no vncleane thing The frute will be this You shall eate your bread in plenteousnes and dwell in your Citie safely Leuit. 26.5 6. God will send peace in the land and ye shall sleepe and none shall make you afraid He will couer you vnder his wings Psal 91.4 and you shall bee safe vnder hys feathers his truth shall be your shield and buckler You shall not be afraid of the feare of the night nor of the arrowe that flyeth by day for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer you vers 11. to keepe you in all your wayes And this will the Lord doo for you and much more if you feare loue serue obey him For he will receiue you he will be a father vnto you and you shall bee hys sonnes and daughters 2. Corinth 6.17 18. hee will dwell with you and walke among â—ou he will be your God and you shall be â—â—s people Leu. 26.12 Finally that I may conclude with the Prophet with whom I began if ye consent and obay ye shall eate the good things of the lande Esaie 1.19.20 But if ye refuse and bee rebellious yee shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This same our Lord God who alone pondereth 2. Chron. 6.30 trieth ruleth the harts of the sonnes of men Pro. 21.2 guide vs our harts to the loue of him 1. Thess 2.4 mollifie and soften vs Act. 1.34 and them by the gratious and mighty working of his holy and blessed spirit 2. Thess 3.5 that we may sensibly feele perceiue how good and louing a God and mercifull father hee hath beene and is vnto vs and that we may shew our selues thankfull and obedient vnto him liuing vnto his lawes and embracing his word and obeying his commandements so dooing wee shall be the Lords chiefe treasure aboue all people â—he will fight for vs as he did for the Israelites his elect chosen children he will carrie vs on Eagles wings as he did them throughout the dangers and troubles of this wofull Egypt till wee come to the hauen of perfect rest to the land of the celestiall Canaan where we shal haue the fruition of endles ioyes 1. Cor. 2.6 which eye hath not seen neither eâ—re hath heard neither haue entred into the hart of man prepared of God for them that loue him Of which ioyes God of his infinite mercie grant vs all to be partakers through the merites and death of Iesus Christ his sonne our Lord and sauiour to whome with the holy Ghost triple in person but one in substance be praise and glory and wisedome and thankes honour and power and might for euermore Apoc. 7.12 Now let vs pray O Lord thou that liuest for euer which beholdest from thy holy hill the things that are done vpon earth heare and hearken we beseech thee vnto the Prayers of thy seruants and receiue into thine eares the petitions of thy creatures Looke not O Lord vpon the multitude of our iniquities and haue no respect to the number of our sinnes let it not bee thy will to destroy vs which appeare worse before thee than the Oxe and Asse for the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but we thy children whom thou hast nourished and brought vp as a most louing father haue not knowne and wee that in time past were not a people but nowe thine owne people haue not vnderstand VVe must acknowledge and confesse vnto thee our Lord and God that euen the byrdes of the Ayre as the Storke and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow doo better knowe and obserue the times of their comming then we the iudgments of thee our God Our misdeedes are great and they presse vs downe as an heauy burden Our iniquities are as the sand of the sea in number before thee Thou hast O Lord many and iust causes to doe with vs according to our offences because wee haue not kept thy commandements neither haue walked in duty and obedience before thee but haue rebelled as did thy people the Iewes VVee haue the sickenesse of our Fathers wee haue done amisse and dealt wickedly Notwithstanding O Lord wee trust that thou wilt be fauourable and gracious vnto vs. In a contrite heart and an humble spirite let vs be receiued Deale with vs thy seruants which put their trust in thee after thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy mercies so shalt thou be called mercifull and we shall haue great cause to praise and glorifie thee both for this and all other thy former benefits specially for that as vpon this day thou diddest deliuer vs and our Citie out of the handes of our wicked enemies and hatefull foes which sayd that they would burne our dwelling places and kill our yong men with the sword dash our sucking children against the ground and make our infants as a pray our virgins a spoyle which also sayd we will diuide the booty our lust shall be satisfied vpon them and then wee will draw the weapon and our hand shall destroy them But thou the Lord of Hoasts which art great and glorious maruelous and inuincible in power whose voyce no creature can abide diddest soone bring them and their deuises to naught Thy right hande was glorious in power thy right arme brused the enemy In thy great glory thou diddest ouerthrow them that rose against thee thou diddest send forth thy wrath which consumed them as the stubble and by the blast of thy nostrels the waters came which ran mightily through the channels of our streets so drowned the labours of their hands And so from that day to this as the Egle doth her yong ones thou hast carried vs vppon the winges of thy mercy out of all dangers for which and all other thy blessinges most gracious and louing father we shall from age to age remember thee and thy goodnes this shall bee a feast day vnto vs and our posterity we that are now and they that are to come shall sing prayses vnto thee exalt thy name Thou O Lord wast and art our strength and power thou wast and art our saluation thou hast beene and art our refuge our defence our castle and the rocke of our might thou art our God thou art the God of our fathers we will magnifie thee And here also wee are bolde to make our deuout and harty prayers vnto thee Lord almighty and father of vs al that thou after thine accustomed mercy wilt vouchsafe continually to remember vs from thy holy mount to looke downe vppon vs. Keep vs Lord as the apple of thine eye graue vs as another Zion vppon the palme of thine handes and let our walls bee euer in thy sight VVhen men shall rise vp against vs and shall be wrathfully displeased at vs if wee turne to thee with all our hearts and with all our soules and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house heare thou then O Lord in heauen in the dwelling place of thy habitation what prayer and supplication so euer shall bee made of any man or of all thy people and pardon the sinne of thy seruants and bee mercifull to the transgressions of thy children punish vs not according to our deserts deliuer vs not whom thou hast purchased for a spoile vnto captiuity and death sell vs not into the hands of our enemies round a-about vs giue vs not ouer for a pray vnto their teeth make vs not for a Prouerbe of reproch to the Nations farre and neere lest they aske where is now their God Let not the Heathen say which haue heard the fame of thee because the Lorde was not able to saue this people in the land that he gaue them or because hee hated them therefore hee hath left them in the handes of spoilers to spoile them and of the Nations to raigne as Lordes ouer them Lord we are thy people and thine inheritance which thou deliueredst of olde by thy mighty power and preseruedst by thy stretched out arme Let this greatnes of thy power continue withdraw not thy accustomed fauor from vs hide not thou thy face from vs in the time of troble but be thou mercifull vnto vs according to thy great mercies Let all the earth be filled with the brightnesse of thy glory let all such that beare euill will at Zion which seeke to lay thy vineyard wast which thou so graciously hast planted fortified on euery part to bring thine heritage to confusion be confouÌ„ded by thy great force and power and let their strength bee broken that they may knowe that thou which art called Iehouah art alone euen the most High ouer all the earth Finally O Lorde carry vs thy people by thy great mercie whom thou deliueredst bring vs we beseech thee in thy strength vnto thy holy habitation plant vs in the mountaine of thine inheritance which is the place that thou hast prepared for to dwell in euen in the Sanctuarie O Lorde which thine handes shall stablish make vs ioyfull Citizens of thy holy Citie Hierusalem which is aboue goe before vs both by day and by night in the pillar of thy fauour and goodnesse to leade vs the way that we may safely passe through this vale of misery and wretchednesse and finish this our pilgrimage with ioy And lastly that through the ayde and assistance of our true Ioshua thy son Iesus Christ we thy children hauing passed all difficulties may rest and dwell with thee our father in the Kingdome of all happines and felicitie Euen so Lord Iesus Nomb. 6.24 The Lord blesse you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine vpon you and be mercifull vnto you the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon you and giue you peace to your City and your selues now and euer Amen Soli Deo Gloria FINIS
prophet begā to prophesie after that God had blessed him maruellously had giuen him many notable victories thereby was grown to be strong lifted vp his heart and vsurped the priests office and went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense and when he was willed to leaue off would not but waxed wroth as it is in the second of Chronicles and 26. chap. v. 19. Ierusalem a faithfull citie and which had promised fidelitie vnto God as a wife to her husband is now become a common harlot and a filthie strumpet Esa 1.21 She was once full of iudgement and iustice was lodged within her brest but now she is full of rauen crueltie and deceit verse 22. Her siluer is become drosse and her wine is mixt with water The testimonies of the Lord which sometime were pure and without drosse like vnto siluer that is tried with fire are now defiled with pharisaicall traditions and doctrines of men The commandements of the Lord which were like vnto pure wine reioycing the heart through watery dregs haue lost their strength colour and beautie verse 23. The princes of the people were rebellious and companions of theeues they loued giftes and followed after rewardes they iudged not the fatherlesse neither did the widowes cause come before them Ierem. 2.8 The Priests said not so much as where is the Lorde and they that should minister the lawe knew not God Deut. 32.15 He that should haue beene vpright when he waxed fatte and grose and was laden with fatnesse spurned with his heele and forsooke the Lorde that made him regarded not the strong God of his saluation And therefore the state and condition of Iudah Ierusalem being thus corrupt whom neither the benefits of God could win nor his punishments amend the Lord by his Prophet dooth iustly charge them with ingratitude and disobedience in this sort They haue rebelled against me Wherein they did rightly imitate and follow their forefathers Psal 78.8 a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation whose heart was not aright and whose spirit was not faithfull vnto God For no sooner had God brought thē out of Egipt out of the house of bondage with a mighty hand and stretched out arme Psal 106.7 but they forgate his great goodnesse and rebelled at the Sea euen at the red Sea Exo. 16.3 In the wildernesse of Sin they grudged for bread and flesh Exod. 17.2 and in Rephidim for water They made a calfe in Horeb Exod. 32.4 worshipped the molten image Psa 106.19 They maliced Moses Aaron the holy one of the Lord. v. 16. They would haue stoned Caleb and Ioshua Nom. 14.10 They ioined themselues vnto Baal peor did eat the offrings of the dead Psa 106.28 They sacrificed their sonnes and daughters vnto deuils shed innocent bloud euen the bloud of their sonnes and daughters whom they offred vnto the idols of Canaan Deut. 32.17 gods whom they knew not new gods that came newly vp forsooke the Lorde God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egipt and followed other gods as Baal and Ashtaroth the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed vnto them Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was hote against Israel and he deliuered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and solde them into the hands of their enemies round about them Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressours ve 16. but they would not obey their Iudges for they wet a whoring after other gods and worshipped thē Iudg. 10.6 as the gods of Aram Zidon and Moab the gods of the children of Ammon and of the Philistins forsooke the Lorde God and serued not him And thus they rebelled and their posteritie to the dayes of Iohn the fore-runner of Christ and his Apostles insomuch that of Christ before him of Iohn the Baptist they are called Progenies viperarum the generations of vipers Mat. 3.7 And because they were the children of them which murthred the prophets fulfilled the measure of their fathers Mat. 23.31 the lord vpbraideth casteth in their teeth not onely their owne but also their fathers malice Many a time would the Lord haue gathered them together Matt. 23 37. as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings but they would not And therefore did Stephan to their faces charge them with stubbornesse and rebellion calling them Act. 7.51 stifnecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares alwaies resisting the holy Ghost as their fathers did So that though Israel and Iudah after a sort could colour their rebellion and stifnesse of heart against the Lord and against his annointed with the multitude of sacrifices Esa 1.11 with the burnt offerings of Rams and fat of fed beasts with the bloud of bullockes of Lambes and of goates with the obseruation of new moones Sabbaths and solemne daies with the stretching out of hands and making many praiers yet we see what they are and the Lord who alone looketh into the harts of all by the prophet here chargeth the very Rulers to be rebellious companions of theeues ve 23 yea and the whole packe of them for their impietie and wickednesse to be like vnto the princes of Sodoma and people of Gomorah The application And now to applie these former points vnto our selues before we come to the exaggeration of this peoples ingratitude and vnkindnesse let vs take some short view whether our condition be the same with the condition of Israel and Iudah or whether ours be better than theirs was The Lorde our God as yee all know hath nourished and brought vp vs his children in as good and ample manner as euer he did the Iewes his elect and chosen people He hath giuen vs for our comfort Psa 8.7.8 the beasts of the field the foules of the ayre and the fishes of the sea He brought vs out of the yron fornace of Romish Egipt at what time the Egyptian tyrants made vs wearie of our liues with sore labourin the clay and bricke of hellish superstition and with all maner of bondage which they laide vpon vs most cruelly Hetherto the Lorde hath gone before vs by day in a pillar of a cloude and by night in a pillar of fire to lead vs the way and to giue vs light that we might go both by day and by night out of all danger He hath giuen vs Manna frō heauen not Manna of which the Fathers did eate in the wildernesse and are dead but a liuing Manna a Manna that giueth life vnto the world a Manna of which he that truly eateth shall liue for euer Ioh. 6 38. The Israelites after they had drunke of the water out of the rocke thirsted againe but of the water which he shall giue vs if we once drinke we shall neuer be more a thirst Joh 4.14 for it is the water of life euen the grace and loue of God in
them yea and haue iustified them as did Ierusalem hir two sisters Sodom and Samaria verse 51. in all the abhominations which we haue done The pietie and godlines which many of vs pretend when it is at best is but Iewish hipocrisie or some sodaine passion of the minde or violent motion and therefore endureth but a while soone hote and soone cold as was Esaus to Iaakob Ge. 33.4 27.41 32.6.36.6 Sauls to Dauid 1. Sam. 24.5.17.18 1. Sam. 26.2 and the peoples to Christ which spread their garments in the way that hee went which cut downe branches from the trees which greeted him with Hosanna Mat. 21.8.9 and shortly after cried Crucifige crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him Luke 23.21 So inconstancy in brotherly loue gentlenes tender mercy kindnes humblenes of minde meeknes and other such liuely fruits of faith which S. Paule biddeth vs Coll. 3.12 as the elect of God to put on betrayed these and so it betrayeth vs. Wee as these men and people were like vnto Clouds without water Iude. verse 12. are carried about of windes hauing no continuance in that which is good Wee thinke that wee haue done God good and great seruice when wee haue left some pretty shewes of Christianitie though within a while after with the Dogge we returne to the vomit 2. Pet. 2.22 VVe deale with the Lorde as Israel did with Ioshua How was that say you Surely thus VVe giue out many faire and large promises as that all shal be amended which is amisse that we will do so and so no more that wee will waxe better and better euery day God forbid say we that we should forsake the Lord our God who deliuered vs when we were in miserie and scattered our enemies round about vs therefore the Lord our God will we serue and his voice will we obay This was Israels vowe and promise then Ios 24.16.24 and the same is ours nowe though quickly forgotten as theirs was For as they not long after that the couenant was made and written by Ioshua in the booke of the law of God and a great stone pitched in the remembrance and testimonie thereof prouoked the Lord to anger so do we And as did Israel we haue said and sworne that we will serue the Lord onely but yet marke behold there are of vs that serue and follow other Gods as bad in effect as the Gods of Aram the Gods of Zidon the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines Iudg. 10.6 VVherefore as Ioshua saide vnto the Israelites so giue mee leaue to say vnto you that say and doo such things Yee are witnesses against your selues Ios 24.22 The stones of the streete which the Pauier pitched shall testifie against you for by trampling treading on them with your feete they are wakened haue hard the words which ye haue spoken concerning the Lord. So that rather than mans dissimulation mans ingratitude mans vnkindnes mans rebellion and Apostasie shall escape vnpunished the verie stones of the street deafe and dumbe creatures shall call and cry for vengeaunce against it and who so is wise will ponder this in his heart Brethren with the Apostle I will shewe you this secret of which I would not that ye should be ignorant least ye should bee arrogant Although it hath pleased God in his abundant mercie to make vs his people which in time past were not a people 1. Pet. 2.10 to graffe vs a wilde oliue tree wilde by nature contrarie to nature in the right oliue tree Roman 11.17 let not the wilde oliue though some of the braunches be broken off graft in for them and made partaker of the roote and fathes of the oliue tree boast it selfe against the branches For if God spared not the naturall branches take heede least hee also spare not vs. Wherefore let vs not be high minded but feare let vs behold the boundtifulnes seueritie of God and ponder well the one the other toward the Iewes which haue fallen seueritie but toward vs bountifulnes vers 22. if we continue abide therin Beloued these and such like are written to warne vs that wee should beware of the like sinnes least we feele the like plagues Let vs remember then what manner of people we were in time past and what wee are now in Christ Iesus Let vs consider that we haue had yet haue a God that is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of great compassion no otherwise affected toward vs than a father toward his owne children for he hath nourished and broght vs vp thogh we haue rebelled against him and yet doo But if wee continue and goe onward walking in the wayes of our hearts hee will call vs to a sharpe account euen to the ballaunce of his iudgement Eccles 11.9 and because hee will make due and iust proofe of our guiltinesse hee wyll summon the heauens and earth to witnes against vs and the brute and dumbe creatures of the world to condemne vs. For so doth the Lord heere against his owne people the Iewes calling to recorde agaynst them first the heauens and earth and now to aggrauate their ingratitude and rebellion against him their father the oxe the asse in this forme and manner of speaking The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but Israel hath not knowen my people hath not vnderstand By which kinde of comparison or example demonstratiue the most iust God so iustly prouoked dooth declare that the most brute and dul beasts did more acknowledge their dutie toward their masters which notwithstanding pressed them downe with sore heauie burdens than did his people toward him of whom they had receiued benefits without comparison In like sort the Lord in the eight chapter of the prophet Ieremie and the sixt verse complaineth of the Iewes that turned back by a perpetuall rebellion and saith I hearkened and heard but none spake aright no man repented him of his wickednes saying What haue I done euerie one tourned to their race as the Horse rusheth into the battell Verse 7. Euen the storke in the aire knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lord. Hee accuseth the Iewes because they were more ignoraunt of the iudgements of their God than were these birds of their appointed seasons to discerne the cold and heate But a strange thing and a wonderful They that shuld haue been like the Angels in heauen that should haue expressed and that most liuely the similitude and likenes of God are not to be preferred to the brute creatures of the earth Israel the Lords people Israel the Lords inheritance Israel the lot of his inheritance Deu. 32.9 Israel the Lords seruant Esa 44.21 Israel the Lords portion Israel a thing halowed to the lord Ier. 2.3 Israel the first fruites of the Lord Israel the first