that abuse it or to stop the course of his justice to them whom correction doth amend then we say he repenteth him of that which he hath either promised or threatned for clearing whereof understand That God never changeth in promise or in threatning but only in things concerning this life as in all the examples repeated all those promises and threatnings be used as motives to induce obedience and therefore they are not absolute but conditionall For it is no good argument to perswade a man to be Religions and to fear God abstaining from all the pleasing delights of the world to promise him his hearts desire if he know that that promise doth bind God that whatsoever he do he shall be partaker of the promise And it is no inducement to disswade sin by the commination of judgment if the judgment must of necessity be inflicted Therefore this revealed Will of God is conditionall and hath reference to our obedience and faith and good life and use of the means ordained by God and tendered to us This is the rule of life and by this Will is the Church of God governed for by this he doth reveal himself both in his word and in his permissions and in his operations 1. God signifieth his Will by his Word for that doth declare in precepts prohibitions and examples what God would have to be done what not to be done it revealeth both rewards and punishments and it useth both promises and threatnings 2. God signifieth his Will by permissions because he declareth thereby that what he suffereth to be done that he willeth to be effected 3. By operations for what God doth he doth according to his Will 2. Voluntas beneplaciti is the secret Will of God reserved in himself in wiâ—ch 1. There is consilium the wisdom of God foreseeing what is to be done 2. There is decretum determining it and herein the counsell of God is not the rule of his Will for there is nothing in God above his Will but wiling all things to be thus as he hath decreed he foreseeth in wisdom what he willeth and therefore the rule is not with God This is good therefore I decree it but this I decree therefore it is good Now sometimes there seems to be an opposition between these two Wils of God which is thus reconciled The Will of God is revealed to man 1. Either for necessary and absolute obedience as in the whole morall Law of God 2. For probation and tryall as in the commandment given to Abraham to offer up Isaak wherein God concealed his secret Will which was to preserve Isaak and concealed the purpose of his commandments which was to try the saith of Abraham So on the contrary he sent to Pharaoh commanding him to let Israel go yet it was not his secret will that Israel should go yet but the commandment was given to convince Pharaoh of hardnesle of heart and as in Abraham the commandment did cause him to declare his faith so in Pharaoh did it convince him of rebellion to the Will of God So all our preaching wherein we perswade repentance and promise life eternal it serveth to direct all that look for salvation in the way of life and it serveth to convince the world of unrighteousnesse if they obey not The answer then is that whatsoever God willeth and decreeth voluntate beneplaciti by the will of good pleasure doth take effect What God willeth voluntate signi by the Will signified not always Reply How then shall I know what to do seeing the signifying Will of God is my rule and that seemeth uncertain and not agreeable to the secret Will of Gods good pleasure Sol. Do as Abraham did prepare to offer thy son do as thou art commanded leave the event and the disposition of thy obedience to God who wil further reveale himselfe unto thee Do as Hezechiah did set thine house in order yet use the means by repentance and Prayer to prolong thy life Do as the Ninivites did fast and repent and call upon the name of the Lord and try him as the Prophet saith Whether hâ— will shew thee mercy or not But to bring this home to my text when God pronounceth the Decree of Judgement against the enemies of the Church and promiseâ—h mercy to his Church believe him in both for neither can Gods enemies repent to change the course of his Iustice neither can his Church sinne unto death that he should take his mercy utterly from it So then the Argument holdeth strong God hath said and decreed what he wil do against these Chaldaeans what for his Church therefore it shall come to passe Quest But if this be true Quest what need then is there of Prayer doth it not argue in us a kind of distrust in the favour of God when we do not take his word but are still importunate to sollicite his favour To this our answer is that this cannot discourage Prayer because the decree is past and unchangable this is the proper foundation of Prayer for the Apostle saith And this is the confidence that we have in him 1 John 5.14 that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us So that it is a necessary knowledge before we undertake to pray to know what is that good that acceptable and perfect Will of God For we not only lose our labour but we do also offend God if we ask any thing against or beside his Will therefore that we might not run into the errour of the sons of Zebedee Nescitis quid petatis you know not what you should ask Our Saviour hath set down a forme of Prayer so absolute as that we cannot justifie the asking of any thing according to the Will of God that hath not reference to one of those petitions Reply If then we prevail in our Prayers Object why do we commend Prayer seeing all events do follow Gods will and decree and not our Prayers Our answer is that though the supreme agent in all operations be the Will of God Answ yet the hand of operation in many things is prayer which God hath ordained and commanded as a means to draw forth his Will to execution So God giveth every good gift yet we are without any wrong to God thankful to men by whose means any good cometh to us So that the doctrine doth remain firm Whatsoever God hath promised to his Church or threatned the perverse enemies therof that he will surely perform for the decrees and the word of God are unchangable Quest But when God threatneth me punishment and denounceth judgement against me how shall I know whether it be voluntas signi or bene placiti is there not an hope left me that God may repent him of the evil that he threatned It is a note of the evil conscience to feare where no fear is â—e where there is no cause of fear an elect man fearing judgement threatned which shall not come near him feareth where no cause
Prophets of the Lord and his holy Ministers beholding the sins which they do daily reprove to come up so fast as though they had never layd the axe of Gods judgment against the root of that corrupt tree the zeal of Gods glory so stirreth them that they cannot hold â—ut they must strike with the sword of the Spirit they must lift up their voices like trumpets they must tell the house of Jacob their sins Jeremy doth expresse this to the life Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord Jer. 6.11 I am weary with holding in I will pour it out upon the children abroad c. Let not the sensuall and carnall man call our threatnings of sin our own ravings and railings and our comminations of judgment the intemperate issue of our own choler Jeremy calleth it The fury of the Lord. And so long as we reprove justly and mingle none of our own heat with the fire of Gods altar we shall kindle a fire in the bones of the sinner which shall give him no rest but his conscience shall say to him as Nathan said to David Thou art the man 3. In respect of his compassion Do not think that it is any joy to us to reprove or to threaten St. Paul is loth to use the rod. Jonah will rather runne away from God then he will carry the newes to Niniveh that it must be destroyed Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping We shall find as soone as we are past this first verse that this Prophet did feel the burthen which he did see and the griefe he took for them turned his Harp into mourning and his Organes into the voyce of them that weep every tender heart avoydeth being a messenger of evil news but their feet be beautifull that bring glad tydings tydings of peace 3. The word of threatning is a burthen to the people to whom it is sent 1. Judaeis non Chaldaeis 1. To the Penitent 2. To the Impenitent 1. To the Penitent it is an heavy burthen to them to think how they have provoked God to anger and have drawn out his sword against themselves They that truly fear God when they hear their sins threatned do retire themselves into their chambers they weep and deplore their iniquities Hezekiah hearing the Prophet threatning his life He turned himself to the wall Isa 38.2 3. he prayed to the Lord and Hezekiah wept sore Never think that you hear the threatnings of God with any profit till you feel the burthen of them oppressing and the edge of them drawing bloud on you Lachrymae be sanguis animae The Lyon roareth and all the beasts of the forrest do tremble a tender sonne that hath done a fault and heareth his father threatning to punish him findeth that threatning so great a burthen to him that he can give himself no rest till he have recovered his fathers favour 2. The very Impenitent who have any sense of the terrour of the Lord feel Gods threatnings heavie it will make Ahab that sold himself to do wickednesse put on sackcloath and crowne his head with ashes and go mourning if he hear that Gods anger is stirred to bring evill upon his house Even Absolon an ungratious son is impatient of living out of his fathers presence and he setteth Joabs corn on fire for neglecting the mediation which might bring him to his fathers face Esau will seek his fathers blessing with tears and what would not Balaam give that he might die the death of the righteous Surely God is a consuming fire and if coals of this fire are kindled in the bosome of the impenitent and their damnation doth not sleep but is awake in them in the accusation of their guilty consciences to begin their hell even here on earth Hab. 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Here this Habakkuk this Wrastler doth begin his wrastling for what is this whole Chapter but a serious Expostulation and complaint wherein the Prophet 1. Contesteth with God himself vers 2.3 4. 2. He bringeth in God denoucing his own intended judgments against Judah and Jerusalem vers 5.6 7 8 9 10 11. 3. He returneth again to expostulate with God vers 12.13 14 15 16 17. 1. He contesteth with God Wherein 1. He chalengeth him for not hearing his prayer vers 2. 2. For shewing to him the sins of the people v. 3.4 In the first observe 1. What the Prophet did 1. He cryed 2. He cryed long 3. He cryed to him 2. What cause he had Of violence 3. What successe 1. Thou wilt not heare 2. Thou wilt not save To give some light to that which followeth let me first admonish you that it may well be gathered by the title that is here given to Habakkuk the Prophet that he was sent by Almighty God to preach to the Iews to reclaim them from their evil wayes and to still the noise of their crying sinnes and prevailing nothing with them to bring them to repentance he prayeth and cryeth to Almighty God for his judgement upon this People to punish their many sins and God not hearing him nor giving way to his anger to correct them the Prophet moved with the zeal of Gods glory wrastleth with God and contendeth with him for his rod upon them 1. What the Prophet did 1. I cry he lifteth up his voice against this People his brethren for it is twice exprest 1. He cryeth then he resumeth it he saith he cryeth out this is a thing that God doth use to take special notice of expectavi Justitiam ecce clamor It is said of Abel that being dead he spake Moses saith it was voxsanguinis a voice of blood God said that voice cryed to him out of the earth for vengeance The Cry of a Prophet one of Gods Secretaries to whom he revealeth his will one of Gods Chaplains to whom he committeth the Ministry of the Revelation of his will one of Gods Saviours to whom he committeth the office of saving his People the crying the vociferation of one of Gods Seers who cries not out of passion or humane perturbation but from a secret inspiration illuminating him and shewing him things to come One of Gods holy ones whom the zeale of Gods glory doth inflame with this earnestnesse the grief of mans rebellion doth provoke to that loudnesse Such a cry cannot spend it self all into aire and Sunne and perish with the noise it makes 2. He was no Sonne of thunder to make some suddain ratling noise and then cease He cryed loud he cryed long How long shall I cry if the weaknesse of his voice could not penet rate the eare of God vi by force here was saepe cadendo by often falling So David got an hoarsenesse in throat with crying loud and long to the Lord and our Saviour hath commanded that kind of importunity in Prayer and
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church
opinions As in the first temptation he told the woman ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that when ye eate thereof ye shall be as gods Bringing the woman into divers dishonourable thoughts of God as concerning his truth his justice his love to man For in tempting her to eate against the presse and precise commandment of God 1. She must think that God would not bring death upon her for her fault as he had threatned which toucheth the truth of God 2. She must suppose that the offence of eating taken at the worst is a small offence and so not likely to be avenged and mulcted with any such punishment which toucheth the justice of God 3. She must suppose that God who shewed so much favour to man to give him all the fruit for his meate but that had he loved man as he made shew would not have left that fruit for a snare to catch him and bring him to ruine or if he did so he was too loving to man to work upon the advantage Yet in this very suggestion wherein he infuseth so many dishonourable thoughts into the heart of the woman to dim the brightnesse of Gods excellent glory observe how he doth secretly confesse that God is jealous of his glory for faith Gen. 3.5 he doth know that in the day that you eate thereof you shall be as gods That is to say as well as he loves you he would not admit you into the society of his glory for man was created in the likeness of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse but not in the similitude of his glory That Satan knew well and therefore suggested that ambition which he knew would ruine mankind for that had cast him out of heaven Here by the way let me shew you the sting of the first sinne God had said to Adam Thou shalt not eate 2. Qua die comederis morte morieris what day thou eatest thou shalt die 1. In the eating the forbidden fruit the Commandment of God was broken therein man rebelled 2. In the eating being threatned with death for punishment of their eating there must either be 1. Presumption upon the goodnesse of God which should make him merciful against his truth and justice or 2. Unbeleife of his power to inflict that punishment or 3. Contempt of his power or 4. A carelesnesse I will taste come of it what will And in all these the glory of God is much defaced 3. In the eating to be as gods that most nearly touched the glory of God for it was a base opinion of God in the heart of the woman to conceive him such as she might come to be as wise as he this layd home upon the crown of Gods glory In which passage let me commend one observation of mine own upon the Text to your judgments Sâ—than tempted the woman only not the man and he sugard his temptation with these two arguments only 1. Non moriemini ye shall not dye 2. Eritis sicut dii ye shall be as gods There was aculeus in cauda a sting in the tayl for that last stung her to the quick When she came after to tempt her husband it seemeth that her inducements were three 1. It was good for food 2. Pleasant to the eye 3. To be desired to make one wise Here is no mention of this temptation to be like God Which makes me think that Adams sin did not violate the glory of God so much as the womans did and that the refore the Apostle faith I Tim. 2 â—4 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression For though I cannot clear Adam from doing injury that ways yet as the school faith he that cannot be excused a toto may be excused a tanto But the point which I wish terrible in your remembrance is that suggestions to sin do lay their foundation in some unworthy opinion of God which trespasseth his glory here spoken of God himself declares as much to the ungodly When thou sawest a theif thou consentedst with him c. These things thou hast done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Ps 50.21 The fool saith in his heart Psal 14.1 Non est Deus there is no God that he may sin the more securely David stirreth up God the avenger against the ungodly that boast themselves in evil that break in pieces Gods people Psal 94.5 and afflict his heritage That slay the widow and the stranger Vers 6. that murther the fatherlesse How dare they do all this Yet they say the Lord shall not see Vers 7. neither shall the God of of Jacob regard it Augustine to such In foelix homo ut esses curavit Deus non curat ut bene esses Is not this a great trespasse against the honour of God to deny his providence There be presumptuous sinners that go on in very great sins sins which Gods word detecteth and reproveth and threatneth yet as the Prophet saith They will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come upon us Thus they dishonour God that make him the patrone of their persons and their sins Mich. 3.11 But they that have true knowledge of the glory of God they behold him in Majesty and that not only opening his hand and giving and filling but stretching out his arme and striking and so in that one sight they behold both Ecce quantam charitatem and scientes terrorem Domini behold how great love and knowing the terrour of the Lord. In the due consideration of his justice and mercy both governed with wisdom to moderate exuberancie consisteth the knowledge of Gods glory This point serveth to good use For first it assureth us I. Vse that the God whom we serve is the true God because he is so jealous of his glory that he will have none to share with him therein For the gods of the Heathen were such good-fellows as they would admit society Baal and Melchom and Moloch and Rempham the god of Eckron Dagon the Devil and all I do not hear of any great jealousie between them but the true God is impatient of corrivall in glory 2. Because God claimeth glory in such extent all the earth over which none of the god of the heathen did but were content with their territories and knowing him to be the true God We are taught Vse 2 that there ought nothing be so dear to us as the glory of God Do but observe what remembrancers we have to put us in mind of this The law begins I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt That implyes who brought thee into the land of Egypt The Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heaven and the first Petition Sanctificetur nomen tuum then adveniat regnum then fiat voluntas all glory The Creed Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem