prayeth a sacrifice to God a scourge to the devil and his agents pag. 183 Prayer the Word and the Sacraments are means to preserve faith pag. 228 Preparation required in those who go to Church pag. 344 Pride a cause of strife pag. 25 Pride consists in three things In thinking too well of our selves contemptibly of others boasting and glorying in vain ostentation pag. 240 Pride is the ground of insatiablenesse pag. 241 Pride the ruine of Charity Justice Temperance and Religion pag. 243 Proofs of a sincere faith pag. 227 Prosperity of this world fils the hearts of men with pride and vain estimation of themselves pag. 131 Proud men resemble death and hell pag. 243 Punishment in its nature is evil yet God may work good out of it pag. 69 Punishment of Idolatry pag. 334 Punishments of Pride 247. Just Reprehension 155. Derision 257 Spoyle and destruction pag. 262 Punishments of Ambition 279. They consult shame to their own house Ibid. Sin against their own souls 283. Labour in vaine and without successe pag. 286 Punishments of drunkennesse 315. Who will punish it God 316 how he will punish it 319. Why he will punish it pag. 324 Q. OVantity of the fault is the measure of the judgment pag. 5 R. REasons why Ambition makes men unhappy Pag. 274 Religion contemned is a signe of a diseased and desperate state 38 Reasons thereof Ibid. Riligion is the knot of true Vnion that knitteth us to God and uniteth us to one another Pag. 78. Religion hath the bowels of compassion and they have no Religion that have no mercy Pag. 99 Religion the best bond of brotherhood Pag. 129 Remedy for mans fall 222. Which is Christ Pag. 223 Remedies against drunkennesse Pag. 308 S. SAthan suggesteth that the way of righteousnesse is painful pag. 287 Sathans chiefest temptation is by blemishing of Gods glory pag. 296 Seekers of strife condemned pag. 25 Service performed to God without zeal is without life pag. 51 Shame rather hardeneth then reformeth a sinner pag. 16 Sincere Faith cannot be lost pag. 228 Sharp and satyricall tartnesse not alwayes unlawfull pag. 259 Sin is a burthen to God 3. To men 4. And awakes Gods vengeance Ibid. Sins seen in others moves man to a loathing of sin and to charity pag. 68 Sin is like Leaven a little sowreth the whole lump pag. 204 283 Sins of Omission 218. Of evil motion 219. Of evil affection and of evil action pag. 220 Sins grow in clusters and one sin begetteth another 265. Examples thereof pag. 266 Sins committed against the Law of God are done against the committers souls pag. 283 Souls in heaven wait upon the performance of Gods Promises pag. 178 Stephens prayer at his death a means of Pauls conversion pag. 102 Suggestions to sin lay their foundation upon some unworthy opinion of God pag. 298 T. TEares of bitternesse are the bloud of the Soul pag. 285 Teaching by familiar resemblances is much used in both Testaments pag. 123 Temples not built in 200 years after Christ pag. 336 Temples and Churches necessary pag. 337 Temporall things can afford no true content pag. 39 There is no peace to a wicked man pag. 6 The sound of Gods Word preached cannot be truly heard by us unlesse he open our hearts pag. â—2 The soul of prayer is the holy zeal of him that prayeth pag. 22 Three speciall benefits of a godly life pag. 40. 41 The Chaldeans raised by God against the Jews pag. 56 They who are sealed with the Spirit of Promise have their infirmities lapses and relapses yet sin not to death pag. 64 They who fulfilling the Will of God which they know not do fulfill their own will which they aime at are not rewarded but rather punished for it pag. 74. 75 The way to avoid contempt is humility pag. 81 There is such a concatenation of duties of Religion and Justice that he that offendeth in one breaketh the chaine pag. 267 The fear of the wicked shall come upon himself pag. 280 The house of the righteous shall stand pag. 281 The Elect sin against their own souls in regard of the fault 283 and also in regard of the punishment pag. 284 The delivery of Gods Church and his vengeance upon her enemies gives honour to the Name of God upon earth pag. 294 The sting of the first sin pag. 297 The knowledge of Gods glory consisteth in the true consideration of his justice and mercy pag. 299 Though the Church of God live under the crosse for a time it shall not be alwayes so pag. 82 Those whom God useth as his rods are limited pag. 83 To know the glory of God here on earth we must observe the course of his judgments pag. 302 To make others drunk is a more grievous sin then drunkennesse pag. 310 U. VAnity of Idolatry pag. 326 Vncharitablenesse corrupteth a Common-wealth and makes all Gods servants complaine pag. 34 Vngodly men outragious when they finde a way open to their violence pag. 125 Vngodly men have no bowels pag. 136 Vnrighteous mens labours described pag. 287 Voluntary and involuntary drunkennesse pag. 318 W. WAnt of zeal a sinne pag. 52 Want of Faith the true cause of Idolatry pag. 90 Way to Hell all down hill yet very uneasie 286. And that is gotten by it is but meere vanity pag. 283 We ought to avoid causes of complaint pag. 34 We ought not to limit God to a set time for our deliverance nor to any set means nor measure of affliction pag. 107 We must not think long to tarry Gods leasure 173. to avoid these two evils Of murmuring against God or seeking unlawfull means to accomplish our desires pag. 178 We ought not be too busie to search into the wayes of God to know things to come pag. 174 We must beleeve Gods Promises whatsoever appearances do put in to perswade us to the contrary pag. 175 Where God is pag. 336 Whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time pag. 160 What duty is owing to him pag. 336 Where Religion is despised the courts of Justice must needs be corrupt 28. and power and authority degenerate into tyranny and oppression pag. 29 When God undertaketh a work he accommodateth all fit means though he need none for a full execution pag. 71 When we pray that Gods Will may be done we must also pray that it may be done for the same cause pag. 77 Whensoever God punisheth there is a fault deserving that punishment 253. Objections to the contrarie answered pag. 254 When God putteth his hand to spoyling the oppressor he will spoil him in all that he trusted in pag. 263 Whom God pardoneth Sathan tempteth most pag. 87 Whosoever gives divine Worship to a creature is an Idolater pag. 91 Wicked men have no peace pag. 84 Wicked men rejoyce at the Churches sorrow pag. 128 Woe to the man which gathereth not his own pag. 275 Written Scripture sufficient for salvation pag. 153 Z ZEale
with fear and tembling Sometimes greif is mingled with faith as in the poor man in the Gospel of whom Christ said Doest thou beleeve he answered first with his tears then with his words saying Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeleefe So in the Publicane beating his breast and saying Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Sometimes indignation is mingled with faith as in all the imprecations of the Prophet which as they are Prophecies and so proceed from the Spirit of God so are they passions in these holy men and are vented with that indignation of which the Prophet saith Be angry and sin not and which the same Prophet justifieth Shall not I hate them O Lord which hate thee And this holy indignation you see in the very separate soules They cry with a loud voice how long Lord dost thou not judg and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.10 Tantaen animis caelestibus ira To come now to the point in question This zeal of the Prophet is not a dislike of or an opposition to the will of God by way of contradiction but a dislike of the thing done according to the expresse will of God wherein the Prophet doth not offend The example of our Saviour Christ is full and giveth testimony to this truth for coming of purpose to lay down his life for his Church and knowing it to be his Fathers will that he should so do yet in the garden he three times prayed that if it were possible that cup might passe from him he did not resist the Will of God for to that he submitted himself but he distiked that which he was to suffer according to that Will The reason is because it was evil and a punishment and he who taught us to pray libera nos a malo Deliver us from evil did so himself So though he knew the Will of God to be peremptorie for the destruction of Jerusalem and the rejection of the Jewes he sorrowed and wept for the same which shewed his dislike of the thing decreed though he approved the decree it self and resisted it not Sorrow is a griefe taken by a naturall dislike of that for which we greive When our parents wives children or freinds die we greive the Apostle doth not forbid that affection he limiteth and regulateth it he would not have us sorrow as men without hope And when he took on him our naturall infirmities and affections he did not so undertake them to remove them from us or to extinguish them in us but to correct and temper them As St. Cyrill saith ut sic natura nostra reformaretur ad melius that so our nature might be bettered In this very example in my Text of the Prophets dislike that God should shew him this iniquity and violence of the Jews which was a greif and a burthen to him to see remember what is said of Lot by St Peter For that righteous man dwelling among them 2 Pet. 2.8 vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds Here was not only an holy greif for but an holy indignation against the sight of these things which God shewed him and that in the righteous soul of a righteous man I conclude this point as before with Davids words I deny not that this was the Prophets infirmitie I deny it to be his iniquity it was no sin in him And I again urge my former point of Doctrine it is lawfull for the holy servants of God to expostulate and contest with God in their prayers 1. Because hereby we declare our dislike of those things against which we contest Reas 1 as here the Prophet sheweth that it is to him very hateful and offensive to behold the sins of the people which both corrupt and end anger the state of the Commonwealth So when the Prophet complaineth often of Gods long-suffering toward the wicked he sheweth it to be an offence to the children of God that the enemies of God should be so long forborne And when he awaketh God up Lord why sleepest thou and stireth him to revenge of his own cause therein he declareth his zeal of the glory of God of which he must be careful especially 2. This publique expostulation used in this case to awake the justice of God against the wicked Reas 2 doth seem to terrifie the ungodly from their wicked wayes for when they see that they that fear God and walk before him and with him are up in armes against them and bandie their imprecations against them they cannot but see their estates in great danger 3. This expostulation of the just doth declare that their yeilding to the Will of God in these things which they do without offence to Gods dislike 3 Reas is not out of naturall principles and reasons incident to humanity but from a supernaturall dedition and yeelding of themselves to the transcendent Will of God whereby they do approve even what they do dislike because they find the Will of God that way The profit which we may make of this point is 1. To teach us zeal in the cause of God for there is no life in the service that we performe to God without zeal there is not only the Spirit of God required in us but fervency of the Spirit by the Apostle and that the same Apostle calleth the Spirit dwelling in us plentifully and in another place The Spirit sanctifying us throughout This giving our bow the full bent that it may have the full strength and this to be drawn home when we send our prayers up to heaven that they may reach the mark this is So run that ye may obtaine It is called striving to the mark Zeal only used in matters of forme and ceremonie and in outward things makes us like Agrippa almost Christians but zeal against the evil life and crying sins of the time is discreet and necessary for these do hack and hew the bough we stand upon these under-dig the ground we walk upon These put it to an if Si filius dei es if thou be the Son of God Let them that love righteousnesse and peace be troubled at these things and quench this common fire first that is the Apostles method For having taught the doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and of holy preparation to the communicants he concludeth And the rest will I set in order when I come 1 Cor. 11.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First he directed them in the prayers of piety he reserveth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the order till his coming to them shewing that he had Apostolicall power for that but that must be done after this In Religion that is now the double complaint 1. Of want of zeal where it most should be 2. Of inordinate zeal in other things The want of zeal in many Professours of Religion is such as that both Poperie and Anabaptistrie and other schismaticall and sectarious professors are suffered to grow
you will not beleeve The work to be done is vers 6. God threatneth to raise up the Chaldeans against the Jews he calleth them a bitter and an hastie nation those shal go all the land over and drive out or destroy the Jews and take possession of their land Chaldaea lay from Jerusalem North it was a mighty Kingdom and the cheif City thereof was Babylon Nebuchadnezzar was King thereof they are to be stirred up by God himself who as you heard out of Obadiah doth use to punish one Nation by another and sometimes his Church by the Heathen He gave Israel the promised land upon condition of their obedience to his Law and now finding them rebellious he giveth away their land to the heathen and as before he drove out the posterity of Canaan to plant Israel there now he will remove them and give their land to the Chaldeans God is very terrible in his threatnings for a great part of the Chapter is spent as you see in description of that Nation of the Chaldeans to fill them full of horrour 1. For the people of that land Vers 6. he calleth them Bitter and hasty Bitter in the execution of that wrath whereof God had made them his Ministers and hasty in the speed thereof for the wicked are limited and if God stayed them not they would soon swallow up the Church of God but when God enlargeth them and suffereth them for the sins of the Church to break in upon them they will come in like a flood that overfloweth and breakketh the banks and cover all with inundation 2. They are described to be terrible Vers 7. and dreadfull and therein he declareth that he will put the Jews out of heart that they shall have no courage to resist this invasion for God will smite them with fear of the adversarie power which fear in them shall open the enemie an easy way to victory 3. He proveth this for he saith Their judgment and their dignity shall come of themselves His meaning is that God will not restrain them but give the Jews into their hands and leave the Chaldeans to be both judges and executioners in their own cause and to follow the leading of their own will no Law of God shall awe them no law of nature or nations shall limit them their own will shall carry them to give judgment upon the Jews and to get them dignity and honour over them The reason why God will put them into so mercilesse hands is given by the Prophet Jeremy For the Jews have said to Jeremy As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee Jer. 44.16 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth Vers 17. For this wilfull stubbornnesse God doth now purpose to put them into the power of such as shall be as wilfull as they whose judgment by which they shall judge the Jews and whose dignity by which they shall exalt themselves shall follow their own will He proceedeth to shew what preparation they have for war and therein first of their horses Vers 8. in which kind of strength some put their trust as David saith Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses These horses of the Chaldeans he doth make terrible in 2. things 1. They are swifter then the Leopards he compareth them not with the Roebuck and the Hind so much mentioned in Scripture for speed nor with the Hare whose speed is to save themselves but with the Leopards persecuting with swiftnesse the beasts on which they prey as he addeth 2. They are feircer then the evening wolves those wolves whose hunger not only leadeth them out to seek prey but such is their cruelty that they will destroy whole flocks if they can The Chaldeans did breed horses for the warre whose speed and feircenesse is such that as Jeremy saith describing the turning of men to their own ill wayes it was like as an horse rusheth into the battaile Yet this were no great terrour but that it followeth their riders shall be such as shall put them to it 1. They shall spread themselves for they were to passe throughout the breadth of the countrey that there will be no escaping then by resistance 2. They shall come from farre to set up the army so that they shall be terrible in their number 3. they shall fly as the Eagle that hasteth to eat no man shall escape them by flight all shall be a prey He proceedeth to describe the easie victory that the Chaldeans shall have of the Jews Vers 9. They shall come all for violence Tota gens ad rapinam veniet not ad pugnam but ad praedam The whole Nations shall come to spoile not to fight but to prey Their faces shall sup up the East-wind the East-wind it seemeth was the most unwholesome breath of heaven upon that land within short time withered and destroyed the fruits of the earth and the hopes of the Spring The Lord saith that the faces of the Chaldeans the very sight of them shall bee as banefull and as unresistible as the East wind They shall gather the Captivity as the sand 1. They shall gather together the people of that land to carry them away into captivity with no more pain then one would take up his vessel ful of sand out of the heap or they shall carry multitudes of the Jews into captivity without number as the sand They shall scoffe at the Kings Vers 10. and the Princes shall be a scorne unto them Either he meaneth that he shall make nothing of the power of any Kings either in the land against which he cometh or amongst their confederates but shall laugh them to scorne that come to help the Jews as his vassals Or he shall easily subdue them and lead them in triumph whethersoever he goeth and proudly insult over them Some extend it so farre as that the Chaldean conqueror shall make Kings his jesters and parasites and make himself sport with them And whereas the strong holds and castles are wont to be a terrour to the invador the Chaldeans shall deride every strong hold For they shall heap dust and take it i.e. They shal raise up of the earth near unto their strong holds such fortifications as shall defend them and offend the enemy the very earth of the Jews shall they use against the Jews to overcome them Then shall his minde change and he shall passe over Vers 11. These words do declare that the Chaldeans full of victories and ful of pride after this great conquest shall change their minde and passe over to some other quest of glory bigge-swolne with their former prevailings And he sheweth how these enemies of the Jews shall runne themselves upon the just displeasure of God who stirred them up to this warre He shall offend imputing this his power unto his God From hence commeth the
quodammodo vacillare he shews himself somwhat wavering that cannot be defended for the motto of a just man is semper idem always the same and it is the ungodly man who is unstable in all his ways his heart is not established 3. But he smiteth home when he saith verum quidem est secundam partem versus affinem esse blasphemiae the second part of the verse to be near a kinne to blasphemy quia obmurmurat insimulat deum unimiae tarditatis because he murmured and accused God of too much slacknesse Yet Mr. Calvin healeth him again pardon him in this for he was in Angusto in a strait jealous of having the honour of God touched by the Prophet and yet tender of any touch of the charity that he did owe to the Prophet and therefore having delared his holy love to God he doth his best to excuse the Prophet saying of him fraenum sibi injicit occurrit mature Se temperat ut praeveniat nimium fervorem he tempers himself that he might allay this too great heat And in the end he confesseth quia non potest se expedire rebus tam confusis disceptat potius secum quà m cum deo because he could not get out of this maze that he reasoned with himself rather then God For my opinion I acquit the Prophet from any suspicion of inordinate affection in this his complaint so long as he doth do God the right to acknowledge him both eternall and equal I wonder not if he and all that consider him aright in his ways be swallowed up in the depth of admiration of them Let any man observe that which followeth in the Prophets complaint and he shall see great cause of wonder but whensoever such occasion is offered to us to behold the like let us do our God the right to confesse him holy and just and to resolve that which way soever things go there can be no fault in him therefore let us say with David Domine tu justus es justa sunt judicia tua thou art just and thy judgements are just It is a good saying of old Eli the Priest Ps 3.18 when Samuel told him of the judgments of God upon his house It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Yet is it not unlawful for the children of God reverently to consider the ways of God yea it is a work for the Sabbath to take the works of God into regard O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep Ps 92.5 A bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this It argueth a great defect in judgement when we shall think a thought which may derogate any thing from the glory of our God for it is true fecit quicquid voluit he hath done whatever he would so it is true omnia bene fecit he hath done all things well and we say truly of him He hath done all things for the best for so he doth even then when his ways do crosse ours and when those things that he doth do seem to us and to our reason as most opposite To help which our weaknesse we are taught to pray fiat voluntas tua thy will be done Let us come then to a view of the particulars which the Prophet recounteth which God doth behold and not yet punish And herein we shall find the Prophet an Orator setting forth the iniquity of the times and the miseries of the Church then so as we may say his heart hath indited a good matter and his tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer Here be the Prophets grievances 1. The first is treason Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously Mr. Calvin renders it quare aspicis transgressores and so doth the Geneva translation render it Why lookest thou upon the transgressors But that is somewhat too large for that includeth all sorts of sinners Jun. Cur intuereris perfidos so the Chaldaeans of whom the Prophet complaineth here are set forth as you heard by the Prophet Isay Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat Isa 12.2 Treason is not wrought by a profest enemy in times of open warre and proclaimed defiance neither do we call the secret practices of enemies working underhand by the name of treason they are military stratagems but it is called treason when by corrupting some of the opposite side the enemie doth take advantage And this is commonly one of the mines which is carried under the states of great Kingdomes to destroy them and blow them up And the Author and Finisher of our salvation though he was assaulted by profest warre of the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees yet he was put into their hand at last by treason one of his own twelve betrayed him And it is the chief use of the new order of Jesuits in forrein States to corrupt the affections of subjects ut prodant that they may betray This is a great grievance for treasons be commonly carried with great secresie yet the Prophet saith that God looketh on he beholden all the conveyances both of Projection and Execution and that is it which amazeth the Prophet that God who loveth not treason should look on and behold it in all the ingresse and progresse of it and not stop it Beloved we have a lesson from hence The Lord seeth treason Doct. Not only the great treasons wrought against States and Kingdomes but the particular falshoods in common friendship the private insidiations for the goods the chastity the good name the life of our neighbours It is not any negligence in Gods government of the world or any over-sight or any forgetfulnesse or any approbation of evil that doth keep God so quiet that he sitteth in heaven he keepeth Israel and he neither slumbreth nor sleepeth Yet he looketh on while thieves come in the night and break open a way into mens houses gather together and rifle and carry away their goods He seeth whilst the secret enemy watcheth his brother upon the way or goeth forth with him as Abel did with Cain God knew that Abel was to be killed that day When Joab and Amasa met God saw it a death he knew that embracing would prove a stab Sometimes God doth detect and defeat these treasons betimes sometimes he letteth them go on to the very moment of execution yet then he disappointeth them but sometimes he looketh on and seeth them performed and hindreth them not This is that which the Prophet would fain know why God that loveth no evil and hath power at hand to prevent it doth look on and see it done for amongst us quinon vetat peccare cum licet jubet he that when he may hindreth not a fault commands it and for man it is a true rule that all the evil which we might have hindred and did not shall be put upon our account This rule holds indeed with us but God is not so limited he maketh both evil creatures that is devils
day and night and thou shalt have none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart which thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Here is unquietnesse even upon the bed of rest the reason is given Isa 28.20 For the bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it and the Covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it For there is no Peace to the wicked man It is one of Satans suggestions that the way of righteousnesse is painful and denieth a man the content of his heart And from hence arise these flattering temptations Shall I labour and travel all my days to sustain my life with mine own pains when a little violence will strip my neighbour out of all that he hath gotten together and make it mine own Shall I make conscience of an oath or a lye when it may get me more wealth in an houre then my labour shall earne in a year Shall I work my self when I may make prize of the labours of other men and drink down merrily the sweat of others brows Shall I sit low and be despised in the world when I may lay my neighbours on heaps under me and raise up my self upon their ruines Shall I undergo the charge of a family and the care of posterity when rich gifts and fair words may subdue change of beauties to my welcome desires and lusts of the flesh Shall I expect a slow and lingring advancement by the worth of vertue in the service of God when I see the servants of Mammon carry all honours and preferments before them Shall I be humble when I see the proud happy Mal. 3.15 shall I live a godly life when they that work wickednesse are built Let us here observe how these wicked ones do work to compasse their ends they labour in the very fire the fire of hell The Way of Peace they have not known 2. The next point casteth up the account of their gettings and it is anoughts a meer Cypher in Arithmetick Vanity very Vanity Is it riches then is it a thing corruptible it is a thing uncertain and little of it is for use and what profit hath the Possessor thereof in the surplusage but the beholding thereof with his eye When a man considers his wealth gotten by oppression and injury how can he but think it may be so lost as it was gotten Is it the favour of Princes and great men True they be gods upon earth but they die like men at last and they change their minds often before they die One day Haman rides about in Pompe he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mordecay waiteth at the lane gate another day Mordecay is set upon the Kings beast and Haman leadeth the horse and proclaimeth him honourable and the next day Haman is hanged and Mordecai rules all under the King Is it honour that thou labourest for that also is vanity Honour is in honorante as Aristotle saith it is very unhappy for a man to have his honour without himself his pride within him and his happinesse without him Wise Salomon that had all temporal felicitie in the fullest measure and all of the gift of God yet called all those things Vanity of Vanities I will shut up this point in the words of David Doubtlesse man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himself in vain Ps 39.6 3. Is it not of the Lord Many crosse betydings befall the ungodly and they never observe who opposeth them It is the Lord that bringeth all the labours of the ungodly to losse and vanity that when they come to thrash their crop of travel in the world they find nothing but strawe and chaffe To expresse his power to do this he is here called the God of Hosts for all things serve him and he resisteth the proud he and his Hosts He layeth their honours in the dust he disperseth their riches and giveth them to the poor he spoiled them of all their treasures he that exalted them made them low he that gave to them taketh away They had need be made to see this therefore he saith Nonne ecce à Domino hoc is it not of the Lord In the time of the Persecutions under the bloody Emperours if at any time they succeeded not in their wars they cried Christiani ad furcas ad leones Christians to the gallows to the lyons they saw not the hand of God against them this makes Balaam smite his Asse he seeth not Gods Angel In the processe of humane affairs they that go on in these sins which God himself threatneth with woe though they find these sins profitable and to afford them large revenews that they live plentifully upon the wages of unrighteousnesse yet have they many crosses in their ways many great losses they sustain these they impute to second causes and lay great blame upon those whom they do oppresse because they stand not to it whilst oppression grindeth them they observe not the hand of God against them yet saith God Is it not of the Lord of Hosts that they weary themselves for very vanity It is a great matter to know who it is that protecteth his servants that crosseth the designes of their enemies David prayeth for Gods saving help to them and That they may know that this is thy hand Ps 109 27 that thou Lord hast done it For let all offenders in this kind of oppression and indeed in all kinds of bold and presumptuous sins know that they sin with an high hand They are a People that provoke God to anger continually to his face Isa 65.3 if you observe the text well you will find two things in it and they are two great judgments and both of the Lord. 1. Is it not of the Lord of Hostes that the People shall labour in the very fire and shall weary themselves 2. Is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the People shall labour for very vanity For the hand of God is in both for their punishment both in putting them to extreme labour and in turning all their labour into vanity He asketh the question as if he should say Come now and let us reason together to what do you impute it that this People take such pains and prosper so ill do you not perceive that Gods hand is in it and that I the Lord do undo all that they do 1. It is of the Lord that they labour in the fire For God saith Ego creo malum labour and travel is the curse of man the wages of sin In labore vesceris in sudore vultus Here is fire that melteth and dissolveth us into water All the pains that is taken here on earth to do evil is of the Lord. 1. In respect of the strength and wit used therein for in him we live and move he planted
dangers The God that gave us his light of Truth and hath continued it so many happy years of peace amongst us hath begun he will also make an end by this light no doubt many faithful souls have found the way to the throne of grace whose continuall prayers to God for the happy estate of his Church are able to make this Sun stay his course and not withdraw his light from us their prayers and devotions know the way to heaven so well and plead the cause of the Church so effectually that we have cause to hope that the goodness of God which endureth yet daily will not fail us but that we shall fee it and tast of it in this land of the living Once let us remember under whose shadow vve live a learned gracious King who hath seen into the darkness of Popery and laid it open no Christian Prince so much no Christian more he hath put his hand to the Plough and he cannot forget Lets Wife Let us not make our selves certain afflictions out of uncertain fears and draw upon us the evils of to morrow For sufficient for the day is the evil thereof Queen Elizabeth brought into this Church and Land True Religion and Peace King James hath continued it let us be thankfull to God for it and let us be ever telling what the Lord hath done for our souls Let not our unquiet vvranglings amongst our selves provoke the God of Peace against us neither let our busie eves-dropping the counsels and intendments of State which are above us and belong not to us make us afraid our work is In all things to give thanks For what we have received already for what we do possesse and enjoy and pray continually for that we would have for all men especially for our King that under him we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie 1 Tim. 2.2 and then Rejoyce evermore Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce He that came from Teman and Paran to a people that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and gave us light hath ever since so supplyed us with oile that we may say difficiunt vasa the want is on our part for truly God is good to Israel to all such that have faithfull and true hearts To this end let me stir you up to a remembrance of the times past beginning at the Initium regni November 17 in Anno 1558. for so long hath this Sun of righteousness shined clear upon our Church 2 Doctr. The Church hath a speciall interest in the power and protection of God gathered from hence he had hornes comming out his hands and there was the hiding of his power There is a power that God openly sheweth and that is extended to an universall protection of all the works of Gods hand but there is a power that he hideth and that is his speciall protection of his Church 1 He protecteth them David gives them a good instance in the former mercies of God to this people When they were yet but few and they strangers in the land 1 Châ—on 16.19 And when they went from nation to nation from one Kingdome is another people He suffered no man to do them any wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not my anointed and do my Prophets no harme And the Psalmist can give no other reason of this speciall protection but on Gods part because he had a favour to them and on their part that they might keep his statutes and observe his lawes And these be motives that establish Gods protection upon his Church in all the ages thereof His mercy and our obedience which lesson if we take out vvell vve shall learne thankfulnesse to him for his favour and holinesse in our lives And this is that godlinesse vvhich hath the promises of this life and that vvhich is to come 2 He hideth the horne of our Salvation 1 From his Church in some measure to keep us from presumption so that vve do often rather believe then feel the loving kindnesse of the Lord and to stirre us up to prayer for the more vve are made sensible of our vvants the more are vve provoked to invocation of the name of the Lord. 2 From the vvorld that hateth his Church that they may fulfill their iniquity and declare their uttermost malice against the Church and when he had suffered PHAROAH and his hoast to follovv his people of Israel into the red Sea and there taketh of their Chariot wheels then they shall see it and say we will fly from the face of Israel Exod. 14.25 for the Lord fighteth for them against the Aegyptians Great is the profit of this point in the case of those spirituall desertions Vse vvhereby God for a time seemeth to forsake his own children Well are they described by Gods ovvn mouth For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54.7 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Which sheweth that the hiding of Gods protecting power is not totall but partiall for it is in a little anger and it is not finall but temporary for a small moment 1 In outward things In the example in my text God hid his hand in his bosome the horn of his Salvation was almost all out of sight for the space of 70 years during the captivity of the Church So many of Gods dear Servants drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction suffering the contempt and injuries of the world in bonds imprisonments oppressions scourges such as the world is not worthy of yet do they not want a secret feeling of the power of Gods protection quickning their patience and reviving his own work in them in the midst of the years 2 In spirituall graces Sometime God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy Ghost and that they finde with much grief 1 In the oppression of the heart with sorrow wherein they feel no comfort as David My soar ran and ceased not my soul refused comfort Psal 77.2 3. I did think upon God and was troubled In the ineffectuating the means of salvation for a time For many holy zealous souls desirous to do God good service do complain that they hear the Word do not profit by it they receive the Sacraments and do not tast how sweet it is they pray but they feel not the Spirit helping their infirmities they give thanks and praise to God but they do not feel that inward dancing of the heart and jubilation of the soul and rejoycing in God that should attend his prayse yea rather they perceive in themselves a going backward from God as the Church complaineth O Lord Isa 63.17 why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and
need no other rods to scourge us here no other fewell to enfire us hereafter then our owne sins this is Hilaris insania to make our selves merry with these and to set in the chair of the scornfull 6 Incorrigibility when the gratious warnings of God do not lead them to repentance when the angry threatnings of God do not draw bloud of them when the rods of Gods favourable chastisement doe not smart upon them O Lord saith Jeremy Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Correction had wont to be the way to reclaime sinners but when iniquity is come to the full ripeness God may lay on while he will they that have not known the way of peace will harden their hearts as Pharaoh did and correction will but make them curse and blaspheme God to his face This was the full iniquity of these nations whom God threshed and wounded and digged up and cast out that he might plant his Israel therein And it teacheth us to be wise to salvation Vse as the Apostle saith Thou man of God fly these things And let me say to you as Lot to the Sodomites I pray you my brethren do not so wickedly Take heed of Idols Babes keep your selves from Idols Idolatry hath growen bolder of later then heretofore the Factors of Rome are busie amongst us trading for proselites but God stirreth up the spirits of his religious servants to solicite the cause of Religion and the worthies of our land stand up with zealous fervency of spirit for the truth of God This is the light of Israel so long as we keepe the fire of God burning upon our Altars we shall have hope that God is with us and that he will give us his blessing of peace Let us break off our sins by repentance that we may turn away the indignation of God from us let not sin reign in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Let us take heed that we give not way to sin either in our selves or in others left it over-grow us but let us examin our own hearts in our chambers and turn to the Lord. And if a brother by occasion fall into sin let them that are spirituall restore him with the spirit of meeknesse Let shame cover our faces for the evils that we have done it is no shame to be ashamed of our evils as there is a godly sorrow so there is a godly shame let us say with Job I covered not my transgression with Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosome Let it grieve us that wee have sinned and let us not boast thereof but say with Job Peccavi quid faciam tibi with Saul I have sinned and done foolishly Let the remembrance of our sin smite our hearts as Davids heart smote him when he had numbred the people and let us do no more so Let the judgments of God make us afraid Let the corrections of God humble us and cast us at the feet of God that he may shew us mercy and with Paul let us pray three times that the Angel of Satan may be taken from us Then shall we neither feel the flail of God threshing us nor the sword of God wounding us nor the spade of God diging up but we shall rejoyce every man under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree 2 What he did in favour to his own Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine annointed David saith Truly God is good to Israel The everlasting comfort of the Church hath been planted and grounded in the favour of God by the mediation of Jesus Christ his anointed For although Christ were not so manifest to his Church before and in the time of the law as he hath been in the time of the Gospel yet he hath been always the hope of all the ends of the world The reason is Reason because Christ is not onely a Mediatour of intercession to pray for us and a Mediatour of satisfaction to die for us and a Mediatour of salvation to prepare eternall mansions for us but he is and ever was and will be a Mediatour also of temporall protection all to keep and defend us from all evils So that the Sun shal not smite us by day nor the Moon by night For as God created us to his own image so he fitted to his only begotten Son a body in our image he was made of a woman and so soon as his word had made him the promised seed so soon was he crucified for us and was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Then did he take his Church into his bosome and married her to himself and they became one body and ever since his Angels have charge over her to keep her in all her ways and this must comfort Israel in Babylon that God vvent before them vvith his anointed to setle them in the promised Land There be no other mercies that vvill tarry by us but those which God doth vouchsafe us by the means of this Mediator He importeth many outward blessings even to the vvicked by the means of his holy ghost For all the knovvledg that they have all the vvisedome in arts and sciences be the gifts of the holy ghost but they have no portion at all in the office of Christ he vvas not anointed for them From hence the Apostle doth conclude that God hath not forsaken the Jevvs but that they shall be called again for he saith Hath God cast away his people he ansvvereth God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Ro. 11 1 2. The election of grace vvhich made them his doth confirm them to him forever and therefore they mention his going before them with his anointed to assure them that though they go into captivity and abide a long time there yet they shall not be left in bonds for ever For the spirit of the Lord is upon this anointed to preach liberty to Captives Isal 61.1 and the opening the prison to them that are bound This is now the true comfort of the distressed parts of the Church which groan under the burthen of oppression and bloudy persecution They cry for the help from men and no Nation doth succour them they weep and pray to God and to his annointed and no doubt but in good time he wil come down to them to visit them in his mercy they are Christians and they carry the name of Gods anointed his name is in them and his righteousnesse and truth are their hope and strength It is time for thee Lord to put to thy hand for the wicked sons of Belial the children of Edom cry out against thy Church down with it down vvith it even to the ground The Bishop of Rome abetteth the unchristian shedding of Christian bloud by his letters and disperseth his vvhetstones to sharpen the sword of Gods enemies against Gods Church Let us say vvith old Jacob O Lord