live and die in their sins Cain cries but why My punishment is greater then I can bear Pharaoh is troubled for what O take away this Plague of Thunder and Hail 1 Sam. 15.24 Saul mourns for what The losse of his Kingdome Ahab puts on sack-cloth for what For the evill threatned against his house O the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Here is the sorrow in wicked men let but the judgment be removed and Pharaoh hardens his heart again It is not sin as it is a breach of Gods Law neither is it the apprehension of Gods displeasure they so much care for or look after as the punishment of sin that thus affects them But now come to a child of God a gratious heart indeed that hath in it the work of grace his sorrow is principally for the evill of sin that God hath been offended and his righteous Law violate and if there were no danger at all in sin either of shame punishment here or hereafter yet this wounds their souls and grieves their hearts that they have dishonoured God and brought upon them Gods displeasure Beloved when we come once to see sin in this glasse in the glasse of the Law and in the wounds of Christ as it offends God and provokes his wrath then shall we mourn kindly for our sins and this sorrow will cause that repentance that is not to be repented of Secondly Use 2 seeing the anger of God is so terrible as no creature is able to bear it In thy wrath are we troubled this should stir us up to labour for reconciliation with God David that knew what it was to lie under the burthen of Gods displeasure exhorts us to kisse the Son lest he be angry Ps 2.12 If his wrath be kindled yea but a little saith he they only are blessed that trust in him And as this should make us affraid to provoke him to anger so when we perceive that he is offended as at this day the Lord hath shewed many tokens of his displeasure against the Land to look about us and to labour for reconciliation to come in unto him by Repentance and Humiliation for he is a strong God yea a consuming fire to all rebellious sinners When Jacob heard that Esau was angry with him he presently sends a present and speaks very mildly to his Brother Tell my Lord Esau c. And when Nabal had provoked David we see how Abâ—gal she came with her present to intreat for her life So when any great man is offended O what riding and running and labouring to win his favour again O where are our hearts that we labour no more for reconciliation with our God whose anger is provoked against the land this day But alas we are little moved with these signes of his wrath and tokens of his displeasure Verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance IN these words Moses sets down the more nearer and more proper cause of all those grievous judgments of God upon them viz. their sins Wherein they confesse that the Lord had not only called to a reckoning and account their great sins of infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron but even their most secret sins which they committed closly and whereof none else could accuse them In the practice of this people here Doct. 1 we may note this speciall point in generall namely Sight of sin ground of humiliation for sin That it is impossible for any truly to be humbled and to seek unto God unlesse they come first to see their sins the greatnesse and hainousnesse of them For so long as this people lived in sin and rebelled against God so long they stood out and were no whit humbled to seek unto God But now that the Lord by these heavy afflictions and grievous judgments upon them having tamed them and brought them under now they begin to enter into their own hearts and to call their waies to accompt Thus the Prophet directing the Church to this necessary duty of repentance when Gods judgments lay so heavy upon them exhorts them thus Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord implying thereby that there could be no true humiliation for sin nor turning to God by unfained repentance till they had first found out their sins It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people Ier. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done And no marvell there was no repentance for sin because they never questioned their own waies to discover their sins And hence it is that the Lord commands his Prophet Ezek. 16.2 To cause Jerusalem to know her abhominations And to shew Israel her transgressions Es 58.1 and the house of Jacob her sins Conviction of sin is the Lords method that he useth to bring his people to repentance for sin Thus was David convinced of his sins by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 Acts. 2.23 Lam. 3.19 the Jewes by Peter And this is acknowledged by the lamenting Church Remember my affliction the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled In remembring I remembred an Hebraism that is by reason of thy afflicting hand upon me I came to search out the cause thereof which was my sins the happy fruit whereof was their repentance and their seeking of God So that the point is clear and plain that till we come to see sin with the odiousnesse thereof we cannot be humbled nor seek unto God Because none can repent him of that whereof he is ignorant Reas till the Lord be first pleased to open our eyes and let us see wherein we have offended and provoked his wrath against us we can never humble our souls as we ought before him It was David's sence of the heavy burthen of his sins that made him flie to God for pardon Make me to hear the voice of joy and of gladnesse Psal 32. that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Secondly Reas 2 the sight of sin is necessary to true humiliation for sin in regard it qualifies the soul for Christ for we shall never seek to Christ nor rest upon Christ till we feel the heavy burthen of sin The whole need not the Physician Lu. 5.31 but those that are sick And Christ calls such as travell and are heavy laden to come unto him Mat. 11.28 Neither will God ever bestow his saving benefits upon such that neither see their wants of them nor will not esteem them This serves first of all to direct the Ministers of the Word Use 1 that as they desire to see the fruits of their Ministry what foundation they ought to lay to do good to the souls of their people they are to take that course and to use those means that God hath chalked out unto them in his Word viz. To convince their hearers of their sins that so
for all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works But what followed verse 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble To this agreeth that of the Prophet Behold Es 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ears heavy c. But your sins have separated between you and your God Eph 5.6 and your sins have hid his face from you But what are those sins Quest that in a speciall manner provoke God to anger against a Land and People All sin Ans even the least sin moves the Lord to anger Speciall sins that provoke Gods anger yet there are I confesse some speciall sins which do inflame the anger of God and these be capitall and hainous sins and such are First Idolatry Idolatry to worship a salfe God instead of thetrue God or the true God in a false manner this the Lord can no more endure then a Husband can endure the wanton behaviour of his Wife but is exceedingly provoked by it This appears by that golden Calfe that the Israeâ—ites made to worship for this sin three thousand were slain Exod. 32.4 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men O it is a dangerous provoking sin in a Land and Nation that have enjoyed the glorious liberty of the Gospell to Apostatize and fall from their first love either to Babylonish Idolatry or to Sects and Heresies this is a provoking sin and causeth God to remove the Candlestick from such a people The Lord lay not this sin to our charge The second provoking sin Infidelity that stirres up the Lord to anger against a People is Infidelity or a distrusting of Gods power or calling into question his promises in times of tryall that either the Lord cannot or will not help This was the great sin of this people for the which the Lord was so wrathfully displeased with them Ps 78.33 and for the which their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The third provoking sin Blasphemy is the blaspheming of the Name of God Because of Oaths the land shall mourn The shedding of innocent Blood is a provoking sin Blood as a loving Father cannot endure to see his Child slain before his face and the blood of his Child to be shed no more can the Lord endure the wicked to shed the blood of his Children Again the sin of Adultery Uncleannesse Fornication and uncleannesse these are provoking sins as appears in the firing of Sodome and Gomorrah It is true every sin provokes the Lord to anger but these sins especially encrease his anger against a Nation or People Hos 4.2 by swearing and lying and killing and whoring they break out therefore the Land shall mourn The point then is clear and plain that the principall cause of Gods anger and displeasure against a Land and people is their sins Gods justice calls for vengeance upon the sinner Reas Now God is most righteous and just and he will not fail to punish sin in whomsoever the same is committed The Angels saith Saint Jude that kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chaines c. The sinfull World drowned Sodom and Gomorrah burned Pharach and the Aegyptians plagued yea the Nation and the People of the Jewes fearfully consumed all clearing this truth that sin is the principal cause of Gods anger and is that which drawes down his judgments upon a people Seeing then it is sin that stirs up God to anger Use 1 and draws down his judgements upon a people by the effect we may judge of the cause Hath not the Lords hand of late years gone out against us the people of this Nation what by the Sword the Plague and Pestilence these late yeares of Drought and our present visitation by an unwonted Disease and sicknesse generally over the land whereof so many have been taken away by death What do all these but declare that God thah a Controversie with us this day Do not those forementioned sins that pull down Gods Judgements upon a land and people abound amongst us and make head at this day Idolatry and Popery in open and secret manner seems to take root again Sects and Heresies in former ages cried down and for many years dead and buried we have seen their resurrection again from that Bottomlesse Pit What age did ever produce the like outrages and abominations that this day are rife amongst us Swearing and Blasphemy Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse Contempt of Christ and his Gospel Thefts Murthers and all other abominations the like never age produced And unlesse the Lord put it into the hearts of those in present Authority to root out these sins it is not to be expected that England shall long escape more heavy Judgements then yet we have tasted of And yet alas how few are the number of those that lay these things to heart We hear and talk of our miseries but we are not affected with the cause of them which are our sins no man layes Gods judgements to heart as to say Alas what have I done Secondly Use 2 seeing sin is the cause of all Gods judgements upon a Nation or People this may inform us who are the great enemies of our state this day Surely the greatest sinners These are they that obstruct all our hoped for deliverance from our Parliaments and from our Councels We have a long time looked for peace for freedome for settlement in Church and State But when will it once be or indeed what hope can we have it will be so long as Tobias and Sanballats are amongst us so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their profaning our Nabals their coveting our Achans their thieving our Jezabeâ—s their whoring and all of us our sinnings and rebellions against God Our Parliaments and Councels will be rendred weak they will not they cannot help us How can England look to prosper when the most high God is against us and doth forsake us What hath been the ruine and overthrow of Nations and Kingdomes but sin What hath tumbled down Cities ruined stately Houses and overthrown so many Noble Families but sin And when we shall see Religion countenanced a faithful Ministery set up and maintained Discipline in the Church established Justice duly administred and wholesom Laws duly executed Piety incouraged Sin duly punished and the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts and Consciences of men Then there will be hope of better times that God will delight to dwell amongst us Seeing sin is the principal cause of all Gods Judgements upon a land and people Use 3 How then doth it concern all Superiours that are in the place of Magistracy to look well to their places and Callings since the weal or woe of the Church and State depends upon them How many foul and enormous sins were committed in Israel and the
former destruction of so many thousands of the people that were so suddenly cut off and swept away Who knoweth the power of c. q. d. what man living is able sufficiently to confider of the greatnesse of thy wrath and fearfull Anger against sin And who doth fear thee according to thy exceeding and unspeakable Anger to tremble at it as thine indignation and displeasure ought to be feared As if he should say surely few or none For Interrogations in the Scripture are often strong Negations And those that doe fear thee yet fall short of the measure of their fear that thy anger and wrath doth require Who knoweth THat is doth well consider it and acknowledgeth the unsupportable waight and burthen of it The first Instruction observable is That albeit we tast of Gods anger Doct. 1 yet few take notice of it Few take notice of Gods anger And that is ordinarily the case of desperate sinners that contemn the rod of Gods chastisements and profit not by them Jer. 8.6 as the Prophet hath it No man said What have I done And again Ezek. 16.43 I have brought thy waies upon thy own head yet hast thoâ— not had consideration of thy abominations Thus did the Lord call to weeping and mourning Es 22.12 13 14. to baldnesse and sackcloath and behold joy and gladnesse eating of flesh and drinking of wine But what followed this damnable security Surely this iniquitie saith the Lord shall not be purged till ye die Gen. 6. This was that damnable securitie of the old World in the daies of Noah though Gods judgments were threatned and even at the doore Yet they gave themselves to eating and drinking marrying c. till the Flood came and swept them all away And hence it is that we are commanded to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Every affliction and every judgment from God utters a voice which we are to give ear unto and labour to finde out the Lords minde in wherefore the Lord sends forth such tokens of his anger and displeasure and not to do this when Gods hand is upon us argueth much security It is a dangerous thing when Gods wrath is gone out against a Land and Nation or any particular person to harden our necks against the stroak of the Almightie It was a sad complaint that of the Prophet Strangers have devoured his strength Hos 7.9 and he knoweth not O when the Lord shall inflict upon his people and plead against them with the pestilence and with blood Ezck. 38.22 and men shall not take notice of it but remain sencelesse under Gods hand this is the way to double Gods strokes and to kindle a fire that shall devoure to destruction He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and yet he knew it not Es 42.25 and it burned him and he laid it not to heart Such look not up to God that striketh them nor to their sins Reas 1 that justly drawes down Gods judgments upon them but they rather look upon secondary causes or instruments and over-look God How usuall a thing it is for men to ascribe all their miseries and calamities that men suffer to destiny fortune or chance and sometimes to their own want of providence as if they might have prevented them and thus men through the wretchednesse of their own evill hearts they over-look God looking after the stone but not the hand that cast it Secondly Reas 2 it is the only fruit of Faith to behold God chastising us as a loving father for our good Now when men either want Faith or Faith is not exercised under the crosse no marvell though men over-look God and make not the right use of their sufferings whereas David in his greatest trials could comfortably conclude I know that thy judgments are just Ps 119 75. and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled This serves to admonish us Vse 1 that when the hand of God is gone out against us either against the Land in generall or against us in particular in any kind whatsoever in our bodies names estates c. that we take heed that this be not our case that we are insensible under Gods correcting hand but take notice of his anger and displeasure gone out against us In all extraordinary and strange judgments of God upon us we should look home Deut. 31.17 and say Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments And all these things are come upon us for we have sinned against thee This was Jobs care under his sore afflictions he puts not off the matter lookes not upon the Caldeans and the Sabeans that had plundered him of his substance but he lookes up higher even unto God and desires to finde out the cause of all his misery Iob 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Thus doth the Church in great afflictions first they acknowledge that their sins had deserved all their miseries and they desire to finde them out and to turn unto the Lord Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord. This is one main end of all those tokens of his anger and displeasure to humble the proud heart of man to make him look home and then is God glorified when he attains the end of his corrections laid upon us The Lord knowes this Land and Nation of ours is too too faulty in this that notwithstanding his wrath hath gone out against us by many tokens of his displeasure by the sword by the pestilence and by our late visitation of common sicknesse and unwonted diseases whereby many in all parts and corners of the Land have been suddenly swept away as it was the case of this Church and People here Yet how few lay these judgments of God to heart to be humbled for sin the cause of all We have had our daies of Humiliation but where is that Reformation the Lord lookes for at our hands We still complain of our miseries we groan under but we complain not of our sins the cause of all How can we look that Gods hand should be removed and his wrath appeased whilest Englands sins cry for fresh judgments upon us I am no Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet yet I am given much to fear that Englands's miseries are not yet at an end but that God hath yet a farther controversy with us When Moses intreated the Lord for his sister Miriam Num 12.14 God returned him this answer If her Father had spit in her face should she not have been ashamed seven daies q. d. How much more ought she to be humbled and ashamed since I have shewed my displeasure against her God hath many waies shewed his anger and displeasure against this Land and yet wee have not laid his Iudgements to heart why then do we not fear that he will yet plead against us with
protection yea fall upon unlawfull shifts and use unlawfull meanes to help themselves If they can but get under the protection of some Noble man or great man they think themselves secure from danger But if thou have not the Lord for thy Protector vaine is the help of man Men may see and heare and pitty our miseries but they are not able many times to help and succour us But this honour have all the Saints That they have a powersull and omnipotent God that is able and ready to help us Seeing all protection is from God Vse 2 it is his worke to save this may serve to stay us at this day now that the Church and house of God hath many ruines and breaches on it rent and torne in peeces by many unnaturall brethren that have of late endevoured to divide the seamlesse coat of Christ by Sects Schismes factions and fractions the like whereof was never seene in the daies of our forefathers Since the times of reformation sad presages of fearfull times if the Lord speedily put not to his hand and worke sure reformation Yet here is our hope and here is our stay that we have a God to fly unto and it is he that must purge his house and protect his Church O this is a singular work of God We must pray to him to work all our works for us and to be humbled for our sins that have looked so much to an arme of flesh our Councells and Parliaments which hitherto have not stead us whilest in the meane time we have overlooked God the rock of our Salvation O let us at last returne unto him and seeke for protection safety and deliverance reformation and Salvation at his hands and intreat the Lord and say Let thy work appeare to thy servants And that he would take the cause of his poore Church Religion and Gospell into his owne hand and become our Mightie Protector Seeing all Safety and protection come from God Vse 3 this shewes to whom we are bound for safety and protection from all our troubles and dangers both of Soul and body viz. to this Lord Protector of his people who ought to have the praise and glory of his owne Worke. Thus when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with some speedy mercy or deliverance to his Church they have had their solemn dayes of praise and thanksgiving unto God as Israels Deliverance from Pharaoh the Jewes deliverance from that damnable plot of Haman Exod. 15. And Jehosophat and the men of Judah their deliverance from their iniquities Hest 9.2 Chr. 26 And David never partakes of any great mercy or deliverance but still he returnes ptaise and thanksgiving unto God Let thy workes appeare unto thy Servants Hitherto of their request that God would be their protector and deliverer Now for this they use a Double Reason 1. Taken from their condition they were his servants 2. Taken from the end of their protection and deliverance and that is his owne glory Unto thy â—â—ervants that is to those that be in Covenant with thee love and fear thee and serve and obey thee as their Lord and master whence note Who they are that may looke for protection at the hands of God Doct. 2 Gods servants only may looke for protection from God viz. those and onely those that are in covenant with God that honour him as a Father feare him as a master and are ready to do his commands These being the Lords servants and under his roofe they may assure themselves of protection at his hands Whereas such as are not his servants neither in Covenant with him these can looke for no protection from God the framing of the Mercy-seate was a type of the Church In the Arke was the Commandements of God to shew 1 That those that are in the Arke and so members of the Church these keepe his commandements and 2. That they that keepe the commandements of God may looke for protection from God For the mercy-seate was made just as big as the Arke and no bigger to shew that none be shadowed and protected by Gods mercifull providence and protection but onely the servants of God and no more So that of those and none else it may be said Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved of the Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy excellency Now wherein stood the happinesse of this people but in that they were in Govenant with God that God was their God and they his people And hence is it that it is usual with the faithfull when they have come unto God in prayer to plead Gods covenant with them as Jacob did when he prayed to be delivered from his Brother Esau Lord sayth he thou hast sayd I will do thee good And thus David oftentimes minds the Lord of his promise Psal 119 ver 74. Quicken me O Lord according to thy word and Let thy mercifull kindenesse be my comfort according to thy word Whereas the estate and condition of all wicked and ungodly ones is most miâ—erable for such can have no hope at all to be heard in prayer for they are out of Covenant with God Nay let such pray in time of misery and distresse and God will say unto them Psal 50. What hast thou to do since thou hast cast my Covenant behind thee Now that such as are in Covenant with God may looke for protection at Gods hands these Reasons shew First Reas 1 in regard of the high esteeme the Lord hath of such they are precious in his sight Esa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast beene Honourable and I have loved thee They are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 And they shall be mine sayth the Lord in that day that I make up my Jewels And will not a man looke to his Jewels They are his Friends his Sons and Daughters yea as the Apple of his eye God makes more account of them then of all the world besides and therefore his speciall providence must be over them to protect and defend them Secondly Reas 2 in regard of his promise made to such I will dwell in them and walke in them 2 Cor. 6 16. and will be their God and they shall be my people And how can such want protection from God for as it is a just thing with God to depart from them that depart from him so to stand by them that stand by him and keepe covenant with him This may yield matter of Singular comfort and consolation for every poor child of God Vse 1 If thou be one of the Servants of God a true beleever one that art in covenant with God thou maist both claim protection at Gods hand in time of distresse and assure thy self of it for can a father be unmindfull of his child or will not a loving Master take care of his Servants Will not a King protect his Subjects or
Midianits into thy hand lest Israel say my hand hath saved me Thus David when he was to encounter with Goliah The Lord saith he Saveth not with sword nor speare 1 Sam. 17.4.7 but the battle is the Lords That no flesh should rejoice in his presence 1 Cor. 1.19.31 But that he that rejoyceth should rejoyce in the Lord. And lastly Reas 4 because all power and might is with him to save and deliver the Churches cause is ever the Lords cause and the people are the Lords And to bring downe the wicked God can arme frogs and lice catterpillers and the smalest of his creatures and these being sent of him shall prevaile As Moses incourageth the people Exo. 14.14 the Lord shall fight for you therefore hold your peace Seeing that herein viz Vse 1 in the proction of Gods Church and people the work of God his power wisdome justice and providence doth appeare How may this stir up all Gods people to beg and intreat the Lord that his work may appeare to us at this time wherein so many are dayly plotting to undermine Religion the Gospell and ministery and all That God would now take care of his Church and people that we may at last see Sion in her beautie and that at last we may see the Church thoroughly purged all things which make for the beautie of the Church established Let all the Lords remembrancers give him no rest till he thus shew his work upon us and make Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth O that England might now see this worke of God when so many are wrastling against this worke Esa 62.6 7. Now Lord let thy worke appear and let thy power thy providence and mercy be seene in the defence and protection of thy Gospell and Church that all the world may see that thou art mind full of thy Church And let shame fall on them that be enmies to the work of the Lord amongst us That the Lord would regard the prayers of the destitute that it may be written for the generations to come Psal 102.18 that the people that shall be created may praise the Lord. Secondly Vse 2 this lets us see the happie priviledges of Gods Church and people above all the wicked in the world that have such a watchman and keeper that never slumbreth nor sleepeth Deut. 32.11 12. It is he that keeps them as the Apple of his eye that spreadeth abroad his wings and beareth them up as the Eagle her young ones And the ground of all is his people are his portion and Jacob is the lot of his inheritance O who would not bea member of his Church to whom these excellent priviledges belong and appertaine why should we not thus trust in him in the worst of times and in the sorest danger Nothing can stave off his mercy but sin let us be humbled for sin and meete him by unfeigned repentance let us awake him by our prayers as the Disciples did Christ and say Master save us lest we perish And last of all Vse 3 when the Lord shall declare his work and shall be pleased to send deliverance to his Church and people Zac. 3.2 that they are as a brand taken out of the fire It becometh the just to be thankfull and to looke up to the hils from whence our deliverance comes and to say with Mary He that is mighty hath done great things for me Lu. 1.49 and holy is his Name Many of us partake of many mercies and deliverances from God with those Nine Lepers but few returne thankes to God but hereby we may know whether any mercy or deliverance we receive from God bebest owed upon us in mercy or judgment by considering how our hearts stand affected in thankfulnesse to God after the same And thy glory unto their children HItherto we have heard their petition and that was for protection Now for their reasons to inforce their petition and they are two 1. If the Lord would be thus pleased graciously to heare them and protect them in their journey towards Canaan it would redound much to his glory For then should those Canaanites see and all the wicked of the world that there is a God that takes care of his Church and people and might be afraid to offend him 2. If the Lord would be thus pleased to prosper them and protect them then it should fare well with the Church and people of God for Ages to come His mercifull dealing towards them would be made knowne to their Children And thy glory to their Children The Lord had promised to give the land of Canaan to this people the seed and posteritie of Abraham The Lord had now begun to bring them onward of their journey thither and if the Lord should now have cast them off in the wildernesse then the glory of the Lord should have beene obscured and the ungodly Heathen would have blasphemed God and said that it was because he was not able to do it And therefore that the glory of God might not be thus obscured or dimmed or evill spoken of by their enemies they intreat the Lord to go before them to direct and protect them so as their enemies might have no cause to insult or they once to doubt of Gods promise From hence we learne Doct. 4 To plead Gods glory a good argument to move the Lord to pitty his Church That there is no greater argument to move the Lord to protect his Church and people in times of misery and distresse then this that it shall turne much to his owne glory Our Saviour teacheth us in this prayer left unto his Church as a pattern and platforme of all our prayers First to pray that his name may be hallowed and to conclude our pravers with for thine is the Kingdome power and glory To shew that we can use no better argument to move the Lord to grant us any thing we stand in need of Then when it shall tend to his owne honour and glory for of all things the glory of God is most dear to him so as he is most tender of it and will part with it to no other Esa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give another It was our Saviours prayer and practise to seek his Fathers glory Jo. 12.28 Father glorifie thy name Joh. 8.49 50. and againe I seek not my owne glory but his that sent me Thus Moses was so set upon Gods glory Exod. 32.32 as that he preferr'd it before his own part in the book of life And thus those Seraphims cry one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts Esa 6.3 the whole earth is full of his glory And those foure and twenty Elders say Rev. 4.11 thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and Honour and power c. And when this glory of God is set before our eyes and pleaded in our
prayers as the principall end of our requests It is the greatest argument and motive to move the Lord to hear and grant our requests Because Gods glory is the chiefest good mans life yea Reas 1 mans salvation is not to be preferred before it which made Moses to wish rather to have his name blotted out of the booke of life then that God should be dishonoured by the Egyptians which would be ready to say that God brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse but was not able to bring them into the land of Canaan Secondly Reas 2 such as our esteeme is of God himselfe such is our respect unto his glory If we esteeme of God as wee ought as our chiefest good his glory will be our chiefest end in all our actions Whatsoever yee do 1 Cor. 10.30 doe all to the glory of God It is true this glory is eternall with God and admits of no addition or diminution As the Sunne would still retaine his brightnesse though no creature had an eye to see it But hereby wee set forth our high esteeme of it not that God reaps any good by it but the fruit redounds to us God loves his glory as he loves himselfe And as we love him so we love his glory It is the end that God purposeth to himselfe in all his workes Reas 3 his own glory God made all things for his own glory Psal 19. the Heavens declare the glory of God It is the end of our Redemption Yee are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God c. It is the end of our Adoption to the praise of his glory Eph. 1.6 And therefore this being the end of all his workes to set forth his glory we are not to prefer any thing before it And such as prefer any thing before his glory as too many do in these dayes the Lord at last will powre contempt upon them Let us apply this Vse 1 This may serve for a prop and stay unto the godly in the land at this time wherein God hath shewed so many tokens of anger and displeasure against our land and Nation by those wofull Changes our eyes have seen and our dayly feares of farther miseries that the gospell it selfe is departing from us by the daily increase of Sects Heresyes with all manner of sin and profanesse which increasing in a nation and kingdome where the Gospell hath been sincerely professed and maintayned have ever proved a fore-runner of desolation if not the departure of the gospell from such a people Surely now is the time if ever that the Spirit of the faithfull should be kindled in prayer And in prayer that we set before our eyes Moses example here that the Lord will take the cause of his Church into his owne hand and root out these Sects and Heresies that are crept in amongst us and every plant that is not of his own planting And this must be the Reason and motive that we must presse the Lord withall His owne glory that doth now suffer And this will be a powerfull motive to move the Lord to heare and help Because he is most most jealous of his own glory And if the Lord would be pleased to save this Land and Nation deliver his people purge his Church this will redound to his own glory Say O Lord what will become of thy glory should the enemies of thy truth Gospell still prevaile shall thy vineyard be trodden down shall this Land and Nation in the which thou hast taken delight to dwell and where thy Gospell hath been preached and thy name called upon for so many yeares now at last become an Habitation of Ohims and Zijmes that the Lord would be pleased rather to humble us if it be his good pleasure by any other judgement then this spirituall Judgment of the Gospels departure from us If Master Herbert some yeares before our troubles began could say that Religion doth on Tiptoe Stand Ready to passe into America Land What would he have said if he had lived at this day to behold those abominable Sects that now have gotten head amongst us O pray pray that the Lord would take his own cause and his Churches cause into his own hand and plead his glory that doth now suffer Secondly Vse 2 by this we may try the soundnesse of our hearts and the sincerity of our prayers we put up unto God viz By our seeking of Gods glory above all our carnall Interests many men in time of sicknesse misery and distresse can pray to God for help and succour but their prayers are but the fruits of selfe-love whilest they mind their own Benefit and comfort more then Gods glory they can be content that God should serve their turns and supply their wants if poor to releeve them if sick to recover them or in any misery to help them But all this while they have no eye at all to his glory neither do they plead that at all in their prayers Whereas a gracious heart and a prayer formed according to Gods will that shall prevaile with God hath ever Gods glory the principal end of it and Argument in it to move God David in extreame sicknesse flyes to God to be his Physitian Psal 6.5 And what Argument doth he use to move the Lord to pitty him In death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit q. d. Thou maist let me live if thou wilt which if thou wilt I shall praise thee and glorifie thy name If I die Who will give thee thanks in the pit Thus he Challengeth his life at Gods hand from this very ground the glory and praise that God should receive by his recovery The like we have else where What profit is there in my blood Ps 30.9 when I goe down to the pit Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth Shall the Dead arise and praise thee Ps 88.10 Selah It is a signe our hearts are sound and our prayers sincere when Gods glory doth principally affect us The Idolatry of the people whereby God was Dishonoured did most of all afflict Moses And the reproach done against God Dan. 32.19 by the blasphemous letter of Senacherib did more trouble the heart of good Hezekiah then all his threats against him and his people Esa 39.3.4 O well fare a gratious heart that can thus render Gods glory above all And lastly Vse 3 this serves for the just reproofe of many amongst us that albeit doe good things such as in themselves are lawfull commendable yet because they propound not Gods glory as the principall end of their actions can have no comfort in them If a minister of the word shall teach never so well and doe not propound the glory of God to himselfe therein but preach for gaine preferment vain glory c. Alas what comfort can he have in it So to give much to the poore as
Other sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepheard And the Church is figured by one woman Rev. 12 And this woman hath Christ married to himself which shewes the unity of the Church in all ages Hos 2.19 'T is true this one Church of Christ may have many parts as the Sea hath many Chanells and is called by the name of the Country by the which it runs as the Germ an Sea the Baltique Sea c. so the Church of France the Church of England the Church of Scotland c. yet the Church of God is but one Militant Church upon the face of the whole Earth Reas And the Reason is because it hath but one Head As we account that but one Common-wealth that is under one King and governed by one and the same Lawes and is under one Government So is the Church of Christ one professing one and the same faith hath one and the same hope and Baptised into the same spirit and reserved unto one and the same glorious inheritance is but one This quite overthrows the Church Use 1 of Rome as no true Church of Christ who quite overthrow the Nature of the Church Catholick thus inlarged by God and confine the same to Rome What is Catholick but Universall And to speak in their language The Catholick Roman Church is as much as to say the Universall Church which must needs sound in the ears of any reasonable man to be most absurd Gods Church is not tyed to any one time much lesse to any one place but in respect of time and place is Catholick and Universall Secondly Vse 2 is this so that the Church of God is one and the same from generation to generation This may serve to unite the hearts of believers together in unity and peace The Unity and Onenesse of the Church should teach unity and concord amongst those that professe themselves members of this Church We are all of one house and habitation have one Father one Christ one Spirit one Bread one board one Bread to feed upon one Cup to drink on so should we be of one minde and of one heart Christians should cleave together and hold together If one member suffer all should suffer with it 1 Pet. 4.10 if one member be in honour all should rejoyce at it As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another Those that are of the family of the Devill will do so Drunkards have a league amongst themselves what a shame then is it for Christians that professe themselves of the houshold of God to rent asunder the seamlesse Coat of Christ Surely the sad divisions that are in England this day like the divisions of Ruben cause great thoughts of heart and frustrates all our hopes of our desired peace O what a shame is it that there should be strife and dissention in that family where the Father is the God of peace and the son is the Prince of peace What an excellent Church and house of God was it in the Apostles time when the multitude of believers were of one heart and of one minde Such therefore as make these rents and divisions in the Church as too many do in these daies shew apparently that they are not of Gods houshold See that place of Paul Now I beseech you brethren Rom. 16.17.18 mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have received and avoid them for they are such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Ver. 2. Before the mountains were made or ever thou hadst for med the earth or the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God IN this second Verse Moses prevents an objection and removes a doubt that might arise in the minds of the people who might think thus Surely though the Lord did deliver our fore-fathers by his mighty power and defended and protected them in all dangers and straights yet now his power being not put forth for our succour and defence that are their posterity he is not now so able to save and deliver us No saith Moses that cannot be for the Lord is that mighty God from all eternity he is that eternall God and therefore cannot lose any of his power or strength but is now as able every way to save us as our fore fathers of old inasmuch as he doth continue the mighty God from all eternity from generation to generation thou art God Hence we may see what is the corrupt nature of man Doct. 1 In times of distress we are ready to uestion Gods power when we have not that we desire and when it goes not with us as we wish we are ready to question Gods power and to put off the cause from our selves and to lay the same upon God And hence is it that the Lord expostulateth the case with his people thus Es 50.2 Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem or have I not power to deliver Behold at my rehuke I drie up the sea I make Rivers a wildernesse And again Es 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear But your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God How did the people provoke the Lord to wrath against them Psal 78.19 20. when they said Can God prepare a table in the Wildernesse can he provide flesh for his people This the Lord was angry at Therefore the Lord was angry and the fire was kindled in Jacob Ver. 21. and wrath came also upon I srael And the reason is given because they believed not in God Ver. 22. and trusted not in his help And whereas God sware unto their fathers that he would give them the Land of Canaan to them their seed after them yet the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3.19 They could not enter in because of unbeliefe This was the sin of the Prince of Israel that when the Prophet had told him of the great plenty that should be in the gate of Samaria 2 Reg. 7. To morrow this time he doubted of it and concludes against the words of the Prophet that it could not possibly be Though the Lord should open the windowes of heaven Ver. 20. But he saw it with his eyes but did not eat of it for the people trode him to death in the gate of the City Yea the Lord hath severely punished this sin in his own servants themselves that have been guilty of it as we may see in Moses the man of God Num. 20.8 12. that shut him out of the Land of Canaan And the Lord was so highly displeased with Zachary Luke 1.20 otherwise a good man who doubted of the
suddenly have been brought to ruine and tumbled down How merry were the Sons and Daughters of Job Iob 1.18 feasting together in their elder Brothers house which in a moment were slain and not one escaped It is wonderfull to think how exceedingly men cark and care for the world and seek to joyne house to house and land to land and never think they have enough O did these men but consider that mans life is short that we have but our being here as a Guest in his Inn for a night and in the morning must away again then would we not have our hearts so taken up for this short frail and brittle life and be so carelesse for Eternity As lastly since our life is so short Use 2 but for a day as yesterday that is past this should perswade us to a constant preparation for death for men shall hardly die well that be not prepared for death before death come It was the great commendation of Joseph of Arimathea Joh. 19.42 that was so mindfull of his end that he had his Tomb ready in his Garden And why in his Garden but that in the midst of all his pleasure and delight he might be put in mind of his end And the people when they ate the Passeover Exod. 12.11 they must have their loyns girt their shooes on their feet c. and why so but that they should be in a continuall readinesse when God should call them to passe out of Aegypt to go into the land of Canaan And this spirituall use ought every man to make thereof alwaies to be in a readinesse for our passage into our Celestiall Canaan Ver. 5 6. Thou carriest them away as with a flood they are as sleep in the morning they are as grasse which groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withereth IN this Verse likewise Moses proceeds to set out before our eyes the frailty of mans life And this he doth by sundry borrowed speeches and similitudes 1. He saith the Lord comes by death as it were by a mighty Flood that sweeps away all before it 2. As a Dream that is quickly gone and forgotten 3. He compares mans life to the Grasse and shewes that as the Grasse hath a time of growing so hath it a time of withering So man when he is young and lusty it is the best time of grouth yet it must have a time of withering when age comes and God cuts them down by the sith of death Thou carriest them away as with a flood Text. HEre Moses first of all sheweth that the Lord comes many times by death as a Flood or as the Sea when it breaks through the banks And herein will teach us two things 1. That death is inevitable there is no resisting of it no more then a man can stop the course of the Sea 2. That death many times comes suddainly as the breakings in of the Sea when men are not ware or think least of it Thou carriest them away as with a flood NO we hence That death Doct. 1 is 〈…〉 Death is 〈◊〉 the Sea there is no withstanding of it or stopping the course of it so there is no weapon can defend a man from the stroak of death And this Flood sooner or latter overflowes all men without exception as Noah's flood overflowed the whole earth It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 daily experience makes it clear the mighty Captains and noble Warriours yea those famous Kings and greatest Monarchs that have been in the world even those that lived longest as Methuselah that lived nine hundred sixty nine yeeres Gen. 5.27 yet at last were overflowed with this Flood of death This is the way of all flesh all the sons of Adam must tack about and winde and come into this Haven the Port of death Let men use all the skill they can take the best Physick they can get use the sparest dyet and surest waies and means of preserving health and lengthning out their life and daies Death at last overflowes them all How violently doth Death as a Flood break in upon us sometimes by violent Fevers which many times cause distractions and frenzies sometimes by the Stranguary sometimes by one violent disease and sometimes by another that like a violent Flood breaks in upon us that overflowes Nature and sweeps us away As it is with the fruits of the earth so it is with men some of a harder kinde will tarry till winter Others fall sooner some stay till the frost of olde age nip them David and Ichosophat died full of daies And some againe Death nips them as it were in the blossome as Davids Child borne of her that was the wife of Vriah yet at last Death sweeps all away And the Reason seemes to be laid downe in that confession of the lamenting Church Reas Lam. 3.43 44. we have sinned and thou hast not spared thou hast Covered us with thy wrath thou hast slaine and not spared The Church acknowledgeth there that it was by reason of their sins that Gods hand was thus upon them And Death the Apostle makes the wages and stipend of sin Ro. 6.23 The wages of sin is Death And the Appostle reproving the Corinthians for divers abuses crept in about the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.30 Ps 38.3 saith for this cause some are sick and some ar◠weake amongst you and some are taken away by Death Seeing Death comes many times thus like a violent flood Use 1 and breaks in up on men and women somtimes by one violent disease and somtimes by another we are taught hence to take heed how we censure any when the hand of God lies upon them in this kinde It is a dangerous thing to judge of men by the effects of some violent disease there are many diseases that cause distraction as some Fevers convulsions c. bereaves men for a time of the use of reason and put them into strange behaviour which may be the condition of the best and as Solomon saith All thinges happen alike to all Eccles 9.1 2. And No man knoweth love or hatred of all that is before them There is no judging then of mens estate by these things Death comes many times violently and sweeps us away as with a Flood Seeing that Death many times like a violent Flood breakes in upon us Use 2 violently unresistably what cause then have any to be proud of any outward excellency of body or mind that is subiect dayly to such a change as Riches Beautie Strength honour Authority c. Especially if we doe but consider that the foundation of that Excellency is but dust a fraile body subiect dayly to mutabilitie change that we have no assurance to jnioy no not an howers space How suddainly may this Flood break in upon us and what becoms of them then Doth not Experience teach us how few there are that passe through this pilgrimage of theirs but
thing that crosseth it But Gods anger and wrath is ever at sin which is so contrary to that holy and pure nature of his that he will not fail to correct even in his own children O how happy were we if we could bring our hearts to this to be angry Eph 4.26 and sin not to make sin the object of our anger and wrath in our selves and others As Moses though he were the meekest man living yet when the people had made the golden Calfe he caused the same to be grownd to powder and made the people in a holy anger and indignation to lick up the dust thereof Thus was the zeal of Phineas kindled against Zimri and Cosbi and executing judgment upon them Gods wrath was appeased Secondly Use 2 seeing the effects of Gods wrath for sin are so terrible what then is sin the cause of Gods displeasure In all diseases we say the cause is worse then the effect Now all the plagues and judgments that God executeth in the World are but the effects of sin We have seen in our times the great alterations that have been in Church and State the Crown it selfe is withered many Noble Families and Houses brought down and laid in the dust Inheritances translated to others the Sword hath begot a new tenure confusion in the Church Sects and Heresies abound in every corner the Ordinances of God contemned and despised the Ministry slighted and disesteemed as if it were uselesse and might be spared never more open prophanenesse nor aparent signes of Gods anger and wrath against a people then God hath manifested against us with his unwonted judgmeÌ„ts and strange visitations by unwonted sicknesses and diseases Surely in the midst of them all we are to justifie God since England's sin hath caused all our plagues upon us this day and we are to confesse with the lamenting Church that it is the Lords mercy we are not quite laid wast That it might be said of England that we were a people that kept not Covenant with God And when we shall see Religion advanced discipline and order in our Church Sects and Heresies discountenanced Piety encouraged and Prophanenesse suppressed then and not till then may we hope that God will remove his wrath and turn away his anger from us And last of all Vse 3 this may serve for Exhortation to admonish all to take heed of sin we shall never escape Gods anger nor displeasure whilst we are guilty of sin sin laies us naked and open to all judgments But especially this concerns Magistrates that as they desire to keep off Gods judgments from a Land and Nation that they see that sin be duly punished When Phineas executed judgment the Plague ceased And this care ought Parents and Heads of Families to have that as they desire protection from God and to see his blessing upon their Families that they suffer not an Achan under their roof Ps 101. Zach. 5.4 Pr. 3.33 but purge their house as David did his For certain it is the curse of God is up-the habitation of the wicked whereas the habitation of the righteous shall prosper There is one thing more to be observed that as the effects of Gods anger and wrath are terrible So it is the sight of sin Doct. 4 Sight of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for sin ground of repentance and â—â—â—ious consideration of Gods anger and displeasure against sin that is the ground-work and foundation of true repentance There are many excellent fruits of godly sorrow and true repentance manifested by this people from verse 12. to the end yet if we observe well these two verses 8 9. we shall see it was the sight of their sins and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin that set them upon their repentance The fight of sin and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin ever goes before true repentance This Church and people acknowledge that God had set their their iniquities before him c. And withall had a deep sense of Gods anger and displeasure before they addresse themselves for pardon And surely this is Gods order of working in the great work of Repentance and Salvation first to cast down through the sight of sin and apprehension of Gods displeasure for sin and then to raise up in the apprehension of mercy in Christ Never did any truly repent but first apprehended the curse and Gods indignation against sin before Let this be duly thought upon as a most certain ground of truth that those whom the Lord intends to save he will first discover unto them their sin and Gods wrath due unto them even the curse of the Law which is eternal death of Soul and Body for ever before he ever give them the sweet apprehension of his favour and love in Christ The Scriptures are clear and plain in this point Come let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath wounded us Where we see the Lords order first to wound and then to binde up Thus dealt he with those Jewes Act. 2.37 who had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus they were first brought to see their sins by the Ministry of Peter and apprehend Gods wrath due for the same and then they cry out to the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved The Lord deals with a pure soul whom he intends to save as he said to Moses Deut. 28.66 Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night Now it is with a soul in this plight as it was with Balshazar in his cups Dan. 5. when he saw the hand writing the joynts of his knees smote together thus doth the Lord strike the soul with amazement and fear whilest he shall see before him nothing but death hell and condemnation thus the Lord ordinarily breaks the heart and humbles the â—oul before he fills it with mercy Baloved let us not flatter our selves to think that repentance and reconciliation with God were a matter so easily got No no the Lord will have us into the furnace first and the Lord will make us to see our sins and to feel the waight and burthen of them Mat. 9.13 Es 55.1 Joh. 7.37 with the sence of his anger and wrath against sin before we can look for mercy The Scriptures are full in this particular And the Reasons are God hath so appointed it Reas 1 that all the Elect should thus be brought home to him Ioh. 16.8 I will send you the Comforter saith Christ and he shall rebuke the world of sin and of righteousnesse First of sin unto condemnation and then of righteousnesse viz. the righteousnesse of Christ unto salvation And thus the Prophet brings in Christ speaking thus Es 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is on me and the Lord hath annointed me and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor to binde up the broken
labour and sweat for a poor life here of so short a continuance how much more should we study and labour for life eternall As Christ saith Labour not for the meat that perisheth John 6. but c. So let us labour for that life that perisheth not and shall not last for seventy or eightie years and then end as this life doth but shall last whilst God himselfe lasts even to all eternity Thirdly and lastly Use 3 seeing the ordinary time of mans life is seventie or eightie years a goodly time to live in the world if we have grace to use it well O if God give a man this goodly time what a great mercy is it if men bestow it well how much glory might we bring to God how much good to his Church and what a measure of heavenly knowledge faith repentance and other graces may a man get in these seventie or eightie years if we are not wanting to our selves But alas who makes this use and benefit of his time Commonly men bestow this time pretious time vainly and unprofitably and little of it is spent in the service of God in doing good to his Church and furnishing their souls with grace against the time of need Did men but learn-one lesson at every one Sermon that they hear how much knowledge might be gained in seventie or eightie years and what a stock of grace might men have in store against the time of sicknesse and when death shall come Yet is their strength but labour and sorrow MOSES having in the former part of this Verse shewed the common rate of our life here in this world and the ordinary stint beyond which few passe Doth here likewise show that as this long life that men 〈◊〉 being compared to eternity is but short and not to be stood upon so it is not free from trouble and sorrow from misery and affliction but that the chiefest part of it even the pride and flower of the strongest man is but labour and sorrow so that the sweetnesse of the longest life is tempered with manifold sorrowes troubles and afflictions we never continue long at one stay but in our chiefest prosperitie our comforts are often blasted and suddainly gone So that in these words we have to observe 1. The misery of mans life even in his best and most flourishing estate it is mixed with labour and sorrow 2. The ground and cause of this which is It is soon cut off and we flie away First in that Moses affirmes that the life of man is ordinarily not only short and shut up within the compasse of seventie years or at the most eightie years but also affirmes that the best and most excellent part of this time is 〈◊〉 â—â—ouble and sorrow Hence we learn Doct. 2 That the misery of man since his fall is exceeding great Misery of man since the fall great Gen. 47.9 because let his life be what it will be yet his very best time is full of labour and sorrow As Jacob said to Pharaoh The dayes of the years of my pilgrimage are few and evil So true is that of Job Job 14.1 Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble The very honey and sweetnesse of this life is mixed with wormwood and gall what day almost passeth over our heads without some crosse or other and cause of grief He that drank deepest of the cup of all worldly prosperity as Solomon took his fill of them yet at last concluded Eccl. 2.13.23 That all was but vanity and vexation of spirit That mans dayâ— are full of sorrows and his travel grief of heart we see our joyes are uncertain our sorrows and grief more sure whilest as Job saith The evils which we fear befall us and the comforts we desire fail us We are still expecting better dayes and times but finde worse In our mirth there is mourning in our joy there is sorrow our false fears beget reall grief though the things we fear never come to passe And as if our present miseries were not enough to make our lives miserable we torment our selves in laying hold of those we have already suffered and fear those that are to come by which means many times we torment our selves before the time In a word there is no age or time of mans life nor estate or condition we are in here but it meets with its severall miseries incident thereunto youth middle age old years all of them have their labour and sorrow daies of vanity full of misery Seeing our life here in this world is so frail and so miserable Use 1 full of labour and sorrow both inward and outward of body and minde this shewes that the greatest part of the world are far from this perswasion of Moses as look not upon this world to be so full of misery for many a man could wish he might ever live here and never die It seemes these men did never yet tast of the misery of sin and of the misery of this life or else they could never yet see what a blessed thing it is to be freed from these miseries and to live eternally in Heaven Secondly seeing our life is so short Vse 2 frail and miserable full of labour and sorrow this should teach us that lesson of the Apostle To use this world as though we used it not seeing it is so full of misery and trouble We see a Mother when she would wean the Child from the breast she laies some bitter thing upon it that so the Child tasting of it might be out of love with it and desire it no more Even so the Lord knowing that we are exceedingly in love with the world with the pleasures and profits of this life lest we should surfeit with these things hath laid many bitter troubles and afflictions upon us and all to wean us from the immoderate love of it This doth David acknowledge from experience O Lord thou hast made my daies as an hand-breadth Surely every man in his best estate is but vanity Ps 39.5 6. And that this might be remembred of us he sets upon it a note of attention Selah and shewes what use himselfe made of it O Lord my hope is in thee He casts off all care of the world and only flies to God and seeks to him for succour Yet is their strength but labour and sorrow Text. WE have yet farther to observe that in asinuch as Moses saith their Strength that is the chiefest and most excellent estate the very flower of their life wherein men do so much glory and rejoyce is but a time of labour and sorrow We are taught Doct. 3 that there is no estate of man in this life No estate but full of labour and forrow so high or so sure and certain or so sweet and comfortable but it is subject to alterations and change subject to misery and trouble For Moses speaks this in generall both of Prince
worke never so lawful honest good or necessary if the Lord do not direct us and blesse our indevors we cannot prosper What is the reason why many men though they have honest callings lawfull and good yet they doe not prosper nor see any fruit of their labours Surely one main cause may be this they seeke not unto God for a blessing Thou maist ride and run dig and delve plow and Sowe rise up early and go late to bed and eat the bread of Carâ—fulnesse and yet if God give not a blessing all is in vaine Seeing nothing we take in hand can prosper Vse 3 without Gods blessing This lets us see the cause why the VVord doth no more prosper in many places Congregations and families at this day we preach and you heare and little fruit and effect followes Men were ignorant before the word came amongst them and ignâ—rant still prophane before prophane still men are not will not be wrought upon Surely setting aside Gods secret purpose and will who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy whom he will he hardens And the word must be to some the Savour of death to death as to others the sweet savour to life One principall cause is men doe not begin with prayer and beg not a blessing from God we that are Ministers may look that God will blast that Sermon for the which we beg not a blessing from God And you that are our hearers may looke that God will blast your hearing when you neglect this duty But do we not see that many times the wicked do prosper Object have riches wealth and prosperitie in a greater measure then the very godly themselves As David observed in his time Psal 73.12 Loe these are the wicked these prosper in the world these increase in Riches this was such a dangerous temptation that David was assaulted withal to behold that it made him to think I have clensed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency David himselfe shall make answer to this Resol When I went into the Sanctuary of God then understand I their end Surely thou didst set them in Slippâ—ry places thou castest them down to destruction What though God bestowes upon wicked men riches honour prosperity and all things that their hearts can wish these are but few giftes of Gods left-hand and are often bestowed in wrath not with his blessing but there goes many times a secret curse with them either they want most that they seeme to enjoy having no heart to use the riches or else God gives them to fat them up to the day of slaughter Yea the work of our hands establish thou it THis Duplication and doubling of this petition that God would prosper the work of their hands upon them denotes the earnestnesse of Moses and the people of God in craving his blessing upon their worke especially now in their journey towards the land of Canaan and now that they were to encounter with the Canaanites Teaching us thus much Doct. 3 that war is not to be undertaken Prayer before warre but God must first be consulted and sought unto Now that they were to go out against those cursed Canaanites which God had threatned to root out and to destroy they intreat the Lord first to prosper their indeavours Exo. 17.13 When Josuah the Lords Captaine fought with the Amalekits that would have kept this people from entring in to Canaan how fervent was Moses in prayer and at the time that Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when his hands were let downe the Amalekits prevailed thus did Jehosaphat and Hezechiah those godly Kings of Judah and Israel When they and their people were threatned with those mighty Hosts of their enemies they sought God and were heard of him and delivered And great Reason Why God is first to be consulted with Reason and invocated before war be attempted is because he is thâ— God of victory to him belongs the issue of the battle A small handfull as in the Host of Gideon commanded by him shall prosper and overcome And at his pleasure the Horse and the Rider are overthrowne at the Red Sea This may serve for our Instruction Vse 1 that when we are to go into the field and there to buckle with our enemies that we goe first to God how can wee expect that God should prosper us and go forth with our armies when we seeke not him and call not upon him in the day of trouble It is he that must cover our heads in the day of battle for without his help A Horse is a vaine thing to save a man 1 Sam. 7.8 9. 1 Cor. 5.20 Neither is the mighty saved by much strength Herein Jehosaphat strengthned the hearts of the people Feare not ye men of Judah and ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem Put your trust in him and ye shall prosper Secondly Vse 2 this may serve to exhort Princes and Magistrats Generals and Captaines and all in generall that are imployed in time of war As they desire successe and to prosper 2 Sam. 5.23 to aske first counsell of the Lord as David did when he was to go up against the Phistines Shall I go up against them And to take heed that there be no Achan in the camp for whose sake the Lord many times is provoked to hinder the success of his people and suffer their enemies to prosper The Lord knowes we have many Achans in our armies that are so far from seeking God and begging a blessing upon their undertakings that rather Achan-like trouble the Army by provoking Gods wrath against them And last of all by this doubling of their petition establish thou the work of our hands upon us Yea the work of our hands establish thou it Moses herein shewes that he did not onely crave Gods mercy and protection for the present time that God would blesse their labour and enterprises But that he would keep a continuall course in directing and protecting them for unlesse the Lord did begin continue and finish their work for them it could never come to perfection For if the Lord should have left them in the middest of their journey what had it beene the better unlesse he would bring them into Canaan that good land So that they confesse that they were never able to persevere and hold on in their course they had begun unlesse the Lord would still direct them and prosper them in their journey Hence we learne That perseverance in any good duty is the grace and gift of God Doct. 4 Perseverance in any good is Gods and as the Lord must begin any good work so he must continue it and perfect it or else it will faile And hence is it that they double their petition Direct thou Even direct thou the work of our hands upon us And this is no other thing then what the Lord hath promised They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength as the
hereof Vse 2 that God hath a speciall hand in all our sufferings and still ordereth and disposeth of the same Ro. 8.28 that they shall work for the best to them that love and fear him what a ground of patience may this be unto us under the crosse whensoever the Lord shall be pleased to humble us by any affliction whatsoever that with patience and meeknesse we submit thereunto I was dumb Ps 39.9 and opened not my mouth because it was thy doing saith David And Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 â— Sam. 15.26 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good to him And Here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him And this may serve for the just reproofe of those Vse 3 who in times of misery and distresse never look to the hand of God they look upon secondary causes and instruments but over-look God Such do seldome seek to God for delivery Job was of another mind he looks not so much upon the Caldeans and Sabeans that plundered him of his goods and cattle but he looks up unto God and acknowledgeth his hand in all So David when Shimei cursed him It may be the Lord bad him to curse me Vse 4 And last of all this lets us see that when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with any Nationall or personall deliverance where to returne thanks even to him that first smoâ—e us and who it is that hath healed us Thus the Church in all ages when the Lord was pleased to come in with any singular deliverance Exod. 15. 2 Chron. 20. Jud. 5. kept their solemn daies of praise and thanksgiving unto God Thou turnest man to destruction THat is at thy pleasure are our lives and being here we live at thy allowance and appointment when thou wilt thou turnest them to breaking and crushing even to dust Hence observe Doct. 2 That our life and being here is uncertain Our lives are in Gods hand it is in Gods hand and power we live at his appointment at his pleasure he can and doth turn man to destruction to breaking and crushing Thou hast bruised my bones Esay 38. saith Hezechiah Thou hast set me as a mark to shoot at saith Job Thy arrowes stick fast in me saith David If the Lord do but say Return ye sons of Adam we shall return again to the dust and away we must The voice of the Lord is a powerfull voice he did create all things by his voice and by his word and at the same voice and word of his he can turn all things to powder No man though never so great or mighty wise or politique can resist or withstand the commanding and powerfull voice of God but when death is sent and God gives his call they must return again to dust Death knocks with authority at the dore of the rich man and Palace of Princes as at the poor and all must obey and return to the dust from whence they came Moses this Man of God that was a man so familiar with his Maker a man so holy so meek so mercifull who was indeed a compound of vertues who had fed many thousands when they were ready to die with hunger who had refreshed many thousands when they were ready to perish with thirst yet must himselfe at last yeeld to the stroke of death and say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother Psal 89.48 What man is there living that shall not see death and shall deliver his soul from the pit One dyeth in his full strength saith Job whose breasts are full of milk Iob 21.23 and bones are full of marrow Another dyeth in the bitternesse of his soul they shall lie down alike in the dust and the wormes shall cover them We stand not at a stay but in the midst of life we are in death the very meat we put into our bellies and the cloaths we put upon our backs all declare unto us that dye we must and return again to the dust And the Reasons are First Reas 1 if we do but consider the matter whereof these bodies of ours are composed which is of the dust of the earth this shewes a necessity of their returning again to dust they are made of a frail brittle and corruptible matter and long they cannot stand Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 and into dust shalt thou return again And as the Prophet saith All flesh is grasse and the glory of man as the flower of grasse As the point of the Marriners needle doth never stand till it attain the North Pole Such an instinct there is in these bodies of ours they still bend themselves downward towards the earth from whence they came And as the nearer the Center the swifter the motion so is man towards his end every day winds off something of the threed of our life and return we must There is a necessity of our returning again to dust Reas 2 if we do but consider the nature of sin the wages whereof is death and indeed there can be no divorce sued out betwixt sin and death Gen. 20. As the Lord said to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man because of his sin And this was Gods own decree at first Gen. 2.17 The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now Alam eating of the forbidden fruit brought in death to all his posterity for so saith the Apostle By one man sin entred into the world Ro. 5.12 and death by sin And inasmuch as all have sinned all must die the death Besides Reas 3 there is a necessity that all should die because by death we must enter into life death is the gate of life ordinarily none entred into life but by death death is a guide to bring us into Heaven though a churlish guide yet a sure guide to bring us into blisse Seeing the Lord at his pleasure turns man to destruction Use 1 to breaking and crushing sends long and tedious sicknesse and griefe of body whereby men are much deformed and weakned in their bodies and turned to dust This should teach us patience in times of misery and distresse when the Lord shall seem thus to crush us and break us to powder we should with patience bear his correcting hand be it never so sharp and grievous even to crush us to pieces and to grinde us to powder in regard it is the Lord that doth it Thus David I was dumb and opened not my lips Ps 39.5 because it was thy doing There is no sicknesse or disease lamenesse or blindnesse or any other affliction whereby we come to have our bones crushed and we brought to destruction but all is of the Lord He turneth man to breakings and destruction and it is the want of the knowledge of this that is the cause that men do sometimes murmur against Gods dealings and are not humbled for their sins as they ought to be we consider
not that it is he that turneth man to destruction Secondly Vse 2 seeing these breakings and crushings yea death it selfe when we are brought to the dust are all from God and come from him Thou turnest man to destruction this may serve to abate the pride of many in these daies who spend their time pretious time as if this destruction would never come in eating and drinking ranting and roaring as if they were immortall or should never die or be called to an account of their waies think their bodies are not made of the same common mould with other men Whereas the consideration of mans mortality would much abate the pride of many had they this thought in their minds that they must shortly die and go hence and be no more Note when they shall come to see that which they never saw which they shall ever see and hear that which they never heard which they shall for ever hear and feel that which they never felt which they shall for ever feel whilst God himselfe liveth O how would the thoughts of these things humble them It was a witty answer of that Cynick Diogenes that when Alexander mockt him for being so often amongst the Tombes and Sepulchers of the dead answered O Sir I am looking for the bones of thy Father Philip but see no difference between them and other mens Why then should men be so proud and exalt themselves when they know not how soon they may be laid full low The ignorance hereof makes many to carry their heads aloft outface heaven and swell with pride and disdain of others whereas the due consideration of their own end would make them walk more humbly towards God and more meekly towards their Brethren And lastly Vse 3 since the Lord at his pleasure thus turns man to destruction to breakings and crushings yea to death it selfe it shall be our wisdome to prepare for such a change that we be not taken unprepared What man will have his evidence to seek when his cause comes to be tryed What man will go to sow when others go to reap Our life should be a continuall meditation of death and preparation for death since our weal or wo for ever depends upon it In the matters of the world men are wise they must say they provide for a rainy day in Summer for Winter and whilst they are young to keep them when they are old O where are our hearts Christians that we provide no better for death before it come And howsoever all men know that one day die they must and that repâ—ntance and other graces are to be had to make them truly happy yet here is the misery that men defer this great work to the last when many times it proves too late Now to that end I may awaken you that hear me this day Conlide rations to prepare for death in this weighty duty I beseech you take these few considerations to heart First that you would seriously consider with your selves the uncertainty of your lives thou that makest so small account of death consider with thy selfe what thy life is a puffe of breath in thy nostrills suddenly stopt and thou art gone Go to now saith Saint James you that say to day and to morrow Iam. 4.13 14. we will go into such a City and continue there a yeer and buy and sell and get gain and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow for what is your life is it not a vapour c. What man when he goes to bed can assure himselfe that he shall rise again in the morning Who knoweth saith Solomon what the day travelleth withall and may bring forth ere night Eccles 9.12 Man doth not know his time and as fishes are taken in an evill net and birds in a snare so are the children of men Secondly consider the danger of deferring of repentance and this preparation for death to the last hower when all the infirmities of our nature will then seize upon us when extremity pain griefe anguish will so perplexeus that the best counsell will have little tast and the best prayers little sweetnesse in them this will prove a time of spending and not a time of storing What wise man then will deferre all this time Consider how often these purposes of repentance and turning to God at last have miscarried many thousands that are now in hell without hope of mercy that in their life time purposed at last to repent and to return to God whereas such as have often abused grace and mercy offered unto them the Lord doth often at last give such up to the hardnesse of their hearts that when they would they cannot repent and those melting qualmes which sometimes now thou meetest withall under the Ministry of the Word though thou wouldest give a world thou canst not meet with them again O the sad spectacles that we that are Ministers of the Word doe oftentimes meet withall Some in Spyras case who being exhorted to say the Lords Prayer answered O I cannot call God Father And some again like Nabal whose heart dyed like a stone within him And last of all do but consider with your selves that albeit thou maist enjoy thy memory to the last and maist have with thee some godly Ministers to instruct thee and to pray for thee yet how knowest thou whether his prayers for thee or thy own prayers for thy selfe shall then be heard and accepted Doth not Christ say that many at last shall seek to enter but shall not be able Did not those foolish Virgins cry Lord Lord open unto us yet were for ever shut out of the Marriage Chamber And doth not the Lord threaten that though Noah Daniel and Samuel should pray for this people yet I will not hear them Nay thy case may be such that though all the Angells in heaven and Saints on earth should intreat for thee yet God will not be intreated This is clear Because I have called Prov. 1.24 25.26 and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and ye have not regarded But ye have set at naught my counsell c. I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear commeth O the misery of a poor soul when God shall shut out his prayers and shall be so far from pittying him in this time of distresse as that he shall laugh at his destruction And sayest Text. Return ye sons of men ALbeit as we have heard there is an inevitable necessity laid upon all Adams posterity by reason of sin that they must once die Thou turnest man to destruction So sure and certain it is that all men shall one day rise again Thou sayest Return ye sons of men q. d. At thy will and at thy word they shall at last return from dust and corruption again Though the bodies of men by reason of sin Doct. 3 All men at last shall rise again do tast of death and turn to dust yet by a
hundred thousand besides Children they dyed all in the Wildernesse all save Joshuah and Caleb above the age of twenty years some by the Pestilence some by sudden and fearfull fire from Heaven some swallowed up of the earth as Corah Dathan some killed by fiery Serpents and Scorpions and the greatest part by the Plague and Pestilence so that in the space of forty years they were almost all of them consumed This example of it selfe were sufficient to clear this truth that whereas the life of man is short of it selfe yet our sins many times makes it shorter as we may see in the old World drowned in the Flood Corah Dathan and Abiram smallowed up of the earth Herod eaten up of wormes Saul Judas the Children that mocked the Prophet Besides the experience we have in our daies of Drunkards Whormasters Theeves and Traitors who by their sins draw down Gods judgments upon their heads and shorten their daies As we see the Grasse though it be left to grow yet in time will wither of it selfe but if suddainly cut down with a Sith it sooner decayes A Leafe though it hang long on the Tree yet in the end it will fall of it selfe but by a storm is suddenly shaken down Thus it is with men 'T is true the sinner in committing of sin doth neither see nor perceive this being blinder then Balaam that saw not the sword drawn before him But Sathan that malitious enemy of mans Soul like deceitfull Laban that gave Jacob Leab instead of Rachel So doth Sathan deal with the sinner instead of profit and pleasure payes the sinner at last with some shamefull death the just wages and stipend of sin Because Reas 1 that all our sufferings are for the most part the fruit and stipend of sin Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sin As the Lord said to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man because of this sin Gen. 20.3 the taking of Abraham's wife The wages of sin is death both Temporall and Eternall God hath joyned them both together The soul that sinneth shall die the death Ro. 6.23 Secondly long life is promised as the wages of obedience If ye be willing and obedient Es 1.19 ye shall eat the good things of the Land And on the contrary God often cuts off the wicked for their disobedience As a wise Parent will not correct his child where there is no fault so will he not spare when he is provoked Loathsome sicknesses foul diseases and sudden death are often Gods revengfull rods upon vile and wretched sinners Seeing the life of man Use 1 that is so short of it selfe yet is made far shorter by reason of sin this serves to justifie the Lords hand and righteous judgment upon the Land this day in his generall visitation by this unwonted sicknesse and suddain death of so many amongst us Is not England become the sinke of all those Sects and Heresies that ever crept into the Church And as if these were not enough to pull down Gods wrath the Land is guilty of Blood of Swearing of Lying of Whoring Sabbath-breaking contempt of the Word and Ordinances of Christ with these and the like abominations the Land is defiled and the Land shall mourn Hos 4.3 What hope have we to avoide our present judgments this day and yet live in those sins that cause them And how can we think to escape any Plague so long as we are guilty of the Plague of sin Secondly Use 2 since by our sins our daies are often shortned and cut off it shall then be our wisdome to discern betwixt the pleasures of sin and the miseries that accompany the sinner Sathan promised our first Parents that they should be like unto God but it was to make them miserable as himselfe How many a wretched man by his Drunkennesse Uncleannesse and other distempers shortens his own daies as the Prophet saith The wicked shall not live out halfe his daies which otherwise in the course of Nature they might attain unto But all those miseries whereunto we are subject by reason of sin in this life are no way to be compared to those fearfull punishments whereunto the wicked are reserved after this life for it is sin that shall shut them for ever out of heaven Rev. 22.15 Without shall be Dogs c. And They that commit such things shall never inherit the Kingdome of Heaven 1 Pet. 2.12 Which made the Apostle so earnestly exhort us I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which sight against the soul But we are consumed in thy anger IN these words Moses sets down the cause why they were thus hastily wasted and consumed in the Wildernesse which he confesseth here to be double 1. The more remote and improper cause and that was Gods anger in this verse 2. The neerer and more proper cause and that was their sins verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee c. First cause was Gods Anger Cause Gods anger which is described by the degrees of it 1. Anger 2. Hot anger 3. Sore displeasure But how do Moses and the people gather that God was so exceedingly angry with them But by that manner of death that they were so suddenly wasted and consumed with the Pestilence Hence we may observe Doct. 3 That great and extraordinary judgments and calamities Extraordinary judgments are arguments of Gods anger do argue the greatnesse of Gods Anger For Moses here inferrs and concludes the greatnesse of Gods anger and displeasure by the greatnesse of their punishment that seeing they were so miserably consumed and so fearfully plagued it must needs shew the Lord exceedingly provoked by their sins And this is that very use the Apostle makes of this their sudden destruction that came upon this people an argument to prove that God was displeased with them 1 Cor. 10.5 With many of them God was not well pleased In all extraordinary and strange judgments which the Lord brings upon us it is safe to say to our hearts as the people of God said Deut. 31.47 Are not all these troubles come upon us because God is not with us Ruth 1.13 This use could Naomi make of the death of her two Sons That the hand of God was gone out against her And this the very Barbarians could conclude of Paul Act. 28.4 when the Viper hung on his hand No doubt this man is a murtherer They conclude that it must needs be some great sin that Paul was guilty of that did cause that so sore a judgment It was a strange hand of God upon old Eli 1 Sam. 4.18 that he should fall and break his neck And no doubt his indulgency towards his children in their prophanenesse was the cause of it It was no ordinary death that of the young Prophet 1 Reg. 13.24 certainly his sin was the cause of it That Moses himselfe must not come into the Land of Canaan
but only see it and die in the Land of Moah surely Moses his sin shut him out And of all that great number that came out of the Land of Aegypt even six hundred thousand that all above twenty years should perish in the Wildernesse was an undoubted argument they were guilty of some great sin that caused the Lord to be thus angry with them Object If this be so that extraordinary judgments are arguments of Gods anger how was it said of the blind man that lay under such an extraordinary judgment as to be born blind that neither this man sinned nor his Parents The meaning is not Answ that neither He nor his Parents were without sin no not such sins as might have justly brought that punishment upon them But neither the Mans sins nor his Parents were the cause why the Lord smote him with blindnesse John 9. but that the work of God might be made manifest in him Job though he were a a godly man indeed yet Job's sins might justly deserve all his miseries but God did not so much look upon his sins but that he might be a pattern and example of Faith Patience and of other Graces to his Church for ever Besides there be many grounds and causes wherefore the Lord is pleased many times to lay his hand and that heavy too upon his own Children and such as are both neer and dear unto him 1. As the exercise of their graces of Faith Patience Hope c. 2. To wean them them from the world whereunto our hearts are too much addicted 3. To quicken Prayer 4. To chasten us for our sins past and to make us more watchfull for the time to come c. But since the Lord in his Word hath denounced these judgments against us for our sins and doth not reveal unto us when he is pleased thus to try us his secret will and pleasure therein We are not to pry into his hidden counsells but into his will revealed which is that Man suffereth for his sin And howsoever we may erre in respect of Gods secret purpose in sending afflictions yet we shall profit thereby to humble our selves to justifie God as righteous to renew our repentance and hereby become fit for mercy and deliverance Whereas in times of affliction and distresse to look upon any other cause then sin may hinder our repentance and cause us to continue in our wickednesse Now that great and extraordinary ludgments and afflictions do argue Gods high displeasure these Reasons shew Reas 1 Because he is most just and righteous in his judgments as Abraham said to God Gen. 18.25 It is far from the Judge of all the World to deal unrighteously The Lord is ever most clear in himselfe from the least stain or mixture of iniustice in any of his judgments inflicted upon men Ps 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments Reas 2 The second may be taken from that neer union and inseparable affinity that is betwixt Gods anger and sin Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Miseries and afflictions yea all kind of iudgments spirituall and temporall are but the sinners harvest that he must look to reap by sowing the seeds of sin Pro 22.8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap affliction and the rod of his anger shall fail Let us apply this to our selves Use 1 Did Moses well to gather and conclude the exceeding anger displeasure of God against them by the greatnesse and grievousnesse of their punishment that they were thus hastily and fearfully wasted and consumed Alas then what may we think of our selves how hath the hand of God laine heavie upon us in this Nation In these later daies the sword hath been in the Bowels of the land and hath drunk much blood in every corner of it we have had the pestilence amongst us what Country hath been free we have had cleannesse of teeth when many have perished in the open fields and by the way side for want of bread The Lord hath made the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the like yeares have not been known Besides this strange sicknesse that hath been amongst us whereof fewe Families have escaped but some have been either sick or weake or suddainly taken away by Death that fewe that are living have knowne the like time of sicknesse and mortalitie Now what can we think by all these messengers of his Anger and wrath but that God is exceedingly angry and displeasedwith us Certainely the sins of this Nation the innocent blood that hath been shed the high contempt of the Gospel and Miâ—listers therof the great securitie unfruitfullnesse and unthankfullnesse of all sorts may mind us of some farther judgments yet at hand And yet alas who laies the Lords dealings to heart to take notice of Gods Anger and make but light account of judgments None consider in heart that the greatnesse of Gods judgments is an argument of the greatnesse of our sins It shall be our wisdom to lay Gods judgments to heart and to meet the Lord by unfained Repentance lest worser judgments overtake us at last Use 2 Secondly this serves to admonish us that according to the greatnesse of Gods judgments to increase our sorrow and Repentance for great anger argues great sins and great sins must have great Sorrow and great Repentance Quest 1 But is it an Argument that God is Angry when he takes men away by Death No it is not alwayes so Ans that the Lord is Angry when he takes men away by Death But when he takes them away by such a manner of Death as this people here with some strange kinde of Death horrible and fearefull for some sin as these people for their infidelitie murmuring Rebellion and despising of his mercy this is a token of Gods Anger 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed with the Destroyer Quest 2 But is it a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kind of Death of the plague pestilence c No. Ans It is not alwaies a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kinde of Death Pilate to make the Jewes odious and their religion hatefull mingled the blood of certaine Galileans with their Sacrifices here was an unwonted kind of Death And so those eighteene upon whom the tower of Silo fell these dyed not an ordinary kind of Death And yet Christ saith that they were not greater sinners then other men And many of Gods dear children and faithfull servants have dyed strange kinds of death and none more then the Son of God himselfe And therefore we may not judge a man out of Gods favour by the suddennesse or strangenesse of his death if his life hath been good his death cannot be bad Eccles 9.11 for as Solomon saith All things happen alike to all But now when we shall see a Man or Woman whose