and bloody warres raised by the Emperour Sigismund thorough the instigation of that same man of sinne against the Reformers of the Churches in Bohemia which continued all the dayes of that worthy Commander Iohn Zisca and divers yeeres after his decease and to draw neerer to our own times We know that when Luther began the Reformation of the Church the Pope and his dependants never left raising of troubles against him and his followers till at length he had engaged the German Emperour CHARLES the sift in a cruell warre against the Duke of Saxonie and his party as most men know And to speake truth that Sword which was then drawne hath been hardly ever since sheathed but to this day in one part of Europe or other goes on bathing it self in blood wherewith how much it hath bin made drunken we aswell as our neighbours feele to this day to our smart There are Instances of Troubles raised by Sathan and his instruments against the Church by those which are without no lesse are those that are stirred up within the bowels of the Church by false Brethren who by speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them as the Apostle tels us they shall doe Act. 20.30 strike at the very foundation on which the Church is built the very doctrine of Truth What divisions were raised thereby in the Churches even in the Apostles own dayes divers of their Epistles doe sufficiently declare and that Sathan continued by the same policy to divide the Church in sunder and thereby to ruine it as our Saviour tels us That a Kingdome or house divided cannot stand Math. 12.25 the records of the Primitive time setting before us the Factions that infected the Church in those ages and the Excommunications Banishments and other Persecutions which ensued thereupon make it evident enough to all that will take the paines to looke into the Histories of those times Neither doe these troubles howsoever raised by the practise of Sathan fall upon the Church without the fore-knowledge and both Permission and direction of God himself Our Saviour tels his Disciples in expresse termes that he came not to send Peace on earth but a Sword Mat. 10.34 35. Not that this is an effect but a consequent of the Gospel The Gospel is in it self a message of glad tidings of Peace Rom. 10.15 Eph. 6.15 But is of Peace between God and Man Luk. 2.14 Rom. 5.1 Yea and between man and man amongst as many as receive it as the Prophet fore-tels that amongst those that are under Christs government the Wolfe and the Lambe shall dwell together Isa 11.6 all enmity shall be taken away so that none shall destroy in his Holy Mountaine Isa 65.25 And a Gospel to settle Peace in mens consciences but not in the World In me you shall have Peace saith our Saviour in the World you shall have affliction Ioh. 3.33 To search into the Reasons of this truth if we looke upon second cause it is easie to conclude that it can be no otherwise unlesse Satan and such as beare his Image and do his Will should change their Nature For besides the contrariety in the Natures of the children of Light and of Darkenesse whereof one is Abomination to the other Prov. 29.27 and consequently like contraries they must needs destroy one another The establishing of Christs Kingdome in the Church is the overthrowing of the Divels Kingdome in the World as many subjects as CHRIST gaines so many the Divell loseth Our Saviour tels us Luke 10.18 That when the Gospell was Preached it brought downe Sathan from Heaven like lightening No mervaile then if Sathan to save his owne Kingdome labour to hinder the planting of the Church and as little mervaile if his servants joyne with him therein as for other reasons so especially because the Gospell which the Church embraceth discredits and condemnes all their wayes restraines their Lusts and cuts off all their hopes sentencing them to hell to be made the subjects of Gods wrath to all Eternity But it yeelds little comfort to the Godly or Honour to God to look upon the Churches troubles as the effects of Satans and his childrens malice unlesse we raise up our thoughts higher to looke not only upon the rod but withall on him that hath appoynted it Mich. 6.9 To consider his faithfulnesse in raising troubles and afflictions which quieted Davids heart Psal 119.75 J know that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me His compassion even when he causeth grief Lam. 3.32 his wonderfull wisdome and Power in being good unto those that love him out of evil Rom. 8.28 That by the consideration of Gods righteousnesse in all his wayes we may gather comfort to our selves in the troubles raised up against Gods Church by wicked men we must first therefore settle this position firmly in our hearts that the Divel and his instruments are but vassals to execute what he hath decreed to be done as St. Peter testifies concerning Christs sufferings that he was delivered although by the trechery of Iudas yet withall by the determinate councell and fore-knowledge of God Act. 2.23 and all the Apostles witnesse that Herod Pilat the Gentiles and people of Israel which were gathered together against Christ were but Gods Executioners to doe whatsoever his hand and his Councell had determined to be done Act. 4.18 Now we know that God who is Righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Psal 145.17 Orders all things for his own ends which are his own glory and that which is never severed from it the God of his people Let us then draw the Reasons of this truth which we have before us from the relations which the troubles raised against the Church in the time of the planting or Reforming thereof have unto those two maine ends at which God principally aymes his own glory and his Churches good And first Gods honour is much advanced by the troubles raised by Satan and his Agents to hinder the Churches Reformation three wayes 1. God is much honoured by making it evident to to the World that the worke of the Churches Reformation is his owne Act. As Ioseph makes his brethren understand that in selling him to the Midianites they were but Gods instruments to bring him into Egipt because there came so much good out of that wherein they intended nothing but evil Gen. 45.7 and 50.20 And David foretelling that great worke of making Christ the head stone of the corner proves it to be Gods doing a work of admiration because the builders had cast him aside Psal 118.23 24. All effects must have some cause by the power and Vertue whereof they are produced wherefore when there appeares no second cause in the bringing forth of any effect it must be ascribed to him that workes without or above or against all causes as pleaseth himself When the Wildernesse which by nature brings forth nothing but bushes and shrubbs is stored with pleasant fruitfull and usefull plants it is
liberall things Isa 32.8 And yet these are not the words of men but the Promises of the God of truth more firme then the earth it self The Apostle tels us that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Now seeing wee are so greedy of gaine why doe we not follow after this gainfull way of godlinesse which brings so large and lasting a reward assured by the word of God himself Nay why upon the same assurance doewe not lay hold of Eternall life What doe we grasping after the world when we have assurance of heaven a Kingdome that cannot be moved by the firmest of all Gods promises in which it is impossible for him to lye Consider I beseech you and let us weigh well what we doe and take notice First of the great wrong and dishonour wee offer to God himself Secondly of the evils that we bring and that deservedly upon our own soules We dishonour God 1. In that we receive not his Testimony for what we beleeve not that in effect we deny and by consequence make him a lyar 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar as he that beleeves on the contrary sets to his seale that God is true Ioh. 13.33 Herein we doe in effect crosse the maine end for which we came into the world and for which God hath indued us with wisdome and understanding above the beasts of the field that being true of every man which our Saviour affirmes of himself for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the Truth Ioh. 18.36 Men will indeed beapt to beguile themselves and others too in professing that they receive Gods testimony in all that he speakes but the Apostle tels us that there is a deniall in Workes as well as in Words Tit. 1.16 And to speake truth deniall in Deeds is the strongest deniall and manifests our affirming in words to be meere Hypocrisie as the Psalmist justifies it against the Israelites in the Wildernesse that though they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their Redeemer yet they flattered him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongue Psal 78.35 36. and proves by their workes because they still went on in tempting and provoking God and limiting the Holy one of Israel ver 40.41 2. It is the greater wrong and dishonour to God not to receive his Testimony First because God hath so farre condescended to our weaknesse as to engage himselfe unto us so many wayes being notwithstanding debtor to no man bestowing whatsoever he gives freely out of meere Grace We accompt it a wrong to a friend to require a bond of him for the assuring of a free gift But God hath bin content to abase himselfe so farre to us as to engage himselfe unto us by his Word to confirme his Word by an Oath and to ratify both by the seales of his Covenant That after the manifesting of so much tender respect to us and condiscending so farre to our weakenesse and affording such firme footing for our Faith God should not have so much credit with us as to bee beleeved upon his Word his Oath his Seale is such a dishonour to the God of Truth as we would be ashamed to offer to a mortall man Especially if we consider in the next place that God hath never given us cause to distrust him he never failed us in any one Promise wherein he hath ingaged himselfe unto us Thirdly it is yet the greater wrong to God if we consider by whom it is offered Nothing so farre kindled Gods wrath as the provoking of his sonnes and daughters Deut. 32.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What thou my sonne said Iulius Cesar to Brutus when he saw him amongst the rest of the conspirators come to stabbe him There cannot be a greater wrong to a master then not to be trusted by his owne servants much greater is the injury when a Father can have no credit from his owne children How is it possible then that God should beare it at the hands of those that call him Father and desire to be known by the name of his children that great dishonour of slighting his Promises and in their lives and conversations declaring to the world that they make more accompt of mens assurance then they doe of them Secondly as the Lord for whose glory we are created is wronged by our unbeliefe in not resting upon his Promises so it fals out as usually it doth in all like cases that we infinitely thereby prejudice our selves many wayes 1. By this meanes we deprive our selves of all true grounds of comfort which might support us in time of tryall It was Gods Word which quickened David in time of his affliction Psal 119.50 It was Gods Word on which he depended Psal 130.5 When he powred out his complaint before God out of the depths that is in floods of distresses that overwhelmed him For as for any other meanes to establish our hearts and beare up our spirits in times of inward distresses or outward afflictions wee shall find our selves forced to take up Davids complaint I looked for comforters but J found none Psal 69.20 and Psal 142.4 I looked on my right hand and there was no man would know me refuge failed me And as for Gods promises whence only the ground of true comfort ariseth with what cold hearts must we needs either apply them to our own soules or urge them and presse them upon God in our prayers when our own consciences tell us that these are the truths of God which we have cast by as matters of which we never made any great accompt Surely God can returne us no other answer to such suits then he gives his people Iudg. 10.14 Go cry unto the gods whom you have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Cry to your Lands to your Treasures to your Friends in whom you have confided what have you to doe with my promises which you never beleeved nor regarded This is and will be a sad condition into which our unbelief will cast us when it will be too late to help it 2. ly This want of staying on Gods promises wonderfully deads our hearts unto all duties of Gods service unto which we are in an especiall manner encouraged because we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 And the Psalmist professeth the hope of Salvation from God was it that encouraged him to doe Gods commandments Psal 119.166 As on the other-side those that exported nothing from God desire to have nothing to doe with his service Iob 21.15 3. ly The want of this Faith by which we embrace Gods promises utterly cuts off all hope of eternall life which nothing but Faith in Gods promises can lay hold off And to be shut of that hope leaves unto a man nothing but a certaine looking for of judgement and fiery indignation
stood which David fears to do Psal 73.14 Thirdly the issue of those troubles appearing to be the good of the Church as the Apostle affirms Rom. 8.28 though it should not move us to think them gods with the Barbarians yet it may warrant us to conclude that the cause is Gods and the events the effects not of his wrath but of his love Vse 3 These considerations assure us of a comfortable issue and successe at the last in the cause where in we stand depending on the Almighty power of God who doth whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth Psal 136.5 and on his goodnesse which as it extends to all his works Psal 145.9 so is it in a more especiall manner manifested to his Israel Psal 73.1 And lastly on his faithfulnesse which continues to all generations Psal 119.90 and therefore he must make good his word that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church Mat. 16.18 and that he will not forget his people though a woman should forget her sucking childe Isai 49.15 Vse 4 Fourthly the considering of the Churches troubles warns us to prepare for and arm our selves against them before hand as both St. Paul Eph. 6.11.12 and St. Peter 1 Epist 5.8 exhort us both to be armed and to stand upon our guard upon that ground because we shall meet with strong encounters We had indeed need to be stirred up to make such provision 1. Because the Churches troubles are certain as not only raised by men who may fail in their intentions but decreed by God whose counsels stand throughout all ages Psal 33.11 You shall have afflictions in the world saith our Saviour Joh. 16.33 The king of Syria will come against thee at the return of the yeer Gostrengthen thy self and see what thou doest saith the Prophet to Ahab 1 King 20.22 Secondly though in a true estimation these troubles are as the Apostle terms them but light afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 yet to flesh and blood they seem grievous for the present Heb. 12.11 as the Prophet Davids bitter complaints not only in sore sicknesses Psal 38.6 7 8. but besides in the persecutions of his enemies Psal 143.3 sufficiently testifie When nature is so sensible of afflictions and by the sense of them makes so strong impressions upon the spirit when we feel so much smart by these although but outward troubles it concerns us neerly to be well provided of such strong helps as may support our spirits in such trialls Thirdly it concerns us the more to prepare for such troubles as a Christian profession brings with it because they not only afflict us at present but withall strike at the very foundation of our faith often times as the Psalmist acknowledgeth that in his present distresses he was moved to question both Gods Mercie and the Promises themselves Psal 77.7 8 9. Now if faith should fail us we are left destitute of all comfort at present and of all hope hereafter it must therefore be our care to be well prepared for that conflict wherein if we should be mastered we are lost for ever To make provision for the supporting of our selves under such troubles as attend the Church every member of it under Christs government our care must be First to take off our hearts from the world as we are advised to do like good souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 It is the love which we bear unto and high esteem that we have of the honours riches and pleasures of the world that keeps us off from Christ as it did the young man Mat. 19.22 and makes us look back oftentimes and thereby unfit for the Kingdome of God Luke 9.62 Secondly we must labour to get assurance of heaven it was the assurance of a crown of righteousnesse laid up for him which strengthened St. Paul to fight that good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. We must have treasure some where if we have taken off our hearts from earthly treasures we must lay up for our selves treasures in heaven as our Saviour adviseth Mat. 6.19 20. The Merchant never sold all that he had till he had found that pearle of great price and bought it Mat. 13.46 Thirdly we must take up and exercise our selves in the use of that spirituall armour recommended unto us Eph. 6 13 14 15. above all the shield of faith ver 16. of which we have spoken already sufficiently Fourthly we must watch with all perseverance as our Saviour commands not only his Disciples but all men to do Mark 13.37 First watch our selves keep thine heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 because it is deceitfull and desperately wicked Jer. 17.3 full of evill thoughts whence proceed adulteries fornications murthers Mar. 7.21 None ought to be more carefully watched then the traitors within our own bosomes Watch the world our company or any temptation that may assail us from without David was of all things most carefull of his company joyning with those that feared the Lord Psal 119.63 and commanding the wicked out of his sight vers 115. Above all watch Satan 1 Pet. 5.8 and be not ignorant of his devises as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 2.11 And to be the better armed against all these keep the heart fill'd with holy thoughts hide the law there Psal 119.11 that it may be our meditation all the day vers 97. Fiftly consider and be throughly acquainted with the nature of those troubles which the world feares so much that they reach not to those things that most concern us they corrupt not our hearts unlesse it be our own faults that they are but momentany and bring us more advantages as we have shewed then they do incombrances Lastly look at the reward that follows as our Saviour for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse despising the shame Afflictions are light while wee looke at the things which are eternall 2 Cor. 4.18 the crown of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge gives those that fight the good fight 2 Tim. 4.8 The last considerable circumstance in my Text is the matter or thing promised the building of the walls and streets of Jerusalem the walls for defence and the streets to reduce it into an orderly form That the materiall Jerusalem is to be looked on as a type of the Church is evident by St. Johns description of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.2.10.12 by the types of the walls gates foundations and circuit of that old Jerusalem and the resemblance of the Church figured by the Temple in Ezekiels vision Chap. 41. and 42. So that in this promise before us we have represented to us how God will have his Church ordered for time to come hee will not only have a people freed from Satans bondage as the Jews from the Babylonish captivity but will have a Jerusalem built a people united into a body a regular body compassed with walls of government for protection and digested into an orderly form as cities are by streets so that we may hence