softened and bettered by the word of God when you come to his house (t) Quid ergo miramini vos quae in scholam affertis ea domum referre num ut decreta vel abjecturi vel correcturi vel commutaturi advenitiâ— Arrian in Epict. l. 2. c. 21. resolved not to forsake any of your evil courses since you trust the Devil and believe not him that speaketh from heaven But be advised and take heed behold a sad example of those hard hearted Jews who dealt thus with God at Massah and Meribah which words signifie provocation and temptation they lusted for water and because they were not presently supplied they blasphemed God and questioned his providence and doubted of his promises and were so hardened by their lust that they feared not his dreadful indignation which therefore fell upon them This day is made by God a day of mercy but if you be resolved to hearken to your lusts if they call but for water and will not hear the calls of God if you doubt his promises and despise his threatnings as they did you will turn this day of grace into a day of provocation and temptation and perhaps of destruction and desolation as you do deserve § 6. Ver. IX X and XI When your Fathers tempted me c. It was the boast of the Jews that they followed the steps of their fore-fathers and so they did but not of the best of them not of Abraham who no sooner heard Gods voice but he was obedient to it (u) John 8.39 Gen. 17.23 but they followed the steps of those obstinate and provoking wretches which God delivered out of Egypt conducted them in the wilderness and sustained them there with bread from heaven yet they did frequently and continually discover their disobedience and unbelief by inventing strange wayes to try and prove the patience and fidelity of God growing rude and insolent in every denial discontent and clamorous if they had not every day a new miracle and although he had done so much to testifie his affection to them and care of them yet upon every slight occasion they conclude that they had neither his favour towards them nor his presence among them God indeed was so merciful that he suffered these their evil manners fourty years (x) Acts 13.18 but not without loathing and abhorrency and high indignation (y) Ver. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aqu. Sym. cum taedio pertuli Vatabl. fasâ—idio habui Jun. Tremel and though he did not presently destroy them yet he gave sufficient testimony that he was displeased at these their dealings They asked every thing of God they wanted and were impatient of denial but yet they would deny God that called them to repentance every day and thus they mistook him and formed wrong notions of him falsely imagining to be heard without obedience or else wretchedly concluding God was not able or not willing to make good his promises But they must be strangers to his Power truth and mercy that think so And yet as they erred in their minds so God made them err and wander in that desolate wilderness and he grew so highly incensed at last at their obstinacy and unbelief that he unalterably proposed which is expressed by taking an Oath they should none of them come into that Land of Caanan nor enjoy that rest since they sometimes despised it and preferred Egypt before it and otherwhiles doubted whether they ever could obtain it so that notwithstanding all their priviledges and all that God had done for them these vile returns provoked him that loved them once so deerly to destroy them in the wilderness and make good that promise to their children which the Fathers had made themselves unworthy of This is the sum of this sad example and of what happened to those Jews for our learning (z) 1 Cor. 10.11 Omne quod evenit patribus signum fuit filiis Moses Gerund in Gen. 12. and as David set it before the men of his time and St. Paul those of his so doth our Church daily set it before you for a warning that you may not do as they did least you also perish as they did You are delivered by Christ from the bondage of Sin and Sathan you are the chosen people of God pilgrims in the wilderness of this world and travellors to the heavenly Caanan and here is set before you some that of old did miscarry that you may shun those paths that lead them to ruine and that you may hearken to Gods calls and believe his Promises and despise Egypt and be content with his providence and then you shall arrive at your desired rest Otherwise do not encourage your selves because God spares you and think you may deny him to day as you did yesterday for he may suffer these abuses from you many years and be highly provoked against you in his own brest though his anger break not out in your destruction presently and you had best take heed you trifle not and mistake till God vow your deprivation for then you are irrecoverably lost These Israelites were going to a temporal Caanan and so dyed only temporally for ought we know and lost the pleasures of that pleasant land But we are invited to a heavenly rest and if we provoke God as they did our loss is ten thousand times greater and we must dye eternally Acquaint your selves therefore with Gods wayes and do not delight in such destroying mistakes as you are pleased to hug in your bosoms He is merciful to those that obey him and will perform all the expectations of his faithful servants but those that presume he should do so to them and yet continue to stop their ears though he spare them long yet he will cut them off at last which being so certain and having so plain an example this day propounded to you I hope you will this day hearken to the invitations that you hear out of Gods word and resolve now to begin a new course of life and if this have so good an effect you will have great cause to bless God for sparing you so long and warning you so seriously and giving this one effectual call more and then you may well conclude this Divine Hymn with Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Amen The Paraphrase of the XCV Psalm VERSE I. O come with all speed and let us who are here met together in the house of God with loud and chearful voices sing unto the Lord and having our affections raised by the remembrance of his mercy let us not only outwardly and vocally but inwardly and heartily rejoyce in him that is the Rock of our defence the foundation of our hope and the strength by which we shall be brought to the fruition of our salvation Ver. II. He is present every where but especially here where we assemble to worship him therefore let us come into his house where we are
will obtain help from him for us by the power of his undenyable intercession and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self So that his might will secure us here and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers and desire this may be granted and decreed in heaven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here Amen The Paraphrase of the Collects for Peace O God who by thy constant power and providence art the author of safety and the cause of our peace from without the procurer of amity and lover of concord within thy Church and among thy people Thou art the only true God in knowledge of whom standeth out chief happiness in eternal life and our best means of coming safe thither for thou art the best of all Masters whose service is safe and pleasant because it is perfect freedom from the slavery of Sathan and the fear of his instruments Therefore mighty Lord be pleased to defend us who fly to thy protection and surrender up our selves to thee vowing we are and ever will be thy humble servants Oh keep us safe in soul and body if not from yet however in all assaults which are made upon us by the power malice or cunning of our enemies let their attempts be so constantly frustrated that we under the shadow of thy wings may couragiously proceed in our holy course and surely trusting in thy defence while we are faithful to thy service that we may not so much as fear the power or policy of any adversaries since we have so good grounds to hope thou wilt now and alwaies hear us through the interest and help us through the might of Iesus Christ thy dear son our Lord and only Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Grace In this Collect are four parts 1. A confession of the Attributes of God 1. Love O Lord our heavenly Father 2. Power Almigâ—ty and 3. Eternity everlastiâ—g God 2. An acknowledgment of his Providence Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day 3. A Petition for â—is grace 1. To preserve us from evil 1. In general defend us in the same with thy mighty power 2. In particular from 1. Spiritual and grant that this day we fall into no sin 2. Temporal neither run into any kind of danger 2. To help us in doing good that we may be 1 Directed by him but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance 2. Accepted of him to do alwâ—ies that which is righteous in thy sight 4. The means to obtain it through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace § 5. O Lord our heavenly Father almighty and everlasting God Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice the sauce of dangerous pleasures It occasions our forgetfulness of God that gave it and becomes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed So that we must not pray for Peace alone but joyned with righteousness and Grace for these God hath united in Scripture (n) Psal 85.10 2 Cor. 1 2. and we must not separate them in our devotions For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace Grace alone can make Peace true beneficial and lasting and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world So that by receiving this Collect devoutly we still improve our former request and if we can obtain such grace as to make us just and charitable meek and patient towards one another this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others while our doings are directed by the wisdome and agreeable to the will of the God of peace Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us we must learn where to seek it and its very name will lead (o) Gratia est gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis August Epist 120. us to the free and inexhaustible fountain whence it ever flows even to God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth no man The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona Seneca who will rejoyce to hear such a request from an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness and desirous of his strength He will be more ready to grant then you can be to ask (q) Luke 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius in dissert Consider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer Is not the Lord your heavenly Father and shall not he pitty and love you and delight to do you good Is he not Almighty and therefore able to relieve you and Everlasting the same yesterday today and for ever Being All-sufficient and never to be drawn dry though we come day by day unto him We have no reason to doubt either his sufficiency his might or his mercy and therefore no cause to fear but this Petition shall prevail We are on Earth but we have a Father in Heaven we are weak but our Lord is Allmighty our time is measured by daies and nights and we grow older every day and must at length have our end but we have a God that changeth not but is the same from everlasting to everlasting Let this chear our hearts (r) Psal 102.25 26 27. and give wings to our Petitions and strength to our faith Let us fly to him and rest upon him for we can never come to him for grace but we are sure to find him furnished with it and both able and ready to bestow it upon us § 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day The Mercies of God are new every morning and so ought our Praises to be (s) Lament 3.23 Psal 92.1 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum ut te Oriens invenint jam paratum Ambr. in Psal 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion to which purpose being now come to the shore it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep the darkness of the night which we have passed and now to remember that though we were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death and were insensible of danger and uncapable of resistance yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades which are the image of hell the embleme of death the opportunity of mischief and the most uncomfortable part of our lives And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father by whose gracious providence we have been kept therein from
careless and to rest in the outward ceremony and customary observance of this Confession with a bended knee a pensive look and an humble voice we do here present them with the summons which God sent to his people (q) Joel 2.13 who in their distresses were ready enough at all the external rites of mourning covering the head or sprinkling it with ashes wearing of sackcloath or tearing their usual garments sighing and sitting on the ground like Jobs friends (r) Job 2.12 Externa omnia luctus signa quae pessimis facilè exprimi possunt Cod. yet all this in Gods sight is esteemed but hypocrisie without that which these signs were to represent viz. a rent heart and broken spirit of which sect 4. pag. 12. David speaks The renting of the Mantle was an embleme of a heart torn with sorrow and was one of the highest expressions of a mighty sorrow and therefore it was ordered by the Jewish Doctors never to be used but upon the death of a Father Master Prince or Judge or in a common calamity of fire or sword or upon the commission of the most hainous crimes blasphemy burning the Law or the Sanctuary (Å¿) Drusius in Job 2.12 and yet this is not sufficient and if it be not accompanied with a true repentance it will be but like the punishment of the Persian Nobles whose Cloaks of silk were torn their ornaments rufled and hair disordered by the executioner but their bodies untouched It would be acceptable to God to omit the ceremony and perform the thing signified and a true penitent shall not be rejected in an untorn garment because that is the principal this the accessary rent therefore your hearts and not i. e. rather then your garments be principally careful about this (t) Matth. 12.7 ex Hos 6.6 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drusius for if I must have but one I would refuse that wholly and chuse a broken heart though God doth not wholly reject the ceremony not your garments may signifie not only your garments (u) Gen. 32.28 for it is approved (*) Ezra 9.3 when it is accompanied with true repentance but do not deceive your selves to think to please God by a sorrow that goes no neerer to you then the borders of your garment it must pierce the flesh nay the heart before you will leave of your sin and find the evil of your wayes so far as to amend them (x) Nemo enim se adsuefacit ad vitandum ex animo evellendum id quod ei non est molestum Plut. and turn to God and the more to quicken their sense of their sin to encourage their speedy return the Prophet repeats all those attributes of mercy which God is described by (*) Exod. 34.6 leaving out all that was terrible least any should pretend discouragement from those terrors and stay away Methinks a greater sorrow then a ceremony can express becomes us who have offended a God gracious that is so apt and ready to do us good merciful viz. so full of compassion and pitty when we are in misery A God slow to anger not easily provoked nor forward to punish when never so just cause of great kindness even to those who have offended willing to be reconciled and inclinable to forgive and one that repents of the evil which we deserve and he once resolved to bring upon us (y) Quumque abolent dâ—cretum durum poenitentia praecatio eleemosyna mutatio opera bona D. in Jonah not out of any change in himself but upon our change for God alwayes resolved to punish the obstinate and spare the penitent wherefore when the obstinate doth repent no former decree can oblige God to punish him nay he is glad of this opportunity to lay by his anger who can think he hath ingratefully sinned against such a God and not have his heart rent with sorrow and who can behold such a Father and not run to him with shame for his disobedience and longing desires nay firm persuasions to be accepted Joel 2.13 When you come to God to seek for pardon and reconciliation be not altogether taken up in the outward part but Rent your heart with a serious apprehension of your own vileness and a hearty sorrow for your ingratitude and a mighty fear of his just displeasure and then you may be accepted though you be only careful to rent your hard heart and not so exact in the outward sign of renting your Garments Provided you be so grieved for your sins as to forsake them and turn to the Lord who calls himself your God whom you ought not to have forsaken and yet there is good hopes you may be received by him again if you be sincere for he is gracious and ready to do good to those that need it and merciful to pity all that are in misery and to forgive all offences he is slow to anger most unwilling to punish and waiting long because he is desirous to be reconciled and of great kindness Nay even when he hath resolved to punish he is more desirous to spare and repenteth him of the evil he purposed to inflict when we repent of the evil which we have done A Meditation Preparatory to Prayer for such as are apt to rest in the outward part OH my soul thou art surely seized with a strange distemper which resists the efficacy of the choicest remedies and the plaister which cures others doth not avail me I confess my offences every day upon my bended knees and yet my faith is weak my hopes of pardon wavering my sense of Gods love very small so that I am almost tempted to live like those who are unconcerned whether they sin or no because I find no benefit by all my humiliations and this temptation had prevailed if I had not seen that since others receive advantage from these means the fault is in me and not in them nor in the God I serve he cannot deny his promises falsifie his Word nor reject those when they come who came upon his courteous Invitation Oh where is this accursed thing that restrains Gods mercy and blasts my endeavours and puts me upon injurious thoughts against heaven and atheistical resolutions of totally neglecting these holy things The matter is good for God commands it the benefit is great for many have found it But is it done in a right manner the failing may be there Yet I have been careful to kneel reverently look sadly sigh grievously and tell the Almighty the story of my sinful life with addresses becoming a Penitent Alas this comes far short of what God requires even a broken spirit and a contrite heart and I have been so concerned to seem sorrowful that I have not endeavoured really to be so Oh my God thou that searchest the heart thou hast seen my heart untouched in the midst of these pretences I have not been smitten with a sense of the odiousness of my sins to
a uniting love for the heart will be the faster bound to the most merciful Father when it is first made sensible it hath offended a dreadful Almighty God who yet retains the bowels as well as name of a Father and is the most merciful of all Fathers for what natural Parent would not have cast out and disinherited his once dearest Child for the one half of what thou hast done against thy Heavenly Father who yet upon our true repentance stands ready to embrace us with as much love as if we had never done amiss if fear will move our hearts here is represented his terrible power if love will work upon us here is discovered unspeakable goodness and what heart can resist both His Almightiness is first but if the terrour thereof seal up thy lips let the hope of his fatherly pity and compassion open them again Learn humility and true contrition from the first and Faith and Hope from the latter which are excellent mixtures in a penitent heart and the best dispositions in the World for a hearty and prevailing confession § 2. We have erred and strayed from thy wayes Gods laws are frequently in holy Scripture compared to a way that leads to everlasting life and thither we are going when we are walking in them But our sins and iniquities are errings and strayings out of this path In our lesser sudden and unobserved sins we step aside and make our way crooked (c) Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sig peccatum curvum Eccles 7.13 Psal 38.16 Job 33.27 Matth. 17.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by vain thoughts rash and idle words light and foolish carriage these happen so frequently that if we walk right a while we are soon out again so that at best we go on but in contorted spiral lines which is far from the straitness and evenness of our rule yet because these are done out of ignorance they are called Errors which though we may think them small in their kind yet they are formidable in their numbers and next to infinite but besides these lesser wandrings we stray further stay longer when we fall into greater transgressions and evil habits these are absolute forsaking of Gods folds and a plain passing over those bounds which God hath set us as Solomon did to Shimei (d) 1 Kings 2.36 ubi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sign transâ—re limites ut Jos 4.1 at Deut. 17 2. c. signif peccare and by so doing we forfeit our lives as he did his if Gods mercy did not spare us And thus Malice and Envy Lust and Drunkenness Pride and Cruelty Covetousness and Oppression especially when by frequent repetitions they are become customary may be called straying from his wayes 'T is very like many in favour to their own cause will count their errors no sins and call their strayings errors and infirmities But the least are committed so often that they are not to be despised and the greater are so heinous they cannot be hid and we should consider that be the sin what it will if we repent not we remain in our wandring and so an error may become a going astray To have stepped aside may seem excusable by humane frailty (e) Humanum est errare Belluinum vero perseverare in errore Cicer. he must be more then man that doth not so sometimes but he that sees his error and goes on it is worse then beast and wholly inexcusable 'T is certain there is none of us but we have erred by less and strayed by greater sins but if we hasten our repentance our strayings will be forgiven and esteemed as errors otherwise the lesser evils if we cherish them and neglect repentance may well encrease and be reputed as the utter deserting of Gods wayes § 3. Like lost sheep The Church chuseth the language of the holy Ghost to express our departure from God by For God and his Son Jesâ—s are compared to the Shepherds and we to the Sheep of their Pasture * Psalm 23.1 100.3 4. John 10.1 2 c. by our sins we become lost Sheep (f) Matth. 15.24 and by the Mercy of Jesus we are reduced (g) Luke 15.4 and since we have all sinned there is no man can deny but he is one of these lost Sheep (h) Isaiah 53.6 and David himself puts it into his Confession (i) Psalm 119.176 and so may the best of men do We frequently forsake the sâ—fe fold the pure streams and the green pasture which God hath provided for us and wander into a dry and barren wilderness where we want all true comforts and are expoâ—ed to a thousand evils Now how fitly these errings and strayings of ours are resembled by a lost Sheep may appear in three particulars 1. No creature is more apt to stray and by its heedlesness would never keep right were it not continually under the Shepherds eye So we while we greedily feed on worldly contents we daily go forward not observing whether we are right or wrong nor minding whither we go so that we easily fall into offences and are seldome long in Gods wayes Again 2. Nothing is more open to dangers when it doth stray then this shiftless Creature which hath many enemies and no defence against them the Dog is too swift the Wolf too strong and tâ—e Fox too cunning for it so that it becomes a prey to all Even so poor silly man when he hath left his Shepherd is intangled in the thorns of worldly cares ensnared by Sathan oppressed by wicked men and pursued by his own Conscience and hath not subtilty enough to contend with the Devil nor strength to defend himself against his instruments nor nimbleness to fly from his accuser Lastly the straying Sheep is most unlikely ever to return for supposing it should miss the ravenous enemies it is so stupid and inobservant that it would stray for ever unless the Shepherd find it and restore it And just thus God knows it is with us who wander up and down forgetting whence we are fallen and ignorant how to return again changing the kinds of our sins sometimes but never likely to find the right path till the good Shepherd of our souls who comes to seek that which was lost cause us to hear his voice behind us (l) Isai 30.21 John 10.4 and we turn and follow him Thus by this one significant Metaphor we own God for our true Shepherd and our selves to be his Sheep poor helpless Creatures apt to stray and in our wandrings likely to perish by many enemies and great dangers and unlikely and unable ever to return unless he please to forgive our sin forget our folly and pity our misery and come to seek and save us that feel our selves neer lost already we have not minded our Shepherds voice nor heeded his steps who as the custom of Shepherds in those Eastern countries was (m) John 10.4 Psalm 77.20 did himself walk before
scribam aut quid omnino non scribam hoc tempore nescio Tacit Annal. not knowing what to answer being full of inward confusion And sin hath this effect not only on evil men but as much if not more on the best whose ingenuity produceth a shame that will stop their mouths as much as the wicked mans terrors of which the famous Origen is an instance who having been compelled to sacrifice once (i) Epiphan Panar l. 2. Tom. 1. haeres 64. was long after struck dumb with reading the 16 verse of the 50th Psalm But unto the ungodly saith God what hast thou to do c. and broke off with tears not able to proceed further which least it should happen to us and a guilty conscience should spoil the musick of our Praises or seal up our lips in Prayer we here do beseech him by speaking peace to our souls to give us such hope of his forgiving mercy that whereas our fear shame and grief makes us stand mute as so many guilty persons before him we may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a freedom of speech in his presence when by the comforts of his Spirit the terrors of offending slaves are changed into the liberty of reconciled sons which mercy if he grant you do all engage to use it to his glory and resolve it shall kindle the flames of gratitude and love in all your hearts and your mouths shall bear witness to it as you are praising him for other things you will think of this pardoning mercy and redouble your Eucharistical gratulations and no doubt this Petition shall be heard for you desire it not only for your own benefit but to fit you to set forth his praise We have cauâ—e when we go about to glorifie God to cry out we are of unclean lips (k) Isai 6.5 but if God send hopes of remission when the Seraphim toucheth our lips and taketh away our iniquity then we shall be fit for all holy duties and with that Prophet readily say Here I am Lord send me § 3. O God make speed to save us O Lord make haste to help us These words are frequently repeated in the Book of Psalms and are not much varied from that form of Exclamation (l) Psal 118.25 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obsecro Jehovah serva nunc Jun. Trem. which the Jews contracted into Hosanna which signifies Save now Lord we beseech thee but the old Latine Liturgies (m) Deus in adjutorium meum intende Psal 70.1 vid. Graec. V. D. D. Duport 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut LXX do assure us it is taken out of the 70th Psalm though it be found also Psal 40. ver 13. and there you may behold David surveying his sins more numerous then his hairs more weighty then his heart could bear terrified with which sad spectacle he breaks out into this passionate ejaculation and it may well befit our mouths who so lately have been Confessing our offences and it contains all that any penitent sinner about to put up his Petitions need sue for by way of Preparation viz. Deliverance and safety from evil and help in that which is good We suppose our selves like a besieged City our sins behind threaten us and our corruptions have blocked us up before and fear is on every side yet still the way to heaven is open and we send these Prayers upwards to the place where the King of Heaven resides for a speedy rescue to be granted to his distressed subjects (n) 1 Sam. 11.4 2 Chron. 20.12 when we look back and see our innumerable iniquities we cry out O God make speed c. when wee look forward to all those duties which we are to do and the great opposition we are sure to meet with we say Oh Lord make hast c. Our guilt will make speed to pursue us and Sathan to destroy us and evil thoughts to hinder our Devotions wherefore we must beg that our gracious God will also make hast to save and help us just now when we are in danger and need and it will double (o) Bis dat qui ciâ—ò dat Senec. the kindness we need not fear he will call these speedy cries impatience or presumption but prudent fear of our imminent danger and a right apprehension of our urgent necessities and for our comfort let us remember they that are the most liberal are the most speedy (p) Proprium est libenâ—èr facientis ciâ—â— facere Sen. in doing good he that we make request to hath charged us (q) See Prov. 3.8 never to put off a necessitous person till the morrow if we have it in our power as he ever hath it in his to help us wherefore be assured he will save and help thee this day and by the speed of his help give thee cause in the next place to sing Glory be to the Faâ—her c. § 4. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Although the words of this excellent Hymn are not in Scripture yet it is a Paraphrase on the Song of the Seraphims (r) Isai 6.3 Vnde hymnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originem duxisse fertur in Eccl. Graec. and is expresly grounded on Gods word (s) 1 John 5.7 not only as it is an act of Adoration to Almighty God but as it is a particular address to each person of the blessed Trinity who being equal in their Godhead are equally to be worshiped which if it were needful might be fully proved but it is sufficiently done already This truth indeed by the malice of the Devil and the envy of ambitious and wicked men hath met with more opposition then all other Christian Doctrines the Arrians Sabellians Eunomians Apollinarists Macedonians and almost all Hereticks denied either the Divinity of one or Equality of all the Persons but the Church got this advantage (t) Multa quippe ad fidem Catholicam pertinentia dum haereticorum callidâ inquietudine agitantur ut adversùs eos defendi possint considerantur diligentiùs intelliguntur clariùs instantiùs praedicantur Aug. de Civ Dei Lib. 16. cap. 2. by it that this fundamental article was more narrowly examined clearly explained and fully proved then otherwise it had been and among other good effects of these bad causes was the composure of this Eucharistical Hymn as some think or rather the enjoyning it in daily use which I rather believe for there are many footsteps of it before Arrius time or any of those Councels which condemned him and though before the danger of this heresie every one of the Fathers had a form of Doxology of his own yet with little variety of words they all expressed the same thing viz. to ascribe all honour and glory to the three Persons of the glorious Trinity Nay these very words are set down by Clemens of Alexandria
It hath ever been and still is the custome for Souldiers when they were about to joyn in battle (a) 1 Sam. 17.20 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Grot. in Josh 6.5 to encourage one onother with a general shout to which we may compare this joyful Acclamation of the Church Militant we being now about to besiege heaven with our Prayers and to assail the gates of hell by holy resolution every Man shews his Own forwardnesâ— and reproves his Neighbours backwardness with O come let us c. which word signifies that zealous speed we are to make that we may set upon these holy offices and this we are commanded to do by the Apostle whenever we use to meet in the house of God (b) Heb. 10.25 especially in Psalms and Spiritual Hymns (c) Ephes 5.19 Coloss 3.15 then we must admonish and encourage one another as the Minister and People do most pathetically in this Psalm stirring up each others hearts in these two first verses to praise God the same thing after the Poetick manner being expressed in divers words from which it appears this Psalm was sitted for the two sides of the Quire and so we still use it The Priest beginning the Exhortation O come let us sing c. and the people answering Let uâ— come c. thereby approving the advice and returning the courteous invitation and both minister and people do mutually pâ—ess the duty and express their joynt resolutions to glorifie God In private it may suffice that our heart and spirit rejoyce in God (d) Luke 1.46 47. but we are now in publique and therefore as God hath bestowed his favours (e) 1 Cor. 6. â—0 on both soul and body we must both in heart and voice glorifie him by both We must sing his Praises and thereâ—y shew even to men who cannot see the heart th â— we are glad and joyâ—â—l in remembring his goodness We mâ—st 〈◊〉 stand mute but our tongues must affect our hearts and the hearts of all about us that every mans light may shine clearly and our neighbours torch may be kindled at our fire till the several sparks of gratitude that lye hid in single hearts be blown up and united into one flame bright as the blaze of the Altar and till we be all turned into holy joy and love which will be the effect of the zealous performing the outward part But we must also be sure to let our heart make a Unison with our tongue (f) Ephes 5.19 c. Rom. 15.6 or else the grunting of swine is not more harsh and unpleasant to our ears then the best harmony of their voices in Gods who only dwell on the sounds and never observe the sense nor excite devout affections as a caution against such formality there are four good considerations proposed in these two Verses First The Person to whom these Praises are addressed unto the Lord who sees our hearts and cannot as men be deceived with Verbal complements Secondly The reason why we praise him because he is the strength of our Salvation a Rock of Defence (g) See Dr. Hammond Annot. on Psal 89. ver 26. l Syr. potentissimus meus liberator LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to us and a mighty Champion for us and powerful rescuer of us on whose power and mercy relies the strength of all our hopes for this world and the next Thirdly The place where we praise him we are before his presence in those Assemblies where he peculiarly manifests himself The Jews were before the Ark but St. Paul teacheth us that we come into the Holiest of all for we Christians are admitted into the Presence-Chamber and if we mock him we do it to his very face Fourthly The manner in which he expects to be praised even that we be glad in him and rejoyce in the Lord not with the mirth of a Theatre loose and voluptuous but with the joys of Cherubins and all those celestial Orders whose joy is kindled from the pure beams of the Divine love These things as seriously thought on as they are frequently repeated would spiritualize our joy and help us both in heart and voice to glorifie the fountain of all good § 3. Ver. III IV and V. For the Lord is a great God c. 'T is impossible we should do any action chearfully till we are informed of the reason why it must be done and when the understanding is convinced fully the Will chuseth freely and then all the faculties of the Soul and members of the Body lend their help readily to put it in execution For which cause these three Verses contain the Reasons and Motives to that duty of praising God in heart and voice to which the former Verses exhort us For as the Subjects of great Princes do celebrate their masters praises with Panegyricks and with loud hyperbole's set forth the greatness of their Power multitude of their Vassals largeness of their Dominions and the excellency of their atcheivements so we being before the King of Kings and our particular benefactor are more firmly obliged to glorifie him and can more justly commend him upon all these accounts then the Favourites of the greatest Monarch upon Earth who are forc't to magnifie small matters and add many to fill up their Lords character but we need only relate the truth even that our God is infinite and immense in himself absolute and supream in his Authority universal and unlimited in his Dominions glorious and admirable in his Works all which will quicken our Praises if we consider them severally as they are laid down in order in these Verses 1. The Lord is a great God Let us view his Essential greatness and Immensity which places him without the bounds of our apprehension but he is so much the more to be esteemed (h) Hoc est quod Deum aestimari facit dum aestimari non capit Tert. Apol. Nec videri potes visu clarior nec comprehendi tactu purior nec aestimari sensu major est idâ—ò sic eum dignè aestimamus dum inestimabilem diximus Cyprian because he cannot be comprehended our senses cannot represent him nor can those thoughts that can measure out heaven and earth contain him who is not so properly said to be in the world as the world in him for he is every where (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. but is confined no where and though to pursue this contemplation would amaze our understandings rather then help our Devotion yet it will teach us humility and to supply with admiration what we cannot conceive clearly nor explicate fully and it will engage us to extol him as much as is possible that our praises may hear some proportion with his greatness Yet let us believe that whatever we say or think of him here is so far short of what he really is that when we are admitted to the Beatifick Vision we shall confess with that Queen that the
his Pasture shews he feeds us his hand expresseth his ruling of us wherefore if we want any good let us remember our God feeds all much more his own sheep let us pray to him and our King will furnish us Or if we fear any evil let us call to mind his hand is over us his particular providence is engaged for us he watches over us night and day Let us but trust in him and pray to him for the continuance of what we have and the supply of what we want and we need fear no evil no cunning Fox nor ravenous Wolf shall ever be able to pluck us out of his hand § 5. Ver. VIII To day if ye will hear his voice c. This first sentence in the Hebrew is annexed to the former Verse as the Condition on which God will accept us as his sheep and answer our prayers by continuing the supplies of his bounty to us and the defence of his providence over us if we will every day hearken to his voice for his own sheep alwaies do so John 10.4 and so must we follow him who is our shepheard and goes before us by his example (h) John 10.3 see Dr. Hammonds Annotations and calls us after by the voice of his Word otherwise we reject him from being a shepheard over us and so he may justly cast us off But the Greek Interpreters begin as we do in imitation of them a new sentence here and are warranted so to do by the change of the Person which is often used in holy Writ but hath a peculiar Emphasis here hitherto we have been speaking to one another to stir up our hearts to praise God and to pray to him Now the Holy Ghost himself (i) Heb. 3.7 to shew that all our Devotions will be in vain unless we resolve to obey (k) Prov. 1. ver 24. comp with ver 28. Gods word is brought in warning us to hear the voice of God as we expect he should hear our petitions Wherefore it is expressed with Majestick Authority if ye will you may if you will I will enable you to do it and it is best for you so to do and I advise you to it or as others if ye will implies a wish Oh that ye would hearken and obey (l) Ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si per O utinam Exod. 32.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 19.42 Cap. 22.42 for it is not unfrequent for God to wish we would do that which he knows to be for our good not but that he could make us do it by his omnipotency yet he doth not deal with us as with irrational creatures by force but entreaty (m) Deut. 4.29 and Chap. 32.29 Deus non eo modo quo per causas naturales agit movet hominû◠voluntates sed alliciendo Maimon because he abhors such constrained observance therefore he sends his word and his servants every day and gives us sufficient grace every day and we may hear and do his Will every day if our own wilful obstinacy hinder not and if it do he is grieved for us because we will dye (n) Matth. 23.37 Methinks it should melt our hearts to hear our gracious God so passionately wish and so earnestly call for our conversion and to consider how he hath long in vain waited for it adding one day to another even to this very day (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Protreptic Hodiè istud permanebit usque ad finem seculi R.R. yet we put him off when for ought we know this may be our last day and then everlasting night begins with us and though others have their hodiè still we must never more hear this word this sweet to day if we would give all the world for it Oh foolish people how carelesly do you let this irrecoverable treasure this present day pass away and never consider the loss till it be too late The Devil and your wicked hearts say to day you are too busie too much taken up in other concerns and to morrow you will hear his voice and do his will But the Holy Ghost saith if ye will hear it must be to day for this day is yours but to morrow is his whom you provoke by casting away to day and how care you promise what is anothers or how can you expect God should give you more time when you so despise this you have it is likely you may never see another day because the more you have the more you mock God and the further you put him off Gods word read or preached will sound in your ears however this one day more to try if yet you will so hear it as to observe it which is the only right hearing (p) Genes 42.22 if not though your day of grace hath lasted long it shall quickly have an end the Jews had their To day but they would not hear and now they have it no more let us beware by their sad example But least we should be ignorant of the cause of these dangerous delays the good Spirit teacheth us it is by hardness of heart and least any should pretend their hearts were by natural corruption become most obdurate we are here charged that we do not harden them to intimate it is wilfull obstinacy not natural disability (q) Quibus verbis indicatur non ex alio fonte manare nostrum adversus Deum rebellionem quam ex voluntaâ—iâ improbitate dum illius gratiae aditum obstruimus Calvin in Heb. 3.8 for God would take away the stony heart from all who are in Covenant with him if they did not wilfully resist the Holy Ghost (r) Exod. 36.26 Acts 7.51 and like the deaf adder stop their ears and if we consult St. Paul we shall find two causes of hardness of heart First unbelief Heb. 3.12 of the threatnings pronounced against sin as if they should never be inflicted and of the promises made to assist us in and reward us for a holy life as if they should never be performed by which men go on stupidly in sin and fear no evil and slight all the waies of holiness which they think are tedious and unprofitable though the Divine truth affirm the contrary as long as men believe it not all our calls are in vain A second cause of hardening us is the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 which promiseth present pleasures and profits with all sensual satisfactions and if men believe Sathan in this which is so false and doubt of or deny all that the God of truth affirms what thunder can awaken them they will answer to all the calls of God and his Spirit that they will not leave their fatness (s) Judges 9.9.11 and sweetness since they see no harm in those wayes and find carnal content but do not expect any pleasure in or reward for the other if they could do them Why then do you make excuses or complain you are not
Hymn God is praised 1. For the Redemption both as to 1. The nature of it as it is an act 1. Of Gods Mercy ver 68. 2. Of his Power ver 69. 3. Of his Truth being the fulfilling of His Word ver 70 and 71. His Promise His Covenant 72. His Oath ver 73. 2. The end of it viz. 1. Our safety ver 74. 2. Our obedience which must be 1. Universal in the parts Holiness towards God Righteousness towards man 2. Sincere before him 3. Constant all our life ver 75. 2. For the Promulgation considering 1. The Instrument and that for 1. His Office to be a Prophet Harbinger 2. His Duty to Prepare v. 76. Instruct 3. The end for Remission ver 77. 2. The cause why iâ— was now to be thus made known 1. In general Gods Mercy 2. In particular in regard 1. Of him that was to come ver 78. 2. Of the end of his coming ver 79. A Practical Discourse on the Benedictus § 6. THE Gospel which hath now been read for the second Lesson doth not only require our attention but command our gratitude because it brings that good news which is the cause of great joy to all people The Angels sing and all holy men to whom it was revealed entertain the news with Hymns of Praise And if we be as sensible of the mercy as they were and as thankful as we ought to be for the benefit thereof we shall rejoyce as heartily as they did since it is as much our concern as theirs And how can we better express our gladness for all that the Gospel records of what Jesus hath done for us then in those sacred forms indited by the holy Spirit with which devout Persons welcomed our Lord into the world And these will be most acceptable to God and most beneficial to us both to help us with fit expressions and to ingage us to sing them with the same heart and affections which were in the first Composers and particularly with the Devotion of holy Zachariah the Author of this Hymn who after nine months silence recovering his speech stays not to rejoyce in that personal Mercy but immediately being filled with the Divine Spirit the inexpressible joy that filled his heart before now breaks forth in these words Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. Wherein he in the Phrase of Antient times (f) Gen. 9.26 Psal 41.13 declares the wonderful goodness of God And we ought to joyn with him not scrupling the Jewish form of expression because if we be true Christians and have the circumcision of the heart we are the Children of the Promise (g) Rom. 9.8 the seed of Abraham and the Israel of God And this God of our Israel hath in a more excellent manner delivered â—s from the slavery of Sathan then he did them from the bondage of Egypt And yet though this Spiritual Redemption be much greater there is such a similitude in the method and circumstances that it appears that was a type of this and therefore Zacâ—ariah alludes to Gods delivering the people from Aegyptian misery For as then he first visited them (h) Exod. 3.16 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and considered their misery (i) Gen. 21.1 Visitavit Chal. Par. Recordatus est ita Syr. Luc. 7.16 Arab. Respexit ita Vulg. Ruth 1.6 and then he rescued them with a mighty hand So in our case he visited us in all senses he remembred our calamity he looked on our misery considered our distress and came himself to see us and made such a visit as men and Angels admire at He came in our nature clothed with our infirmities and stayed with us and dwelt among us And all this to Redeem us not by doing miracles but by suffering death not only by conquering our inraged enemies but satisfying an offended God buying our lives with his dearest hearts blood And by taking our Punishment when himself was innocent he freed us both from the sin and the wrath due to it (k) Suscipiendo poenam sine culpâ culpam delevit poenam August that we might with freedome and hope serve our reconciled God Well may we call this a Mighty Salvation being accomplished with as much Power as it was undertaken with Love Behold how many helpless Creatures he delivers from cruel burdens mighty oppressors and dreadful expectations nay from the just vengeance of an angry terrible and Almighty God from endless and unsufferable flames as horrid as unavoidable This was indeed a horn of Salvation (l) Cornu robur Imperium vocat Hieron Hab. 3. Vide Dan. 7.24 cap. 8.21 1 Sam. 2.10 Chal. Par. pro Cornu habent Regnum Ecclus 49.5 that is a Royal Princely succour and rescue such as became the Son of so Victorious a King as David was nay such as became the Son of God when he undertook to restore the Kingdom of Divid which now literally Herod and the Romans had usurped but spiritually sin and guilt had overcome yet Jesus will retrieve it and set it up for ever not to deliver us from Temporal but Spiritual enemies not from Tribute but Damnation and shall not we rejoyce at his Coronation It is certain there is not a more illustrious mercy then this which was proclaimed so early to our first Father (m) Gen. 3.15 and repeated so often by all the Prophets (n) Act 3.24 Deut. 28.7 Jerem. 23.6 Isai 25.8 men of excellent holiness approved integrity and unquestionable truth These all as if they had but one mouth unanimously agreed in the publication hereof This is the mercy that was so fully confirmed by Covenants and Oaths (o) Gen. 12.16 Heb. 6. to Abraham and all the faithful This was believed and hoped for by the Jews and expected by the very Gentiles (p) Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus constans opinio ut eo tempore Judae à profectus rerum poteretur Tacitus Annal. Vid. Numb 24.17 This is that good news which cheared Adam after his fall rejoyced Abraham in his peregrination revived Jacob on his dying bed (q) John 8.56 Gen. 49.18 and supported the Patriarchs in all their troubles although they only saw it at a distance and hoped and waited for the light while they themselves were in the dark But when Zachary beheld the morning star and saw the day begin to spring which had so long been wished and desired he is ravished with holy joy like the Northern people after a tedious night when they perceive the Sun approach And shall not they that lived by the bare hope of this and he that was so overjoyed at the first glimpse of it condemn us who are daily taught that he is come and hath confirmed Gods truth and answered all their expectations if we rejoyce not at least as much in the performance as they did in the promise Behold how God hath favoured us to let us behold the accomplishing of the desire of all Nations
the malice of Sathan and the designs of evil men safe in soul and body Yea he hath made it a refreshment of our weariness an allay of our care and a renewing of our strength so that perhaps we scarce apprehended the terrors nor tediousness of it And are we not unworthy to live another day if all this will not fill our hearts and mouths with Eucharist and thankful acknowledgments to him that never slumbers nor sleeps who hath so safely brought us to the morning light and given us an earnest of our resurrection And this sincere gratitude will be not only the discharge of a duty to God but an occasion of benefit to our selves For he that heartily praiseth God every morning for the renewed mercies it brings with it may more chearfully ask and more reasonably expect the continuance of the same Providence in the day following So that this sentence will not only be an act of Praise but an excellent motive to the next Peâ—ition aâ—d will give us cause to hope that he who hath begun this good work will perfect it and that he who brought us safely to the beginning will preserve us graciously to the end of this day § 7. Defend us in the same by thy mighty Power and grant that this day we fall into nâ— siâ— neitheâ— run into any kind of danger Our n cessities do not end with the Night nor vanish with the darkness But we need a mighty power to keep us in the day also For our whole lives are an absolute dependance oâ— his â—efence without which we had not escaped the terrors of the last night nor can we but by it be secured against the dangers of this day The light perhaps may make us more confident but we are often less safe for in the day time we have Company to disturb us business to ensnare us occasions and opportunities to entice us we have more temptations and greater variety of accidents and occurrences and yet commonly we are but slenderly guarded against all the mischiefs which we are exposed unto but we had need buckle on our armor and beware that haste or negligence do not thrust us into the battail naked before we have put on those pieces of defence by Prayer which God hath provided for us If we view the way in which we are to walk we may discern so many pits digged and traps set for us that we who are by nature blind and by custome careless are never likely to eâ—cape them unless we be guided by an all-seeing eye and guarded by an almighty power Say therefore every morning most passionately Lord we shall either fall into the pits of temptation which Sathan hath cunningly covered over or run into the traps of danger which are secretly laid for us on every side so that if thy presence go not along with us carry us not any further (t) Exod. 33.15 Let us not dare to rush into the midst of temptations till we have earnestly begged wisdome to discover courage to resist and strength to overcome all the sins by which we may be allured remembring that sin doth displease our God destroy our Hopes disquiet our Consciences and lay us open to all mischiefs even the least of sins hath these malignant qualities in it besides that it makes way for a greater We must expect to be tempted in privacy and in company in our business and recreations our meat and drink nay our charity and devotions But we must every morning pray that we may not in lesser or greater instances consent to these evil motions that we may not fall into any sin by compliance nor lye in and under it by impenitence And we may be assured Gods grace is sufficient thus to defend us Only let us beware we do not abuse this necessary Petition by seeking for Companions in and occasions of sin before night for if we be not watchful to avoid evil as well as earnest in calling for the Divine aid we do but mock the Deity whose help we call for and our actions shew our Petitions were but feigned But oh with what a serene mind and an active hope shall they perform their evening sacrifice and lay themselves down to rest whose Conscience testifies they have as studiously avoided all wilful sin throughout the whole day as they did seriously pray against it in the morning And that we may do so let us place sin before danger both in our Prayers and in our Opinions because that only harms the body but this hurts the soul Let the Order of this sentence teach us that sin is the greatest evil in the world and if it cannot be avoided but we must fall into one of these we must choose danger rather then sin for if by avoiding of iniquity we are cast upon the suffering any evil or loosing any good we must account such reproach our honour such poverty our riches and such loss our truest gain and we shall be eternally rewarded for it This may be our case sometimes but commonly the flying of sin doth not involve us in danger but secure us from it and wickedness is the high-way to mischief Drunkenness and lust pride and malice injustice and deceit do naturally lead those who follow them into many perils and as well these as all other sins do cause God to take away his protecting hand from us and then we are not many steps from ruine although his justice should not inflict any positive evils for these offences And therefore if we would be safe we must be holy We are apt to be more sensible and fearful of sickness then sin of the danger to our outward rather then inward man but since they are productive of one another we must pray against both And if we fear diseases or want reproach or wrong violence or death let those very fears quicken our petitions against sin which is the gate that lets them all in upon us We may fall into calamities by the immediate hand of Providence but when by acts of wickedness we bring them upon our selves we are said to Run into danger and this we chiefly pray against here that we may not by our own folly and iniquity become accessary to our own misery for such afflictions will not be so likely to be sanctified so easie to be born nor so possible to be removed If we lead holy lives though the condition of our nature make us liable to more dangers then can easily be recounted we shall either escape them or receive no considerable prejudice by them And therefore a good man beholds his body liable to wounds maims and diseases his mind to the impairing of any or all its faculties his estate to losses wrongs and injuries his whole life exposed to all the misery that can come upon him by the unkindness or loss of friends the malice of enemies or the more publick disturbances to Church or State but all these do only teach him to walk more humbly