in the last day do rejoyce against the world in the execution of Gods just judgement upon them for they are then entred into their masters joy and all teares are wiped from their eyes Thus then it is lawfull when God hath executed his judgement upon his enemies for all the friends of God to insult over them and to lift up their voice and hand against them for this is part of the punishment of Gods enemies they that despise me shall be despised This is the last perpetuall shame that shall evermore continue upon them the just reward of their bold presumption who durst advance themselves against God 2. We must consider the wicked as our enemies and this way we must be tender how we insult over them in this life because we do not know whether their destruction here be their full punishment or no. 1. Because God sometimes chasteneth with temporall judgements that he may forbeare eternall and sometimes he punisheth rather ad dignam emendationem then ad amandationem and by that temporall punishment doth as by some sharpe Physick restore them to health It is the voice of Gods Church Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy Micha 7 8 when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkenesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him 2 Because this opening of the mouth and insulting over the adversities of men is one of the practises of the ungodly they use as David saith to say Where is now their God So insolently did proud Senacherib insult over the Cities that he had subdued Where is the King of Hamath Isa 37.13 and of Arphad and the King of the City of Sepharvaim Heva and Iuah With them is the Chaire of the scornefull Rather should we commit our cause to God and comfort our selves in his justice and say no more when we suffer then the son of Jeboida sayd when Joash for getting his fathers love to him put him to death The Lord looke upon it and requite it 2 Chr. 24.22 And when we see that God hath executed his judgement on out behalfe let us give God the honour due unto his equall justice with joy therein Yet I love the example of Israel when in the cause of wrong done in Benjamin to the Levite in his Concubine they by Gods appointment destroyed the most of that Tribe when they had so done The people came to the House of God and ahode there till even befâ—re God and lift up their voices and wept sore Jud. 21.2 4. They are charged with cruelty of hands 1. Invasion of their Citie Ver. 13. Thou shouldest not have entred into the Gate of my people in the day of their calamity This Edom did to behold the calamity of Iacob not to helpe but as it after followeth to rob him for the Idumeans joyned with the Caldeans in the Invasion of the City and were as they and entred in by the gate with them It was a double calamity to Israel to behold their brother Edom Confederates with their enemies and Auxiliaries to them in their wars This bringeth Edom into the former charge of cruelty of combination and maketh them equally culpable with the Caldeans with whom they joyned in society of warre against Israel 2. Of direption of their goods Ver. 13. Neither shouldest thou have layed hand on their substance in the day of their calamity This chargeth them with Theft against that Commandement Thou shalt not steale For not only secret stealth is therein forbidden but all depraedation by violent and unjust war As a Pirat told Alexander I am accounted a Pirate because I robbe in a small Ship but thou because thou robbest in great Fleets art esteemed a great Captaine Thom. Aquinas Prohibentur nocumenta quae inferuntur factor and it extendeth saith Borhanus ad quam libet alienae rei usurpationem And therefore when a company of pilling and pirting offenders were carrying a Theise to the Gallowes Demosthenes said Parvum furem a majoribus duci the lesser Thiefe to be led by the greater This sin is so neer bordering upon the sinne of Murther as sometimes and even in this case in my Text it is both Theft and Murther too for to take away life is Murther and to take away the necessaries by which life is sustained is theft and murther too and therefore the Apocryphall Author of the Booke called Ecclesiasticus avoucheth a Canonicall truth saying He that taketh away his neighbours living slayeth him and he that defraudeth the labourer of his hire is a blood shedder Eccl. 34.22 He gave the reason in the former Verse The bread of the needy is their life Ver. 2. he that defraudeth them thereof is a man of blood When Abraham heard that his brother Lot was taken Captive Gen. 14. and that the foure Kings bad taken all the goods of Sodome and Gomorrah and all their victuals He armed them of his owne houshold and set upon the enemie by night and brought back all the goods he reskued Lot and his women and people Melchizedech blessed him therefore and said Blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand Here God punished theft and prey yet he that readeth the story shall finde that the quarrell of the assailant was for rebellion against him Ver. 4. Twelve yeares they served Chedarlaomer but in the thirteenth they rebelled This fact of Abraham thus blessed by Melchisedech thus prospered by God himselfe doth declare the subjection of these Kingdomes to Chedarlaomer to have been oppression and their Rebellion a just prosecution of their liberty and therefore the war of Abraham a just war And God gave the robbed their goods againe The Law of God which saith Non Furaberis Thou shalt not steal doth declare that there is meum tuum mine and thine in the things of this world and that God hath not left an Anabaptisticall community of all those things on earth and a parity of interest in all men to all things for then there would be no theft seeing whatsoever any man did sease on was his own This was no new Heresie but a reviving of the old of them that called themselves Apostolici mentioned by Saint Augustin Haeres 40. who in imitation of the Apostles would have all things common True that in those beginnings of Christs Church when the number of Christians were yet but small it was a voluntary not a compulsary communication of goods that was then and for a small time used as a fortifying of themselves against the common adversary But there was no Law but of their own piety and charity that did impose this as a duty upon them so that Ananias and Saphira were not punished with sudden death for detaining a part of the price of the field which they sold for they might have with-held all but they were punished for lying to the Holy
and after the vowes to enquire 3. It is a great favour of God to his Church to reveal to them his will concerning both their own short punishment and the long affliction of their enemies For themselves they shall see in this revelation that God wil not give then over utterly and affliction doth never shew intolerable when we can look beyond it and see faire weather after it This had need be preached to the Church of God to keep them from fainting in their patience from falling into sin David confest Ps 27.13 I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnes of the Lord in the Land of the living The Prophet having given us his own example doth also give us his good counsell Wait on the Lord the of good courage Ver. 14. and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. You see the use of this doctrine is to put mettle into us that we be not cast down with the present sense of Gods judgement but that we couragiously do beare them and patiently expect our deliverance from them Of this before 2. It is a comfort and joy to the Church to know that God will execute their judgements upon their enemies and passe the cup of his wrath from them to those that hate them 1. Because it stoppeth the way to an high and grievous sinne which is murmuring against God let every man suspect himself for this for Gods own Israel did often fall this way But when God revealeth to us his purpose we cannot find fault though we feel where judgment beginneth we know where it shall end 2. It allayeth all thoughts of revenge on them that trouble and persecute us for to what purpose should we fret our selves at the instruments of Gods vengeance when we know the end of these men how God hath set them in slippery places and that he will take the matter into his own hand to revenge it And this is a necessary Doctrine for us because the pursuit of private revenge is one of the crying sins of the time We have poore men that to molest a neighbour will swear the peace against them to put them in bonds when it is to be feared that it is rather revenge then feare that makes them sweare and this upon a little cooling of blood appears cleerly Just Laws are made to do men right against wrongs we must go to Judges as children to their Father to seeke Justice in charity not in the spirit of revenge God hath declared himselfe to be Deus ultionum a God of revenge and hath promised to judge our cause let us commit the matter to him and give our souls rest possessing them with patience Israel shall see their cup that they have but tasted drunk up and swallowed down of their enemies the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies Ps 92.11 David maketh this use of this point By this I know that thou favourest me Ps 41.12 because mine enemy doth not triumph over me For it is a good signe of Gods love to his Church that he suffereth not the ungodly to insult over them And for the enemies of the Church they may have victory they cannot have a triumph for the cup of wrath is no sooner taken from the Church but it is presently given to her enemies to pledge them as the Prophet saith When thou hast done spoyling thou shalt be spoyled the drinke shall not pall in the cup. You see that David made that use of the fall and punishment of his enemy only to rejoyce in the Lord and his favour and not to insult over his enemy for the wise man adviseth Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth Prov. 24.17 18. and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth Lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him Thy patience doth heap coales of fire on the head of thine enemy and thy favourable forbearance of him in triumphing over him holdeth the cup still to his mouth We cannot do our enemy a greater pleasure then to be glad at his afflictions for God seeth it and abateth his displeasure against him but we may rejoyce safely and boldly in the love and favour of God to us VERSE 17. But upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and there shall be holines and the house of Jacob shall possesse their possessions The second part of the Prophecy containing the comfort of the Church against all her enemies ad finem Capitis to the end of the chapter 1. A promise of restitution of them to their own ver 17. 2. Of victory against their enemies ver 18 19 20. 3. The means ordained for this ver 21. 1. Of their restitution of their own Mount Sion literally doth signifie the seed of Jacob the whole Nation of the Jewes taking name from the most eminent part of their Kingdome as Mount Sion denoteth Esau and his issue this shall be delivered from the captivity of Babilon that is the deliverance here promised And the holines here mentioned is the renewing of the people by repentance and new obedience to the pure worship of God and then the house of Jacob shall recover the possessions which the army of the Chaldeans took from them Allegorically and typically this Prophecy doth foretell the deliverance of the Church from all the enemies thereof in the end of the world which shall be performed by the spirit of sanctification fitting them to the same That the Church shall not alway be under the rod of correction we have formerly declared 1. The point now considerable is what our God requireth of us even holinesse 2. That God performeth his mercy of deliverance first that after he may sanctifie us to himself 1. That God requireth holinesse of us He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Mic. 6.8 surely to do justice and to love mercie and to humble thy selfe to walk with thy God this is holinesse This is no earthly wisdome which is carnall sensuall and devilish it is the wisdome which is from above and therefore He hath shewed thee O man Holinesse is not learned in the Schoole of nature nor to be seen by the light of reason it is the inward light of the spirit of God that enlightneth our darknesse which openeth to man the way of good life not morall and civill only but religious and spiritual which teacheth justice mingled with mercie both built upon a good foundation of humility and these not as before men but as in a walk with God himself For such as these God keepeth a book of remembrance as the Prophet saith Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall
scourge Edom. This rumour of warre is terror Domini the terror of the Lord And it stirreth up and awaketh those that are in danger to look to themselves which doth shew that this judgment threatned against Edom shall not surprise them suddenly they have warning to stand upon their guard and to arme themselves against invasion This is therefore declared as I conceive to shew the carelesse security of Edom that would take no warning for that is exprest in the prophecy of Isaiah in the burthen of Dumah contempt and scorne of their warning for he calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night Watchman what was in the night As deriding the Prophet who had foretold their night of calamity which should put out their candle and leave them darkling For if the voyce of the Prophets will not move them how will they take it when they shall hear the nations sending Embassadours one to another to confederate against them But the wicked are despisers they will take no warning The old world made a scorne of Noahs preaching and building and thereby vexing his righteous soule even to the day that the floud came and swept them all away They of Sodom even the sons in law of Lot when he warned them of the wrath to come did despise the warning Yet God to make their judgment more heavie when it cometh and to make their scorne more inexcusable threatneth them with the rumour first before be smiteth them The pride and vanity of these times the drunkennesse and prophanesse the contentions and all the clamorous and loud voyced sinnes which over-grow into excesse they do all arise from the contempt of the word of God and from a negligence in observing the course of Gods justice in the punishing of these sinnes and from a scornfull undervaluing of those Embassadors whom God doth send into the world to reconcile the world to himself The Apostle saith We as Embassadours from God do beseech you But the Ministers of Gods word have very harsh welcome in the World for the prophane despise them all and will not hear their message the precise will hear but some of them they despise others they that be for Paul will not hear Apollo and they that be for Peter will hear neither Paul nor Apollo nor Jesus Christ himself But consider Embassadours are not sent but upon serious occasions this is such to awake and stir us up against our common enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil and to tell us of our great danger For we shall not fight against Flesh and Blood onely but against Powers and Principalities if we despise the noise of this rumour these enemies may take us at advantage Edom would take no warning no more will they whom God hath delivered over to the guidance of their own lusts 2. The effect of the message and rumour being the judgement it self 1 Judicium 2. effectum Judicij Numb 24.18 Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell When I compare these words with those of Balaams prophecie Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city I finde here from whence the Embassadour cometh even from the house of Jacob And Israel shall stir up the Heathen against Edom and Israel shall have dominion over them This appeareth in Ezekiels prophecie And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom Eze. 25 14 by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to my anger according to my fury they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God So the people of God shall stir up the Heathen Nations against Edom. From whence we do learn these lessons 1. That all wars are ordered by God 2. That God punisheth one evil man by the hand of another and so one evil Nation 3. That war is one of Gods punishments by which he chasteneth men for sin 4. That the people of God may lawfully make war 1. Doctrine All wars are ordered by God It is the word of the Lord that these Nations shall come together in War against Edom. The horse is prepared for the day of battell Pt. 21.31 but the victory is of the Lord. He teacheth my hands to fight Psa 144.1 and my fingers to battell Melchisedech saith to Abraham after his victory in the rescue of Lot Blessed be the most high God Gen. 14.20 which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand When Israel prevailed against Benjamin for abusing the Levites concubine Judg. 20.35 Jud. 7.20 it is said The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel Gedeons cry was The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon The reason hereof is in sight Reason 1 1. By the generall providence of God who ruleth all things and all persons psa 113.6 for he abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and in earth Reason 2 2. By the particular interest that God hath in wars for he is called Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts The uses follow Use 1 1. In all wars to have respect unto the cause not to put our selves into an unjust quarrell let the cause be Gods and we may promise our selves to have God on our side The wise man saith pro. 20.18 pro. 24.6 By counsell wars must be enterprised By wise counsell thou shalt make thy war prosperous If Jehoshaphat joyn with Ahab against Ramoth in Gelead he shall speed accordingly The sword of the Lord first then of Gideon Use 2 2. The cause being good and warrantable we must not trust to our strength neither must we neglect the means presuming on the defence of God 1. Not trust our own strength for some trust in Charets and some in horses as Benhadah did in the multitude of his men so great that the land against which he fought was not enough to give every one of theâ— an handfull Put David saith A king is not saved by the multitude of an host psa 33.17 neither is the mighty man delivered by much strength an horse is a vain help 2. It is another extream to cast all upon God and not to use the means first the sword of the Lord and then with it the sword of Gedeon Use 3 3. This serveth to take off all fear from our hearts when we fight the Lords battells it was a cheerfull speech of Joah encouraging the people when he had divided his army part against the Syrians and part against Ammon Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people 2 Sam. 10.12 and for the cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good It was Davids resolution I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Arise O Lord save me my God Psal 3.6 for thou smitest all mine enemies
cast off the yoak of Rome and God caused a light to shine in darknesse and ever-since a face of the Church hath appeared gathering more and more fresh beauty and now we may say truly of our times the light never shone more clear in this Land then now it doth never more learning and never more communicated then now But beloved this will not serve our turne God must have as well a rule of our hearts as of our eares of our hands as of our heads Let us look to our example in my Text when God had restored this people to their land they established his Kingdome With publick Assemblies with fasting and humbling of themselves before God with confession of sinnes with weeping and mourning with solemne Vowes to performe all the Commandements of God They spent their time not all in hearing but in worshipping also of God They vowed not to make any marriages with such as were no profest subjects of the Kingdome of God such as was the marriage of Solomon with King Pharaohs daughter They vowed to keep the Sabbath holily to the service of God to deale charitably with their poor brethren To honour God with their riches setting apart a portion to maintaine the worship and publick service of God And all this must we do if we will advance the Kingdome of God amongst us not only in outward profession but in inward subjection You may know a true subject of Gods Kingdom by his walk and by his pace for he walketh 1. Circumspectly fearing danger before him to meet him behind him to follow him above him to presse him downe under him to blow him up temptations on his right hand provocations on the left hand therefore he loseth no time but redeemeth it to the service of God 2 He walketh in holines as in the sight of God who searcheth the hearts and reines and cannot be deceived with false semblances and emptie shadows and seemings of false and hypocriticall shewes but requireth truth in the inward parts He walketh in righteousnesse that is in the obedience of the Second Table of the Law living in the practise and exercise of his knowledge to the uttermost of that measure of grace that is given to him as it becometh the Saints For these know that they were therefore delivered from the hands of their enemies that they might more freely attend the service of God and the saving of their own soules Amongst such as these God reigneth and hath put on his glorious apparrel and is acknowledged God as their King Idolatry and false worship doth unking and dethrone God and trespasseth the majesty of our King swearing and blasphemy maketh the name of God which is the safety of his subjects for our help is in the name of the Lord like to a broken hedge Breach of the Sabbath which is Gods holy day is a trespasse against his moderate prerogative claiming some part of our time for his publique service and the exercise of Religion Contempt of the word is a trespasse against the Lawes of this kingdome Injury in any kind to our brethren is breach of peace amongst the subject of this kingdome Gluttony drunkennesse pride be wastfull sins and consume the outward treasures thereof and they also seem to quench the Spirit of God and to kill all good motions in our selves and others Let us remember our prayer adveniat Regnum tuum Let thy kingdome come And seeing God hath graciously establisht a Church amongst us in peace which he hath watered with early rain in the first coming thereof in this Land and with a later raine in the Government of two incomparable Princes truly called defenders of the Faith against Heresie and Schisme Let the kingdome be the Lords let our obedience to his Law bear witnesse of our Faith and let our peace amongst our selves give testimony of our charity and let us walk all one way like the horses of Pharoahs chariot let us all fight as one man against sin and Sathan against the Devil and the Pope tanquam acces ordinata For if the Lord be our King we shall have cause to be glad thereof For Blessed are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 2. Let us look as farre as we can by Saint Pauls prospective there will be a time when Christ our grand Captaine shall overcome all his enemies even death which is the last enemy and then shall he deliver up the kingdome to God even his Father then Israel shall have judged Esau the Church the world Then Christ resigneth his office of a Mediator and then God is all in all For then all his enemies shall be in prison in the chains of darknesse all his Elect shall be fastened together and united with Christ their head in glory God shall then have none to contest with him for sway and domination his glory shall then be great in the Salvation of his Church and in the Victory of his enemies Thus have I in a few months gone through this short but full and pithy Prophecy of Obadiah I know with what great comfort light and delight in mine own meditations I hope not unprofitably for you If you desire many houres work in a few minutes of time this is the Analysis of it It was divided into two parts 1. Titulus the Title 2. Vaticinum the prophecie 1. The Title shewed 1. Whose Obadiah 2. What. 1. Whose Obadiah Doctr. God stirreth up his servants the Prophets to give warning of the Anger to come 2. What a Vision Doctr. The faithfull Minister must see before he say and take instructions from God before he undertake to teach others 2. The Prophecie this hath two parts 1. Against Edom ad finem ver 16. 2. For the Church ver 17. ad finem In the first observe three things 1. The subject of this Prophecie Edom. 2. The suggestiorus of it The Lord. 3. The Prophecy it selfe 1. Of the subject Edom. Doctr. Riches strength honour Victory are not so pretious things as many do value them oftentimes they go away with them all a long time whom God hateth he saith I have hated Esau yet he had all these 2. Of the suggestour of the Prophecy The Lord saith thus Doctr. Gods Ministers must deale faithfully with the Church saying no more or lesse and in the same manner as God speaketh to them 3. The Prophecy that hath foure parts 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1 2. 2. The despaire of all Edoms hopes ver 3 ad 9. 3. The cause provoking God ver 10 ad 14. 4. Gods revenge ver 15 16. 1. The judgement intended contains 1. The discovery 2. The rumour it selfe 3. The effect 1. The discovery by a rumour from the Lord an Embassador sent among the heathen Doct. 1. The decrees of Gods judgement upon the wicked be constant and unchangeable Doct. 2. The consent of Embassadours all declaring the same judgement sheweth that the
Schisme of Private men Such as they are discovered so are they restrained and separated from the rest to Room then Parcius ista viris tamen objicionda memento Personall oppositions do not fasten imputation upon any entire Church of God And we say to the Roman Church Novimus et qui to c. For we have good evidence even from their own wrightings that the Church of Rome hath in later times dissented from those Tenets which in former times it hath maintained not in matters of light moment but in the main points of Christian Religion 1. For the books of Canonicall Scripture the learned of former times did refuse all those books which we call Apocryphall as well as we yet the Counsell of Trent hath since placed them in the Canon and given them equall authority with the Canonicall Scriptures 2. For the sufficiencie their own best learned have heretofore acknowledged the same as much as we 3. The vulgar translation hath been by their learned refused the originall preserved 4. For the conception of the Virgin Mary without sin it is not yet determined in the Church but contradictories are allowed 5. The distinction of Mortall and Veniall sins 6. The Doctrines of merite of super-erogation of the seven Sacraments of Transubstantiation of Purgatory of praying to Saints worshipping of images Indulgencies Popes supremacie all refused Therefore let them no longer charge us with differences our Church doth maintain one Truth in all these things with the former Church of Rome against this that now is Therefore let us observe the setled doctrine of the Church in which we live and receive that against the perverse oppositions of all schismaticall coiners of new Doctrines and that is the safest way for us to walk in for this rumor Domini is no rumour of the Lord. Doctr. 2 2. Because it is auditus a Domino heard from the Lord whence we are taught to distinguish between the rumours which we hear from men and those rumours which we hear from the Lord let us judge them by the word of God and let us learn of the Church the Spouse of Christ who best discerneth these spirituall things because they are deposited with it and the Spirit of God is with it and abideth with it for ever How holy Scriptures must be interpreted Let every man put his own particular fancies and humours to silence and as the Apostle saith let us receive with meeknesse the word of God and let it be graffed in us For the word of the Lord endureth for ever that is like him that gave it without variablenesse there is in it no shadow of change It was Davids rest Audiam quid loquatur Deus I will hear what the Lord speaketh And that we may hear this rumour of the Lord profitably The word is given to profit withall let me shew you who they be that receive the word of God profitably these namely who 1. Receive it in their understanding 2. in their judgement 1. In their understanding knowing what the Lord speaketh in his Word for the Word is the revelation of the good will of God To this is necessary 1. A preparation to this understanding 2. An use of the means For the preparation of our understanding two things are necessary as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Be not conformed to this world this world is our enemy Rom. 11.1 we must shake off all acquaintance with it it is the serpents fair fruit wherewith he tempteth us he setteth the eye and the heart a lusting and filleth us with the pride of life Christ first separated his disciples from the world then he fitted them to his service They deceive themselves that think they may embrace true religion and the world too following the vanities of fashion and surfetting in the pleasures of life for Godlinesse and vanity cannot dwell together and the god of this world blindeth the eye of the understanding that they which love the world cannot love God and the secrets of the Lord are revealed to none but such as love and fear God 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of the minde that is be ye new Creatures casting off the old man which is corrupt for this new wine must be put in new casks We must sing a new song Canticum novum novus homo a new man none else can sing it therefore David desired Cor novum a new heart and spiritum rectum a right spirit it is the only new fashion as in many of ours to renew the old fashion the image of God stamped in us in our Creation which is decayed repaired anew by the image of the new Adam who came to restore us 2. A use of the means which are 1. Delight in reading of the word give attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.15 what though thou understand not what thou readest no more did the Eunuch but God sent Philip to him he was in the way of illumination Idle and wanton books take up too much of our time from the reading of Gods book rumor populi a rumour of the people takes us from reading this rumor Domim this rumour of the Lord. Yet these things are written for our use and onely these things make the man of God wise to salvation 2. Meditation for that helpeth the understanding and layeth up what we read in the memory that we may know where to have it again when we have need of it It is said of Mary Luâ—k 251 that she kept all these sayings in her heart The wise son of Sirach saith well The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel Ecclus. 21 14. and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth Truly the cause of all our sins and frailties is want of meditation in the Word want of keeping it in our heart we see in our selves how we are affected here in hearing of the Word of God if we did meditate on it we should have the same affections still 3. Hear the Word preached for this is Gods ordinance for the saving of souls Nehem. 8. Ezra had a pulpit of wood made him he stood up be read the law and gave the sense and all the people wept when they heard the wonderfull things of the Law But it is said All the people were attentive both man women yet he preached not by the glasse but from morning till mid-day And Paul preached from evening till midnight for it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to save those that beleeve Be swift to heaâ— 4. Meditation is necessary also after hearing the word in the publike Ministery for the Minister speaking to a mixt auditory if he divideth the word aright he hath a portion for every hearer milk for some stronger meat for others some have need of information in things unknown some of comfort some of resolution in doubes some of confutation of errours some of chiding some have need to have their dulnesse spurred others their deadnesse quickened
help of the wicked to execute the will of God upon Gods enemies yet they must be very carefull not to joyn with them in their wickednesse and idolatry We may use the help of Papists for the maintainance of the Lords cause but we must take heed that we fall not into the sin of Israel Psal 106.35 They were mingled with the Heathen and learned their Wickednesse and served their idols which were their ruine Let us not make the covenant with them that Ruth the Moabitesse made with Naomi Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God Ruth 1.16 The third Doctrine War is one of the punishments wherewith God doth punish his enemies And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant Levit. 26.25 Ezech. 14.21 It is one of the four sore judgements as God himself doth call it and it is first named used to cut off man and beast When Israel was by the favour of God put into possession of the promised land they sinned against God in contempt of Religion in idolatry theft and whoredom For which God punished them with war for the Aramites Philistines Midianites Moabites Canaanites and Ammonites fought against them and opposed them three yeers as appeareth in the book of Judges The misery of war is great as Moses doth expresse it They shall not regard the person of the old nor have compassion of the young they shall eat the fruit of thy cattell Deut. 28.50.51 they shall consume the profit of thy land they shall besiege thee within thy walls they shall drive thee to eat thy children the fruit of thy body during the siege and streightnesse wherewith they shall compasse thee in thy cities Reason 1 God hath a quiver it is full of arrows this is one of them Ezech. 5.16.17 The reason hereof is because they that make no conscience of their duty to God nor of obedience to his Word have put themselves out of Gods protection and he is become their enemy The protection of God is the fence of the vine if that hedge be once broken up not onely the foxes will come in and devour the grapes but the wilde boar will also come in and root it up Reason 2 2. They that make no conscience of charity to their brethren in the just judgement of God are delivered into the hands of men and as one saith Nullum animal morosius so Nullum animal ferocius O saith David Let me not fall into the hand of man Let men fall softly and easily when they fall into thy hands so shalt thou fall gently into their hands for God is love and the mercifull man shall not want mercie But as in the naturall body sometimes it is wholesome to open a vein and let out blood so it is in the body politick the sword must sometimes draw blood to parge the body of noxious and offensive humours And wheresoever this punishment lighteth as Medicinall it amendeth many faults where it lighteth as a judgement of indignation it cutteth off evil doers from the face of the earth The uses of this doctrine follow Use 1 1. Let us consider the lamentable estate of those that professe the same faith with us who have no other outward means of safety to preserve their liberty and rights but by the sword against whom great and mighty Princes do say one to another Arise ye and let us arise against them in battell You know who is at this time thus endangered even some of the branches of that vine under which we sit The forward free and cheerfull offerings of your hands have testified your good affections to that rightfull cause let lifting up of your hands secute that free opening of them that is let your prayers sight for them and give God no rest till he hath setled Peace in these walls and prosperity within these palaces Surely they shall prosper that love it for our brethren and companions sake the worshippers of the same God the professourâ— of the same faith with us let us wish them now prosperity for the house of Gods sake which they seek to enlarge advance let us seek and study to do them good Use 2 2. Let us thankfully consider our own peace we are filij pacis children of peace born and brought up in times of peace the prophecie of Zechariah is fulfilled in our land We have old men and Women dwelling in our towns even men with slaves in their hands for very age Zech. 8.4.5 and the streets of our cities and towns full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof And that promise of God to the obedient is performed in us I will end poâ—â—â— in the land Levt 26.6 and ye shall sleep and none shall make you afraid and the sword shall not go thorow your land The happy dayes of the long reign of Queen Elizabeth of everlasting memory the mother of our Peace were crowned with peace and she left a legacie of peace in the Common-wealth in her succession Our Solomon her heir hath maintained peace under his happy government both at home and abroad What Nation is there now under heaven which saith Arise ye and let us arise against England in battell We may say this is the Lords doing Psal 46.9 and we must give him the glory of it for as David saith He maketh wars to cease he breaketh the Bowe and cutteth the Spear in sunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire The Use Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted in the earth Use 3 Seeing we have outward peace from forraine enemies and none riseth up against us in battell we must be tender of maintaining peace one with another take heede ye bite not one another lest ye be devoured one of another Better it were we had wars abroad then that we should fight one with another of us at home by uncivill contentions by fraudulent and cunning underminings by slanderous and lying calumniations or by any other uncharitable meanes of molestation to breed unjust warâ— amongst our selves For by this curst crosnesse we do provoke God to draw his sword against us Use 4 Seeing God hath delivered us from the calamity of war and given us the blessing of peace let us know that this is the fittest time for semination of the Gospel of peace this is the seeds time for the word of God In such a time was Christ born in the peaceable reigne of Augustus Caesar Then were swords turned into sithes and spears into plough-shares and so the noyse of our redemption and the sound of the Gospel went over all the world We see that those years of peace have made learning and arts flourish in our land and for the light of religion it never shined clearer then now and the light thereof still encreaseth Let us know that now God hath so fenced in his Vine in our Land and bestowed such cost on
tanta eorum sanctitate nullum inveniet orationis impedimentum This is further urged For when we say the Scripture doth tell us that God will everlastingly punish the wicked and David saith He will not suffer his truth to faile They answer that all those threatnings of Scripture are to be understood in veritate severitatis in respect of the evill desert of the wicked but not in veritate miserationis for that must at last have honour above all his works Further they plead God hath never more plainly and positively declared his will concerning the eternall destruction of the reprobate then he did by his Prophet Ionah declare the destruction of Niniveh it is but forty dayes and without any condition Ninive destruetur Except we allow mentall reservation mendacem non possumus dicere Deum tamen non factum est The truth was in this pronunciavit eos dignos haec pati Their inference is Si tunc pepercit eis Deus quando Prophetam suum contristaturus erat parcendo quanto magis tunc parcet miserabilius supplicantibus quando ut parcat omnes sancti ejus orabunt They adde the saying of the Apostle God hath concluded all under sin that he might shew mercy unto all To the first and therein to both Saint Augustine doth fully answer that if we deny everlasting death we may as well deny life everlasting for we have the same ground for both the same direct word of God Aut utrumque cum fine diuturnum Cap. 23. aut utrumque sine fine perpetuum To the second he denyeth that which is presumed that the Saints will pray for the damned here we pray for all because we know not who be elect who be reprobate but when God hath revealed his will concerning these cessat oratio praying ceaseth and the voice of the elect is fiat voluntas tua thy will be done Yea the Saints shall judge the world then and those bowels of humane commiseration which they had on earth are put off they now hate where God hateth and judge where God judgeth and rejoyce against them whom God condemneth And for the example of Niniveh his answer is full and sappie Evertuntur peccatores duobus modis 1. Sicut Sodomitae ut pro peccatis suis homines punianâ—ur 2. Sicut Ninivitae ut ipsa horum peccata poenitendo destruantur there was the mistake of Jonah for that was the City which God threatned and destroyed Eversa est Ninive quae mala erat bona aedificata est quae non erat Stantibus maenibus perditis moribus To the last Argument from the words of the Apostle he hath concluded all under sin that he might have mercy on all He bids them there read the whole text they shall there see quos omnes intelligit nempe eos omnes de quibus loquebatur that is both Jews and Gentiles not comprehending the whole of both but onâ—ly vasa misericordiae in both the vessels of mercy and the very course of the Text cleereth it to be so meant Therefore the revealed will of God hath setled this perpetuity of woe upon the ungodly They shall drinke and they shall drinke continually The justice of this proceeding against the ungodly is taken from the merit of sinne which being committed against an infinite Majestie must needs be also infinite now the person guilty being finite cannot beare a punishment infinite in the weight of it and therefore it must be infinite in durance to eternity Againe the hater of God repaieth vengeance which is deserved at least with the same measure wherewith his love giveth rewards undeserved but the love of God giveth eternall life therefore the haâ—red of God cannot give lesse then eternal death This sheweth you the reason of those earnest exhortations To worke out your salvation to make your calling and election sure he meaneth in your owne faith for so long as a man liveth in feare of this eternall judgement and seeth no way to escape it his soule is among Lyons even the roaring Lyon and all his whelpes it is in the keeping of the spirit of bondage his sins lye so heavie upon him that he cannot look up 2 The comfort implyed and exprest 1. He speaketh of the judgement on Israel as already past and over as ye have drunk 2. He calleth Ierusalem though thus wasted and made desolate My holy Mountaine 3. He graciously revealeth to his Church his just revenge upon his enemies 1. As ye have drunk that is when as ye have drunk of this Cup of affliction then God shall take it from you which doth yeeld this comfortable Doctrine That though the Church of God do live for a time under the Crosse God will not leave it so for ever Doctr. Afflictions are some part of that Physick which God doth minister to his Church to heale the soares and diseases thereof Time iâ—â— in Plutarch Apoph seeing the people very disorderly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Physick is not given perpetually it ceaseth when the disease is removed God knoweth the use of the rod to be necessary for a time so the Church confesseth For when thy judgements are in the Earth Isa 26.9 the inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse When they have taken out that lesson God ceaseth to afflict God is sharpe in these visitations Ioh hath not leasure to swallow his spittle Job 7.19 Psa 30.5 Yet he endureth but a while in his anger Weeping may abide for the evening but joy cometh in the morning For a little time have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I bid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee 1. The cause of Gods favour eftsoons shining on the Church after affliction is to let them see that his quarrell is not to the persons but the sinnes of men for no sooner do men repent of their sinnes but God also repenteth of his judgements He is a father and a tender father doth not love the smart but seeketh the amendment of his sonne and God himselfe in the smiting of his Church is first weary and he complains first Why should you be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the soule of the foot even to the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying soares cl Thus God suffereth in the passions of his children and all our stripes ake upon him Yet he is a God that loveth not iniquity and therefore when he layed upon his deaâ—ely beloved sonne the iniquity of us all the Apostle said He spared not his own Sonne but gave hin unto death 2. He will not suffer his Church to live alwayes forsaken under the Crosse in respect of his servants and that for foure reasons 1. Afflictions do worke upon them so that it breedeth in
them contrition and sorrow for their sinne and a broken and contrite spirit God cannot refuse he will not discourage the contrite and sorrowfull but will have them to know that their groanings and sighes come up even into his eares He putteth all their teares in his bottle 2. Afflictions do turne the children of God into prayers and supplications and he will not neglect them that pray to him that they may see the power and vertue of prayer that upon all occasions they may prostrate their hearts before God in prayer God hath said of the just man He shall call upon me in trouble Psa 91.15 Hos 5.15 and I will heare him yes I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him in their afflictions they will seek me diligently In the house of bondage he heard Israel Exo. 3.7 Then the Lord said I have surely seen the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry St Iames saith If any man among you be afflicted let him pray If that were not our comfort when all remedies faile us we were most unhappy for we can never be shut up so but we may send our prayers from us to heaven to plead our cause in the name of Iesus Christ 3 Sharp afflictions may be a strong temptation to make the children of God doubt of the love of God It was not lawfull for them in the judiciall Law to be immoderate in correction A trespasser might have forty stripes given him but not more lest if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes Deu. 25.3 then thy brother should seem vile unto thee God will not overdoe in his chastenings of his Church to prevent this danger lest his servant should think himselfe lost in the favour of God We see how David was put to it in this kind When his soar ran and ceased not his soule refused comfort yea once he complained My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea he thought upon God and was troubled Therefore God doth carry a favourable hand in his afflictions to prevent the despaire of his children for he knoweth whereof we be made 4. Sharp afflictions may be an occasion to harden the heart of man and make himful away from God to sinne and that reason is given by the holy Psalmist For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Psa 125.2 lest the righteous put forth their bands to iniquity Indeed some that have been well taught and do understand well and have lived in some measure of good life and walked conscionably when God hath tryed them with wants have fallen into snares and embraced temptations Magnum pauperies opprobrium jubes quidvis facere pati vircutisquâ— viâ—m deserit arduae Shifts fraudes secret stealths borrowings without meanes or hope of repayment c. The wise son of Iakeh prayed to God Give me not poverty lest I be poor and steale Pro. 30.9 and take the name of my God in vaine Extremity of paine in sicknesse and soarenesse is a great temptation two great lights in the Church of God were ecclipsed by it Iob the example of patience fell into bitter cursings of the do of his birth so did holy Jeremy the Lords Prophet To these respects God is tender and suffereth not his chosen to be tempâ—â—d above their strength but doth give issue to their temptations Yet sometimes he suffereth his Elect to see their owne weaknesse by some fall that when he putteth to his helping hand they may be more wary to keep a better watch upon their hearts Reason 3 3. God doth not suffer his Church to be forsaken in afflictions lest the enemies thereof should too much insult over them It is Davids suite to God Let them not say we have prevailed When Saul and Ionathan were dead David lamented them with great lamentation The beauty of Israel is slaine upon the high places how are the mighty fâ—llon 2 Sam. 1.19 20. Tâ—ll is not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncirâ—â—â—tised triumph For this addeth to the ungodlinesse of the wicked they grow proud upon it Let not their wicked imagination prosper lesâ— they grow too proud Reason 4 4. The afflictions of the Church when they do grow sharpe and smarting cause the ungodly of the earth to blaspheme the name of God It is not for nothing that David doth pray so earnestly Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake Ps 143.11 for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soule out of trouble The ungodly Iewes and Romanes standing by the Crosse of Christ did speake contemptibly of God and took his name in vaine in derision of his son It is the manner of the ungodly to blaspheme if once they prevaile against the Church then the God they serve is thought unable to protect them and the Religion that they professe is scandalized for untruth These be great reasons why God doth not forsake his Church in affliction but giveth them a heavenly issue out of them This point teacheth its own use for it serveth both to 1. Informe 2 Convince 3 Exhort 4 Rebuke 1 Information This is a sure and infallible rule That whom God once loveth he ever loveth as he saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance his love is himselfe and he cannot deny himselfe he hath given us to his son Rom. 8 35 and of them that thou hast given me saith he I have lost none and no man can take them out of my hand What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus he nameth the greatest miseries of life Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors Cant. 2.4 through him that loved us The love of God to his Church is a banner over it 2 Conviction This Doctrine convinceth the Heathen who deny that there is a any Providence because the best men drinke deepest of the cup of affliction which maketh the profane say It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 True that they who make conscience of their wayes are despised their soule is filled with the scorne of the proud True Ver. 25. that they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God are delivered but the Elect say for thy sake we are killed all the day long Yet the comfort that the just have in their affliction doth assure that verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth And though for a time the wicked insult over the just the day will come
the Gospel for the Church of God and the patrones of his truth are under the banner of Gods love and their latter end must be peace let us by daily prayers command them to the tutelary protection of God and let him hear vocem fidei the voyce of faith of those that fight his battels and vocem sanguinis the voyce of blood of those that die in his quarrel 2. It furnisheth us with patince to tarry the good pleasure of God for when he shall arise his enemies shall be scattered and they that hate him shall fall before him he hath promised his Church victory and he will not suffer his truth to faile Excellently is this comfort exprest by the Prophet Isaiah And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercie upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment Is 30.18 blessed are all they that wait for him For the people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem Verse 19. thou shalt weepe no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear is he will answer thee And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity Verse 20. and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers 3. The assurance which the Church of God hath in all this The Lord hath spoken it They build sure that build upon the word of God for heaven and earth shall faile and perish but no word of God shall be unfulfilled Ye have a sure word saith the Apostle for God hath magnified his name and his word above all things This is my comfort in mine afflictions Thy Word hath quickned me Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou bast caused me to hope Ps 119.50 Verse 49. The best faith hath many fears and terrors joyned with it to shake it and the faithfull do sometimes want the feeling of the favour of God we are directed here like wise men to let rather our understanding spiritually enlightned then informed by sense govern us The naturall mans understanding is wholly led and instructed by the outward senses and as they suggest that apprehends when the sense feeleth paine the understanding apprehends cause of feare and grief and stirreth the affections that way But the spirituall man doth not value Gods love by what the sense feeleth but by that which the Word of God suggesteth In paine the flesh smarteth the sense complaineth and Satan saith God hath forsaken thee but the spirituall man saith no for Gods Word saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Therefore in all afflictions the soule of man hath no better remedy then to resort to the Word Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word this is the poole of healing waters Gods Bethesda for all infirmities and he hath sent his Angels his Ministers to stir these waters by exposition of the Word exhortation and consolation to heale the diseases of his Saints VERSE 21. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdome shall be the Lords 3. The means ordained for the performance of all this Vid. dinis supr pag. 182. Mount Sion here doth signifie the whole Church of God in the two houses of Jacob and Joseph as they are before distinguished that is the two Kingdomes of Iudah and Israel as they were divided under Rehoboam for Mount Sion was at first Caput imperii the head of the Empire the Saviours here mentioned are those that God imployed for the restablishment of the state of his Church and that Either in the procuration thereof Or in the execution of the same First In the procuration 1. Cyrus King of Persia hath the honour of the meanes of this favour for God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia Ezra 1 1 c. and he confesseth that God The Lord of heaven gave him all the Kingdomes of the earth and charged him to build him an house at Ierusalem which is in Iudah and therefore by Proclamation he gave a large Commission to this purpose 2. The chiefe Fathers of Judah and Benjamin had the same motion from God to undertake this designe Verse 5. But Artaxerxes by a contrary Edict made this work to be given over cap. 4.17 3. Then God by the Prophecy of Haggai stirred up Zerubbabel and Ioshua the son of Iozedek to attempt the work This also was opposed and Darius then King of Persia was solicited against the Jewes to hinder their building so 4. Darius came in as a Saviour to help the people and confirmed the Decree of Cyrus cap. 6. according to that he found in the search of the Rolls and the work went on and the house of God was finished and dedicated 5. Ezra moved Artaxerxes and prevailed for a full grant both for the return of the people out of captivity and for the re-establishment of the worship of God at Ierusalem 6. Nehemiah mooveth Artaxerxes for the building again of the City of Ierusalem he prevaileth and they go to work and their enemies who by scornful speeches and violent opposinges hindred their building Nehem. 2. lost their labour These be the Saviours who by procuration did advance this work of God in his Church 2. By Execution all these concurred 1. Cyrus gave leave and meanes so did Artaxerxes and Darius restoring them the treasures of the Temple which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away and arming them with full Commission for all the helps that might advance that work 2. The Prophets of the Lord encouraged the work and Ezra the Scribe prayed and wept and mediated with the Kings 3. Zerubbabel Nehemiah and Joshua and the chief Fathers of the people laboured to hasten the execution of that work and for this all these are called here Saviours because God used them as his instruments in his preservation of his Church giving them the honour of his own proper appellation for in the fitnesse of the word and in the fulnesse of sense God only is properly and by peculiar prerogative capable of that great title as himself hath laid claime to it I Isa 43.11 Ose 13 4. even I and there is no Saviour besides me And he gave this title to his Son who thought it no robbery to be equall with God for he shall save his people These Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau By the Mount of Esau Edom or the Idumaeans the posterity of Esau is understood throughout this Prophecy that people who as you heard dealt so cruelly with their brother Jacob in his posterity To judge this people is to execute those jugements upon them which God hath in this Prophecy threatned and elswhere as you have heard from other Prophets especially that of Balaam and of Ezechiel for God