12.1 while under the Moon 't is changeable but when clothed with the Sun in John's Vision she will be iâ—lustrious and tread the Moon under her Feet The Church has a time to sing the Song of the Lamb more melodiously than the Song of Moses Rev. 15.3 Moses his Song was a mixt Song there were Amorites to conquer after the Egyptians were sunk in the Mighty Waters After songs of deliverance come the bitter waters of Marah and new Elegies The Church sings that Song upon Earth but this Song of the Lamb in Heaven where no more troubles The Church in Apostolical times had a Sea of Glass as clear as Chrystal Rev. 4.6 wherein to see their faces and wash their spots 15.2.21.1 In Antichristian times of persecution a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire They enjoyed pure worship but attended with fiery tryals But in her Heavenly state there shall be Sea no more A State of perfection needs no more washings for communion in glory Here God wisely mingles comforts and crosses to keep us in a holy awe of sin and to encourage us in spiritual Services We contract much dust and soyl from worldly company and need washing and purging every day whereby to save our selves from this untoward Generation Act. 2.40 Israel had lain among the pots in Egypt and needed scouring in the Wilderness that the Thorns of Sinai might fetch the Onions of Egypt out of their squeazy stomachs Nay Gods people enjoy not only successive but temporary mixtures For in the midst of sorrows arises spiritual joy to support and quicken and in times of prosperiry are exercised with spiritual sins and heart-sorrows to humble and keep them steddy Nabal and Haman like other wicked wretches were either all joy or all sorrow and by turns overwhelm'd with both 1 Sam. 25.36 their hearts were as light as a feather or else sunk like lead Let 's beware when fatned with mercies lest we kick with Jesurun and when were are brought to the salt waters of Marah lest our imbittered Spirits fret against the Holy One of Israel while we proclaim our anger against instruments let 's take care that our clamours reach not the ear of God himself Men often mask their impatience at God under colour of shooting at others miscarriages We may grieve under afflictions and carry our sins by prayer to Heaven for pardon and our troubles to the Mercy-seat for relief I poured out my complaint before him Ps 142.2 says David I shewed before him my trouble Mourn we may Ezek. 7.16 Is 51.20 Songs 2.14 but murmur and mutter we must not Mourn like Doves without Gall in the Clefts of the Rock but not toss the Horn and roar like wilde Bulls in the Net full of the fury of the Lord. When we have mourned meekly and patiently for sin Mic. 7.9 and born the Indignation of the Lord we may look up for mercy till he plead our cause and execute judgment for us and say fiducially God's our God which is often the last stroke upon Davids Harp Does God chuse us for his Is 48.10 and chuse us in the Furnace of Affliction and refine us but not with Silver non quasi argentum not as if we were pure Silver already before refinement but in the midst of our dross and faeculency to make us bright for Temple-service then let us take him for our gracious and watchful Refiner and reflect his Love back again to Heaven Chuse him before all the Angels in Heaven and the sweetest familiars on Earth Ps 73.25 and then all afflictions will work kindly when the Fire of Love and the Fire of Affliction melt the Soul together and as the flaming beams of the Sun extinguish our Kitchin Fires so the heat of Divine Love will damp and put out the sense and smart of all and the most fiery trials here below Let but a Saint recollect his thoughts that there 's excellent reason why God afflicts and as the waters cannot Song 8.6 so neither the fires out burn the vehement flames of Divine Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called by the Wise Man the Flame of God Succurrat non tantùm quid patiamur sed quid fecerimur Senec. Ira. l. 2. p. 33. Remember what we have done as well as suffer said the Spanish Moralist Compare our merits and sufferings and then our unworthiness and mercies together and we have little reason to complain since there is less reason why we should draw a breath in the Land of the Living Lam. 3.39 Mercies flow from the innate Bowels of God Judgment is his strange work Is 28.21 Kindness flows from the Divine Essence more naturally than streams from a Fountain or beams from the Sun but sin and affliction is rooted in us Justifie God in all and that will extinguish murmurs 1 Cor. 11.30 Sometimes there 's a particular cause for affliction which though many times latent is always just Let 's search and try our ways Lam. 3.40 and turn unto the Lord. Ask the inward Viceroy and he 'll tell thee As Clocks strike clearest in stormy times so does Conscience in the hour of Judgment though we top and clog it never so much in the fair weather of prosperity Wouldest thou know the plain truth hearken what thy heart condemns and smites for in the hearing of a searching Sermon sometimes Affliction it self points at its relative sin Adonibezek deprived of his Thumbs Judg. 1.7 could tell upon his fingers the 140 Royal Thumbs which he had cut off Is a dear Relation taken consider thy sins both in it and toward it Si res angusta domi If poverty pinch remember abused plenty and careless expences Does God withdraw his shining face it may be thou hast grieved his Spirit and therefore he grieves thine most righteously Hast thou cooled and quenched his Heavenly Motion wonder not if he stop his ear at thy cries and at length leave thee to coolness and deadness of heart Rev. 3.16 Thou art lukewarm in his cause Grumble not at Laodiceas Portion to be spew'd out of his mouth Art thou puff'd up with parts which are but gifts Gods not thine repine not if others prick thy swoln Bladder with the pin of infamy Want of pity and relief to thy Brother reaps just unkindness in time of straits Censorious persons must run the gauntlet patiently and a lashing Tongue needs a Launcet to let out its Salt and fiery Bloud or may be prickt with Pins as Fulvia dealt by Cicero Cassius l. 47. p. 331. d. Angry persons often meet with sturdy matches as good at fifty cuffs as themselves It 's usual for men to be measured by their own bushel and for froward affronts to meet with divine requital unless for sins of daily infirmity sudden tentations and disorderly provocations from others Then to mourn watch and pray is a Saints Armour and go to Heaven with Elthu Job 34.33
away Not unlike a more glorious Instance of our blessed Lord Joh 4.4 who the Spirit of God says must needs go through the Province of Samaria that he might convert the poor old Woman of Sychar or Shechem at the Well of Jacob. How should we admire God who is often pleased to go out of the ordinary way of Providence to bring some into the way of Paradise Meditation must sweeten our thoughts of God by pondering on his Mercy and what special goodness is wrapt up in every divine kindness The circumstances of time and place the methods the means the straits and exigencies the persons and speeches and thoughts of heart are transcendent in contributing to and producing of admirable ends and issues Gen. 22.14 In the Mount will the Lord be seen When the Psalmist's Feet had well nigh slipt Ps 73.2 v. 24. Ps 66.11 12. yet was continually with God and held by the right hand of his Counsel till received to glory He brings us into the Net causeth men to ride over our heads and carries us through fire and water into it wealthy place When the Oil scarce wets the bottom of the Cruse and the Meal spent from the Barrel then comes the Prophet with a Miracle 1 K. 19.6 When Elijah was faint under a Tree at Rithmah then comes the Angel and bakes a Cake for him with Juniper Coals while yet asleep and awakes him to eat it When Moses lay crying in a Cage of Bulrushes upon the River Nile instead of a Crocodile to devour him comes the Daughter of Pharaoh to relieve him and nurse him up for a King nay to pay his own Mother for nursing her own Son We should nourish sweet thoughts of God when afflictions minister sharp to Sense We may be nourish'd by the Meat from the Eater and suck Honey from Flowers that grow on Thorns God hath ordained varieties and successions in all The Night the Storms the Winters and Wilderness of a Saint shall end in a glorious Sun-shine day and an everlasting Somer in Heaven that so in the midst of all anxious perplexing thoughts within us thy Comforts may delight our souls Ps 94.19 It 's a double word or a quadrate-root in the Hebrew and signifies to play or sport with delight and excessive Joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is used by the Prophet Esay to note the exuberant felicity of the Church in the later days when she shall be dandled and danced over and over upon the knees of prosperity and mercy Is 66.12 The aims and ends of God should be eyed in every providence Sennacharib was sent to correct and not destroy his people Is 10.7 howbeit he meant not so but to cut off Nations not a few Stay says the Lord shall the Ax boast against the Hewer and the Saw shake against the Handler Let the Staff know it self to be but wood For yet a very little while and mine indignation against Jerusalem shall cease and mine anger shall end in the destruction of Nineveh and Babylon When men determine they must ask leave of God or else they shall suck the Venome of the Cockatrice Eggs which themselves have laid Like that infamous Pope Baleus in Alexand. 6. p. 485. who was himself poysoned with the same wine he had prepared for his Cardinals Joseph's Brethren meant his ruine Gen. 50.20 but God meant it for good to save much people alive to nourish his Father just 17 years in Egypt the same number that he was nourish'd by his Father in Canaan and to lay the foundation of a People that should be the ruine of Egypts Armies Ps 37.6 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him and he shall bring forth thy Righteousness as the light and thy Judgement as the noon day Jam 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and seen the end of the Lord he is very pitiful and of tender mercy Although my house be not so with God 2 Sam. 23.5 says David yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Let 's finish this Chapter with some Inferences The Anatomy of former Mercies puts an Argument in the mouth of Prayer a Glass to the Eye of Faith and a Harp in the Hand of Thankfulness Whoso knows and considers he is worthy of nothing will be meek and sweetly satisfied with every dispensation of God Zeph. 2.3 Seek the Lord all ye meek of the Earth A meek Spirit is of a praying and thankful frame Holy contentation is the Fruit that grows upon the Tree of Observation of foregoing Providences All former storms have issued in spiritual calms When the Disciples Ship was full of Waves Mat. 8.26 Mark 6.48 Christ comes and treads the boisterous billows into a smooth plain under the Foot of his Command Who can divine what infinite wisdom is doing who knows what errand a flight of Snow or a clap of Thunder or ashower of Rain is sent upon When a Gentleman once riding furiously was stopt by a terrible storm and forced into a Smith's Shop demanding of him for what particular use some of his mechanick Tools might serve He replyes in a chaff He knew not Then says the good man How much less can you tell for what ends the wise God may send this forcible Rain from the Clouds Judg. 5.21 A Lion was once forced into a Pit by Snow and perhaps many a life saved and the valour of Benajah tried and proved 1 Sam. 12.10 Samuel obtained a Victory upon the Philistines by thunder 2 Sam. 23.20 Great Rains from Heaven overflowed the Banks of Kishin and swept away the Canaanites into the Gulf of Destruction Experiences of the presidents in former conducts teach a Saint not to ask riches preferment or health or success or any outward mercy with an impotent and impetuous Spirit but with submission to and consistency with the love and good pleasure of God Say upon thy knees Blessed Lord I beg to have and see and taste thy love in every mercy Nay to discern that every cross is the fruit of fatherly Love and every deliverance sweetned by the straits and pressures which turn the answer of prayer into an experience to fortifie faith If then we are instructed by former escapes to carry our Cross to Golgotha with our Lord and Simon we shall certainly rise from Mount Olivet to a Crown in Heaven CHAP. X. Repentance of Secret and Sudden Sins THE Divine Visitation by secret sudden and unexpected Mercies lays strong Bonds and Obligations upon us to repentance and watchfulness against secret sins They are always in the light of Gods countenance to discern Ps 90.8 and ought to be in the light of our Conscience to prevent David sets a president to hide the word within our Hearts Ps 119.11 to preserve from hidden offences Set up the strict Judicature of Conscience upon heart inquiries to
testifie both thy sincerity and gratitude He that always makes conscience of secret duties and secret sins is a sound and sincere Christian A good conscience is a continual feast and makes a cheerful Christian Pr. 15.15 Pr. 15.13 Pr. 17.22 And a cheerful heart does good like a Medicine and places a man in a Paradice of peace and delight One of the most dreadful roarings in Hell will most probably flow from the neglect of the warning voice of conscience upon earth That 's the Salamander which lives in perpetual Flames and stings like a Scorpion both with head and tayl looking backward upon ill-spent life scorning the rebukes within and forward upon endless and remedyless misery What makes men so fearful here at the noise and alarm of any temporal judgment without but guilt within As Juvenal mourned over the Varlets of Rome in his days Hi sunt qui tripidant ad omnia fulgura pallem Cum tonat examines primo quoque murmure coeli At every flash of lightning they wax pale When distant thunder rumbles villains quail O happy Man that makes peace betimes with that inward Viceroy Sueton. lib. 6. c. 48. Commertar Schild before the thunderbolt overthrows the luxurious Table and strike the Cup out of his Hand as it did to Nero Obey the faithful counsel of Conscience now and he 'll prove a faithful friend at death and judgment Let him be thy present Counsellor and he 'll be thy future Comforter He that 's sound at Coar needs fear no searching Whoso hath judg'd himself already may with peace and comfort expect the judgment to come 1 Cor. 11.31 Upon sincere scrutiny of thine own Spirit thou mayest with some Holy Confidence lift up that gracious Prayer Ps 139.23 Ps 19.12 Lord search and try me and cleanse me from secret sins In the close renew holy covenants purposes and resolutions with God Col. 1.11 and in the might of his glorious power to perform If thou find thy heart thus sincerely ingaged in the Court of Conscience to condemn and arraign thy self to ponder and consider thy ways hence will arise a Fountain of unfeigned repentance under the Threshold of this Tribunal as in Ezekiels Vision hence thou mayest conclude that thy sins are pardoned and a Christian may surely know it by these Signs 1. If after deep Humiliation and serious care of Holiness the Soul find some inward relish and some lively sweetness from the Hope of Pardon 2. If he finds that the Spirit of God infuses some sweet inclinations to lay hold of the Covenant founded in Christ and closes with him on Gospel-foundations that is the meer grace and mercy of God in Christ to lost Sinners coming weary and heavy laden to his Throne That man is in the happiest condition in the whole world The consequence will shine out most illustriously when God shall heal iniquity graciously Ps 103.1 by pouring peace into the Conscience and subdue iniquity victoriously Mic. 7.19 Ps 19.12 that no sin shall have dominion over him Secret tears for secret sins are an excellent sign of an Holy Heart and a Healing Balsam for broken Spirits God well understands the Language of half words interrupted with sighs and interprets them as the Steems and breathings of a broken Heart My groaning says David Ps 38.9 Ps 69.5 Ps 69.6.20 is not hid from thee And as all our foolishness is before him to cover it so is all our heaviness to ease it and therefore shall our Souls praise and please him more than a Bullock with young Horns and Hoofs upon his Altar Bochart de animal vol. 1. col 944. Holy mourning keeps out carnal sorrow and produces spiritual Joy It stirs up the Heart of a Saint to beg preventing grace which no false heart can perform without secret reserves This inward sorrow prevents open shame God will never give up such a soul to be trampled on by spiritual Enemies who are already humbled by themselves In Saints humiliation there 's a door opened for secret hope because of the precious promises that are plighted to it and especially of preventing future Sin by strengthning grace Jam. 4.6 For as the Love of God is the Fountain of all true repentance so 't is the attractive of more incomes of divine Love to the Soul According to our Love so is our Faith and Trust in God and according to our trust such is our freedom at the Throne of Grace Trust in him Ps 62.8 and pour out your hearts before him pour them out like water in joyful tears For when the stone in the heart is melted by mercy the eyes will issue like a fountain of tears 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good men have melting Spirits 'T is a branch of the Covenant Ezek. 36.26 and a fruit of the effusion of the Spirit of Grace It 's asserted by the Learned in Chymistry that no Menstruums are so powerful as Sulfureous and Oily Liquors to melt down the hardest Minerals To be sure there 's nothing like the Oil of Mercy so potent a Solvent for an Iron Heart A true Holy Soul takes up his time within and begs the presence and assistance of the Spirit He principally labours at inward corruptions to hack down that cursed thorn and stub it up by the Roots He judges himself for secret iniquities because God being a Spirit has a special eye upon the frame of Spirits Not the issues of the Tongue and vaunting of High Attainments is pleasing in his Sight but the Spiritual issues of a humble Heart God abhors that person who wallows in hearts defilements and much more if he has a Golden Tongue tipt with Hypocritical Eloquence The numbers of heart sins as to their kinds are many as to their acts innumerable Yet an Israelite indeed is continually bending his Bow and shooting forked Arrows into their bowels Such are inward anger pride envy revenge earthiness sloth of Spirit security unthankfulness unpreparings of heart for Holy Communion and the like I might spread forth the odiousness of some of these inward Sins and lay open the sources and springs of many outward enormities which break out into the life but shall surrender that Province to Moral Philosophy or rather the Divine Ethicks of Solomon to cure these inward corruptions and advise all Christians to beware of the first motions and conceptions of the Heart to set a guard against sudden Tentations and to startle at the first occasions to sin A gracious person may be surprized and fall suddenly among Thieves that lurk behind the Bushes Occasions Nay very holy men unless wonderful wary may be quickly tript up by sudden Questions and unexpected Emergencies Who knows the subtilty of sin and the deceitfulness of his own heart Take heed of answering quickly and send up sudden Ejaculations to Heaven before you reply to a weighty and doubtful motion Ps 106.33 Abraham fell twice in the case of Sarah Moses spake
vocal Instruments for new Songs to bear a part with the Harmony of Angels for ever CHAP. V. Of the Instruments used for conveyance of these Mercies WHatever Hand presents our Mercies or whosoever's Heart was inclin'd to hand them all flowes from the grand Original Every Mercy is the Fruit of the Thoughts of God When David was poor and needy Ps 40.17 Gods thinking upon him enrich'd his Spirit But Instruments must have their due place in our respect and reverence since God honours them They were Golden Pipes that convey'd Golden Oyl in Zechaery Zech. 4.12 Heavens Ambassadors deserve Angelical Salutations remembring what 's due to Servants without prejudice to Divine Glory who bends and inflects the hearts of of men to shew that Benevolence which passes through them as a River between its Banks but springs from the infinite Fountain of Divine Mercy Few or no Enjoyments but have their enamelled means and methods of Providence and when its Beryl Wheels move towards us full of Eyes and Glory Ezek. 10.13 we may cry out with admiration of God O Wheel Our Health Beauty Feature Strength good Name Estate Utterance or any other Endowment of Soul or Body are the Product of Divine Love though second Causes may intervene for those very causes have their Creation Motion and Direction and Success from God Children are the Heritage of the Lord Ps 127.3 and yet the fruit of the Womb by his Reward Prov. 18.22 He that findeth a Vertuous Wife as if by casualty obtaineth favour of the Lord by the Designation of Heaven Whoever wishes he receives those wishes dropt into his Heart from higher influence Gen. 24.31 And faithful Eliezer must be called the Blessed of the Lord when he knocks at the Door and brings the Tidings The Presents which David sent from the Spoils of Amalek to his Friends though taken from his Enemies 1 Sam. 30.25 yet were given of the Lord. Senders and Messengers may vary but all comes from Heaven God is pleased sometimes to send an Olive-Branch by the Hand of a Dove to Noah Food by the Mouth of a Raven to Elijah at Cherich and sometimes by a Jay to others sometimes a Star passes before the Zabii the Wisemen of the East and enlightens them to Bethlchem and otherwhile an Angel is employed to the Prophet at Rithmah and many times the Methods of great Mercies are deep and intricate and we can never dive to the bottom of Wisdoms Ocean The stately River Nile rises from a latent head and the foundations of Famous Cities are under ground The Great and Holy God sometimes stirs up the Hearts of Relations most times Strangers and now and then even Enemies themselves are turned to help and favour his People Ps 106.46 Rare is that story of a good Woman at Sandwich imprisoned by the Major for a Religious Meeting and being askt by him how she would do in Prison being poor She reply'd I serve such a Master that rather than I shall starve I shall be fed from your Table The Magistrates Wife overhearing her confidence in God sent every day constantly from the Majors house a portion of Meat for about three Weeks being the time of her Restraint So that whatever are the Motives in the Hearts of inferiour Agents still the Supreme and Heavenly Cause is to be eyed with Adoration and Worship Many may unwillingly profit us we then owe not the benefit to them but the great Incliner the Soveraign Mover of Hearts Let us not trouble our Spirits about that question Quo animo with what design their Favours are calculated to our use Ignoble Spirits may perform some noble Actions upon a superstitious or vainglorious aim as to merit Heaven to gain applause to restrain the barkings of Conscience to stop the Mouth of Reprovers and to oblige men to their humours or some base intrigue or other Of all persons Ministers should be most sagacious and the Seers of the Temple must be blind in such Emergencies When sordid tempers exact difficult Secrecies for a little pelf while themselves spend ten times more on a base lust like those that fat their Horses for a riding or their Slaves at Algier for to sell in the Market at a higher Price Homines vaenalis animae that buy and sell their souls for advantage and are meer Merchants of all the Benefits they exert to others Some Mens Favours are like Chrystal Glasses of a curious frailty every Spider of suspicion cracks them He that ponders too much upon the Publican return of his benefits gratifies the trade of gain and covetousness not his Conscience to God or the genuine good of others There be many that take a pride to be counted liberal when they let fall a few drops of charity upon famished poverty and love that the Sun should shine upon their forward bounty and make their Cock crow at the scratching out a few Corns from their lofty Dunghills that can empty their laden Stomachs into China Dishes and hang Jewels and Pearls the price of whole Cities upon their Ears and vest themselves with the Tribute of large Territories and make as great a noise in scattering their Offals among the Poor as when the Russian Emperor blows his Trumpet after Dinner and all the World must know when they give that which their high-fed Lap-curs many times refuse They 'le wear Silk Garments like the Roman Matrons of such a fine Web that neither their Bodies are defended from weather nor their Chastity from observation but think much of a few Rags to cover a poor Lazarus at the Door God gives them Hundreds by the Year and they carry single Pence in their Pockets or brass Farthings to buy off the Clamours of Conscience But yet such as are inward Enemies to true Evangelical Charity shall be Instruments sore against their will to preserve the Soul of the Needy from death and ruine Wicked and debauched Persons Prov. 13.22 shall in the issue lay up Treasures for the Righteous But when Instruments act generously like wise Stewards of the manifold Talents of Gods Mercies they are to be highly esteemed like the Gold Ring that encompasses an Orient and Sparkling Diamond They are to be nourished and cherished like the Doves of Aleppo to whose Feet the Missives and Letters of Merchants are tyed for speedy conveyance Embassadors are Sacred Persons and are to be sacredly handled The very Feet of them that bring glad tidings of Peace and Mercy are to be washt and anointed with Oyl and counted beautiful There 's a Glory shines upon the Sandals of them who come down from Heaven and we ought to crows the Footsteps of the Messengers of Heavenly Favours with Branches of Olives and the persons sent back to Heaven with grateful Acclamations to the Harps of Joy to hold in consort with the Host of Angels praising the Divine Beneficence CHAP. VI. The Beneficial Improvement of sudden and unexpected Mercies WOnderful Mercies speak