faith will quickly correct sence and make us subjoyn it is good for a man to have hope and quietly to wait for salvation of the Lord Psal 68.13 and when we are lying among the Pots to wait for the time when we shall be as the Wings of the Dove covered with silver and her Feathers with yellow gold Secondly The tenth Consider the exceeding great terrour of God when he is angry his wrath burneth like fire It maketh the green tree to be like a burnt stick what will it do to the dry It maketh the most godly to become like a bottle in the smoak Psal 119.83 Psal 22.15 Psal 32 4. It dryeth up their strength like a Potsheard It turneth their moisture into the draught of Summer knowing the terrour of the Lord be perswaded to make peace with him in time venture not on his hot displeasure The tasting of the forbidden Aple will cost thee wonderfull dear Though which yet in the act of sin without madnesse cannot be supposed thou should be certain to escape Hell Thirdly The eleventh The Church here is a Brand pulled out of the fire a fire-brand to burn her enemies to Ashes it is exceeding unhappy to be an instrument of the Churches trouble Though God be angry with his people and he be very just in casting them in the fiery Furnace of his wrath yet woe to all these who are Bellows or Fewell to that fire who do vex the Church in any way Our Prophet Zachary in his twelfth Chapter sheweth That to all these who had taken up Jerusalem and the people of God to cast them away from their habitation as a stone out of a sling To all these Joh. 12.3 I say Jerusalem became a heavy and a burdensome stone to cut and to crush them in pieces Her Neighbours thought to have swallowed her down quick and to have drunk her off as a potion of sweet Wine but she becometh to them a Cup of trembling Zach. 12.2 a draught of poyson which maketh them tremble stagger and fall without rising and which is the Metaphor of our Text The people of God become a torch of fire in a Sheaff Zach. 12.6 to devour all their enemies round about on the right hand and on the left Nebuchad-nezzars Image when the little stone did fall upon its feet was not onely broken all to pieces Dan. 2.25 but also made like the chaff and was carryed away so violently by the winde that no place was found for any part thereof All the persecuters of the Saints have miscarryed for this cause above any other The greatest Monarchies and Kingdoms that have been upon the earth are vanished and no re-likes of them appear this day None who are wise will touch the people of the Lord for they are the apple of Gods eye the hurt whereof he cannot but avenge It is extreme dangerous to be employed by God himself in the chastising of his children for usually when the Lord returneth in mercy to embrace his chastised childe the rods of his anger and staves of his indignation are cast in the fire Isai 10.5.16 17. till they be burnt to ashes Lastly consider the mercifull reasoning of the Angel The last Jerusalem is a brand well-near consumed in the fire of Gods wrath and therefore ought to be pitied and freed from further trouble How extremely contrary is this to Satans logick and his instruments conclusions they adde affliction to the most afflicted they presse most the godly when they finde them weakest and on the brink of ruine we have their language in the 71 Psa 11. God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him Psal 83 4. It is then when they say Come and let us eut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance Long sufferings and extreme misery are to Satan and wicked men provocations of further persecution but to God they be arguments of favour and deliverance Hence it is that the godly lay out before the face of God in their mourning their sufferings to the full as most pregnant incitements to compassion Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me Lam. 1.12 wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Dan 9.12 under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem The Lord alloweth us to spread out before him all the matter of our present grief and of our future fears hereby as it were to stir up the compassionate bowells of his mercy We would be crying to him not onely to pull the tree of our Church and State out of that fire which hath already burnt up very many Branches and is like if not quickly quenched to go to the very Root but further we would be earnest for that burnt stick when it is pull'd out of the flame that the dews of heaven and the Sun-shine of divine favour may fall so plentifully upon it that it may yet again flourish and bring forth fruits better and more aboundant then ever and it may become a pleasant and fruitfull Vine under whose shadow we all may lie down in peace enjoying the blessings of God and singing with a loud voyce his praises for our deliverance from all our present afflictions FINIS
when the darknesse of affliction over-shadowes Ierusalem the godly cannot rest they cannot keep silence but importune their God for the light of a glorious deliverance A second reason The second reason this Practise of the Saints is according to the will of God Ezek. 22.30 I sought for a man that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it Isa 62.6 I have set watchmen on thy wals O Ierusalem who shall never hold their peace day nor night ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and make Ierusalem a praise on the eath A third reason The third reason this duty hath the promise of a blessing both publick and private Unto the Elders and Priests while they are assembled Ioel 2. For fasting and prayer is laid out not onely the goodnesse of God in generall that he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse repenting him of the evill but particularly in the 18 they are assured he will heare their prayer and answer it he will have pity upon the afflictions of his people and be zealous for their deliverance Besides the publick benefit the carefull practise of this duty procures much private good When the salvation of Ierusalem breaketh forth as a Lamp every Inhabitant shall not be partaker of her joy Sundry shall see it and not taste of it as that Prince of Samaria 2 Kings 7.2 when it shall be well with the Church it may be ill with them As ravenous beasts and theeves after their roving up and downe in the darknesse of the night at their pleasure when the morning light doth arise they take them to their dens and caves wherein oft they are hunted to their death However these who now stand mourning for Sion shall rejoyce in her joyes when they come they shall eat the fruit of their present labours the teares they now sow in sorrow shall then be reaped in joy See an excellent promise of this Isa 66.10 Rejoyce for joy with Ierusalem all ye that mourn for her that ye may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations that ye may milke out and be delighted with the aboundance of her glory Ye shall be comforted in Ierusalem and when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herbe Sometimes it pleaseth not God to relent his anger towards the publicke yet it goes well in private with the practisers of this duty the mourners for Ierusalem Ezek. 9. are marked by the Angel and saved in the day of destruction 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Noah and Lot who vexed their righteous souls for what they heard and saw among their wicked neighbours get themselves and their families preserved in the day of vengeance Lamenting Ieremiah Ezek. 14.14 and for his cause his servant Baruch and friend Ebedmelech are well intreated by the hand of the most cruell Enemy yea when the wrath of God is greatest when Noah Iob and Daniel are not able to save either son or daughter yet they shall deliver themselves have their own soul for a prey Another Reason The fourth Ezek. 10.18 the neglect of this duty is a dangerous provocation When the glory of God goes from the Cherub to the threshold of the Temple and from thence to the midst of the City Hos 5.15 and from thence to the mountaine when the Lord goes to his place that he may be sought after early and in his going makes frequent stands looking back if any will sollow and lay hold upon him that he may returne if so be that none take notice or care of his removall it much encreaseth his anger This is one of the complaints of Isaiah Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy name that stirreth up himselfe to lay hold on thee This is made a great cause of the publike calamity Ezek. 42. I sought for a man to stand in the gap for the land but I found none therefore have I powred out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the sire of my wrath and however God should be good to the publike yet it shall not goe well with the private contemners of this duty be they more or fewer be they high or low Publike men whose peculiar duty is to meet the Lord and stand in the gap when they see the floods of his wrath comming downe to overwhelme the people of their charge if they run away like foxes to their holes being careful for nothing but to provide for their own heads woe and vengeance from God is denounced against them Ezek. 13.4 O Israel thy Prophets are like the foxes in the desert who have not gone up to the hedge neither made up the gaps for the house of Israel to stand in the battell in the day of the Lord Therefore in the third verse Woe unto them and in the ninth they shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel What extreme woe is it to be blotted out of the book of life to be deleted out of the Catalogue of the people of God Neither onely publike men but the meanest of the people are plagued for the neglect of this duty Isa 22.12 In that day the Lord did call to weeping and mourning but behold joy and gladnesse the slaying of oxen the killing of sheep and drinking of wine this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord. The Use of this Doctrine is for your encouragement The Vse For encouragement to go on in the present exercise with diligence Ier. 48.10 Ier. 14 17. Isa 5.25 to go on with all diligence in the present work of humble supplication You see God is well pleased with this labour it hath been the exercise of all the Saints on the like occasion it is the Lords speciall command he hath annexed to it most comfortable promises and to the neglect of it very fearfull threats onely let the work be done with diligence and constancie to doe the work of the Lord negligently procures a curse wherfore this day when thou standest before the Angel in all the bent saile of thy spirit offer to God the sacrifice of thy contrite and broken heart Let thine eyes run downe with teares night and day for the great breach and grievous blow wherewith the virgin daughter of thy people is already broken that notwithstanding the rivers of blood already shed the anger of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still that as yet there is no appearance of any cancelling of that Commission which the Lord hath given to the sword to bathe it self in the blood of men without number of all ranks and estates These judgments outward and visible are the causes of great mourning but the sinnes of the land
all this wickednesse for he is the watchman of Israel who never slumbers his silly sheep would soon be catched but his all-seeing eye to which every creature is naked is alwayes imployed for their custody The seven eyes of the Lord run through the earth to search all the counsels taken against the Church his eyes pierce the thoughts and reines of the craftiest foxes Psal 139. 2 9. not a word in any mans tongue but he knoweth it altogether and their thoughts afarre off he found meanes to discover to David 2 Sam. 17.16 and to turne into meere folly the counsell of Achitophel once wise as an Angel though after wickedly crafty as a Divell all the devices of Syria were made open to the King of Israel 2 King 6.12 no word could be spoken in the bed-chamber of the King of Syria but Elisha could tell it in Samaria The Use of this Doctrine is first The first Vse for thankfull acknowledgment Who hath discovered to us the manifold most mischievous designes of the enemy these most secret and deeply contrived counsels for the overthrow of our Religion the destruction of our Parliaments the inslaving of our persons and posteritie who hath brought out these works before the eyes of the world None but that God who here by his Angel doth demonstrate to the eyes of his Prophet the most secret practises of the Divell himself against Ierusalem A catalogue of these discovered plots would be printed on the Table of our hearts for the continuall praise of the mercifull discoverer A second use is for faithful dependence The second we know not what our adversaries this very hour are working under ground this we know that they are restless in their contrivings like the Sea whose motion is perpetuall not as the heavens for carrying about of light unto the world but for defiling of the earth by casting up always upon it new dirt and tangle like Satan their leader who cannot fit still but goes ever to and fro on the earth seeking whom he may devour beginning ever some new plot where an old one ends It is good for us to have our recourse by faith to him to have our dependance upon him who is acquainted with all their consultations when they digge much deeper then we can reach them were it to the very hell our God is there to see and hear all that is amongst them we would still be praying that he would bring out their works of darknesse that by him we may be saved from their snares and carried by their pits that by his providence we may always escape the nets of these fowlers A third use is for advertisement of all The third to be very warie of secret contrivances against that cause which they have sworne to maintain let all remember that the seven eyes of the Lord are ever upon them in the darkest of all their wayes they speak not the word they write not the letter in their most secret chambers which the Lord cannot bring abroad to the ears of the whole Isle for their perpetuall shame the miscariage of others should be thy instruction wilt thou go on in a way of thine own for the hurt of those who are ingaged against the enemies of Religion and justice wilt thou also correspond in a blind and secret way to undermine upon never so faire pretexts this poore distressed State God shall find thee out and as many already have made themselves infamous thy shame likewise shall be proclaimed to this and after ages so much the greater as the evident judgements of God upon many have not diverted thee from running on to thy own ruine Some like Balaam though an Angel from heaven would discharge them from joyning with Moab against Israel yet upon the deceiving hopes of wealth and preferment will go on though they should lose in the end both their life and salvation The last use is for wise diligence to have that abolished The fourth which yet in Gods mercy is covered from the eyes of the world not to speake of publike miscariages against the Church or State whereof possibly some of whom there is no suspicion may be as guilty as others who publikely are crucified with deserved infamy But to hold upon personall faults thou knowest not how soon the Lord may bring forth not only to the light of his own countenance but to the eyes of the world thy secret wickednesse This is a day wherein thou mayest get a cloake to cover thy nakednesse that thy shame may never be seen judge thy self and thou shall not be judged confesse with heartie sorrow and the Lord shall be just to forgive lay hold on that sacrifice whose blood washes away the spots of sinne hunger and thirst for that grace and Spirit of Christ that mortifieth corruptions lest if after this dayes repentance sinne reigne in thee seven worse spirits enter into thee and the Lord bring forth not only before this world but which is much worse before man and angels in the great congregation for thy everlasting shame all the works of these devils in thee which now lie hid to the eyes of men So much for the first part the information and discovery The exposition of the second part the matter discovered followes and first the time or action wherein Ioshua was imployed when Satan did resist him he was standing before the Angel of the Lord for the exposition of these words consider first who was this Ioshua the high Priest secondly who this Angel thirdly what this standing For the first Ioshua the high Priest this man was Ioshua or Iesus the son of Iosedeck the high Priest who returned with the captives from Babel who set up the altar upon the bases before the Temple was builded who did joyn with Zerubbabel the Prince and supreame Magistrate of the Jewes in founding and perfecting the temple these two were the two olive trees which did contribute the golden oil of all the gifts which God bestowed on them in advancing the work of the Lord about the State and Church of Israel Sundry of the Ancients will have this Iesus to be Christ our Saviour but this is a conceit so unconsistent with scripture and many reasons that it needs no confutation This Ioshua was a Priest for before the death of Christ the speciall imployment of Gods ministers was to offer up those sacrifices which were types and figures of that great oblation of the Lamb of God in a true propitiatorie But when the body came the shadowes removed whosoever would have the Ministers of the Christian Church to be truely Priests would by that meanes bring backe the pedagogie of Moses would set up the Antichristian sacrifice of the Masse denying in deed as the Apostle oft reasons that Christ is yet come or hath offered a sufficient sacrifice for our redemption Ioshua was the high Priest Christ is the Lord of his own house to order it every day
away these abominations the outward kingdom of Satan is restrained and broken But when with the State the Church also is settled when the Gospel in its full libertie puritie and power is set up then the strongest Castles of Satan are invaded Christ entereth the inmost Cabines of the heart and subdueth every imagination to his knowledge and reformeth not onely the outward man but by bringing his heavenly Light and Life to the soul maketh the heart humble chaste wise spirituall and so subject to the Spirit of Christ that Satan gets no more peace in any room of his former possession No wonder then that this craftie spirit foreseeing these evident losses and clear disadvantages which the settling of a Church and State will certainly bring upon him he assay with all his might to continue disorder and confusion for in these lies the strength of his kingdom The use of this Doctrine is The first Use 1. For affrighting of all these who oppose Reformation of Church or State beholding from hence what spirit leadeth them For it is cleer that not they onely who upon the conscience of their mis-deserving to save themselves from the legall punishment of their crimes or otherwise blinded by avarice and ambition upon desire and hope of these profits and places whereof they despaired in regular times for these base ends have been prime counsellers in the first conceiving of this lamentable rupture betwixt the Prince and his best subjects but also all they who either openly have divided from us in siding with that evil faction or remaining among us in person by their means or counsels do oppose the building of the Temple and the rearing up the walls of Jerusalem The leader of all these opposites appeareth to be that most malignant spirit the devill We deny not that sundry of these men for their opinions and practices wherein they differ from us may have very strong and plausible arguments yet they would remember that Satan oft times by strong delusions 2 Thes 2.11 maketh his followers believe lies We grant also that sundry of the elect children of God before their calling in the dayes of their ignorance may be withdrawn to serve the devill in the most wicked employments against God Father forgive them Luk. 23 34. saith Christ of many of his crucifiers for they know not what they do Yea for a time the very regenerate and these who otherwise walk with God by the violence or subtilty of a tentation may be driven to a very evil way and may engage themselves in the worst services of Satan and oppose in their desires counsells and actions the most blessed works of God Christ admonisheth the chiefest of his Apostles Luk 9 55. Matth. 16 23 that they knew not of what spirit they were And to Peter he saith plainly That the devil from his mouth did tempt him to spare himself which was no other then to give over the Work of mans Redemption However all these things may be yet all who are in the actuall service of Satan against God have great reason of fear for their present condition If God come upon thee in thy act of resisting his servants in his Work his hand may suddenly dash thee in pieces as it hath done many already like a Potters vessell How fearfull a thing is it to be serving the devill what can men expect for their wages except they recover themselves out of his bonds wherein now they lie captive like Gally-slaves but a part with their master for ever in his horrible portion O if the eyes of men were opened to behold the face of their master a clear sight of that ugly leader would doubtlesse move many to lay down their weapons and with great grief for miscarriages past to set themselves to redeem the time with all diligence to employ heart hand means and all God hath given them for the furtherance of the building of Sion which too long by Satans powerfull conduct they have endeavoured to retard A second Use is for compassion thus far The second Use on the worst of our opposites as to take them but for inferiour instruments acted and driven on by a mighty leader let the edge of our sharpest anger be turned from them on him These his blindfolded instruments we should heartily pity and pray for remembring the like nature and weaknesse in our selves which had not the grace of God preserved us against tentations might have made us ready to have given up our wit our will our hands our means and all to have resisted the Work of God and furthered the work of Sathan as much as any of the most active malignants It is good to have a meek and compassionate spirit towards persons who have succumbd to a tentation Gal. 6.1 considering our selves lest we also be tempted and overtaken in the same or a worse fault The Apostle gives us hope that sundry who oppose themselves to God being instructed in meeknesse may peradventure get repentance to acknowledge their pernicious ways and to recover themselves from the snare of the devill though for a time they be taken captives by him at his will A third Use is The third Use for continuall watchfulnesse The Prince and Generall of our opposites is a restlesse spirit who will never give over his malicious contrivings readily he may change his instruments but never his designe When old instruments become blunt and unserviceable or when they break in his hand he can cast them by and take up new ones more dangerous then the former though all present and past plots were discovered to the bottom and fully prevented yet there remaineth in that prime adversary a wit to devise many more and these seven-fold worse then any yet we have heard of we would never be secure Ephes 6.12 having to do not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers with spirituall wickednesses in higher places Against spirits spirituall Weapons must be used Did we strive onely with the craft and force of men we might hope by wisedome and policie to countermine their plots and by just Arms to over-power and suppresse their oppression But our chief partie being Satan we must put on the armour of God The shield of Faith The helmet of Hope The brest-plate of Righteousnesse and above all that Catholike weapon of prayer In these Combats the weakest may do greatest services many who cannot go to the Fields for fighting to the Houses for counsell to the Assembly for disputation yet may hold up their hands on the mountain with Moses may wrestle with God as Jacob may stand before the Angel with Joshua and by the means of the Angel get Satan our prime enemy defeat when Goliath the Captain doth fall the rest of the Philistims his followers will not long stand However this Church and State in these dayes of darknesse are most helped by them who set their faces truely to seek the Lord for the Land
in Fasting and Praying with Faith and Sanctification one of these is more precious then a thousand others who notwithstanding all their fighting and disputing for the common Cause do continue to grieve the good Spirit of God to strengthen the hand of Satan against us going on after all these publike Humiliations in their wonted course of security neglecting the mortification of their secret lusts and all carefull walking with God in the Spirit of their minde to any true pleasing A second Observation might be made on this passage A second Doctrine Satan opposeth most our prayers for Sion That Satan his invasion of the godly is most in their Worship and specially in their prayers for the publike as here he resisteth Joshua when he is standing before God to petition for the ruined estate of Sion No wonder the people of God at these solemn times of publike Supplications The godly most distracted with temptations in time of publike humiliation Gen. 15.11 Matth. 13.4 fall short of their intended services That their hearts come not up to their desires in the acts of Worship That vageing of minde hardnesse of heart fruitlesnesse of hearing lie hardest then upon them The reason is Satans speciall attendance at these occasions above any The ravenous birds wait upon Abraham onely at his Sacrifices the fowls go out with the sower to pick up the good Seed to make the Word and the Worship unprofitable Our heart of it self is very earthly carnall dead and vain yet besides all its inward Malignitie Satan by his tentations strives to inspire it at these holy times with so much of his supernaturall wickednesse as he is able It should adde to our grief when our sensible miscarriage in so holy an exercise demonstrateth not onely the presence of a devill with us but also his prevalence over us for our great hurt Also it is a matter of singular comfort when we get grace to discharge ourselves of these solemn services in some measure acceptably When with a Spirit enlightned enlivened enflamed melted from above we get our souls poured out before God for the publike sins and publike distresses When with an holy an honest and vigorous bent-sail of spirit we have begged mercy and what else we conceive needfull for our selves and others When in an attentive and faithfull heart we receive the heavenly Seed of the Word and feel our selves thereby strengthned to walk in the wayes of God to mourn for and fight against the corruptions of our heart and life This is a matter of joy for this cause among others that hereby we obtain a sensible victory over that strong spirit who hath not been able as oft at other times to deprive us of the comfort and fruit of the Worship Christ who at such a time maketh thee clearly victorious over Satan shall shortly make thee to triumph and tread him under thy feet A third Observation might here also be pointed at A third Doctrine Satan resisteth most the Ministers of Gods house if time did not strait Satan his speciall malice is against Joshua the high Priest his speciall enmitie is against the servants of Gods House the Messenger of Satan buffeteth Paul it was Peter and the Apostles that Satan sought to winnow 2 Co. 12.7 Lu6e 22.31 and sift as Wheat The Reason is They are the Pastors of Gods flock The Reason when the Shepheard is stricken the flock will be scattered They are the Stewards of Gods House If the Steward become unfaithfull the children of the family will be in danger of starving They are the Officers of Gods Army if the Leaders and Standard-Bearers fall the Souldiers will soon be put to the flight They are the light of the World if the Lamps be extinguished the House sitteth in darknesse and the shadow of death They are the Salt of the Earth if they become unsavoury the people are in danger to become a polluted and unsavoury Sacrifice Great care would be had for the assistance and comfort of the servants of Gods House The Use the people would bear them in their hearts before God and pray for the abundance of the Spirit of grace upon them the grace of God on the Pastors turneth to the benefit of the people the oyntment poured on the head of Aaron dropped down to his feet and drenched the lowest borders of his garment When the Lord clothes his Priests with Righteousnesse and Salvation then do all the Saints shout aloud for joy the people not onely by their prayers to God would assist and hold up the weary hands of their Pastors as Aaron and Hur did the hands of Moses but also by their loving countenance their liberall maintenance their ready obedience would give them all encouragement Heb. 13.17 They watch for your soul obey them therefore that they may do their work with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you When most of the day and much of the night they have been with God on the Mount for your welfare when much of their time hath been spent in combating with Satan for the safety of your soul Is it meet that they should be grieved The honourable Houses would see to the encouragement of Gods servants or their hands weakned by your neglect of them or miscarriage towards them Doubtlesse it will be the speciall care of this religious and wise Senate to establish such Orders in all this Land for the House of God that his Ministers shall be encouraged to set themselves with all cheerfulnesse about the salvation of the peoples souls Your Honors wil so provide it that the Pastors shall have nothing to do but with God and with souls and with devils to hold off by their Spirituall weapons these roaing Lions from their flocks questionles your Pieties will procure so much due respect and so honorable a maintenance for every servant of God in this land that without disquietnes of minde or solicitude for the things of this world they may wait wholly on their Spirituall Charges The Pagan Princes of old the Turkish this day the ancient Popish Parliaments and the late Prelaticall have demonstrate their care for that which they esteemed the service of their God it will be very far from this most hopefull of all Parliaments for which the Lord hath already done so many and so great things which also for time to come hath so much need of the speciall assistance and singular help of God that they should in this so naturall so reasonable so Christian a Duty towards the servants of God be any ways lacking Most wisely and with all reason have they procured the Lamps of the House of God to be set in such posture as their light may best shine to the use of men Starres though otherwise great and full of light if they move in too high a Sphear become either invisible or of an obscure and bad light for little use to men below upon earth The