THE WAY of GOD WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THESE NATIONS Opened in A Thanksgiving Sermon preached on the 5th of November 1656. before the Right Honorable the High Court of Parliament By PETER STERRY LONDON Printed by Peter Cole Book-seller and Printer and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1657. FOR THE RIGHT HONORABLE The High Court of Parliament The Epistle Dedicatory Right Honorable I Have obeyed your Commands in Printing this Sermon as I did in Preaching it O that in both the Sermon may prove an Alablaster Box and the Name of Jesus Christ as an Oyntment powred forth from it We are in a Wilderness Clouds of Darkness and Doubt Fires of Danger Dissention and Wrath are in the midst of us round about us That the Presence of Christ may be the Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire to go before you as a Light in Difficulties to stand behind you as a Defence in Dangers is the continual Prayer of Your Honors most humble Servant in Christ PETER STERRY Fryday the 7th of Novemb. 1656. ORdered by the Parliament That Mr. Sterry have the Thanks of this House for his great Pains taken in his Sermon preached before this House at Margarets Westminster on the 5th of Novemb. Being a day set apart for Publick Thanksgiving and that he be desired to Print his Sermon and that he have the like Priviledg in Printing as hath been formerly allowed to others in like Cases And that Col. John Jones do give him the Thanks of this House accordingly Henry Scobell Clerk of the Parliament A SERMON preached before the Right Honorable House of Parliament on the 5. of November 1656. Being a Thanksgiving Day for the Victory over the Spaniards West-Indie Fleet Isaiah 9. 5. For every battel of the warriour is with confused noise and Garments rolled in Blood but this shal be with burning and Fuel of fire THis verse is a Prophecy of the deliverance of Jerusalem from the siege by Sennacherib of which you have the compleat Hystory afterwards in this Book Chap. 36. Chap. 37. In the first verse of this Chapter mention is made of Two dark seasons which affected the Kingdom of Israel One was when Tiglath Pilezer invaded part of the Land and carryed part of the people into Captivity of which you may read 2. Kings 15. 29. The other was when Salmanaser over-run the whol Land carryed captive the generality of the people and set an end to that Kingdom The Lord comforteth his people of the Kingdom of Judah that the trouble which was to come upon them by Sennacherib should not be so grievous as either of these For saith he Nevertheles the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the Land of Naphtali and afterwards did more grievously affict her by the way of the Sea Jordan in Galile of the Nations The second verse is a great Promise of Deliverance The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwel in the Land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined The Prophet speaks of al the Jews in both Kingdoms as one Body When the Kingdome of Israel was laid wast it is probable that many of those ten Tribes fled into the land of Judah When Sennacherib invaded Judah ruining the Countreys as he passed with his army the multitude of the people retyred before him into Jerusalem The King of Assyria besiegeth that great City and with his mighty Army over shadows it as with Darkness and the shadow of Death Now in the thickness of this darkness a light ariseth and shines forth upon the people by the prayer of Hezekiah the prophecy of Esaiah the descent of the Lord from Heaven by a mighty Angel Behold the difference which God makes between the Kingdom of Israel and of Judah those who set up Calves to themselves who worship the maker of Heaven and Earth after the Imaginations of their own heart in the Images and works of their own hands and those who worship him in his own Temple at Jerusalem which is a figure of Jesus Christ the only Image of the Invisible God as he makes himself known to us by his own Spirit You have three sences of the first part of the 3. verse Thou hast meltiplyed the Nation and hast not increased the joy Some apply this to Sennacheribs Army which was so numerous and a Collection of so many Nations The Heathen were gathered together agaiust Jerusalem in vast numbers but they had no joy in it proportionable to their Combinations and their Confidence Others interpret it of the Jews shut up in Jerusalem during the siege You may read the words as the Margin points it out to you in stead of Thou hast not increased the joy thou hast increased the joy to hiâ— that is to Hezekiah who was then King of Judah as if he should say Thou hast by occasion of this siege multiplied the people round about Hezekiah in Jerusalem and now in the Eyes of them al thou settest him up on high and increasâ—st his joy by that Miracle which thou workest to deliver them for his sake Or else there is a sweet Antithesis or Opposition in the words On Sennacheribs part thou multipliest the Nation his Army and outward strengths but thou increasest the joy to Hezekiah They joy before thee according to the joy of harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the Spoile This was the joy of the people of God when they came forth from the City and found the dead bodys of their enemies lying in the fields like Corn newly cut down and their treasures like ful Ears of Corn We may observe two things from this verse First The end of affliction frequently is to gather up beleevers close to Jesus Christ in his own person or in the Anoyntings of his spirit upon some chosen ones that he may increase the honor and joy of these in the sight of al the people by that Salvation which he works thorow them and for their sakes Secondly The joy of the Saints in their deliverances is a Double joy a Harvest of spiritual glories and consolations in the appearances of God to them the spoil of the enemy whose Power and wealth becomes theirs while they are cut off by the appearances of God for his beloved Thus Jesus Christ at the same time ascended into Heaven to the Father and spoyled the powers and Principalities of this world carrying Captivity Captive Thus our Savior tels the Saints that what ever they lose that is dear to them in this world they shal have it again an hundred-fold and everlasting Life There is the harvest of Spiritual joyes everlasting Life There is the spoil of the enemy and Captivity Captivated when they recover al the Beautys joyes sweetnesses of this world out of the hand of the enemy and have them an
answer to the Light within But where you see Persons while they profess themselves to be Saints changing all having nothing of the same Nature or Rellish left there is great reason to fear that this is not the Newness of the Spirit but the Wildness of the Flesh not the freshness and variety of the living Spring but the Endless turnings and windings of the old Serpent But to return now and to shew you how this Scripture which hath occasioned this short stay by the way makes good that Doctrine which we have in hand All the way of Jesus Christ in the Saints and in the World for the sake of the Saints is after the newness of the spirit It follows then that it must be it self New and Extraordinary Another Scripture compared with this wil make the Proof from both more strong and cleer Es. 43. 18 19 20 21. Remember ye not the former things neither consider ye the things of Old Behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall ye not know it I will even make a way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart The Beast of the field shall honor me the Dragons and the Owls because I give Waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart to give drink to my People my Chosen This People have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise There are Four Things to be taken notice of in these words First The Deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonians is the proper subject of this Prophesie in the Letter of it as you shal see at verse 4. This Deliverance from the Babylonians is made in Scripture universally a Type of every Deliverance of the People of God from the Powers of Darkness and of this world but more particularly of the Deliverance of the Church in the last daies from Antichrist which is Spiritual Babylon Secondly In this Deliverance the Lord laies aside all Presidents every old Form and Custom he works a New thing What is this New thing He makes a Way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart These Expressions look backward by way of Allusion to the Coming of the Children of Israel out of Egypt when the Lord made a way for them through the Wilderness going himself before them in the Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire and gave them Rivers of Water from the Rock which followed them in the Desert But this Literal Sense is not that which the Lord here intends For this had been no New thing but had only brought the former things to remembrance by the Imitation and Re-iteration of them Therefore the words look forward to an Allegorical and Mystical accomplishment in the times of the Gospel We all know that Jesus Christ is frequently held forth in the Gospel as the Way John 14. 6. He cals himself The Way Heb. 10. 20. He is said to be the New and Living Way by the rending of the Vail of his Flesh and the raising of him up again in the Spirit In like manner it is an Evident thing that the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel is resembled to Rivers of Water as John 7. 38. Out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water ver. 39. This spake he of the Spirit This then is the New thing which the Lord doth He turns the outward face of things in Church and Common-wealth into a Wilderness puts al into Confusion that no humane Eye can see any way either forward or backward Then he comes forth with new extraordinary appearances in Christ as the Pillar of a Cloud burying all the Light and Life of the Creature in the Darkness of Christs Death as a Pillar of Fire shining and sparkling forth with a New Light and Heat from the Glory of his Resurrection These Extraordinary Appearances in Christ the Lord makes his way in which he walks and into which he leads his People to walk with him in his wonders through the Churches and the Nations When the Spirit of man becomes a Desert like a winter-brook that is passed away and decives the expectation of the weary Traveller all Springs of Wisdom Counsel Help Comfort in the Creature are dryed up then the Lord comes forth in mighty and miraculous workings after the Newness of the Spirit in the fresh flowings of that and makes it to be as Rivers in the Desert Rivers have these Properties First They are from a Living Spiring Secondly They flow along with a great breadth depth and force Thirdly They flow continually running along still with a fresh succession of New waters from the Head of the River Fourthly They make all things cheerful and flourishing round about them So doth the Lord in the Desert of the Creature put forth himself by his Spirit with an irresistable force an uncessant Newness with a quickness of life a breadth and depth of design from the immediate Fountain of the God-head Thirdly It is observable here that the Saints are they who peculiarly drink of these Rivers They have the immediate inward sence Strength Joy Glory the cheif ends and benefit of these Out-goings of the God-head But natural men signified by the Beasts of the field the powers of this world yea the most ignorant and unbeleeving that sit in the greatest darkness which are as the Owles Nay more than that the Dragons the profanenest and wickedest persons both Princes and Stats who have the greatest enmity to Christ and his Church al these shal acknowledg and give glory to the Lord in these Miraculous workings of his from Heaven partly for the greatness of the Conviction by the presence and cleerness of the Appearances of God in the midst of them before their Eyes as is signified verse 19. Now it shal spring forth shal ye not see it partly for the relife and the refreshing which shal be extended to them also in their natural Man and civil affayres For so it is said verse 20. They shal honor me because I give waters in the wilderness c. Fourthly The end of al this is for the Saints that they may be formed and wrought up to God to Spirituality and Heavenlyness to his Likness to one Image and Nature with him to the Immediate enjoyment of him to his Bosom his Throne there to raigne with him from thence as chosen Vessels to carry forth the Praises of God in the Gospel of his Love his Righteousness his Holyness his Beauties his Joys his Glorys into the Nations that the Saints may be as a Holy first-fruits and the Nations as a sanctified Lump through them This people have I formed for myself to shew forth my praise Verse 21. I have now finished the two Arguments for the making good of the Doctrine one taken from the Person and Office of Christ the other from the Influences and Operations of the Spirit as both Christ and the Spirit are in the Newness of the highest and most Evangelical Glory as both stand in relation first to the Church then
when he pours out a Spirit of Grace upon his people Secondly He alwaies and more especially when he is seeking the ruine of his enemies joynes these two a Spirit of Grace and of Supplication Are there not many that can testifie by their own experience concerning the works of these times that the Heart of God in a Spirit of Grace hath bin let down into the Bosom of his beloved ones that thus their hearts have bin by a Spirit of Supplication drawn up into the Bosom of God and have drawn forth these deliverances from the Wells of Salvation there These Wells are Deep the Deep things of God his Love his Wisdom his Righteousness his power his Glory as these lie in the very depths of his Essence and Divine Nature But Saints have had their Buckets their Hearts to draw with and a line a Spirit of Supplication long and sure enough to let down their hearts into these deep Wels of Salvation which are in the Heart of God These Wells are stil ful of living Waters and these Buckets are stil going Saints keep your expectiations stil fresh Secondly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Prophecy Esai 43. 9. God challengeth al the Nations Let them bring forth their witnesses who among them can shew us former things that is things before they come to pass or things before their times before the world by a spirit of Prophesie Verse 12. I have declared and have saved and I have shewed when there was no strange God among you therefore ye are my witnesses saith the Lord that I am God Hath not the Lord many Witnesses in these Nations yea here present I know he hath In the former daies when ye were with him at your Banquets of spiritual enjoyments on your Bed of spiritual Loves then did he by his spirit before hand signifie within you the snfferings of these times and the Glory which hath risen out of them And as he hath declared so hath he saved us by the same Spirit And now tel me ye that are the Lords witnesses when ye are in your holyest seasons when there is no strange God or Love but Jesus Christ alone shines in the midst of your spirit doth he not stil shew you greater things than these which are yet to come Thirdly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Holiness Ephes. 1. 13. It is called a Holy spirit Ye were sealed with the Holy spirit of Promise Holiness is the Character and Seal of that spirit of Grace which is promised to the Saints Psal. 99. 8. Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wert a God that forgavest them though thou takest Vengeance of their iniquities The Lord testified his presence with the Jews in the Wilderness by his Holiness in taking Vengeance of their Inventions There is a Three fold Vengance which the Lord takes for Sin First On the Persons and this three waies 1. By Casting them off for ever 2. By Cutting of the inward Beams of spiritual Communion between himself and them for a season perhaps for al their life long 3. By Clouding their outward Man with trouble and sorrow God alwaies pardons iniquity to the Persons of his Children in respect to the first of these Vengances He cannot give them over or cease to love them sometimes also in respect to the second and third He continues the sweetness of their Communion with him and the Serenity of their natural comforts un-interrupted Secondly The Second Vengance for sin is on the publike Cause Thus the Lord did forgive the Israelites in the Wilderness and not take Vengeance on the publike Cause For though they al died in the desert yet the Lord kept his cause a live carryed that Victoriously over Jordan into the Land of Canaan and planted it to grow there for many generations The Third Vengance on the Inventions on the Corruptions and Idols of the Heart In this sense the Lord never pardons any The Spirit which hath bin our guide hath Signally declared it self a Spirit of Grace by its abundant Forgivenesses and a Spirit of Holiness by the Vengance which it hath taken for Sin When any have risen up against him his Purity his Progress from the Enmity of the Serpent he hath made the Earth to open and swallow them up into the darknesses below by a Natural or Civil Death he hath made fire to come down from Heaven a spiritual fire of Divine judgement and wrath by which they have bin so withered dryed and burnt up that they have lost al that Greenness of Religion Honor Honesty Morality Natural light which they seemed before to have and have fallen to open Perfidiousness to ranting Profanenesses to a reprobate Sense a stupid Atheisticalness But when the Children of the Kingdom have transgressed by temptations of Covetousness Ambition Fleshliness Passion Delusions Spiritual Pride have fallen to Murmurings Divisions Sensuality Worldly Designs although this Spirit may have pardoned all this to their Persons hiding them in the cleft of the Rock in the wounds of Christ there preserving their Outward their Inward Life and Peace while he hath passed by yet hath he taken open Vengeance of their Inventions by manifest eminent Disappointments in their Expectations and endless confusions in the way of their Designs Yet all this while hath the Holy Spirit pardoned the sins of all Parties to the Cause He hath not suffered that to fall but hath gone on when it seems to faint renewing its strength carrying it up on high as on an Eagles wing enlarging it in Victory Peace Spiritual Liberties at home spreading its Branches over the Seas and to Forraign far distant Lands breaking the Head of the Leviathan the chief strength of Antichrist in the deep Waters Fourthly The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Vnity Ephel 4. 3. Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Vnity is the Character the most immediate and inseparable Property of the Spirit The Bond of Peace hath its strength and root in the Vnity of the Spirit as the Sympathy and Vnion of all the Fellow members in the Body arise from and is preserved by One Soul by the Vnity of the Soul There is a Twofold Vnity First of Inward Affection Secondly of Outward Effect As to the Latter of these I had rather much speak in silent Groans to God than by words to men bleed inwardly than breath forth outward Complaints for the Breaches of the Daughter of my People But so far as concerns the First of these the Inward Affection to Vnity let me call forth you who have the Testimony in your selves that it hath been the Spirit in the Living Creatures in the Hearts of the Saints quickened by the Life of Christ which hath been in the Wheels that have turned about and carried on this whol work from the beginning hitherto I appeal to you What are the Meltings the Weepings over the Divisions among the Saints What Yearnings and turnings of Bowels after a