is not his fauour an occasion of his feare Surely his fauour doth inflame our affections to him and kindle in our soules a feare of him And as his mercy so likewise his iustice is a cause of both Iustice is indeed as oyle to continue the burning of the Lampe of feare but it may seeme as water to quench the fire of loue Seeme it may but it doth not in the Saints of God for as Lime though it be naturally cold as all stones are participating of the earth in substance and generall properties yet it retaines in it an hidden heat and a fiery quality Nat. bist lib. 36. c. 33. Mirum aliquid postquam arserit accendi aquis Aug. de Ciu. Dei Quoddam valde mirabile accidit quia calx ex aqua incenditur ex qua omnis ignis extinguitur oleo verò extinguitur quo omnis ignis nutritur specially if it be once burnt as Pliny saith in so much that it is kindled by water so the loue which the Saints beare to the Lord is more inflamed by his iudgements inflicted on them and through his iustice obserued by them though they may seeme to be an hurt in truth they are an helpe though they may be thought to decrease our loue yet they are found to encrease that loyalty which cannot be seuered from loue Psal 119.175.62.164.52 Seuen times a day saith Dauid doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements though then the thinking of his iustice may be imagined to daunt our courage yet the remembring of his iudgements is the cause of comfort I remembred thy iudgements of old O Lord saith that anointed of the Lord and haue beene comforted though the appearance of them quench our delight in them yet the experience of them stirres vp our desire vnto them My soule breaketh for the longing that it hath vnto thy iudgements at all times And lest we should conceiue it onely of the Reuelation of his iustice in his word as may be collected sometimes in that Psalme to be conceiued as verses 137 138. hee addeth the reason of that his desire Thou hast destroyed the proud and by thy punishments declared that they are cursed which doe erre from thy Commandements so that there it must needes bee vnderstood of the execution of them in his wrath vpon the wicked or in his wisdome vpon the godly which sorts of people may by them see his equity which will cause them to loue him and bee sensible of their owne
strong City whereof Dauid is partaker but once in all his life as is very probable for this mercy in this manner was but once conferred seeing it is no where else in the same phrase remembred This then is a portion of Scripture euery word whereof hath his worth euery circumstance his weight and presenteth vnto our meditations Dauids gratitude Blessed be the Lord and the Lords great goodnesse towards him He hath shewed me his maruellous kindnesse in a strong City In dilating of both which though we may perfectly discouer the branches before we can discerne the tree yet we know that the roote and bole is in respect of time before the branches and when we perceiue the effect and consequence we must needs presuppose a preceding cause So howsoeuer Dauids thankfulnesse be the first expressed yet it must needs be granted that the Lords kindnesse was the first extended and therefore without preiudice to that order which is here vsed in the expressing of both these acts for my more methodicall proceeding and your better profiting Let the Lords kindnesse be the first subiect of my speech and the first obiect of your attentions because it was the first in action For first the Lord shewed his kindnesse and then Dauid testified his Thankfulnesse In the Lords kindnesse obserue three circumstances First the Agent He. Secondly the Act what this He did He shewed Thirdly the acts obiect what he shewed kindnesse First of the agent He that is the Lord here is the first court of the Temple wherein I no sooner set my foot but on the sudden so rare a Maiesty is vnueiled in my sight as my minde is amazed and my feet so fettered that I cannot moue till I glance at the properties of that glorious Person on whom if we cast our eyes wee may behold in him not onely the winter of sharpe seuerity but also the summer of cheering clemency Wee may see as well a dimple in his cheeke cheerefully fauoring as a wrinckle in his brow seuerely frowning For this He though he had before smitten as a Foe yet now doth he smile as a Father This He hauing drawne a foggy veile ouer his face shewed a cloudy countenance and yet remouing that veile againe manifesteth a gracious looke This He now altogether refresheth Dauids languishing spirits with a comfortable calme who a little before had almost ouerturned his soule with a tempestuous storme For he said in his sudden apprehension of his danger wherein he iustly was through his sinne I am cast out of thy sight Vers 22. So that in the Lord are indifferently seated as in their proper subiect two different properties Mercy and Iustice and by him are indifferently executed two diuers workes Seuerity and Clemency As is partly shadowed in the creatures plainly shewed in the sacred Scriptures by his workes demonstrated in reason may bee confirmed by all must be confessed Shadowed in the creatures Thinke not much by things created to learne the knowledge of their Creator For Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Dâ—um Euery plant represents Gods presence There is no creature though most contemptible but either his vnsearchable wisdome or his vnresistable power or the all-warming Sunne of his goodnesse or the all-seeing eye of his prouidence One or other of his ineffable properties is lesse or more shadowed in it And as we may finde the Fountaine by the Riuer and the Spring by the Streame so wee may attaine at the least a glance at and see with Moses the hinder parts of the Lord by his workes For the inuisible things of God from the creation of the world are cleerely seene being vnderstood by the things that are made euen his eternall power and Godhead as Saint Paul affirmeth Rom. 1.20 And therefore aptly is Seculum called Speculum this worlds Globe termed a looking-glasse And not without cause doth Iob send vs to the senselesse creatures to learne our lessons concerning him Ch. 12. ver 7 8. Aske saith he the beasts and they shall teach thee and the Fowles of the Heauen and they shall tell vnto thee or speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the Sea and they shall declare vnto thee euen this amongst other that as the Lion hath his paw to imprison his voice to terrifie and his teeth to teare his prey yet withall commiserateth the woes of the prostrate and suffereth no rauenous beast to touch that which he hath vndertaken to protect So the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda can as well encounter his foes with terrour Reu. 5.5 as entertaine his friends in fauour As the Eagle hath his talents to strike and his wings to shadow so the Lord hath his threats to chastise and his fauours to encourage As the Leopard hath comely spots to delight as well as a crooked countenance to affright and as whom the beautifull skinne of the Panther allureth to fancy his speed and cruell pursuit admonisheth to feare so the Lord hath a terrible countenance to beget a dread of his might and varietie of mercies to breed a delight in his Maiesty and whomsoeuer the beames of his bounty cannot warme in affection the flames of his fury shall pursue to destruction But if the creatures be not sufficient trumpeters of this truth because they in part doe only shadow it let vs heare the sacred Scriptures as Heauens Heralds proclaiming it as vndeniable for they plainly shew it Sometimes drawing our eyes to view the Lord seated on a white Iuory Throne of Maiesty with eyes sparkling forth nothing but signes of fauour with a tongue pronouncing words of comfort to raise vp the deiected soule and refresh the wearied spirit with lips divulging promises in their due time certainly to be performed to confirme the wauering mind and make resolute the inconstant and vnresolued man with armes stretched out ready to imbrace those that in reuerence approach vnto him and with a countenance assuring the freenesse of his grace and the firmnesse of his goodnesse somtimes descending from his Throne of excellency to examine the truth of transgressions cry and see the sinnes of man before he strike as a mercifull Iudge vnwilling to condemne the accused till the euidence be too cleere against him and loth to put the sword of Iustice into the Executioners hand till the prisoners fault be palpably proued but on the contrary when the clamour of impiety is iustly apparant and punishment is declared to be sinnes desert they present him exalted on a sable seat and set vpon wraths tribunall eyes darting out flames of fury mouth threatning certaine misery hands casting downe fire and brimstone storme and tempest and a countenance menacing the furiousnesse of his wrath and the fulnesse of the disobedients woe Somtimes they call him a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Psal 31.3 to imply the greatnes of his displeasure and a Fortresse to decipher the firmnesse of his fauour Somtimes they compare him to a Lion roaring for
men he vouchsafeth in the place and in the exercises by him appointed his house word meditation praier and Sacraments and though he be euery where so as if we would we cannot flye from his presence yet in that place in these ordinances it pleaseth him to conuerse with his children and his children are partakers of his spirituall presence In his word he manifesteth his glory in his Word he speaketh and powreth forth his mind to vs in prayers we familiarly talke and powre forth our hearts before him in the Sacraments hee giueth visible pledges of his fauour and we with the spirituall eye of our mind hand and mouth of faith looke vpon touch and taste the Bread of life in meditation wee enter into his priuy Chamber and he vouchsafeth vnto vs a sight and view of all his richest and rarest treasuries where wee may behold more pleasing more profitable obiects than could Berodach Baladan in the house of Hezekiah pretious things 2 King 20.12 13. where we may haue cause of greater admiration than had the Queene of Sheba in the hearing of the wisedome of Salomon which to heare she was content vpon the same of it to leaue her owne Country thereby testifying her desire to it and shall not we feeling the fruits of his presence who is greater than Salomon manifest our delight in it by our loue to his house and ordinances He that loues God glad will his heart be ioyfull his soule if he may conuerse with him at any time in any place or in any manner it shall please him to manifest himselfe vnto him Holy Dauid could not better expresse the greatnesse of that fire in his heart which could not be suppressed till it brake forth at his mouth and hee in admiration cried out O how amiable are thy Tabernacles Psal 84.1 2. O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the liuing God and yet in his exile hee might haue had the fruition of Gods fauour which lest wee thinke hee did not conceiue hee explaines his meaning to be this that his affections were fixed vpon the ordinances of God and therefore preferring the very Sparrow and Swallow before himselfe as linked to the Lord in a surer bond of loue addeth Yea the Sparrow hath found a house and the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young euen thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God and holdeth them blessed not as though hee were accursed for how should he be but blessed who hath the Lord for his King and his God but herein he holdeth them more blessed than himselfe who dwelt in the Lords house from which hee was exiled and where the people of the Lord were made partakers of his will and performed his Worship And lest we should thinke that this loue of Dauid was only in the time of his banishment thus feruent to the place where the Lord in his ordinances did manifest his presence when he might and did serue the Lord free from all impediments and deliuered from the hands of Saul pleading in another Psalme his owne integrity in respect of his fauourable dealing with Saul thinkes that his innocency his confidence in trusting vpon God his keeping the affections and inward motions of his heart pure his abstaining from recompencing euill for euill in consideration of Gods louing kindnesse towards him his shunning and hating vngodly assemblies and persons his resoluing with pure minde and holy conuersation as before still to seeke his God though these were excellent signes of a good and godly heart hee thinkes all these nothing vnlesse his loue which he continually had to Gods house be added Lord saies he besides all the rest I haue constantly loued the habitation of thy house Psal 26.8 and the place where thine Honour dwelleth And as hee loued Gods house and all religious duties there exercised so before and aboue the rest in Gods Word was he most delighted it had not the meanest but the chiefest place in his heart not the fewest but the most of his affections set vpon it it was his delight his ioy his staffe his stay his rest his loue as in the 119. Psalme euery where appeareth Hee that is affamished receiues not meat with more gladnesse than Ieremy did the Word of God Ier. 15.16 it was the ioy and the reioycing of his heart Come wee now to Prayer Oh the loue of the godly to this exercise Some haue prayed often in the day as Daniel some by prayer haue preuented the morning watch to pray night and day was to some delightsom as to Dauid some haue neglected no occasion that was offered as Paul It was the vsuall practise of our Sauiour hee that needed least prayed most teaching vs by his own patterne what we should practise no sooner had he ceased preaching but he fell to praying hee prayed in the Mountaine in the Garden in all places at all times he prayed on the Crosse when he was suffering Now for the Sacraments in them wee behold his passion in them we partake of his body and communicate of his bloud by them our faith is confirmed our soules strengthened and our consciences quieted with euery of which what Christian is not delighted Delighted with them were they in the Apostles times who at euery meeting did breake their bread with gladnesse of heart Act. 2. And as for meditation by it we see God in his Word behold him in his workes looke vpon him though in the highest Heauens by it is presented to our eyes his Maiesty to subiect vs that wee grow not proud his Iustice to feare vs that we bee not wanton his mercy to comfort vs that we doe not faint his wisdome to direct vs that we doe not erre and his power to defend vs that we do not doubt By Meditation is manifested before the eyes of our mind the greatnesse of Christs suffrings his sorrowing heart his heauy soule his bleeding hands and feet his pierced side his wounded heart and whatsoeuer else he endured for our misdeeds in which the Saints of God haue beene much exercised and that by reason of their loue vnto it Thus doth our loue of God breede in vs a desire of society in those exercises where God presents himselfe if they may be had if not a seeking them according to his will aboue all things in the world The Spouse of Christ the Church of God euery Christian soule saith of Christ I desire to sit vnder his shadow Cant. 2.5 and I am sicke of loue that is I faint if I want that fellowship with Christ my head which I so much desire according to his will as he hath appointed to associat himselfe with me in his Word Prayers Sacraments and Meditation Let this be the tryall of the truth of our loue Are we as Beares drawne to the stake to these ordinances Is the Word