men at once to rule over them and entangle them with the snares of those sufferings which are most proper to their sins And thus 't is conceived Elihu answers those expostulating demands which Job puts chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power Here are three questions First Why do they live they are not worthy to breathe Secondly Why become they old they deserve to be cut off in their youth and not to live out half their dayes Thirdly Why are they mighty Why do they command all who use their might only to do mischief Elihu answers these questions in a word God giveth power into the hands of evil men because of the sins of the people As if he had said if at any time you see the wicked in great power and prosperity 't is a signe the people are very wicked and God will punish and scourge them by the hands of such for their wickedness This is a truth and much is said by some Interpreters for the making of it out from the Text but taking it as 't is given I shall only give you two Notes from it First Bad Princes are set up by the permission yea disposition of God He makes evil men to reigne The same power which brings wicked men into the world sets wicked men high in the woâ—ld It is of God that any wicked man hath a place in the wo ld and it is of God that any wicked man gets into the high places of the world All the Kings of Israel from first to last were stark naught Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu reges constituuntur apti his qui in illo tempore ab ipsis regnantur Irene l. 5. c. 24. and very wicked yet they were all of God's setting up though their own ambition or the satisfying of some lust put most of them upon aspiring to get up In the first book of the Kings chap. 11.29 30 31. Ahijah the Prophet finding Jeroboam the first and worst of them in the way caught the new Garment that was on him and rent it into twelve pieces and he said unto Jeroboam take thee ten pâ—eces for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten Tribes to thee This Jeroboam was so bad a man that he was not content to sin alone but made Israel to sin yet even him did God set up and sent a Prophet to him to tell him so How unholy soever men are in their place and how unjust soever in the exercise of their power yet the holy and just God for reasons known to himself placeth them in power Secondly Observe God permits wicked Princes to reigne as a punishment of the reigning sins and wickednesses of the people The power of wicked Princes is the punishment of a wicked people Quidam reges ad utilitatem subjectorum dantur conservationem justitiae quidam autem ad poenam Dei justo judicio in omnibus aequaliter superveniente Irene l. 5. c. 25. Some Princes and Magistrates are given as a blessing for the protection peace and profit of a Nation and for the exaltation of righteousness in it Others are given as a curse for the vexation trouble and impoverishing of a Nation The Lord takes this fully upon himself Hos 13.11 I gave them a King in mine anger c. Angry providences are the fruit of sin God gave Saul in anger he gave Jeroboam and the rest of the Israelitish Kings in anger and as he gave them in anger so he took them away in wrath The sins both of Princes and people produce mutual ill effects towards one another First The sins of the people are the cause somtimes why good Princes are immaturely or suddenly taken away from them Josiah that good King was removed very early for the sin of Judah Pharaoh Necho had never slain him had not the people been unworthy of him Hence that of Solomon Prov. 28.2 for the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof He means not as I conceive many together but many successively that is good Princes go quickly off the stage one after another for the transgression of the people of the land But as it followeth in the same verse by a man of understanding knowledg the state thereof shal be prolonged Our Translaters render these latter words in the plural number as the margin hath it by men of understanding wisdom shall they likewise be prolonged that is when there are many godly wise and understanding men in a Nation God blesseth them with long-lived and aged good Kings or Governours Secondly Whole Nations or a people are somtimes punished for the sins of their Princes Jer. 15.4 the Lord tells the Jewish state he would bring all that evil upon them for the sin of Manasseh Regum lapsus poena populoruÌ„ est sicut enim eorum virtate servamur ita eorum errore periclitamur Quid enim possit habere corpus reipublicae capite languido The sins of Princes prove oftentimes the sufferings of the people As both by and for their goodness and vertues a people are blessed so by and for their evills errors and vices a people are endangered yea sometimes ruined When the Head of a Kingdome or Common-wealth is sicke the Body is seldome well Thirdly The sins of a people bring destruction both upon their Princes and themselves together and wrap all up in one ruinous heape as Samuel threatned the people of Israel 1 Sam 12.25 If ye still doe wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King He speakes not a word of any sin in their King but tells them that their wickednesse may bring destruction not only upon themselves but upon him also Fourthly which is the poynt in hand the sins of a people cause the Lord to set evill Princes over them When once a people refuse the sweet and easie yoke of Christ or say we will not have this man to rule over us he in Judgement sends such to rule over them as shall lay heavy yokes upon them indeed God useth some Princes as his staff to support a people and as his shield to defend a people yea as his Sun to cherish and influence them with aboundance of mercies He useth others only as his sword to wound them or as his scourge to correct them for their sin Vterum fert civitas haec timeo autem ne pariat virum CorrectoreÌ„ malae insolentiae vestrae Theogn Cur Domino Phocam imperatorem constituisti responsum datum quiâ— non inveni pejorem Cur superbis non es creatus Episcopus quod dignus sacerdetio sis sed quod civitas tali digna erat Episcopo Anast Deus quibusdaÌ„ malis tanquam carnificibus usus est ad sumendum de aliis paenas quod verum esse de plerisque tyrannis arbitror Tale medicamentum fuit Argentinu Phalaru
and under-value their most prayse-worthy deeds Ill will never spake well either of persons or actions Secondly whom we love not as friends especially whom we hate as enemies we are prone to highten their faults and double their faylings we mostly look on the evill deeds of an enemy in a multiplying or in a magnifying glass we make one fault many and a little one great A true friend will speak the most of what is well done and the least he can with truth of what is ill He is so farre from seeking occasions against whom he loves that he will hardly see them when findes them unsought A noble enemy will not seeke occasions against a man much lesse will a cordiall friend It is no wonder when Job is taxed with saying God sought occasions against him that he should also say He counteth me for his enemy From the matter of these words He counteth me for his enemy take these two notes First Even good men when they are sorely grieved under the afflicting hand of God are tempted to have hard apprehensions of God at least to suspect and feare that God is no friend to them And this comes to passe upon a double consideration First Nature when pinched will shew it selfe Now man naturally hath not only hard thoughts of God but an enmity against him And when nature is pinched all the corruptions working in man worke this way unless over-power'd and checkt by grace Secondly when 't is hard with us from the hand of God then Satan takes his time to prompt us with hard thoughts of God and to foment that enmity to the uttermost of which our corrupt nature hath such store What will Satan say Doth God love thee and starve thee What Doth God pretend kindness to thee and deale thus with thee is God thy friend who takes away thy friends is God thy friend who leaves thee in the hand of enemies doth he pitty thee and yet keepe thee in these paines is this his kindness to his friend How can he say he loves thee And hast not thou cause enough yet to say He counteth thee for his enemy Thus Satan takes his time to provoke nature which is forward enough of it selfe to thinke and speake hardly of God if at any time he is pleased and sees it fit to deale hardly with us And how great a combate hath many a gracious soule both with Satan and his owne heart to get and keepe up good and honorable thoughts of God in a suffering condition or under darke and to sense dismal dispensations Secondly Note Whatsoever God doth to or with a godly man he should maintaine good thoughts and speak well of God or when God deales most strictly and severely with his people they should not look upon it as an argument of any enmity or ill will against them or that he counteth them his enemies Let us take heed of such thoughts David professed Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to them that are of a cleane heart He is good to them that 's Davids intent there not only when he doth them good as to outward things I meane and to sencible appearances for all is good in the issue to the Israel of God now I say God is good to his people not only when he in that sence doth them good but when he afflicts them and layeth many outward evills upon them When as it is said after in that Psalme v. 14. He plagueth them that word imports sorest troubles all the day long and chasteneth them every morning when he gives them their breakfast in sowre herbes or with severest whippings yet then even then he is good to them and meanes them no harme at all Therefore how hardly soever God deals with us let us not thinke he counts us enemies The Temptation was strong upon David to take up hard thoughts of God in that case yea it prevailed so farre upon him that he concluded v. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency As if he had sayd A man hath little priviledge from the worst of outward evills by his godliness But the Temptation did not prevaile long he soone recovered himselfe v 15. If I say I will speak thus that is that I have cleansed my heart in vaine Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children that is I should wrong the whole kind or race of godly men throughout the world as if hypocrites or as if God did not love them or were not good to them for who is there among all thy children whom either thou hast not or mayest not chasten as much as thou hast chastned me As no man can know the love of God by that which is before him how prosperous soever it is so it is most unsutable for any of the children of God to thinke that God is not good to them or doth not love them because of the evill that is before them how adverse or disasterous soever it is For God having loved his people in Christ he loves them for ever when once he hath broken the enmity in our hearts towards himselfe there is nothing shall ever be done by him towards us which may speak us his enemies or him our enemy though a Job in great affliction may say He counteth me for his enemy And handles me like one too as it followeth Vers 11. He putteth my feet in the stockes he marketh all my paths We had these words expressely Chap 13.27 there they have been opened already Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks and lookest narrowly unto all my pathes That which hath been said as to the Generall sence and scope of that text may serve for this And therefore I referre the reader thither I shall only adde two or three notes from the metaphor He put my feet in the stocks that is he presseth me with very close and sore afflictions Hence Observe First To be in affliction is to be in a painfull condition there is little ease in the stocks No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb 12.11 To be under a crosse is be under a burden Secondly Afflictions keepe us under restraint He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks afflictions hold us in they are as a prison to us Afflictions are a restraint two wayes First to our corruptions yea through the grace of God afflictions are more then restraints to corruption they become the death of corruption they are appoynted among other services for the mortifying of corruption that it may not live in us much more are they a restraint to corruption that it may not get out nor worke in us as before Many times when a good man hath the world at will his corruptions thinke to have their will too and when he is at liberty lusts would grow licentious Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks that their
Gospel and to prepare the way for Christ by whom grace and truth came The Baptist was as it were the loop and button between the legall and the Gospel dispensation therefore his name might well be called John And there is frequent use in Scripture of the Adverb which comes from this Verb to signifie injuries received without desert or undeservedly Ps 7.4 Yea I have delivered him that without cause was mine enemy or that was mine enemy gratis And again Psal 35.7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause have they digged for my soul Yet more as the word signifies the doing of good gratis or when there is no desert so any injury done gratis or when no provocation hath been given the party so to doe Now as all the mischief which the wicked plot against or doe to the people of God is undeserved and floweth meerly from their malice so all the good which God doth for his people is undeserved and floweth purely from the fountaine of his free grace or from his compassions which faile not And surely the Lord deserveth highest praises from man for any good he doth him seeing what he doth is gratis or undeserved Further This Hebrew word Chinnam answers the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred freely Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratis i. e. ejus gratia Bez We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ How can unjust men deserve justification Therefore Mr Beza translates We are justified gratis that is by his grace Againe When it is said then he or the Lord is gracious it may be taken two wayes First as to be gracious implyeth the intrinsecall graciousness of his nature or that mercifullness and kindness which dwells in the heart of God and which indeed is God for the graciousnesse of God is the gracious God thus God is alwayes and altogether gracious he is infinitely and uncessantly gracious Secondly when it is said he is gracious it may note only the graciousness of his acts and dispensations thus as I may say the Lord is gracious ad hinc et nunc as he sees cause at this time he is gracious and not at that time that is he puts forth acts of grace now and not then The Lord puts forth acts of grace both according to the pleasure of his own will without respect to any thing in man as also without respecting what man is or doth according to his pleasure And thus we are chiefly to understand it here then he is gracious God is gracious in his nature alwayes and alwayes alike gracious but he is not alwayes alike gracious in his dispensations or in giving forth acts of grace he is gracious to man according to his secret will as he pleaseth but he is gracious according to his revealed will as man pleaseth him Hence Observe first The first cause and spring of all our mercies is the graciousnesse of God Or All our mercyes flow out from the grace of God That 's the fountaine yea that 's the Ocean which seeds and fills all the Channels of mercy which stream to us as our happiness in this world and for our everlasting happiness in the world which is to come All is of grace fundamentally or because the Lord is and will be for ever gracious Thus the Lord spake to Moses Exod. 33.19 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious My mercy shall flow our when and to whom and where I please And the proclamation which he made of himselfe in all his royall Titles runs in the same straine Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity If we consider God first in doing us good Secondly in forgiving us the evill which we doe Thirdly in delivering us from the evills which we now suffer Fourthly in delivering us from the feare of future sufferings all is from grace and from free grace He doth us good though we are undeserving any good that 's grace yea he doth us good though we are ill deserving and that 's more grace He doth all for us through grace First in spiritualls and Secondly in temporalls not only doe the good things of eternall life but the good things of this present life flow from grace unto his own people Not only the health of their souls but the health of their bodyes not only deliverance from hell but deliverance from sickness also flow from his free grace in Jesus Christ Therefore of all their mercies and salvations both as to the foundation and top-stone of them the people of God must cry as the Prophet Zachery Chap. 4.7 foretells the people of God should say of that longed for deliverance when that great mountaine should become a plain before Zerubbabell grace grace unto them That is grace hath begun them and grace alone will maintaine continue and perfect what it hath begun As there is nothing in us except our misery which moves the Lord to begin so there is nothing in us but our inability which moves the Lord to perfect what he hath begun He seeth we cannot and therefore he will perfect what he hath begun and all this he doth that he may exalt his own name and perfect the praise of his free grace towards us More distinctly that all comes from grace or from the graciousness of God may note these five things to us First not only that God doth all for his people freely or without desert But Secondly that he doth all things willingly or without constraint for his people Thirdly that he doth all things forwardly for his people He doth very much unaskt and unsought and he is not much askt or hardly drawne to doe any thing for his people Though he hath said of some things I will be sought unto or inquired after that I may doe them for you Ezek. 36.37 yet his mercies are never forced nor wrested from him by intreaties but flow from a principle of love naturally as water out of a fountain Fourthly he doth all rejoycingly even with his whole heart and with his whole soul Mercy pleaseth him and he is pleased with occasions of shewing mercy 't is no burden to him to doe us good mercy proceeds from his nature and therefore he delighteth in mercy Mic 7.18 yea to be mercifull is his nature and therefore he cannot but delight in it Fifthly graciousness being the very nature of God implyeth that he will do us good liberally and constantly or that as the Apostle James speaks he giveth liberally and upbraideth not he doth not upbraid us with our poverty who receive nor doâ—h he upbraid us with the riches of the gifts which himself bestoweth And because they flow from his nature therefore he doth not in the least empty himself how much soever he fills the creature with his gifts or goodness Some men
stile Psal 67.1 God be mercifull to us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us that is give us tokens and pledges of his favour Secondly How see we the face of God Doth not God tell Moses No man can see my face and live How then can the face of God be seene I answer The face of God which was touched before as taken for the essence of God or for his essentiall glory cannot be seene That 's too transcendent a glory for man to behold What we see of God is but some ray or beaming out of light and glory from himselfe we cannot see himselfe The essentiall or personall glory of God is that face which cannot be seene but the declarative glory of God is a face of God which may be clearely seene by faith in the light of his word and workes And to see the face of God is nothing else but for a man to know in himselfe as the Apostles word is in somewhat a parallel case Heb 10.34 that God is gracious to him that is to have an assurance of his favour or a reflect act of faith about it The holy Spirit sheweth us what God is and what the things of God are 1 Cor 2.12 We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God that is that we mayâ—e enlightned with the knowledge of the grace goodness and favour of God to us discovered in the Gospel The Spirit sheweth us this blessed face of God and we see it by the actings of our faith all our visions of God in this life are visions of faith upon whose wings all our intellectuall powers soare aloft and are carried up to God Faith is not only a worke of the will in consent and application but a worke of the understanding by assent and knowledge Thus we see God as a Spirit is only to be seene with a spirituall eye The vision of God is intellectuall the vision of faith Videre faciem dei nihil aliud est quam sentire apud animum suum deum propitium Coc In Jubilo i. e. in quodam inexplicabili gaudio Aquin Thus the reconciled sinner finding God favourable to him he seeth his face with joy The word signifies joyfull acclamation or shouting for joy such as men use after great favours done them and benefits or rather bounties bestowed upon them There is a seeing of the face of God with terror so the wicked shall see God that is they shall have manifestations of Gods displeasure they shall be made to see him with shame and sorrow They shall say when they see him to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe They who never saw the face of God with joy shall see it with horror amazement Saints see it with joy they have unexpressible comfort and contentment in beholding God they shall rejoyce with shouting as in the yeare of Jubile when they sounded out their joyes with trumpets or made a joyfull noyse 'T is no ordinary but a triumphant joy with which the godly see the face of God Extraordinary sights affect with extraordinary joy Now the face of God being the highest and most glorious sight in the world it must needs affect the beholder with a glorious with a Jubilean joy He shall see his face with joy First It being sayd He shall see his face with joy upon his prayer and the humbling of himselfe before God Observe God hides or vayles his face till we humble our soules and seeke his face God will not be seene at all times no not by his owne people There are severall cases in which he turneth away his face in anger or drawes a curtaine as it were yea a cloud between himselfe and the soule And this he doth First and most usually to try his people how they can beare his withdrawings and to see whether or to what they will betake themselves when he takes himselfe so much from them that they cannot see him Secondly He doth it often to chasten and correct man for sin To be under the hidings of Gods face is the saddest effect of sin to a sencible or an awakened soule David made a grievous complaint because of this what ever the cause or occasion of it was Psal 13.1 The absence of God from him though possibly but for a short time was so tedious to him that he cryed out How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me Even Jesus Christ while he stood in the place of sinners bare the hiding of his fathers face as the summe of all those punishments which were due to and deserved by our sin This pressed him more then all bodyly sufferings and made him cry out while he hung upon the Crosse My God my God not why hast thou left me to be crucified but why hast thou forsaken me Math 27.46 Thirdly God hideth his face from some because the manifestations of it have not been received thankfully nor improved rightly We ought to give thankes for the light of the Sun shining in the ayre and also doe our worke in it Is it any wonder if God cloud and eclipse the light of his countenance towards those who neither prize it nor improve it If you would alwayes see the face of God then be ye alwayes seene at the worke and in the wayes of God Secondly Observe It is the sole priviledge of Gods Favourites or of those to whom he is favourable to see his face As no man can see that face of God his essentiall presence so none but Godly men shall see this face of God his comfortable or blessed-making presence Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb 12.14 There is a two-fold vision or sight of God and that negative assertion may be understood of either or of both There 's first a vision of God on earth thus we see his face as was shewed before in the actings of faith For though the Apostle opposeth these two faith and sight We walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor 5.7 yet faith hath its sight we walke not by sight as the worldly men walk who doe as they see and make their eyes both the guide of their consciences and the in-bringers of their comforts we walke not by outward sight nor doe we make conclusions how to guide our conversations by what we see We walke by faith and that 's the sight which we have of God while we are here on earth which cannot possibly be without holiness faith being so great a part of our holiness and by drawing vertue from Christ dayly the maintainer of it all Secondly there is a sight of the face of God in glory And if none can enter into glory but holy men then no man without
hands Histories have given many examples and dreadful instances of such calamities falling upon Princes by the rising of the people and then they are said to be taken away Without hand That is Without any foreseen appearance of such a mischief a hand which was not thought of being lifted up against them It is said of wicked Zimri who slew his master that when he saw the people conspire against him and the City taken he went into the Palace of the King's house and in the heat of his rage set it on fire and burnt the Kings house over him and died 1 Kin. 16.18 Justine reports the like conclusion upon a like occasion of Sardanapalus that effeminate and voluptuous Monarch of the Assyrian Empire They who prosecute this Translation conceive Elihu reflecting upon Job in all this who was very uncivilly treated by his own people from whom he had deserved highest respects as he complained at the 30th chapter they raised up against him the wayes of their destruction they used him very rudely even despightfully and he was in a pining consuming condition as a man taken away without hand But I shall not insist upon this reading but take the words according to the scope before given as a description of a mixt judgement from God a judgement partly upon the people and partly upon Princes a judgement upon the many and a judgement upon the mighty In a moment shall they die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Punctum momontum tempus exiguum Illipsis praeposition◠ב In a moment The Text is a moment they die Not that they shall die but a moment or be only for a moment dead but they shall die before a moment is over there is an Elipsis of the preposition Beth in the Hebrew which we supply in our Translation In a moment they shall die A moment is the least particle or parcel of time we cannot imagine any thing shorter then a moment 't is the very point of time Psal 30.5 His anger endureth for a moment saith David when he would shew how very short comparatively the anger of God towards his people is but in his favour is life Thus Solomon Prov. 2.19 He that speaketh truth his tongue shall be established but a lying tongue is for a moment A lye cannot last long he that speaks truth what he speaks to day is good to morrow and to morrow and will be good for ever but a lying tongue is for a moment that is his lies will be discovered and usually they are quickly discovered though he live long to tell lies or doth nothing but tell lies as long as he liveth yet his lyes are not long lived Job describing the joy of the hypocrite chap. 20.5 saith It is but for a moment like a fire of thorns a blaze and gone when the Apostle would strengthen and encourage the hearts of believers against all the troubles and sorrows of this present life he calls them 2 Cor. 4.17 First light Secondly short Our light afflictions that are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And that we might know how quick the devil was at his work with Christ the Scripture saith Luke 4.5 He shewed him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time As to shew the instantaneousness of our change from death to life in the resurrection it is said 1 Cor. 15.52 In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last Trump we shall be changed So to shew the extream suddenness of these mens change from life to death it is said here In a moment They shall die They Who Both great and small one and another of them shall die or be swept away by death in a moment There is a twofold death First Natural When either sickness or old age dissolves the earthly house of this tabernacle The natural death of some is very lingring and slow others are suddenly snatcht away they die in a moment Secondly There is a violent death thus many are taken away by the sword Martial or Civil others casually The Text is true both of natural and violent death either of them may overtake us in a moment yet I conceive the latter is here chiefly intended In a moment shall they die that is some sudden destruction shall come upon them they shall be surprized by an unlooked for disaster and removed out of the world while they had not a thought of their removal Hence Note First Death of any sort may befal all sorts of men None can plead exemption or priviledge from the grave It is appointed to men once to die most die a natural death and any man may die a violent death who knows how he shall go out of this world Christ told Peter John 21.18 When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not This spake he signifying by what death he should glorifie God And what kinde of death was that The Church History assureth us 't was a violent death He as his master Jesus Christ was nailed to a Cross and dyed We come but one way into the world but there are a thousand wayes of going out Note Secondly Death comes suddenly upon many men and may upon all men The whole life of the longest liver in this world is but a moment compared to eternity and there is not any moment of our life but with respect to second causes we are subject to death in it We alwayes in some sense though at some times more carry our lives in our hand and how soon or by what hand they may be snatcht out of ours we know not Now if our whole life be but a moment and we subject to death every moment how should we stand prepared for death every moment And how sad is it to think that they who may die the next moment should for dayes and weeks and moneths and years never prepare for death Most are loth to think of the end of their lives till they are nearer the end of them yet no man knoweth how near he is to the end of his life Many put off the thoughts of death till it cometh yet none can put off the coming of death they would remove the meditation of death to the fall of their leaf to the winter and worst of their old age yet they are not able to remove death one moment from the Spring and best of their youth Note Thirdly Violent death by the sore and severe judgement of God often sweeps multitudes away in a moment God can thrust whole throngs of men yea whole Nations into their graves together it is said Numb 16.21 of Corah and his companions The earth did cover or swallow them up in a moment And the Lord commanded Moses to say unto the children of Israel Exod. 33.5 ye are a stiff-necked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume
considerations from it 599 600 E Eagle how she reneweth her strength 419 Eare twofold 290. The eare naturally stopt against the teachings of God 291. Seven Eare-stoppers 291 God openeth the eare by foure meanes 292. Eare how it tryeth words 499. The use of the eares 501. How the word must be tryed by the eare before 't is submitted to 502 503. The reproofe of those who use their mouthes more then their eares 504. Eare its power 850 Earth what it signifieth in Scripture 576 Easiness to follow or be led by others very dangerous 99 Eldership twofold 36 Election an act of absolute free grace 397. Election as an act of man vid chusing Elihu what that name signifieth 11 Eloquence how it may be burdensome 191 Error an error cannot alwayes be maintained 105. Errors both of understanding will and wayes many times secret to us 818 Evill not to know to doe evill or to be a bungler at it is best 130 131. The spirit of a good man is set against it 132. They that doe evill have reason to expect evill 138. Example of superiors in doing evill very powerfull 778 Examples of Gods Judgements are to be eyed and marked 686. Exemplary punishment all beholding 694 695 Three reasons why some are punished so 696 Excuse they who excuse a fault shew they have a mind to continue in it 549 Exercise of the soule under affliction in what it doth consist 796 Eyes of God what they signifie 656 Eyes see more then an eye 843 F Face of a man why put for his person 119 Face of God what and what it is to see his face 431. Face of God sometimes hid from his people and why 433. It is the sole priviledge of the favourites of God to see his face 434 It is our greatest joy and happiness to see the face of God 435. Face of God what it signifieth 727. The hiding of Gods face notes three things 727. How the face of God may be seene 729. Not to behold the face of God what it imports 729 730. Hiding of Gods face from nations Vide Nations The hiding of Gods face is exceeding grievous to his people 755 577. Caution to beware of provoking God to hide his face 756 Faith our faith not be pinn'd upon men how great or ancient soever 67. Faith is our vision of God in this life 432 Father a relation or title of great honour and comfort 849 Father-hood God the fountaine of it 849 Favourites to God who 427. A godly man is used by God like a favourite 429 430 433 Feare twofold 42. A good feare what they seldome doe amisse who feare they may 44 Flattery is iniquity 127. A twofold flattery opened 127 128. The other extreame to be avoyded 129 Flattery is a wrath-provoking sin 135. To suffer our selves to be flattered is very dangerous 136. To give flattery hath a double danger 136 137. More sinfull to flatter those that doe evill then to doe evill 231 Flesh what meant by it in Scripture 349 350. Flesh a fading thing 352. Flesh called grasse in two respects 352. Six practicall inferences from the fadingness of the flesh 354 355. Man not called flesh till after the fall 595 Flight or to flee for our lives is a grievous Judgement 648 Folly refusall of obedience to God the folly of man 64 Forgiveness of sin Vide pardon Fortune the wickedness of ascribing any thing to it 583 G Gaine of worldly things a strong temptation 454 Gifts of the mind wisdome and understanding come from God 55 56 57 Gluttony kills more then the sword 367 God is to be eyed in all our wayes 140. God who gives us life fits us also for all the services of this life 172 173. God so good that he never seekes occasions or advantages against us nor needs he we give him too many 215 216. We are apt to have hard thoughts of God when we suffer hard things 222. We should maintaine good thoughts of God when we suffer evill 223. God is great the use of it 234 235. Vid Greatness of God His power and dominion absolute he gives no account and why 253 254. His word of command is effectuall 419. God usually deales with men according to what they doe 438. Vnworthy thoughts of God should be rejected with indignation 554. God neither doth nor can doe any unrighteousness 556 557 574 578. Two inferences from it 572. Those foure things which cause men to doe wrong are at furthest distance from God 573. All things and times as present to God 574. Power of God primitive and unlimited shewed in five particulars 579 580. A fourefold universality of the power of God 582 583. Admonition to those that are in and under power from that consideration 584 585. God can easily doe whatsoever he hath a mind to doe 591. Two inferences from it 592. God is most just shewed in three things 616. That God is just in punishing proved by seven particulars 617. God can doe the greatest things alone 653. Two inferences from it 654. God how he hideth himselfe 668 Justice of God Vide Justice What God hath a mind to doe he can and will doe 689. All should follow after God 702. God his teaching Vide teaching Good men they that are truely good and gracious are willing to know and see the worst of themselves 824 Good in the doing of it many sins are mingled as well as it is sinfull not to doe good 819 Gospel knowne from the beginning 412 Government a spirit for it the most proper gift bestowed upon Princes 56 God taketh care of the government of the world or to maintaine government 684 Good what is properly our good 510. Goodnesse and strength where they meete how usefull 555 Grace though it abideth alwayes yet it doth not act alwayes alike where it is 247. Two eminent acts of grace in God towards man 299 All our mercies flow from the free grace of God 393. That all comes from grace implyeth five things 394. God usually gives out acts of grace when we repent c. 395 Graciousness of God opened 391 392 To be gracious notes two things â—n God 393. Two sorts of 〈…〉 acts 〈◊〉 Great men wisdome 〈…〉 with them 63 64. Therefore no taking things upon trust from them 64 65 Greatness of men or their abilities either to reward or hurt us must not turne us from the right 122 123 Greatness of God opened 234. Five inferences from it 235 236. We may both say and believe that God is great and yet not answer it in our practise 239. who they are that indeed acknowledge God in his greatness 240. Our not laying to heart the greatness of God causeth our unsubmission to him 241 Guilt a godly man is as carefull to avoyd the act of sin as to be freed from the guilt of it 799 H Halting of two sorts 213 Hand striking the hands together in a twofold signification 692. Hands clapping of them in a threefold sence 861. Hand
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.
Sickness brings downe the strongest men 342. Severall ends for which God sends sickness 343 344. In sickness all creature-comforts are vaine and tastless to us 347. Sickness brings great decay upon the body 351 352. Sickness in what sense called a spending time 356. Sickness makes a wonderfull change in man 358. Sickneâ—s neere the grave three inferences from it 361 362. Other cautions from the nature of sickness 367 368. Sight twofold 816 Silence or holding our peace Vid peace Sincere persons doe not affect to be seene 770 Sin to say we have no sin how extreamly sinfull it is shewed in foure things 202 203. That shewed further 515. Sin three things in it 31. How man is sinned against God only sinned against properly 167. All sin reducible to three heads 198. Sin a defection from God 198. Sin is a defilement 199. Sin a hurtfull thing three wayes 201. Every step in sin is a step to misery 331. What sin is 448 450. Sin pretends to bring in profit to the sinner 454. No good can be gotten by sin 455. Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive 455. Sinners shall confesse at last there is no profit in sin 456. The heart strongly set to sin 472 473. The more easily any man sinneth the greater is his sin 537. Sins of others how they may become ours 562 Sin unpardoned a great burden yet by some unfelt 809. We have many unknowne sins 818. A godly man desires God would shew him his sins 824. A godly man may live free from grosse sins 826. Sin considered three wayes 827. A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin 828. The addition of sin to sin a great and most dangerous sio 830. To sin rebelliously what 856. When a sin may be called rebellion shewed in foure things 857 858. 'T is the burden of a godly man to sin and 't is his care not to sin 858 859 Sinners would but cannot hide themselves either from the eye or revenging hand of God 669 670. Sinners would hide themselves upon a twofold account 670. Foure things upon which sinners thinke themselves hid from God 672 673 Sirnames or titles of two sorts 126 Sleepe what it is 280. Three words in the Hebrew signifying sleepe 284 Soveraignty of God shewed 255 839 Man is never displeased with what God doth till he forgets what himselfe is 840. Soveraignty of God in afflicting the most innocent person 515. The Soveraignty of God shewed in five things 580. Three inferences from it 581. God hath an absolute power to pull downe and set up whom he pleaseth 683 Soule of man why called the breath of the Almighty 169. The soule floweth immediately from God 169 170 594. Three inferences from it 170. Soule put for the whole man 359 Speaker he that speaketh is at the mercy of his hearers 530 Speaking twofold 46. 'T is very painfull not to speake in some cases 114 He that speaketh his mind easeth his mind 116. The right end of speaking 116. To neglect speaking where duty calls very dangerous 117 A fourfold consideration is to be had of what we speake 149. We should first try and tast what we are about to speake 152. Three sorts who speake amisse doctrinally 156 157 How or when God is sayd to speake 264. Severall wayes of Gods speaking to man 265 Speech they who have most ability are usually most sparing of speech 45 Spirit often taken for the soule of man 51. Spirit of God free not tyed to age nor to any order of men 66 67 Spirit an imposing Spirit how bad 193. Spirit of God mightily over-powers some men both to doe and speake 114. Why our making is attributed to the Spirit 162. The Spirit of God is God 165. Eight reasons from Scripture proving that the holy Ghost is God 165 166 167 168. The Spirit supplyes the absence of Christ in the Church 685 Spirituall things are not understood by a naturall or unregenerate man 275 Two reasons of it 276. They that are spirituall doe not alwayes perceive spirituall things 277. Three grounds of it 277 278 Striving fourefold described 243. Man is apt to strive with God 248. Foure wayes shewed in which man striveth with God 249. Striving with God very uncomely and sinfull 250. Striving with God a presumptuous sin 251. Striving with God an irrationall thing 252. Striving with God of two sorts 255 256. Seven considerations why we should not strive with God 258. Seven preservatives against striving with God 259 260 Three things to be striven with 261 Submission with silence to the will of God alwayes a duty 479 Sufferings we may not will our sufferings though we must suffer willingly 793 Suspition a godly man suspects himselfe that he is worse and hath done worse then he knows by himselfe 825 Sword put for all violent calamities 330 T Talent not to be hid 72 108 Teachers should be leaders 489 Teaching of God twofold 821. God only can teach effectually 821. We should pray and wait for the teachings of God 823 Teachableness or a willingness to learn shewes an humble and gracious spirit 823 Threatnings it is good to thinke of them 139 Tongue he hath a great command over his spirit that can command his tongue 208. Tongue an unruly member 547 Troubles both nationall and personall at the command of God 644 Troubles overtake many when they least expect 645 Truth must be held and held to in all cases 121. Cleare truth should be spoken 158. We should speake truth clearely 159. Truth to be maintained with all our might 179. A good man seeks not victory but truth 487. We should grow up into highest confidences about the truth 569. Why some truths are and ought to be often repeated 571 572 Tryall word preached to be tryed before it be received 502. Tryall of two sorts 850. A person tryed may be trusted 851. Tryall by affliction 852 Turning back from God how sinners doe so 700. Three sorts of them who turne back from God 700 701 How some good men and how all unregenerate men turne back from God 701. The whole life of a person unregenerate is a turning from God 703 Twice considered three wayes 270 Twice thrice what it implyeth 464 V Vanity of all earthly greatness 685 Vision of God in this life what it is 432 Visitation or visiting a threefold sense or use of it 575 Unbeliefe a striving with God 249 Unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy 704 Understanding of man taken two wayes 52. God can furnish the weakest man with much wisdome and understanding 61. In what sense every man hath not an understanding 602 604. Three attributes of the understanding 603. Only a spirituall understanding can receive spirituall things 604 605. What we heare we should labour to understand 605 Unity among the Saints the great argument moving to it 175 Vocation an act of absolute free grace 397 Uprightness of heart in speaking standing in a threefold opposition 153 Uprightness