Apud Edinburgum Vicesimo primo die Aprilis 1691 post Meridiem THâ— whilk day the Commission appointed by the late General Assembly of this Church having considered Report from a Committee of their own number whom the said Commission had appointed to Reviâ—â— two Manuscripts written by the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Bell Minister of the Gospel and Professor of Philology in the Colledge 〈…〉 Edinburgh and given in to them by his Relick the one where 〈…〉 Grapes in the Wilderness the other Nehemiah the 〈…〉 or The Character of a good Commissioner whereby the 〈…〉 â—ommittee declared that they having perused the saids Peices 〈…〉 them to be solid and edifying Discourses and that 〈…〉 Printing there would be very useful and profitable And the said Commission being well and ripely advised with the said Report They do hereby recommend to the Relick of the said Mr. Thomas Bell to get the said two Pieces printed and published with all convenient diligence Extractum c. NEHEMIAH THE Tirshatha OR THE CHARACTER OF A Good Commissioner To which is Added GRAPES IN THE Wilderness By Mr. THOMAS BELL Minister of the Gospel and Professor of Philology in the Colledge of Edinburgh EDINBURGH Printed by George Mosman and are to be sold at his Shop in the Parliament CloÌ„ss Anno 1692. UNTO THE Most Noble and Illustrious PRINCESS THE Dutchess of Hamiltoun May it please your Grace I Have adventured though not without blushing and some fear because of the vastdistance to dedicate and commit the Tutelage of these two little Orphan treatises of my deceast Husband Mr Thomas Bell Grapes in the Wilderness and The Character of a Commissioner in the person of None-such Nehemiah to your Grace the every way most fit and proper Person under the benign in fluence of whose incouraging countenance he did for a considerable time preach the Gospel at Hamiltoun And indeed if any other in the World could possibly rival it with your Grace in my esteem yet could I not without the highest both Injustice and Ingratitude Dedicate them otherwayes it having been to my certain knowledge his firm resolution if ever they saw the light that they should be dedicated thus whose will i◠〈◊〉 such things was alwayes and is still to me as an inviolably obliging Law I am very confident your Grace will read them in Print after his death with the same edifying complacency and delight that you had wont to hear him discourse by vive voice in the Noble Family and in the solemne Assembly for really they resemble their Father to the very life That I have therefore sent them abroad into the wide World under the Patronage and Protection of your Graces Noble and Renowned Name which will sufficiently secure I am against all the Censures Cavills of the most malevolent Carpers of this ill natured Age will not be construed impardonable presumption is the humble hope of Most Noble Princess Your Graces most humble most obliged and most devoted Servant L. R. TO THE READER Christian Reader THE Discoveries that the Majesty of GOD hath made of himself in these latter dayes are so transcendent and eminently beyond what was informer Ages that it may truly be said that the Men of this Generation shall be signally indebted either to the Grace and Mercy or Justice of God For informer Ages thought was comparatively dark the Sun but rising in our Horizon But in this Age the light of the Moon compared with former Generations is like the light of the Sun the light of the Sun sevenfold as the light of seven dayes But alas our not walking in the light may justly provoke the Lord to cause our Sun go down at noon Beza complained in his time that there was multum Scientiae much Knowledge but parum Conscientiae little Conscience and how much more is there ground for this Complaint now For since the Primitive and Apostolick Age greater light hath not broken forth and moe Stars of the first and greatest magnitude have not more clearly shined in any age But oh how little walking is there sutable to such great light How many eminent Christians were there in former ages who had not so much all their dayes of the riches of free Grace discovered and of the mysteries of the Gospel unfolded as some in this Generation have had in a very little time who have far surpassed us in this Generation for eminency in Faith Love Holy Zeal Prayer and Wrestling with God Patience Meckness diligence in duty and a Gospel adorning conversation And the generality have shut their eyes and will not behold the Glory of God manifested in the 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ in this Gospel For which cause the holy and jealous God in great anger and holy indignation hath removed many and eminent Candlesticks out of their place and taken away many shining and burning lights not in their old age and gray Hairs but even in the flower of their age and in the prime and flowrishing of their Graces and Gifts One of which was the Reverend now Triumphant and Glorified Author of these following Treatises who was eminent for Piety and Learning as his Writtings do manifest His Roman Antiquities which he published before his death cannot but command his Learning to all knowing persons and his Piety was so eminent to all that knew him that he needs none of our Commendation And these his Works which are a specimen of his great Knowledge Eloquence piety and solid Judgement will praise him in the gate where he draws a Vive Picture and Patern for all but especially for Rulers and Magistrates to look on and walk after Which I am hopeful will be very acceptable to all the Judicious and Godly He I say was taken away in the flower of his Age flowrishing of his Gifts God not accounting the World worthy of him And having left amongst his Papers these two Treatises one of which was for me established by a privat Person but without the knowledge and advice of the Authors Friends some of his Friends lovers of the publick Good judged it expedient to review and correct these Treatises that they might be published for the good and edification of the Church that he by them though dead might speak Which we hope shall through Gods blessing be very edifying for over throwing of Atheism discovering of the Souls happiness in Union and Communion with God directing great Persons in their duty and holding forth the excellency of the Scripture and pointing out to these who are walking in this Wilderness the way to the Heavenly Canaan with many other edifying purposes which that the Great God may bless is the earnest Prayer of Thy Servant in the Work of the Gospel M. C. NEHEMIAH THE Tirshatha OR THE CHARACTER OF A Good Commissioner THE Scripture casteth such a light of Divinity every way its Purpose being the Mind of God its Writting the Writting of God as whole the Oracles of God and every part of it
and Divinity in Reason and Scripture contribut to wisdom Knowledge Understanding Invention Counceâ—â— Iudgment and Prudence which howbeit because of their affinity and mutual concurrence they bâ— often used promiscuously yet having natural their distinct proprieties I shall indeavour as I caâ— to marshall them in their due order especially a required in the Ruler 1. Knowledge taketh â—â— things simply and historically as they are or appear and hath its treasure chiefly in the Memory it purchased and preserved either by observation aâ—â— experience for a wise mans eyes are in his heaâ— or by reading Ahasuerus caused read the Chroncles and Daniel understood by Books The Booâ— and play are the two things that take up Children if the Latter be not below the Ruler surely be not above the former he who will not be as a Câ—â— at Book may happily prove such indeed in coâ—â—sesâ— and he who will not be serious in Lâ—â— may readily Ludere in re seriâ— We know what 〈◊〉 count Alexarder had and what use he made the works of Homer I suppose most of the Histâ—ry then extant And in all ages and places whâ—â— Letters were received what a price have Prince put upon learned men and Libraryes How gâ—â— Historians were the bravest Emperours Or knowledge is got by tradition and information others before books were used or where tâ— were not known We have heard with our ears â—â— our fathers have told us was the History practise I suppose History was not much known to Nation in the dayes of Galdus yet we find hâ— â—â—scourse to his People of the Noble acts of their â—ncestors as exactly as if he had been reading a â—cture of History 2. Understanding lodged highâ—â— in the upper room of the speculative judgement and reaching deeper discovereth things in â—â—eir original and taketh them up in their causes â—â—d how they are Simple knowledge without understanding is like those of whom we read in Matth. 13. 13. That seeing they see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand â—he saith well It is a good Memory that remembers a thing and the reason thereof I add it is a â—od knowledge that knoweth a thing and the â—â—uses thereof felix qui potuit c Are there in a â—â—d abuses and corruptions are their decays and assolations here is the wisdom of the Ruler seriously to consider for what the land perisheth and is burnt up as a wilderness Jer 9 2. And â—he be as willing as concerned to know the next â—â—rse will resolve him because they have forsaken my Law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice neither walked therein but have walked after the imagination of their own heart c. The Philistins when they were afflicted â—on inquiry found that it was not a chance but â—â— hand of God that afflicted them for his Ark â—hich they held captive 1 Sam. 6 And Pharaoh to â—â— cost was taught understanding because be would â—â—t let the People goe to serve the Lord. Genes â— 3 and 18 Abimilec King of Geraâ— was taught to understand the cause of the barrenness of his house â—â— that he had taken a mans wife The same is shewed by Hosea chap 4. 10. They shall commit Whordâ— and shall not increase In a word whatsoever plagâ—â— whatsoever sore is upon a People it springs from Sâ— the formal cause of corruptions and meritorious afflictiones and desolations The Crown is fallen froâ— our head wo unto us for we have sinned 3. Invention great affinity with understanding this resolving â—â—â—ects into their causes and that producing effects froâ— their causes like a Latine Version of a Hebrew line sentence rendering foreward what was read bacâ—ward This is seeded by observation and conceive by Imagination It 's issues if weaker and tender â—â— called fancys if masculine and stronger Engines aâ—witty inventions The Ruler must be an inventâ— of fit means to reform the abuses remove the misery further and settle the good and wellfare his People Such as Nehemiah chap. 7. 5. acknowledgeth that God put into his heart for peopling aâ—â— manning of Ierusalem and such as his appointing the Priests and Levits in their offices for the serviâ—â— of God and instruction of the People 〈◊〉 causing shut the gates ordinarly with the Sun-â—â— for defence of the City and sooner before tâ—â— Sabbath for its sanctification and that of not eating the bread of the Governour for the ease 〈◊〉 the People his causing restore their Lands moâ—â— gaged by oppression his making a Covenant and entring the People into a curse with their owâ— consent for advancing reformation O the that Wisdom be which King Reign would teacâ— them the knowledge of such witty inventtons Counsel is an assembly of the witts for advice anâ— for the exercise and tryal of inventions that it may be known what is good or what is better and â—hat Israel ought to do chap 5 7. I consulted with my self saith Nehemiah and I rebuked the nobles and the Rulers and I set a great Assembly against them â— appointed a high Commission for bearing down of oppression and that was amongst the rest of his Noble Inventions 5. Judgment is the Chair-man and Umpire of Counsel determining approving and referring sentences as bad or good good or better and resting in one thing as a close of the matter Absalom sayeth give counsel among you they â—y the counsel of Ahithophel is good but the counsel of â—lushaâ— the Archite is better For the great Counselâ— had appointed the one to defeat the other â—ounsel is good but determination is necessar els â—e who hath much is no better than he who hath nothing to say in a matter and wavering in counsel proves but Weakness of Judgment Consultation should end in Resolution and Resolution in Exâ—cution as we see in Nehemiah for that whereof â—e are speaking is the practical judgment 6. â—rudence that wise and Religious Matron who with the gravity of her countenance putteth to â—ame and silence the folly of Atheism and insolenâ— of impiety in her whole carriage keepeth such measure and decency as courteth into her devoâ—â—on all that is worshipped Nullum numun abâ—st si Prudentia and guideth her affaires with such â—gh discretion that by Scripture and Reason Diâ—â—nes and Philosophers she is deservedly preferred the Government of Manners and intrusted with the ballance and standard of vertues which in all things keep that measure quam vir prudens determinaverâ—â— She relieveth man of the great misery that lyetâ— upon him teaching him to know both time and purpose for to every â—oing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven She so fitteth resolutions to the exigent of occasions as maketh them both safe and seasonable decent and effectual She foreseeth the evil and avoideth it and taketh the good in its season she saveth a maâ— the expence of Apologies and shame of non putaram And thus Nehemiah was wise to know the Counsel of his enemies and
Atheists and obstinate unbelievers who are habitually dissafected to the word of God nor yet to mention the willful groundless fits of pettish distempers in Saints who often times do even take up at their foot groundless and needless pleaes and discouraging apprehensions which they cannot so easily lay down again Psal. 42 5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me Psal. 77. 2. My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted To pass these I say as bearing no direct impeachment of the abovesaid commendation of the absolute sufficiency of the word of God to answer all cases There are three Things that in a time of tentation in an hour and power of darkness do readily concurr to diminish the Saints respects to the word of God The first is that their case seems odd unparalleled and unpracticable in Scripture they find no case equal with theirs in all respects that hath been cured 2 In their weakness they thereupon conclude that their case is really hopless and irremedable But 3 The saddest of all is that they find the word not only silent for them but to speak directly and aloud against them as they think smiting hewing and hammering them with sad and heavy threatnings and intimations of determined wrath rejection and ruine to come upon them from the Lord. In all these they err not knowing the Scriptures But that yet for all this there is hope and that the Scriptures are not to be casten out with as unkind and uncomfortable Companions in such cases Let these things be considered for vindication of the Scriptures to Souls thus exercised And 1. Be it granted as the truth is that a Souls case may be such for Circumstances that the Scriptures mention none Parallel with it in all points to have been cured the same is all along to be understood respectivly of Churches and Nations as of particular persons yet I am confidently perswaded that there is no case now incident to any whether Nation Church or Person but the Scripture holdeth forth some either as evil or worse whether for sin or suffering that have been helped There hath no temptation taken you sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 10 13 but such as is common to man Is thy case sinful behold the Scripture tells us that he obtained mercy who once a day thought himself the chief of sinners 1 Timoth. 1 15. And that as an exquisite and rare piece of mercy is set forth in the Gospel for a pattern to all those who should afterwards believe in Christ to life everlasting Christ loves to have sinners change and for that he puteth forth his pattern as Merchants do their samplers of Rich Wares and sure he hath since that time put off many such pieces and yet the pattern stands forth shewing that their is more abundance to serve all that have need To say nothing of Paul's sin which sure was great enough nor of many who since his time may have thought themselves the chief of sinners as well as he did where I think I see a kind of strife among mercies Clients who shall be most beholding to free Mercy and free Grace This pattern makes it fully certain that there is mercy for the chief of sinners be who he will and that he whosoever he that supposes himself the chief of sinners is â—ot thereby warranted to despair of mercy but rather to plead the greatest interest of necessity and to look upon himself as the fittest subject for the Lord wherein to display his Glory Is thy Case afflicted And thy sufferings extraordinary See Job's desperate Case see Heman's distracted Case see that Case of the Church in the Lamentations in whose Case there is hope though it had not been done under the whole Heaven as had â—een done to Jerusalem Look to the cloud of Witnesses Look to Jesus Heb. 11. and 12. Chapters But here is the great Case of the troubled Soul Cleanly sufferings for the Exercise of my Grace â—â— Job's or for the testimony of Truth and a â—ood Conscience as those of all the Witnesses and Martyrs I could well bear In these respects I â—ount it all joy to fall into diverse temptations and could count it my Honour and Mercy as well â—â— suffer for Christ as to believe in him I could â—o with such sufferings as Job would have done with his Adversaries Books I could take them upon my shoulder and bind them as a Crowne to me and as a Prince would I go near unto him â—ut Alas I suffer with an evil Conscience my afflictions are to me the punishment of my iniâ—uity and the fruits of my folly This case indeed if any requireth the Tongue of the learned and a word in season to the Soul that is weary of â—â— And if the word of God help me not here I have lost the Cause and come short of my Accounts But there is hope in Israel also concerning this thing Ezra 10. 2. And I find the Scripture clear in these particulars concerning this case 1. I find indeed a great odds betwixt cleanly suffering for righteousness and suffering meerly for iâ— doing The one is a thing thank-worthy and Glorifying of God in the highest manner actively the other is not thank-worthy but is the mans misery In the one a man hath a good Conscience and joy therefrom in the other a man hath an iâ— Conscience with terrour and sorrow proceeding therefrom The one gives a man good confidence of assistance and of the spirit of Glory and of God to rest upon him the other makes a man desponâ— and droop The one stops the other opens the mouths of wicked men Therefore sayes Peter Pet. 3 17. It is better if the will of God be so tâ—â— ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing 2ly It is clear that we ought to bear such Afflictions with the more patience Micah 7 9. I will beâ— the indignation of the Lord because I have finned again him Nor ought any living man to complain who suffers meerly for the punishment of his iniquity Laâ— 3 39. and if he must complain let him complain to God and bemoan his case in quietness to him It is far better for men to bear their yoke quieth and sit alone than to pine away in their iniquity Mourning one to another whilst they do not 〈◊〉 to the Lord. Too much whining and complaining to men will be found Labour which profitet not try it who will But as a man would complain to God so he would beware to complain of God he would leave his complaint upon him self Job 10 1. and lay the blame of his afflictions home upon himself Psal 38. 5. My folly makes is so 3. It is clear from the whole History of the Scriptures that most of all the Saints Afflictions whether conjunctly in the Body of a Church or Nation or severally in their own persons particularly have been the chastizments of their
shall Mercy be built and Faithfulness established in the very Heavens Psal. 89. 2. I shall illustrate this consideration with the case of Relapses a case right perplexing to exercised Spirits and wherein they find the Scripture sparing of examples at least of frequent relapses into the same fault which makes them apprehend there is no hope These I write not that any should sin and sure for that very cause the Spirit of God in Wisdom hath beeen more sparing of such examples 〈◊〉 if any man have sinned and relapsed often into sin Let him remember 1. Christ's Seventy times Seven times Matth 18 22. And withall that as far as Heaven is above the earth so far are his wayes above our wayes and his thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. Let him remember 2 The indefinit promises Ezek 18. 27. and the like That when and what time soever a sinner shall repent he shall find mercy 3. Let him remember chiefly the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 1 7. And 4thly if he must have examples Let him read the History of Israel's relapses in the book of Iudges Notwithstanding which the Lord as often as he heard their penitent cryes returned and Repented and sent them Saviours And let him read a notable place Psalm 78. 38. 40. In the 38 verse many a time he delivered them and forgave them but how many times did he that in the 40. verse how many a time did they provoke him Even as often as they provoked him a◠often he forgave them And when any man shall tell me precisely how often they provoked him I shall then tell him peremptorly how often he forgave them A simple Soul may possibly think to prevail with God at a time by pleading thus after the manner of men Help me O Lord this once and pardon my sin and I shall never trouble thy Majesty again I apprehend such are sometimes the thoughts of some But when Heaven and earth shall be measured in one line when God shall be as man or as the son of man when his ways shall be as our ways and his thoughts as our thoughts when I shall see the man that shall not be beholding to mercy Or the day wherein we ought not to Pray forgive us our debts or the time when it shall be lawful to limit the Holy one of Israel then shall I think that a convenient Argument But if I understand the Gospel it might be more beseeming God and his Grace in the Gospel to plead after this manner O Lord be gracious to me and forgive me this once And if ever I need I shall come to thee again Providing always that the Grace of God be not turned into wantonness nor this our liberty used for an occasion to sin Now for confirmation of what hath been said in this consideration I shall apply my self briefly to two places of Scripture The first is Psal 22 7. where I observe these things from the whole tenor of the Psalm 1. A saint's case may be right odd and in many things without a match but I am a worme and no man a reproach of men c. 2. I see in afflicted Saints a strong inclination to aggrege their own case and to reason themselves out of case with a sort of pleasure verse 4. Our Fathers trusted in thee and thou deliveredst them but I am not like other men I am a worme and no man the very language of dejected Spirits to this day 3. I see that when they have reasoned themselves never so far out of account beyond all example or match of case Parrallel there is yet some further ground for the faith of the desolate Soul to travel upon in its search for discoveries of light and comfort for we see how he goes on complaining searching believeing and Praying till he arrives at Praise which ever lyes at the far end of the darkest Wilderness that a Saint can go thorow for when a Saint is in the thickest darkness and under the greatest damps there is still aliquid ultra something before them and that is light for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart 4. I see that a humble well tamed Soul will stoop right low to lift up such grounds of hope and incouragement as to a Soul that is lifted up might seem but slender and mean thou tookest me from my mothers belly and caused me to hope upon the breasts A humble faith will winn its meat amongst other folks feet and when all examples fail such they will find an example in themselves furnishing them with matter of hope 5. I see there may be extant signal and manifest evidences of Gods kindness to his People in former times and in cases as pressing as the present the Memory whereof for a long time may be darkned with the prevailing sense of incumbent pressures verse 21. save me from the Lyons mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns 6. Though all Parallels and matching examples of other mens cases fail a Saint yet to him it is sufficient ground of Faith and matter of Praise that his own case hath been helped when once it hath been as ill as now it is thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns and therefore I will declare thy name amongst my brethren in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee 7. If there must be examples of leading cases if so I may call them then some must be the example by being first in that case And thus oftentimes he that finds no Parallel before him leaves one behind him And indeed we should be as well content if so the will of God be to be examples to others of suffering affliction and enduring tentations as to have examples of others Therefore sayes he verse 27. All the ends of the World shall remember this and in the last verse They shall declare to the people that shall be to come that he hath done this The 2d place of Scripture I direct my thoughts to is Iob. 5. 8 9. Iob's case was clearly unparallel'd and absolutly matchless And sayes Eliphaz the Temanite I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause And that he might do that upon good ground he shewes in the 9 verse for sayes he God doth great things Why sayes the Soul mine is a great case then he doth great things Why I know what he doth No neither thou nor all the World knows that nor can find it out for he doth unsearchable things Whether that he is a God that cannot be known be a greater mercy or that he is an unknown God be to us a greater misery is that which I know not but this I know well that more of the knowledge of God and larger thoughts of him would loose many a knot and answer many a perplexing case to his People Yea but sayes the Soul it shall be a wonder a very miracle if ever my case
Lord that I cannot suffer and therefore will allure her Behold I will allure her She forgot me and could not tell wherefor except it was for my indulgence and that I spilt her with too much kindness as it is written for my love they are my enemies And I will pursue her love and follow her for her heart I will allure her and I will tell her wherefore not Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Be ashamed and be confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel Ezek. 36 32. But I will not tell her wherefore but so it must be therefore I will allure her and if my former kindness and indulgence was a fault for the Prosperity of fools destroyes them Prov. 1. 32. that shall be mended I will bring her into the Wilderness For she is so wild that I must tyne her before I win her I must kill her before I make her alive I must loose her before I find her I must cast her down before I comfort her And therefore I will bring her into the Wilderness and I will speak comfortably unto her All this we are willed to Behold Therefore Behold c. In the words then we have these four things distinctly so be considered 1. The Note of observation Behold 2 The intimation of the Churches condition I will bring her into the Wilderness 3. The Lords great design upon his Church in this and all his Dispensations to her I will allure her which rules all the vicissitudes of her divers Lots as means depending in a due Subordination upon this high end whereinto they are â—ll to be resolved as into the last cause and reason This great design of God upon his People is as the Principles and fundamental propositions of Sciences which prove all particular conclusions whilst themselves only remain unproven by infeâ—ence as being received by evidence of all that â—re but acquaint with the terms For if it be asked wherefore God will afflict his Church and bring her into the Wilderness The answer is because he will allure her And wherefore will he comfort her Because he will allure her He must have her heart as I said before But if it be asked and wherefore will he allure her What sees he in her That thus he should Court her for her Kind ness That must answer it self that is the therefore that hath no wherefore but. Even so Lord for so it pleases thee 4. I shall consider the juncture and coincidency of her Afflictions and his Consolations I will bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her Therefore behold FRom the first thing then the Note of Observation we have this Doctrine That it is our Duty and a weighty one well to consider the Lords wayes with his People and his Works towards them Therefore behold c. When God bids us behold it is sure we shall have something worthy of the seeing Now that this is a concerning Duty seriously to observe the Lords works and wayes towards his People is confirmed By these three things from the Scripture The 1. is Scripture Commands to this purpose such as the many Beholds that the Lord either prefixes or annexes to his works whereof we have one in this place and Psal. 37. 37. We are commanded to mark and behold the end both of the upright and of the transgressours And to the head of commands because I love not to multiply things without great necessity I refer all these things that are proper pertinents and pendicles of a command 1. Exhortations such as Ier. 2. 31. O generation see ye the word of the Lord. 2. complaints and expostulations such as Isai 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see 3. Promises such as Hosea 6. 3. Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord c. 4. Threatnings such as Psal. 28. 5. because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up with Psal. 50. 22. Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 5. Commendations such as Psal. 107 43. whoso is wise and will observe these things c Hosea 14. 9. And he that was a wise man and a great observer tells us Eccles. 2 14. that the wise mans eyes are in his head 6. We have also Discommendations and Exprobrations wherewith the Lord upbraids such as observe not his works and ways Isai 42. 18. they are deaf and blind that will not see yea Ieremy 4 22. calls them Sottish and the Psalmists call them Bruits Psal 92 6. So then by the command of God which is the undoubted determiner of Duty it is a necessary concerning duty to observe the Lords works and ways towards his People The 2d thing that confirmes the point is this That the Works of God are wrought before his People for that very end that they may observe them and he makes his ways known to men that all men may observe him take but one pregnant place for this Isai 41 20. That they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy one of Israel hath created it The Holy one of Israel is no Hypocrite and yet he doth all his works to be seen of men The third thing that confirmes the point is the usefulness of the works of God There is never a work of God but it hath some excellent instruction to men that will observe them every work hath a word in its mouth There is something of use in every one God speaks no idle words every word of God is pure yea his words are like Silver tryed in the furnace seven times there is no dross nor refuse in the Bible the light of Israel and his Holy One works no unfruitful works like the works of darkness Gods works of Providence are an inlargement and continuation of his first piece of Creation and if the first edition of his works was all very good perfect and unreproveable how excellent to all admiration must the last edition be after so many But who is wise to understand these things and prudent to know them who hath these two useful volumes of the word and works of God bound in one and so makes joynt use of them in their dayly reading But howbeit many are unlearned and to many the book be sealed yet there are rare things in the book So then since the works of God are so useful it concerns us to observe them as things tending even as also they are intended to our great advantage And upon this very useful consideration we will find our selves obliged to observe seriously the Lords works and ways to his People except we can answer that question wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart