hereof Vse 2 that God hath a speciall hand in all our sufferings and still ordereth and disposeth of the same Ro. 8.28 that they shall work for the best to them that love and fear him what a ground of patience may this be unto us under the crosse whensoever the Lord shall be pleased to humble us by any affliction whatsoever that with patience and meeknesse we submit thereunto I was dumb Ps 39.9 and opened not my mouth because it was thy doing saith David And Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 â— Sam. 15.26 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good to him And Here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him And this may serve for the just reproofe of those Vse 3 who in times of misery and distresse never look to the hand of God they look upon secondary causes and instruments but over-look God Such do seldome seek to God for delivery Job was of another mind he looks not so much upon the Caldeans and Sabeans that plundered him of his goods and cattle but he looks up unto God and acknowledgeth his hand in all So David when Shimei cursed him It may be the Lord bad him to curse me Vse 4 And last of all this lets us see that when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with any Nationall or personall deliverance where to returne thanks even to him that first smoâ—e us and who it is that hath healed us Thus the Church in all ages when the Lord was pleased to come in with any singular deliverance Exod. 15. 2 Chron. 20. Jud. 5. kept their solemn daies of praise and thanksgiving unto God Thou turnest man to destruction THat is at thy pleasure are our lives and being here we live at thy allowance and appointment when thou wilt thou turnest them to breaking and crushing even to dust Hence observe Doct. 2 That our life and being here is uncertain Our lives are in Gods hand it is in Gods hand and power we live at his appointment at his pleasure he can and doth turn man to destruction to breaking and crushing Thou hast bruised my bones Esay 38. saith Hezechiah Thou hast set me as a mark to shoot at saith Job Thy arrowes stick fast in me saith David If the Lord do but say Return ye sons of Adam we shall return again to the dust and away we must The voice of the Lord is a powerfull voice he did create all things by his voice and by his word and at the same voice and word of his he can turn all things to powder No man though never so great or mighty wise or politique can resist or withstand the commanding and powerfull voice of God but when death is sent and God gives his call they must return again to dust Death knocks with authority at the dore of the rich man and Palace of Princes as at the poor and all must obey and return to the dust from whence they came Moses this Man of God that was a man so familiar with his Maker a man so holy so meek so mercifull who was indeed a compound of vertues who had fed many thousands when they were ready to die with hunger who had refreshed many thousands when they were ready to perish with thirst yet must himselfe at last yeeld to the stroke of death and say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother Psal 89.48 What man is there living that shall not see death and shall deliver his soul from the pit One dyeth in his full strength saith Job whose breasts are full of milk Iob 21.23 and bones are full of marrow Another dyeth in the bitternesse of his soul they shall lie down alike in the dust and the wormes shall cover them We stand not at a stay but in the midst of life we are in death the very meat we put into our bellies and the cloaths we put upon our backs all declare unto us that dye we must and return again to the dust And the Reasons are First Reas 1 if we do but consider the matter whereof these bodies of ours are composed which is of the dust of the earth this shewes a necessity of their returning again to dust they are made of a frail brittle and corruptible matter and long they cannot stand Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 and into dust shalt thou return again And as the Prophet saith All flesh is grasse and the glory of man as the flower of grasse As the point of the Marriners needle doth never stand till it attain the North Pole Such an instinct there is in these bodies of ours they still bend themselves downward towards the earth from whence they came And as the nearer the Center the swifter the motion so is man towards his end every day winds off something of the threed of our life and return we must There is a necessity of our returning again to dust Reas 2 if we do but consider the nature of sin the wages whereof is death and indeed there can be no divorce sued out betwixt sin and death Gen. 20. As the Lord said to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man because of his sin And this was Gods own decree at first Gen. 2.17 The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now Alam eating of the forbidden fruit brought in death to all his posterity for so saith the Apostle By one man sin entred into the world Ro. 5.12 and death by sin And inasmuch as all have sinned all must die the death Besides Reas 3 there is a necessity that all should die because by death we must enter into life death is the gate of life ordinarily none entred into life but by death death is a guide to bring us into Heaven though a churlish guide yet a sure guide to bring us into blisse Seeing the Lord at his pleasure turns man to destruction Use 1 to breaking and crushing sends long and tedious sicknesse and griefe of body whereby men are much deformed and weakned in their bodies and turned to dust This should teach us patience in times of misery and distresse when the Lord shall seem thus to crush us and break us to powder we should with patience bear his correcting hand be it never so sharp and grievous even to crush us to pieces and to grinde us to powder in regard it is the Lord that doth it Thus David I was dumb and opened not my lips Ps 39.5 because it was thy doing There is no sicknesse or disease lamenesse or blindnesse or any other affliction whereby we come to have our bones crushed and we brought to destruction but all is of the Lord He turneth man to breakings and destruction and it is the want of the knowledge of this that is the cause that men do sometimes murmur against Gods dealings and are not humbled for their sins as they ought to be we consider
This was that comfort that Christ gave to his Disciples Mat. 20.19 when he spake of his owne death The Son of man shall be delivered to the chiefe Priests and Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to be Crucified but the third day he shall rise againe Now that which was Christs comfort may be ours also Thirdly there is comfort in it in regard of our friends that die in the Lord that though death may separate us asunder for a time yet we shall meet again If a man take a long journey his wife friends do not weep lament as if they should never see him again So a man that dies in Christ though he take a long journey yet we should not mourn as those which have no hope we shall meet again And lastly this may also comfort us in regard of the present infirmities of our bodies blindnesse lamenesse crookednesse and other deformities that we are subject unto here In the Resurrection we shall leave all these behinde us in the grave and our bodies shall rise again glorious bodies and incorruptible bodies As those two godly Martyrs going to the stake the one blinde the other lame comforted each other Be of good cheer Brother my Lord of London will this day cure thee of blindnesse and me of my lamenesse Thus will death do and in the Resurrection these imperfections shall be done away So that the comforts are great which flow from this Doctrine of the Resurrection But as this Doctrine serves for matter of comfort and consolation to the godly Use 3 so it serves for matter of terrour fear and astonishment unto all wicked and unregenerate men that are out of Christ that as they live so die in a naturall estate 'T is true these also shall partake of this Resurrection and shall rise again at last but in a sarre different manner from the godly The bodies of believers shall arise by vertue of that union they have with Jesus Christ as members of that mysticall body of his whereof Christ is the head so shall he at last draw his members to himselfe But now all wicked and ungodly men they shall arise by the power of Christ at the voice of the Arch-Angel at the sound of the Trump for as the Apostle saith the Trump shall sound 1 Cor. 15 And these shall arise out of their graves as out of a Prison and that to go to the place of execution These shall no sooner put their heads out of their graves and behold the Lord Jesus comming in his glory That Christ whom they have crucified by their sins that Christ whom they have persecuted in his members that Christ whose blood they have trampled under their feet but they could wish that they had never seen his face O thinks a wicked man that I were in my grave again O that this filthy and polluted carcase of mine had never been made alive again but as it tasted of corruption it might for ever have perished there And it is not impossible but they that at the last shall cry to the mountains to fall upon them Rev. 6. and the hills to cover them but they may seek to hide themselves in their graves from the presence of Christ As the bodies of believers shall arise glorified bodies the bodies of the wicked shall arise most black ugly and deformed bodies black faces gastly countenances more like Devills than Men and Women ugly as Toads hatefull to themselves and others Thus shall they arise at last they shall arise out of their graves quaking and trembling wishing that they had never been born or born Toads or Serpents rather than Men and Women O the horrour and terrour that shall seize upon the wicked at that day no heart is able to conceive or tongue able to expresse When the Lord delivered the Law to the people upon Mount Sinai when the Trumpet sounded how did the people quake and tremble Exod. 19 How terrible then will his appearance be at the last day when he shall come to exact vengeance upon the transgressors of this Law O consider this ye that now forget God you that will not now be wrought upon by the sound of the Word to be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse How will you endure at this day the voice of the Arch-Angell and the sound of this Trumpet Arise ye dead and come unto judgment And last of all Use 4 seeing these bodies of ours that now go to their graves shall return again and rise again how carefull should we be to keep our bodies clean and pure and undefiled and every member of the same The Apostle Saint Paul exhorts us unto this 2 Thess 4.4 To possesse our Vessells in holinesse and honour If death leave thee a drunkard an unclean person a swearer a worldling a vile and prophane wretch in a naturall condition in the same condition shalt thou be haled to judgment when that wretched body and that wofull soul of thine that have been a Simeon and Levi brethren together in sin shall now for ever share alike in punishment and torment When a man hath done some foul and shamefull fact we use to say of such a man he will never be able to shew his face again How then will many a vile and desperate sinner shew his face before God at that day How carefull then ought we to be to keep our Vessells in holinesse and honour This is that very Use the Apostle Peter makes of this Doctrine of our Resurrection Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be Paul professing the hope of the Resurrection I exercise my selfe saith he to have a clear conscience before God and all men Acts 24. voide of offence And of Jerome it is said that whatsoever he did he thought he heard this voice Arise ye dead and come to judgment Return again ye sons of Adam Text. MOSES as he hath shewed be fore that our lives are in Gods hand and at his disposing and that at his will and pleasure he can turn man to destruction to dust and rottennesse He adds also another cause of mans frailty and mortality and that is the nature composition and frame of mans body which is of it selfe very frail and brittle subject to mortality For the first word Man thou turnest Man to destruction signifies a man full of misery full of sicknesses and infirmities a miserable man Enosh And the other word here used in the end of the verse signifies a man made of Clay or of the very slime of the earth From hence we learn what is the nature of all men Doct. 4 Man a piece of living clay of all the sons of Adam viz. A piece of living Clay a little piece of red Earth And besides that man is subject to breaking and crushing every way a miserable man so is he of a brittle
suddenly have been brought to ruine and tumbled down How merry were the Sons and Daughters of Job Iob 1.18 feasting together in their elder Brothers house which in a moment were slain and not one escaped It is wonderfull to think how exceedingly men cark and care for the world and seek to joyne house to house and land to land and never think they have enough O did these men but consider that mans life is short that we have but our being here as a Guest in his Inn for a night and in the morning must away again then would we not have our hearts so taken up for this short frail and brittle life and be so carelesse for Eternity As lastly since our life is so short Use 2 but for a day as yesterday that is past this should perswade us to a constant preparation for death for men shall hardly die well that be not prepared for death before death come It was the great commendation of Joseph of Arimathea Joh. 19.42 that was so mindfull of his end that he had his Tomb ready in his Garden And why in his Garden but that in the midst of all his pleasure and delight he might be put in mind of his end And the people when they ate the Passeover Exod. 12.11 they must have their loyns girt their shooes on their feet c. and why so but that they should be in a continuall readinesse when God should call them to passe out of Aegypt to go into the land of Canaan And this spirituall use ought every man to make thereof alwaies to be in a readinesse for our passage into our Celestiall Canaan Ver. 5 6. Thou carriest them away as with a flood they are as sleep in the morning they are as grasse which groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withereth IN this Verse likewise Moses proceeds to set out before our eyes the frailty of mans life And this he doth by sundry borrowed speeches and similitudes 1. He saith the Lord comes by death as it were by a mighty Flood that sweeps away all before it 2. As a Dream that is quickly gone and forgotten 3. He compares mans life to the Grasse and shewes that as the Grasse hath a time of growing so hath it a time of withering So man when he is young and lusty it is the best time of grouth yet it must have a time of withering when age comes and God cuts them down by the sith of death Thou carriest them away as with a flood Text. HEre Moses first of all sheweth that the Lord comes many times by death as a Flood or as the Sea when it breaks through the banks And herein will teach us two things 1. That death is inevitable there is no resisting of it no more then a man can stop the course of the Sea 2. That death many times comes suddainly as the breakings in of the Sea when men are not ware or think least of it Thou carriest them away as with a flood NO we hence That death Doct. 1 is 〈…〉 Death is 〈◊〉 the Sea there is no withstanding of it or stopping the course of it so there is no weapon can defend a man from the stroak of death And this Flood sooner or latter overflowes all men without exception as Noah's flood overflowed the whole earth It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 daily experience makes it clear the mighty Captains and noble Warriours yea those famous Kings and greatest Monarchs that have been in the world even those that lived longest as Methuselah that lived nine hundred sixty nine yeeres Gen. 5.27 yet at last were overflowed with this Flood of death This is the way of all flesh all the sons of Adam must tack about and winde and come into this Haven the Port of death Let men use all the skill they can take the best Physick they can get use the sparest dyet and surest waies and means of preserving health and lengthning out their life and daies Death at last overflowes them all How violently doth Death as a Flood break in upon us sometimes by violent Fevers which many times cause distractions and frenzies sometimes by the Stranguary sometimes by one violent disease and sometimes by another that like a violent Flood breaks in upon us that overflowes Nature and sweeps us away As it is with the fruits of the earth so it is with men some of a harder kinde will tarry till winter Others fall sooner some stay till the frost of olde age nip them David and Ichosophat died full of daies And some againe Death nips them as it were in the blossome as Davids Child borne of her that was the wife of Vriah yet at last Death sweeps all away And the Reason seemes to be laid downe in that confession of the lamenting Church Reas Lam. 3.43 44. we have sinned and thou hast not spared thou hast Covered us with thy wrath thou hast slaine and not spared The Church acknowledgeth there that it was by reason of their sins that Gods hand was thus upon them And Death the Apostle makes the wages and stipend of sin Ro. 6.23 The wages of sin is Death And the Appostle reproving the Corinthians for divers abuses crept in about the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.30 Ps 38.3 saith for this cause some are sick and some ar◠weake amongst you and some are taken away by Death Seeing Death comes many times thus like a violent flood Use 1 and breaks in up on men and women somtimes by one violent disease and somtimes by another we are taught hence to take heed how we censure any when the hand of God lies upon them in this kinde It is a dangerous thing to judge of men by the effects of some violent disease there are many diseases that cause distraction as some Fevers convulsions c. bereaves men for a time of the use of reason and put them into strange behaviour which may be the condition of the best and as Solomon saith All thinges happen alike to all Eccles 9.1 2. And No man knoweth love or hatred of all that is before them There is no judging then of mens estate by these things Death comes many times violently and sweeps us away as with a Flood Seeing that Death many times like a violent Flood breakes in upon us Use 2 violently unresistably what cause then have any to be proud of any outward excellency of body or mind that is subiect dayly to such a change as Riches Beautie Strength honour Authority c. Especially if we doe but consider that the foundation of that Excellency is but dust a fraile body subiect dayly to mutabilitie change that we have no assurance to jnioy no not an howers space How suddainly may this Flood break in upon us and what becoms of them then Doth not Experience teach us how few there are that passe through this pilgrimage of theirs but
thoughts throughly imprinted in our hearts they would dam all our pleasures and cause us to thinke more of Death then we doe Could we reckon our days upon our fingers ends as we can other things and withall the great work that God hath sent us into this world to doe and how prodigally we have mispent our time how little we have done and how much is yet to doe when we are ready to drop into our graves could we I say thus number our life and dayes we would never live as we doe so carefull for this life and so carelesse for Heaven We see that those that shoot at Buts they pricke their arrowes sometimes here and sometimes there round about the marke at last they hit the white thus doth Death cast his Darts sometimes a friend is taken away sometimes a kinsman sometimes he comes nearer and takes a Husband wife child at last we our selves are struck with death and away we must Though we see this daily before our eyes and see coarses daily carried upon mens shoulders to the grave◠yet who layes it to heart and considers that the feete of these that carried them may carry us to our long home ere long we passe not away one minute of our life but we have taken one slep more towards the grave to day wee heare that A. B. is dead to morrow we may heare that C. D. is dead shortly you shall here that S S. is dead It is noted for the great commendations of Joseph of Arimathea Jo. 19. who whilst he was in health made his tombe in his garden and why in his garden No doubt to put him in mind continually of his Death and that in the midst of all his delights and pleasures he might think on his latter end Thus it is said of that godly Father St. Jerom that he thought with himselfe that whether he did eat or drink or whatsoever he did he thought he heard that voice Arise yee dead and come vnto Judgement Now that we ought thus to make accompt of every day as our last day let this reason perswade Because of that inevitable necessitie that lies upon all Adams posterity that dye we must Reas 1 as the woman of Tekoah said to David that mourned so excessively for the death of Absalom We must all dye And as the Psalmist hath it Ps 89.48 Ps 49.19 Heb. 9.27 What man liveth and shall not see death and shall hee deliver his Soule from the hand of the grave Againe Man shall enter into the generation of their Fathers and shall not live for ever And It is appointed for all men once to dye The consideration where of may put us in mind of our duty to be in a continuall readinesse for death We ought to make accompt of every day as our last day Reas 2 because we cannot sever our life and death but such as our life hath beene such will our death be for albeit that all must dye and sleep in the dust yet there is a great difference betwixt the godly and the wicked in death They that dye in the Lord are blessed Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord and these at last shall rise againe to life and glory but as for the wicked it is not so with them for they enter by death into everlasting paine where the worme dyeth not and the fire shall never be quenched so that our weale or woe for ever doth depend vpon that short inch of time that is allotted unto us here which also should put us upon this duty to be in a continuall readiness when death comes This serves to instruct us in the necessity of learning this lesson well Vse 1 of the measuring out the length of our time and the numbring of our dayes aright There is a great deale of art and skill to doe this This is the best Arithmetick whē we know how to number our dayes aright the numbring of our acres of land the numbring of our sheep and cattel is nothing to the numbring of our dayes Quest But what is it to number our dayes Answ It consist principally in these things First in Accompting every day as our last day and so to live as if every day we were to dye now what would we do if we were sure to dye ere night if you were sure that this were your last sabbath this were your last Sermon that ever you should heare you would not need to be warned of sleeping you would not willingly have death to take you tardy we would that rather death should take us upon our knees then upon our Ale-bench To number our dayes aright is to dye daily 1 Cor. 15. this was the care of the blessed Apostle I protest by our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 dye dayly that is by the continuall thoughts and meditation of death inure our selves by litle and litle whilest we are here of the art of dying well before we come to dye indeed Paul dyed daily because he knew not the day and time when God would call him away by death the more we fit and prepare our selves for death the lesse terrible will death this King of feare be unto us when it cometh Thirdly to number our dayes aright and to be prepared for death is to pluck out the sting of death now the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15 56. the sting being taken out death cannot hurt The Philistimes were so wise as to discover wherein the strength of Sampson lay Iud. 16.5 And therein they prevailed it shall be our wisdom to repent us of our sins for therein lyes the strength of death And last of all if we desire to live for ever in the kingdom of glory that we begin it here that we lay a good foundation for the time to come Those virgins that still expected the coming of the Bridgroome and had their lamps stored with oyle hereby merited the name of wise Virgins and entred into the marriage chamber whilst those foolish Virgins that were carelesse of the bridgrooms coming and rested themselves with the bare name of Virgins and with the bearing the Lamps of an outward profession without the oyle of grace in their hearts were for ever shut out This serveth to discover unto us the reason why sin doth so abound Use 2 drunkenesse swearing uncleannesse prophanesse and all other abominations in the lives of men It is because men have not learned this heavenly Arithmetick to number their dayes and to esteeme of every day as their last day This was the reason of that damnable securitie in that rich man Luk. 12.37 That bad his soule to take her fill of all pleasures and delights little thinking that that night his soul should be haled from him And this is the reason why men powre out their hearts to all manner of sins abominations they never consider the shortness uncertaintie of their
a tale that is told 10 The dayes of our yeares are three-score yeares and ten and if by reason of strength they be foure-scere yeares yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flee away 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome 13 Returne O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants 14 O Satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes 15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evill 16 Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the worke of our hands upon us yea the worke of our hands establish thou it MOSES His PRAYER Or An Exposition of the Nintieth PSALM A Prayer of Moses the man of God A Word spoken in due time saith Solomon is like unto Apples of Gold Prov. 25.11 and pictures of Silver And hence it is that the Doctrine of Humiliation doth best sute with the times of Humiliation and the Doctrine of Mans Mortality those times wherein that of the Apostle of the Church of Corinth is true to us That many are sick and many are weak 1 Cor. 11.30 and many are taken away by death God having shaken the rod of his Anger and displeasure of late over this Land and Nation with unwonted diseases and suddain deaths of many that the learned Physitian cannot find out the Cause much lesse is able to prescribe a remedy The Consideration whereof hath set me upon this portion of Scripture at this time The Psalm you hear is a Prayer The Author and inditer of it is the Holy Ghost The Pen-man or Instrument that wrote it was Moses the man of God The Sum of it is nothing else but a pitifull complaint of Moses and the people of Israel The Argument of the Psalm of their wofull estate and condition in the which they now were in the wilderness by the heavie hand of God upon them for their sins whereby they were miserably wasted consumed And withall a humble sute petition that they make unto God that he would in mercy be intreated to spare them and be gratious unto them The Psalm hath in it 2. general parts 1. A Preface 2. The Psalm it self In the Preface we have 1. The person Moses 2. His praise The man of God 3. His practice he prayeth 4. The time when when the Church was in great affliction and distresse In the Psalm it selfe wee have three particulars 1. An acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse and mercy to their Forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to their posterity in protecting them from their Enemies and that in many dangers Even for his own names sake and his mercifull Covenant sake unto them v. 1 2. 2. From the third ver to the 12 there is a Narration in the which is set down the common frailty and mortality of mankind And this he doth 1. Generally from ver 3. to the 7. wherein Moses compares mans life to a watch in the Night to a Flood to Sleep to Grasse c. 2. In particular that their estate was far worse then the Common estate of the rest of mankind for whereas the life of man ordinarily is 70. years or 80. yeares their life was far shorter by reason of Gods Judgements upon them for their sins they were suddainly wasted and consumed 3. An humble Supplication of Moses and the people unto the Lord that he would in mercy turn away his Judgement and return again unto them in mercy and grant them gracious deliverance and his former favour Concerning the occasion of this Psalm The occasion of the Psalm It is like that it was penned by Moses when as the spyes returned from searching the Land of Canaan Numb 14. In the thirtieth of Numbers wee may see how the Lord commanded Moses to send twelve men of the heads of the tribes of Israel to search the Land of Canaan They return after forty daies and bring of the first fruits of the Land Now all of them Josuah and Caleb excepted discourage the people telling them that their Cities were strong and their walls high and that there were the Sons of Anak of the generation of Gyants and that these would devour them Onely Joshua and Caleb incourage the people to set upon that Land The people hearing this they murmured against Moses and Aaron exceedingly wishing that they had dyed in Aegypt Now the Lord hearing of the murmuring of the people was angry and told Moses that of all them that had seen his Miracles in Aegypt upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and at the red Sea there should not one of them come into the Land of Canaan But that great multitude even six hundred thousand that came out of Aegypt that were above the age of twenty years Ioshua and Caleb excepted should perish in the Wildernesse as Numb 14.37 This being the occasion of this Psalm Wee may first note Doct. 1 what a grievous thing it is in the sight of God for those that have had experience of Gods mercy in former times to call his power into question and to despair of his mercy for future times This people had many times experience of Gods power his goodnesse and mercy in many great deliverances As in their deliverance from Pharaoh and the Aegyptians at the red Sea How did the Lord there fight for this people when Pharach and his Host pursued them when the Sea was before them the Egyptians behind the Mountains on each hand of them that they could see no means left them to escape Yet how did the Salvation of the Lord appear in their deliverance Besides hee had given them much experience of his mercy and goodnesse in the Wildernesse giving them Manna from Heaven and water out of a Rock c. And now after all this to doubt of his providence and to call his Covenant in question and to make God a lyer in that they would not believe that he would or was able to bring them into the promised land was such a sin as the Lord did punish most severely as we may read Numb 14. and 1 Cor. 10. Now this calling of Gods power and goodnesse into question by such as have had experience thereof must needs be a hainous sin Because God is so highly provoked by this sin See Psalm 78. Reas 1 Psal 78 the whole Psalm there the holy Ghost reckons up a large Catalogue of those mercies and deliverances he had bestowed upon this people Marvelous things did he in the fight of their Fathers in the Land of Egypt in the field of Zoan He divided the Sea and caused them to passe through He led them in
the day with a cloud in the night with a Pillar of fire He clave the Rock in the Wildernesse and gave them drink And so goes on in that Psalm to set forth the great deliverances that God from time to time shewed unto his people But here was their sin For all this they believed not his wondrous works but limited the holy one of Israel And therefore this made way for his anger and he spared not their souls from death but gave their life to the pestilence This sin above all others provokes to wrath This sin of calling Gods power and goodnesse into question Reas 2 by such as have had experience of the same is quite contrary to the nature and being of Faith in the soul We can in nothing more glorifie God then by living the life of Faith Heb. 2.4 The just shall live by faith And this was the commendation of Abrahams faith that he staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe Rom. 4.20 So on the contrary part no sin doth more dishonour God as when we limit the holy one of Israel and dares not trust him in times of straights Joh. 5.10 He that believeth not hath made him a lyar And what greater disgrace can be cast upon any than to give him the lie Serves to admonish us by their sin Use 1 and the judgment of God upon them to take heed that we commit not the like but learn by the experience of Gods former mercies to be encouraged to rely upon our gracious God for time to come And if the Lord should be pleased to bring us into tryall by one means or another let the remembrance of Gods former love and mercy arme us against doubtings and distrust This consideration was that which armed David when he was to go out against Goliah The Lord hath delivered me from the Lyon and the Bear so shall he deal with this Philistine How comes David to conclude so confidently against Goliah Surely it was the experience he had of Gods former goodnesse and mercy towards him And this serves likewise to admonish us Use 2 in a speciall manner to take notice of those speciall and distinct acts of Gods providence goodnesse and mercy from time to time to wards us to the end we may have boldnesse and confidence in time of need Experience saith the Apostle breedeth Ro. 5.4 hope Upon this we may stay our hearts and comfort our selves in time of need He hath delivered us and he will deliver us O let us take heed that we despair not of Gods mercy and so murmur against the Lord lest thereby we provoke him to anger as this people did 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Hitherto of the occasion of this Psalm A Prayer of Moses the man of God BEfore we come to the Psalm it selfe we are to speak of the Title or inscription which is part of it and is of no lesse authority then the Psalm it selfe and ought to be read together with the Psalm A Prayer of Moses the man of God In this Inscription we have 1. The person Moses 2 His praise The man of God 3. His practice He prayeth for the Church 4. The time when When the Church of God was in great affliction and distresse Moses the man of God 1 The Person or a worthy Prophet and servant of God And thus were the Prophets of old called a man of God or a servant of God a man inspired and guided by the Spirit of God He is the Pen-man of this excellent Psalm a man highly honoured of God if we look upon his Birth his Life his Death In all these God takes speciall care of Moses and his speciall providence is seen â—n them all First for his Birth 1 For Moses Birth Exod. 1.15 that he should be born at such a time wherein it was death to be born for now had Pharaoh published that bloody Edict that the Midwives of Egypt should destroy all the male-children of the Israelites Yet notwithstanding that the Lord should preserve him at such a time and cause him to be nursed up under the nose of that bloody Tyrant as the reputed Son of Pharaoh's Daughter This thing could not but clear the speciall care that God had of him and that he intended him for some speciall service in his Church Secondly 2 For Moses Life as in his Birth so in his Life Gods speciall providence still goes along with him in directing him to be an instrumentall Saviour unto his people and a great Prophet in his Church and to that end preserved him in the midst of many dangers when it was even death for him to come into Pharaohs presence Exod. 10.28 Thirdly 3 For Moses Death as God takes care of Moses in his Birth and in his Life so also for his Death and Buriall God disposeth of all these according to the good pleasure of his own will for the time When the place Where and the manner How as it is recorded that Moses the servant of the Lord dyed in the land of Moab Deut. 34.5 according to the Word of the Lord. This is that Moses that is the Pen-man of this Psalm a man highly beloved of God and so familiar with his Maker that the Lord was pleased so to manifest himselfe unto him that we never read of the like for the Lord talked with him as one man talks with another A man so powerfull with God in prayer and so full of such rare zeale in prayer wherein hee had such a notable dexterity and gift that we doe not read that God denied him any thing that hee sought at his hands especially for the Church He is the penman of that Psalme Which should teach us highly to esteeme this Psalm as an excellent prayer of his Vse The writings and speeches of great men and learned men that are in great esteeme in the World are highly esteemed and looked upon by us and we listen much unto them Loe we have here a psalm and prayer of a great Prophet a man highly in Gods favour how ought it to be highly esteemed of us For his praise 2 His praise he is here stiled A man of God which is his compellation or Title given him by the spirit of God The man of God Where Note That Moses Name is not barely set downe but with an Appendix or Attribute of Honour and such an honour then the which none can be greater The man of God From whence we learne Doct. 2 to be stiled A man of God The greatest honour to be called a Man of God or a Servant of God is the highest pitch of honour that can be given to the Sons of men As it is a great comfort in life so it is a high honour in death to be a Man of God This is an honour that remaineth to posterity a pretious name that
And welfare those afflictions that send us home to God By this dealing of the Lord with a Nation and with a people Reas 3 by sharp and sore afflictions the Lord is pleased to humble them and thereby to fit them for mercy and deliverance And this is no other thing then what the Lord himself hath promised If a Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse Ier. 18.5 I will repent of the plague that I thought to have brought upon them Thus Niniveh prevented her Judgement And this is the right way to stop the breach of Gods wrath and to call in his Judgements when they are gone out against us This serves to shew the monstrous impiety and prophanesse of this age Use 1 and time wherein we live that do not thus mark and observe the dealing of God with us We have seen the hand of God in a grievous manner upon the Land in generall The Lord hath rode Circuit amongst us and what Country nay what Family hath not suffered in these times the sword hath been in the bowells of this Nation and hath drunk much blood The Lord hath likewise sent forth other messengers of his anger against us as unseasonable years at one time making the fruits of the earth dung for the earth at another time making the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the Creature hath mourned to teach us to mourn and now again by an universall sicknesse and disease the like whereof no age can remember when so many are sick and weak and taken away by death Yet who makes this use of it as Moses and the people of God here who is humbled under Gods hand who mournes for sin the cause of all No no we can be content to passe over the Lords dealing thus with the Land as if these Judgements concerned us not we lay them not to heart Surely it is to be feared that the Lord wil come nearer unto us yet in the end Take we heed that it be not found true of us which the Lord speaketh I called for sackcloath and fasting Esa 22.13 14. but behold mirth eating and drinking c. when was there ever the like excesse of drinking then at this day but what saith the Lord This inquity shall not be purged untill ye die Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine serves to direct us what we ought to do and how wee ought to carry our selves in times of Common Calamitie Not to be gazers and lookers on of Gods Judgements But to search and try our waies to discover the sins of the Land and the evills of the times which should thus provoke the Lord to punish us in a different manner then our Forefathers in former ages as Moses here Surely it is a dangerous fin heedlesly to passe by Gods dealing with us at this time from former times How can we be humbled aright for our present miseries if we do not consider hiâ— former mercies This were to deprive God of his glory and our selves of confidence and comfort Lord thou hast been our dwelling place WE are farther to observe in this prayer of Moses Text. how they begin their prayer viz. with putting the Lord in mind of his former mercies shewed unto their Forefathers in times past and in former generations Thou hast been a Covert unto our Forefathers and good unto them guiding directing and protecting them Note hence That it is a speciall motive and reason to plead in prayer Doct. 3 To plead Gods former mercies a good Motive for futute to move the Lord to pitty and compassion to put him in mind of his former mercies and deliverances bestowed either upon us or our Forefathers The Prophet out of experience of former mercies prayeth for the continuance thereof Lord thou hast been favourable to the Land Ps 85.2 3 4. thou hast brought back the captivitie of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger c. And hence he grounds his request to God Turn us O God of our salvation Ver. 4 and cause thine anger towards us to cease And thus do Nehemiah and Daniel begin their prayers for the Church Nehc. 1. Dan. 9. they mind the Lord of his Covenant and mercifull promise to his people And thus David persecuted by Saul hee pleads his cause with God thus Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty c. Hee minds God of his former mercies and deliverances and thereby is confimed in his faith and confidence that God would not now leave him at this time of distresse And so when he was to go out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.34 hee calls to minde the Lords mercifull deliverance from the Lyon and the Bear and grounds his hope of successe at this time also upon it And this hath been the care of Gods people to keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies and deliverances to strengthen Ps 22.21 their prayers in the like time of danger yea so carefull have the people of God been to keep in memory former mercies and deliverances that they have raised up monuments and given name to prisons times and places for perpetuall records of mercies and deliverances as Jehosophat called the place wherein the Lord had given him the victory 2 Chron. 20.26 to be called the valley of Beracha and the Jewes it is thought have their Purim to this day This is to give the Lord the honour and glory of his works Reas 1 when they are kept in remembrance 1 Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people that his glorious works might be kept in remembrance amongst them Yea this is such a duty that we are often to presse upon our hearts Ps 103.2 as David did Blesse the Lord O my soul and for get not his benefits We cannot honour God more then to mind him of his former mercies and deliverances This makes a believer bold with God as we are with a trusty friend that we have had experience of It serves to strengthen our faith to quel our doubts and fears and causeth us with much confidence to rely on him Besides Reas 2 it is one of the greatest comforts in times of extreamities and dangers the experience we have had of Gods goodnesse and mercy Experience saith the Apostle worketh hope God being the same ever to his people In him is no variablenesse Jam. 1.17 nor shadow of change And hence it is that the godly in times of adversity can hold up their heads with comfort when wicked men are at their witts end and many times overwhelmed with sorrow This serves for our Direction Use 1 how to begin our prayers unto God the better to move him to pitty and to have compassion upon us viz. to remember the former mercies of
Other sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepheard And the Church is figured by one woman Rev. 12 And this woman hath Christ married to himself which shewes the unity of the Church in all ages Hos 2.19 'T is true this one Church of Christ may have many parts as the Sea hath many Chanells and is called by the name of the Country by the which it runs as the Germ an Sea the Baltique Sea c. so the Church of France the Church of England the Church of Scotland c. yet the Church of God is but one Militant Church upon the face of the whole Earth Reas And the Reason is because it hath but one Head As we account that but one Common-wealth that is under one King and governed by one and the same Lawes and is under one Government So is the Church of Christ one professing one and the same faith hath one and the same hope and Baptised into the same spirit and reserved unto one and the same glorious inheritance is but one This quite overthrows the Church Use 1 of Rome as no true Church of Christ who quite overthrow the Nature of the Church Catholick thus inlarged by God and confine the same to Rome What is Catholick but Universall And to speak in their language The Catholick Roman Church is as much as to say the Universall Church which must needs sound in the ears of any reasonable man to be most absurd Gods Church is not tyed to any one time much lesse to any one place but in respect of time and place is Catholick and Universall Secondly Vse 2 is this so that the Church of God is one and the same from generation to generation This may serve to unite the hearts of believers together in unity and peace The Unity and Onenesse of the Church should teach unity and concord amongst those that professe themselves members of this Church We are all of one house and habitation have one Father one Christ one Spirit one Bread one board one Bread to feed upon one Cup to drink on so should we be of one minde and of one heart Christians should cleave together and hold together If one member suffer all should suffer with it 1 Pet. 4.10 if one member be in honour all should rejoyce at it As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another Those that are of the family of the Devill will do so Drunkards have a league amongst themselves what a shame then is it for Christians that professe themselves of the houshold of God to rent asunder the seamlesse Coat of Christ Surely the sad divisions that are in England this day like the divisions of Ruben cause great thoughts of heart and frustrates all our hopes of our desired peace O what a shame is it that there should be strife and dissention in that family where the Father is the God of peace and the son is the Prince of peace What an excellent Church and house of God was it in the Apostles time when the multitude of believers were of one heart and of one minde Such therefore as make these rents and divisions in the Church as too many do in these daies shew apparently that they are not of Gods houshold See that place of Paul Now I beseech you brethren Rom. 16.17.18 mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have received and avoid them for they are such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Ver. 2. Before the mountains were made or ever thou hadst for med the earth or the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God IN this second Verse Moses prevents an objection and removes a doubt that might arise in the minds of the people who might think thus Surely though the Lord did deliver our fore-fathers by his mighty power and defended and protected them in all dangers and straights yet now his power being not put forth for our succour and defence that are their posterity he is not now so able to save and deliver us No saith Moses that cannot be for the Lord is that mighty God from all eternity he is that eternall God and therefore cannot lose any of his power or strength but is now as able every way to save us as our fore fathers of old inasmuch as he doth continue the mighty God from all eternity from generation to generation thou art God Hence we may see what is the corrupt nature of man Doct. 1 In times of distress we are ready to uestion Gods power when we have not that we desire and when it goes not with us as we wish we are ready to question Gods power and to put off the cause from our selves and to lay the same upon God And hence is it that the Lord expostulateth the case with his people thus Es 50.2 Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem or have I not power to deliver Behold at my rehuke I drie up the sea I make Rivers a wildernesse And again Es 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear But your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God How did the people provoke the Lord to wrath against them Psal 78.19 20. when they said Can God prepare a table in the Wildernesse can he provide flesh for his people This the Lord was angry at Therefore the Lord was angry and the fire was kindled in Jacob Ver. 21. and wrath came also upon I srael And the reason is given because they believed not in God Ver. 22. and trusted not in his help And whereas God sware unto their fathers that he would give them the Land of Canaan to them their seed after them yet the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3.19 They could not enter in because of unbeliefe This was the sin of the Prince of Israel that when the Prophet had told him of the great plenty that should be in the gate of Samaria 2 Reg. 7. To morrow this time he doubted of it and concludes against the words of the Prophet that it could not possibly be Though the Lord should open the windowes of heaven Ver. 20. But he saw it with his eyes but did not eat of it for the people trode him to death in the gate of the City Yea the Lord hath severely punished this sin in his own servants themselves that have been guilty of it as we may see in Moses the man of God Num. 20.8 12. that shut him out of the Land of Canaan And the Lord was so highly displeased with Zachary Luke 1.20 otherwise a good man who doubted of the
meet with unexpected accidents in their way our life being like a lighted candle which wasts with the winde and is often blowen out before it be burned How many griefs and how many cares and feares are we daily pestered withall that help to waste the spirits of mer we are like unto him that stept upon the stage and presently went downe againe as if he came thither of purpose to shew himselfe and no more so many steps upon the stage of this worlde and act litle but downe againe And though men should be so happie as to be freed from outward Miseries which fewe are Yet we continually carry death in our Bosoms for look how many infirmities this frail Natures of ours are subiect unto so many secret Enemies we harbour within us to provide for Death yea every crum of bread that goes awrie is ready to make a breach for Death to enter in at In a word be we at sea or on land be we in Citty or Country at home or abroad waking or sleeping we are still in danger that Death like a violent Flood may break in upon us we are here never at one stay but in the midst of life we be in Death So oft then as this Corrupt nature of ours shall stir us up to pride because of Beauty Riches strength c. O let these thoughts humble us these flowers every day wither apace The root is dead already The body is dead because of Sin There is a worme at the roote as there was at the roote of Jonahs Gourd all our earthly felicities are feeding a pace we know not how soone Death like a violent Flood will breake in upon us and put an end to them all Thus for the first that Death is inevitable there is no resisting of it it breakes in upon us as a violent Flood Thou Carriest them away as with a Flood MOses in these wordes will likewise intimate unto us that as Death comes violently and unresistably as a Flood Doct. 2 So Death comes Suddainly unexpectedly as a Flood Death comes suddenly Many times when men are not aware nor thinke not of it then Death coms and takes them tardy And no doubt this was Christs intent and meaning when he saith Mat. 25.6 At midnight there was a cry made to shew unto the world that his coming by Death and judgment will be in an Houre when men will not think of it that so we might expect him every day and every hour You know not the day nor the hour Maâ— 24.42 when the Son of man cometh It is sufficient for us to know that come he will and that his coming shall be at such a time when men least of all expect it Mat. 24.26 and as he saith In the houre that ye think not will the Son of man come And upon this very ground the uncertaintie of the time when Christ shall call us is that watch-word given what J say unto you I say unto al watch Mat. 13. And Behold I come as a theefe in the Night Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments I confesse these places of Scripture are principally meant of Christs second comming to judgment yet are they true also in this sence of his comming by death When a Thiefe hath a purpose to do mischiefe he makes choice of the night when men are asleep and so comes unawares when men are not prepared for resistance Such will the time of Death and the last judgment be And upon this ground Christ grounds that exhortation of his to have our loynes girded and our light burning that we may be alwaies ready And certainly when men are most secure then is death nearest at hand as it was with that rich man that promised to himselfe many years Luke 12. had that night his soul taken from him And when men shall say peace peace then shall suddain destruction shall come upon them And besides these clear examples and testimonies in the Word that shew the comming of death to be suddain and unexpected our own experience and observation daily before our eyes doth declare this truth How many have gone well to bed at night that have been dead ere the morning some at bed and some at board some at home and some abroad death hath met them and suddainly surprised them and when he comes he will have no nay The point then is clear and plain that as death comes as a Flood and there is no resistance so as a Flood death comes suddainly when men think least of it But why will the Lord have the time of death thus uncertain to us Quest Many may be the Reasons wherefore God will not have this day and time known unto us Ans That not knowing the set day and houre Reas 1 we might be prepared for every day and every houre Watch saith Christ for you know not what houre the Master of the house commeth whether at midnight c. Secondly Reas 2 that herein and hereby the Lord might exercise the faith patience hope and other graces in the hearts of his servants all which are now exercised and set on work whilst we know not the time when the Lord will call us hence And this serves for the just reproofe of the great security Use 1 wherein so many are so fast asleep that notwithstanding they hear clearly from the Word and see daily by experience before their eyes the sudden comming of death as a flood rushing in upon them yet put the thoughts of death far from them O the security and dead heartednesse that is in many that having so many caveats watchwords and warnings from God besides their own daily experience yet never minde their own latter end nor deaths sudden comming This was the sin of the old world in the daies of Noah that were so drowned in their own pleasures that they would not believe a drowning by a flood till the flood came and swept them clean away And this is the great sin of this world and times wherein we live upon whom the ends of the world are come The deadnesse of heart and carnall security the little laying of Gods judgments to heart the overflowings of sin in all sorts and conditions of men are certain precursors and forerunners that the Lord is at hand either with some sorer vengeance to awake us or by putting a speedy end to all things But the main use that we are to make of this Point Use 2 that death comes many times so suddainly rushing in upon us as a violent Flood It should teach us this wisdome at all times to be in a readinesse and prepared when death comes Upon this ground Christ admonisheth his Disciples and us all to watchfulnesse because the day and hour knoweth no man But I hope I shall have time to prepare for death Object 1 I am yet young and strong c. Herein men blesse themselves and flatter themselves that howsoever they
Doctrine of the Resurrection by comparing death to a Flood whereby men are over-whelmed in the Grave In these words he mitigates that speech in comparing Death to a Sleep that even as a man lying down to sleep though he seemes to be dead for the present yet ere it be long awakes again Even so though death seems as a Flood to over-whelm us and drown us in the Grave yet ere it be long at the day of Judgment we shall awake and rise again From this allusion the point observable is That death is a sleep Doct. 3 or to die is but to sleep Death is a sleep Es 57.2 And thus the Scriptures resemble the Grave to a Bed and Death to a Sleep He shall enter into peace and they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before the Lord in righteousnesse And this thing holy Job speaks of himselfe Job 7.21 Now I shall sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning and I shal not be And this is said of David 1 Reg. 2.10 that he slept with his Fathers And thus Daniel speaking of the last judgment Dan. 12.2 Many that sleep in the dust shall awake to life eternall And this Christ saith of Lazarus Ioh. 11. Mat. 9.24 Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth And Paul comforting the Thessalonians for their dead saith 1 Thes 4.13 Brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning those that sleep in the Lord. So that you see the phrase is very usuall in the Scripture to compare death to a sleep And the Reasons of this resemblance may be these The first may be taken from the nature of sleep Reas 1 which is indeed a binding up of the senses for a time till sleep again be dissolved at which time the senses have again their naturall power restored to return into the members of the body whereby they act afresh Thus is it with the sleep of death hereby the bodies and minds of men are set free from cares fears distempers and molestations for such rest from their labours Both the souls and bodies of the Saints by death are set free from them all Rev. 14.13 Secondly Reas 2 as sleep doth give much refreshment to the bodies and mindes of men being wearied with labour and pains in the day time O how sweet is sleep to a labouring man and how comfortable is rest to a weary traveller No lesse sweet and comfortable is the grave to the bodies of the Saints these rest in peace as on a bed of down such sleep sweetly and safely untill the morning of the Resurrection when they shall arise again Psal 17.15 When I awake up saith David I shall be refreshed with thy Image Thirdly Reas 3 as those that are asleep may easily be awaked and raised up again by some sound in their ears or stirring of their bodies or the like So easie will it be with the Lord at the last day when he comes to judgment by the voice of the Arch-Angell and sound of the Trumpet when this voice shall be heard of all Arise ye dead and come unto judgment to raise up the dead that are asleep in their graves This may serve for matter of singular comfort and consolation unto the godly all believers Use 1 that Job calls the King of fear and the Grave which is the chamber and house of death dreadfull in their own nature should thus have their nature altered and changed that they should become so comfortable and beneficiall unto them to become a place of sweet repose and rest That soul that hath made its peace with God may with much comfort look death in the face and say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Such blessed souls rest with God and die in peace and may commend their souls to God as to a faithfull Creator See the boldnesse and confidence of the blessed Apostle 1 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse But whence have the godly this boldnesse and confidence in death Quest was not death threatned as a curse and inflicted as a curse how came the nature of death thus to be altered and changed This thing so comes to passe through the death of Christ Ans 1 who was himselfe in the state of the dead and was himselfe in the grave and hath triumphed over death and hell and the grave and hath removed the curse and plucked out the sting of them 1 Cor. 15.54 Heb. 2.14 15. Death is swallowed up of victory And that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage So that death as a curse was laid upon Christ that our death might be blessed unto us So that it is by Christ and his death that the sting of death is plucked out and that our Graves become a bed of rest unto us Secondly every true believer is a member of Christs body and hence it comes to passe Ro. 14.8 That whether we live or die we are the Lords Secondly this lets us see the misery of all wicked and ungodly men Use 2 from whom the curse of Death and of the Grave is not removed As in Death their bodies return to the Grave so their souls go immediately to Hell their bedies go to their Graves as to a stinking and loathsome Prison a Dungeon of darknesse from whence they shall arise in the morning of the Resurrection to be joyned again to their souls that both together may be sent into utter darknesse The godly and wicked in death may well be resembled to Pharaoh's Butler and Baker Both go to Prison one is restored to serve his Master the other reserved for execution Is death a sleep Use 3 and do the bodies of the Saints rest in their Graves as in a Bed and their Spirits return to God that gave them How fond and vain then is the conceit of those that say that dead bodies walk after their death the ground I suppose of this superstitious speech so frequent with many God rest his soul and Gods peace be with him c. a grosse absurditie and howsoever a common conceit in time of Popery and times of ignorance yet in the times of the Cospell utterly to be abandoned And last of all Use 4 since death is a sleep This should teach us not to mourn as those that have no hope for the departure of our Friends Husbands Wives Iohn 11. Parents Children c. Thy Brother saith Christ to Mary shall rise again So shall they What though they tast of corruption they shall not perish in corruption They go to their graves but as to a bed there to rest for a time till the morning of the Resurrection come Now who would not be glad of rest after
hundred thousand besides Children they dyed all in the Wildernesse all save Joshuah and Caleb above the age of twenty years some by the Pestilence some by sudden and fearfull fire from Heaven some swallowed up of the earth as Corah Dathan some killed by fiery Serpents and Scorpions and the greatest part by the Plague and Pestilence so that in the space of forty years they were almost all of them consumed This example of it selfe were sufficient to clear this truth that whereas the life of man is short of it selfe yet our sins many times makes it shorter as we may see in the old World drowned in the Flood Corah Dathan and Abiram smallowed up of the earth Herod eaten up of wormes Saul Judas the Children that mocked the Prophet Besides the experience we have in our daies of Drunkards Whormasters Theeves and Traitors who by their sins draw down Gods judgments upon their heads and shorten their daies As we see the Grasse though it be left to grow yet in time will wither of it selfe but if suddainly cut down with a Sith it sooner decayes A Leafe though it hang long on the Tree yet in the end it will fall of it selfe but by a storm is suddenly shaken down Thus it is with men 'T is true the sinner in committing of sin doth neither see nor perceive this being blinder then Balaam that saw not the sword drawn before him But Sathan that malitious enemy of mans Soul like deceitfull Laban that gave Jacob Leab instead of Rachel So doth Sathan deal with the sinner instead of profit and pleasure payes the sinner at last with some shamefull death the just wages and stipend of sin Because Reas 1 that all our sufferings are for the most part the fruit and stipend of sin Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sin As the Lord said to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man because of this sin Gen. 20.3 the taking of Abraham's wife The wages of sin is death both Temporall and Eternall God hath joyned them both together The soul that sinneth shall die the death Ro. 6.23 Secondly long life is promised as the wages of obedience If ye be willing and obedient Es 1.19 ye shall eat the good things of the Land And on the contrary God often cuts off the wicked for their disobedience As a wise Parent will not correct his child where there is no fault so will he not spare when he is provoked Loathsome sicknesses foul diseases and sudden death are often Gods revengfull rods upon vile and wretched sinners Seeing the life of man Use 1 that is so short of it selfe yet is made far shorter by reason of sin this serves to justifie the Lords hand and righteous judgment upon the Land this day in his generall visitation by this unwonted sicknesse and suddain death of so many amongst us Is not England become the sinke of all those Sects and Heresies that ever crept into the Church And as if these were not enough to pull down Gods wrath the Land is guilty of Blood of Swearing of Lying of Whoring Sabbath-breaking contempt of the Word and Ordinances of Christ with these and the like abominations the Land is defiled and the Land shall mourn Hos 4.3 What hope have we to avoide our present judgments this day and yet live in those sins that cause them And how can we think to escape any Plague so long as we are guilty of the Plague of sin Secondly Use 2 since by our sins our daies are often shortned and cut off it shall then be our wisdome to discern betwixt the pleasures of sin and the miseries that accompany the sinner Sathan promised our first Parents that they should be like unto God but it was to make them miserable as himselfe How many a wretched man by his Drunkennesse Uncleannesse and other distempers shortens his own daies as the Prophet saith The wicked shall not live out halfe his daies which otherwise in the course of Nature they might attain unto But all those miseries whereunto we are subject by reason of sin in this life are no way to be compared to those fearfull punishments whereunto the wicked are reserved after this life for it is sin that shall shut them for ever out of heaven Rev. 22.15 Without shall be Dogs c. And They that commit such things shall never inherit the Kingdome of Heaven 1 Pet. 2.12 Which made the Apostle so earnestly exhort us I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which sight against the soul But we are consumed in thy anger IN these words Moses sets down the cause why they were thus hastily wasted and consumed in the Wildernesse which he confesseth here to be double 1. The more remote and improper cause and that was Gods anger in this verse 2. The neerer and more proper cause and that was their sins verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee c. First cause was Gods Anger Cause Gods anger which is described by the degrees of it 1. Anger 2. Hot anger 3. Sore displeasure But how do Moses and the people gather that God was so exceedingly angry with them But by that manner of death that they were so suddenly wasted and consumed with the Pestilence Hence we may observe Doct. 3 That great and extraordinary judgments and calamities Extraordinary judgments are arguments of Gods anger do argue the greatnesse of Gods Anger For Moses here inferrs and concludes the greatnesse of Gods anger and displeasure by the greatnesse of their punishment that seeing they were so miserably consumed and so fearfully plagued it must needs shew the Lord exceedingly provoked by their sins And this is that very use the Apostle makes of this their sudden destruction that came upon this people an argument to prove that God was displeased with them 1 Cor. 10.5 With many of them God was not well pleased In all extraordinary and strange judgments which the Lord brings upon us it is safe to say to our hearts as the people of God said Deut. 31.47 Are not all these troubles come upon us because God is not with us Ruth 1.13 This use could Naomi make of the death of her two Sons That the hand of God was gone out against her And this the very Barbarians could conclude of Paul Act. 28.4 when the Viper hung on his hand No doubt this man is a murtherer They conclude that it must needs be some great sin that Paul was guilty of that did cause that so sore a judgment It was a strange hand of God upon old Eli 1 Sam. 4.18 that he should fall and break his neck And no doubt his indulgency towards his children in their prophanenesse was the cause of it It was no ordinary death that of the young Prophet 1 Reg. 13.24 certainly his sin was the cause of it That Moses himselfe must not come into the Land of Canaan
but only see it and die in the Land of Moah surely Moses his sin shut him out And of all that great number that came out of the Land of Aegypt even six hundred thousand that all above twenty years should perish in the Wildernesse was an undoubted argument they were guilty of some great sin that caused the Lord to be thus angry with them Object If this be so that extraordinary judgments are arguments of Gods anger how was it said of the blind man that lay under such an extraordinary judgment as to be born blind that neither this man sinned nor his Parents The meaning is not Answ that neither He nor his Parents were without sin no not such sins as might have justly brought that punishment upon them But neither the Mans sins nor his Parents were the cause why the Lord smote him with blindnesse John 9. but that the work of God might be made manifest in him Job though he were a a godly man indeed yet Job's sins might justly deserve all his miseries but God did not so much look upon his sins but that he might be a pattern and example of Faith Patience and of other Graces to his Church for ever Besides there be many grounds and causes wherefore the Lord is pleased many times to lay his hand and that heavy too upon his own Children and such as are both neer and dear unto him 1. As the exercise of their graces of Faith Patience Hope c. 2. To wean them them from the world whereunto our hearts are too much addicted 3. To quicken Prayer 4. To chasten us for our sins past and to make us more watchfull for the time to come c. But since the Lord in his Word hath denounced these judgments against us for our sins and doth not reveal unto us when he is pleased thus to try us his secret will and pleasure therein We are not to pry into his hidden counsells but into his will revealed which is that Man suffereth for his sin And howsoever we may erre in respect of Gods secret purpose in sending afflictions yet we shall profit thereby to humble our selves to justifie God as righteous to renew our repentance and hereby become fit for mercy and deliverance Whereas in times of affliction and distresse to look upon any other cause then sin may hinder our repentance and cause us to continue in our wickednesse Now that great and extraordinary ludgments and afflictions do argue Gods high displeasure these Reasons shew Reas 1 Because he is most just and righteous in his judgments as Abraham said to God Gen. 18.25 It is far from the Judge of all the World to deal unrighteously The Lord is ever most clear in himselfe from the least stain or mixture of iniustice in any of his judgments inflicted upon men Ps 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments Reas 2 The second may be taken from that neer union and inseparable affinity that is betwixt Gods anger and sin Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Miseries and afflictions yea all kind of iudgments spirituall and temporall are but the sinners harvest that he must look to reap by sowing the seeds of sin Pro 22.8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap affliction and the rod of his anger shall fail Let us apply this to our selves Use 1 Did Moses well to gather and conclude the exceeding anger displeasure of God against them by the greatnesse and grievousnesse of their punishment that they were thus hastily and fearfully wasted and consumed Alas then what may we think of our selves how hath the hand of God laine heavie upon us in this Nation In these later daies the sword hath been in the Bowels of the land and hath drunk much blood in every corner of it we have had the pestilence amongst us what Country hath been free we have had cleannesse of teeth when many have perished in the open fields and by the way side for want of bread The Lord hath made the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the like yeares have not been known Besides this strange sicknesse that hath been amongst us whereof fewe Families have escaped but some have been either sick or weake or suddainly taken away by Death that fewe that are living have knowne the like time of sicknesse and mortalitie Now what can we think by all these messengers of his Anger and wrath but that God is exceedingly angry and displeasedwith us Certainely the sins of this Nation the innocent blood that hath been shed the high contempt of the Gospel and Miâ—listers therof the great securitie unfruitfullnesse and unthankfullnesse of all sorts may mind us of some farther judgments yet at hand And yet alas who laies the Lords dealings to heart to take notice of Gods Anger and make but light account of judgments None consider in heart that the greatnesse of Gods judgments is an argument of the greatnesse of our sins It shall be our wisdom to lay Gods judgments to heart and to meet the Lord by unfained Repentance lest worser judgments overtake us at last Use 2 Secondly this serves to admonish us that according to the greatnesse of Gods judgments to increase our sorrow and Repentance for great anger argues great sins and great sins must have great Sorrow and great Repentance Quest 1 But is it an Argument that God is Angry when he takes men away by Death No it is not alwayes so Ans that the Lord is Angry when he takes men away by Death But when he takes them away by such a manner of Death as this people here with some strange kinde of Death horrible and fearefull for some sin as these people for their infidelitie murmuring Rebellion and despising of his mercy this is a token of Gods Anger 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed with the Destroyer Quest 2 But is it a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kind of Death of the plague pestilence c No. Ans It is not alwaies a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kinde of Death Pilate to make the Jewes odious and their religion hatefull mingled the blood of certaine Galileans with their Sacrifices here was an unwonted kind of Death And so those eighteene upon whom the tower of Silo fell these dyed not an ordinary kind of Death And yet Christ saith that they were not greater sinners then other men And many of Gods dear children and faithfull servants have dyed strange kinds of death and none more then the Son of God himselfe And therefore we may not judge a man out of Gods favour by the suddennesse or strangenesse of his death if his life hath been good his death cannot be bad Eccles 9.11 for as Solomon saith All things happen alike to all But now when we shall see a Man or Woman whose
life hath been vile and prophane a blasphemer a contemner of grace and godlinesse an unclean person a drunkard c. and see some strange judgment of God upon upon him to die some cursed and miserable death we may say of them thus Surely this is the just judgment of God upon him for his sin as Moses sometimes spake of Corah Dathan and Abiram Num. 16. If these men die the common death of all men then hath the Lord not spoken So as when they saw them swallowed up of the earth for their rebellion against Moses and Aaron they surely might say Heâ—e is a spectacle of Gods judgments for their sins And it is good for us to observe Gods dealing amongst our selves that we might learn to fear him lest we be made spectacles of his wrath as others have been By thy anger by thy hot anger Text. BUt what Quest is the Lord subject to these passions to be angry and wroth Surely nothing lesse Ans neither are we to think that there is any such passion in God or that he is subject to these alterations and changes for then he should not be God But the Scriptures thus speak that God is angry and wrathfull full of displeasure c. for our understanding as when the Lord doth that which men do when they are angry then God seems to be angry As when men be angry they throw about them lay on load smite hard c. So when the Lord smites men laies blow after blow plague after plague stroke after stroke then he seems to be angry when he seemes not to spare but one judgment overtakes another Now by Gods anger in the Scripture Gods anger what we are to understand three things First his just will and purpose to punish sin either by temporall judgments here or by eternall hereafter and so that place is to be understood He that believeth not in the Son Iohn 3.36 the anger of God abideth on him that is Gods inward displeasure against the sin of unbeliefe with his purpose to punish it Secondly by the anger of God is understood those menaces and threatnings of punishment against sin either immediately by Himselfe or mediately by his Prophets and Ministers as Hos 11.9 Psal 6.1 Es 63.6 I will execute upon Ephraim the fiercenesse of my wrath That is that anger and wrath that I have threatned Thirdly by the anger of God is signified the effects of his anger which appears in sundry punishments and judgments and so that place is to be understood Eph. 5.6 For such sins comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience that is sundry judgments and punishments seize upon men for such sins And in this third sence and signification is the anger of God and his wrath to be taken here When Moses complains that they were consumed in his anger he means by those fearfull effects of his anger as the Plague Pestilence and the other judgments of God upon them for their sins Hence we may observe Doct. 4 the wonderfull blockishnesse and stupiditie that is in all men by nature Mans ignorance of God great who are no whit moved with such speeches as are agreeable to Gods nature as to say the Lord is just or the Lord will punish or the like But he must take upon him such passions as be in our nature as to say He is angry wrathfull full of displeasure and indignation and all too little to move hard-hearted sinners to fear before him This shewes our grosse ignorance and stupidity in the things of God that he is fain to descend so low as to speak thus to our capacities and understandings as that he is angry wrathfull and full of indignation otherwise we should understand little of God This proceeds from that bitter root of Adam's sin Reas 1 who having in his Creation a clear knowledge of God so far as the Creature was capable of and not contenting himselfe with that excellent knowledge Gen. 3.6 given him in his Creation but aspiring to be like unto God lost his knowledge of his Maker and brought this ignorance upon himselfe in his own understanding and upon all his posterity so that now we are without God in the world Eph. 2.12 strangers from the life of God through that ignorance that is in us Secondly Reas 2 this depravitie in our understanding is holp on by Sathan who hath blinded our mindes that we know not God nor his waies till we come to recover our selves out of the snares of the Devill 2 Tim. 2.26 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient as of our selves to think any thing as of our selves Which may serve to teach us hence Use 1 to wonder at that great ignorance that is in many Congregations Families and Persons at this day that are so ignorant of God and those glorious attributes of his but conceive of God as a man and call God a good man have very low and mean thoughts of God consider him not as Omnipotent Omniscient Omnipresent the searcher of the heart a consuming fire c. O did we but truly know God it would make us lay our selves low before him when we come into his presence as Abraham did Behold Lord I that am but dust and ashes and to cry out with the Prophet I am undone I am a man of polluted lips Secondly this blindnesse and ignorance of God that is in us by nature Use 2 should minde us of the necessity of an able Ministry in every Congregation whereby we may be taught to know God and have this blindnesse and blockishnesse of our nature cured in us Such set themselves against God and open their mouths against Heaven that oppose the Ministry of the Word and cry it down as many do at this day that think of all callings amongst us the Ministry may best be spared And indeed never was there greater affronts or more disgrace offered to their Calling then there hath been of late daies Whereas there is no Calling the Magistracy excepted whereby a Church or State receiveth more benefit then by a faithfull learned and painfull Ministry they are the strength of a Nation the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel they manifest Gods presence to a Land and Nation and when they are discountenanced silenced and forced to depart God usually is not far off with some fearfull judgment We are consumed in thy anger THe Lord being provoked against this people by their sins His anger could not be appeased but by their destruction Note hence That when Gods anger is once kindled against sin Doct. 5 Gods anger once kindled consumes to destruction it consumeth to destruction We are consumed in thy anger It is true the Lords patience towards sinners is great and he suffereth long the Vessells of wrath He is a a God of mercy and is not easily provoked to strike Psal 2. But as the Psalmist saith If his wrath be kindled but a little it
consumeth to destruction Many were the provocations of this people that notwithstanding God had given them much experience of his power and goodnesse towards them Psal 78. giving them Manna from Heaven and Water out of the hard Rock Quailes to satisfie their lust and their provocations were many and great yet verse 38. He being full of compassion he for gave their iniquitie and destroyed them not Yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath But such were their sins and so great were their provocations verse 50. that He made way for his anger and he spared not their souls from death but gave over their lives to the Pestilence Yea verse 59. Gods wrath was so kindled that he abhorred Israel And who can look upon sin but as a fearfull thing and the greatest evill and the wrath of God intolerable when he shall but seriously consider how terribly his wrath hath broke out against sin It was for sin that God threw the Angells down from heaven to hell It was for sin that he drowned the old World Gen. 6. when their wickednesse was so great that it repented the Lord that he had made man and brought that Deluge over all the earth It was for sin that Sodome and Gomorrah was consumed with fire and brimstone from Heaven Gen. 19. That Pharach and the Aegyptians were overwhelmed in the red Sea That the earth swallowed up Corah and his complices Num. 16. That Herod was consumed with worms Acts 12. And how is the wrath of God come upon the Jewes at this day to the utmost sometimes Gods peculiar people now become a curse and reproach to all Nations a scattered and dispersed people upon the face of the earth this day This will sin do and this will Gods wrath and displeasure do when sin hath so far provoked God that it breaks out upon us And what shall we say to all those miseries that this land and Nation hath of late years groaned under as the Sword Famine Pestilence Sicknesses and Diseases Sects Heresies a Kingdome divided a Church rent and torn in pieces by unnaturall Brethren our Israel given to the spoile and Jacob unto robbers O who can say but that England's sin hath brought England's misery and that Gods anger that hath gone out against us hath been wondrous great Yea if we look upon the Saints and Servants of God themselves when by their sins they have provoked Gods anger and kindled his wrath against them how terrible and how fearfull hath he shewed his anger and displeasure against them As we may see in Moses this servant of the Lord that because he did not honour God at the waters of strife was shut out of the Land of Canaan And David who in the pride of heart numbred the people the Lord let him blood in the same veine there dyed of the people for his sin Three-score and ten thou sand men And this wrath of God shall at last most clearly break out and appear when he shall come in a flame of fire 2 Thess 2.9 rendring vengeance to the wicked And if the beams of Gods anger and wrath sends forth such terrible lestruction upon us here what will that wrath of his be when it shall be fully powred out upon his poor creatures in hell for ever Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult Now this anger and wrath of God must needs consume to destruction Because anger in God is as himselfe is Reas 1 Infinite what then can stand before it the whole world and all creatures therein are but as stubble and chaffe before the fire the very Mountains melt at his presence and in comparison of his greatnesse the whole earth is but as the dust in the ballance a flat nothing in respect of his intinitenesse this made Moses to say Who knowes the power of thy wrath Verse 11. the meaning is that none knowes it or can sufficiently take notice of it to fear as he ought before him Because there is such an antipathy betwixt God and sin Reas 2 that he must needs set himselfe against it and punish it It is so contrary to that pure Nature of God as darknesse to light there is nothing wherein there is the like contrarietie in Nature as there is betwixt God and fin The sinner is no better then a proud Rebell to God seeking to advance Sathan and to set him in Gods Throne wishing in his heart there were no God or that he were such a God as either saw not his fins or were not able to punish him for sin And can any wonder then that his wrath should break out to the destruction of the sinner Let us apply this Seeing the anger of God Use 1 thus once kindled consumeth to destruction O how doth this concern every one of us to dread sin which thus provokes him to wrath against us O the misery of that wretched soul that lies under Gods wrath If all the infirmities that human Nature is subject unto if all the sicknesses and diseases in the world should seize upon one man if all the tortures and torments that all the Tyrants in the world could devise to inflict upon a man to make him miserable and all the creatures in heaven and earth should all of them conspire together to make one poor creature miserable all these were nothing in comparison of the wrath of God who is a consuming fire How terrible hath the terrours of an accusing conscience been to many a poor creature we may see in Judas that was not able to bear them but preferred death before them and others daily that have made away their lives rather then live in those horrours of conscience they have felt in themselves What then is Gods anger and wrath when it shall be poured out to the full upon the soul of a sinner Why then do we not dread sin more which is the only cause of his wrath and who is never angry but at sin Art thou a Drunkard a Swearer a prophane person that livest in the continuall practise of sin Be not deceived saith the Apostle for these things sake commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience An impenitent sinner is like unto a man that goes continually upon a mine of Gun-powder he may fear every step he takes that he shall be blowen up Seeing Gods anger once kindled against sin consumeth to destruction Use 2 we may hence observe the difference betwixt Gods anger towards his own Children and wicked men 'T is true God is many times angry with his own people and of them only it is said Ps 30.5 His anger endureth but a moment which implies that God will be angry with them Thus God was angry with Jehosophat for making affinity with wicked Ahab God was angry with old Eli for his indulgency towards his sons and God was angry with David for numbring the people and so
it may be said of every grosse and presumptuous sin in the godly it provokes God to anger But yet there is a great difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children Difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children and the wicked and that wrath of his that commeth upon the children of disobedience First his anger towards his Children endures but for a moment In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment Es 54.8 but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have compassion on thee And of the godly it is said Ps 103.9 He will not alwaies chide neither keepeth he his anger for ever But as for the wicked it is not so with them but those tokens of his anger and wrath are but the beginnings of their sorrowes and a fire kindled that shall devoure to destruction It differs betwixt the godly and the wicked in measure God ever proportioneth the sufferings of his Children according to their strength He will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able 1 Cor. 10.13 But now the Lord never takes notice what strength a wicked man hath to bear his punishments but oftentimes they sink under the burthen of them as Cain Saul Judas c. They bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse in the one they make the wicked more desperate in sinning they tend to the instruction of the one they tend to the destruction of the other Thirdly Gods judgments are medicines to cure his children of the maladies of sin and to fit them for mercy and deliverance But as for the wicked that are vessells of wrath they tend to fit them for destruction so as the Prophet saith Es 21.24 Hath he smitten him meaning indeed his own Children as he smot them that smot him meaning indeed the wicked The Lord is not angry with them both alike nor smites them both alike And lastly Use 3 seeing the anger of God is so terrible and insupportable even a consuming fire and lies so heavy many times upon his own Children the malignity whereof is taken off by Christ It is our duty that as we sin daily Use 4 and provoke him daily by our sins so to be earnest solicitors to the Throne of grace daily that the Lord would not rebuke us in his anger Ps 38.1 2. neither chastise us in his wrath That the Lord would not deal with us according to our sins nor reward us according to our iniquities for if the Lord should we were never able to answer him for one of a thousand our provocations are so many and great that we may say with the Church Lam. 3.22 It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed There is no way to escape Gods anger but as we sin daily to repent daily since we forfeit his mercies daily by our sins And in thy wrath are we troubled Text. MOSES and the people of God here confesse that they were exceedingly amazed and troubled by Gods anger and wrath gone out against them for their sin Whence we may observe Doct. 6 what it is that doth most affect the godly Sin most of all affects the godly wounds their souls and makes their hearts to bleed viz. The sense and feeling of Gods anger and frowning countenance against them for their sins that by their sins they have so far provoked God thus to frown upon them and to be displeased with them For as the loving kindnesse of God is better than life it selfe Ps 63.3 so the sense and feeling of his wrath and displeasure is that which wounds their souls to the quick so as there can be no comfort no joy no rest nor peace but sorrow griefe vexation and trouble of heart No doubt there were many things that troubled the heart of David in the matter of his sins of Adultery and Murther as the murther of his faithfull servant and subject Uriah the drawing of Bathsheba to the sin of Adultery and his drawing of Joab and others into the guilt of his sin besides the seandall that he had given to Religion But this was it that wounded him to the heart his sin against God and therefore he cries out Against thee against thee have I sinned nothing went so neer his heart as his offence against God and the sense of his displeasure Many times the wicked mourn for sin with worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. when by their sins they bring shame punishment or some detriment to their estate and the like Thus Pharaoh was troubled and took on Exod. 9.27 because of the Thunder and Hail and when that was over his trouble was over Gen. 27.38 Thus Esau wept when he had parted with his Birth-right for his own losse not for his offence against God And thus was Saul troubled when Samuel told him 1 Sam. 15.14 1 Reg. 11.21 that God had rent his Kingdome from him and Ahab when the judgment was denounced against his house Whereas in the godly the apprehension of Gods displeasure and the sin against him works the greatest sorrow though their sins were never so secret and should never come to light A gracious soul lookes more upon God offended then upon what he hath deserved This the Apostle calls a sorow according to God 2 Cor. 7 10. when it proceeds not from selfe love but because of God And this is that Zach. 12.12 which the Lord in some measure works in the hearts of all his And the Reasons are The first is taken from the nature of sin Reas 1 which is a Transgression of the Law By sin the most holy and righteous Law of God is violate and broken and hereby God is provoked A small offence against a Prince is made Treason so are sins committed against him being an infinite God Is given by the Apostle Reas 2 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again but ye have received the Spirit of adoption Now such as have received this Spirit the Spirit of Adoption to be made the Sons of God these cannot but love God are affraid to offend God and much grieved if at any time by their sins they provoke God Is for tryall Use 1 whether our griefe and sorrow for sin be a godly sorrow and a fruit of true repentance yea or no. The vildest wretch its possible may some times have compunction and sorrow of heart for sin and they may wish that they had never committed such evills Ahab mourns and Judas repents himselfe and yet all was but worldly sorrow that brought death A wicked man and a very Hypocrite may go wonderfull far this way but upon tryall it will be found that their sorrow is conversant about the evill of punishment and not for the evill of sin It is the losse of credit detriment in estate shame punishment or the like that affects them selfe love works it in them and were it not for shame punishment hell or torment for sin they would
for all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works But what followed verse 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble To this agreeth that of the Prophet Behold Es 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ears heavy c. But your sins have separated between you and your God Eph 5.6 and your sins have hid his face from you But what are those sins Quest that in a speciall manner provoke God to anger against a Land and People All sin Ans even the least sin moves the Lord to anger Speciall sins that provoke Gods anger yet there are I confesse some speciall sins which do inflame the anger of God and these be capitall and hainous sins and such are First Idolatry Idolatry to worship a salfe God instead of thetrue God or the true God in a false manner this the Lord can no more endure then a Husband can endure the wanton behaviour of his Wife but is exceedingly provoked by it This appears by that golden Calfe that the Israeâ—ites made to worship for this sin three thousand were slain Exod. 32.4 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men O it is a dangerous provoking sin in a Land and Nation that have enjoyed the glorious liberty of the Gospell to Apostatize and fall from their first love either to Babylonish Idolatry or to Sects and Heresies this is a provoking sin and causeth God to remove the Candlestick from such a people The Lord lay not this sin to our charge The second provoking sin Infidelity that stirres up the Lord to anger against a People is Infidelity or a distrusting of Gods power or calling into question his promises in times of tryall that either the Lord cannot or will not help This was the great sin of this people for the which the Lord was so wrathfully displeased with them Ps 78.33 and for the which their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The third provoking sin Blasphemy is the blaspheming of the Name of God Because of Oaths the land shall mourn The shedding of innocent Blood is a provoking sin Blood as a loving Father cannot endure to see his Child slain before his face and the blood of his Child to be shed no more can the Lord endure the wicked to shed the blood of his Children Again the sin of Adultery Uncleannesse Fornication and uncleannesse these are provoking sins as appears in the firing of Sodome and Gomorrah It is true every sin provokes the Lord to anger but these sins especially encrease his anger against a Nation or People Hos 4.2 by swearing and lying and killing and whoring they break out therefore the Land shall mourn The point then is clear and plain that the principall cause of Gods anger and displeasure against a Land and people is their sins Gods justice calls for vengeance upon the sinner Reas Now God is most righteous and just and he will not fail to punish sin in whomsoever the same is committed The Angels saith Saint Jude that kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chaines c. The sinfull World drowned Sodom and Gomorrah burned Pharach and the Aegyptians plagued yea the Nation and the People of the Jewes fearfully consumed all clearing this truth that sin is the principal cause of Gods anger and is that which drawes down his judgments upon a people Seeing then it is sin that stirs up God to anger Use 1 and draws down his judgements upon a people by the effect we may judge of the cause Hath not the Lords hand of late years gone out against us the people of this Nation what by the Sword the Plague and Pestilence these late yeares of Drought and our present visitation by an unwonted Disease and sicknesse generally over the land whereof so many have been taken away by death What do all these but declare that God thah a Controversie with us this day Do not those forementioned sins that pull down Gods Judgements upon a land and people abound amongst us and make head at this day Idolatry and Popery in open and secret manner seems to take root again Sects and Heresies in former ages cried down and for many years dead and buried we have seen their resurrection again from that Bottomlesse Pit What age did ever produce the like outrages and abominations that this day are rife amongst us Swearing and Blasphemy Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse Contempt of Christ and his Gospel Thefts Murthers and all other abominations the like never age produced And unlesse the Lord put it into the hearts of those in present Authority to root out these sins it is not to be expected that England shall long escape more heavy Judgements then yet we have tasted of And yet alas how few are the number of those that lay these things to heart We hear and talk of our miseries but we are not affected with the cause of them which are our sins no man layes Gods judgements to heart as to say Alas what have I done Secondly Use 2 seeing sin is the cause of all Gods judgements upon a Nation or People this may inform us who are the great enemies of our state this day Surely the greatest sinners These are they that obstruct all our hoped for deliverance from our Parliaments and from our Councels We have a long time looked for peace for freedome for settlement in Church and State But when will it once be or indeed what hope can we have it will be so long as Tobias and Sanballats are amongst us so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their profaning our Nabals their coveting our Achans their thieving our Jezabeâ—s their whoring and all of us our sinnings and rebellions against God Our Parliaments and Councels will be rendred weak they will not they cannot help us How can England look to prosper when the most high God is against us and doth forsake us What hath been the ruine and overthrow of Nations and Kingdomes but sin What hath tumbled down Cities ruined stately Houses and overthrown so many Noble Families but sin And when we shall see Religion countenanced a faithful Ministery set up and maintained Discipline in the Church established Justice duly administred and wholesom Laws duly executed Piety incouraged Sin duly punished and the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts and Consciences of men Then there will be hope of better times that God will delight to dwell amongst us Seeing sin is the principal cause of all Gods Judgements upon a land and people Use 3 How then doth it concern all Superiours that are in the place of Magistracy to look well to their places and Callings since the weal or woe of the Church and State depends upon them How many foul and enormous sins were committed in Israel and the
hearted to preach liberty to the captive c. Here you see to whom Christ is sent and here is a soul qualified for mercy not all and every one that lives under the Gospell that hath been Baptized and goes under the name of a Christian but such only as are sensible at their spirituall misery and thraldome by reason of sin I came saith Christ to seek and to save that was lost Miserable creature thou Luk. 19.10 if thou be not one that Christ came to seek and to save But if thou be not a lost creature a poor wretched damned creature in thy own apprehension thou wilt never have Christ to save thee Secondly till we thus see sin Reas 2 and are sensible of Gods wrath and displeasure for sin we shall never prize Christ neither are fit to receive any comfort from Christ When a poor soul comes truly to see fin and the wrath of God due for sin and that sin is a burthen too heavy for that soul to bear Christ will never be pretious to the soul The full soul loatheth the hony comb But take a poor wounded soul whose heart is truly humbled it is like a smitten Hart O to the soyle it flyeth Ps 42.1 As the Hart brayeth after the Rivers of water so longeth my soul after thee O God Let such a soul have all the treasure in the world presented unto him on the one hand and the least drop of the blood of Christ on the other hand O it is Christs blood that he priseth above all As Rachel said to Jacob Give me Children or else I die so saith a poor soul Give me Christ for the pardon of my sins or else I die and shall perish for ever This serves to discover unto us what is Gods manner of dealing in the work of mans Conversion and Salvation Use 1 the Lord works by contraries God brings men to joy by sorrow to blessednesse by the sense of our cursednesse as at the first Creation God brought light out of darknesse so doth God now bring life out of death and out of our deep apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure God founds and grounds our greatest comfort Well then would you know how it fares between God and your souls call to minde your sins past the sins of your youth the sins of your middle age and the sins of your riper years and see how your hearts stand affected towards them Can you think of them without griefe of heart have you as yet never felt the terrours of the Almighty for sin You never felt such a weight and burthen of sin that you were ready to sink under it O deceive not your own souls the foundation of grace and salvation is not yet laid But now if upon examination you finde the terrours of the Lord your hearts wounded that the remembrance of your sins is grievous unto you and that the burthen of them is intollerable here is a good mark that God intends much good to such a soul Seeing this is Gods manner of dealing in the work of Repentance and conversion to God Use 2 to work in the soul an apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin Here is matter of mourning and lamentation in regard of the great security of this age wherein we live there is little fear or dread of Gods anger and wrath for sin amongst men a clear argument that men are far from this grace of true repentance The Lord be mercifull to a world of men that live amongst us even in the bosome of the Church if we had a fountain of tears with Jeremy we might weep them out to see the misery of the greatest part of the world that though they live in the bosome of the Church and partake daily of the Word yet are not wrought upon How many have we that are so far from grieving for their sins that it is their grief they cannot sin more freely Men cannot endure to meet with any check or controlment in their sinfull courses You that know the world and you that know the state of this place cannot but know how many we have that sit upon their Ale-bench and there despite the Spirit of grace glorying in their sin O that such would but consider that dreadfull place of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.13 That all might be damned that took pleusure in unrighteousnesse yet fear not damnation But the damnation of such doth not sleep And last of all Use 3 here is matter of admirable comfort and consolation to such upon whose hearts God hath been at work that have been under the Spirit of bondage and have layne under the threats of the Law have seen sin and have apprehended Gods displeasure in their souls for sin I may say to such a one as it was said to blind Bartimaeus Behold Christ calleth thee who for this spirit of heavinesse will give thee the spirit of gladnesse sorrow may endure for a night but joy commeth in the morning and Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall rejoyce O Object but if I were sure that my sorrow were right I might have comfort but I fear my trouble is not so much for offending God by my sins as for fear of Hell and of wrath which sorrow even a wicked man may have and yet perish at last Even this fear of Gods wrath Ans of hell and damnation may be at the first in us and as a needle make way for the threed of godly sorrow thus much is intimated by that of Paul Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again Ro. 8.15 which word implyeth thus much that even the very godly themselves had at first in them the spirit of bondage to fear God for his wrath hell and damnation A degree of grace if I may so call it that for ought I know all Gods children at first in some measure or other passe under But how shall I know Quest that it is not my case at this present True sight of sin and humiliation of the soul that shall finde comfort Answ hath principally these three properties First when the heart is carried against sin with such an indignation as that there is a heart-rising against a mans most secret corruptions 2 Cor. 7.11 What indignation saith Paul hath it wrought in you A heart-rising against our most secret corruptions stirring in us is a good signe our sorrow for sin is sound It may again be known by that full purpose of heart that is in us not to sin again as those godly Converts mentioned in the Scripture Paul Zacheus Mary Magdalen Peter c. fell not into their sins again Thirdly it may be known by the blessed victory that the soul gets daily against sin when corruption weakens daily and grace growes more vigorous in the soul these may comfort the heart that such a soul is qualified for mercy Ver. 10. The daies of our years are threescore years and ten and
and Peer rich and poor one and all there is no estate but hath misery enough attending upon it Who is there living amongst all mankind that is so happy and profperous in the world who if they should compare their comforts with their Crosses but must acknowledge that mans life is full of labour and sorrow No not the greatest Prince and Monarch in the world that is free from cares fears and troubles as we may see in David who was a man of trouble all his daies exercised sometimes by forraigne enemies sometimes by his own Courtiers yea by Absalom his darling son Their Crownes are continually attended with cares and fears of treasons and they are still filled with the cares and troubles of the Common-weal they are set over and are to look unto And those who have been highly advanced to honour and dignity as who but they waited upon by a great and sumptuous train in all glory and honour yet have suddainly been thrown down to the lowest degree of shame and dishonour And the like may be said of all ranks and conditions of men what with cares fears discontents crosses losses and dayly vexations and molestations we are incident unto and daily meet withall it is not the least of our misery to live long to bear them So that it may be said of man as it was said of the Angeil of Lavdicea Rev. 3.17 He knew not that he was wretched and poor and blind and naked Here is our case in the midst of all our pomp and glory and outward felicities in this world we are ignorant of what miseries daily attend us for what have we here that is not got with labour kept with care and fear and parted withall with griefâ— and sorrow so that in the getting enjoying and parting with what we enjoy here below we may say with the Prophet Hab. 2.13 The people shall even weary thomselves for every vanitle Like little children we sweat again in catching Butter-flies whilest in the mean time we neglect the true treasure of life and glory Besides the spirituall evills of this life as ignorance unbeliefe pride hypocrisy hardnesse of heart and the like these so pester and annoy even the best of Gods servants Ro. 7.24 that they often complain with Paul O wretched man that I am c. and with the father of the child Mar. 9.24 I believe Lord help my unbeliefe as Bradford that blessed Martyr of God was wont to do so that we have cause continually to groan under the burthen of our miseries here and subscribe this truth of Moses that our most happy and flourishing estate in this world is but labour and sorrow That herein and hereby the Lord might exercise our spirituall armour Reas 1 wherewith he hath furnished us to wit the shield of Faith the helmet of Salvation the breast-plate of Righteousnesse and the sword of the Spirit For wherefore should all these parts of our spirituall armour be provided us of God but that we must look daily to have them exercised Secondly Reas 2 to wean us from the world whose practise is to mingle our sweet with soure And lastly Reas 3 to make us long after a better life where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes and sin from our soâ—ls Seeing this is so Vse 1 that our chiefest strength our best time and the most excellent and principall part of our life is not freed from labour and sorrow cares fears vexations and molestations but that our whole life is full of labour and sorrow As this should wean us from the world and put us out of love of all things here below so it should stir us up to seek that life where all these miseries shall be taken away where God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes Rev. 21.4 and where there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain but pleasure without pain and fullnesse of joy at his right hand for evermore Our best estate here is mixed with griefe sorrow care and trouble But happy and thrice happy are they which shall be judged worthy to inherit that life which shall last for ever and that without all cares fears labour and sorrow Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they rest from their labours Secondly Vse 2 seeing no estate of our life is free from sundry sorrowes and miseries troubles cares and fears it may serve to admonish us all to bear them patiently and not to forsake our callings and places wherein the Lord hath set us because of them For here we see that in this short life of ours the most excellent part thereof is not free from labour and sorrow There is no calling or condition of life but hath miseries enough attending upon it to make them wretched that live in it if they want patience to bear them And those that seem most happy and we look upon them as most free from those miseries themselves many times could wish rather to be any other then that they are and if we could change our estates with theirs it is possible we should wish to take our own again Why then should we be weary of those callings wherein the Lord hath set us but rather undergo the same and arme our selves against these troubles and sorowes and not to use unlawfull means to escape them for that will but encrease our sorrowes and make our selves more miserable For it is soon cut off and we fly away MOSES in the former part of this verse having shewed the miseries sorrowes and troubles incident to the best and flourishing estate of mankinde in generall in the latter part of this verse applies it to the state and condition of the Church and people of God in the Wildernesse and shewes But for us saith he our time is cut off swiftly and we flie away For so I take it it makes the sense plain though it seemes to be read otherwise in our common translation yet if we mark the scope of the Holy Ghost which is to shew that their estate in the Wildernesse was far worse then other peoples were Thus though the ordinary time of mans life be seventie years or eightie years yet we are otherwise dealt withall our life is neither so long nor yet so free from labour and sorrow as other men are because we are cut off suddenly in the turning of an hand we flie away and are gone Hence we may see and take notice of the hainousnesse of sin Doct. 4 Sin causeth many times suddain death and especially of the sin of Infidelity and murmuring against God it made the Lord to cut down his people confusedly and hastily even as a man by his Syth sweepeth down his grasse Even so the Lord is here said to cut down his people with the sharp Syth of his judgment as it had been grasse And surely amongst other sins wherefore the Lord even in
and then may do a Char for a meals meat These can claim nothing as due in regard they are not in Covenant but are hang bies They cannot claim protection from the Master of the Family as a Covenant-servant may as David did Save me â—s 119.94 for I am thy servant and I keep thy Commandements It is a certain mark of a Servant of God to keep the Commandments of God if thou keep not the Commandments of God thou art no servant of God God takes no more pleasure in rebellious sinners then a Prince doth in rebellious Traitors Let us then use this reason and argument to move the Lord to pitty and compassion and to be pacified towards us even because we are his Servants and are in covenant with him Ver. 14. O fill us with thy Mercy in the Morning that we may rejoice and be glad all our daies IN the former Verse wee have heard how earnestly Moses and the people of God beg for Reconciliation againe with God and the arguments they use to move him to take pitty and compassion upon them Now in this fourteenth verse and so to the end of the Psalm they come to beg the blessed Fruits and Estates of this Reconciliation And first they pray for Mercy O fill us with thy mercy That is that God would grant them the lively sence and feeling of his love again towards them And in this request of theirs we have two parts 1. The Petition it self O fill us with c. 2. The end of their desire That we may rejoice c. 1. The Petition is of mercy and this is amplified 1. By the quantity of it Satisfie us or fill us It is a great measure that they require according to their great misery and need 2. By the time viz. In the Morning That is as I take it with speed or presently after their Night of their long and tedious afflictions or else in time convenient as some expound it 2d Part of the Verse is the Reason or the end why they so earnestly desire this lively sense and feeling of his love again towards them viz. Not to grow secure thereby as carnall men doâ— Nor yet to abuse it to carnall and worldly rejoicing as libertines use to do But to this end that feeling the love of God shed abroad in their souls they might have matter of joy and rejoycing to praise God that so they might be joyful and chearful in his service And that not for a day or a year but all our daies Where first of all we are to observe â— Coher their order proceeding in this prayer of theirs In the former verse they pray for Reconciliation again with God that he would pardon their rebellions and sins and receive them again into favour Return O Lord c. And now in this verse they pray for the blessed fruit of that Reconciliation viz. the comfortable feeling thereof in their souls O fill us with thy mercy c. The Doctrine is Doct. 1 That untill a man repent of his sins No comfort but in reconciliation with God Esay 57.20 21. and be reconciled to God he can have no true peace joy or rejoycing in his own Soul There is no peace to the wicked but they are like the troubled Sea that casts forth mire and dirt Thus will the conscience of wicked men rage and accuse them and cast up many thoughts of fears and desperation but can find no comfort till they be reconciled to God It is true wicked men have a kind of Drunken peace or rather indeed a Damnable security which Iob compares to a Dream Iob 20.7 And to the crackling of thornes under a pot soon in and soon out which is wonderfull in three respects 1. It is uncertain their Sun many times goes down at noon day As Nebuchadnezzar in the midst of his banquet had his mirth mar'd 2. It is unsound it is somtimes in the face but not in the heart For in the midst of laughter the heart is sad 3. The joy and rejoycing of the wicked doth end in misery Mal. 2.2 The Lord curseth their blessings though they may seem right to themselves yet the issue thereof is death Prov 16.25 Whereas it is the godly that enjoy sound and lasting peace joy and comfort It being grounded and founded upon this sure foundation Repentance for sin and Reconciliation to God What way sought David for comfort when Nathan had convinced him of his sin but by flying unto God by true repentance Wash me clense me purge me Ps 51.8 and then make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse This is Gods way of dealing ordinarily with his people as the ground of all true comfort Comfort ye Es 40.1 2. comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem But how shall they be comforted The Lord tells them there Cry unto her that her iniquity is paâ—doned Sin pardoned brings true comfort and indeed there can be no true comfort nor peace till then How doth Christ comfort the man sick of the Palsey Mar. 2.3 but by telling him that his sins were forgiven him And thus Christ raised up Mary that sat weeping and blubbering at Christs feet by telling her that her sins were forgiven her So that the point is clear that till a man have repented of his sins and be reconciled to God and have embraced Christ he can have no true peace and comfort in his own soule And it must needs be so Because it is the nature of sin unpardoned Reas 1 to rob the soul of peace That man that truly knowes sin and the wofull fruites and effects of sin cannot but account the pardon of sin the greatest mercy When had this people peace but when they had left Aegypt the Wildernesse the Red-Sea and the Mountains behinde them And when shall a Christian look for peace but when his spirituall enemies sin and sathan are overcome Secondly Reas 2 such as truly repent of their sins and imbrace Christ God hath promised to look upon and shew mercy unto Es 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit And Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And again Es 57.15 Thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones These are they God hath promised to look upon and to have respect unto to give them beautie for ashes Es 61.3 and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse This then lets us see the happie priviledge of the faithfull Use 1 above all wicked and ungodly men in their greatest sorrowes there is still ground of joy Joh. 16.20 Ye shall weep saith Christ but your
Eagle they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint They shall be like the tree planted by the Rivers of waters whose leaves shall not fall And this may yield matter of singular Comfort and consolation unto all the faithfull Hath the Lord begun in any of us the good worke of grace and put it into our hearts to walke in the right way of his commandements and to travaile towards the celestiall Canaan let us blesse God for this mercy And withall all intreat the Lord that he would still direct and guide us and never leâ—ve us but even bring us to the end of our Journey And never forsake us till he hath put us into the possession of that glorious inheritance prepared for us in that heavenly Canaan for if he direct us not by his grace and by his spirit it cannot be that we shall hold out but must needs turne aside in the broad way to destruction A Table of the principall Doctrines contained in this Book In the Title Doct. 1. TO doubt of Gods providence and to question his power a great sin page 5 Doct. 2. The greatest Honour is truly to be called a Servant of God page 14 Doct. 3. Teachers of the people should pray for the people Doct. 4. Times of affliction are times of prayer page 31 VERSE I. Doct. 1. The very complaints of the godly are effectuall prayers page 42 Doct. 2. When a Nation or people decay in beauty and glory it is high time to be humbled page 51 Doct. 3. To plead Gods former mercies a speciall motive to move him to pitty page 56 Doct. 4. Gods Church and people have ever had a Dwelling place page 62 Doct. 5. The Church of God is ever one and the same page 72 VERSE II. Doct. 1. In times of distresse we are ready to question Gods power page 77 Doct. 2. The knowledge of Gods covenant gives boldnesse in prayer page 84 Doct. 3. There was a time when there was no earth or world page 89 Doct. 4. God was from all eternitie page 95 VERSE III. Doct. 1. The greatest comfort to the godly in suffering times is to consider that their afflictions come from God page 101 Doct. 2. Our life and being here uncertaine page 107 Doct. 3. All men at last shall rise againe page 118 Doct. 4. Man a peece of living Clay page 131 VERSE IV. Doct. 1. Our life short being compared to eternitie page 138 Doct. 2. Man hardly convinc'd that his life is short page 142 VERSES V VI. Doct. 1. Death is unresistable page 147 Doct. 2. Death many times comes suddenly as a flood page 153 Doct. 3. Death is as a sleepe page 165 Doct. 4. Life of a man so fraile as no example can expresse page 173 VERSE VII Doct. 1. Gods people should be humbled when it fares worse with them then with the wicked page 185 Doct. 2. Though mans life be short yet sin makes it shorter page 190 Doct. 3. Extraordinary Iudgments signes of extraordinary sins page 196 Doct. 4. Mans ignorance of God great page 207 Doct. 5. Gods Anger once kindled Consumes to destruction page 110 Doct. 6. Sin most of all affects the heart of the godly page 120 VERSE VIII Doct. 1. Sight of sin Ground of Humiliation for sin page 227 Doct. 2. Sin the cause of all judgment upon a people 136 Doct. 3. Times of affliction discover Corruption page 247 Doct. 4. A true penitent will be Humbled for his most secret sins page 257 Doct. 5. Our most secret sins are done God looking on page 265 VERSE IX Doct. 1. The sufferings of the godly sometimes exceed the wicked page 274 Doct. 2. Gods hand somtimes long upon his own people Ibid. Doct. 3. The effect of Gods anger terrible page 285 Doct. 4. It is the sight of sin and the sence of Gods displeasure for sin that is the ground of true Repentance page 293 VERSE X. Doct. 1. Mans life but short page 305 Doct. 2. Misery of man since the fall wondrous great page 313 Doct. 3. There is no age of mans life but is full of labour and sorrow page 316 Doct. 4. Sin many times causeth suddain death page 323 Doct. 5. Godly confesse their own sins as the sins of others page 325 VERSE XI Doct. 1. Few take notice of Gods Anger as they ought to doe page 331 Doct. 2. Gods anger most terrible page 337 Doct. 3. Men feare God no more because they know not the power of his wrath page 340 Doct. 4. The best faile in the measure of the feare of God page 346 VERSE XII Doct. 1. No man can number his dayes aright unlesse God teach him page 355 Doct. 2. We ought to esteeme of every day as our last day page 361 Doct. 3. Men are never truly wise till then page 371 Doct. 4. True wisedome consists in true obedience page 377 VERSE XIII Doct. 1. Men never seeke to God for Reconciliation till they feele his displeasure page 385 Doct. 2. In times of misery and distresse God only is to be sought unto page 393 Doct. 3. Whilest God seems to be angry there is no peace page 405 Doct. 4. To mind the Lord of the Continuance of our affection a good motive to move him to pitty page 411 Doct. 5. In regard of Gods gratious presence God may turne aside from his people for a time page 415 Doct. 6. To plead Gods covenant an excellent motive to move him to pitty page 424 VERSE XIV Doct. 1. There can be no comfort to a distressed Soul ' till it be reconciled to God page 436 Doct. 2. Before we can be filled with mercy we must seeke our misery page 442 Doct. 3. We must labour for a plentifull sence of mercy page 446 Doct. 4. Onely Gods favour refresheth a distressed Soul page 452 Doct. 5. Gods mercyes should provoke to cheerfulnesse in his service page 457 Doct. 1. Reconciliation to God the fountaine of all true comfort page 463 Doct. 2. Our condition here wonderous Changable page 470 Doct. 3. God will never cast down his people so low bur he will raise them up at last page 480 Doct. 4. Afflictions past though long seeme short page 485 Doct. 5. We may pray for mercy answerable to our misery page 486 VERSE XVI Doct. 1. God is the protector of his people page 489 Doct. 2. Gods servants may looke for protection from him page 495 Doct. 3. No worke more excellent then Gods protecting his Church page 501 Doct. 4. To plead Gods glory a good motive to move the Lord to helpe page 509 Doct. 5. We ought to take care of the Church after our dayes page 518 Doct. 6. Wicked cannot pray for themselves or others but repenting of their sins can both page 527 VERSE XVII Doct. 1. We are deformed till the beauty of Christs Rigteousnesse be put upon us page 427 Doct. 2. Nothing we doe can prosper without Gods blessing page 532 Doct. 3. Before War is to be taken in hand God is to be Sought unto page 539 Doct. 4 Perseverance in any good Gods gift page 543 FINIS
are convinced that repentance is necessary and grace must be had to make them die happily and their purpose is to leave sin and to cry God mercy yet they conceit they have time enough before them they may do this when they are old or when they lie upon their fick-beds then they will set to this work as time enough O that such men would consider this Doctrine 1. That many times death comes suddainly like a Flood when men think least of all on death Alas do we not see that on the Stage of this world some therebe that indeed do act a longer part and many there be that act a shorter some die in their youth passing as it were from one grave to another from their Mothers womb to another womb the earth How few live to the age of fiftie How many do we hear of daily that go well to bed at night and are found dead in the morning And why may not this be thy case Secondly consider that this is but one of the old Serpents wiles to put off our repentance and preparation for death to the last for Sathan knowes that if he can but prevail in that it is all one as if men resolved never to repent at all for we see by experience that not one of a thousand which take this course ever attain unto it for they adjourn from year to year and time to time so long that they come at last to be hardened in their sins that there is little hope of recovery In youth we appoint the time of age in age we appoint the time of sicknesse and when sicknesse comes the Lord knowes we are then most unfit for this great work Then comes the cares of disposing of our estates then comes pain and grief loath we are to die and in hope we are to live these things take off our thoughts of another life and so death feizeth upon us and away we must Thirdly do but consider that albeit thou livest to be old and hast thy understanding about thee and thy godly friends and acquaintance about thee that can exhort thee and pray for thee Alas how knowest thou whether God will hear thee at this time of thy death that wouldst not hear him in the time of thy life Nay is it not distributive justice now in God to refuse to hear thee then that refusest to hear him now It is not usuall with God to give grace in death who have despised grace in life See that place and tremble at it Prov. 1.24 25. c. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and ye have not regarded I will laugh at your destruction c. Besides thou dost but offer up unto God the Halt Mal. 1.8 the Blind and the Lame which is abhomination to him It is a most base and unworthy thing to offer that to God which a man would disdain and scorn to accept of But I hope God is mercifull Ob. 2 and though I am sinfull he is mercifull and I will rest upon that It is true Ans God is mercifull and thou maist say it for it is his mercy that thou hast not been long ago consumed that God hath not cut thee off and cast thee into Hell many years agoe 't is true it is his mercy But alas what is this to thee that hast so long and so often abused his mercy Is God mercifull the more unthankfull wretch thou to sin against so mercifull a God Ro. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth to repentance Shall God be contemned for his mercy Ps 145.9 that ought the more to be loved and respected There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared If God be so mercifull the greater the sin to sin against it And let such men know that presume thus of Gods mercy that as he is mercifull so is he just as he hath his Armes of mercy spread open to receive poor penitents so is Hells mouth wide open to receive the impenitent And how knowest thou that hast despised grace and mercy so often and so long a time but thou maist at last die in a Spira's case who in the time of his sicknesse being exhorted to say the Lords Prayer answered O I dare not call God Father And this hath been an observation I have made these forty years that such as have lived under a godly zealous and faithfull Ministry and have not been wrought upon it is often found true of such as was said of Nabal their hearts die like stones within them What little cause then have any to harden their hearts and continue in their sins in hope of mercy But did not the Thiefe upon the Crosse at last confessing his sin Ob. 3 and desiring Christ to remember him when he came into his Kingdome finde mercy at the last houre and so was saved Though men have much ingorance in them of the Scripture Ans yet this example they can remember and often alledge and all to this end to sooth up themselves in sin and to flatter themselves that they may repent at last Whereas this example as one saith is to keep us from desperation and is no cloak to sin Why should not the desperate condition of his fellow Thiefe that dyed with him asmuch affright us and terrifie us as his example comfort us And for this example of this penitent Thief we are to know that it was an immediate act of the divine power of Christ and it was not ordinary neither doth it prove that God will deal thus with thee It was not ordinary because he was saved without means but what was that to thee that enjoyest the means Besides one particular act of Gods power goodnesse and mercy can be no rule to go by The Sun once stood still at noon-day in Joshuah's time we must not look to see it so again Balaam's Asse once spake we must not look for the like any more Besides for ought we know this was the time that he was first called Now what is that to thee that hast been often called God hath often knocked at the dore of thy heart and to this day thou hast not opened unto him Besides this penitent Thiefe at this time shewed many excellent fruits of his repentance 1 Rebuking his fellow railing at Christ 2. Confessing his sin 3. And by making an excellent Prayer to Christ Now who can promise these things to himselfe when he comes to die O then to conclude seeing this is so that death comes as a flood suddenly and unexpectedly when men are not aware let it be our wisdome to be in a continuall readinesse that death finde us not unprepared There is nothing more certain then death nor more uncertain then where when and how we shall die They are as a sleep Text. IN these words lest Moses should seem to undermine and weaken the