measure that Christ hath appointed unto them and with which he will fill and enrich them that are the body of Christ of which every member is a part and which he by the increase of his grace doth fill up which is in this respect as it were imperfect till the measure of his Saints be filled not only in suffering Col. 1.24 but in graces also Now the Lord having appointed them a measure which they are all in this life to fulfill as he will not destroy wicked men till they have fulfilled their measure fill up saith Christ to the Pharisees the measure of your fathers iniquities so neither will he translate the Saints till they have fulfilled their measure which is done by some sooner and some later and when the measure is full as then Rev. 19. He doth tread the wine-press of his Fathers vengeance upon the wicked So when the Corn is ripe he doth put in his Sicle and reap and gathers it into his barn c. therefore Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good full age as a shock of Corn in his season God will not reap till his harvest be ripe therefore the Lord hath appointed a measure and what it is we know not we should set no bounds to our selves but strive unto the uttermost adding one degree of grace unto another so be sure of this till thou attain thy measure thou shalt never be received unto glory and therefore unto the actual possession of grace growth in grace is as necessary in some respects as truth of grace is What is the reason that a wicked man doth commit iniquity an hundred times and his dayes are prolonged it is because he hath not filled up his measure Joel 3.13,14 So what is the reason that some of the Saints are taken up betimes into Heaven and others of the People of God are a long time in the world Why it is because they have not fulfilled their measure for the Lord would not stay a day beyond his time in the one as well as in the other the one is ripe for wrath and the other is made meet for glory Thirdly look upon Holiness quoad exercitium and so it s called Obedience and this also is necessary to salvation that unto men grown strong Christians without the exercise of Holiness in wayes of Obedience they can never see the Lord A man must run before he can receive the prize 1 Cor. 9.24 And he must fight the good fight of faith and finish his course before he shall receive the Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 To him that overcometh I will grant to sit upon my Throne as I overcame and am sat down with my Father upon his Throne c. Rev. 3.21 It s called The Labourers are worthy of their hire the hire is for the Labourers and for none else Opera non sunt minus necessaria quam sides ipsa Luther Obedience and good works are in some sense as necessary to Salvation as Faith I say as necessary though not in the same kind as the Instrument of Justification And there is also a double ground for it First because there is a measure of Obedience which the Lord hath appointed unto all the Saints before they shall be translated it shall not be till their Obedience is fulfilled 2 Cor. 10.6 as men shall not take them away The Witnesses shall not be slain till they have finished their testimony Rev. 11. So God will not take them away till they have finished their course Joh. 17.2 saith Christ Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do and a Saint shall not be taken from hence till he be perfected I work to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected that is in respect of the work that was given him to do and the perfection of the service is the perfection of the man the same is true of all the Saints when they have brought forth their uttermost fruit unto God and their work is ended they shall never till then be translated Secondly all men that are received into glory they are received unto the degrees of glory unto which they are appointed and though its true that by Conversion they are put into a right of glory but degrees of glory are answerable unto degrees of service which men are in this life drawn forth for though God will not reward men for their works as if they were the meritorious cause yet he will for degrees reward them according unto their works and so good works are a good foundation by which men lay hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 As Christ hath upon his head many Crowns sutable to the multitude of his Victories Rev. 19.7 Amongst the Romans there was a common Crown and some Crowns that were more special and peculiar Corona Civica and Navalis c. So there is a common Crown too belongs to the Saints as they are in Christ and so enter into their Masters joy but there are some peculiar Crowns which belong unto some more then to others answerable to the special services that they have performed upon Earth As the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel There are stars primae magnitudinis though all the righteous shall shine as the stars yet it is observed by our Divines in the Angels themselves that though there be no difference betwixt them in natura Angelica the Angelical nature is alike in all Yet in of ficio in office there is a great deal of difference in the glory of the Angels as the Lord doth employ them some in more high and excellent services then others and answerable to that shall their reward be the essential glory shal be all alike but there is an additional glory that shall be made out unto them answerable unto the services that they have performed therefore it s true of holiness in this large extent of it That without it no man shall see the Lord. There is but one Use I will make of it which is of marvellous concernment unto every one of you Vse The Use shall be of Examination prove your selves for without holiness there is no salvation it is that in which men are apt to deceive their own souls Job 34.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hypocrite that the hypocrite reign not least the people be ensnared the word signifies nubilus a man in a cloud or velatus pallio Aven Avâ—… a man that covers himself with a cloaâ— men find out often-times artificial coverings for themselves and thereby deceive their own souls it is not holding some opinions in matters of Religion or going zealously with some one partie it s not barely appearing for truth for thou maist do all this and be unholy a worker of iniquity and if so there is no vision of God for thee But how shall a man know whether or no he be holy according to the
it by this if you hate your own iniquity if that be your great care Psal 18.23 Ezech. 7.19 they shall not satisfie their souls because it is the slumbling block of their iniquity c. 13. neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life that is the whole comfort and delight of their lives doth come in by it it is all the pleasure and the joy they have men looking upon the vanity of the world every man hath his Treasure something that he doth chuse to himself either in his age Psal 119.9 or in his calling or in his acquaintance in his custom and if ever a man do meet with an opportunity of temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is then he is to take heed to himself as the exhortation is in Luke 8.13 you have been Conquerers take heed now you be not overcome with the Devil and you have fought for liberty take heed you be not the worst of slaves as that man is that is a servant to his lust You have asserted the liberty of others maintain your own liberty also and be not the servants to sin Fifthly if you be holy you will have respect unto all the commandments Psal 119.6 he that doth despise any one Commandment makes conscience of none it is universality that is the great note of sincerity now to live in the willing neglect of any known duty and the Law of God comes in against a man and the man is afraid to hear of such a duty because his guilt arises and his trouble is renewed thereby and therefore the man would shift it off would disburden himself of the sens of it surely then that soul has cause to fear holiness is not his aim but now when the commandment comes and the man is a co-worker with God as it were and is willing it should be set on upon his soul and is not willing to give himself a dispensation from it but he saith I must walk up to the extremity of the rule and observe it to the uttermost extent of it for I must be Judged by it God will lay Judgement to the line c. this is the sense of a holy heart Sixthly if you are holy your holiness will answer the Law of God for it is the Law written in the heart that you must come up to you have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered to you we are cast into it as into a mold and therefore it must be a perfect form there are the great things of the Law Rom. 11.17 Heb. 13.8,9 and it was the sin of the Pharisees that they only regarded lesser things and left the great things of the Law undone and it s the great sin of hypocrites whether it be in point of sin or in point of duty to be only zealous against lesser things therefore trie your selves by these rules for it is a matter of the greatest concernment of your lives c. By these may you know if you are in the way to the Beatifical vision by these may you judge of your holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Babylons utter ruine THE SAINTS Triumph At a Thanksgiving for the victory of Ireland against the Irish Aug. 29. 1649. REVEL 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. THE great works of the Saints in this life are to believe Gods promises and to serve his providence and reflect his praises and it is the great thing that God doth expect as the fruit of all his marvellous works that when his works do praise him that is give matter of praise his Saints should bless him Psal 145.10 and for this cause there are three titles given unto the Saints in the Scripture First they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that take delight in the works of the Lord they being all of them wonderful and glorious and only to be admired whereas other men only study the works of men and be taken with them but they only take pleasure in studying the works of God Secondly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in them they study them and search into them that they may find out all the excellency and glory that is in them which at first sight no man is able to find out Psalm 111.2 Thirdly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Recorders Isa 62.6 they received the promises of God and their accomplishment of these things the hearts of the Saints are a faithful Register his mercies are written in their hearts as well as his Laws the one that they may serve him and the other that they may rejoyce in him Now you that have pleasure in the works of God ye are come before the Lord this day to enter an eminent National mercy upon publike record and if ye search into it after a diligent scrutiny ye will find there are these six things specially to be observed therein First it is a return not only of late but of antient prayers It is one of the great Questions that the Saints of God have as matter to dispute in all the mercies that they receive whether they have them as effects of providence or as the heirs of the promise whether they have of them only a jus Politicum or Evangelicum the one indeed non fundatur in Gratiâ but the other is now if it be given in answer to prayers it is a birth of the promise which the prayers of the Saints help to deliver Isa 37.3 but specially when mercies have been long delayed and the answers of prayers have been long deserr'd wheâ— Abraham had prayed for a child twenty years then to have the promise speak and when thechildren of Israel had prayed 70. year then when they were even out of hopes and gave their prayers for lost now to be answered in them made them to be like them that dream to recover an old debt and to receive a ship safe home and richly laden that hath been long at Sea and we know not what was become of it it comes home with the greater joy Why doth the Lord delay the answers of the prayers of his people not that he doth not intend to grant them for Bernard Bernard Priusquam engrâ—ssa est oratto ex ore tuo ipse scribi jubet in libro suo But he doth wait to be gracious Now delaying of the mercy doth raise the price of it now ye come to reap of the harvest of many of your prayers that are past and gone that you even now gave for lost there is a twofold joy that the Scripture speaks of as transcendent the joy of harvest and the joy of souldiers when they divide the spoil and truly there is matter of both these joyes in this mercy administred to you for you divide the spoil of the enemie and with all you reap to your selves the harvest of all your former prayers and petitions Oh how did
the pulpits in times past sound with such words as these Lord remember bleeding and dying Ireland Lord this is Ireland that is a cast-out peoplâ— hat none cares for but when thou makest inquisition for blood remember them c. and those prayers which were put up from many a gracious heart which are now answered though now many of them haply are displeased and discontented with the return of their own prayers Secondly it is a mercy given in when all things were desperate and even all hope of a deliverance was gone Now is God a help found in the needful time of trouble when the enemies power and confidence was high and they said Ireland is our own we will pursue them even take them and satisfie our lusts upon them we will surely root out the English name from amongst us and we will try if they can swim into England it may be their faith will bear them up as that partie hath alwayes scoffed at godliness in all their successes but be no more mockers least your bonds increase Now when you had not an Armie in the field the whole Kingdom was their own and not a Garrison left in the whole Kingdom but one and that brought to the very brink of destruction also and must have been surrendred speedily after they made their approaches to it Now God gives in the mercy now doth the Lord judge his people and repent him concerning his servants when he sees that their power is gone and that there is none shut up or left Deut 32.36 when there is no Army in the field no souldiers in garrison now is the time that the Lord doth appear and take to himself his great power and raign Thirdly when the Lord doth therein exceed the expectations of his servants a deliverance they hoped for but not so great not so sudden so that when it came they seemed as men that dream and they can scarce believe that God would do so great things for them when the Lord is come to do them when the son of man comes shall he find faith upon earth its a faith in reference to the coming of Christ for to take vengeance on the Churches adversaries Isa 64.3 thou didst great things for us which we looked not for for God doth not answer prayers according unto our hopes but according to his own mercies as he doth not reward our services according to the measure of our duty but in the mouth of mercy Hos 10.12 a man doth sow in duty but he doth reap in ore misericordiae Fourthly when it is by the hand of those whom they have oppressed when the witnesses that were slain shall rise again and they shall destroy their persecutors by the sword that comes out of their mouthes then it is the greater mercy and far the greater confusion unto the enemy Isa 41.15 When the worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains and when the arm of the Lord should be made bare in it and his hand more immediately seen beyond the purpose courage and intention of men they are engaged before they are aware and victorie is won before they know they are engaged in a Battle when the Lord shall bend Judah for him and fill his bow with Ephraim and they shall have the honour of the conquest that have had their great share in their Torments and were by the enemies designed for destruction and they shall fall by their hand it makes the mercy far the greater Fifthly when it is such a mercy as lets us see still that God owns the same cause and however men warp and turn too and fro yet the good old cause in which the people of God were engaged against the Antichristian party the Lord owns that cause still and gives unto his people hereby hopes of a settlement For the Lord Christ when he rides forth in the conquest of the Gospel he doth ride forth conquering and to conquer not all at once but by degrees and doth give to his people yet a ground of their faith to see if they be of the seed of the Jews before whom they have begun to fall they shall surely fall God hath given us therein Hos 2.15 the vally of Achor for a door of hope it is true that Achor was a pleasant vally and it was sweet in it self therefore it was joyned with Carmel and Bashan but yet it was much more sweet in reference to the hope for it was at the first entrance into the Land of Canaan and as the first fruits gives them possession of the whole Sixthly it is still a carrying on of the grand design that the Lord Christ hath to do in the world in the latter daies for Christ in glory hath not only Saints to gather home to himself and to bind them all up in a bundle of life and he doth raign for their sakes for he is the head over all things for the Churches sake but the Lord hath also enemies to be subdued he must raign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and he will be faithful as the Fathers servant in the one as well as in the other therefore Rev. 14. there is a harvest of all the Saints to be reaped and there is a wine press of wicked men at the same time to be trodden c. Now the great enemy unto Christ in the latter daies of the world is that wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Baylon the great the Mother of Harlots Now so far as this tends to the promoting of that great design as it doth exceedingly so far should the Saints of God rejoyce therein for they must by degrees go into pâ—rdition and though all the former subjects would be fit matter for our meditation throughout this day and might have given us several Considerations of very publike concernment in reference to the mercy of the day yet at present I have chosen this rather to draw out your praises thereby concerning which I shall present you but with these three considerations First the least return that you can make of a mercy is praise to God for it and it is all that the Lord doth expect of you Hos 14. and we will give thee the calves of our lips it is all the promise that the Lord would have his people make to him in the time of their straits Afflictions they are stupefactive and of a confounding nature and they close the mouth Jâ—r 8.14 let us enter into our fenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence but mercies they are of an expansive and dilating nature and they open the mouth as Hannah not only her heart 1 Sam. 2.1 was filled but her mouth was enlarged also Secondly if you do not return praises for mercies God will surely add Judgements unto mercies and will turn his hand against you do you evil after he hath done you good Hezekiah received a mercy but he did not render according to
is a woe for Ariel the City where David dwelt which Mr. Calvin renders the Altar of God because the Sacrifices and Ordinances of God were there but others and so in the Margent it is rendred the Lyon of God quia tanquam Leo Gentes alienas subjugasset None could stand before them There is a wo for them because they had in the greatness of their strength and power and victories forsaken the Lord and therefore the Lord saith he would bring distresses upon them that he had formerly been with and they had conquered by his power and presence and they that in their pride did speak loftily as if they had spoken from Heaven the Lord saith they should be brought down to the ground and their speech should be low as out of the dust Thirdly Former duties nor former mercies shall not serve men but if they do forsake the Lord they shall be forsaken of him first former duties will not secure men here is a gracious Prince that had laboured ten yeers in the Reformation of Religion and that with great success and had met with great opposition and yet with resolution gone through all yet the Lord tells them that for all this if after this they did forsake the Lord he would forsake them There was in the days of Josiah the most glorious Reformation of Religion that ever we read of in Iudah he was such a King as like unto him was none before him nor after him should arise the like the people entring into a solemn Covenant before God that they would be the Lords people and the Reformation went farther for it was the taking away of the High places also which other Reformers left standing and they kept the Passover unto the Lord such a one as had not been since the time of the Iudges and yet 2 King 23.26,27 notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath Here is a sad and unexpected close of this famous story and that not onely for old sins but Zeph. 1. the Land continued in the same evils still and therefore the Lords controversie continued against them there were the remnants of Baal in the hearts of the people still and there were those that did swear by God by Malchom that did endeavor so to keep up a mixture in Religion and those that were Apostates and were turn'd back from the Lord and men that were setled upon their lees that did say the Lord will neither do good nor evil and for this cause will the Lord search Ierusalem with Candles c. 2 Former mercies will not secure you if you forsake the Lord. It s true that former mercies are of a great engagement unto us to keep close to God the cords of love lay upon men the strongest bonds but yet if they do not oblige us they are not binding unto God It s true that faith may make use of former mercies as an argument to a repenting and returning people as Num. 14.19 Pardon the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now but it is no prevailing Argument for a back-sliding people but the Lord wil say how long shall I bear this evil Congregation and therefore the word is gone out of his mouth and judgement shall the sooner and with the greater fury plead the cause of abused mercy in former deliverances Deut. 28.63 It shall come to pass that as the Lord hath rejoyced over you to do you good so also the Lord will rejoyce over you to destroy you and to bring you to naught the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie to rejoyce summo gaudio incredibili laetitia Answerable unto the joy and delight which the Lord seemâ—d to take in blessing a people and in building them up such will the delight be which he will seem to take in ruining that people and destroying them If you be not bound by the cords of his law let me tell you he himself will never look upon himself as bound by the cords of his law if they be no ingagement upon you they will be found none upon him in the end Psal 120.4 it is by some understood of the slanders of men but it is by others understood of the judgements of God there shall be mighty and sharp Arrows with coals of juniper that is such as burn with greatest fierceness and longest lasting and such as yield a sweet savor in the burning there is no destruction like unto that when God shall delight to destroy a people he shall laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear comes Fourthly The Lord delights to deal with sinners in a way of proportion and retaliation according to their dealing with him and there shall be the Image of the sin in the judgement that shall be executed upon them that the Lord will but deal with them so as they deal with him if they forsake him this shall be their judgement he will also forsake them If men be invited to the marriage feast of the Kings son and they make excuses they will not come their judgement is they that were â—idden shall not taste of my supper If the people of Israel will not at the command of God go up unto the land of Canaan to take possession they will not enter into Gods rest the Lord saith nay he doth swear in his wrath that they shall not enter and if in the days of their prosperity men will say to the Almighty depart from us in the same proportion will the Lord say unto them in the day of their judgement Depart from me I know you not In those things wherein the sons of men are and their lusts acted and more drawn forth in those the Lord doth delight that their judgement should be The people of Israel were formerly weary of the Prophets as we now are of Ordinances and they did say to them prophesie not and cause the holy one of Israel to cease from us therefore the Lord saith he will cause the Sun to go down upon the Prophets and he makes the day to be dark about them that there should be none that should understand or be able to tell them how long and when they desired Teachers according to their lust and did say Speak to us smooth things and prophesie deceit these rough-spirited men we cannot away with them The Lord saith if any man will prophesie of wine or strong drink he shall be a Prophet unto this people yea even in hell the sins of men shall be their torment and the Lord delights to make them so t is true sin ceases there as it is paenae demeritum for judgement passes onely on men for what is the flesh but not paenae damnatio for damnati blasphemant Deum in hoc peccant sed peccata pertinent ad damnationis poenam c. for what the Lord doth he doth in high displeasure and indignation
rest without this is nothing worth in Gods account because this people was like unto the ground that had drunk in the rain that came oft upon it and brought not forth herbs meet for him that dressed it not fruit meet for repentance but rather bare thorns and bryars therefore Christ shews that they were nigh to cursing and their end was to be burnt Heb. 6.8 The words are the Exprobation of Caparnaum and the sentence which the Lord Christ did denounce thereupon because they had neither answered the Lords mercy nor expectation First he looked for fruit and there was nothing but leaves he looked for grapes and they brought forth wild grapes he looked for repentance and behold impenitency no man repented of his wickedness saying what have I done but they held fast deceit and refused to return Ier. 8.5,6 Therefore he that upbraids none propter inopiam necessitatem Iam. 1.5 before they do receive mercy yet he doth upbraid them propter ingratitudinem after they have received he upbraids none respectu Dei dantis as if he did it out of unwillingness to give but respectu hominis accipientis to shame and fear the man who desires to receive And to this end is this Exprobation used by Christ in this place In them we may consider first a concession something is confessed and acknowledged which was that Capernaum was lifted up to Heaven Secondly a Commination in them we may consider this place First in its exaltation and that is the highest they were exalted up to heaven Secondly in its humiliation and abasement and that is they shall be brought down to hell Thirdly the cause of both the cause or means of their exaltation was the ministery of Christ and his mighty works ver 20 and the cause of their depression their impenitency under such a powerful ministery and such glorious means which is amplified by a comparison by which Christ makes them to be more incurable then the worst of sinners humani generis opprobrium the Sodomites for if the mighty works that have been done in you had been done in Sodom they would have repented and remained to this day for that must needs be implyed though it be not expressed We have first Capernaums exaltation and therein we are to consider the place Capernaum Secondly the glory thereof thou art exalted up to heaven Thirdly the means of this exaltation the ministerie of Christ and his mighty works First the place was Capernaum situate in Galile a maritine Town neer to the lake of Genezareth and as Andriconius conceives in the half Tribe of Manasseh and bordering upon the Tribes of Zebulon and Napthaly and so that place seems to be understood Math. 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the borders Not in either of those Tribes but bordering upon them and in the Tribe of Manasseh The Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem and then in his infancy for fear of Herod by Gods direction he was carried by Joseph into Egypt there he spent as is conceived some years then returning for fear of Archelaus the Son of Herod Joseph took up his habitation in Nazereth Mat. 2.23 and there Christ abode till the time that he was to shew himself unto Israel in the publike execution of his ministery but when he began to preach though he made choice of that Contry Galilee and not of Ierusalem and Iudea for to exercise his ministery and there he spent most of his time and labour yet he passed by Nazareth and resolveth not to make choice thereof as the place either to preach or live in he leaving it made choice of Capernaum Mat. 4.13 and if you ask the reason why Christ passed by and shewed so little respect to the place of his education the true cause is given John 4.44 because he knew he could have no honour there in his own Countrey therefore leaving it he takes up Capernaum for the place of his chief residence and abode there for to exercise his ministery and to manifest his power in mighty works unto the world so that during the time of his ministery here he lived most and here he preached most and manifested forth his glory Secondly this place though in that dark Country Galilee of the Gentâ—les yet I say this place was exalted up to heaven which expression in Scripture notes the higest degree of Honour and Exaltation as Deut. 9.1 Their Cities are fenced up to heaven that is exceeding high A rage that reacheth up to heaven that is the height and extremity of fury 2 Chron. 28.9 Ezra 9.6 So Isa 14.12 how art thou fallen from heaven O great Lucifer It s spoken of the fall of the King of Babylon from the top of all earthly honour in that day when Judgement should overtake him and he is said to fall from heaven So that his meaning is that Caparnaum was exalted to a transcendent and a superlative degree of honour Thirdly by what means was it thus advanced How came this Town in this obscure Contrey of Galilee to be so highly honoured rather then Jerusalem it was only as the glory of the second Temple was greater then the former the Temple of Solomon Hag. 2.9 not in the frame and fabrick not in the curious stones and goodly building thereof in this the glory was of Solomons Temple which made the old men to mourn who had seen the beauty of the former House yet the Lord saith it should be greater that is greater by reason of his Presence that is King of glory Mal. 3.1 The Lord shall speedily come into his Temple So here it is true that Ierusalem was the joy of the whole earth Babylon the Lady of the world Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet Capernaum an obscure Town in Galilee which very name was a reproach advanced above them all by the presence ministery and miracles of the King of glory so much is intimated in the two former verses Christ did upbraid those Cities because in them most of his mighty works were wrought that is there he had mainly exercised his ministery for though the miracles only are named yet the ministery also in them is included and this was the ground of their honour by this means it was exalted up to heaven Doctrine The Ordinances of the Gospel being set up in their Power and Purity are a great honour and advancement unto the meanest people and the obscurest places For this cause Gods Ark is called the glory of Israel 1 Sam. 4. ult and the Land of Juda therefore called Dan. 11.16 the glorious Land and this is made one end why God did set up the Temple and the Ordinances therein amongst the Jews as some interpret it Ezek. 7.20 the beauty of his Ornament he set it up in Majesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad excellentiam ad magnificentiam c that is not only that there God might manifest his own glory and there he might be glorified by the Church but also for the glory honour and
to stop their mouthes therefore if you would not have Judgements encreased take heed when you see the Lord appearing for his Church providentially acting the Lord is up then Say to thy own soul Let all flesh be silent before him That is the first looking upon these words as referring to the Churches enemies A word I shall add looking upon these words as referring to the poor distressed Jews who were now returned out of the Land of their Captivity but there was a mighty power of the enemy against them why yet saith the Lord do you keep silence silence your doubtings silence your frettings Silence your doubtings It it said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not dispute the business pro and con and truly neither must you if God be up leave the work in his hand leave off your doubtings leave off your doubtings upon conjectures and suppositions That is the first Let all flesh keep silence silence your doubtings Secondly Let all flesh keep silence silence your frettings saith David Psal 39. I kept silence I was dumb saith he for it was thy doings A terrible Judgement befell Aaron two sons were taken away by an immediate stroke from Gods hand and Aaron held his peace his spirit did not rise and discontentedly fret at the present dispensation Oh ye that fear God take heed when the Lord ariseth for his people keep silence before him silence your doubtings silence your fret tings That I press by four considerations and so I shall conclude I beseech you mark them You that fear God that know his name that expect an interest in all that mercy that the Lord intendeth for his people in the latter daies take heed I say that ye keep silence before the Lord. First Consider but this will you contend with God will you I say contend with God in Judgement the Lord challengeth that Who will appoint me a time who will contend with me in Iudgement Will you dispute the business out with God Consider Gods Judgement is the last Judgement and his Judgement is an eternal Judgement from his Sentence there is no appeal it is the worst course that a man could take that is to be Judged to undertake to contend with his Judgement before God therefore take heed of it you cannot contend with God in Judgement Iob 9.32 Secondly should not the Soveâ—aignty of God put you to silence though it may be all the actings of God be not according to your will should not the Soveraignty of God I say stop your mouthes â— hath not the Lord reserved to himself the power of Kingdoms Depoint Reges disponit Regna he it is that disposeth Kings he it is that disposeth Kingdoms now I beseech you observe this seriously this did silence David I was dumb and opened not my mouth it was thy doings truly had I looked barely upon man it was such a thing I could not have born if I had looked only upon instruments but when I looked upon him as my Soveraign and absolute Lord then saith he I was silent before him In the third place consider this A fretful spirit even in Gods own people doth strangely blind their eyes that they cannot see the goodness of God in the mercy but take many times that which is a high and glorious mercy they take it to be a cross and an affliction My Brethren observe envy will strangely hoodwink a man when the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see why for their envy at the people they text saith it is an evil frame of spirit in a Christian a froward discontented fretful spirit a spirit ill becoming a Saint your wisdom should hinder it Solomon tels you a man of understanding is of an excellent Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frigidus spiritu he is a man of a cool spirit a man of understanding a great many men will speak of their understandings and their zeal many times but know that a man of understanding is of a cool spirit Consider the Spirit of Christ comes in the form of a Dove be innocent as Doves without gall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine felle sine dolo so the word signifies the Dove is without gall as well as without guil and truly that is a spirit becoming a Christian and the want of this my Brethren makes many deny the most glorious actings of God towards his people when many times even an Heathen man a stranger standing by is ready to cry out as he did truly it is a glorious God the God of the Christians Alas they will not look upon it they cannot see it envy I say strangely bleareth the eyes take heed of it therefore In the last place and so I have done Consider doth the wrath of man work the righteousness of God the Apostle S. Iames tels you clearly the contrary certainly you that will maintain Gods cause you must do it by Gods means the Lord needs no carnal weapons no help of any body no fleshly interest to maintain his spiritual cause no I entreat you consider it when if ever you will carry on the cause of God let it be done by the means and with that spirit that God requireth I dare undertake you shall find that of Nazianzen a good rule Nazian Let us be weak that we may overcome I that is the way the way to overcome men or to mannage a cause though you say it is the cause of God I say it is not to be done by humane heats and fleshly animosities therefore this is that I shall leave with you for the present in these five considerations farther and so have done First God hath never set up any authority or way of government but he hath reserved to himself in his providence a power to change it at his pleasure Zach. 21.10 Remove the Diadem take away the Crown God will shew himself to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly it is his ordinance that there should be a Magistracie they are called the shields of the earth the stay of your tribes the foundations of the earth and it is not good there should be an Anarchie for God hath set Rulers over men some by providence some by promise But yet God sets them over them that should be enough to restrain men of giddy spirits who are like the children of Belial without a yoak therefore let us not go about to pluck up our own bedge and destroy our own foundations Hab. 1.13 The fishes of the Sea have no Ruler over them but devour one another The Persians at the death of their Kings have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on purpose that men might find the evil of it therefore be not unruly boysterous spirits like the raging Sea But be content to submit to the bounds that God hath set you Thirdly though this Government be an Ordinance of God yet the extent and specification of it is but an humane creation 1. Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉