doing such a thing but it is no matter for the worlds commendation if a man set upon a cursed cause so much for the phrase Cursed be the Man before the Lord that is hee is truely and solemnly cursed and cursed before the Lord though men blesse him That riseth and builds this Citie Iericho That is the cause why he should be cursed because he would build that Citie that God would have to bee a perpetuall monument of his Iustice. Why would not God have Iericho built againe God would not have it built up partly because hee would have it a perpetuall remembrance of his goodnesse and mercifull dealing with his people passing over Iordan and comming freshly into Canaan for wee are all subject to forget therefore it is good to have dayes set apart for remembrance and somewhat to put us in mind as they had many things in old time to helpe memory If this Citie had beene built againe the memory of it would have beene forgotten but lying al waste and desolate the Passengers by would askethe cause as God speakes of his owne people what is the reason that this Citie lies thus and then it would give them occasion of speaking of the mercy of God to his people And likewise it would give occasion to speake of the justice of God against the idolatrous Inhabitants whose sins were grown ripe God foretold in Genesis that the sins of the Amorites was not yet ripe but now their sins were ripe they were Idolaters And likewise it was dedicate to God as the first fruits being one of the chiefe mother Cities of the land it was dedicate and consecrated to God as a thing severed it was to bee for ever severed from common use There are two wayes of severing things from common use one by way of destruction as here the Citie of Iericho Another by way of dedication as the Gold of Iericho God would have this Citie severed from common use as a perpetuall Monument and remembrance of his mercy and justice And likewise hee would have it never built up againe for terrour to the rest of the Inhabitants For usually great Conquerours set up some terrible example of justice to terrifie others Now this being one of the first Cities after their passing over Iordan God would have the destruction of it to strike terrour together with this sentence of a curse upon all that should build it againe for ever And then that this terrible sentence might be a meanes to draw others to come in to Gods people to joyne with them and submit and prevent their destruction seeing how terribly God had dealt with Iericho Many such reasons may bee probably alleaged but the maine reason of reasons that must settle our consciences God would have it so Iosuâ—… he was but Gods Trumpet and Gods instrument to denounce this curse Cursed be the man before the Lord that shall build up this Citie Iericho wee must rest in that I will goe over the words and then make application afterwards to the occasion I come to the specification of the Curse wherein it stands Hee shall lay the foundation thereof in his First-borne If any man will bee so venturous to build it up againe as one Hiel did in 1 King 16. 34. If any man will be so audacious he shall doe it with the perill of the life of his first begotten and if he will not desist then he shall finish the Gates of it hee shall make an end of it with the death of his younger Sonne It is Gods custome to denounce a threatning of a curse before he execute it It is a part of Gods mercy and of his blessing that he will curse onely in the threatning for therefore he curseth that hee might not execute it and therefore he threatneth that hee might not smite and when he smites he smites that hee might not destroy and when he kils the body it is that hee might not destroy the soule as 1 Cor. 11. 32. Therefore some of you are weak and sick and some sleepe that you might not bee condemned with the world Thus God is mercifull even till it comes to the last upshot that men by their rebellions provoke him Gods mercie strives with the sins of men Marke here the degrees of it first God threatens the Curse Cursed be the man And then in the particulars he begins with the eldest Sonne First there is a threatning and when the execution comes he takes not all his Sons away at once but begins with the Eldest and if that will not doe he goes to the youngest This carriage of God even in his threatnings it should put us in mind of Gods mercy and likewise it should move us to meet God presently before any peremptory decree be come forth as wee shall see afterward for if wee leave not sinning God will never leave punishing Hee might have desisted in the death of his first Son but if that will not be God will strike him in his youngest Son and sweepe away all betweene for so wee must understand it that both elder and younger and all should die Now for the judgement it selfe He shall lay the foundation thereof in his First-borne There is some proportion between the judgement and the sin The sin was to raise up a building a cursed Citie contrary to Gods will The punishment is in pulling dow ea mans owne building for Children according to the Hebrew word are the building the Pillars of the house and since he would raisâ—… up a foundation and building contrary to Gods mind God would pull up his foundation Cities are said to have life and to grow and to have their pitch and then to die like men And indeed they doe observing onely a proportion of time they are of longer continuance but otherwise Cities live and grow and die and have their period as men have Now he that would give life to a Citie that God would have buried in its owne ruines God would have his sonnes die hee would have his sons as it were buried under the ruins of that Citie that he would build in spight of God that would give life to that Citie that was cursed Oft times we may reade our very sins in our punishments there is some proportion But to goe on to the particulars He shall lay the foundation in his First-born A heavie judgement because the First-borne as you know he saith of Reuben he was his strength and he was King and Priest in the Family the First-borne had a double portion hee was redeemed with a greater price as wee see in Moses Law then other sonnes It was a heavie judgement to have his First-borne smitten in this fashion to be taken away If any aske why God was so severe that hee did not punish Hiel in himselfe but take away his children it may seeme against reason But we must not dispute with God for wee must know that
he carry himselfe all this while he must needs bee sensible of it and therefore hee expresseth it in most significant words Oh saith he these things were as a sword in my bones There be diverse readings of the words but we will take them as they are laid downe being very well as with a sword in my bones or as it is in the margine As killing in my bones mine enemies reproach me It was as killing to him it did goe to his heart it cut him to the quicke As a sword is to the body and bones so are their words to my soule I cannot endure it it is death to me It is a most emphaticall manner of expressing the enemies disposition and carriage Thus you have the words unfolded I will but touch some particulars those that I thinke most needfull for us to take notice of I will dwell more upon Mine enemies saith hee reproach me Mine enemies There hath beene contrary seedes from the beginning of the World and will bee while Satan is in the world till he be cast into the burning Lake and be there in perpetuall Chaines adjudged to torment he will ray se up men alway that shall be of his side And as long as that grand enemy is and as long as men are that will be subject to his goverment as alway there will be he will have a great faction in the world And by reason that he hath a partie in us the flesh he will have the greatest partie in the world the most goe the broad way so that Gods children even David himselfe shall not want enemies Mine enemies It is strange that he should have enemies that was so harmelesse a man that when they were sick and distressed he prayed for them and put on sack-cloath for them as it is Psal. 41. This compassionate sweete natured man yet notwithstanding you see he had enemies and enemies that would discover themselves to reproach him and that bitterly in the bitterest manner they reproach him in his religion It is a large point if I should give my selfe libertie in it I doe but touch it That we may be armed by this observation against the scandall of opposition that if we meete with enemies in the world we should not be much offended at it grieve we may but wonder we need not Was there ever any that did more good then our Saviour Christ He went about doing good He did never a miracle that was harmefull but onely of the Swine that were drowned in the Sea and that was their owne fault but he went about doing all the good he could yet notwithstanding we see what malicious opposites he had that that is true of the head must be true in the members Therefore we should reioyce in our conformitie to Christ if it be in a good cause that we find enemies and opposition O imperator c. Saith he O the Emperour is become a Christian is was a blessed time oh but the Devill is not made a Christian yet and he will never be made good for he is in termino as we say he is in his bounds his nature is immoveable he is in Hell in regard of his estate though he be loose to doe mischiefe now untill the Devill be good Gods Children shall never want enemies and he will never be good Therefore though there were good Kings and good Governours over all the world yet good men shall never want enemies as long as the Devill is alive as long as he hath any thing to d ee in the world Enemies therefore we must looke for and such enemies as will not conceale their malice neither for that were something if they would suffer their malice to boyle and concoct in their owne hearts but that will not be but out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake where there is a bad treasurie there will be a bad vent therefore we see here they reproach him mine enemies Reproach me It is the proper expression of malice reproach and it is that that the nature of man can least indure of all The nature of man can indure an outward wrong a losse or a crosse but a reproach especially if it be a scornfull reproach the nature of man is most impatient of For there is no man but he thinks himselfe worthy of some respect Now a reproachfull scorne shewes a disrespect and when the nature of man sees it selfe disrespected it growes to tearmes of impatience There is not the meanest man living but he thinkes himselfe worthy of some regard Therefore I cannot blame David even out of the principle of nature to be affected here when they reproached him and gave him vile termes Mine enemies reproach me Their tongues were tipt from Hell and they did but utter that that was in their hearts If the tongues of wicked men as St. Iames saith be a a world of mischeife what is the whole man What is the heart and tongue and life and all of wicked men Now this reproach of wicked men it is a grievous persecution as Ishmael persecuted Isaak in that manner as it is Gal. 4. taken out of the storie in Genesis I will not enter into the common place of reproach it is but taken by the by here Onely by the way let it be a support to us if we be reproachfully used in the world let us not be much cast downe it is no credit for a man to doe that that the Devill and his instruments doe nor it is no discredit for us to suffer that that David suffered Let this satisfie thee there is not the vilest man living but hath this weapon to serve the Devill with a reproachfull tongue he that sits upon the Ale bench that â—…akes in the Channell the basest wretch in the world hath a tongue to serve the Devill with in reproaches It is no credit for them to doe that that the vilest person in the world can doe â—…and it is no shame for thee to suffer that that the best man that ever lived did suffer So much for that mine enemies reproach me But what is the specialtie of this reproach to come to that more particularly They say unto me Where is thy God They touch him in his Religion They saw him persecuted by Saul scorned by Sauls courtiers they see him driven up and downe as a Partridge in the Wildernesse they saw him banished from the Sanctuarie destitute of friends they saw him in this disconsolate estate and they judge by sence and appearance that they thought he was a man that God regarded not at all therefore say they where is thy God Gods children are impatient as farre as they are men of reproaches but so farre as they are Christian men they are impatient of reproaches in Religion where is now thy God They were not such desperate Atheists as to thinke there was no God to call in question whether there were a God or no though indeed they were little better but
not be truly said to us by way of upbraiding where is now thy God God may be strange to us indeed let us so carry our selves as that God may owne us in the worst times If they had said this truly how grievous had it beene to David but it was more malice then truth For David found experience of God he might rather have upbraided them where is your God and there is no wicked man but a man may in hâ—…s greatest extremity upbraid him and that in truth where is your God your riches honour and estate where is all this that you supproted your selfe with and bore your selfe so big on that you despised all others what is become of all now A man cannot stand in a thing that stands not it selfe A man cannot build upon that that hath no good foundation Now all men that are not truly religious they have some Idoll or other that will deceive them therefore a man may truly say to them that which they falsly and maliciously say to Gods people where is your God So much for their disposition and carriage Now how stands David affected with this that is the second part At with a sword in my bones It was as a sword to his bones Now that that toucheth the bones is the most exquisite griefe That that we call the griefe of the teeth you see what an exquisite griefe it is in that little member when the bones are cut or touched it is a most exquisite griefe As with a sword in my bones my enemies reproach me What was the matter that this reproach where is thy God touched him so to the quick what was the cause The causes were diverse First of all concerning God for when they said to him Where is thy God First it tended to the reproach of God as if God were so fickle a friend as to desert his best friends in the time of misery this touched upon God by way of disparagement therefore it must needs touch David who was Gods friend Then againe it touched God in another thing in his manner of providence as if he had beene a God of the Hills and not of the Vallies as if he had been a God for one time and not for another where is now thy God what is become of him Againe in the third place it touched upon him in this as if he had favoured them being cursed form all hypocrites more then David as if he had favoured their form all hypocriticall base dead courses that were most abominable to Godâ—… for these persecutors were Sauls courtiers and other enemies wicked men they thought to justifie their owne wayes by this reproach You see we are as good as you God respects us wee fall not into such miseries wee have recourse to Saul though he have cast out you and others c. So it tended to Gods reproach in that as if God had justified their course as if they had been dearer to him that were most abominable And this is to make an Idoll of God to make God justifie those courses that he most abhors as it is in Psal. 50. Thou thoughtest I was like unto thee Because God lets a wicked man alone thou thoughtest that I was a companion for thee and would take thee by the hand whereas God will not doe so In these three respects especially God was wronged when they said where is thy God As if thee had nâ—… beene a true and faithfull friend to his Children And besides as if hee had not a providence over his children in the worst condition As if he had allowed and liked of the base carriage and condition and profession of these wretched men as well as of Davids where is now thy God you see God respects us as well as you but there was no such matter he respected David more then a thousand of them Againe this touched upon religion it selfe this reproach where is now thy God where is your goodly profession as if it were in vaine to serve God a horrible reproach to religion It is not in vaine altogether to serve the Devill he bestowes somewhat upon his servants this was a base thought to think that God would do no good to them that serve him that is the fountaine of all good that doth good to his enemies that suffers his Sun to shine upon his enemies for him to desert his friends for a man to be truly religious and to get nothing by it this tended to the reproach of religion and through Davids sides they strike at God and religion as if it were in vaine to serve God as they said in Malachies time And indeed this is in the hearts of men now a dayes if they see a man that makes care and conscience of his wayes under a cloud or that he doth not so prosper in the world as others doe they begin to have weake conceiâ—…s of the profession of religion as if that were the cause as if there were nothing gotten by serving of God but we may be loose professors and goe in â—…bertine course and please God as well as others This is a great griefe to Gods children they know well enough it is not invain to serve God God is not a barren wildernesse to those that serve him they are not barren ground that are carefull in his service so you see upon what ground he was thus affected because God and Religion was touched in it Take away a godly mans religion and his God whom he serves in Religion you take away his life touch him in that you touch him in his best free-hold Therefore when these malicious enemies say Where is thy God they could not more touch David then so Prophane men of the world come and tell them of Religion and such things alas they turne it off with scorne for they would have the world know that they are not very religious they never speake of God and of religion but in scorne or by way of discourse but a man that is religious to purpose and makes it his trade makes it that whereby hee hopes to bee saved hee takes to heart any thing that is spoken against Religion their words are as a sword in his bones while they say unto him where is thy God It is better to bee distempered then not to be moved when God and Religion are touched The Holy-Ghost that appeared in the shape of a Dove appeared at another time in fiery tongues to shew that the meeke spirit of God is zealous other whiles in his children This was another reason he was thus affected And thirdly in this reproach of theirs thus violent Where is now thy God here was a damping of the spirits of all good men in those times that should heare of this reproach Words affect strangely they have a strange force with men especially in weake fancies that are not grounded in their judgement and faith The spies made a shrewd oration and brought an ill report on the Land oh it is
that grave and Reverend Person Prayer gets blessings but thankefulnesse keeps them so thankefulnesse to God for that which is past for so many Deliverances is a means to preserve Gods love and care of us still that he wil be our Buckler and castle hold and al defence thankfulness will do this We are over prone to looke upon civill grievances which are to be regarded and helped in season but naturally our nature is subject to complaine more then to be thankefull we are so sensible of ill as to pray for remedy but then let us alway be thankfull to God for the good we have had these many years together and the good that still blessed be God wee enjoy What cause have we to be thankfull that we are as the three young men in the Furnace Al Europe hath been in combustion and wee have beene untouched and safe in the middest of the Furnace under a quiet government What cause have wee to blesse God fâ—… continuing the liberties of the Gospel where by the soule is built up in saving knowledge and Ignorance banished It was a fault in Rehoboams time in the beginning of his Raigne it was a fault in these men they could complaine of the government of Salomon and certainly there were many grievances in Salomons He was a great Builder and it was not without some cause they complained Yet notvvithstanding Salomons time vvas a blessed time and they had great cause to blesse God for the government of Solomon Novv it is very likely in the story that they forgat it and only lighted upon some grievance I beseech you let us in these times stirrpour hearts to be thankful as upon other occasions so upon occasion of this day we are to blesse God for this glorious deliverance vvhich vvee have spoken of 〈◊〉 againe and againe and therefore we need â—…t be much in the particular setting out that â—…inorous and prodigious fact that gives the â—…y occasion to be remembred as it hath oft â—…ne before Let that Remembrance I say â—…re us up to thankefulnesse to shew our â—…ankefulnesse and love to that truth that God â—…th defended Hath God beene a wilderâ—…sse to us As the Prophet complaines hath â—…ligion done us any harme why should â—…e grow cold and luke-warme why should 〈◊〉 decay in our first love why should we be 〈◊〉 unfruitfull when God hath given us so â—…any encouragements to be thankefull and 〈◊〉 as he hath done I beseech you let 〈◊〉 consider with our selves if we be not more â—…ankefull upon these occasions for these deliâ—…erances and worke our hearts to love Reliâ—…on and to hate Poperie more it will be just â—…ith God that they shall bee thornes in our â—…des more then they have beene and pricks 〈◊〉 our eyes that wee shall see what a dangerous â—…ction they are and what case we are in For â—…ose that are drunk with the Cup of this Harâ—…t it takes away their wits from them those â—…hat worship Images and stocks they are stocks â—…hemselves Though the danger be great to â—…hemselves yet they labour to make others â—…orse than themselves there is no trusting to â—…hem we should more feare them then forrain â—…nemies both reasons of State and reasons of Religion and reasons of our owne safety all should be forcible to have a speciall regard to prevent the growth of Popery For our selves that heare of the destruction of this Iericho we have heard what Iericho was before it was destroyed For ought we know God may destroy Ierusalem as well as Iericho and by a worse people then themselves as the Prophet saith Ezek. 17. by a base people It is no matter though others be worse then ourselves God when he plagues his people will doe it by worse then themselves and cast the Rod into the fire when he hath done Ashâ—… the Rod of my wrath Esay 10. Therefore let us looke to our selves that we bee thankfull to God It will be no plea that we have bin safe thus long thus many years for these people of Iericho God let them alone foure hundred years as it is in Gen. 15. They were threatned but the sinnes of the Amorites were not yet 〈◊〉 Iericho was a part of that Countrie but when their sins were full then they were destroyed God had patience foure hundred years to the sins of the Amorites to this people And at last judgement came upon them fearfully So howsoever God hath beene forbearing and long suffering towards us Yet let us looke about us oh destruction may be neer It is not sufficient to thinke that God will destroy Antichrist that the wals of Iericho shall down he may doe that and yet he may destroy us there may bedanger toward us too And it is no comfort to them neither that God will punish us or that easeth not their overthrow neither â—…or if hee doe so to the greene Tree what will hee â—…oe to the dry If his Children bee whipped with Scorpions what will he doe to Rebels â—…f the Children of God scarcely be saved where â—…hall the sinner and ungodly appeare If the Children taste of the wrath of God then the enemies shall taste of the dregs of his wrath it is no comfort for them for their Doome is set downe Babylon is fallen It will not be so much comfort to us that God will destroy them as it will be to looke to our selves in time before a peremptorie Decree come forth to make our peace with God The King of Sodom and others were delivered by Abraham but aâ—…terwards we see how fearfully they perished Pharaoh was let alone for a time yet after hee was destroyed in the Sea Ierusalem had warning after warning yet afterwards it was destroyed so though we have had deliverance upon deliverance yet if we make not more of Religion and grow more in detestation of that Religion that God would have us set our selvs against it will be just with God to punish us and to lay us open to them that wee have sinfully favoured Wee see what great matters faith will doe in the use of meanes though they be poore weake base meanes Therefore let us set upon Popish Religion in our places and callings in a spirit of faith in the use of meanes and let us never thinke we are too weake and now they are mighty and strong It was said to Luther when hee began to write against the Pope oh poore Monke get thee into thy Cell and say Lord have mercy upon thee dost thou thinke to overcome the whole world with thy writing so the wals of Iericho may seeme so mighty the opposite power that we are to set against as if wee should loose our labour to set against it but whatsoever is opposite to Christ we have a promise it shall be overthrowne Let us in a spirit of faith set upon them in the use of meanes and God wil make it good as in former times And for all
say the Sunne is in the house and in the place we are in though there bee only his influence there But there must bee application of divine truth to the soule it must be brought neere the soule before the soule can moove There is a necessity of Application from a principle of nature to make it our owne Now as in nature there is a power in the soule to worke out of the food that that is good for every member which we call a digestive power and faculty that applies and asâ—…milates the meat and nourishment we take to every part There be fibra sucking veines that suck out of the meat strength for this and that purpose So there is in the soule of every Christian and holy man there is a spirituall sucking there is a drawing assimilating digesting Spirit that digests and drawes out nourishment out of the booke of God that is fit for him that hee can say this is mine this is for me I want comfort and strength and direction here it is I want light here it is I am weake here is supply for it so there is a digestive power by the Spirit of God in every Christian to suck and to draw out of the word that that is fit for all purposes and turnes and he can apply the word upon every occasion as if it be a command hee obeyes it if it be a threatning hee trembles at it if it be comfort he rests in it if it be a direction hee followes it likewise Hee applies it answerable to the nature of the word whatsoever it is his heart is moulded answerable to the word by reason of the Spirit of Application As there is a ground of the Application of the word and a necessity of it so there is a principle of Application that is the Spirit of God in the hearts of the children of God teaching their spirits to draw wholsome truths fitting to themselves and none but the children of God can doe it that have the Spirit of God they cannot apply the word of God aright False Application of the word of God is the cause of all mischiefe sometimes when those that apply the law should apply the Gospel and on the contrary when those that should apply the law sinfull secure persons apply the Gospel Many times poore distressed persons that comfort belongs to Oh comfort my people they apply the Law that belongs not to them in that case false application is the ground of mischiefe therefore the Spirit of God is the principle of Application of divine truths according to the exigence and estate of Gods people Therefore wee should be stirred up to beg the Spirit of Application to maintaine our communion and entercourse with God that we may apply every thing duely and truly to our selvs our own foules all is to no purpose else if we do not apply it if it be not brought home to our soules and digested throughly in our hearts wee must say this is from God and this belongs to me when we heare truths unfolded to say of our selves this concernes me and say not this is a good portion and a good truth for such a one and such a one but every one take out his owne portion this is for me God saith Seeke my face thy face Lord will I seeke with a spirit of Application If wee doe not as indeed it is the fault of the times to heare the word of God loosely wee care not so much to heare the word of God as to heare the gifts of men wee desire to heare fine things to increase notions we delight in them and to heare some empty creature to fasten upon a storie or some phrases by the by alas you come here to heare duties and comforts if you be good and sentences against you if you be naught wee speak Gods threatnings to you that will wound you to hell except you pull them out by repentance It is another manner of matter to heare then it is took for Take heed how you hear saith Christ so we had need for the word that we hear now shall judge us at the latter day thereupon wee should labour for a spirit of Application to make a right use of it as we should Therefore those humble soules that are cast downe in the sight and sense of their sins they must apply the sweet and blessed comforts of the Gospel such as are contrite in spirit Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden c. Those on the other side that goe on in a course of sin and will not be reclaimed let them consider what Moses saith Deut. 29. If a man goe on and blesse himselfe my wrath shall smoake against such a man and burne to hell I will not remove my wrath from him till by little and little I take my good spirit from him and let him goe with some temporall comforts and then bring him to hell I will curse him in his blessings hee shall have blessings but he shall be cursed in all that he doth and all things shall bee in wrath and anger that shall burne to hell Such like places let such men apply to themselves there is no comfort at all to men that live in sin wittingly and willingly If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare my prayer If a man 〈◊〉 me ordinance of God hearing and good means His prayer shall be abhominable Hee that will 〈◊〉 heare the Law his prayer is abhominable The applying of these things would make men bethinke themselves and turne to God when he considers what part of the word belongs to him and makes a right Application If we make not a right Application of Gods truths this mischiefe will come ofit we 〈◊〉 hour God and his bounty hath God beene so bountifull as to give us so many instructions and such promises and shall not we 〈◊〉 them our own what is the end of the ministery but to spread before us the unsearchable riches of Christ they are yours if you will take them when you have not a spirit of Application and are not in case to take them they are lost Gods bounty is discredited The Devill rejoyceth when hee seeth what excellent things are laid open in the Church of God in the ministery what sweet promises and comforts but here is no body to take them and lay hold on them Like a table that is richly furnished and there is no body comes and takes it it makes the Devill sport it rejoyceth the enemy of mankind when we loose so great advantage that wee will not apply those blessed truths and make them our own There is no greater delight to Sathan then for us to refuse those dainties that God hath provided for us what can rejoyce an enemy more then to see courtesies refused He sees that all the
thing A man may say to such a soule it shall finde peace at the length for Gods wayes are unsearchable GOD hath cause and reason why he keepes such a soule under for a time and withholds some sense and perswasion but usually GODS comforts come more abundantly to such a soule he reserves it for the time of affliction or the houre of death The truth is it is a constant rule that though it may be thus with some in some cases yet ordinarily Gods children may be perswaded of their particular condition yea and they ought to labour after this perswasion and assurance that their soules may be filled with marrow and fatnesse and that they may joy in God and have boldnesse to come before God in prayer that they may be fruitfull in all holy duties that they may be strong to suffer afflictions and to resist temptations Therefore though God sometimes in his wise dispensation suffer them to be hindred yet not withstanding this is a thing that is both attainable and that they ought to labour for and never give their hearts rest till they attaine to it I say wee ought to labour for it for the soule is never in such a frame as it ought to be but when it hath gotten some assurance of Gods love But I must adde this we must labour that this perswasion be supernaturall by the spirit of God both of the truths in generall of the promises in generall and of our interest in particular in them we must labour that it be by the spirit to our spirits that the spirit may seale them to our spirits For it is not sufficient to know the word of God to be the word of God and the promises to be the promises because we have beene brought up in them and can say them by heart and it were a shame for us to conceive the contrary that is not sufficient for that will deceive us Wee must labour as I said of knowledge that we may be supernaturally convinced so also that is from that knowledge that it may be spirituall or else it will deceive us How doe we prove that To make it a little clearer because it is a point of some consequence even as I shewed of what consequence the sight of faith is so I may say of this perswasion We must labour therefore to know how we come by this perswasion and whether it be such as we can hold out in whether it be such by which wee can stand out in the time of temptation If there be nothing but that argument of breeding and of generall light of discourse that we see one thing how it followes from another I say it will deceive us because constant obedience will never follow upon such a perswasion nor constant holding out to death nor constancy in death if the conscience be once awaked neither will wee be fruitfull in our lives and conversations To make this cleare If the soule be not perswaded by the spirit of God together with the spirit of the Scripture for the same spirit that is in the Scripture must be in our spirit working our natures sutable to the Scriptures to be holy if we doe not by that spirit by which the Scripture was endited know those truths we shall never be obedient to them not constantly For what is the reason that men when they are told God doth forbid you to take his name in vaine God forbids you to seeke after earthly things God forbids you by the Scriptures to defile your vessels he forbids you to seeke these things below he forbids you these courses Now a man that hath knowledge that is not supernaturall that hath it not by the spirit he heares these things with a kind of scorne and despiseth them as nicities he never maks scruple of these things because he knows they are forbidden or commanded of God because he heares so but he hath not knowne by the spirit of God that penned the Scriptures that these indeed are Gods divine truths the spirit hath not sealed these truths to his soule this is Gods word he hath not felt it in converting his soule in mortifying his corruptions in raising him being cast down in working wonders in his conscience in bringing all into a spirituall subjection When he hath not felt the word worke thus for all his generall knowledge by education and breeding and reading he may be a disobedient wretch and live and die a rebell and bitter opposite against the power of grace because he hath not knowledge of the word of God and of particular truths by the spirit of God it is no perswasion of the spirit And this is that that men wonder at that know not the mystery of these things to see great Schollers men of great knowledge perhaps Divines that are Preachers to others to see such an one vicious to see him carnally disposed as others when a man seeth this hee thinkes what doe you talke of the word of God if there were such a thing men that know these things must needs lead their lives after the rule It is no wonder the devill hath knowledge enough but he is no divine at all because he hath it from his nature being a spirit so a man may be a devill incarnate he may have knowledge of these things and yet no true divine But hee that is taught by the spirit of God the things in the word of God the spirit workes a taste in them Historicall truths are knowne by their owne light there is no such need of the spirit to discover them but the promises and threatnings and such things are knowne by the spirit a man feeles the power of the word of God then a man is convinced otherwise if the spirit doe not reveale these things a man will never obey but be rebellious And as there will be no obedience so there will be no holding out in time of perill and temptation The perswasion that a carnall man hath that is not a sanctified perswasion it will not hold out in the houre of death in the time of temptation in strong temptation either on the right hand by preferments and favours or on the left hand by threatnings and persecutions it is but a seeming perswasion when any thing comes that is stronger than it it will not hold when there is afflictions and persecutions in the Church we see many excellent learned men hold not out in their profession Why they were drawne to the profession of Religion by dependance on such kind of men or they only followed religion as they saw reason for it or they have been so bred in it c. Now reason may bee brought against reason when men have no other motives then these when persecution comes that they must loose their preferments or their friends or their life they fall away altogether because that perswasion that they seemed to have before it was no spirituall perswasion wrought from intrinsecall
therfore all Christians are reverent creatures they doe all in feare they passe the whole time of their conversation here in feare they make an end of their salvation with fearâ—… and trembling they enjoy their liberties in feare Saint Iude makes mention of a number of wretched people in his time that eate without feare you may know a man that hath not this grace of God in his heart by his unreverent carriage hee never thinkes of the presence and All-seeing eye of God A Christian that hath God to his God knowes that wheresoever hee is hee is in the eye of heaven therefore he is jealous even of his owne most secret corruptions he knowes that they are lawlesse of themselves and therefore he alwayes sets himselfe in the presence of God he is full of reverence full of feare even in the enjoying of his Christian liberties So likewise for the affection of love if God be thy God thou hast grace given thee to love him above all things with whom God is graciously reconciled he giveth them his Spirit to be reconciled backe againe to him He loveth us and we love him againe for wee are by nature enemies to God as hee is to us there is no wicked man in the world can love God indeed as God is a God that promiseth salvation he loveth him hee would faine have that and therefore would faine be in his favour but hee cannot love God as he is in all respects but he hateth him and hee hateth his children hee trifleth with his name by oaths and blasphemy and the like hee scorned God hee wisheth that there were no God can this man say that God is his God when he doth not carry himselfe backe againe to him in his affection as his God no such matter he is Gods enemie and God is his enemie So if God be our God if hee have set his love upon us wee cannot but love him againe if hee be reconciled to us wee are reconciled to him This is a sure signe that God is our God if we love him above all Now that may be knowne if wee be zealous when God is dishonored any way for whatsoever we make our God wee will not endure to have touched if a man make his lust his God if that be touched hee is all in a chafe when that which a man loveth is touched experience shews it hee is presently all on a fire And here the best Christians have cause to be abased hath God their love when they can heare him disgraced and his name abused without being greatly mooved and yet notwithstanding in the meane time will not endure their owne credit to be touched but they are as I said all on a fire where there is no zeale there is no love certainely when vvee can heare Gods children misused and Religion indangered and profession scoffed at c. and yet not be affected nor cannot take Gods cause to heart this is great fault in our love And so for joy and delight wee make God our God when we joy in him above all things in the world when wee make him our boast all the day long as it is Psalm 44. 8. when we make him our glory as he is called our Glory in Ierem. 2. 11. They changed their glory God is our glory if hee be our God wee count it our chiefest glory that we are his that he is ours whatsoever our estates be we glory in God and not in our selves a Christian when he would joy and glory hee goeth out of himselfe to God He is his joy But doe not men joy in the creature and delight in it ofttimes more then in God It is a great shame for us and that for which even the best of us all may be abased to consider what a deale of delight and comfort wee take in the creature more then in God We see Ionah a good man when his Gourd was taken from him that God raised up to be a shelter for him a poore simple defence it was and yet we see how pettish the good man was all the comfort he had could not keepe him from anger and fretting when the Gourd was gone and yet God was his God So many men whereas they should joy in God above all things yet if God take outward comforts from them they are as if there were no God in heaven no comfort there as if there were no providence to rule theworld as if they â—…ad no Father in covenant with them I say this is a great shame for us Againe if God be our God wee will trust in him relye and depend upon him above all things for whatsoever our trust is most in that is our God now if our conscience tell us that wee trust most in God more then in wealth or friends and will not to displease God please any man it is a signe that we have make God our God because we trust in him And surely if we would examine our selves the best of us all it would bring us on our knees make our faces be confounded to consider what a deale of Atheisme there is in our hearts though we are not altogether Atheists yet what a deale there is that must be mortified and subdued For if an honest man and that we know is faithfull should say to us I will be yours I will take upon me to provide for you to defend you to protect you to stand by you against all adversaries wee beleeve and hope that hee will doe it but doe we so to God hath he our trust and affiance Alas no so farre forth I meane as wee are not subdued to God a Christian indeed in some measure is inabled to make God his trust and confidence but there remaines abundance of Atheisme even in the best of us If God be our God why doe we not trust in him depend upon him for all things depend upon him for protection and deliverance from all ill spirituall ill specially from sin Satan hell and wrath depend upon him for all good the good of grace specially for the change of our nature and the forgivenesse of our sinnes for spirituall priviledges adoption and sonneship for the inheritance of heaven c. It is a signe I say that God is our God when wee trust in him above all the world and trust other things onely from him and for him I will trust man but man may deceive me I will not trust him therefore with an absolute confidence no that were to make a God of him What is the reason that God confoundeth proud men at last David shewes the reason this man he tooke not the Lord for his God when men will in contempt of Religion set up themselves and somewhat else to relye on besides God God at the last brings it to passe that the world shall note them out this man trusted in his greatnesse he trusted in his policy in his wit in his friends this man tooke not the Lord for
the Apostle speakes of what a comfort is this in the worst times Those that live in Rebellion and make no Conscience of their vowes and covenants to God that they have made and repeated oft-times and renewed in taking of the Lords Supper but goe on still in their sinnes alas what comfort can such as these have how can they look for an answer from God if any promise that hee hath made when their lives are rebellious their conscience tels them that their lives doe not witnesse for God in keeping covenant with him but they rebell against him their hearts tell them they cannot look to heaven for comfort they carry a hell in their bosome a guilty Conscience they doe not labour to be purged by the blood of Christ nor labour for the spirit of God to sanctifie them in renewing them to holy obedience to God Those that have their conscience thus stained especially that purpose to live in sin they can looke for nothing but vengeance from God It is not knowne now who are the wisest people In the times of trouble and at the houre of death at such times it will be knowne that they are the wisest people that have made Conscience of keeping their Covenant with God of renewing their Covenant with God first in all things that they would serve him better and then when they have renewed their Covenants with God as we have cause now indeed if ever to renew them when wee are warned by publike dangers or when wee have cause to take occasion to renew our Covenants that we made with God in Baptisme to bind our Consciences to closer obedience and those that have renewed their Covenant and have grace to keepe it those are wise people Wee see in the current of Scripture in dangerous times there was still renewing of their Covenants with God And those that God delights in he puts his spirit into them that they shall be able by the helpe of his spirit to keep their Covenant in some comfortable measure and those God will chuse and marke out in the worst times FINIS THE SWORD OF THE WICKED In two SERMONS Being the leading Sermons to that Treatise called The SOULES Conflict BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE PSAL. 57. 4. Their Tongue is a sharpe Sword LONDON Printed by E. P. for N. B. and R. H. 1639. THE SWORD OF THE WICKED PSAL. 42. 10. As with a Sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say unto me daily where is thy GOD THE Psalmes are as it were the Anatomy of a holy man they lay the inside of a true devout man outward even to the view of others If the Scripture be compared to a body the Psalmes may well bee the heart they are so full of sweet and holy affections and passions In other portions of Scripture God speakes to us in the Psalmes holy men especially David who was the pen-man of most of them speakes to God wherein we have the passages of a broken humble soule to God Among the rest in this Psalme David layes open varietie of passions His condition at this time was such as that he was an exiled man from his owne house and his owne friends and which grieved him worst of all from the Tabernacle the house of God It was upon the occasion of Saules persecution or of Absaloms his sonne but I take it rather of Sauls that hunted him as a partrich in the wildernes Hereupon you have a discovery how this holy man of God stood affected with this case and condition of his First hee layes open his griefe his griefe ariseth from his desire hee that loves most and desireth most he alwayes grieves most and all other affections have their scantling from love which is the first borne affection of the soule Therefore before he layes out his griefe he sets out his desire to the house of God the want whereof grieved him most of all As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee Oh God As the chased Hart panteth after water so the soule thirsteth for God for the living God â—…h when shall I come and appeare before God Then after his desire he layes forth his grief My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God Grievances never come alone but as Iobs Messengers they come one after another even to Gods Children when he is disposed to correct them they are multiplyed therefore here is not only a griefe of want that he was debarred of those sweet comforts which hee had before in the Tabernacle but here is likewise a griefe from the reproach of his enemies that tooke occasion from his disconsolate estate to upbraid him Where is thy God My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God He dissolves the cloude of his griefe into the showr of teares my teares have bin my meat They were so plentifull that they did feed his soule as it were Then he sets downe another ground of his grief from the remembrance of his former happinesse as usually that doth make the griefe raw and more sensible for fâ—…ix miser maxime miser he that hath binne happy in former time and now is miserable is most miserable of all because his former happinesse makes him most sensible therefore of all men in hel the torment of great men is most because they had most sence of comfort in this world mighty men shall be mightily tormented that is all the privilege they shall have in hell Therefore to aggravate his griefe oh saith he when I remember what comfort I had formerly in the house of God I poure out my soule It was not enough that he poured out his teares or words but I poâ—…re out my soule for in former times I went with the multitude to the house of God and lead a goodly traine to the house of God The picture of a good Magistrate and a good master of a family hee goes not alone to the house of God but hee leads his traine he is attended on by his servants David went not alone into the house of God but with the multitude with the voyce of them that kept holiday Well hee had griefe enough his heart was full of griefe Now in the next verse he takes up his soule and expostulates with himselfe why are thou so sad oh my soule and why are thou disquieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance So you see here he is not so flat in his griefe that he gives over-long way to it but hee even fals a chiding of his soule why art thou cast downe oh my soule why art thou disquieted within me oh but yet griefe will not be so stilled affliction is not
a land that devours the inhabitants It was a speech discomfortable and it wrought so that it made them all murmur and be discouraged It is not to be thought what mischiefe comes from speech cunningly handled This malitious speech Where is thy God and what is become of all thy devotion at the Tabernacle that thou didst frequent so and drewest others a great trayne with thee what is become of all now When weake men that had the beginnings of goodnesse in them should see a man reproached for this questionlesse it would dampe the beginnings of goodnesse oh would not this goe to the heart of David to see insolent men to quench good things in good men with reproaches Well wee see what reason the holy man David had to bee so sensible of this reproach for they said unto him daily where is thy God Now therefore to make some use of it to our selves let us enter into our owne soules and examine with what spirits and feeling wee heare God reproached and religion reproached and hindred and disgraced any kind of way if we be not sensible of this and sensible to the quick we may suspect wee are not of Davids spirit that was a man after Gods owne heart It was a cutting of his bones when they came to disparage his Religion and profession and to touch him in that Shall a man see men forsake Religion and goe backeward and desert the cause of God and see it oppressed and not be affected with all thiâ—… certainly he hath a dead soule That which hath no griefe when there is cause of griefe certainely it is to be accounted but as dead flesh That heart is but dead flesh that is not touched with the sence of religion And to come a little nearer to our times when we can heare of the estate of the Church abroad the poore Church in the Palatinate in Bohemia and those places you see how like a canker superstition is growne up amongst them when wee heare of these things and are not affected and doe not send up a figh to God it is a signe wee have hollow and dead hearts No question but if wee were there among those malignant spirits that are there their speeches are daily such as these wicked mens were to David what is become of your reformation what is become of your new Religion where is that now I pray You that doe upbraid us with Idolatry what is become of your Religion no question but they have these â—…casmes and 〈◊〉 speeches dayly and those that have the spirit of God they are grieved to the heart If wee have the spirit of God and of Christ in our breasts and any thing of the spirit of David and of holy men we will grieve at this The Apostle St. Paul when Elyâ—…as laboured to stop when one was to be converted hee breakes out Then childe of the Devill and enemy of all good why dost thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of God A man that is not fired in this case hath nothing at all in him when we see-wicked men goe about to pervert Religion and overturne all and we are not stirred at it it is an ill signe Let us therefore take a tryall of our selves how we stand affected in case of Religion He that hath no zeale in him hath no love by an Antiperistasis a opposition of the contrary encreaseth the contrary if a man have any goodnesse if it bee environed with opposition it will intend the goodnesse and encrease it Lot shewed his goodnesse in Sodome the more because of the wickednesse of the Sodomites when a man is in vile company and heares Religion disgraced and good persons scoffed at and will not have a word to justifie good causes and good persons hee hath no life at all of Religion for if hee had he would then have more Religion then ordinary the contrary would then intend and encrease the contrary There was a blessed mixture of many affections in this griefe of the holy man David when hee said their words were as a sword in his bones There was great griefe not onely for himselfe as a man being sensible of reproaches for men are men and not out of corrupt nature but out of the principles of nature they are sensible of reproaches here was griefe in respect of God and in respect of himselfe and here was the love of God and the love of Religion in this grief Here was zeale in this and a sweet mixture of blessed affections a sweet temper in this when hee saith their words were as a sword in my bones Let us make a use of tryall bring our selves to this patterne and thinke if wee doe come short of this then wee come short of that that should bee in us But especially let us consider with what hearts wee entertaine those dolefull and sad reports of forraine Churches and with what consideration and view wee looke upon the present estate of the Church whether we be glad or no. There are many false spirits that either are not affected at all or else they are inwardly glad of it they are of the same disposition that those cursed Edomites were of Psalme 137. Downe with it downe with it even unto the ground I hope that there are but few such amongst us here therefore I will not presse that But if wee bee dead-hearted and are not affected with the cause of the Church let us suspect our selves and thinke all is not well The fire from Heaven is not kindled in our hearts our hearts are not yet the Altar where God hath kindled that heavenly fire if we can heare Religion disgraced and good causes goe backward and not be affected Curse yee Meroz why because they went not out to helpe the Lord. If those bee cursed that doe not helpe as they can by their prayers then surely they are cursed that are dead-hearted that are not affected at all that joyne with the persecutors that cry downe with it even to the ground say Aha so we would have it If those be cursed that helpe not forward the cause of the Church at least by their prayers and strive and contend for the faith once given what shall we thinke of those that are not affected at all nay which is worse of all that hinder good causes that are scorners of Religion and good causes what shall wee thinke of those wretched spirits how opposite are they to the spirit of David To adde one thing more wee may learne hence the extent of the commandements how to enlarge the commandements Our Saviour Christ when he came to preach the Gospell hee began with the enlargement of the commandements shewing the spirituall meaning and extent of the law he that calleth his Brother Racha or foole is in danger of hell fire and he that lookes on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart You see here the Prophet David when hee speakes of their reproach he