highest step of our exaltation because this repairs in us the image of God which is his holinesse and the true children of God do value this above their eternall life For let us see wherein the weight of the blessing and cursing of sheep and goats doth lye It is not the gift of eternall life that is our happinesse in heauen but as David saith in his favour is life if a damned soul should be admitted to the fruition of all the pleasures of eternall life without the favour of God heaven would be hell to him It is not the dark and horrid house of woe that maketh a soul miserable in hell but Gods displeasure ite maledicti if an elect soul could be cast thither and retein the favour of God hell would be an heaven to him and his joy could not all the Devils of hell take from him his night would be turned into day The Angels sinned in heaven and in the place of joy lost Gods favour The soul of the Son of God was in hell and hell was an heaven to it because God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death and left not his soul in hell he took him from the nethermost hell 3 Doctrine The truth of God is a good ground For faith gathered from Gods oath to the tribes even his word he addeth Selah to shevv that vve may safely rest there The reason is because The Word of God is a sure word and those things wherein men fail are not incident to him 1 Whereas men do promise or swear rashly and without consideration as David did when he swore that he would not leave one of the house of Nahall to make water against a wall God cannot fail that way because he doth all things with stable truth and according to the counsail of his will 2 Men do sometimes vow and swear things utterly unlawfull and most wicked as Herod did to Herodias daughter to give her whatsoever she demanded of him which included the life of John Baptist So there were many that swore they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul our God cannot fail so far he loveth righteousnesse neither shall any evill dwell with him 3 Whereas many promise and swear what they mean not ever to perform as Jacobs Sons in the Covenant that they made of confederacy with Hamor the Son of Shechem the Apostle saith Our God cannot lie 4 Whereas many amongst men do swear and promise that vvhich they are never able to perform therein like the Devil who said to Christ Omnia hac tibi dabo all these will I give thee God herein cannot faile for hee is omnipotent and he doth whatsoever he wil in heaven and earth in abyssis So then if the Word of God be gone out of his mouth we may build faith upon it for heaven and earth may and shall passe away so shal not one jod of the Word of God 5 Times may change with men and he that was rich and able to make good his word may suddenly be poor and break and fail but God is without variablenesse or shadow of alteration all times are in his hand and power This serveth for confirmation of faith Vse 1 for such use the Apostle doth make of it who speaking of the Decree and Oath of God saith That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye Hâ—b 6.18 we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us By this faith the just liveth in Babylon and in the weakness of their temporall estate they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus they lay hand upon the hope set before them in the word Jonah saith They that follow lying vanities do forsake their own mercie Vana salus hominis vain is the help of man they that go down to Egypt for help have their woe threatned An horse is but a vain thing to help a man Princes are the sons of men there is no help in them the word of God faileth none At that Word Abraham will leave his own Country and go he cares not he enquires not whether At that Word Abraham will go three days journy to kill Isaac with his own hands and will never dispute how the promise of God shall be performed That in Isaac his seed should be blessed At that Word Peter will let fall his net against all rules of fishing and he will forsake the Ship to come to Christ upon the Sea by the warrant of that Word The promises of God to his Church and his threatnings of sin recorded in the living Book of his word are not antiquate no age shall ever superannate them or put them out of full force and vertue What if good persons and good causes do suffer oppression the Poet is a Divine in that case Non si male noster olim sic erit informes hyenes reducit Jupiter idem summovit after foul weather comes fair though it be ill with us now it will not be always What if enemies of Religion and Moaths of Common-wealths do flourish and prosper and have all things at will let it not trouble David and Job both of them saw as fair a Sun-shine shut up in a dark cloud and a world of foul weather following 2 This tendernesse in God of his word and oath 2 Vse doth serve for example to teach us to make conscience of our promises and oaths and we may urge the Argument as the Apostle doth If God so loved us we ought also to love one another So If God be carefull to keep his promise and oath with us we ought also to do the like with our brethren Here arise two Quaeries 1 Whether it be lawfull to swear at all 2 Whether all oaths must be kept 1 An liciat jurare is it lawfull to swear An oath is a calling of God to witnesse in such things as cannot otherwise be assured and it is of tvvo sorts 1 Assertorie when we do call God to witnesse against our souls if we affirm not the truth in this case the awe of Gods Majestie is thought to be such a rule of the conscience that no man will dare to violate the religion of an oath 2 Promissary When vve do engage the honour of God for the truth of our purpose to performe vvhat vve promise and vve cast our selves upon his just judgement if vve be either deceitful in our promise or unfaithful in our performance This may ansvver the first Quaere for this doth declare that an oath doth serve 1 For the glory of God 2 For the good of our Brethren 1 The glory of God for it shevveth him 1 To be present amongst us and privy to our ways 2 To be a God of Truth 3 To be a God of justice to punish unfaithfulnesse 2 It sheweth that we by sin have lost our credit and therefore God doth engage himself for such as swear aright
any man even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And above all things put on charity with the bond of perfectnesse As it is a welcome suit to God when out of a zeal to his glory you do call upon him for his judgments to chasten the overgrown sinnes of the time in which ye live so it is a pleasing intercession which solliciteth for mercy in Justice for the pure justice of God will endure an allay of mercy and we shall have the better interest in his favour by how much the more we desire more sharers in it There be good Authours of opinion that the Prayer of Stephen Father forgive them was no weak means of the Conversion of Saul who was one of his Persecutors The point is moderation that neither we should so favour high-grown sinners as not to complain to God of them nor yet so delight in their punishment as not to pray against the whole and full displeasure of God that neither the zeal of Gods glory do extinguish Christian compassion nor the tendernes of pity quench the zeal of Gods glory but that at once we do shew our obedience to the whole law that he that loveth God may love his neighbour also God himself directed Abimilech to Abraham to pray for him and the friends of Job to use Jobs intercession because he loves to be entreated to shew mercy And the rich man in hell would not have his brethren come to that place of torment Complain then that is holy passion but begge easie punishment that is charitable compassion the children of God have as many tears to shed for the punishment of their brethren as for their sinnes 2. The Parts are two 1. The Prophets resolution concerning the Church and Common-wealth of the Jews 2. The Prophets dispute with God The first containeth an argument 1. The Antecedent Thou art from everlasting O Lord my God my holy One 2. The Conclusion Therefore we shall not die O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement O mighty God thou hast established them for correction The Proposition That God is eternal and holy needs no proof to such as know God both are clearly maintained through the whole body of Scripture 1. The Eternity of God And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba Gen. 21.33 Ps 90.2 and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God Moses Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art our God Saint Paul Rom. 16.26 speaking of the mystery of the Gospel long kept secret but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations Hast thou not known Isa 40.28 hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the end of the earth fainteth not c. Plato defined God to be aeterna mens sibi ad omnem felicitatem sufficiens summe bona omnis boni efficient in natura Neither can we rest in the search of causes till we come to one supreme eternal cause of all things the Alpha and Omega of other things of himself without Alpha or Omega 2. The Conclusion from hence issuing is Therefore we shall not die saith Habakkuk For as God is eternal in himself so is he to his Church and from the eternity of God doth the eternity of Angels and men derive it self for eternity cannot flow from any thing that is not it selfe eternal and we know that the nature of Angels and men is eternal both of them being by the eternal God created to abide for ever the elect Angels and men in eternal glory the reprobate Angels and men in eternal shame and pain Yet is the judgement of the reprobate in Scripture called by the names of Death Destruction Perishing because these be titles of the greatest horrour and dismay that the heart of man can conceive Now we have two hopes built upon this foundation of Gods eternity non moriemur 1. Temporal that God will still reserve a remnant of the Jews to return again to the possession of their fathers and to build again the City and the temple and to renew the face of a Church and Common-wealth so non moriemur hoc est omnes we shall not die that is not all 2. Eternal That God will not utterly cast off his People from his favour but that although he scourge them with the rods of men even to a temporal losse of their land their liberty and their lives yet non moriemur we shall not lose our interest in his promise of a better life So that the Prophet doth teach us the right use of the doctrine of Gods eternity to assure us against all temporal and eternal evils And this doth Moses conclude for this Antecedent Before the mountains were brought forth Ps 90.2 or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art our God Thou turnest man to destruction Vers 3. again thou sayst return ye sonnes of Adam From the power of Gods Eternity there is a return for the sons of Adam as David saith Thou renuest the face of the earth Non moriemur death our last enemy shall be destroyed and perish we shal be translated from death to life this is clear because God hath in eternal wisedom appointed an eternal redemption for some to an eternal inheritance of eternal glory This eternity of God is two fold 1. Eternitas essentiae Eternity of Essence in himself 1. Eternitas Providentiae Eternity of Providence in respect of his creatures From the first we conclude the second for if God be in his own nature eternal he hath also an eternal Providence by which he governeth all things his word by which he governeth is also eternal in the heavens Saint Augustine proveth this point of Gods eternity thus Quaest 83 l. c. 19. Quod incommutabile aeternum est That he proveth Quod semperest ejusdem modi est incommutabile Such is our God without variablenesse or shadow of change and therefore eternal And whereas from this eternity our Prophet doth conclude Non moriemur Saint Augustine doth therefore call our eternity immortalitatem rather then aeternitatem Anteced-Consequent 2. Another Argument is here inforced Thou art holy Therefore this punishment of the Jews by the Chaldaeans is for their correction only Of the Antecedent God is holy The Quiristers of heaven do attribute it to God three times in some Greek Copies we read it three times three nine times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy The song of Moses is sung in heaven and that saith Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Rev. 15.4 for thou only art holy The Seraphims say each one to another Isa 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory It was his law
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church