between us and him nearer though spiritual than that of our kinred according to the flesh therefore Christ that his troubled Servants may have peace calls them to himself John 16. 33. Phil. 4. 4 12 13. 4. There is the peace of inward consolation by that Spirit which is the Comforter to allay and take away all heart-trouble John 14. 26 27. Hereby Jesus as Jonathan 1 Sam. 23. 16. strengthens the hands and hearts of his Servants in God 5. There is the peace of expectation Let not your hearts be troubled saith our Saviour John 14. 1 2 3. for I go to prepare a place for you that where I am ye may be also look to that in all troubles here and quiet and comfort your hearts 1 Thes 4. 17 18. 2 Cor. 4. 14. 6. Of sustentation mean-time Acts 18. 10. Psal 73. 23 24 26. Thus of the personal Peace 2. There is by a reigning Christ a social-Peace or a society-Peace And that 1. By our own Regeneration whereby our spirits are made peaceable towards others 2. By others Conversion whereby their spirits are made peaceable towards us Both these we find Isa 11. 6 c. Thus was the raging spirit of Saul calmed and thereby the whole Church also had much more rest and quiet Acts 9. 31. yea by the convictions of the Word upon the hearts of wiser Men though they be not converted there ariseth a peace to the People of God by an over-ruling Christ and Thus by Gamaliel's counsel upon a ground of Religion to wit that it was dangerous to fight against God Acts 5. 39. that bloody company were so convinced that the Apostles had their lives and were dismiss'd with a comfortable measure of peace Unto all which we may add that Christ to whom all power is committed bends and binds the hearts tongues and hands of Enemies as Gen. 31. 42. 33. 10. raiseth up instruments and ordereth out benign Providences as he pleaseth for his Churches peace Hence something they do against the Children of God and more they cannot do though they would never so fain and though they be never so like to do it as we see in Herod Acts 12. 2 3 4 5 6 11. Hitherto of the Peace of Christs Kingdom 3. Christs Rule and Dominion is described by the relation it hath unto David Here therefore is as it were the Heraldry of the Holy Ghost describing this King as lineally descending from David This was of great use to the Jews because all their Covenant-comforts and precious Promises were laid up in the House of David 2 Sam. 7. 26 29. 2 Kings 19. 3 4. 1 Chron. 14. 2. yea and is so to us Gentiles also for the main Promises of the Covenant of Grace are made and belong to the people of God in all Ages which people of God we Gentiles now are over whom Christ the Son of David is as their King and Shepherd Ezek. 36. 24. John 10. 16. Rom. 10. 12. Hos 1. 10 11. In sum There 's no comfort for sinners but in a work of Redemption and Reconciliation none can be merry solidly but they that can sing that new Song Revel 5. 9. There 's no Redemption but by the true Messiah and his Sacrifice Dan. 9. 26. John 8. 24. Acts 4. 12. This true Messiah must be of the House and Lineage and sit upon the Throne of David Luke 1. 32 33. 2. 4. By this Description therefore we see where to fix our comfort there being no sitting upon the Throne of David since this Child was born but by this Child and Son of God only to whom is given Dominion and Glory Dan. 7. 14. Mat. 20. 18. yet we must remember that He sits on the Throne of David as David did reigning outwardly and subduing Enemies as he did His Kingdom is not a worldly but a spiritual Kingdom wherein he rules by his Word and Spirit Psal 110. 2 3. Mat. 12. 18. Luke 17. 21. only while he rules thus in his Church spiritually he rebukes the wickedness of the world as he seeth good outwardly Psal 110. 6 7. Acts 12. 20. yea and of the Church also Acts 5. 5 10 11. 13. 11. 4. The Government of Christ is described by the manner of the administration of it His Kingdom is a well-ordered and established Kingdom as the Covenant with David was 2 Sam. 2. 3 5. Christ in person did set things right in the Temple John 2. 15 16. And hath set an order in his Church Mat. 18. 15. John 20. 23. Ephes 4. 11 12. 1 Tim. 3. 2 c. 5. wholly and Tit. 1. 5 6 7 c. yea for outward things 1 Cor. 11. 2 c. 34 14 throughout Col. 2. 5. It is also an established Kingdom so that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Mat. 16. 18. nor any true Member of it Luke 22. 32. John 17. 15. 1 Pet. 5. 10. with v. 8 9. This appears because all those things are in it whereby the Throne is established as right Laws and righteous Executions of Judgment in regard of his Enemies and Justice in regard of his Subjects 5. It is described by the perpetuity of it It is for ever and ever Dan. 7. 14. Luke 2. 33. Heb. 1. 8. As long as this world lasteth Christ doth and will administer it as Mediator as now it is and ever after the Kingdom will continue in a glorious state 2 Tim. 4. 1. 2. 12. All this is sealed and assured by the zeal and ardent love of the Lord of Hosts which is the cause of it and again by the zeal and vehemency of spirit that is in the Lord of Hosts for his own glory his Churches welfare to pay his Enemies their Wages to make good his Truth and perform his gracious Promises made to his people When God puts on the cloak of zeal as 2 Kings 9. 20. 20. 15. he will throughly plead the cause of his Church Jer. 50. 34. vindicate the honour of this great King and see that all shall be well though for present it be never so ill Isa 59. 14 15 16 17 18-20 63. 5 6. Our zeal is oft seen in promising and professing It were better shew it as God doth his in performing That which yet remains to be more particularly spoken to is why Christ is so much spoken of in Promises and Promises of the Churches Deliverance whereof these Reasons may be given 1. Because Christ is the foundation of faln Mans recovery of the covenant of grace of all the grace comfort of that covenant which containeth all good in it as the Mine of Mercy He is therefore mentioned and described immediately after the Fall in that first grand Promise Gen. 3. 15. revealing mans restoring upon this ground that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent that caus'd the Fall by the Serpents bruising of his heel that is principally by our Saviours
ease and prosperity Zach. 1. 11. Psal 73. 10. Hab. 1. 13. Propitious and prosperous Providence is a quickener 2 Chron. 17. 5 6. Paenal and dejecting Providence is a deader Isa 64. 7. Psal 137. 4. Now hereby God may be said in a sort to cause to err not that God is the author of any sin which it is horrible to imagin but because God is the orderer of such Providences as whereupon through mans weakness and corruption sin and wandring from the right way ensueth Hence David saith That they that drove him from the inheritance of the Lord said Go serve other gods 1 Sam. 26. 19. Not that they said so but expelling him from the Ordinances of God and forcing him to fly for his life among Idolaters amounted to that because of the great temptation there was in it See Deut. 28. 64. But besides that erring and hardning may be said to be of God in these respects which are common to wicked men there are some respects wherein this complaining and humble casting of these things in a sort upon God is proper to the Children of God who are imboldened to do it 1. In regard of Gods Covenant in reference whereto it may be said that they err not only when God could hinder it but when he hath bound himself to hinder it Isa 30. 21. Ezek. 36. 27. Since therefore he hath promised to make them go in the path of his Commandments he is humbly questioned by his erring and grieving servants as if he made them go out for how could they go out if he caus'd them and made them to go in Psal 119. 35. So hardning from his fear is put by the boldness and familiarity of Faith upon his account because he hath promised to get hardness out and put his fear in and into the hearts of his Children Ezek. 36. 26. Jer. 32. 40. Hereupon faithful and holy men press God with these grievances so as no wicked men can who have no right to the Covenant and to whom if they should plead as they do here God might say I withhold from you what I am no way tied to give you and if you be in an erring and hardned state what do you tell me of it to wit continuing in a state of unbelief and ungodliness I am not bound by any promise I have made to help you who regard not the conditions of the Covenant on your part Psal 50. 16. Lay not the blame upon me if you live and die in a sad state it 's you that are enemies to your own good 2. In regard of Gods wonted ordinary dealing with his people whereupon they may say Why dost thou cause to err for want of working as thou was wont to do to hinder it Wilt thou forsake the work of thine own hands Psal 138. 8. Is not thy former an engagement for thy future working Phil. 1. 6. Now wicked men cannot plead this that God hath begun to build they are not able to design a better time and to say Lord it was not wont to be so but as for Gods children an inchoation is an obligation Isa 59. 21. Ezek. 39. 29. They may say Work O our God as thou wast wont in us and for us Isa 26. 12. Withal since they had a promise of return out of the Captivity wherein while they were shut up their hearts were much shut up as the earth in an hard frost when a thaw opens it therefore they might say and pray Return O Lord and graciously alter our sad and heartless condition so will we not go back and err from thy ways O quicken us and we will call upon thy Name Psal 80. 14 18. Our hearts shall not be hardened from thy fear some life in our condition putting life into our affection we will stir up our selves to take hold of thee Isa 64. 7. Now that this Prayer belongs to the faithful appears as by the fervency of it all along so by this very complaint for none are griev'd with erring that have not a mind to go in the right way nor doth a stone complain of its hardness complaint of hardness shews there is some softness and a desire of Gods return a lothness to live without him Scripture-Questions out of JEREMIAH Jer. 3. 6. The Lord also said to me in the days of Josiah the King Hast thou seen that which back-sliding Israel hath done she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree and there hath played the harlot V. 11 The backsliding Israel hath justified her self more than treacherous Judah Qu. How can Judah be said to be worse than backsliding and for their Sin divorced and destroyed Israel especially in the days of Josiah when there was so eminent a reformation A. 1. Negatively The Reason is not because Judah was in every respect worse than Israel for it is said Judah did rule with God and was faithful with the Saints that is Gods Government in the posterity of David was preserved among them in the civil State See 2 Chro. 13. 8. to v. 13. And for matters of Religion though there were foul defections Yet they kept to the Ordinances and Officers which God had appointed and which were transmitted to them by the Saints their faithful Forefathers when-as Israel constantly followed the Calves which destroyed them Hos 8. 6. and fell quite from God to the Idolatry of Baal 1 King 18. 21. 2. Affirmatively This may be spoken of Judah 1. Because they were exceeding Sinful For. 1. They fell into that Idolatry whereof Israel was guilty It is said here not only that Israel played the harlot v. 6. but that Judah went and played the harlot also v. 8. See what is said before of Judah v. 1 2. and Jer. 19. 4 5 7 13. See also 2 Chron. 33. 9. Ezek. 16. 47. 2. They were eminently guilty in looking after forbidden Confederacies and trusting to Egypt and Ashur and forrein aid Jer. 2. 18. Isa 7. 20. 8. 6. Ezek. 23. 11 12 13. 30 31. 3. They were abominable in their practice as we see Jer. 7. 6. 9 13. Ezek. 16. 49 51 52. It is expresly said Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins v. 51. 2. Because the sin of Judah admitteth many aggravations beyond that of Israel viz. Because they had more means of doing well than Israel had for they enjoyed the Ordinances of God and had Priests and Levites of God's own appointing that instructed them 2 Chron. 30. 22. and Prophets that warned them that they should not do as Israel did Hos 4. 15. And whereas the Kings of Israel were generally wicked they had better Kings to rule them and when they fell into Sin under worse Kings They had divers godly Kings to reform them as Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah yea Manasseh at last 2 Chron. 33. 15 16. 2. Because they saw Israels Sin and knew how by the Messengers of God it was cried out against which if they had had any Zeal for God would
mighty in words and as far as shame will suffer O what need to watch and pray that the Peace of God may rule in our hearts and that we may be amicable Col. 3. 15. when a Jeremy is so unamicable and implacable 2. Yet that something there is I say something to extenuate that which can no way be excused viz. 1. A natural temptation because as himself expresseth it v. 18. he was brought forth to such labour and sorrow and his days were consumed with shame This though it be no sufficient defence for him yet it may be look'd upon as a mitigation of his fault among men that know themselves to be in such sort moved though not in such an height because all men have not the like fiery affections with such temptations Oppression and ignominy makes a wise man mad and a godly man fierce 2 Sam. 10. 4 5. 12. 31. 2. A moral and spiritual foundation and rise of this his rising so high there was as it is suppos'd and it cannot be but that there was some good at the bottom as there was in Nehemiah's cursing and rough discipline Chap. 13. 25. we may presume that it was not only his own case and barbarous usage but Gods cause that made him so to transgress his bounds and to be zealous beyond knowledg herein he may be more excus'd than Job who also cursed the day of his birth but it arose from his present misery Job 3 20 24. but Jeremy looks like Jonah that was so froward and high with God because he supposed he should be accounted a false Prophet by his threatening and Gods sparing of Niniveh so Jeremy saw here that not only his person was opposed but his Ministry and that therein God and all Religion was trodden under foot which was so horrible a thing to him that it was tedious to him to live while he lived longer and longer to see God and Goodness more and more trodden under foot 4. And this also may be added that Jeremy may not be low in our eyes that he was a man of a most vigorous and keen spirit his affections wrought like new Wine Chap. 4. 19. 24. 9. the zeal of Gods house did eat him up yea zeal for God was at the bottom of these exceedings No marvel if Luther and such renowned Worthies that marched furiously for God were sometimes too furious and if they that had so much of heavenly fire had something also of strange fire for the best have flesh in them as well as spirit and it 's an hard thing for any man not to act according to his natural temper and constitution sometimes in a worse way as well as ordinarily in a better O how extreamly dull are they in action that are free from the extremity of passion O how may our coldness and lukewarmness move us to put a charitable Interpretation upon their words and actions that have been hot for Heaven though now and then scalding hot But though all this may be said for Jeremy yet nothing can plead sufficiently for such headlong passion nor for any that imitate him in it albeit they come far short of the height of it Jer. 28. 2 3 4. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts the God of Israel saying I have broken the yoke of the King of Babylon within two full years I will bring again into this place all the Vessels of the Lord and all the Captives of Judah c. v. 4. Qu. When one Prophet said one thing and another did with as much confidence say a contrary thing yea when many speak good and one Jeremiah evil How could People know which to believe A. They might very well know if they were not willing to shut their eyes for 1. The Prophets were but Interpreters of the Law of God and tho they had divers immediate and particular revelations yet all suited with and confirmed the written Word Now that Law and Word of God threateneth all evil to Idolaters and men wicked and cruel in their carriage The Jews therefore being such at this time as the Scripture often shews and therein gives a reason of the Judgments threatned against them see Jer. 8. 15. 20. 8. 5. 19. 13. 22 I say they being so abominably bad they could not but judg Looking to the Word of God Deut. 29. 24 25. c. 31. 29. that they speak most truly that speak most terribly to them Obj. But if a sinful people repent good is still promised in the whole Word of God Deut. 4. 29 30 31. A. True but we find not that these false Prophets speak a word to move the People to repentance as Jeremiah still did Chap. 18. 8 11. 26. 3. And so they left them uncapable of any good And this will ever be the difference between a true and a false Prophet that a false Prophet promiseth a good condition without urging the condition of Obedience but the true Prophet preacheth all evil if there be not amendment and no good condition but upon that condition 2. This people were or might have been convinc'd in their own Judgment and Consciences that Jeremy spake true and they that opposed him untruths For 1. unby assed and more judicious men as namely the Princes Jer. 26. 16. acknowledged and that when this controversy was on foot yea and all the people said to the Priests and the Prophets that opposed Jeremy that he did indeed and truly speak unto them in the name of the Lord their God 2. Their own experience might set them right for divers Evils whereof Jeremy had prophecied were already come upon them Jechoniah and many with him being carried Captives to Babylon and the vessels of the Temple also carried away thither already see Jer. 27. 16. 28. 4. 3. They have here in this Chapter an evident and eminent example of the wrath of God upon and in the Death of this wicked Hananiah and that by the Word of Jeremiah declaring he should die because of his lying Prophecy whereby in stead of calling the people to Repentance and Submission to the King of Babylon and therein to God himself he taught them to rebel v. 16 17. So that the controversy was decided from Heaven and it might easily be known which was the truer Prophet because God sent a sentence from Heaven which was speedily executed against Hananiah by Jeremiah and that because he contradicted the truth that Jeremy had delivered 3. Jeremy was not the first nor the only Prophet that threatned thus Micah and Vrijah have been named before who Prophecied according to all the words of Jeremiah Chap. 26. 20. yea the true Prophets generally speak successively such things so that Jeremy cannot be looked upon as single in what he said 4. Jeremiah spake usually and constantly the same sad things with the danger of his life Jer. 26. 8. but they that spake smooth things had the applause of the people Micah 2. 11. now it 's
lay not this sin to their Charge Act. 7. 60. may seem to respect those that did what they did against him out of a blind Zeal for he is very stern against those of them that were obstinate v. 51 52 53 54. And whereas Saul is conceived to be converted by and sure had the benefit of that Prayer he declareth that he obtained mercy because what he did ill he did ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13 Unto all ignorant opposers mercy should be shewed and meekness 2 Tim. 2. 25. Tit. 2. 2. As also to those that be instigated by others Mat. 27. 20. with Luk. 23. 34. Gal. 5. 8. 10 12. Paul declares good thoughts of the troubled but prayes fearfully against the Troublers Gal. 1. 7. Act. 13. 10 1. 2. The evil cause or course that wicked men defend against God and his People we may pray against but not so against their persons We find not that David prayed against the Person but against the Counsel of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 31. So the first Christians prayed not against the persons of them that sat in Counsel against the Apostles but against their proceedings Acts 4. 29. Or if in such prayers the Persons be sometimes mentioned yet we find in Scripture that it is in reference to their works Neh. 6. 14. as a vile Person is and ought to be contemned Psal 15. 4. 3. Whatsoever is done in Scripture by the extraordinary Servants of God in extraordinary cases yet it will be safe for us in stead of mentioning particular persons to wrap them up in the general evil cause and course that we ought to pray against as Paul doth Gal. 5. 12. If particular persons come under the general head of disturbers of the Church of God and of enemies to the Truth of God then they justly fall under Church-imprecations which yet are not directed against this or that man but in a generality against this and that man without pointing to any as enemies to the Kingdom of Christ and Souls of Christians 4. We are not to pray at all against our own private and personal enemies as seeking to be revenged of them though we may pray that God would restrain them and defend us from their â—alice Psal 119. 121 122. This is the meaning of the new-Testament precepts to pray for enemies Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 14. 19 20. 5. But against the enemies of God his Cause his Church Psalm 94. 1 2 5. we may pray Judges 5. 31. Neh. 4. 5. Yet not without limitation as 1. It must be done with a pure Zeal that is not because we suffer by them but truly and clearly and meerly forthat very reason because they are enemies to God and undoers of his People when else we wish them all good So it was with Jeremy he spake good before God for his people Jer. 18 20. yet see what dreadful prayers he made against them because they were such enemies to God that they sought to kill him that spake from God to them that God might not kill them v. 21 22 23. so Psal 74. 22 23. their prayers against enemies are put on Gods account as also Psal 79. 6 7 10 12. 2. It must be done not absolutely but orderly that is 1. we should pray for their Conversion for a Saul may be converted 2. for their Restraint that God would change or check their hearts as he did Esau's Gen 33. 10. or bind their tongues and hands as he did Laban's Gen. 31. 29. But 3. the highest and heaviest Prayers are to be presented before God and for God against those enemies of himself and his people that are incurable and ever will be incorrigible Who such be the Lord knows and not we and therefore we must leave our Prayers with him to do what he will with them yea we may pray him to confound and trouble them for ever rather than that he should not be known to be most high over all the Earth When we aim purely at that end we may pray against desperate enemies that they may be put to shame and perish Psalm 83. 16 17 18. 129. 5. But all carnal and selfish mixtures motives and motions are to be abandoned And we must know of what Spirit we are Luk. 9. 55. Q. What use may we make of those prayers in Scripture which it is dangerous for us to imitate who have not the Spirit or Patience of Prophets A. 1. We may look upon them with much comfort as Prophesies though formed into a Prayer of the woful state and end of the enemies of God and his People what is put into this Prayer here was put into Jeremie's Prophesy before as hath been shewed p. 54. 2. What they prayed more particularly we may make use of in a generality and direct it against the Kingdom of the Devil which is no more than to pray Thy Kingdom come for how can the Kingdom of Christ come if the Kingdom of Satan do not come down Ezek. 3. 20. When a Righteous man doth turn from his Righteousness and commit iniquity and I lay a stumbling block before him he shall die c. Qu. How can God be said to lay a stumbling-block before a Righteous man backsliding A. First it is to be considered that by a Righteous man here is not meant a man Righteous before God by Faith through Christ's Righteousness imputed to him whereunto is ever joyned the Righteousness of God in him whereby he becomes a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. for such never fall quite away though they often fall in the way Adam fell after the first Creation Eccles 7. 29. none so fall after the second Eph. 4. 24 25. 2. 10. Jer. 32. 40. John 10. 28. Psal 1. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 5. yet such an one may fall very low in regard of the degrees of grace comforts of the Spirit and suavities of Religion but one Ezekiel or other will raise him up again But by a righteous man in this place and upon supposition of a total and final fall is meant one righteous before men As 1 In his own or other men's account Luk. 15. 7 16. 15. yea perhaps in good men's account because charity binds to think the best 1 Cor. 13. 7. 2 By profession Act. 8. 13. 3 By a righteousness in matter of doctrine Mark 12. 32 34. and in divers parcels of outward practise Secondly by Gods laying a stumbling-block before such a righteous man righteous not by the Reality of Righteousness within We may not imagin that God puts any unrighteousness into any such man or any man or that he inclines his heart to any evil James 1. 13. But two things may be understood by it 1. In a more spiritual sence Gods leaving of a backslider to his own backsliding heart yea giving him up to it Psal 81. 12. or to Satan 2 Thes 2. 10 11 22. yea farther God in his just judgment may raise up such Providences as his corrupt heart will be
David 1 Sam. 17. 26. 29. and Paul Act. 17. 16. By this it may appear that the cause and case here stands upon different terms than are ordinarily presented in in the course of Providence And therefore few in all Ages are so remarkably called out to Confession as Daniel was Yet is Confession and standing for God as to the substance of it and when there is just cause for it a common and a standing duty Math. 10. 32 33. But it belongeth not to the negative Precepts like that Thou shall not kill nor commit Adultery nor steal c. unto the observation whereof all are at all times bound but it is to be referred to the Affirmative Precepts such as those are to pray Visit the sick give alms which bind at all times but not to all times The meaning then is not that a man must never forbear to give in his testimony or that a man is always bound to divulge what he thinks of Religion though a Den or Death will evidently follow upon it but the time and season when God calls for it Rev. 2. 13. is to be observed Then therefore Elisha appeared for God 2 King 5. 28. and Gehazi not observing the time did the contrary v. 26. Only It belongs to the negative Preepts thus far that there must never be a perfidious dissimulation though we be not always tied to an open Confession nor always to the utmost Confession If a man flie in time of persecution though this be not so high an appearing for God and Religion as resisting to blood is yet it hath in it a real Confession in Opposition to the enemies of Religion because he leaves his Country Friends State and so suffers many ways rather than that the cause of God should suffer by his abiding under tentation and being drawn to any thing that should be a prejudice to it The question then will be double Qu. First In what case a publick and open Confession may be forborn A. 1. When it is not required of us by those that have Authority though perhaps we be pressed to it out of a malicious petulancy Prov. 26. 4. Mat. 27. 39 40 c. 2. Nor any just cause for it but it will rather do hurt than good Thus Mordecai will not have Esther to shew her kinred or her people Esth 2. 10. for thereby the Nation of the Jews being so hated of the Heathen Esth 9. 1. She and the Church of God might have fared the worse but the same Mordecai at another time told them he was a Jew Esth 3. 4. because then the cause of God was to be tried and all the world was to be given to understand that there was no need to fear to own the name of a Jew See Esth 6. 13. when the Glory of the God of the Jews lay at Stake For this reason Christ oft commanded Silence to others because it would obscure his doctrine which he would have esteemed most by a less profitatable seasonable and less solid applauding of his Miracles And partly because they did thereby so press upon him for bodily cures that it was an hindrance to his preaching Mark 1. 45. See Mat. 8. 4. and 9. 30. And for this cause also Christ was silent himself to admiration Matt. 27. 12 14. John 19. 9 10. Some things being so frivolous that they were not worthy an answer but especially because he would not hinder his suffering by his pleading and that real confession which was to be made by his death for the Glory of God in the Salvation of mankind And in other cases Confession may be needless 1. As When it is done already and it is sufficiently known what our mind is John 9. 27. and 18 19 20. 2. When it will as in Christs case it did Mark 1. 44 45. hinder the spreading of the doctrine of Religion stir up Envy and raise a greater Persecution and Opposition Act. 17. 10. 3. When he that offereth Confession is no way able to maintain the cause of Religion and so like to make it more contemptible unto which some refer that Mat. 9. 30. or will shrink in the wetting Act. 15. 38. wanting Faith and Fortitude to bear the weight of the Cross John 18. 8 9. Hence they were advised to flee rather than stay and dissemble in the Marian Persecution that found themselves too weak for the fire 4. When things are carried in a way of tumult so that there is an eminent danger to the person confessing especially if an eminent person without hope of helping the truth confessed as Act. 19. 30. Q. Secondly In what cases is confession required A. 1. When called to it by authority Mat. 10. 18. Joh. 1. 19 20. especially more solemnly put upon it and pressed to it Matt. 16. 63 64. John 18. 37. 2. When it is seriously demanded by others and may make for their edification by information and confirmation of the truth 1 Pet. 3. 15. 3. When the cause of Religion the Glory of God the Salvation and Spiritual good of others calls us to it As more particularly 1. When Christ is to be acknowledged and there are no others to do it Job 32. 11 12. Luke 19. 40. 2. As in this case of Daniel when otherwise wicked men will be imboldened to blaspheme and cry down the cause and truth of God because none dare appear for it See Act 1. 8. with Act. 4. 10. 18 19 29 33. 3. When the weak will be offended and tempted by our silence and pusillanimity to apostacy or to that dissimulation Hypocrisy and timidity that is next to apostacy Gal. 2. 14. The Conclusion may be the resolution and answering of some Questions and Objections 1. Q. We read of no such appearing of Daniel in the third Chapter where there was such another decree as this why so much now and nothing then A. We must not think that he yielded then that is and was so faithful and couragious now and heretofore Chap. 1. 8. but though he forbore toworship the Image yet the accusing of him was forborn there so as it is not here and that it 's very like because he was in so high favour with the King of whom he had merited so much before Chap. 2. 46. that he was above their reach and they might rather fear displeasure by opposing him than hope to make the King displeased with him It was enough that Daniels companions that were then singled out and accused stood to it to the utmost but here Daniel himself is brought upon the stage 2. Q. But how comes it to pass that here there is no news of any standing up besides Daniel no not of Shadrach Meschech and Abednego that were men so eminent A. 1. Perhaps those three that were not in the Kings Gate as Daniel was but set over the affairs of the province of Babylon Chap. 2. 49. might not be now at â—and and in sight of the Authors of this dâ—sign and the great Actors in it