Parishe Clarkes which without any manner of calling thereunto from God doe intrude them selues into the Ministers office onely for a litle filthie lucre sake and most confusedly and disorderly tumble ouer the holy things of God as the Lordes prayer with diuers things which I blush to name vnder pretence forsooth of helping the Minister to say seruice a thing which I neuer saw but in this place How acceptable the prayers and seruice of such men are or rather how detestable it is vnto God I would they had grace to consider What will hypocrites and conteÌ„ners of the word preached say to this because they cannot chuse they come to common prayer which indéede is too much negelcted but as for other excercises of preaching and Catechising of all the most néedefull most proâ—â—table they dedicate those times to bowles or cardes or tables or tipling or wanton walking I know not what and then the exercises being done they repaire to the ordinary seruice where they make a fained confession and prayers and prayses for custome sake but He that turneth his eare froÌ„ hearing the law saith the holy Ghost euen his prayer shalbe abhominable If his prayer be abhominable what is his presumptuous prating and proude blaspheming Againe let pirates and rouers at sea with vsurers oppressours by land with swearers drunkardes filthie liuers Sabboth prophaners and such like lay this to their hart and God in mercy looke vpon them for their seruice done to God is as acceptable to his Maiestie as the harlots vowes and offrings of which we read in the 7. of the Prouerbes when she went about to entice vnto follie or as if they cut of a dogges head for the Lord. Againe if there be any husbands and wiues or any neighbours liuing in discord and suffering their harts to boyle in hatred one against another how can they thinke that the Lord wilbe delighted with their wrathfull prayers and prayses when they doe offer them what should I say more I would wish and I do earnestly desire that euery one would lay it to his hart to consider w t him selfe first what a sinne it is not to pray and praise God at all next how the sinne is encreased if they be not prepared and sanctified before they do blesse God as Dauid was for the sacrifices of the wicked are like the salutations of the Iewes when they bowed the knée vnto Christ and spit in his face together THE SEVENTH Sermon December 26. Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. THe last Sabboth day we heard that Dauid hauing receiued assuraunces of Gods fauour towardes him returned prayse and thankes vnto the Lord for it how he was prepared thereunto we also heard then declared at large we will now consider and sée in what manner and forme he praysed God First let vs consider why he saith not simply Blessed be the Lord but blessed be the Lord God of Israel In these wordes be two points to be obserued First the cause why God loued him Secondly the largenesse and the greatnesse of Gods loue But first of the cause why God loued him and why he did so assure him of his loue fauor And that was not I warrant you any worthinesse that y e Lord found in Dauid nor for his frieÌ„ds sake nor for his couÌ„trey sake nor for his vertues sake but onely for his couenauÌ„t sake which the Lord made with his Church wherof Dauid was a member therefore must néedes haue his part amongest y e rest because God had so promised Blessed be the Lord God of Israell As if he should say I giue the Lord prayse thankes which hath choseÌ„ Israel to be his people which were not his peeple and hath bouÌ„d him self by promise to be y e God of Israel to watch ouer his people to assure theÌ„ of his fauor which deserued â—â—thing but his wrath displeasure for by this meanes I am now assured of his loue and fauor towards me which I should neuer haue had if the Lord had not chosen me to be one of theÌ„ vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ he meant to bestow his loue according to his gracious promise which he made to my fathers AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob which was afterwardes called Israell and according to his promise which he made not onely to them but also to all their séede that is to all the faithful so hath he delt with his seruaunts blessed praysed be his name for it Now we sée the fountaine from whence springeth all the good that we haue blessed is Israell because the Lord is their God and blessed is England because the Lord is our God By this we may sée what an excellent thing it is to be of the Church of God for theÌ„ the Lord Iehouah the Lord almightie is our God and we are his people and if he be on our side who can be against vs or if any be against vs who caÌ„ preuaile against vs then are we in safetie from our enemies then are we vpholden in our integritie and prouided for according to our wants So that the Lord doth not saue vs nor helpe vs because we deserue it but because he hath so promised in Christ Iesus neither doth he chuse vs because he saw some goodnesse in vs but therfore is his goodnes grace bestowed vpoÌ„ vs because he hath first elected and chosen vs to be his people But now sée what a thing it is to be of the Church of God that is of the companie of Gods people and within the coÌ„passe of Gods couenaunt The Lord loueth the the gates of Sion that is the gates of his Church more then all the habitations of Iacob to shew how he loueth his Church for if he beareth such affection to the gates what affection doth he beare to the Citie If he loueth the most inferiour euen the porters of his Church that are set to kéepe the gates what doth he for the chief Citizens the common wealth of Israell no maruell though Dauid desired to be a doore kéeper in y e house of God for to be such a one yea to be the meanest in Gods Church is to be the beloued of the Lord at the least that wheÌ„ it is at the least is greater then all y e pleasures treasures of the earth yea it is better then wine saith the spouse of Christ in the Canticles that is better then all pleasures profites in the whole world But what doth he for his Church sée what he doth God is knoweÌ„ in Iudah saith y e Psalmist his name is great in Israel as if he should say god hath made his will and his counsels knowen to his Church the heatheÌ„ haue not the knowledge of his wayes The godly are of his couÌ„sell as Abraham was and is this a small matter But see yet more In ShaleÌ„ is his tabernacle his dwelling is in Zion as if he should say the dwellings of
owne glory and to the saluation of his children So God turned Adams fall to the manifesting of hiâ— owne glory and to Adams good for by thiâ— meanes had Adam experieÌ„ce of Gods greaâ— and infinite mercy and might say By this 〈◊〉 know that thou fauorest me because thoâ— forgauest me and didst not suffer the deuil to triumph against me so all the slippes and falles of Gods children are turned to their good in as much as by them they are made more fearefull of sinne and more watchfull ouer their wayes as the child is fearefull of the candle when he hath once burnt his finger in y e flame And S. Paule telleth vs from God that all things shall fall out for the good yea for the best to them that loue God Now of this point we may make a very holy vse It serueth first to confirme and vphold our faith in the prouidence of God and not to feare the endeuours of the wicked because we sée that God doth still dispose of theÌ„ to our good if we be his children Againe this may stand vs in good stead when our affeâ—tions begin to boyle in a burning desire of reuenge against our enemies would we be reuenged of theÌ„ The best way to be reuenged of our enemies is to pitie their case and to make that profite of them which Dauid did of his that is still to looke to God in theÌ„ theÌ„ shall we be sure to be no loosers but gayners by them whither they will or no. But here some may demaund and say Doth God vse to handle his beloued so or may a man be sure of Gods fauour being beset with so many enemies and ouerwhelmed with such heapes of troubles especially sinne being the cause wherewith God is prouoked to anger To which we may answere that sinne indéede is the cause of all our troubles but yet whatsoeuer the Lord layeth vpon his children here it is not a punishmeÌ„t of their sinne for that was discharged by the hellish suffrings of the Lord Iesus Christ but it is a fatherly correction froÌ„ which we are no more fréed by the death of Christ then we are fréed from our naturall death And it is layed vpon vs by our heaueÌ„ly father for two principall causes first to preuent sinne which we might fall into as presumption contempt vnthankefulnesse forgetfulnesse of God and many moe Secondly they are layed vpon vs as Phisicke to cure and heale sinnes which we are already fallen into and this is that which Dauid confesseth when he saith before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word and therefore he saith It was good for him to be afflicted that he might learne the statutes of the Lord. And in both these endes of our afflictions the Lordes purpose is to stay vs that we runne not with the wicked world headlong to damnatioÌ„ whom he hath geuen ouer to them selues So that troubles and enemies are sent to vs the children of God as Phisicke and therewith all he sends a priuate messenger to tell vs that he loueth vs for all that it is because he loueth vs to that end y t we may be assured y t he loueth vs that messenger is his spirite of adoptioÌ„ which certifieth our spirites that we are the children of God And this being once made sure then all is sure But now the question is by what ordinarie meanes the spirite of adoption doth conuay this certificate of Gods fauour vnto the harts of Gods children in their afflictions for as God doth assure his children of his louing fauour in Christ Iesus so he doth it by ordinarie meanes which meanes being not vsed or neglected this assurance faileth and falleth from vs and nothing remaineth but either a bare faÌ„cie flotting in the aire in stead of a sure faith builded on a firme foundation and when trouble comes an impatient spirite to beare vp the burdeÌ„ and when death comes a heape of sorrow and a heauie waight of despaire to presse downe to y e lowest hells The meanes then by which the spirite of God doth worke this assuraunce in the harts of the godly is the preaching of the Gospell which is called glad tidings because it makes the harts of the faithfull to become ioyfull and glad And S Paule to put vs out of doubt that the spirite worketh not without the word of God calleth the word the sword of the spirite to teach vs that howsoeuer the spirite of God must beate downe Sathan and cut downe infidelitie impatiencie despaire presumption and all our vnrulie affectioÌ„s and howsoeuer it worketh faith patience ioy streÌ„gth courage c. yet all this it effecteth â—and bringeth to passe by the meanes of the word of God preached read heard marked and meditated vpoÌ„ for as the word without the spirite is but dead to the hearer so the spirite of God without the opening of Gods wil in hiâ— word doth not ordinarily giue this comfortable assurance of Gods loue Aske the Prophet Dauid himselfe who had this comfortable assuraunce of Gods fauour in affliction aske him I say how he came be it or how iâ— came to him and he will tell vs that by thâ— word of God he came vnto it for so he saith Except thy law had bene my delight I had perished in my affliction for therein he fouÌ„â— many gracious promises of his God both for the punishing of his enemies for the defending and rewarding of himselfe and all Gods seruaunts for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes which were the cause of all his troubles and therefore the promise of God he chalengeth at Gods hand RemeÌ„ber thy promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust vpon this promise of God he resteth and stayeth himself It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me And when he looked into this booke of God the storehouse of his promises there he found also how necessarie affliction was for him he found the causes thereof and what vse to make of all his enemies so through the inward working of the spirite of sanctification he behaued himselfe at all times accordingly and therefore when he saith it was good for him that he was afflicted he addeth that he might learne the statutes of the Lord to shew that the godly doe not know how good their afflictions be vntil they haue learned the statutes of the Lord. And therefore at another time he said that he was much moued at the prosperitie of the wicked and had much a do to kéepe himselfe in an innocent and vpright life hearing seeing the wicked so farre out of square vntill he went into the house of God and when he came into that schoole once he was taught by the word and the spirite of God what vse to make of all and then he saw how wisely and iustly the Lord ordereth all things
al the world when death â—ome If they haue this within they care not nay they neede not care what can come without If Sathans buffeting come this â—s a helmet of proofe if Sathans darts flye â—ut this is a shield to quench them if flouds â—f crosses come to carrie vs awaye this is â— boate to beare vs vp if all the world cast â—â—ire and filth in our faces we are neuer a â—hit the more deformed but still beautifull â—or all that for the Kings daughter saith Saâ—omon that is the Church of Christ is all â—lorious within In mine integritie What should Dauid â—eane by his integritie that he is without â—â—nne no not so for he saith in another â—lace in sinne he was conceiued and in iniquitie was he borne and in another place he saith that he could not number his sinnes and therefore prayeth vnto God to kéepe him from presumptuous sinnes and to cleÌ„se him from his secret faults therefore that is not his meaning neither can it be his meaning because he speaketh by the spirite of God which in diuers other places doth tell vs that no man is without sinne Who can say my hart is cleane saith one And whosoeuer saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himself and there is no truth in him saith another and therefore that cannot be his meaning and if he should say so we are not to beléeue him in this point But when Dauid speakeâ— of his integritie and vprightnesse or innocencie he meaneth that he is guiltlesse and frée from that which his enemies did most maliciously charge him with all so that it hath alwayes respect or relation vnto somâ— particular matter wherewith he is charged by men or to something that is in coÌ„trouersie betwéene him and his aduersaries As in the 7. Psalme the 3. verse O Lord if I haue done this thing if there be any wickednesse in my handes that is if it be true that I am accused of c. if euer I were guiltie of séeking Sauls hurt with which some did charge me Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integritie that is in me Here in this our text it signifieth two things First that there was no cause in the world why his enemies should triumph against him for the Lord had kept him frée from that which they accused him of SecoÌ„dly it importeth that his hart and affections were still sound and not moued to séeke reuenge vpon them although they had geuen him great and iust occasion so to do If we take it the first way we may very â—well for it is a speciall token of Gods fauour and a notable meanes of comfort wheÌ„ the Lord doth kéepe vs frée from the vniust accusations of the world or when we are not guiltie of those things which y e wicked may at any time charge vpon vs and the doctrine â—s this That the best way to stay vs in time of trouble and to kéepe our patience inuioâ—able is to looke in for a good conscience and sée that we be falsely accused which if we â—inde then all goeth well and we are mery â—t home howsoeuer the world shall say or do â—broad for still I say with Salomon that a good conscience is a continuall feast Oh if it were true thou sayest it would neuer gréeue thée nay then it might iustly gréeue thée if it were true which is reported against thée Wilt thou be gréeued to be blessed then be not vexed and moued out of order when thou are slaundered for blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and speake all manner of euill saying against you falsely for my sake saith our Sauiour Christ. Oh this is a speciall fauour of God when we can without checke of conscience appeale to God in our owne harts and say Thou O Lord knowest my innocencie in this point But thy spirit boyling stil in â— desire of reuenge wil say oh but it is good to teach such a one to vse his toung better another time Indéede in some cases it is good sâ— to do as when a maÌ„s publique Ministery or the Magistrates gouernment is by hiâ— meanes defaced but there is no cause for thée to be so out of quiet or to rage stormâ— as thou doest defend thy good name in a good and Christian sort and be thankefull to thâ— God which hath kept thée frée from that oâ—â—fence that thou mayst say as Dauid said Aâ— for me thou vpholdest me in mine integrity If we take integritie for a sound hart frée from reuenge it ministreth no smal profite and instruction for the king although his enemies had so vexed him and had throwen so many slaunderous reportes and reprochfull speeches against him yea all their trecheries and conspiracies notwithstanding yet he thanketh God for that he did not séeke to reuenge againe but reioyceth that the Lord kept him in the soundnesse vprightnesse of his hart A notable blessing of God and a sure token of his fauour vnto vs whensoeuer we shalbe afflicted or any way molested if we finde our harts sound and our affections to be setled within vs if we can say Lord laye what crosse thou pleasest vpon me let men speake their pleasures of me inuent what â—yes they can let theÌ„ call me by what names they will and iudge me at their pleasure so that thou kéepe my hart sound I care not for if I haue all the goods in the world and not the integritie of my hart I am but in a mad case And therefore O Lord my God if thou wilt néedes raise vp enemies against me yet O Lord grauÌ„t me that my hart may be entire sound and vpright and then raise vp what enemies thou wilt Then I shalbe sure to speake nothing proudly nothing vaynegloriously nothing impatiently nothing vncharitably nothing distrustfully nothing against thy glory for if I should do so alas what should I get by it I were theÌ„ as déepe in sinne as they No Lord I am content to referre the whole matter to thée for although I am falsely charged in this yet it is thy goodnesse and fauour which did vphold me for if thou hadst let me goe after my owne will then I had bene guiltie indéede And although in this I be innocent yet I know my selfe to be guiltie of many things as vile as this which they know not of and that is also of thy mercy and goodnesse towardes me poore wretched creature And as for them thou hast set them a workâ— to try me it is thy doing O Lord though they haue no such purpose neither know they so much yet by thy grace I am so perswaded and if thou didst not kéepe me from falling I should be as wicked as they are If we would but enter into this meditatioâ— with our selues as in the sight of God theâ— should we put vp many things more theÌ„ wâ— do and not vexe one another
God Is it thinke you a small matter thus to quench or to gréeue the spirite of God in any of our brethren doe we stand by our selues shall we neuer fall i we neuer fall our selues what if the Lord shall pull the staffe of his grace from vs then we shal fall with shame inough and then others shall insult ouer vs and reioyce at our fals as we haue reioyced at their faults For further proofe wherof let vs heare what the holy Ghost saith to such kinde of persōs in the 52. Psalme Why doest thou boast thy selfe in thy wickednesse O man of power the louing kindnesse of God indureth daily as if he should say thou thinkest thy selfe a iolly fellow and takest pride in thy wickednes as though thou were a great man of power and shouldest neuer come downe and because God doth suffer thée from day to day waiting for thy repentaunce thou thinkest either that he cannot or dare not or that he will not meddle with thée but now sée thy selfe in thy colours and then iudge what cause thou hast to bragge it out as thou doest against all the world what art thou what goodnes is in thée Thy toung imagineth mischief is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully Thou doest loue euill more then good and lyes more thē truth Thou louest all wordes that may destroy O deceitfull toung Now sée thy end So God shall destroy thee for euer He shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy Tabernacle and roote thee out of the land of the liuing The righteous also shall see it and feare and shall laugh at him saying Behold the mā that tooke not God for his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches and put his strength in his substance But I saith Dauid shalbe like a greene oliue tree in the house of God for I trusted in the mercies of God for euer and for euer But some will say this is spoken against the wicked sort of the world but I haue more grace moe graces of God then they haue all the world cannot detect me of such vices therefore I may be more bold to speake my pleasure of others then they may But deceiue not thy selfe thou séest a child while he will runne vp down to shew his new clothes and catcheth a fall séeing himselfe downe and his clothes soiled in the dust he crieth lowder at his fall thē he crowed before at his new coate so God hath put many excellent graces vpon thée thou crowest at the sight of them as Nebuchadnezzar did at the sight of his pallace like a foole thou art in admiratiō of thy selfe till thou stumblest euen vpon thy owne gifts when thou art downe thou which before didst crow like a foole doest then crye like a child especially because thou séest thy excellent graces euē thy coate of diuers colours stained and soiled with thy fall be not therefore proude of thy giftes nor insolent ouer thy weake brother for God vpholdeth thée God can set him vp and cast thée downe for promotion saith Dauid commeth neither from the East nor from the West but God is Iudge and he setteth vp one and pulleth downe another Thinke we vpon this and it will humble vs who would haue thought that Dauids holinesse should haue bene so stayned in the puddle of vncleannesse Who would haue thought that Salomon his wisedome should euer haue bene wrapt vp in the follie of women Who would haue thought that Sampsons strength had slept in the lap of weaknesse Who would haue thought that such a valiant souldier as Peter was would haue proued such a coward as he was afterward what do all these but crye with one voyce take héede how you walke for it is God that vpholdeth How many Iudges haue come downe from the bēch to the barre how many prisoners haue gone vp from the the barre to the bench how many Dukes Earles Lordes Knightes and Gentlemen how many I say both honorable worshipfull wise and learned stoute and valiant haue bene pluckt from their places of honor and dignitie like vntimely fruite from the trée and bene brought some to the gibbet some to the scaffold and some to perpetuall imprisonment what haue they there confessed but thus much while God vpheld vs we stood and for want of grace we fell Therfore let no mā reioyce at our fals for if you stand God doth vphold you and if he do not vphold you you shal surely fall Haman was neuer so high in the kings fauour but at last he was as high on his owne gallowes Mordecai was neuer so neare the point of death but at last he was aduaūced to great honor Iudas once thought much with another for bestowing a box of ointment more then needed as he thought vpon Christ at last he knew that him selfe had taken more then he ought by thirtie pence the price of innocent bloud The swelling red sea was once deuided in sunder which before threatned present death to any that durst go into it The Sunne which runneth his course as a swift giant did once stand still The rauens did once féede Elias The dogges bellyes were once a graue for Iezabell The fire which by nature consumeth all had once no power ouer the haire of a mans head The lice and the flyes did once preuaile against a kinges power The hungry Lions had once no power against Daniell Litle naked Dauid did once giue great armed Goliath the ouerthrow There was once a song of Sauls thousand and Dauids ten thousand And what was once which may not be againe if God will Therfore let no man be proude of that he is but let him remēber what hath bene and what may be and that none vpholdeth from falling but God Thou vpholdest me saith Dauid Think we vpon this text when we sée the hand of God in iustice vpon any malefactor we run out by troupes to sée some executed some whipped and some to be some other way openly shamed we sée them we talke of thē we wonder at them and so we forget them But if we would then take so much paines as to lay our inside to their outside that is our owne faults concealed in Gods mercie with their faults reuealed in Gods iustice we would thē pitie their case and feare our selues we would pray for them and for our selues we wold humbly thanke God which by his grace had kept vs from falling For if the Lord in mercy should not vphold vs we might be théeues or murtherers and commit any wickednesse as well as others And this let vs know that the Lord doth but pick them out to preach this vnto vs that except he vphold vs we fall and except we repent we shall fall Thou vpholdest me saith Dauid both a king and a Prophet and therefore both mightie and learned to teach vs that there is none so great for liuing so high for authoritie nor so
of an Angell of light and put vpon a fowle matter a faire cloake of holinesse The truth wherof may sufficiently appeare in the kingdome or Poperie amongest the Monkes and Friers which vnder pretence of holinesse commit all kinde of wickednes I haue knowen some Arian heretiques whose life hath bene most strickt amongest men whose toungs haue bene tired with Scripture vpon Scripture their knées euen hardned in prayer and their faces wedded to sadnesse and their mouthes full of prayses to God while in the meane time they haue stoutly denied the diuinitie of the sonne of God and haue not sticked to teare out of the Bible all such places as made against them such were Hamond Lewes and Cole heretiques of wretched memorie lately executed and cut of in Norwich what shall I say of Fraunces Ket another Arian which succéeded them in opinions more monstrous then his predecessours for he held that whosoeuer wilbe saued must before he dye go to Ierusalē that Christ with his Apostles are now personally in Iudea gathering of his church that y e faithfull should miraculously be preserued at Ierusalem with a wall of fire be fed with Angels foode from heauen but these were his dreames yet such dreames as rather then he would for go them hauing once embraced them caused him to plunge him selfe ouer head and eares in most damnable cursed heresies for behold to maintaine his former fancies he held most impudently that Christ Iesus is not God but a good man as others be and that which was neuer heard before that Christ hath suffred once for his own sinnes and shall before y e end of the world suffer again for the sinnes of the world and that being done he shalbe then made God after his secōd resurrection And yet as monstrous as he was in opiniō sée how holy he would séeme to be in his outward conuersatiō The sacred Bible almost neuer out of his handes him selfe alwayes in prayer his toung neuer ceased praysing of God when he went to the fire he was clothed in sackcloth he went leaping and dauncing being in the fire aboue twentie times together clapping his handes he cried nothing but blessed be God blessed be God blessed be God and so continued vntill the fire had consumed all his neither parts and vntill he was stifled with the smoke that he could speake no longer all which I was a witnes of my self But shall we thinke that the Lord tooke any delight in the prayers or prayses of such a deuill incarnate farre be it from vs. A straunge and fearefull example of a desperate of a hardened and a cursed creature and yet not to be wondered at for the deuill hath his souldiers and martyrs aswell as the Lord and oftentimes they are more resolute in the deuils quarrell then some are in Gods quarrel As for his willing and ready going with his cōstant enduring it was no more then is perfourmed by such as hang them selues or drowne themselues but what pleasure hath the Lord in the sacrifices of such What shall we say of our English Donatists our schismaticall Brownists followers of Barrow and his crue they hold our Church for no visible Church neither that we haue so much as a face of a Church amōgst vs they cōdēne all our assemblies at their pleasure terming vs our Churches to be but dunghils and Sinagogues of Sathan our Ministerie no Ministerie our Sacramēts no Sacraments our teachers they terme Baals Priests the taile of the red dragon the whole Church of England they call Babilon Sodom Egipt all that naught is thus they cast mire in y e face of their mother in whose bowels they were first begotten if euer they were begotten to the Lord separating thē selues frō all the holy things of God because euery thing is not iust as they would haue it But in the meane time to get more credite vnto their pretended cause of separation they séeme to be very deuout in prayer and as though the spirite of prayer were proper vnto them they condēn◠all other mens prayers their mouthes alwayes thundering out the iudgements of God while they take a felicitie in condemning their brethrē they come vnder a cloake of sinceritie and reformation while they go about to plucke vp the Lordes vineyeard by the rootes and none more zealous in their profession none more deuout in praysing of God none more ready in the Scriptures then they yea as plentifull in their proofes and textes of Scripture they séeme to be for vpholding of their errors shcisme as Kett was for the defending of his heresies but what pleasure the Lord hath in such schismaticall prayers prayses which haue nothing to present them to the Lord but a spirite of pride and errour I feare to speake y e Lord open their eyes to see their sinne that so many as belong to him may be conuerted and be saued Thus we sée it manifest both by testimonies and examples that the sacrifices of the wicked vngodly are vile before the Lord how holy soeuer they séeme to be amongest men and they can not prayse him but as the deuils did confesse him But if any come before the Lord as his beloued spouse decked with their garment of diuers colours I meane their soules clothed with the riches of Gods fauour as true repentaunce a liuely faith brotherly loue lowlinesse of spirite integritie of hart patience in affliction ioy in the holy Ghost if any come to the Lord depending on Gods grace naked in himself yet clothed in Christ doubting of himselfe yet assuring himselfe of Gods fauour both promised purchased in y e bloud of Christ Iesus they may bring their offering w t Dauid say Blessed be the Lord God of Israell and the king of glory shall then haue delight in their beautie for he loueth the prayses of his people and of none els This doctrine if it were throughly applied and closely layd to the conscience of euery estate calling it would I hope make vs all more warie and carefull in offering our selues with our presents of prayses and prayers vnto the Lord while we liue And first of all what will Idolaters and persecuters of Gods Sainctes say vnto this In a merry note they sing Te Deum laudamus Benedictus Deus Israel c. But whether such Popish and bloudy seruices be accepted of God or no I would wish them to consider In our Church if there be any in y e plate of seers watchmen ouer the Lords people and yet haue neither will skill nor courage to lead the people of the Lord in the wayes of righteousnesse and also do wearie them selues in the wayes of loosenesse and prophanesse and yet wil come into Gods house and without repentance offer vp cōfessions prayers thākesgiuings for themselues the people how acceptable such sacrifices are vnto the Lord I would wishe them also to consider Agayne there are some called
y e Lord they are in peace for Shalem is peace There brake he the arrowes and the bow the shield and the sword the battaile The stoute harted are spoiled they haue slept their sleepe and all the men of strength haue not founde their handes At thy rebuke ô God of Iacob both the chariot and the horse are cast a sleepe therefore because thou art the God of Iacob for he is so tender ouer his Church that he will not abide any to annoy or molest his Church except it be for y e greater good of his Church the further greater confusion of their enemies Whō shall we now praise for our deliuerance we recken our ships giue them high prayses we vse to say in the forgetfulnes of Gods goodnes we may thanke such a ship such a thing and such a meanes so forth but we should say Blessed be the Lord God of Israell for it is he that wilbe and must be knowen in his Church Whom haue we to stād by vs if euer our enemies come againe but the Lord God of Israell Let vs say thē as the Psalmist saith God is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to be found Therfore will we not feare though the earth be moued Some will say we haue ships at sea the hope the reuenge the dread nought and so forth nay God is our hope God is our reuenge God is dread naught indéede Though the waues of the sea be troubled and rage and the moūtaines shake at the surges thereof Yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the Citie of God euen the sanctuarie of the Tabernacles of the most high God is in the midst of it therfore it cannot be moued The Lord of hostes is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Now marke what followeth Come and behold the workes of the Lord what desolatiōs he hath made vpō the earth He maketh warre to cease he breaketh the bow and cuts the speare and burneth the chariots in the fire Now heare what y e Lord himselfe saith Be still saith he know that I am God I wilbe exalted among the heathen and I wilbe exalted in the earth In the next verse they doe exalt him saying Th◠Lord of hostes is with vs the God of Iacob i◠our refuge Noting nothing to be the caus◠of all these workes but onely his couenant which he made with his Church In the first of S. Luke this is plaine He hath vpholdē Israel his seruant being mindeful of his mercy As he hath promised to our fathers Abrahā and his seede for euer The virgine Marie is of the same minde He hath sent vs deliueraunce saith she from our enemies and from the handes of all that hate vs but the cause thereof was his mercy which he shewed to our fathers in remembring his holy couenaunt and the othe which he sware to our father Abraham not mentioning any thing in her selfe Therefore whensoeuer we stād in néede of the Lordes helpe as we do continually let vs be sure that we are the Israell of God and then claime his promise and let vs not then doubt for he is faithfull and cannot denie him selfe And so much for the cause y t moued God to be so good vnto Dauid The second thing that I obserue in these wordes is the large extēt of Gods loue For therfore doth the Prophet call him the Lord God of Israell to shew y t God is not a God of one onely but of all y e faithfull to the end of the world He was not onely Dauids God but he is our God also or els perhaps some might say Oh Dauid was an excellent man and a man after Gods owne hart and God did assist him wonderfully But God is the same God to vs that he was to Dauid and will assist vs as mightely as he did Dauid if we call vpon him as Dauid did Yea to euery one of vs he is the same for God is no accepter of persons not the Iewes more then the Gentils the wall of separation being pulled downe But in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Whosoeuer is a right Israelite is such a one as feareth God and whosoeuer feareth God is a right Israelite therefore when Iesus saw Nathaniell he said Behold indeede an Israelite in whom is no guile therfore he that feareth God and is without guile is an Israelite indéed that is one of Gods children indéede what a comfort is this to all the faithfull though they be neuer so poore and base in the sight of men yet God is their God they being his people and they may chalēge his promise aswell as any other and God will surely heare them and they shall say Blessed be the Lord God of Israell Now are we to cōsider of the next words why he saith world without end He doth not praise God so long as the benefit of deliuerance lasteth and no longer but so long as his mercy endureth and that is for euer for it hath pleased the Lord to chuse vnto him selfe a Church and a kingdome out of Angels and men which neuer shall haue end and those shall praise him continually as well for his iudgements as for his mercies And this is it that S. Iohn set downe by the spirit of prophecie when he saith I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen saying Halleluiah saluation and honor and glorie and power be to the Lord our God for true righteous are his iudgements We vse to say if a mortall man doth shew vs any curtesie or bestow any benefit vpon vs Oh giue him great thankes but how great thanks and what presents shall we offer to God who gaue it him first and gaue him a heart to giue giueth for euer If a Prince should send vs any thing were it neuer so litle for a remembrance we will thanke him according to the worthinesse of his person not according to the value of the thing which was sent But God is the Prince of al Princes and he giueth more then trifles for in him we liue and moue and haue our being and he hath giuen vs his Sonne who hath purchased a kingdome for vs which shal neuer haue end And if it were but our bare being here he were to be praised for euer how much more for such and so many benefits as can neither be numbred nor valued Yea for his infinite wisedome which he hath caused to shine in all his works of creation if we consider but the excellent wisedome of God in a poore litle flie he is to receiue infinite praises for the same How much more for his infinite goodnesse power mercie iustice and prouidence ouer all his creatures and his vnspeakeable loue towards his children in his couenant of grace If a sily man shall frame