were escheated for this the Lord sent a sword upon Ammon and devoured him Thus was Israel Heyre to them that were his Heyres saith the Lord. The same befell them for their scoffing at Israel in her Calamity Ezek. 25.3 c. saying aha clapping their hands and stamping with their feet that the same Judgement should befall them The King of Moab would needes curse Israel by a sorcerer was cursed by him with his people Num. 22.23.24 cap. Jer. 48.26.27 and the cursing Prophet slain with the Sword of Israel but the Prophet Jeremiah gives Moab a Cup of drunkennes to wallow in his vomit and to become a derision what 's the reason because he had derided Israel loe a cup of trembling for Moab Haman got a Commission to put the Jewes to death and built a Gallows for Mordecai Hester got a Commission to put Haman to death with his Sonnes and he was hanged on his own Gallows Esther Cap. 6.7 8. Mat. 15.11 loe the exact severity of divine justice upon his peoples adversaries for with what measure they meate to us the Lord will measure to them again 2 King 18.19 Cap. Zenacherib trusting in Nisroch his God came up against Israel and slew the Children of God he was slain by his own Children in the house of Nisroch his God Thus the Lord comforteth Jacob Jer. 30.16 Behold all that devoure thee shall be devoured all that spoyle thee shall be a spoyle and all that prey upon thee I will give for a prey Prov. 22.17 Deut. 32.41.42 Psal 64.4.7 8 9. Thus he that seeketh evil and vengeance evil and vengeance shall come upon him and this the Lord will recompence on his Churches adversaries as he solemnly professeth He will shoot suddenly with an Arrow against those wicked Archers that shoot at his people and will wound them so shall they make their own tongues to fall upon them and all men shall feare and shall declare his doings This hath made me the more copious in this That God having executed the same acts of retaliating Justice upon your enemies we may both wisely consider his doings and declare those works of God this day Reason Which consideration may well put us upon a little search of the ground of this proceeding in God It s from that neare union and interest that the Lord and his people have in each other whereby the Lord cannot but engage himselfe to be tender of them 1 Cor. 3.17 They are as so many sacred Temples unto God Now If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy Ephes 5. His people are his Body and his Members and his Flesh and Blood Now no man ever hated his own flesh but nourished and cherished it Therefore if any hurt his body members or flesh he will require eye for eye tooth for tooth limb for limb and life for life They are the Lords sons and children he that wrongs them Exod. 4.22 23. the Lord will slay their sons their first born They are his Lambs how tender is he of them appeares in his three-fold charge to Peter to feed them and in bearing them in his Armes will hee see them worried and not avenge their blood They are his brethren mother and sister Mark 3.35 it were unnaturall not to defend the lives and avenge the deaths of these Nay observe this is one reason why he is called the Redeemer or God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 35. Ruth 3 12 13. it is one of his Attributes and he was properly a kinsman and blood-friend and he was such a one which had jus vindiciarum and shall we think this an empty Title I tell you he will avenge his kinreds blood and that right speedily They are the Lords crown and glory Isai 62.9 Nay Isa 62.3 4. and his very Jewels will he suffer any to rifle his Cabinet or pluck off the Crown from his head who will not tremble at the thought of such an attempt They are the Lords Free-men can we thinke he will endure them to be made slaves How hath he then triumphed 1 Cor. 7.22 and led captivity captive if he hath not made a perfect conquest They are pure Virgins of the Lord 2 Cor. 11.2 who durst attempt the chastity of his Virgins or of his Spouse to kindle the fire of his jealousie They are all Kings and Priests to him through Jesus Christ Rev. 1.6 therefore all anointed therefore all sacred therefore he charges all the world not to touch them under that notion and reproves Kings for their sakes the height of which prophanesse and Sacriledge in his account is a daring and provoking sinne Let us not think these Titles and Relations empty they are the highest engagements in the world Hence the Lord hath cloathed himselfe with all titles of defence and safety Take notice of one place where David in the day the Lord delivered him from all his enemies calls God his Rocke Psal 18.2 his Fortresse his Deliverer his God his Strength his Buckler his high Tower and the Horn of his Salvation and severall attributes of defence which last also is a Horn of Salvation for his servants to push down their enemies So we have God both a defensive and an offensive weapon to his people against their enemies in that congratulation Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and the sword of thine excellency i. e. the most excellent sword that his people can have and that by which they excell and conquer their foes Psa 44.6.7 Zach. 2.5 therefore said to be better then Bow or Sword and more to be trusted unto But that of our Prophet is a very high expression where the Lord saith He will be a wall of fire about Jerusalem he had said before Jerusalem shall be inhabited as Townes without Walls Then they might object How shall it be defended if it hath no Walls Very well saith God I will be instead of Walles my salvation shall be Walles and Bulwarks Isa 26. v. 1. this makes a strong City but this is not all they are no common Walles that I will be to Jerusalem Gladio ancipiti flammeo et versatili he will be a Wall of sire about Jerusalem Alluding saith Lactantius and others to Paradise which was guarded by Cherubims and a flaming Sword burning every way Or perhaps alluding to such as travell through Desarts where they have no fence in the night from savage Beasts but by making fires which affrights a far off the devouring creatures thus the Lord is to Jerusalem Oh but will not this damnifie or endanger the Church within that fire No I will be glory in the midst of her fire without and glory within At the same time as the furnace was in Daniel fire without burnt the enemies but glory within to the three Worthies Jer. 51.58 for the Lord was there with them Babylons
wall is called a broad wall it being 50. foot others say 50. cubits thick and of an incredible height yet taken we have a wall of water about us Deut. 1.28 and wooden walls yet all this is nothing to a wall of fire It was said of the Canaanits Cities that they were walled up to heaven they fel down before Israel but a wall of fire is more impregnable Isa 10.17 This the Lord threatned against that grand Tyrant Nebucadnezzar The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devoure his thornes and his briers in one day Thus you see the enemy is combustible stuff as elsewhere tow chaff stubble and straw Thus shall they be to Jerusalem in their attempts and she shall be fire unto them ver v. 6. after my text Surely the Lord will make it a hot day to Jerusalems assailants This shews Gods people to be invincible because all these titles of defence as Walls Tower c. declare the Saints to be in God that they dwell in or within him So the Psalmist clearly Psal 91.2 c. 1 Ioh. 4.16 He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty Now hence it followes that those who will attach Jerusalem must first fight with God and batter storme and break thorough him ere they come at Gods people think then that Jerusalems assailants have the hardest pull of it of all others in the world For who will set the bryars and thorns against him in battell he will go through them and consume them together Go Isa 27.2 3 4. sing unto Jerusalem a Vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day c. Marke Jerusalem is red wine i. e. generous and delectable to God but poysonous and dreadfull unto her enemies and you hear the reason of it I the Lord do keep it Let us speak a word to this reason of the point according to the metaphor in the third verse viz. of a Stone How comes the Church to be such a burthensome and breaking Stone to her adversaries Answ Because the Lord Jesus is incorporated into their Walls both in the foundation and corners and they as living Stones are cemented to him and built upon him by his blood This is that Rock against which neither the stormes 1 Pet. 2.4.5 6 7.8 windes and waters no nor the gates of hell can prevaile This is that precious corner Stone of God unto beleevers but a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence unto the wicked Math. 21.44 This is that Stone on which whosoever falls shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind them to powder This is that little stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands Dan. 2.34.35 45. which brake in peeces the iron brasse clay silver and gold and when it had smote the Image it filled the whole earth This little Stone is Jesus Christ in his word and members little and despised in the eye of the world as Davids pebble was to Goliah and his Armes but yet that which fell'd that Gyant to the ground Psal 2. so this little Stone shall breake Crowns Swords and Scepters even as Potsheards shall fill the earth and prevaile It is the Lord that makes Jerusalem a burthensome Stone to her enemies Vse 1 Is it so That its fatall to Jerusalems enemies to attach her and doth the Lord punish such machinations in their kind Then let not Jerusalem feat her enemies in their highest ruff and threatenings There be 4 things that render an enemy formidable Policy For they are in their generation more subtile then the Saints they are Serpents and foxes the Saints are Lambes and Doves Yet fear not this this cup here shall astonish and infatuate them What a foole did that grand Oracle Achitophel become as soone as ever he ingaged against David Courage yec fear not that this cup shall be a cup of trembling to them and shall make them shake as the leaves of a tree shaken with the wind Number Fear not that neither What saith the text though all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against you yet they shall be cut in pieces And have you not had tryall hereof in all your conflicts being still over numbred by your adversaries yet your Barley Cake tumbled downe the Tents of Midian Power Be they a huge hoast of Cavalry and Infantry as the text hath it do they glory in their strength and therefore approach with contempt to your strength as Tobiah the Horonite and Sanballat the Ammonite What do these feble Jewes if a Fox go up he shall break down their stone wall Yet up it went and it became so strong that all the strength they had could not demolish nor dismantle it Your adversaries had all these foure advantages against you Policy Courage Numbers Power yet your God frustrated all before Jerusalem which became a cup of trembling and a stone of stumbling to all these Vse 2 For Instruction to behold as in a mirrhor this great truth verified to us this day as by innumerable former proofs so by that signall instance the cause of this solemnity Let your raysed meditations read over what God hath done for you and behold this great Truth riding triumph in all ages of the Church of God that wicked men may heare and feare and that the righteous may beleeve and rejoyce If we should walk through the histories of the Church Euseb l. 2. c. 7. we should not onely finde Pilate for condemning Jesus Christ to kill himself Herod and Herodias that slew John Baptist ending their dayes in misery and banishment Besides the example of another Herod who killed Iames and imprisoned Peter Acts 12 and persecuted the Church he was smitten of God and eaten of wormes in that very chapter But also among persecuting Emperours Domitius Nero the first persecutor of Christians that was an Emperour Iustin proclaimed and condemned by the Senate to be whipped to death and drag'd through the Citie for feare of which he slue himselfe Flavius Domitian the second Persecutor was slain Suet. in Domit Speed Chron. and his body disgracefully used by the Senate his Scutcheons and Images thrown down and they forbad any remembrance of him Thus was he recompensed in his Body and members that mangled the Image Body and Members of Jesus Christ The like befell Septimius Severus slain at York Cassianus Macrinus Antonius Heliogabolus Murderers and Monsters all slaine Alexander Severus and Maximinus likewise came to the same fatall ends Behold the justice of God against those murderers of Christs innocent servants punishing blood with blood according to the Law of retaliation What shall I tell you of Decius who raised the seventh persecution for which God suffered him to be assaulted for
was so familiar among the Prophets in the degenerate time of the Church that the obstinate Jews would come in scorn asking Ier. 23.33 14 c. what is the burden of the Lord but they found it a burden to them indeed Pharaoh made light of Gods threats and plagues on him by Moses and Aaron but at last they sunck him as a stone to the bottom of the Sea Ahab made light of Michaiahs word but it proved a heavy burden to Ahab as Iehu cals it 2 Kings 9.25 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel i. e. This vengeance threatned on the besiegers is for Israels sake in favour of Israel All the havock that he makes of great persons of families of whole Cities Armies Nations is for Israel the whole current of Gods judgements is but a comment and confirmation of this pertinent to this and very pregnant is that of the Prophet Isa 43.1 2 3 4 5. when he tells Israel there as here that he was his maker redeemer and preserver from all evils he gives the reason of all verse 3 4. I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee people for thy sake The Lord takes away multitudes of wicked men as drosse and counts them but as the dung of the Earth for Israel What a distinguishing love is here in a gracious God that puts so vaste a difference between men and men between party and party accounting his own honourable his enemies base his own precious his enemies vile The Lord like a Lion goes forth and tears what ever he meets with to feed his young be it men or beasts Thus the Lord makes bloody sacrifices and slaughters his adversaries bee they never so mighty or many Rev. 19.17 18 19. as we have it notably described by Iohn in the Revelations Having armed and mounted Iesus Christ with royall conquering power brings in the Angel inviting all to a great feast which he cals the supper of God the provision is flesh costly flesh to eat the flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains the flesh of mighty men of hosts and them that sit on them c. I do not take the words litterally of Birds feeding on the carkasses of the churches slaughtered enemies lying unburied though that may be too but of warriours mingling themselves with the Church for pay and prey or of militant Saints who being married to Iesus Christ as conquerours hee sups them upon the spoiles of their enemies Psal 74.14 the mighty Behemoths and Leviathans that prey on Sea and Land the insatiable Potentates of the Earth even they shall be meat for his people as Ioshua and Caleb said the mighty Anachs should be bread for Israel Num. 14.9 Thus out of the 〈◊〉 comes forth meat and out of the strong commeth sweetnesse the Lord will make the Lion that wars against Sampson to fall by his hands he shall tear him as a Kid and the carkasse of him shall yeeld Sampson honey Saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens c. Then the Lord comes forth armed as a God he puts on all his majesty and all his might when he engages for Ierusalem then he awakes as a great Lyon and as a Gyant refreshed with Wine Then the hils melt and the earth trembles at his presence when he commeth forth to ayde Jerusalem for then he commeth forth like a God that is like himself the Lord will put forth no lesse grandour and glory in delivering Ierusalem then when he made the world Let all saith God be reduced to a Chaos of confusion such seemed once our condition and now little better to those that cannot or will not see yet I will fetch order out of that saith the Lord Let all be covered over with darknesse and jumbled into rubbish nay let all be shut up again into the wombe of nothing at least that nothing of inhability improbability and impossibility too as to a created agent yet I will create deliverance fetch out a cosmos a beautifull pile and face of things praise the Lord in this great last restauration of the world which we trust is now beginning The Lord will make a new heaven and a new earth Revel 21.1 The Lord will make quite another world and all this for Israel Have you not heard hath it not been told you that it is I and onely I doe this that I make nothing of my peoples enemies be they many a whole world of them as vers 3. Yet I spread out the heavens while they besiege then Ierusalem I 'le overwing their multitudes I 'le front them and flanck them I will catch them all in a Net for I stretch out the heavens and for their power their mining their confidence let them look to their ground I lay the foundations of the earth let them dig as deep as hell to hide counsell and to shake thy wals and cast thee down O Ierusalem I will countermine them I 'le blow them quite up they shall be buried in their own rubbish saith the Lord what if they abound with courage and malice insomuch that my people are even afraid of them is it not I that form the spirit of man within him I take and give courage I will make thee stout-hearted as women but I will make them that are feeble among my people as David for I form the spirit of man within him And for the Savage disposition of the enemy I tame that saith God Daniel and the Lyons shall lodge quietly together my Lambs shall feed safely among the Bears and Wolves my Children shall play with Aspes and Cockatrices for I form the spirit of man within Right honourable and beloved Here 's matter of courage and confidence for us here 's ground not of prayer onely but of praise this day Was not the enemy sweld with that height of arrogance and presumption upon his numbers and advantages had he not so neer compassed and carried Dublin as to say it could not be delivered out of his hands without a miracle Loe our Creator hath wrought this miracle when he that stretcheth out the heavens c. undertakes it he can doe it and hath done it and did he ever appear like a God for us yet more then in this engagement so few and feeble against so many and mighty 1200 Horse and not the third part of 4000 Foot in the act on conquering 19000 and beyond their own purposes and thoughts to charge the whole Army yet carried on Thus if the spirit of the Lord come on Sampson he shall break his cords and slay heapes upon heapes with an Asses jaw-bone but let us not anticipate Here have yee seen the Lord of Hosts armed like himself now hear the Herauld sounding the trumpet before him in the next
verse Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling c. I thus armed thus resolved will now shew my glory at this great undertaking come and see a famous spectacle your God engaging for Ierusalem when the Lord once engageth eminently for Ierusalem to defend and deliver it Note he summons all to be spectatour and observers of it Before he shewed his power what he could doe here he declares his will what he is resolved to doe Behold I will make c. a solemne summons This is worth noting God looks to be observed and admired in his great workings for a distressed people he cals for it aloud Revel 6. When the Lamb opened the first seale John saith he heard a noise as of thunder one of the foure beasts saying Come and see and when he had opened the second seale I heard the second beast say Come and see And when he had opened the third seale I heard the voyce of the third beast say Come and see And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the fourth beast Come and see Alloquitur Ioannem sustinentem personam fidelis populi qui similiter per vocem ministrorum excitarentur ad observandos hos mirabiles eventus Exod. 14.13 Moses told trembling Israel Feare not stand still and see the salvation of God which he will shew you this day The Lord shall fight for you and yee shall hold your peace yea that 's a glorious sight to see indeed to see God taking a Pharaoh in hand of whom wee said For this cause have I raised thee up to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth This is one main end why the Lord fats and heightens an adversary that he may try misteries with him and spend his arrows on him and all this to be observed and admired the more Psal 111 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all that have pleasure therein his work is honourable and glorious he hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred that 's their end the Lord would never appear upon the stage if he had not some strange act to present he would never call inspectatours if he would not provide somwhat worth seeing This hath made the Saints in all ages curious in observing Gods works Abraham rejoyced in seeing Christs day Iacob waited for Gods salvation Moses said I beseech thee shew me thy glory he had seen much of God before all that did but whet his appetite he was still greedy after more Daniel was a man of desires in this sense as you heard it glossed but now and had a large prospect yet would fain have crowded to see more Right honourable You set us to display God in his grandour this day you stand upon advantageous ground and you see farre and quick into Gods works for you have declared your sense of this and former mercies yet you will yeeld you have not seen all and that its worth reading and turning over and over this marvellous discovery and dispensation of God Say then with Moses when the bush burned and was not consumed when the Church was in a flame and yet flourished in the fire I will now turn about and see what this great sight meaneth Exod. 3.3 The Lord wonders and is very angry at the senlesnesse and blindenesse of men that will not see his hand lifted up men that are quick witted and sharp sighted in other things they can discern the face of the skyes but will not know the signes of the times when they are visible but let the wicked doe wickedly for none of them shall understand but the wise shall understand the scripture makes tother a matter of folly and brutishnesse but these providentiall acts upon wicked men in their ruffe and when they flourish and are presumptuous then to pull them down this is too deep for wicked men yet are wee solemnly called to observe it See Dan. 12.10 Hos 14. ult Psal 92 5 6 7. Psal 107.40 41 42 43. Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about when they shall be in the siege both against Iudah and Ierusalem Note Ierusalem may be besieged by her enemies the place and people of God may be encompassed and distressed by their Adversaries a truth so clear both of litterall and mysticall Ierusalem that it is but time waste to prove it It s observable that our three grand enemies are encompassing enemies and grow dangerous For an enemy to encompasse argues a fourfold danger First It argues neernesse Secondly Superiority in power else he neither could or durst advance so close Thirdly Superiority in numbers else he could not surround and encompasse for he that is without hath the largest Line Fourthly A distresse and straitning from escape all this is implyed in a siege 1. The Devill Iob 1.7 Iob 2.2 He compasseth the earth 1 Pet. 5.8 He is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk about and to devour There 's not a soul of a righteous man but he layes siege making assaults and battery to that soule as for the hearts of wicked men he is possessed of them already and they are fortified by him against God his Word and judgements 2. Sin is an encreasing evill it s called sin that doth easily beset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 12. Psal 49.5 David speaks of the iniquity of his heels compassing him about 3. The world none will doubt but that 's an encompassing enemy Therefore the poor Church is not only called a lilly among thorns a speckled Bird amongst the Birds Lambs among Wolves but expresly a besieged City the Daughter of Sion is left as a Cottage in a Vineyard as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Isaiah 1.8 Solitary and surrounded and not only invested at large but closely streightned and distressed so as with Jehosaphat they know not what to do only their eyes are upward towards God restat iter coelo tantum The ground of this from God is partly to give check restraint to the extravagancies of his people and we know sometimes it is but need the best and most retired soul hath his wanton flings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it s very hard to keep it from leering and hankering after some vanity to cure this the Lord will hedge us in with thornes Chrysost Hos 2. that we shall not find our lovers We are apt to turn our liberty into licenciousnes and the grace of God into wantonnes and to surfit upon mercy to growe fat and ranck to begin to gone and kick and break fence the Lord sees good to pinch us for this to reduce us to our measure and compasse by driving us into corners Sic deus cohibet fraenat suos ne diffluant Calvin thus the Lord will hamper his own he will banck and bound them into their right Channels least they overflow their bancks but
this is chiefly to role on a proud enemy to presumption that while he thinks to try experiments and do exploits upon Jerusalem the Lord will lay snares and ambushes for him the Lord will lead him on and make his work seem facile and feisable to him he will give him some advantages he shall begin to grow fat with some successes hee 'l present him faire hopes of carrying the day and glutting himself with spoyles hee 'l suffer the Lyon to get his prey into his Chambers and between his teeth playing with it securely and gaping to devoure now all this is but to get Pharaoh beyond retreat and when I have him but in my net then saith God I l'e draw now is my time to stir and work now I l'e look thorough the Cloud and pillar of fire upon the Aegyptians and trouble them and there Pharaoh flies but 't is too late stretch out thy hand Moses and let the waters cover Pharaoh and all his Host let him sink and be buried in the mighty waves the Lord will reduce his people beyond humane hopes of relief and then he will be glorified let Lazarus be sick and let him die and let him be buried and let him stinck now saith Christ my houre is come I l'e go to Bethany and rayse Lazarus the Lord delivers a people out of the mouth of danger 1 Sam. 17.34 c. 2 Sam. 21.16.17 as David rescued the Lamb and Kid out of the mouth of the Lyon and Beare or as Abishai succoured David when IshbiBenob a son of the Gyant lift up his sword to have slain David then Abishai flew him or as when Saul had compassed David round that there was but a stop between him death and a Messenger came and diverted Saul thus will the Lord judge his people when he seeth their strength is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is none shut up or left when his people are full of mis-giving dis-maying feares when their Anchor breaks and their Faith failes when every countenance is cast down and every corner is full of murmurings when Ziglag is burnt and all taken and David weeps till there be no more strength and his men talk of stoning of him too at that instant shall he march and God before him 1 Sam. 30.31 cap. to recover what 's lost and spoyle the spoyler and moreover then Saul his capital enemy is destroyed Who so is wise will ponder this c. And was it not thus with Ireland how near was that whole Land lost but two places and those ready to give up the Ghost left two little flocks of kids and those pent up too while the enemy filled the Countrey when all was bent to revolting and intended succours not ready when wagers were laid and books out that Dublin was lost and Ireland lost and at the same time the people striving and chiding with Moses Now will I come forth and work saith God now will I appear most gloriously had I begun before it had been too soone and should I delay longer it would be too late the adversary is presumptuous and secure my people are low and distressed enough And how doth God work It followes I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling c. The spirit of God makes often use of this Metaphor of the cup in the case of affliction Mat. 26.29 punishment or judgment our Saviour himself dranck his Cup a very bitter one wherein no creature could pledge him i. e. in his measure although every Child of God hath a portion of the cup of affliction in conformity to our head not to expiate sin or satisfie divine justice yet oftentimes to prevent and purge sin The Saints have also another cup a delicious one given them of God the cup of blessing in the Eucharist that soul-refreshing nectar which the Lord Jesus hath broached out of his own side They have another delicious cup which the Lord gives them into their mouthes upon any great mercy and deliverance from their enemies which is the cup of Salvation this was used in their sacrifices and feasts and they were wont to lift it up Illyric and to pray and prayse God with it for victory and mercy and it was a signe of freedom This cup hath the Lord given us to drink wherein we tast and see how gracious he is to us this he fils us to the brim and makes it over-flow in the presence of our enemies Psal 23.5 But as for the wicked 't is not so with them the Lord hath tempered another kind of cup for them of which our text speakes of this mention is made in Ezek. Ezek. 23.33 where the Lord tells Aholibah i. e. Judah that because she walked after the way of her Sister Aholah i. e. Samaria therefore saith he I will give her cup into thy hands thus saith the Lord thou shalt drink of thy Sisters cup deep and large thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision it containeth much thou shalt be filled with drunkennes and sorrow with the cup of astonishment and desolation with the cup of thy Sister Samaria thou shalt drink it and suck it out thou shalt even break the sheards thereof and pluck off thy breasts i. e. shalt carry thy self as one that is mad drunck who breaks pots and glasses abusing himself as one distracted this is the sore cup of judgment and devastation The like we have Psal 75.8 Jer. 25.15.16 where the Lord tempered a cup of fury and makes Jeremie the modeperator to give every one his share they shall drinck and be moved and be mad because of the sword which I will send among them v. 27.28 and if you search the causes why these Nations were punisht comparing this with other Scriptures we shall see the quarrel to be that in the Text they had plotted or laid hands against Jerusalem and 't is for Jerusalems sake this cup is given him But what ground is there of this Metaphor and usage of the cup thus applyed 1. Some will have meant by cup portion or measure every one at their seasts was to take his dimensum or proportion according to these the phrase signifies but this every sin shall have his degrees and share in punnishment for cup signifies portion or lot in Scripture But this is too scanty for the question 2. Others will have it derived from witches and sorcerers which were wont to mingle intoxicating cups and to sophisticate their wines and the word in the text will bear it for it signifies poyson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hence the latine word venesica 3. Hierome and some others think it taken from a medicinal potion of strong Physick which is ill to look on and worse to swallow down being bitter loathsome and worse to some Patients then the disease causing them to feele heart-qualmes to stagger and even swound away 4. Besides all these there are who think it taken from condemned malefactors whose friends
were wont to temper them a cup of wine for the reviving of their spirits against excessive sorrow and feare of death Ier. 16.7 of this the Prophet seemes to speak when among other funeral rights he saith men shall not give them the cup of consolation to drink for their Father or Mother Those that draw the Metaphor hence make it hold in this only that those that drank the cup of consolation were such as were already condemned to die and therefore it was a signe of judgment but that in the Text seemes a cup that the friends of them that were dead already drunck to comfort themselves and to make them lesse sensible of that losse ours is not a cup of consolation to our enemies nor their friends but a cup of trembling and astonishment Prada on Ezekiel though he seemed to incline to the other Expositions for a while yet at last he closed with this as the most genuine Namely that there was a sift sort of cup or drinking which was in use at their great compotations where the sonnes of Bacchus strove for Masteries who should drink most and every one was forced to take off his cup to the bottome which was not so sweet and pleasant in the beginning as it was loathsome afterwards as being too heavy a load for his natural strength to bear and therefore must sinke under it This is the contention between divine Justice and the sinner A wicked man loves to drink the sweet wine of pleasure and lust to satisfy himself in his inordinate longings but he refuseth to drink out the bottome where judgment and punishment alwaies lye he loaths that but oh saith God it s in vaine to strive thou shalt have the bottome too thou canst not draw off the Wine from the lees Psal 75.8 but thou shalt drink both The Psalmists expression seems to come home to this In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the Wine red Kimchi the colour of the most generous Wines in Palestine with which colour they were most inamoured and tempted Prov. 23.31 it is full of mixture and he powreth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them Howbeit there seems somewhat more then this exposition in that instance The substance of the draught containes many ingredients which is variety of Gods judgements and wrath and therefore some read for vinum rubrum red turbidum troubled Wine thick like a confection or medicinall potion Take them altogether we may draw out this That the enemies of Gods people who thirst to swallow them up though this be sweet to their palats yet they shall have such a Potion through Gods just fury and revenge as shall make them sick and carry themselves as drunken men and they shall perish in this their drunkennesse The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translatad by us trembling in the text signifies luxury drunkennesse stupidity poyson and so is variously tendred and it makes the sence full the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also translated cup signifies a gate or threshold whence the vulgar renders it superliminarie crapulae the threshold of surfeit the Syriac the gate of trembling Cor. the 70. the Arabick the gate of commotion some a cup of poyson this emphaticall pregnancy of the words gives us this summe The enemy shall come and besiege Ierusalem they shall advance to the very gates they shall set their foot on the threshold but there they shall stumble and fall they shall come up greedily to swallow with open mouth as a man hot and dry swallowes down a cup of refreshing liquor they shall thirst for blood treasure and spoyles Isaiah 49. ult but I will make them drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine spoken of the Churches oppressors as Thomyris told Cyrus whose head she cut off and cast into a vessel of blood saying this Thou hast slayn my Son and didst thirst after my blood too now satisfie thy self with that thou didst thirst after Herodot c. The enemy that made so full account to swallow up Ierusalem quick when his wrath was kindled is stupified and astonished with that draught its poculum soporis a cup of drowsines to him Psal 76.5.6 Thus the Psalmist expresseth it The stout-hearted are spoyled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep as our Text hath it verse 4. where the cup doth astonish the horse and rider and where was it the Psalmist saith Ier 25.15.16 this confusion came on the enemy at Salem v. 3. there brake he the Arrowes that made he such a cup that 's one effect Another is a cup of madnes which is another effect of this cup they shall drink and be moved and mad It was said of the Sybill of Cuma that assoone as any stepped over her threshold they began to rave Virg. 6. Eneid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such is Ierusalems threshold it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is superliminarie crapulae aut dementiae a distracting cup or a threshold of madnes Alcazar out of Theodoret expounds the word elegantly according to the effects of drunkennes a drunkard by reason of the dizzines of his head imagines the house moves and will surely fall whereas the motion is in his own brain the reeling and falling in his own bulk the drunkard tumbles down in the dirt while the house stands fast thus Ierusalem that seemes to totter only in the enemies fancy and to fall only in his presumption shall stand fast when her enemies lick the dirt according to Davids case Psal 27.2 When the wicked even mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and foll And for the trembling of the enemies the Lord makes Ierusalem such a cup to them Dan. 5 3. we have a notable instance of it even to the letter in Belshazzer who in the midst of his jollity must needs send for the Vessels and Cups of Ierusalem to drink wine with his Concubines but mark in the same houre came forth fingers of a mans hand upon the wall against him which made such an Earth-quake in his heart that his countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled the joynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other was not here a cup of trembling Thus was Ionathan his Armor-bearer such a cup to the Philistins when he climed up the rock against them there fell a trembling in their Host in the field among all the people the Garrison and the spoylers they also trembled and the earth quaked for there was a very great trembling hebr a trembling of God God made this attempt a cup of very great trembling to them It s said of the drunkards cup that in praelia trudit inermem it adds
his life for feare of which he threw himselfe into a pit and was never found Gallus and Valusian treading in his steps were both destroyed by Emilian a Captain In those dayes God plagued the Empire with an Epidemicall pestilence and many other heavy calamities which the Heathens laid to the Christians charge But Cyprian writeth a confutation of that and clearly proves it was their contempt of the Gospel and persecuting of the Saints caused those evils These judgements fell also upon Valerian who raised an eighth persecution against Gods people He was taken by Sapores King of Persia who made a captive of him and his body a foot-stoole treading on his neck when he went on horse-back A righteous judgement upon him who had trampled the truth and professors of it under his feet Aurelian the ninth persecuting Emperour was terrified by a Thunder-bolt from heaven and afterward slain though he seemed somewhat to relent of his cruelty Dioclesian and Maximilian raised the tenth persecution both which quitted their imperiall dignity and the latter of them slaine by the command of Constantine Maximinus was smitten of God with rottennesse and vermine as Herod was for wasting the body of Jesus Christ Famous is the death of Julian the Apostate who first subtilly then openly persecuted the Gospel he asked counsell of the heathen Oracle which was destroyed by fire from heaven to small powder he encouraged the Jewes to rebuild the Temple which was destroyed by an Earthquake fire and a mighty wind at last he was wounded and died crying out Thou Iesus of Galilee thou art too hard for me Many such instances may be added of the fatall ends of Arrian and Eutychean Persecutors But that of Phocas is very remarkable who was the first that set up Antichrist visibly by making the Bishop of Rome Universall Bishop and the Church of Rome head of all other Churches This Emperour was beheaded dismembred and his body given to the Souldiers to be burnt with fire Notable is the example of Minerius who being sent to destroy the poore Christians called Waldenses which he did by fire and sword felt the just vengeance of heaven by fire in his body was consumed with rottennesse and voided blood in stead of urine and died with great torments Charles the fifth a famous Emperour for wisdome and valour yet dashed against this rock of endevouring to destroy Protestants was himselfe driven out of his Empire that endevored to drive out the Gospel thence To step but on the other side we shall finde Henry the second and Francis the second of France taken away by death who began persecutions there Likewise the Duke of Guise a cruell persecutor dying gave breath to the poore afflicted Saints And Charles the ninth a most perfidious and bloody Prince dyed with great effusion of blood from sundry parts of his body Anno 1574. Thus will the Lord have blood for blood not sparing the effusion of Royall blood to avenge the blood Royall of his children whom he hath made Kings and Priests to himselfe through Christ Jesus Rev. 1.8 and which cost the bloud of his deare son I cannot passe by Henry the third of France who was killed by a Iacobine Munke in that very chamber where the King had been chiefe in concluding the massacre of Paris which massacre was so bloody and barbarous that the very Spaniards at the treaty of Munster told the States of the Low Countries that the Spanish Nation had never done such a Butchery against those of the Religion but abhorred such acts and that it was sufficient to declare the genius of the French I will not come down lower to instance in later times they are so infinite and so fresh your own memories I hope are stored with them as so many Courts of Records and your meditations often read them over If it be not so give me leave as your remembrancer to tell you that you ought never to forget the judgments of God written in blood legible to all the world that he will never let a wickednesse goe unpuished which is acted against his people Vse 3 Let us see the greatnesse of the mercy which we commemorate this day how God hath made Dublin a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to her enemies in the siege The greatnesse of the mercy may be seen in these two particulars There was very much of God in it and little of man whether you regard numbers the enemy had that advantage whether his confidence whether his successes before In a word if you look on the besieged as the last that were left to be eaten that their adversaries had it in consultation to bind them back to back and throw them into the Sea that their succours were delayed and many disheartning emissaries to perswade the beleagred that no reliefe would come to them at all that therefore they should secure the Governour and deliver the Citie that then the Lord should deliver the Citie from the enemy arming a few beyond their own intentions to destroy a huge Host let the Governours of Judah say for this say the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts Consider the latitude and extent of this mercy look not upon it as within the circumference of one single Citie Nahum 3.12 divers other Forts and strong Holds followed and come on still dropping as ripe Figs into the mouth of the eater Many daughters attend the mother or Metropolis this great mercy is but the first fruits and the earnest of that which followes Look on this mercy as that which reacheth three Nations and all the true Israel of God and the Generations to come let us look on this mercy as one deadly wound to the Beast and the false Prophet a mercy though in comparison of many great ones not so great yet super-added to the quotient and catalogue addes very much to the bulk of them and to Gods glory yet let me tell you this victory and deliverance singly shines in its owne lustre without borrowing and is able to speak its own greatnesse abstracted from others Ask the broken enemy their frustrated hopes their slaughtered carcasses their great losse speakes it our great gain Ask the trembling Citizens that were even in the paws of danger and plunder and death and were delivered they will say 't is a great mercy Psalm 107.1 2. the redeemed of the Lord say so That his mercy endureth for ever What need I say more your selves that stand upon advantagious and higher ground that see further and clearer then us that know the times what Israel ought to doe that weigh circumstances and consequences in a right ballance you have declared your sense of it so high that not a greater mercy on this side Egypt hath been declared to Gods people This mercy hath made such an impression upon some of your enemies as was upon Saul when he told David Blessed be thou my son David for thou shalt