to finish their sins This serveth 1 To settle faith in God and to seeke our repose only in him in all crosse opposals because he is the sunne and shield and there is no rest but in him he only over-ruleth all and evacuateth the counsels and frustrateth the works of wicked men He only shall bring it to passe 2. This serveth to reprove the means that are in use amongst us to reforme sinne as we pretend but they are unlawful and ungodly 1. By publick blazing and detecting of offenders to put them to open shame in the world for the losse of a good name doth more often harden a sinner and cause impenitency then reclaim him for what hath he to boast that hath lost the good opinion of men love covereth a multitude of sinnes and therefore that is an evil tongue that is the trumpet of anothers shame It is charity to make the best of every thing 2. The same offence is committed in private whispers and secret detractions and the fault is aggravated by concealing our selves as unwilling to justifie our accusations 3. By cursing and bitter calling upon God for his vengeance on them that offend if the offence touch us or our friends for God knoweth without us who to manage his judgments and cursing it returneth and smarteth at home For the Apostle saith it twice Blesse Curse not 4. By publike playes and interludes to represent the vices of the time which though it were the practice of the heathen which knew not God but afarre off yet in Christian-states it is no way tolerable nor justifyable to act the parts of evil doers since the Apostle saith it is a shame to name them much more to act and personate them 5. By private conceived libels after divulged by secret passage from pocket to pocket from one bosome to another for which the devisers thereof have no warrant and to which they have no calling 6. By Satyres and Poeticall declamations for who hath sent these into the world to convince the world is it not to put the spirit of God out of office who is sent to convince the world of sinne And who but the Lords Prophets have warrant to lift up their voyces like Trumpets to tell the house of Jacob their sinnes Every Emperique man may not professe and practice Physick There is a Colledge of soule-Physicians who have a calling to this purpose and are sent to heale the soars of the People 1. By their diligent preaching of the World of God to them 2. By drawing against them and exercising upon them the sword of Ecclesiastical discipline 3. By continual prayer unto God to give end to their sinnes whereby they do trespasse God and good men 3. This serveth to discourage men from doing evil for fear of offending the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord whose righteous souls cannot but be vexed to see their good seed cast away upon barren stony or thorny ground For howsoever basely and unworthily we be deemed if the incorrigible iniquity of men do put us to it to move Almighty God by our earnest prayers against them they shall find that as Iob can do his friends good by his intercession because he is a Prophet so the Lords Ministers may awake judgement against such as go on still in their wickednesse and will not be reformed 2. Doctr. Our Prayers must be importunate The Prophet cried yea he cried out to the Lord. This importunity is exprest two ways 1. In the ardency and zeale of his Prayer it was not oratio a Prayer but vociferatio a crying 2. In the continuance of time How long Thus must we pray with fervour of spirit our tongue is the piece of Ordnance our Prayer is the shot the zeale of our heart is the powder that dischargeth it and according to the strength of the charge such is the flight of the shot Niniveh cryeth mightily to God Christ our Saviour cryed earnestly to his father Jou 3.8 yea with strong crying and tears Salomon spred his armes abroad the Publicane beat his breast Christ fell on the ground David said My sighing is not hid from thee Psal 38.9 The Israelites weeping is thus described They drew water and poured it out before the Lord. The Holy Ghost doth not furnish us so much with words and phrases in Prayer as with sighs and grones which cannot be exprost Paul prayed three times against Sathans Angel Abraham moved God six times for Sodome Nehemiah had so spent himselfe in watching and prayer for his People that the King observed his countenance changed Beloved it is not Prayers by number tale as in the Romish Church nor Prayers by rote or by the ear perfunctoriously vented in the Church and for custome said over at home It is not much babling and multiplicitie of Petitions or vain repetitions that will send up our Prayers to heaven Though you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you Isay 1. and though you make many Prayers I will not heare you The Pharisees wanted powder to their shot for they prayed in their Synagogues and in the corners of the streets but as God saith Quis requisivit ista Who required these things The soule that actuateth and animateth Prayer is fervor spiritus the holy zeal of him that prayeth 2. Duration of time is another testimony of zealous importunity when our prayer is not a passion but a deliberate and constant earnestnesse holding out as the Apostle saith Pray continually not as the Euchites to do nothing else but to entertain all occasions to conferre with God and to prostrate our suites before him Christ spent a whole night together often in prayer Dan. 10. David day and night Daniel 21 dayes together during the time that he ate no pleasant bread and was in heavinesse Jonah three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale made it his Oratory and Chappel from whence he prayed to the Lord. If our soare runne so long we can pray whilest we smart or if our necessities do presse us to importunity we can hold out long for our selves But in my Text the cause is Gods zeal and Gods glory cannot contain it self in the cause of God 3. Doctr. the Lords people do break his Law and will not be reformed the Prophet of the Lord cannot stand and look on as in the next verse he doth and see the glory of God thus suffer but he must awake in the cause of God to bring him to correction So David Rise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered let them that hate thee flie before thee And thus for Gods glory sake we may with reservation of those that do belong to the election of grace pray to God earnestly for the confusion of all Sions enemies and of all that would faine see Jerusalem the true Church of God in the dust Shall our servencie and heat be only for our selves if it be the grant of our requests doth quench
Abraham and his oath unto Isaac And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant And after having briefly surveyed the story of Israels deliverance and passage having recapitulated the comming of Israel into Egypt the plagues of Egypt there comming out thence vvith the vvealth of Egypt the pillar of cloud the pillar of fire the Quails the Manna the vvater out of the rock he gives this reason of ad for he remembred his holy promise Vâ—rse 42. and Abraham his servant Of this oath of God the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 6.13 for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swear by himself saying Surely blessing I will blesse thee and multiplying I will multiply thee The reason vvhy God bound himself by oath followeth Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise Verse 17. the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath This was a great obligation to bind God to this performance neither doth it any vvhit abridge his own liberty but that he remained Liberimum agens still for that he declared therein the constancy of his decree which vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because as I have shewed that and all other Gods promises have reference to the obedience of the people so that God might have cancelled this obligation upon their forfeiture thereof by disobedience if he had pleased which maketh good the former motive of his own good wil and favour vvho notwithstanding their many provocations and rebellions yet performed this promise 2 The motive is negatively set down For here it is exprest vvhat vvas not the cause of these vvonderfull vvater-vvorks vvas it vvhich is as much as it was not because the Lord was displeased at rivers it was not because his wrath was against the sea To part the Sea in two to divide Jordan to make rivers run a vvhile in full stream to serve his people was no displeasure taken at these elements God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man To the creature it is all one to keep the naturall order of creation or to suffer supernaturall alteration for omnia illi serviunt all things do serve him vvas God angry vvith the earth vvhen he cursed it after Adams fall vvhen he drown'd it after it grevv full of cruelty The insensible creatures do the will of him that made them It is recorded as a blemish to that mighty King Xerxes Herod Polihim lib. 7. Num. 173. that he foolishly overweened his power in such a case For being to passe his army over the Hellespont where the sea vvas about seven furlongs over he caused a bridge to be made of floaty vessels to that purpose But a great tempest arising and breaking his bridge vvhen he heard thereof he vvas in such passion at the sea that he commanded it to be punished vvith three hundred stripes and he cast in fetters into it to take it prisoner and caused these vvise vvords to be spoken to it O aqua amara Dominus hanc tibi irrogat poenam quod eum laesisti qui de te nihil mali meritus es te tamen Rex Xerxes velis nolisve transmittet As wisely either he himself or as Herodotus reporteth Clio 34. Cyrus Cyrus his Grandfather fell out with the river Gyndes for drowning him a white horse but his revenge was more in sight so was his deliberate furious folly For he set his army a work to cut out new channels and divided the river into 360 brooks ut à mulieribus ne genua tingentibus transiri possit But our God had no quarrell the text saith to these inanimate creatures of his which were so at his command The Church here doth God right to confesse the true motive of this extraordinary operation of God so here is a double confession 1 That Tu Domine fecisti thou Lord hast done it 2 That he did for such a cause This is not barely avouched but it is proved Thy bow was made quite naked that is thou didst let all the world take notice of thy power and strength and favour in the cause of thy Church At the comming of God in great Majesty and Glory on Mount Sinai to give the law before-mentioned there was absconsio roboris the hiding of his strength God revealed himself then to Israel onely but these three great wonders here confest did uncase the bow of God made it quite naked so that all nations might take knowledge of the arm of the Lord and might give testimony to the same The Argument drawn from hence is still the same for from the former evidences of Gods great power and mercy shewed and openly declared unto the Church they gather comfort to assure themselves of the favour of God toward them in this captivity in Babylon They know and believe that the hand of God is not shortned nor his arme weakned but that he who was able to cut a way for them through the sea and the river of Jordan and to make rivers run in dry places to relieve their fathers in the wildernesse is still as able to succour them in that captivity against the King of Babel and all the Chaldeans so hee sheweth by what faith the just shall live in their banishment Namely by faith grounded on the power and wisedome and love of God and of his truth The doctrines which this passage affordeth are these 1 God must have the glory of his own great Works Doctr. David is a full example of this duty for 1 in his own case he saith Ps 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul 2 He stirreth up others to do the like even in this case mentioned in my text Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 6. he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men He turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him The reason hereof is in sight Reas 1 for David saith this honour is due to his name We have two debts which we shall ever be paying and yet never clear with our Creditors that is of prayse to God of love to our neighbours he that came of purpose into the world to pay our debts hath not wip't off this score rather he hath set us further in debt 1 To our brother if God so loyed us as to send his Sonne amongst us we ought also to love one another so much the more 2 To himself David saith The loving kindnesse of the Lord is ever more and more toward us therefore laus ejus erit semper in ore meo his prayse shall be ever in my mouth The comming of Christ amongst us hath made it more and more seen for therein the bow of God was made quite naked 2
God We have no such warrant but look wee what we may pray for and we shall finde that God doth answer us with success 1 That the name of God may be hollowed doth not every faithfull servant of God place his trust in this name doth he not praise it for all things 2 That the Kingdome of God may come Is not this Kingdome of grace in the Church doth not the believer feel Christ reigning in his heart and ruling him by his spirit and doth he not expect his second comming in glory and believe everlasting life 3 That the will of God may be done here as it is in heaven is it not so Our conversation is in heaven doth not the whole life of a faithfull soul spend it self in imitation of Christ and of the Angels of God and of the holy Saints that are gone before us to praise God in heaven 4 Have we not daily bread doth not God feed us with food convenient for us 5 Doth not God assure our consciences of the free remission of our sins Doth not he in temptations save us from the evill one that seeketh our destruction and maketh them the exercises of our vertue and are directed to the dilapidation of our faith We may aske nothing else of God but what hath reference to one of these petitions and in all these God heareth us and granteth our requests Our own want of faith and zeal in prayer our own neglect of the dutie our own unthankfulness to God for benefits already received our corrupt desires to spend the favours of God upon our lusts may make many of our prayers miscarry Much more if we do ask any thing at the hands of God which is not lawfull But let us aske as he commandeth and the argument will follow comfortably If the servants of God have heretofore prevailed with God so far as to work miracles for their good much more will God hear our ordinary suits and grant them so far as may stand with the glory of his name and our good But at adventure he hath commanded us to pray and let us do our duty in obedience to him and leave the successe to his fatherly providence prayer is the casting our care upon God and is not that a great comfort to us when our care is put off and so repose that we may serve our God without fear or care for things of this life 2 The victory that followed the station of the Sun and Moon contein two things 1 What God did in indignation to his enemies 2 What he did in favour to his people 1 What he did in indignation Conteining 1 His martiall march through the Land 2 His conquest of it 1 His March Thou didst march through the land in indignation which teaâ—heth us That in all wars God is Lord of Hosts Doct. and generall of all the Armies teat fight in his quarrel This was assured to Joshua by a Vision for It came to passe when Joshua was by Jericho Josh 5.13 that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went unto him and said unto him art thou for user for our adversaries And he said nay but as a Captaine of the hoast of the Lord am I now come and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship This must be God that appeared to him by this Angel and it is the same Angel which God before promised Behold I send an Angell before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not Ex â—2 22 for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him This Angel must needs be the same who is after called the Messiah or anointed in the next verse and both the power that was given him of God to protect and to pardon and the charge that was given to the people not to offend him and the worship which Joshua did give him and the name which God said was in him prove him to be Jesus Christ All serves to prove that God was the leader of these wars as here is said Thou didst march through the Land And God doth take it upon himself I the Lord do all these things Esa 45.7 The reason is because war is one of the rods of God wherewith he doth scourge the sinnes of men For thus saith the Lord God How much more when I send my four great judgments upon Jerusalem the first of them is the sword Ezek. 14.21 Who can manage the judgments of God but himself and therefore when wicked persons are imployed by him to punish sinners by the sword he confesseth the service done to him as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel against Tyrus I have given him the Land of Egypt Ezech. 29. Vâ—rse 2â— for the labour wherewith he served against Tyrus because they wrought for me saith the Lord. God ordereth all wars for wars as I have said is one of Gods own rods and none can manage them without him so all wars as they are from him are just wars But they may be unjust in respect of them that commence and prosecute them The point then here taught is that in all wars which are just in respect of God who smiteth them God is the leader and the protector of his armies who giveth them both strength to fight and victory in battail These were Gods wars by which Israel was setled in the land of Canaan and they were the wars of God by which Israel was led away captive into Babel you heard God himself say so Hab. 1.6 For lo I raise up the Chaldaeans that bitter and hasty nation which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs God was he that marched through the land then in indignation This teacheth us wheresoever we see the sword of God abroad in the world to smite Vse to confesse it to be Gods soare judgment without whom no man could draw a sword or lift up his arme in the world God brought in his Israel by the sword and by the sword he carrieth them out of Canaan note the hand of the Lord is in both Therefore whatsoever preparations of war Gods servants do make to hold or to recover their own right to relieve the distresses of others or to suppresse the injuries of oppressours they must commit their cause to the Lord and seek their strength from him and depend on him for their successe But as God is the author and manager of all wars so is he the speciall protectonr of those that he hath separated from the world to be his Church and peculiar people as in the story of Israels passage you have heard In this war God did march before his Israel against the inhabitants of Canaan and cast the
A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecie of Habakkuk Together with many usefull and very seasonable OBSERVATIONS Delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-hith LONDON many yeeres since By EDWARD MARBURY the then Rector of the said Church Psal 101. v. 1. I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee O Lord will I sing Isa 8. v. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Isa 26. v. 9. When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Verse 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Rose in Pauls Church-yard 1650. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD Dr. Henry King L. BISHOP OF CHICHESTER TO THE MUCH HONOURED Sr. Rich Hubbard OF LANGLEY IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX KNIGHT JOHN DVTTON OF SHERBOURNE IN THE COUNTY OF GLOSTER Esq JOHN MILLINGTON of LANGLEY aforesaid Esq TOGETHER With their worthy Consorts three gracious Sisters and Branches of that Noble Family of Dr. KING late L. BISHOP of LONDON And to the Religious and Vertuous Gentlewoman M rs MARY KING the late Wife of Dr. JOHN KING EDWARD MARBVRY their poor Kinsman and Servant doth by many relations and engagements being thereunto obliged Together with his best wishes humbly Present Devote and Dedicate this his COMMENTARY Presuming upon their favourable acceptance and protection thereof An Alphabetical TABLE of the principal heads contained in this precedent Commentary The Contents thereof in the first and second Chapters A. ADam's sin did not violate God's glory so much as the womans page 298 Adrian the sixth his allegory 35. applied page 36 A good conscience declares a mans faith to himself 225. and a godly conversation to others page 226 All evill actions are justly judged by the intentions of their agents but good actions are not so page 75 All injuries we do to our brethren are done with God's privity 76. and so are all treasons and conspiracies page 120 All Churches wherein Christians meet to call upon God are Temples of Gods presence page 341 All excesse in drinking is drunkennesse page 306 Alexander excused by his flatterers for killing of Clitus page 324 Ambition is an inordinate desire of honour page 271 Ambition came in with sin and cannot be without sin page 273 Ambition puts us out of the way of life page 275 Ambition is painful page 286 Ancientnesse of writing page 151 As personal sins have personal chastisements so epidemical sins have popular punishments page 64 B. BAbylon taken by storme on a day of feasting page 249 Better apta then alta sapere page 157 Beholding without regarding is but a kinde of gazing page 53 Behold a word to move attention page 184 Benefits of the righteousnesse of Faith page 198 Blood-guiltinesse consists not in blood-shedding only page 278 Boldnesse in sinning page 24 C. CAlvin's judgment of Habakkuk page 117 Cautions to order and regulate our judgment and life concerning righteousnesse page 200 Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace page 129 Christ took the burthen of our sins upon him page 5 Christ took upon him our infirmities but not our sinful ones page 48 Christian charity coÌ„mon justice great props of a Common-wealth page 37 Committers of sin are of two sorts page 283 Complaint is a part of prayer 31. the reasons thereof page 32 Confession threefold page 193 Contempt of the Law brings in licentiousnesse custome of sinning page 28 Contempt is a provocation which moveth God to severe judgments page 72 Contempt is most grievous to mans generous nature Corruption of justice a dangerous signe of a drooping Common-wealth 45. Reasons for it page 43 Covetousnesse is an inordinate desire of the wealth of this world page 275 Covetousnesse is Ambitions hand-maid page 275 Covetousnesse a fruitful sin Vsury Rapine Fraud Bribes and Cimony are its daughters page 276 Crie of blood page 12 Crie of a Prophet is a loud cry page 13 Cruelty manifold page 278 Cruelty is a companion of Ambition and Covetousnesse page 278 D. DEsire is the whetstone of prayer page 178 Despisers punished with scorne and contempt page 78 Devill author of Idolatry temptor to it and promoter of it page 93 Distrust in God the mother sin of all evill wayes page 267 Diâ—ers wayes to spend the time well page 180 Doctrine of faith most necessary to salvation page 205 Drunkards the pictures of proud men page 242 Drunkennesse a horrible sin confessed by all men to be a sin page 305 Drunken men mentioned in Scripture page 305 Drunken men cannot pray as they ought page 310 Drunkennesse a disease of former ages but now grown epidemical page 313 Duties to be performed in the Church page 345 E. EAstern winds most unwholsome in Judea page 58 Every mans mind is himself 77 Eternity of God page 103 Every sin is a trespasse against God page 103 Expostulations and contestations with God in our prayers are lawfull 46. Objection against it and solution of the objection 47. Reasons for confirmation thereof page 51 F. FAith defined page 206 Faith's greatnesse and its effects page 20â— Faith how it may be gotten 208. How proved 225. How preserved 228. How used page 229 Faith usefull in the naturall life 230 In the spiritual life 234. And in the eternall life ibid. Faith useful both in prosperity and adversity page 233 Faith not rightly grounded is presumption page 109 Fear mingled with faith is no sin page 48 49 Few seeke the true use of riches page 261 G. GIving of almes doth not purifie ill gotten goods page 292 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to him and so is his word threatning judgment page 8 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the Prophet that utters them in respest of his fidelity to him that sends him 9. And in respect of his zeale ibid. And in respect of his compassion page 10 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the people to whom they are sent both to the penitent 10. and to the impenitent page 11 God's servants fight against sin by prayer page 14 God s Ministers may by their prayers awake God's judgments against unrepenting sinners page 15 God sometimes suspends the successe of his servants prayers page 20 God doth himself take notice of the peoples sins and acquainteth his Prophets and Ministers therewith page 21 God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complaine of violence to execute his judgments upon them that offend 59. Reasons thereof page 60 61 62 God's justice doth not spare his own people if they do provoke him page 63 God's promises made to Israel were all limited with condition of their
Ps 73.16 Vers 17. then understood I their end Which teacheth us in these great deeps of the wisdom of God not to resolve any thing out of humane reason but to consult God himself and to hearken what he will say to the matter to speak after him and follow him Our experience telleth us that there hath been much opposition much injustice here in our land that the Common-wealth groaned under the burthen thereof The wayes of God are not like our wayes did not God see this did not the cry of the poor and the oppressed go up to him even to his ears is he not come down to visit the transgressors and to take the matter into his own audience even now in the cool of the day he is come at last to keep a Sessions and to search Jerusalem with a candle and lanthorn now his eye-lids do begin to try the sons of men and the joyful Church and Common-wealth cry to him saying Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Ps 45 3. with thy glory and thy majesty And in thy Majesty ride prosperously Vers 4. because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 2. His instruction of others He will not only hearken to satisfie himselfe but he will furnish himself from the mouth of God with answers to satisfie them that shall dispute and argue with him against the Providence of God That is the use of our study and labour in our Ministry 1. To teach the truth 2. To convince contradictors This second part of our duty the Prophet had now special use of for the Church foreseeing the fearful judgements of God upon the Jews did argue the matter with the Prophet and all those former grievances they objected as arguments against Gods Government of his Church The Prophet holdeth the foundation and seeketh to inform himself how he may be able to maintain the same against opposition and strife of tongues Docemur We are taught In the Church of God there will be ever some that will argue and dispute against God Doct. 1. Because men are first taught by the wisedome of the world Reas 1 and that is enmity with God This proceeds from our original pravity of nature corrupt in the first derivance from our Parents which albeit it hath the seasoning of the Law of God written in the heart yet the law of the members which is contrary to the law of God doth prevaile against that law and leadeth us captive unto sin 2. Because as the Apostle saith for who hath known the mind of the Lord Reas 2 Ignorance of the ways of God doth breed in us many sinister opinions as we find in David in this very case Rom. 11.34 for he confesseth that the prosperity of the wicked troubled him till he went into the house of God there he learned the mind of God and then he was well satisfied Even this Prophet knew not how to answer them that would argue with him against God till he had called to account and disputed the matter with him 3. Because the Apostle saith of the Elect Reason 3 For we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Now in many of Gods chosen the sight and sense is full the faith is weak and imperfect and when we come to hear of the equal Justice of God in punishing sinners and feel the smart of his rod upon the Church it is an hard matter to assure the heart by believing against that which is suffered in feeling 4. Because Solomon saith Reas 4 Eccl. 7.29 God hath made man upright but they have sought many inventions for surely the equal and constant ways of God are suspected by the unequal and inconstant inventions of men who in favour of themselves spare not to cast the afflictions of the Church rather upon the will of God of which they are not able to give the reason then upon the evil deservings of their own sins 1. The Minister must learn of the Prophet Vse 1 to apply himself to the remedy of this inconvenience to maintain the cause of God against all contradiction and strife of tongues for as we are the Peoples Oratours to plead their cause with God so are we Gods Oratours to defend him against the corrupt and perverse censures of men by proclaiming his constant Justice and Wisdome and truth and by teaching them as the Psalmist saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We need not strain our selues much for this for wisedome will be justified of her children and he whom we defend against the calumniations of prophane or against the distrustfulnesse of the ignorant and weak will fill our mouths with arguments in his own defence Job saith to his friends Iob. 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly of God and talk deceitfully for him The Cause of God is an upright Cause we shall not need to be put to our shifts to defend him against the dispute and arguing of men It s enough that we rest in this principle of undeniable truth Surely God is just there is no unrighteousnes with him as Abraham That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked Gen. 18.25 and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right 2. The People that are our hearers are taught to hearken to the voice of our message and to learn this lesson of the Justice Vse 2 wisdome and truth of God that they may rightly know God and sincerely love him that if any thoughts of distast of Gods Government or distrust of his Justice shall arise in their hearts they may presently call to remembrance our pleadings for him and confesse that how admirable soever the ways of God are in our judgements yet they are always equal how secret soever they be yet they are always just It is a malicious suggestion when Satan shall bely us to God as he did Job when he said Job served not God for nothing but there is no great danger in it Ioh. 2.25 for he knows Satan to be a liar and a murtherer and he needeth not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man It is a dangerous suggestion when he shal belie God to us First either flattering us with an overweening of his mercy to encourage sin as when he told Evah You shall not die at all Secondly Or shall affright us with the terrour of his Iustice as if there were no â—ope of favour as he did to David setting some awork to tell him Non est tibi salus in deo tuo there is no help for thee in thy God Thirdly or shall taxe to us the Government of God as if he were either negligent of the affairs of the sons of men or ignorant altogether of the sufferings of his Church or partial in administration of
long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
nakednesse how he hath stripped them out of all But Saint Hierom reporteth that Nebuchadnezzar did abuse Zedechiah the King at a banquet in a very foul manner And because that kind of drunkennesse was before touched to the quick I follow Arias Montanus in the literal exposition of these words which I have before delivered that the King made his associate Kings and his Conquered enemies drunk to make him sport Which sin of his is threatned Vers 16. Thou art filled with shame for glory for this turned to the shame of the Babylonians Though Mr. Calvin expound it satiatus es probro non tuo sed alieno That the Babylonian did even satisfie himself with the disgrace done to his enemy Rather I take it for a punishment inflicted on the Babylonian that shame should come to him for this sport that he made himselfe as it also followeth Drink thou also and let thy fore-skin be discovered The Cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory This I take it was not only figuratively revenged upon Nebuchadnezzar when the glory of his Conquests ended in the shame of his transformation the most wonderful example that we do read in all the book of God The same houre was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.33 and he was driven from men and did eat grasse as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws For thus did the King continue in this shameful punishment the whole terme of seven years But literally this was fulfilled in Belshazzar who made a great feast to a thousand of his lords Dan. 5.1 and drank wine before the thousand In which drunken feast wherein the consecrate vessels of the Temple were abused in quaffing and carowsing the fingers of an hand were seen on the wall over against the King writing the doome of his shameful downfal For observe the end In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldaeans slain Vers 30. and Darius the Median took the Kingdome So he did drink also and his nakednesse was laid open and the Medians came in and took away all their glory Vers 17. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee and the spoile of beasts which made them afraid This overthrow of the Chaldean Monarchy he calleth the violence of Lebanon covering them Junius doth understand this place thus that the enemy should come upon the Babylonian with the same violence that hunters use who pursuing the wild beasts in the forrest of Lebanon having pitched their nets and tents for them do suddenly set upon them and drive them into their nets so sudden a surprize shall the Babylonian suffer Master Calvin doth give this as a cause of their punishment and understandeth the words thus that God will cover the Babylonian with shame for the violence that he offered to Lebanon and to the beasts therof forraging Judaea and destroying not only men and women in towns but the very wild beasts of the forrest of Lebanon which was near to Jerusalem So that this expresseth the cause of Gods provocation against the Babylonian and withal the comfort of the Church that God would revenge the wrong done to their land not only to the People thereof but to the very wild Beasts of the forrest De verbis hactenus The parts of this text are two 1. Peccatum sinne 2. Poena punishment 1. Peccatum in which 1 Quid potant amicum velsocium 2. Ad quid ut videant nuditatem 1. Potant vicinium 2. Faults 1. Drink drunk 2. Make drunk 1. They be drunk Drunkennesse it self is an horrible sin it is one of the fruits of the flesh Of which I tell you as I have also told you in times past that they which do such things Gal. 5.11 shall not inherit the Kingdome of heaven Drunkennesse is confest of all men to be a sinne and they that love it best and use it most will be very angry with you if you call them drunkards For it is not agreed upon as yet what drunkennesse is our statute law doth impose a penalty of five shillings upon every one that is convicted of drunkennesse Our Articles given to sworn men do charge them to enquire if there be any Drunkards in our Parishes and to present them But neither the Ecclesiastical Canon nor the Act of Parliament doth direct the inquisition by describing what Persons must be esteemed drunk I will tell you whom the Scripture denoteth Lot was drunk when he committed incest with his daughters Gen. 19. and so overgone with wine that he neither knew of their coming to his bed nor of their going from him Noah was drunk when he lay uncovered in his tent Gen. 9. these were farre spent in the highest degree Vriah the husband of Bathsheba was drunk too the text saith David made him drunk yet he was so much Master of his own thoughts and of his charge committed to him 2 Sam. 11. that he would not go home to his own house as the King would have had him Amnon the sonne of David was drunk 2 Sam. 13.28 yet it is said of him his heart was merry with wine Elah King of Israel made himself drunk 1 Reg 16.9 and Zimri his servant killed him Nabal made a great feast 1 Sam. 25.36 and was so drunken that Abigail thought not fit to tell him of the danger that his churlishnesse had like to have brought upon him till he had slept it out A King that drinketh wine is described then to be drunk when they drink and forget the law Prov. 31.5 and pervert the judgment of the afflicted So that to drink so deep as to forget the law of our lawful calling and to do things contrary to the same is to drink drunk Christ calleth the overcharge of the heart with drink drunkennesse Luc. 21 34 His word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the laying on of a burthen upon the heart For so much as we drink for necessity or for moderate refection doth cheat and refresh and lighten the heart but excessive drinking doth lay an heavy burden upon it Therefore Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse Eph. 5.18 Now what is excesse not so much as layeth us under the Table only not so much as makes us stagger and reele as we go and taketh away the use of our memory speech and good manners But they are drunkards that sit at the wine till it inflame them Isa 5.11 Wine is allowed to warm the stomach not to set it on fire Some man excuseth himself that he drank not above his strength but was able to carry it Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Vers 22. This shews that all excesse in drinking which is beyond the measure which maintaineth health is
still and the earth that we live upon had moved when this miracle was by the spirit of truth recorded it had been so set down to us as followeth At the light of thine Arrows they went at the shining of thy glittering spear The meaning I conceive to be this that the Sun and Moon did not now keep their ordinary motion appointed in their Creation but by a miraculons dispensation they attended the arrows of God and his spears For God declared himself in this war to be the God of Israel by shining arrows and glittring spears he meaneth not onely the arms of Israel his people but the apparent demonstration of his owne miraculous and extraordinary power declared in this war For you heard in the story that God cast down great stones from Heaven upon them which slew more then Israels sword did These were arrows of God and his spears with which he fought for Israel they are called bright and glistring both 1 Because the Sun-shining upon these great hailstones reflected a dazeling light from them as experience telleth us both in snow ice hailstones and all waterie bodies 2. And because in this judgment there was so manifest appearance of the immediate hand of God in this war Thus Mr. Calvine doth understand these words and saith Sol retentus est ut daret locum sagittis hastae Dei. Onely he seemeth to me somewhat too strict when he saith per sagittas hastam nihil aliud intelligit quam arma populi Dei Yes sure he meaneth his own weapons too with which he fought from heaven and those rather as the more shining and glittering Montauus also upon these words saith Solem Lunam cursus suos ad commoditatem exercitus sacri temperasse Junius also and Beza do conceive that these hailstones fell not without thunder and lightning which are the terrours of heaven and the voice of God it followeth Thou diddest march through the Land in indignation thou diddest thresh the heathen in anger this as I conceive hath reference to the following victories by which all the land of Canaan was subdued to Israel for the Church here confesseth that as God by deed of gift had long before assured this promised land of the heathen to his Israel so he gave them a full possession thereof by marching through the land and by threshing the inhabitants thereof Thus the Church confesseth We have heard with our ears O god our Fathers have told us Psal 44.2 what work thou didst in their days in the time of old How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them in how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out For they gate not the Land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them this phrase of marching through the Land doth expresse God in arms for Israel But the other phrase of threshing the heathen doth imply victory and full power over them even to the stripping them out of all Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine annointed The cause why God put himself into this quarrel was the preservation of his people where Israel is twice call'd the people of God which must be understood of the adoption of grace for by right of creation all people of the world are Gods people This was Israels glory and it was also their safety that they were Gods people and how they came to be so Moses will tell The Lord did not set his love upon you Deut. 7.7 choose you because ye were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people But because the Lord loved you Ver. 8. and because he would keep the oath that he had sworn unto your Fathers that is He loved you because he loved you But he addeth thou wentest forth with thine annointed Which Mr. Beza doth understand of David and so maketh a long stride from the conquest of Canaan to the reigne of David and from these victories to Davids victories many many years after And Tremelius and Junius do so apply the text Mr. Calvine lead them all into this Exposition Others conceive that the former commemoration is continued and they that are before called Gods people are here called Gods annointed for wheresoever there is election there is unction and we may say of Israel that God annoined them with the oile of gladnesse above all their fellow nations for David saith Non fecit taliter I am sure the Seventy read and understand the text thus for they read that God went forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine reading is Cum Christo tuo and the originall Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Messiah which moveth me to refer this to Christ who was the bond of that love which knit God so to Israel for whose sake God was so favourable to Israel Master Calvine doth confesse that this hath reference to Christ and includeth all the favours of God declared to Israel from their coming out of Egypt to the last mercy shewed to them to have come to them non nisi interposito Mediatore not without a Mediatour But he addeth that the promise of Christ did more cleely appear and was more manifestly revealed in the reigne of David then before which might give comfort to the Church in distresse that makes Master Calvine go so low as Davids reigne to apply these words But the next words shew that the former history of the wars of Israel to settle their possession in Canaan and not yet at an end So then I understand that God went forth with his anointed that is with Jesus Christ to save his people and there is the the life bloud of all the comfort in this whole Psalme of the Church and by this faith by faith in this Messiah the just shall live It followeth Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked By the house of the wicked the land of Canaan is here meant and by the head that God wounded either the wisedome and policy or the sovereignty and power of the Land is meant for none of the Kings of the land could stand before Israel so that the very head of the house was wounded By discovering the foundation to the neck This was the manner of Gods working against the head of the house of the wicked by making the foundation naked that is digging up the very roots thereof by an utter extirpation of the Inhabitants of this land It was Edoms cry against Jerusalem Rase it Rase it the Margent make bare even the foundation thereof Psa 137.7 as before you heard out of Psal 44. Thou hast cast out the Nations and placed them in It followeth Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of the Villages That is thou didst overthrow the Inhabitauts of the land