have a very sweet pleasant draught of it that would do them good at the heart and breed the best blood that ever beat in their veines it shall prove a cup of poyson and death to them now poyson we know especially in a cup hath the nature of a snare in it men that drinke it are not aware of it if it be artificiall and Italian right it hath neither smell nor colour in it to cause any feare or jealousie at all in him that shall drinke it it shall have the appearance and smell and manifest taste of Wine that is made by God to strengthen mans heart as David speakes and this poyson God will put into a cup too the Church shall be a cup of poyson Ierusalem shall be made fit to provoke the thirst of the enemie to draw him on to take it as Wine or the like is when it is in a cup for whilst it is in the vessel or hogshead no man offers to drinke it there this is not fit to be drunke but out of cups or glasses So the Church though it be at all times poyson to the wicked and enemies if they shall drinke it yet is it not at all times a cup of poyson to them fit to be drunke but only when the estate and condition of it is so low that there seemes no danger at all in attempting the ruine and desolation of it when the enemies conceive there is no more danger in destroying it then a man that is thirsty thinkes there is in drinking a cup of Wine that stands before him And so the other comparison of making the Church a heavy stone that shall over-heare and teare in pieces him that shall offer to heave and lift it up falls this way also He doth not say he would make Ierusalem a great stone but a heavy or massy stone We know the greatnesse or bignesse of a stone may be discerned by the eye before a man tryes to lift it and if it be a stone of any extraordinary bignesse enough in appearance to load a Cart or as big as can well be forced or removed from place to place by an engine a man though of great strength will never try to lift it not so much as a thought enters into him of taking it upon his shoulder to steale and carry it away but the heavinesse of a stone is not so apparent it is not knowne till a man taste it with his arm or shoulder or the like Now the Church of God is sometimes a great stone the enemies have no great minde to be medling with it they have no hope to heave it there is a face of beauty and glory and strength upon it and then they make no great hast to the spoile of it but sometimes again the outward appearance and figure of this stone is quite changed and altered it seems to be brought to so small a size that it may well be loaden and carried away the enemies make no question but to build themselves houses with it but it is now as heavy and massy as ever and will be the breaking in pieces and certaine death of who ever shall offer to lift it up Fifthly therefore that is further to be considered concerning Gods withdrawing his visible presence frō his Chruch at any time when their wonted tokens are not to be seen I meane in respect of any favour or countenance he gives his Church in the eyes of the world to assist and strengthen the hand of it there is no great cause of feare for all this as if the Church were now upon the point of perishing or sinking under water because such a withdrawing as this from his Church is simply necessary for setting his Snare The Church could not be a Gin to catch the enemies of it in such a manner as is spoken of except things were thus carried in the wisdome and providence of God If there were any visible beame or glimmerings of the glorious Majesty of God amongst his people his Church might be to the world and enemies of it as those figures and shapes of men are which husbandmen set up in their Corne to skare and keep vermine away but not to kill them So if the world saw or apprehended any thing to be afraid of in the Church as any outward testimony of the presence of God must needs be that falls within the reach of their understandings this might binde the world to some termes of good behaviour towards them this might keep violence and oppression and injury from off them it might keep down desires within them of doing them harme But when men set Gins or Snares to be the death of Birds of Prey Vermine Beasts or the like every man conveyes himselfe out of sight as much as may be and they leave nothing at all not so much as the appearance of a man that lookes like a man or any part of him but only the bait as naked as may be and the snare covered otherwise this would make the Vermine suspect and keep away So the Lord intending to make the Church a snare for the wicked and wretched enemies of it he must wholy withdraw himselfe and hide himself in some secret place where they may not discry him nor yet suspect him that so being drawn on by their cursed hungring and thirsting after the blood of the Church the Lion may take his advantage and breake out of the thicket upon them and teare them in pieces suddenly The truth is that all holy and consecrate things are snares to the wicked as the Scripture speakes it in a particular case Prov. 20.25 Ier. 2.2 but there is a greater generality of the truth of it It is a snare to a man to devoure that which is holy His intent is not only nor as I take it so much to expresse the danger a man falls upon when he hath devoured that then he shall pay deare for it but further and more principally to intimate this that things that are sanctified and set apart to God are in mens way as it were where they may easily and without any visible danger come at them and that there are few that will take heed of devouring them whether they be persons or things As snares are not only intended to be the destruction of Vermine when they fall into them or upon them but they are set in the way where they are likely to come and make most bold c. And therefore in the sixth and last place neither is the power nor the proud and high lookes of the enemy nor their breathing out threatnings nor making great boasts nor any ground they get from day to day of the Church nor any cruelty they can practise against it or the like none of all these nor all of them together are any just causes of feare to such as are the People of God and have interest in God Their hearts may be lifted up within them to their destruction as it
to the ground and lie in the dust if innocency and righteous dealing will not sustain them which is an essentiall Character of him that hath confidence in God yea have they not cast off his Word as Esay 30.12 and trust in violence and wickednesse as the former or Oppression and perversenesse as the latter Translation hath it and stay thereupon do they trust more in Treasons in Poisons in Rebellions in Conjurations in Fires in Swords in Ships in bloody Butchers in Gunpowder in Vaults in Iron in Wood in any thing then in God and doe they not stay themselves thereon are not these the goodly Pillars and polished Corners of their Temple doe they not hope to live and subsist in the world and to hold up their heads above Water by such engines and projects and designes as these This is the interest that Church hath in God Surely that Church may say He that is their God is not the God of Salvation but of Destruction the name of their God in Hebrew is Abaddon Rev. 9.11 CAP. VIII Wherein the third and last branch of the Use of Reproofe is handled THirdly and lastly if the Church and People of God have such interest in God as hath been formerly opened then those also are to be reproved that challenge this interest in him and yet suffer their hearts in times of danger to be troubled and over-whelmed with inordinate and tumultuous feares If they see but a great Wave comming towards them they are ready with Peter in Mat. 14.29 to cry out We perish or if they taste but some bitternesse in the Broth presently cry out with the Prophets Children 2 Kings 4.40 There is death in the Pot. How many are there that say they have interest in God whose hearts faile them and become like stones within them cold and heavy if trouble or affliction doe but come forth and look a little upon them they are not able to endure the appearance of any danger As when the great Champion of the Philistims did but shew himselfe in the field 1 Sam. 17.24 it is said that all the men of Israel when they saw the man they ran away from him and were sore afraid they knew not whether ever he should have come neare them to hurt any of them or no and yet they were all afraid and ran away only upon sight of him So the Israelites Exod. 14.10 did but lift up their eyes and saw the Egyptians marching after them and the Text saith they also were sore afraid If dangers and troubles doe but put forth a little and begin to bud we conclude that a deadly Winter must needs be at hand If there be but a thick arme of flesh lifted up against us to strike we thinke the blow must presently fall upon us If Satan doth but shew himselfe in armes and bring forth his troopes and display his colours before the Wals we give the City as lost presently Yea some men are as teÌ„der of their fears in this kinde and as impatient to have them rebuked and touched as David was of his Son Absolon or Adoniah 2 King 1.6 it is said that his Father would not displease him from his Childhood to say Why dost thou so Some men even take such a felicity and contentment in their feares and apprehensions of dangers though otherwise feare hath torment as S. Iohn speaketh that neither will they displease them themselves nor suffer any other to displease them they will not endure any man to dispute or to conceive any hope when they have once feared So that they seem to have a touch of Ionahs spirit in them that was angry with God for not executing judgement upon Ninevch when he had prophesied the destruction of it Some men seem so highly to honour the Propheticall signes of their feares as if they would take offence at Gods goodnesse and mercy if he should not bring upon them and the Church of God amongst them the judgements and mercies that they have prophecyed of in their feares Now I say all such distracting and dismaying feares as these are no wayes seemly and comely in those that professe this speciall interest in God Are they not rather a giving honour to men and magnifying the powers of darknesse and the devill himselfe above God What are any such feares being rightly interpreted but as much as to say the rage and malice and wickednesse of men are greater then the goodnesse and truth and power of God These are windes and waves that will not obey him that he cannot 〈◊〉 and commanâ—â— Should such a man as I feare saith Nehemiah that have professed such confidence in God and still you shall finde that in Scripture there is an opposition between those feares and that honour that is due unto God from those that are his and say they have interest in him See those Scriptures Ezra 8.22 Nehem. 4.14 1 Pet. 3.14 15. at your leisure But you will say Object If the Lion hath roared who will not or shall not be afraid as Amos and if the Trumpet be blowne in the City ought not the people to feare If God himself denounce war against his people and take part with their enemies and strengthen their hands daily and suffer the men of the earth to exalt themselves against them and to doe with his Saints even as they list as it is said they did to Iohn the Baptist in his time and cuts off the wonted signs and tokens of his presence with his owne so that they can see few or none of them left are not these things enough to shake the foundations of any mans confidence to make all hands hang downe Amos 3.8 and all knees wax feeble to breake the heart of any mans hope who is able to stand in the face of such a destruction comming from the Almighty and doth not tremble exceedingly And therefore they that feare in this case are in no cause of reproofe but rather to be relieved with mercy and compassion To this I answer divers things Answ but very briefly First The roaring of the Lion that is heard it may be the roaring of that Lion that goes up and downe the world seeking whom he may devoure it may be the roaring of hell and of the devill comming with open mouth upon the poore Church of God like a ramping and roaring Lion as David speaketh and not the roaring of the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah against his Church and People If it be so we may give losers leave to speake and cry out and to roare too and no great cause thus far to be troubled at it We must pardon the devill the excesse of his wrath he is in great straights his time is shorter then ever and that which he doth he must doe quickly the sound of his great Masters feete is behinde him with the great chain of darknesse in his hand to lay him up fast in the bottomlesse Pit for ever Secondly it is to be considered
eye hath cost the world deare The touching of it hath cost the blood of the greatest Monarchs of many Kings and Princes of the earth It hath cost whole Monarchies Kingdomes and States the greatest the richest the strongest that ever the world saw their whole Estates Riches Glory and Peace True we reade often of the jealousie of God over his great name in respect of any pollutions and prophanation of it by other sins but we do not reade of his great jealousie but only for and over Jerusalem his Church but as concerning the case of Jerusalem wee reade of it twice in the same Prophet Zach. 1.14.8.2 As if God had a jealousie and a jealousie a two-fold jealousie a double and a single a greater and a lesse and the lesser jealousie he puts on and armes himselfe with when he went forth to execute vengeance for other sins but whē he sets forth against the enemies of his Church when he comes to plead Jerusalems cause with her adversaries his double jealousie now went on his great jealousie was reserved for causes of this nature as of highest and greatest importance for his glory Yea I shall say yet more that when men have put forth their hands to this worke I meane to afflict the Church of God upon the fairest termes upon greatest advantage or likelihood that can be conceived of doing any good upon it and making earnings of it I meane when they have seemed in doing it even to give the right hand of fellowship to God himselfe when he hath begun to punish them yet did never any man come off fairely from the worke God still found something or other against those that were his workmen and executioners which made a breach between him and them they never eate of their labours nor ever rejoyced in any of these works of their hand seldome any of their heads went downe in peace to their Graves An instance hereof we may see in the Aegyptians according to the Lords owne prediction long before how it would fall out Know for a surety saith the Lord to Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeares notwithstanding the Nation whom they shall ferve will I judge c. And that God did not only foresee and foretell this that the Israelites should serve the Aegyptians and be in bondage but that himselfe had a speciall hand in it in bringing it to passe it is evident from Psal 105.25 where it is said that God turned their heart i. e. the heart of the Aegyptians to hate his people and to deale craftily with his servants because they began now to be corrupted in Aegypt and to displease him God tooke off the good will and the affections of the Aegyptians from them and yet we know how deare the Aegyptians paid for that worke and service the Israelites did them they had better have given double treble wages to other men to have made their Bricks then to have the people of God make them for nothing Other instances of like nature you may finde in Scripture Esa 36.20 if you reade Psal 78.61.2 with Psal 65.8 you shall finde a passage of like importance Rabsheka it is like lyed or at least spake upon a groundlesse presumption viz. because till then he had prospered when he told Hezekia's messengers that he was not come against Jerusalem without the Lord God had said to him destroy it But in Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel the case is plaine 2 Chron. 36.17 it is said expresly that God brought upon them the King of the Caldeans yet if you reade Ier. 50.17 18. besides many other places you shall finde he had his wages paid him in sorrow and desolation Israel is scattered as Sheep the Lions have driven him away First the King of Assyria hath devoured him and last this Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath broken his bones Therefore saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will punish the King of Babylon and his Land as I have punished the King of Assyria c. So Iudges 3.12 you may reade the like of Eglon King of Moab it is expresly said that God strengthened his hand against Israel c. yet we know this medling with Israel was his ruine As for example of the just vengeance and fiery indignation of the Lord breaking out upon those who without any warrant or commission from him have evill intreated despitefully used oppressed and persecuted the Church of God these both in sacred Records and other Histories of the Church are without end or number There is not only a Cloud of such witnesses but the whole heaven is spread over with them and divers of them known unto all men So that it would be but time lost to produce them Therefore now I beseech you consider you that are enemies of the truth that have imbittered spirits against the holy City and Church of God consider and ponder with your selves the truth and weight of this motive There was no man ever spread a snare to take the People of God with but first or last if he continued his malice his owne foot was taken with it No man ever digged a Pit for such but fell himselfe into it no man ever attempted mischief against it and continued in it but it still returned upon him and fell on his own pate as David speaketh It was the argument the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe used to Paul when he tooke him hard at this worke busie in persecuting the Saints and meant to take him off from it Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9.5 It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against sharpe pointed Irons as Goads or Nailes have teaching that a man cannot lift up his hand or heele against the meanest of the servants of God but with as much folly and madnesse and with as little hope of doing themselves good as he that shall stand chopping and dashing his naked hands or feete against the sharpest points of weapons or instruments made of Steele or Iron Pilates wives argument that she used to take of her husband from having any thing further to doe against Christ was that she had suffered many things that day in a dreame by reason of him Mat. 27.19 But the argument wherewith the Holy Ghost now presseth upon you to have no more to doe against these men is of greater efficacy not only one womā hath suffered many things in a dreame but a thousand thousands both men and women whole Nations and Kingdomes and States as was said Kings and Princes and mighty ones of the earth have suffered really full waking in deed and in truth the soarest and most grievous destructions the most fierce fiery and horrid judgements that the world hath seen To let all other instances passe only to mention that fiery storme and tempest which was the