onely but they indured as much heat of fire as the hearth-stone that is daily under the extremitie of the fire so the Apostle speaketh of himselfe 1 Cor. 4. 8. For I thinke God hath set forth us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last Apostlâ—s as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to men and Angels The Apostles in regard of their great sufferings were so exposed to violent death as in the Roman Playes Bulls Dogs Lions were set forth to fight one another to death they were made worlds wonders and gazing-stacks to heaven and earth to men and Angels for their great sufferings Behold how strong the tempest was that invaded that barke that carried the witnesses of Jesus to heaven Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the Sword The reason of the Lords so dealing is 1. God declareth himselfe more impatient of sinne in his owne children then in the wicked I meane of Gods impatience Evangelick in regard that it is a sinne of higher ingratitude to sinne against the Gospel 2. Illumination 3. And the mercy of regeneration then to sinne against the Law and common favours and gifts though Gods legall impatience in regard of revenging justice bee farre more against the sinnes of the wicked then against the sinnes of beleevers it being an act of vengeance which God cannot exercise towards beleevers and if Antinomians would acknowledge an Evangelick displeasure and anger of God against the sinnes of beleevers as the Scripture doth 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31. 2 Sam. 11. 27. they should not so stumble at the Gospel as they doe I say God is more displeased with the sinnes of his owne children then with the sinnes of the wicked even as the husbandman is more offended that Thristles and Thorns grow in his Garden then in his out-field Esay 1. 2. Heare O heaven hearken O earth why it is more then an ordinary defection that moveth the Lord to this I have nourished and brought up children and they rebell against me God taketh it also harder that violence and unjustice should bee in Parliaments and Assemblies then in Prelates Courts and High Commissions The Lord expecteth nothing else but sowre grapes from his enemies 2. The hell of the godly and the heart of their hell should ordinarily bee heavier then the borders and margin of the hell of the wicked the sufferings of the Saints in this life is their whole hell wicked men have here a heaven and but fore-tastings of hell which I grant in regard they want the presence and comforts of God in this life and also that their curses are in themselves heavier then the afflictions of the godly but not so in their apprehension 3. Gods deepe counsells worke under-board providence is a great mystery why these three kingdomes having a good cause and contending for Christ yet should bee put to a more bloody condition and have more of floods of blood for a while then bloody men who defend a cursed cause is wondred at by us as ignorance is the cause of admiration hee that never saw husbandry thinketh sowing losing and casting away of good Corne the end cujus gratia which seasoneth Gods workes with wisedome and grace is unseene hony is sweet but tasting onely discerneth it neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it our senses cannot reach the reason of his Counsell who will have the godly plagued every morning If it bee so that the godly the greene tree suffer such a fire it must bee more then fire that is abiding the enemies O enemies of the Gospel O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints have you Castles and strong holds to runne to in the day of wrath or are your Castles judgement-proofe Cannot death and hell scale your walls and though you shut your doores climbe in at your windowes are your bulworkes and walls salvation have you strength to bide the proofe and shot of the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple hath not the second death long and sharpe tuskes will you indure the siege and batteries of everlasting wrath vengeance will have nothing under your pretious soules take your pleasure kill and destroy the mountaine of the Lord the feast is good ever till the reckoning come Job 28. 8. Can you drinke a Sea of vengeance and floods of gall and wormewood there is a Sword before the throne forbished that will lap and swallow up blood and never bee quenched wrath wrath creepeth on the sinners in Zion by theft without a cry or noyse of feet you heare not the ratling of your sunnes wheeles when it is setting and the night falleth on you the day of wrath is secret and uncertaine you sleep you see not hell at your heels what will you do when you shall make your prayers to the hills to cover you quick This serveth to condemne our softnesse who love a wanton and a smooth providence and Golden and silken sayling to bee carried away quickly to land without wind or storme wee desire to goe to Paradise through no other way but Paradise and a way strowed with Roses nay but wee must indure hardnesse and resolve the way cannot bee changed to flatter our softnesse it is as God hath carved it out there bee not two wayes to heaven one way strowed with blood and brimstone and deaths to Christ and another to us white faire easie heaven was not so feazable to Christ but it was to him sweating if Christ had taken the faire way and a street to heaven like Paradise and left the rough way to us wee had the more reason to complaine But it should silence us that Christ saith you have no harder usage then the Captaine of your salvation had Joh. 15. 18. when wee see wee must suffer wee would bee at a chosen Crosse and afflictions carved by our owne wit or flowred and perfumed with Diamonds and Rubies so our heart saith any judgement but warre and any warre but civill warre the hatred of the world is not much but hatred from our brethren the sonnes of our Mother O that is hard yet it is not to bee expected but the flesh will warre in the Saints against both the Spirit and the flesh in other Saints no lesse then the flesh warreth against the Spirit in one and the same Saint wee are to kisse and adore providence wee can no more change the foule and dirtie way to faire heaven then wee can remove heaven it selfe out of its place God hath drawn and moulded the topographie to heaven and set all our Guests before hee is a bad Souldier who followeth such a Captaine of salvation as Christ weeping and murmuring But what doth this ship lead us to certaine it is that it holdeth forth to us the condition of the Church of God tossed with wind and wave and the world
out of great tribulation out of the Sea of glasse mingled with 〈◊〉 and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe The Ship is sayling in Britaine now in a Sea of blood Christ must bring her safe to land Fourthly there bee three excellent vertues of the anchor of hope Heb. 6. 19 20. first which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} out of danger and sure Secondly it is tothed in good ground it is up within the vaile in heaven hee must shake heaven who loseth the Anchor Thirdly Christ the forerunner who leapt first ashoare and as the first begotten of the dead first hanselled heaven with our fresh hath the farre end of the Anchor in his hand Christ strengthneth the Tackling and the cords of the ship the Church a ventruous Pinnage that through the strength of Christ ventures thorough 2 Cor. 6. 5. Stripes imprisonments tumults labours watchings fastings by honour and dishonour through evill report and good report and landeth safe John 14. 3. I will come againe and receive you to my selfe that where I am there you may bee also Fiftly the pretious pearle of the Gospel is carried in this ship yea Christ who holdeth the seven starres and walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks is in the ship Bee not afraid said the Emperour to the waterman thâ—u carriest Caesar So here Christ saith to the shipmen Bee not afraid you carry the King of Kings in this poore Barke of the Church indeed there bee more pretious wares in the ship then if shee carried from India millions of Navies of Gold and shipfulls of Diamonds and Rubies Sixtly there be many passengers of divers qualities of which I speake with reference to the times as first some greene professors beleeved as children doe it was but a play to bee ingaged for the good cause But when the King left his Parliament and made warre with his good Subjects of both kingdomes they then became to bee Sea-ficke and to vomit out their protestations and covenant men should seriously put downe in paper aforehand what it will cost them if they indent with Christ to follow him Luke 14. 28. Secondly some ingaged to the cause and embarked upon life and death did cast themselves in the Sea thinking to swim to the nearest shoare they stole away from Christ and cast Cause Gospell Lawes and Liberties over board to save themselves but hee that will save his life shall lose it Thirdly some still remaine in the ship but as Judas did with Christ waiting an opportunitie either to play a game for Malignants or to foster divisions betweene the kingdomes and divisions in the Church to raise a mutinie amongst the passengers of Christ that the one halfe may throw the other over board in the Sea Fourthly Some are like Jonab downe in the sides of the ship sleeping these are indifferent passers by Lament 1. 12. they 'l neither sweat at the Pumpe nor lay one finger on a rope nor move an Oare but say they in their heart Christ is a good enough Seaman if he will not guide his owne ship to shoare let him see to it Fiftly some passengers are merchant men their Sea voyage in the ship is to gaine to buy and sell Religion and live on the winning these that would draw in to themselves gaine from the publike now would crucifie Christ for his coate Sixthly some trusting in multitude and strength thinke by hard rowing and sweating at the Oares to bring the ship to land but a horse is a vaine helpe Seventhly sincere professors are willing to stay and take faire or foule weather with Christ to sinke or swimme with the Gospell and not onely to stay but to row and pray Wee cannot but see winds and stormes loud and mightie tossing the poore ship in Britaine Pirates and robbers have made stops in the ship by plots much underwater is come in Eighthly though the winds be strong and the Sea tempestuous yet the port is sure for this is the promise of the Lord who sits at the helme Esay 54. 11. O thou afflicted and tossed with tempests behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires Christ can saile with contrary winds yea the harbour is neare Behold I come quickly saith the Lord in the greatest storme that ever was the Church can see the shoare and dry land Mic. 7. 9. and faith in warre seeth peace and in shipwrack is assured of the land and in saddest times when God is farthest off the children of God feele the smell of the flowers of the higher garden Romans 5. 3. Wee rejoyce or wee leape for joy in tribulation And hee was fast asleepe Wee are here to consider farther of the condition that they were it it is a storme but Christ sleepeth First a word of Christs sleeping Secondly of his sleeping at this time If wee compare the Text with it selfe wee shall finde hee was sleeping who can neither slumber nor sleepe and that hee is waking while hee is sleeping for hee who is the mightie God the Prince of peace and rebuked the Sea and the winds and there was a calme does not sleepe How then can God sleepe hee that is in one person God-man can sleepe First because in this rare peece of our redemption Christ-God took all our infirmities on him except sinne as hee tooke our nature so hee tooke our condition and place to expresse the depth of the love of God to mankind the lower and the baser our glorious redeemer was it hath the greater impression of love Love love answereth all our questions of wonder O way of life why wast thou wearied O bread of life why wast thou hungry O well of life why wast thou thirsty Hast thou not made all the fountaines and all the Vines in Judea and in all the earth O ancient of dayes why becamest thou young and a weeping infant blessed Jesus would become a workhouse of sufferings and infirmities for us and love free love answereth all these questions for us for us sinners hee came thus low Secondly here is a wonder if there be a wonder in the world Christ God and man in one person is more then a miracle The mightie God giving infinite subsistence to a finite nature Isa. 9. 6. Thirdly here is an able and sufficient Saviour furnished to us one who is more then a man why there was not onely need of infinite worth and merit to the person but of infinite strength under the sufferings man as man is but a creature and all the Angels in heaven and a world of worlds of new created Angels could not indure the infinite wrath of God and therefore God must bee in this play unlesse all had beene marred Qu. But the Godhead could not suffer nor be a passive subject of suffering God therefore though bee had not made one person with the
Secondly if affliction put us to a humiliation for sinne as sinne and the depth of griefe for sinne putteth us to condemne our selves without flattery and lying the contrary of which is when in trouble wee give God good words and have within us lying hearts and thinke not so as the people Psal. 78. 34. who sought God when hee slew them Vers 36. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed to him with their tongues 37. for their heart was not right within them men doe then flatter themselves when they flatter God Thirdly when we are more anxious in our fasting for Zion and the taking of the Arke of God then for our selves our Lawes goods houses lives and liberties when David made the 25. Psalme the troubles of his heart were inlarged but this was one of his great suits when hee had cause to mind himselfe 22. Redeeme Israel O God out of all his troubles Fourthly when the circumcised heart is humbled and the people shall not faint and expire through want of faith by which the just liveth 2. When they shall not so murmure and wrestle against the rod as a wilde Bull taken and lying in a net which having lost strength and feet and being overcome yet kicketh against the hunter 3. When they shall not bee surfeited with affliction so as to loathe and despise the rod as the tender stomack loatheth physicke because they are full and surfeited with the fury of the Lord These three are excellently expressed Esay 51. 20. Thy sonnes have fainted they lie at the head of all the streets for in the meetings of wayes the wild bull is catched in the net as a wild bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord and the rebuke of thy God it is a bad token to faint 2. to wrestle 3. to bee so drunke with Gods judgements and rebukes as against reason to cry out against God and his Prophets in trouble as these who are drunken and afflicted but not with wine Vers 21. but with the rod and rebukes and cry it was better with us in Aegypt undâ—r the Prelates and their brick and clay and toyling under ceremonies Officiall Courts tyranny of conscience and now wee are wastâ—d and destroyed and killed and 4. when the people shall as it were with pleasure and good will for so the word Levit. 26. 41. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifieth accept of the punishment of their iniquitie a kindly and willing satisfaction of heart in the rod of God in so farre as it calmeth and pacifieth in a manner Evangelick justice so that the Lord is eased and comforted toward his people when he hath punished them and they are eased and comforted in the declaration of the glory of his justice and with good will doe justifie God in his afflicting them as Lament 3. 41 42. Micah 7. 9. Esa. 39. 8. this willing accepting of the rod I say is a speaking signe that the rod of God is sanctified Marke 4. 39. Then hee arose and as Matth. 8. 26. hee saith to them Why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith Matthew keepeth the most naturall order for Christ first rebuked the Disciples unbeleefe before hee rebuked the Sea and the winds we have reason so to conceive of Christs method for hee requireth faith before hee worke miracles at least often hee doth so though hee confirme and strengthen that faith by miracles It is fit that Christ rebuke us ere hee deliver us from drowning Hee first rebuketh the noble man and all his nation for unbeleefe and then healeth his sonne John 4. 48 49 50. Hee first chideth Martha out of her unbeleefe and then raiseth her brother Lazarus from death John 11. 40. 43 44. and Matth. 17. 17. Hee rebuketh the father of the lunaticke child and the faithlesnesse of the perverse generation before hee cast out the devill it is fit wee bee both convinced and humbled before hee turne away his angry hand First the crosse is a mystery to us and a dumbe teacher wee understand not the language and the grammar of the rod the man of wisedome knowes it Mic. 6. 9. Vengeance is written on the wall before Belshazzer but it is in unknowne language hee doth not understand it Secondly greene and raw deliverances are plagues of God not mercies the plague is nine times removed but Pharaohs heart is neither softned nor humbled the scum abideth in the bloody Citie as the Lord complayneth Ezek. 24. 6. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Woe to the bloody Citie to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out the Prophet in Chaldea heard that Jerusalem had beene boyled with the sword of the Lord but the scumme of their Idolatry and blood remained in them whilst the wicked of these kingdomes malignants bloody Irish rotten hearted men such backsliders and perjured Apostates as are in Scotland delivered to Satan and excommunicated while these taste of the Gall and wormwood of the wrath of God in this warre the hand of God cannot bee removed and therefore that must bee taken notice of Jer. 6. 29. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away O that our Lord would boyle out on the fire the scumme of both kingdomes The whoredomes of Popish Aegypt and the ceremonies the inventions of men are not mourned for by the pastors of the Lord sure I am not by most of the Ministers in Scotland What can wee say for our confidence in our Armies our multitude Parliaments Navies our extortion oppression unjustice hollow-heartednesse in the cause of God our lying cousening budding and bribing our breach of our Covenant denying of justice to the oppressed to the widow strangers and Orphans to the poore and needy the abominable and daring opinions of God his Sonne Christ his Church his Sacraments and free grace and sanctification and holinesse in this land Thirdly judgements on a land or a person are the cup of the Lords fury now often it is the grounds and thick of the cup which is the substance and vertue of the cup and must worke the cure And possibly to sip at the brim will not doe it it is a judgement that some get not leave to heate in the furnace but are dipped in in the flood and are never at leasure to commune with their owne heart nor hath the Lord time to allure them in the wildernesse Hos. 2. 14. as Ephraim was in the Oven as a Cake unturned poore Germany hath not beene slenderly dipped in and presently out againe they have now beene in the floods and under the water these 26. yeares these kingdomes are yet greene not ripened for the mercy of deliverance ourscumme remaineth in us divisions amongst us say it is not yet time for our triumph The fields are not while already to harvest when all godlinesse is to dispute out new wayes
in the rwo kingdomes some say it is because libertie is not given to every man to live in what Religion hee pleaseth but this is a sin that every man doe What seemeth good in his owne eyes because there is not a judge to put any to shame Judg. 18. Chap. 19. 1 2. the contrary then cannot bee the cause of the so great judgement Others say rebellion against the King is the cause but rather the not timous rising to helpe the Lord and his oppressed people against the mightie is the cause The defection of both kingdomes to altar worship imagerie idolatry Popish and Arminian Doctrine the articles of Perth Assembly followed and practised in our owne kingdome without repentance the ignorance of God people perishing for want of knowledge both under prelacy and now the not building of the house of God in this land the backsliding of many after the Covenant of God is sworne are the true causes and it is to bee feared that if Presbyteriall government bee erected in this land as wee hope it shall if this bee not taken heed to it shall continue a judgement on the Land and it is this many both preachers and professors shall conforme to the Government as they would doe to either the prelaticall or congregationall way as many time-servers doe and shall hate and persecute the power of godlinesse under the pretence of Sectaries Brownists Separatists independents and the like and retaining an Antichristian and rotten heart shall doe what in them lies under that colour to vex oppresse and banish many godly men out of the land But this is to bee considered if it were not needfull there were a Fast through both kingdomes to deale with God to find out the true causes of our fastings and these heavy judgements in which in the three kingdomes many hundreth thousands are killed I doubt if under any Prince or Emperour there bee a history can parallel the blood shed within these few yeares Job when God visited him desired to know wherefore God contended with him it is a sad thing to lye drowned under unknown and fatherlesse plagues wee being ignorant of the causes of Gods judgement so wee suffer blind crosses like the Oxe that beares the yoake and knoweth nothing of the art of husbandry or the horse killed in the battell and yet is ignorant of State-affaires and of the causes of warre and of disorders in Lawes Liberties Religion in State and Church wee are like one smitten in the dark night by a spirit or a ghost but hee seeth not who striketh Oh it were good wee would inquire as the Prophet doth Esa. 42. 24. who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to robbery and wherefore is all this come on us why doth the Lord contend with us O make us know our iniquities Often the rod maketh a lying report of God and accuseth Christ in our desertions O! Christ is unkind hee is changed hee hath forsaken me wee can sooner spy a fault in Christ under desertion then in our selves and wee often reason from that which is no cause for the cause Christ seemeth changed to us and unmercifull and sleepey and carelesse First when the judgement is extreame and wee apprehend it as a fruite of the anger and vengeance of God Apprehension gives life to afflictions and casteth in many ounce weights of wrath in our cup which was never there because our conscience giveth in against us lying libells and unjust complaints such as this thou art not in Christ nor a convert nor a pardoned and justified sinner and wee first retort the lying libell upon Christ O! Christ hath forgotten to bee mercifull wee see Christ in the false glasse in our extreame suffering our sinne and apprehension joyning together Secondly Christ may sleepe and hide himselfe in a great tryall and when hee is gone and grace hath no actuall influence on our soules then wee languish and die the passes of the Clock being laid by there is no motion at all and the wheeles gather rust Should wee suppose that the Creator of nature did suspend his influence all naturall operations should cease there should bee no motion in the Sunne it should neither rise nor goe downe the raine should not fall the wind should not blow living things could not move Beasts could not walke Fowels could not fly Fishes could not swimme Roses Flowers and Hearbs could not grow c. because hee causeth all these to bee and his immediate influence addeth oyle to all wheeles and rowleth and moveth them else they could not stirre so Christ in the spheare of grace being the first mover if his influence stand still all our wheeles as wanting oyle and motion gather rust and stand still Paul cannot call Jesus Lord the Spouse runneth not for the bridegroome will not draw Can. 1. David dieth and withereth a hundreth deaths for God hides his face Hezekiah fainteth for God glowmeth Haman is downe amongst the dead in the grave Christ his life worketh not so here in trouble Christ standeth behind the mount and the poore Disciples faint and die and dreame and are all afraid in a storme because God seemeth to sleepe as if God were dead Oxthodoxe and sound apprhensions of Christ in us are not habits but acts and are in us as lightnings are in the ayre when nature actually cooperateth or as fire is in the flint not but when it is beaten out with force Thirdly distempers and feavers on faith take away the taste and the honey out of Christ the father is not a father to the child in a fit of an ague Thirdly when extreame danger is neare and the Army foyled and the enemy entering in at the ports our courage is as farre to seeke as ever was the courage of the Apostles Oh then wee are gone this is our death the cause is now losed Christ is buried hee cannot rise againe Esay 7. 2. It was told the house of David saying Syria is confederat with Ephraim and his heart was moved as the trees of the field the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is to bee moved from place to place and is ascribed to Cain the vagabond Gen. 4. 12. wee feare the creature too much because hee can kill the body and wee feare the Lord of heaven and earth to little though hee have dominion over both soule and body remember what a forgetting of God it is to feare the creature in Gods cause Esay 51. 12. I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that shalt bee afraid of a man that shall die and of the Sonne of man that shall bee made as grasse is it so great a sinne to feare man ay the next words beare no lesse 13. and forgettest the Lord thy maker that stretched out the heaven and laid the foundation of the earth an unbeleeving people hath a feare of their owne which the people of God are not to follow Esay 8. 12. Feare yee not the
Christ weepeth and bee buried when Christ is buried when Christ rejoyceth and riseth againe wee cannot lie rotting in the grave A great Calme Matthew 8. 26. so calleth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This is the other Character of God in this miracle that it is a great calme There is nothing in God not any judgement or worke of God but greatnesse is printed on it for the effect smelleth of the cause Job 36. 26. God is great Christ is great as the Churches danger in this Sea-voyage is great so is the calme great great buildings have great foundations great ships great sailes great Sea-ebbings have great flowings 2 Cor. 1. 10. God delivered us from so great a death some death is but an infant death and weake there is another death called by Bildad Job 18. 13. The first borne of death The Lord sheweth his people Psal. 71. 20. great and sore troubles and gives them teares to drinke in great measure Psal. 80. 5. and the people is in great distresse Nehem. 9. 37. and for that the Lord doth great things for them Psal. 126. 2. and worketh a great salvation for his people 1 Sam. 14. 45. and giveth great deliverances to David Psal. 18. 80. and to Davids seed the Israel of God Secondly there is greatnesse written upon all the workes of God Psal. 92. 5. O Lord how great are thy workes Psal. 111. Vers 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those that have pleasure therein Thirdly there is greatnesse written on his judgements against his enemies for Zach. 7. 12. there is a great wrath from the Lord of hosts on those that pull away the shoulders and makes their heart as an Adamant stone hee fighteth against the rebellious Ier. 21. 5. in anger and in fury and in great wrath and the great day of his wrath shall come upon his enemies so that they shall not bee able to stand Fourthly and there is a great reward for the righteous Psal. 19. 11. a great reward in heaven for them Matth. 5. Vers 12. A farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Then great vengeance is appointed for the enemies of God Ezek. 25. 17. and great desolation on Pharoah the great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his Rivers Ezek. 29. 3. and when these kingdomes have committed great whoredomes what wonder that great judgements bee on us and many more hundreth thousands bee slaine in the three kingdomes then histories can in our ages parallel but if Babylon bee a great whore great must bee her fall all the Kings of the earth and her Merchants shall wonder and weepe and waile at her desolation Our King saith hee will repeale Lawes made against Papists in England But it is a worke above his strength to hold up the cursed throane of the beast which God hath said hee will crush if all the Kings of the earth should make their bones pillars to hold up that throne there is such a weight of vengeance lying on that throne that their bones shall bee bruised in powder Reformation is a worke of God also Zach. 13. 23. and then it is a great worke and though there bee great mountaines in the way God doth rebuke and remove such mountaines Zach. 4. 7. faint not then bee strong in the Lord No marvell wee are to sell all and buy Christ that pearle of great price Matth. 13. 46. for none hath so neare a relation to God as hee wee seeke great things seeke great Christ Luke 8. 25. And they being afraid wondered saying one to another What manner of man is this for hee commandeth even the winds and waters and they obey him This is all the fruit wee read this miracle produced in the Seamen they fall a wondring being astonished to see a man command Sea and winds First the miracles of Christ and all the workes of God are so farre inferiour to his word that they can teach us nothing of the Trinitie nor of two natures in the one person and of our mediator Iesus Christ Secondly O how little of God doe wee see especially being voyd of his owne light even Iob saith though God bee at our elbow wee know not it is hee Chap. 23. 8. Behold I goe forward and hee is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him But is this because God was neither behind Iob nor before him no God goeth round about us every man may as it were put forth his hand and grope the Almightie Act. 17. 27. therefore Iob addeth Vers 9. he is on the left hand where hee doth worke but I cannot behold him hee hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him wee cannot trace the footsteps of his unsearchable wayes alas wee but sport our selves to behold the superfice the outside and as it were the brim of divine providence men or Angels cannot dive to the bottome of the wayes of our Lord Esay 55. hee saith himselfe Vers 9. for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Thirdly wee come but that neare Christ that wee goe at the farthest three or foure steppes to him some are convinced and wonder they say this must bee God as Luke 4. 22. when Christ preaches as Christ and like himselfe they all beare him witnesse and wonder at the gratious words that proceed out of his mouth yet they are not a step nearer to him they despise him and say Is not this Josephs sonne Some know a Prophet hath beene amongst them Ezek. 3. 5. but they are Scorpions and briars and thornes and will not heare Secondly some ate inlightned and beleeve for an houre Matth. 13. 21. a faith that liveth for an houre is a sickly dying faith Thirdly some are a step nearer they have joy in Christ Matth. 13. 20. and the word of the Prophet is Ezek. 33. 32. to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voyce and can play well on an Instrument the Gospel is sweet to many but they come not nearer they will not heare nor obey Fourthly some tast of the good Word of God and of the powers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the manifold powers of the life to come Heb. 6. 5. yet come never nearer to Christ but fall off as if they were afraid to bee converted they goe not a fift step farther on to give themselves up wholly to Jesus Christ It is not the Seamens way onely but 1. Malignants and Prelats and Papists see God in this worke they wonder and yet they resist Esay 26. 11. Lord thy hand is exalted they see not they shall see and bee ashamed for their envy at the people in this worke that the Lord is working in the three kingdomes there bee sundry notes of divinitie and footsteps of God and Malignants doe but wonder as 1. when Prelats
and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles God from despised and contemned beginnings raised the worke to a great height 2. our adversaries were agents and would not rest but did cooperate to their owne destruction They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland against all Lawes 2. They would stirre him up to raise Armies by Sea and Land against Scotland 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace and the word of a Prince to his Subjects after an accommodation and set him on bloody warres againe 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him first to come and yeeld to all that is just and right in a Parliament of Scotland but against their mind with no purpose to keepe their faith and then to raise Tragicall and bloody warres in England and in all these they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and secret providence to their owne destruction 3. They have beene searching to find out that our intentions were not to establish Religion in power and puritie and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State but to change monarchy and set up another government this they could never yet find 4. They see God against them prophanitie and wickednesse on their side and with them Papists Idolaters Irish murtherers the cruellest of men the scumme and refuse of the Churchmen yet they will not see God in this 5. They find and see their treachery popery tyranny discovered by many plots come to light by letters under the Kings hand their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation ere popery and arbitrary government bee not established and that all Treaties have beene intended not for a just peace but for this end that a peace being once patched and sowed up all things shall returne to their ancient Channels as the King speakes in his instructions to his Commissioners at Vxbridge yet they will not see God in all these passages of his deepe providence If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Christ in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds and they obey him should not Christ bee to us a worlds wonder should hee not bee to us altogether lovely were it possible to lay in the counter-scale of the ballance to Christ a world of Angels put in yet millions of worlds of Angels adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wisedome put in all the delights of the sonnes of men put in yet the flowre and Rose of ten thousand possible worlds perfections they should bee under-weight to him the ballance should never downe Oh! wee glory in good armies wee rejoyce in victories and successe in a good Parliliament in godly Commanders in a good reformation all is excellent to us that hath any lustre or glimpse of created goodnesse but why doe wee not rather wonder admire and extoll excellent Jesus Christ who setteth him on high above the skies who lifts up his throne and his glory Consider but what is said of him Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature Vers 16. For by him were all things created c. 17. And hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things hee might have the preheminence see what wonders are there in Christ as first hee is Gods equall every way as high as God being the substantiall Image of God begotten of the Father and without all beginning Secondly as man the eldest of the creation of God and as God the Creator of the new world Thirdly no lesse the Creator of all then the Father wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven the royallest of the house of heaven these principalities and powers these little Gods the eldest and supreme Courtiers the higher house of the Peeres of heaven are but peeces of dependent shadowes that fell from the fingers of our highest King when hee framed this great all and the rich Palace-Royall of this greatest body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the bosome of the great world Fourthly the Lord Jesus hath all the created world so in the hollow of his hand as a man that holdeth a bowle of glasse in his hand in the aire should hee take his arme from under it it should fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces and doe no more good if Christ in whom all things consist some say as the notes of an excellent musick in a song draw in his armes of conserving providence the world should go all out of tune and the Globe of Crystall glasse should fall to a thousand meere nothings and as a man betweene his fingers may crush an Egge so hath Christ the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand if hee but thrust his two fingers together with a little crush all the world is dissolved like a broken Egge Fiftly hee is the head of the Church and such a head as is deaths eldest sonne and heire hee lay in deaths wombe and as the doubly blessed first-borne had the key of death with him in the inner side and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe that now all the younger brethren might come out at the same passage also yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to suite in marriage a bride his Church was sicke and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church rose the third day from death and married her Sixtly he hath so the absolute preheminence in all things that the highest of the Angels are but his vassals and servants is now in such incomparable eminency of Glory above all creatures that when the beloved-disciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his flesh that hee leaned on his bosome saw him in his glory hee fell downe at his feet dead Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Christ then his eyes of flesh could behold FINIS Iob. 20. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Esay 17. 6. Esay 30. 26. Six parts of the Text The words opened Part I. Preachers are to converse much with Christ why {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} How carefully Christ husbanded time How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy A generall faile of all in the care lesse improvement of time Part II. Christ and his Ship have more then ordinary stormes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Reason why the afflictions of the people of God are so extreame Evangelick legall anger in God Vse 1. Wrath untolerable to the ungodly Vse 2. We love a soft and a chosen providence of our owne carving Eight particulars considerable in the ship in which Christ and his Church is carried The Church a moveable thing as a ship {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Great change of the spirituall condition of the Church of particular Saints The Ship sayleth in a Sea of glasse mingled with fire Hope the Anchor of the Church The wares of the ship Seven sorts of passengers in the ship Why Christ took on our nature and infirmities Christ God and man and why The influence of the Godhead in Christs sufferings was active not passive Vse 1. Vse 2. It were sacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apostles and Elders did Acts 15. Innocency can sleepe sound amidst the greatest calamities How God is said to sleepe God will have his Church cause within a haires breadth of losing except he arise and helpe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why God saveth not while the Church be betweene the sinking and the swimming The presence of God in trouble how comfortable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Part III. The unitie and harmony of Christs Disciples in their trouble Reasons for Christian unitie Doct. Wee put unkindnesse on Christ because wee are not presently delivered and the reasons thereof {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Et non addet bene velle ultra â— Iudgements of themselves are the occasion rather then the cause of praying Some signes that sinne not afflictions put us to fasting and praying How the rod of God must work us to humiliation ere we be delivered Grace doth not extirpate but regulate feare and other affections The faults of the Disciples feare It were good to inquire the causes of the judgement Vse 2. The causes of misapprehending of Christ What is a small or weake faith Faith and fainting may consist together in one Reasons why wee know our grace so hardly The grounds of a faith weak in action Faith and sense compared together Simile Faith from instinct of grace sometime rather then from light of discourse The speciall cause of all sinnes of infirmitie From {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis mucio and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} captivus or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis hastae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. How God really rebuketh the creature Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea Vse This sword in Brittaine not the sword of men but of the Lord It is proper onely to omnipotency to make peace Part V. Two Characters of God in this miracle 1 That it is done in an instant and irresistibly 2 That it is great Things necessary to the Creature to the Creator have a may not be Things contingent to the Creature may have a must bee to the Creator Vse It is enough that our sea be calme when Christs is calme Greatnesse is printed on all the works of God Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Part VI Wee see little of God in his wayes Vse 1. God most visible in that hee now doth in Brittaine but Malignants will not see him Vse 2. The Lord Jesus a wonder to all