The true Souldiers Convoy A Sermon preached upon the xvjth day of May 1640 vpon a prayer day for the Princes good successe in going forth to warre By WILLIAM BRIDGE Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slaine thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arme Psal 19. 10. IN ROTTERDAM Printed for Thomas Lippagde and are to be sold at his house on the Iron Bridge 1646. To the Reader REader out of desire to the good of Gods people and in respect of these trouble-some times it was thought not altogether unfit by some friends to print these few notes in reading of which thou art desired not to expect much compleatnes of dependency or stile as not being ordered to the presse by the author himselfe but by a very weake hand whatsoeuer therfore thou shalt find herein profitable that improue if any thing otherwise that couer by Christian loue and the God of loue be with thee Amen Numbers cha 10. the middle of the 35 verse Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered THis chap. delivereth it selfe into foure parts In the First part the Author speaketh of the silver Trumpets and of the matter and use of them Secondly he sheweth the march of the children of Israel under their seuerall standards Thirdly he speaketh of a conference had betweene Moses and Hobab vers 29. Fourthly you haue Moses prayer And they departed from the mount vers 33. and the Arke of the couenant of the Lord went before them in the three dayes iourney c And it came to passe when the Arke set forward that Moses saide Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered when they remoued still they prayed when they sett forth with their army they used those words Arise O Lord let thine enemies be scattered when they returned with their army at the latter end of the yeere or at any time they saide Returne O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel You haue here their going forth arise O Lord c it is as if hee had sayd thus O Lord thou hast promised thy presence to thy people and therefore thou hast giuen them thine Arke the outward signe of thy presence now we are to goe forth to warre and that is a dangerous worke oh let us not goe alone without thee but let us haue thy presence wherefore arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered He doth not say thus O Lord we entreate thee giue us good munition or good prouision or that which the world calleth the nerues of waâ—re giue us money but as if he would shew that Gods presence is most desireable to an army that Gods preseÌ„ce is their munition and provision and containeth all things he saith Arise O Lord c. These words containe some thing implyed and something expressed implied two things First that God hath enemies that seems to be granted Secondly that God sleepeth to his enemies therefore hee saith arise these implied expressed three things First the matter of the petition and that is that God would arise Secondly the effect of Gods rising that his enemies may be scattered Thirdly the occasion of this petition that is their going forth to warre from these wordes then Moses said Accordingly there are fâ—ue notes or obseruations that I intend God willing to run through at thiâ— time Obs 1 First that God himselfe hath many enemies Obs 2 Secondly as God hath enemies soe sometime he sleepeth to all their enmitie Obs 3 Thirdly though God sleepeth and they worke yet there is a time when they shall be scattered and when God ariseth they are scattered Obs 4 Fourthly our prayers awaken God Obs 5 Fiftly when the people of the land goe forth to warre Gods people should go forth to prayer Obs 1 First God himselfe hath many enemies Let none wonder at this nay rather wonder that God hath any friendes in the world it is so wicked the Scripture is full for it in that Psal 8 vers 2. Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies Psal 37. 20. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fatâ— of lambes Psal 74. 4. Thine enemies roare c. Ye know the Psal For loe thine â—nemies O Lord for loe thine enemies Ps 9â— 9 Reas 1 Rea 1. Those that aâ—e in league and covenant one with another haue common friends common enemies Gods children are in covenant with God and therefore they having enemies God hath enemies Reas 2 2 There is a special contrariety betweene God the world the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against thâ— Gal. 5. 17. flesh for they are contrarie take but this one instance in this matter of contrariety to see how contrary God and the godly are to the Deuill and the wicked Let a thing be never so bad God and the godly will turne it to good and Gods honour Let a thing be never soe good the Deuill and wicked men will turne it to bad and Gods dishonour now enmity being nothing els but enlivened contrariety and there being such a contrariety betweene God and the world it cannot be but that God should haue many enemies Reas 3 3. That which maketh a thing so is more so if a man loath a beaker or vessell because phisick hath been in it he loatheth the phisick much more and if the world hate the godly because they are godly then they hate God much more now the godly haue many enemies and that for this reason because they are godly therefore God himselfe hath more Rea. 4 Further when two are at a great distance and neither doe yeeld buckle nor comply to or with one another there must needes be a greate enmity now saith our Sauiour Christ you cannot loue God and Mammon you must loue the one and hate the other God will haue no complying and for this reason the Senate of Rome as the Historians giue it would not acknowledg Jesus Christ to be a God because he is such a one said they as if we acknowledg him to be God he will not let us acknowledge other Gods other Gods will comply be content we shall acknowledg others also but for this Christ if we acknowledge him we must acknowledge none other now God is very incomplying in all his wayes therefore certainly God himselfe must needs haue many enemies very deadly Vse Hence we may see that it is no strange and new thing for us that are the people of God to meete with enemies why should we be discouraged though we meete with enemies Are we better then our Lord and Maister shall God himselfe haue many enemies and shall we thinke to haue none It was Inimices habeo the complainte of a heathen man I haue enemies his friend standing by gaue him this answere but that â—s worse that thou hast no frieÌ„ds though sed pejus est quod
amicos non habes a man haue many enemies yet if he hath some faithfull friends he may comfort himselfe thus though I haue most bitter and vile enemies yet I haue as fast sure friends so that here is a further argument to shore up our unbeleeuing harts God himselfe hath many enemies Obje But my enemies are such as doe pretend friendship Ans And truely soe are Gods enemies such as doe pretend loue I pray you tell mee I put it to your owne hearts who are those that doe pretend more loue to God then the breakers of the second commandement that doe make images and wherefore doe they soe Say they we will haue an image of Christ wheresoeuer we become that we may always be put in mind of Christ what a mighty pretence of loue is here yet the breakers of the second commandement are saide to be haters of God it is not saide soe of the breakers of any of the other commandements that they are haters of God but of those that breake the second commandement visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children unto the third fourth generation of them that hate mee soe that though they pretend most loue yet they are the most haters Obje 2 But for my enemies the Lord knoweth I haue done them no wrong but good Ans Ans I pray you hath not God done good unto his enemies God hath many enemies and what hurt hath God done them Haue you enemies God hath soe Haue you many enemies God hath soe Haue you many false enemies God hath soe remember this doctrine God himselfe hath many enemies the second obseruation is Obs 2 As the Lord hath many enemies soe he is pleased for a time to sleepe unâ—â— his enemies he sleepeth therefore it is saide here arise arising is opposed to sleeping Lord why sleepest Ps 44. 23. thou but what is that not that we should understand it literally for so the Prophet derided Baals Priests cry aloud it may be your God 1. King 1â— 27. sleepeth but understand it metaphorically A man is saide to be a sleepe when he is so intense about one busines that hee doth not regard another that busines which hee doth not meddle with he is saide to be a sleepe to soe now when God shall haue many enemies and they shall blaspheme his name and reuile his people and hinder his ordinances and God shall be deafe to all their blasphemies reuilings and all their wickednesse when they shall persist in evill and bring their â—â—cked devises to passe and yet God shal be as it were blinde to all their dealings then God sleepeth to the enmity of his enemies would you know the reasons Reas 1 First of all it may be the enemies are not yet great enough for God to contend with the Eagle doth not hunt after flies and a lyon doth not harnesse himselfe to battaile against a poore worme it may be the malice of the enemy is not yet great enough soe is not a sitt object for the greate indignation of the greate God and therefore God suffereth them to go on that it might be a greater and a more full object to beare his indignation Reas 2 Againe therefore God suffereth this and seemeth to sleepe for a time because his people are not provoked enough against their enemies as it was with the childreÌ„ of Israel that went against Beniamin fell before theÌ„ twice if Israel had overcome them the first time they would not haue beene soe provoked against them to haue cutt them all of as they were but being beaten by them twice thereby they were provoked to their destruction so God suffereth his enemies to prevaile and sleepeth to the case of his people for a time because the harts of his people are not stirred enough against their enemies to cutt them of fully when that is done then God awaketh Reas 3 Again somtimes God sleepeth because his people sleep to him and say arise to something els They sleep to him It was the speech of an Emperour when he was in prison Oh saide he when I was in my pallace I hoped soe much in men that I neglected trusting in God but now I am in prison I may hope lesse in meÌ„ and trust more in God so it may bee there is a time when Gods people doe fall a sleepe to God hope to much in men and not enough in God Now saith the Prophet Woe to him that Hab. 2. 19. saith to the stone arise shall God arise to his people when they say to the stone arise Shall God arise for his people when they sit downe and rise not up themselues Brethren faith is prayer in the coales prayer is faith in the flaÌ„e now it may be mens faith doth not burne out enough it burneth dark they pray but are not hot in prayer they liue but they do not liue out of themselues in God enough wherefore that God may awaken his people he sleepeth himselfe Reas 4 Fourthly somtimes it is for this end because the pit of his enemies is not yet digged consider that 94. Psal 12. 13. Blessed is the man whome thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law that thou mayest giue him rest from the dayes of adversity untill the pitt be digged for the wicked there is a time when the pitt of the wicked is digging and all that time Gods people may be in suffering God suffereth the wicked to run away with the baite and doth not yet draw them because they are not full on the hooke but when they haue swallowed the hooke then he will draw them Vse Hence we may see what the reason is many times why there is so much evill in the Churches and why the enemies preuaile so much so long God is the strength of the Churches and our strength sleepeth somtimes upon all the afflictions of the Churches we are apt to be much discouraged like the disciples who whilest our Saviour was in the storme â— sleep they came running in all hast to him saying carest thou not that we perish so it is many times when a storm ariseth upon the Church God semeth to sleepe and wee run in hast to God and are apt to charge God Lord carest thou not that we perish but peace peace he sleepeth only he will awake shortly you shall see it and they shall feele it for the third point tels us that Obs 3 Though God seem to sleep his enemies prevaile yet there â—s a time when they shall be scattered and when God ariseth they are scattered there are twop arts in this doctrine J will handle them severally First Though the enemies of the Lord do prevaile and God seemeth to sleepe yet there is atime when they shall be scattered In that 68. Psal 1. You haue the same words thaâ— are here Let God arise let his enemies be scattered in the following part of the Psalme 12. vers it is said King sofarmies
Germany therefore he compared to Sardis and thence foretold all the evills thâ—t haue come up on it Holland Swethland Stotland and the French he compared to Philadelphia and sayeth though they haue but a little strength and the houre of temptation shall come and some shall labour to shut their doore yet none shall shut it it is the rather to bee considered because he foretold the evils that came upon Germany and why may he not speak true in this also and then who would not pray for this people seeing that he may not loose his prayers wherefore I intreat you in the Name of God now up and be doing arise O daughter of Sion arise O heâ—rts of the people of God that God might arise and his enemies might be scattered awake awake and now up to prayer Quest You will say to me we are agreed wee must go to prayer both now and at home but what shall wee speak that God may arise and that his enemies may be scattered First Bring forth the Lords engagements and tell him how much hee is engaged to helpe the Churches the Lord saith in his word that Babilon shall fall for strong is that God Rev. 1â— 8. Ps 121. 4. 2 Chron 6. 34. 35 that hath condemned her the Lord saith He never slumbreth nor sleepeth the Lord sayeth in his word If his people pray when they goe forth to warre he will hear and maintaine their cause goe and tell God Lord thou hast said thus and thus thou hast said thou wilt neither slumber nor sleepe thou hast saide thou wilt maintaine thy cause Oh then arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered In the second place Tell the Lord how long hee hath seemed to sleep and that the time appointed for the Churches deliverance is now at hand saith the Psalmist Jt is Ps 119 126. time for thee Lord to work for they haue made void thy Law and again Haue mercy upon Zion for the time to fauour her Ps 102 13. 14. yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof this is the reason why the time is come so go to God and tell him Lord thou hast stood still a greate while oh now the time is come men haue made void thy law the Saintes pitty the dust and take pleasure in the stoâ—es of the wasted churches it is time for thee to rise Arise O Lord. c. Further Tell the Loâ—d that the enemies are up already abundantly tell him that â—ere long he will rise though you do not pray Lord if wee should never pray woulâ—st not tâ—ou helpe the Churches aâ—d wilt not thou arise a little the sooner for our prayers wherefore Arise O Lord c. Lastly Tell the Lord that all things are â—â—w râ—â—dy it is an argument that God moveth us with to coÌ„e in to him Lord we use thine owne argument Lord Arise all things are now ready when the wind is good when the servants of the ship are ready and haue got their taâ—kling all ready and the anchor is up onely the mâ—ster is not come into the ship they will send one to tell him Sir the wind is good your servants are ready and the ship is under sayle we pray you come away so tell the Lord that all his people are up at prayer expecting him and all the prayers of Gods people are spread and their heartes under sayle and nothing can be done till the Master come untill God himselfe come come therefore O Lord come away Arise O Lord let thine enemies be scattered After this Sermon began to be printed somthing was added the rest was taken by Characters whilest it was preached Faults escaped in the Printing pag. 5. l. 25. read These p. 12. l 1. for so that read but p. 18. l. 6. r. flame r. p. 20. l. 5. r. are apt l. 12. r seemeth p. 25 l 2. r. blessing p. 28. l 1. r. owne p. 29. l. 5. r. contrary l. 21. r. be p. 30 l. 4. 5. 7. r hereby p 42. l 12. r. waxe p. 45. In the margent for Ps 1 18 read Ier 31 22 p 58 l 5. r this p. 93. l. 9. r prayer l. 19 r at a window p. 65. l 14. r. mee l. 18. r. a tauerne p 66. l. 1 r fundamenta p. 67. l. 17 r. you that ly p. 67 68 r ye that are mind full of the Lord keepe not silence but once p 73. l. 19. r one another l 76. in the margent r. fugientia l. 77 l. 21 r. for tenthly eleventhly p. 79. l 18 blot out Jf p 80. l. 21. r. first p. 81 l 1 r people of the Lord p 84 l 24 r prayer l. 87. l. 10 r Archimedes p 88. l 6. r. gather vp l. 14. r strange p 90 l 17 r our p. 91 in the margent for spiritis r. spiritus for astatos r astutos p. 93. l 6 r very l 8 r orationis p. 93. l. 11. 24. r orportunity p. 96. l. 20. r for turned governed
them the scattering of his enemies is a curse and so it endeth a plaine instance for it you haue in Levi sayeth Iacob Let them be devided Gen 29. 7. in Iacob and scattered in Israel yet that prooued a great blessing for the tribe of Levi being scattered among all the tribes by that means all the tribes had preachers so now it is in the scattering of the Saintes though they bâ— scattered into divers places yet they are made thereby a blessing to many couâ—tries hereby they carry truthes into other places hereby they are cleansed from their own filthinesse herby they learn to walk more humbly herby they learn to dye daily to the world and outward comforts herby they are weaned from their freinds and all naturall engagements hereby they are made more conformable to Jesus Christ who was a stranger upon earth hereby they meete with many experiences hereby they see many promises fullfilled here by they enioy the ordinances of God in a purer manner then before so that all their scatterings are blessings to them Though the people of God be scattered yet they are gathered againe For great shall Hos 1. 11. be the day of Jezreel yet more fully Ier 23 2 3 4 Therfore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the Pastors that feed my people ye have scattered my flock driven theÌ„ away haue not visited them Behold J will visit vpon you the evill of your doing saith the Lord And J will gather the remnant of my flocke out of all countries whether I haue driven them and will bring them againe to their foldes and they shall bee fâ—uitfull and increase and I will set up shephards over them which shall feed them and they shall feare no more nor bee dismayed neither shall they bee lacking saith the Lord. Yea they are therefore scattered that they may be better gathered 34. Ezek 11. 17. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I will both searche my sheepe and seeke them out as a shepheard seeketh out his flocke in the day that hee is among his sheep that are scattered thus saith the Lord God behold I iudge betweene cattell and cattell betweene the rammes and the hee goates before their scattering the goates were mingled with the flock upon their gathering the goates were separated a good garment may be ripped into pieces that it may be better sewed good is that speech of Augustine He that Qui tru cidat nonconsiderat quomomodo laniat Qui curat considerat quomodo sâ—cat killeth considereth not how he slasheth and rendeth but he that cutteth to cure considereth how he cutteth or thus Suppose a man be to cut two men the one to cure him the other to kill him that man which he cutteth to cure he considereth how he cutteth him but he taketh no care how he slasheth him whom he intendeth to kill so doth God deale in the cuttings and scatterings of his own children and the vile world or thus an army you know may be scattered two waies The Souldiers when they come from their trenches every one goeth to his hutt and the whole army is in some measure scattered and devided but in order this is an orderly scattering but when they are routed that is another scattering wherin there is no order Gods people are scattered as those that go to their huts but the wicked are scattered otherwise their scattering is a full routing that is never gathered this is the punishment of the enemies of the Church they shall be scattered Vse If so Hence we may see what a lamentable thing it is to be an enemy of God this is the portion of all the enemies of God they shall be scattered lamentable is their condition therfore that are Gods enemies Brethren God is the best friend and the worst enemy if God be my friend what though J haue many enemies afflictions shall be all rated of in due time as the dog is when he falleth upon a friend if the dog fall upon a thiefe or an enemy we let him alone he hath leaue to worry him when afflictions seaze upon Gods people in dew time they are chidden of but when they fall upon Gods enemies they shall not be rated of they they may worry them and the venome of their teeth shall abide in them to all eternity the text saith as for those mine enemies c. It is some griefe to be slaine before iustice but before mercy it selfe that is more grevious it is some griefe to be slaine before those that cannot help but to haue help stand by and not help that is most bitter such is Christ he is our help he is our mercifull high Priest and yet he saith As for those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring Luke 19 27 hither and slay them before me oh what a sad thing it is to be Gods enemy Quest Quest. But who are those enemies Answ Answ You will all say thus that if a man seeth the picture of another and assoon as hee seeth it hee falleth a tearing of it and the more like the picture is to the man the more hee teareth it surely this man was an enemy to him whom the picture is like unto so when men shall fall a tearing of Gods people and therefore because they are godly are not they enemies to God Secondly Consider Psâ—l 68. 21. ther is a plain place to shew you who are Gods enemies saith the Psalmist But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy Psal 68. 21. scalp of such an one as goes on still in his trespasses Such as go on still in their trespasses are Gods enemies there is no child of God but may and doth fall into sin he may â—aile in his speech and in his practise but it is the character 1 Ioh. 5. 19 of the world to ly in wickednes and therefore know you such an one as hath been a drunkard and a drunkard still a swearer eight nine or ten yeares ago and a swearer still a Sabbath-breaker a lyer an adulterer a great while agoe and so still that man is an enemy and in due time the Lord will wounde the hairy scalpe of such a ruffian for he is an enemy Thirdly When men cannot endure to heare of thâ— well-fare and good successâ— of the Churches and of thâ— ordinances of God that is â— signe they are Gods enemies â— man loueth to heare good â— him that he loueth if a mâ— loue God he loueth to heaâ— good of God and all that bâ— longeth to him of the churches and of all the ordinances but when men heare of good newes of the Churches and of the ordinances and do secretly grudge repine and wish it otherwise these are now secret enemies and will be open Fourthly The Scripture phrase telleth us who are Gods enemies saith the Psalmist Lord make plaine thy way before Ps 5. 8. my face because of mine enemies in the Hebrew
all their guiltinesse surely they will tremble and feare then and that their feare will end in scattering use Beloved we may see what an easy thing it is for God to scatter the enemies of the Church though the afflictions of the Church be never so greate and the condition of the Saintes be neuer so meane Is it not an easy thing for a strong man to rise when hee is free and healthy is it not an easy thing for fire to dissolue the wax Is it not an easy thing for a lion to teare the caull of a mans heart What is more strong then a lion what more thin then the caull of a mans heart And God hath said it I will rend the cawle of their Hos 13 8. Iudg. 16. 9. heart and there will I devoure them like a lion was it not an easy thing for Samson in all his strength to breake those cords and wit hs where with he was tyed Iesus Christ is our spirituall Samson and though his body the Church be bound with the wit hs and cords of the Philistims yet he can easily arise cracke and breake them in pieces though they be never so strong Is it not an easy thing for a man to open his hand God openeth his hand and wee are satisfied Is it not an easy thing for a man to set his face against another God only setteth his face against his enemies and they are scattered O with what infinite facility can God helpe the church if his servants had noe credit with him or if hee could not help them but with much difficulty there were room for our discouragments â—ut it is not so he speaketh the word only hisseth stampeth â—iseth and wee are helped vse 2 In the Second place Hence â—ee what a necessity there is â—hat wee should ponder and â—bserue the workes of God â—nd the iudgments of the â—ord in these great volums â—ee may read much of God when God ariseth then God â— to bee seene and seene eâ—ecially when Gods enemies â—re scattered then hee ariseth Now there are three sorts of â—eople that are too blame â—ere as concerning the obserâ—ation of the Lords workes â—nd his great iudgments the â—rst are those that the prophet â—omplaines of when the hand Isa 26 11 â— the Lord is lifâ—ed up on high â—ey will not behold his Maiesâ— An other are those that the Psalmist strikes at in the 2 psa 10 vers Be wise therefore O yee Ps 2. Kings verse 12 kisse the sonne least hee bee angry and ye perish in the way who seeing and obseruing God fetching his stroke at a land or people will not stand out of Gods way and reach the third sorte are those that degrade the workes of God and nickname them saying they are none of Gods workes but workes of Satan like the Jewes and Pharises who when Lazarus was raised from the graue by a miracle would haue killed Lazarus out of spight to Christ so these men when God hath wrought gloriously for the conversion of a poore sinner or the destruction of his vile enemies doe what they can to put Gods worke to death calling that hipocricy which is Gods grace that obstinacy which is good conscience and that chance which is Gods glory But let all these consider that one place in the Ps 28. 5. because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up there is more in it then wee are aware of who doth not desire to be build vp wherefore do many men of knowledg and learning study and take so much paines wearing out their flesh but that they may be built vp in name and credit wherefore doe you trade vp and downe the world but that you may be built up in your estate and what is that which men feare more then destruction destruction is finall ruine now my brethren if the great workes of the Lord bee done before you and you do not obserue thâ—m you cannot be built up and if you will not attend the operation of the Lords hands you shall be destroyed Gods judgments will take hold on those that will not giue heed to his judgments a man may be destroyed for not observing another destruction it is a fearfulâ— iudgment to haue no judgement and he hath no judgement that doth not minde thâ— Lords judgment it is madâ— the Character of the Saintes iâ— the latter times of the worlâ— that they are able to sing tâ— song of Moses the servant â— God and the song of the Laâ— saying Great marvelous aâ— Rev. 15 3. 4. thy workes Lord God Almighty iust and true are thy waies thou King of Saintes who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest Questi Quest But suppose evill befall other men it may bee that it falleth out by common providence how shall I say that God is risen to be seen seen specially in a judgment and when may a judgment be said to come in way of a judgment Answ Answ First when wicked men are snared in the workes of their own hands then God is seen and seene apparently Psal 9. 16. The Ps 9. 16 Lord is known by the judgment hee that he executeth the wicked is snared in the worke of his own hands Higgajon Selah there is not such a clause again in all the whole scripture that J remember you haue Selah in many places but you haue not those two wordes Higgajon Selah in any other place the word Higgajon commeth from the Hebrew word Hagah that signifieth to meditate and Higgajon is Meditandum aliquid a thing worth our meditation or as much as if he should say this is a matter of speciall meditation that God is to be known by the judgement that he executeth when the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands wheÌ„â— therefore wicked men begiâ— a work against the people oâ— God and it wheeleth abouâ— upon their own heades insomuch as they are taken and snared in their owne practises then God is seen specially and known by the judgment that he excecuteth Higgajon Selah Ans 2 Answ 2. Then God is specially to be seen when the iudgment lyeth beyond the reach of second causes and is greater then the stock of the second cause câ—n beare Samsons strength was a judgment to the Philistines How was God to be seen in that yes for Samson was the strongest man that ever was yet his mother when she was breeding him was commanded to drink no wine or strong drink Iudges 13. 4. nor to eat any unclean thing which also did include strong meat God would not haue Samsons strength imputed to the strength of second causes out of the weak came strong the second cause was not able to bear so strong effect â—his strength was their iudgment
welfares your lives yet you may goe without it now it may bee had at this good rate will you not take this good commodity whilest it is offered to you Tenthly Jt may be the businesse 10. of the Churches stayeth upon your prayer if that midwife would come away the woman would be delivered Reu. 7. Foure Angels were Reu. 7. sent out to punish the world and after that a fift Angel is commissioned to go bid them hold their hand till the servants of the living God are sealed in their foreheades Angels work must stay till they be sealed saith Hezekiah Is 37 3. This day is a day of trouble Isay 37 â— and of rebuke and of blasphemy for the children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth So say I brethren it may be the Lord your God will hear the words of all Rabshakahs whom the enemies of the Church haue employed to reproach the living God will reproue the words which the Lord your God hath heard wherefore lift up your pâ—â—yer for the remâ—ant that are left God said to Moses let me alone but to you otherwise why doe you let me alone I stay for you if you pray earnestly I will come quickly Lastly I put you but this disjunction either oh Iacob thou hast thy brother Esau to meet withall or else thou hast not if not what meaneth thy feares If thou art to Gen. 32 24. and 33. 10. Isa 54 26. 17 58. 14 meet with rough Esau then remember what one nights sweating in prayer did how it first obtained the face of God then of Esau the promise is made to you Jf every promise is a new footstep for prayer wherefore you that ever prayed pray now nay you that never prayed pray now now is a praying time and it is good pulling whilest God is comming begging whilest God is giving and hath God dealt out nothing to the Churches in these last times Doe but obserue which way the wheele turneth in these latter dayes Quest Quest But why doe you exhort us to pray we are here purposely and come to pray Ans Answ True we are so but we must pray at other times too we are here this day to pray that we may pray hereafter that wee may set wheeles of prayer on going prayer doth fit for prayer but yet pray for the present and so we come to the fift note Obser 5 When the people of the land go forth to warre the of the Lord should go forth to prayer when the Arke removed then said Moses Arise O Lord c. our prayers are to lead Armies into the field 1. Iosh. 17. see how the people lead forth Ioshua According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee only the Lord thy God be with thee as he was with Moses you know the prayer of Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and other worthies to this purpose reasons of it are these especially Reas 1 Reas 1. Every businesse is to be led forth by prayer prayer is a leading duty to all our dutâ—es and the greater any businesse is the more prayer is to be made the businesse of warre is a great businesse almost miraculous when I see an Army methinks I see a company of walking Townes it is a great matter and will you not haue so great a businesse led on by prayer Object Object But if a man haue a businesse to do which requireth hast by attending to prayer he may loose his businesse Answ Answ For that purpose consider but that one place in answer to this Iosh. 5. 2. In the foregoing chapter the children of Israel went through Iordan and came into their enemies country and in this verse the Lord said unto Joshua Make thee sharpe knives and circumcise againe the children of Israel the second Ioshua 5. 2. time now upon their circumcision they were sore wherfore vers 8. it is said They abode in their places in the camp till they were whole Now being come through Iordan and lying before Iericho among all their enemies the natiues could not but heare that they were circumcised and how sore they were insomuch as the children of Israel might haue objected and said Oh Lord if we be circumcised we shall hinder our designes weaken our selues advantage our enemies that they may fall upon us in our trenches but as the Lord commanded so did they they were circumcised neither did this act of Religion hinder their businesse and therefore let none say If I stay upon prayer my businesse will take despair No no precedent prayer will make it prosper trust God and you will finde it Reas 2 Reas 2. Salamon saith All things are beautifull in Eccles 3 1. 11. their season there is a time for all things therfore a time for prayer and though wee are to pray continually yet there is somtime wherein we are especially to draw near to God saith the Psalmist For this shall every one that is Psal 32 6. godly pray unto thee in a time that thou maiest be found Grace maketh one pray the wisdome of grace maketh one know the occasion season and time of prayer First Fearing times are times of praying saith the Psalmist At what time I am afraid J will trust in thee and true faith soon worketh it selfe into prayer Secondly Tropicall uncertaine times are times of prayer Zeph. 2. 3. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth if so be that ye may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath c. when the world laboureth under uncertainty then should the Saintes labour in prayer Again the morning time is a time of prayer Ps 5. 3. My voice shalt thou hear Ps 5 3. in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee There is a morning of every yeere aswell as a morning of every day there is a morning to every businesse aswell as a morning to every day now is the yeeres morning now is the morning of our great businesse wherefore now up in the morning of this great worke let us direct our prayers to the Lord and looke up pray now my brethren for now it is seasonable Reas Reas 3 Thirdly As the promise is the only hold that we haue on God so prayer is the only ods that we haue of our enemy Beloved the enemies haue most commonly the outward advantage of Gods people look upon both and you shall find that outwardly they haue much odds either more men more money or more munition what shall weigh downe this odds but prayer Many times prayer doth more then the whole Army consider Ps 76. 3 Psal 76 1. There brake he the arrowes of the bow the sheild the sword and the battaile where In Salem Jn Sion He doth not vers 2 say in the field the arrowes are first broken in the assemblies by the Saintes prayers after that in the field by the Lords Souldiers It
did flee apace in the Hebrew it is they fled they fled fled is twice why soe That is they did flee very hastily and they fled most confusedly they fled alwaies they fled they fled noting the greatnesse of the flight Reasons Rea. 1 First If it were not so how should God be honoured in the world God is resolved to recover his honour his truth and his justice out of the hands of the world saith the Psalmist He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked so that a Psal 58 10. man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth But did they not know it before that God ruleth in the earth True But men will not say al that for God alwaies which their hearts know and the glut of prosperity often doth quench their knowledge but when Gods judgements are abroad then men shall say he doth not say godly men but then men shall say though they be but bare meÌ„ they shall say c. Oh it is a sweete time when ungodly men shall own their owne principles and if you look into the Psalme you Ps 68. 11 shall find when the enemies of the Church are destroyed that God hath many prechers made that doe teach his praises saith the Psalmist ver 12. The Lord gaue the word greate was the company of those that published it Kings of armies did flee apace and she that tarried at home devided the spoile The words in the originall are very significant and doe note two things First the word which you read company in the Hebrew it is Army great was the army of preachers an army of Preachers is a greate matter nay it is a great matter to haue seven or eight good preachers in a great army but to haue a whole army of preachers that is glorious Secon It doth note out the heartines of this preaching Army for the word Nephesh soule is to be understood as in that place of Ecclesiastes it is said there The wordes or book of the Preacher Eccl. 11 which being in the feminine gender doth suppose Nephesh and as if hee should say as Vatablus hath it the words or booke of him that hath a preaching soule or hart or the words of a preaching soule or hart so here where it is said great is the the army of preachers the word being in the feminine gender it is as if he should say great is the army of preaching soules whose very heaâ—ts with in them shall preach of the Lords workes now my brethren it is much to haue a preaching army but if this army shall with hart soule preach of Gods praise O that is a blessed thing yet thus shall it bee when the enemies of God shall be destroyed and therefore seeing God will not loose all those sermons of his owne prayses in due time the enemieÌ„s of the Church shal be scattered Rea. 2 All the plots and projects of Gods enemies ly under a curse now the curse scattereth and the bleffing gathereth when God blessed then the people were gathered when God curseth then they are scattered you know when Jacob was to blesse his children in steade of blessing Levi he seemeth Ge. 49. 7 to pronounce a curse upon them that they should be scattered in Ifrael surely it is a part of the curse to be scattered and the enemies of God and of his people are alwayes under the curse and as a learned holy divine of your owne hath it they are never prayed for but looke as it is with some grasse that groweth upon the house toppe though it bee higher then that which growes in the field yet noe man prayes for it or noe man saith the Lord blesse it but the grasse and corne that growes in the field the men that come by say there is a good crop of corne the Lord blesse it soe though wicked men and the enemies of the Church doe perke up higher then the rest yet they are never under prayer but alwayes under the curse and therefore no wonder though they bee scattered Rea. 3 God will lay mens wayes upon their owne heades the fish shall be boyled in the water it lived in and men destroyed by the same way they walked in therefore Psal 59. Psa 59. you shall see how sin is answered with the like punishment the Psalmist speaking concerning his enemies ver 6. 7. They returne at evening they make a noise like a dog and goe round about the city behold they belch out with their mouth swordes are in their lippes that is they revile they jeare and scorn at the godly there is their sin now looke into the latter end of the Psalme at the 14. vers you shall see their answerable punishment And at evening they shall returne and make a noise like a dog and go about the citie let them wander up and downe for meate and grudge if they be not satisfyed as they went about the citie barking and making a nois like dogs so shall they go about the city howling like dogs thus God will answer men in their owne kind was not Adonibezek punished in his owne Jud. 1. 7 kind Egipt in its own kinde And the Iewes of old in their owne now kind this is Gods method still and therefore if you compare the 8 Rev. and 9. cha with the 16 of the Rev. You shall see that the trumpets and the vialls are alike some take them to be all one but the trumpets note out the time when the sins are commited and the vialls the time when the punishments are inflicted but the evils mentioned in both are much alike because God proportioneth mens punishment to their owne sins now the eneÌ„ies of the Church haue scatterd themselves up down to do mischiefe how are the Jesuits the locusts of our time scattered up and downe in all places they haue scattered Gods people and they scatter their owne sinnes wheresoever they become therefore there must come a scattering time for themselues also for that is equall You will say doe wee not see the contrary our eyes are witnesses of the contrary wee sâ—e the people of God are scattered but wee doe not see the enemies are scattered It is true Gods people are scattered and truely it is the remainder of the curse upon them for which wee are to be humbled though God provides a place for us in the world yet certainly it is some part of the curse to haue our names changed from Israel to Jezreel this is Gods way that what â—uill hee doth afterward bring upon his enemies hee doth many times first bring it upon his owne friendes by his and their enemies he first sleepeth to them then hee awaketh for them but to answer Gods people are often scattered but though they be scattered yet there is much difference between their and the worlds scattering The scattering of Gods children is turned into a blessing to
it is Lord make plain thy way before me because of my observers malicious observation is a signe of enmity and therfore when men shall diligently obserue and lay waite for the haltings of Gods people and are glad to find any thing to raise a scandall more rejoycing at the scandall then greeving for the sin those as beastes Quitan quam famelici porci immergunt se in stercora sanctorum et exjis delicias faciunt Luther in Gen. 9. which seek for the excrements of men to nuzzle in them are Gods enemies and God is theirs Fiftly Those that hinder the great proceedings that God hath in the world are his enemies In the restauration and rebuilding of the Temple God had many enemies Tobiah Sanballat and many others how did it appeare they did out of malice labour to make the work of God to cease so when men in their generations and times shall 5 Nehem. 6. 1. maliciously labour to cause the workes of God to cease and hinder the great proceedinges which God hath on foot in the world these are enemies and none but enemies now God is and hath been working of many great workes in the world if any mans heart tell him that he hath thus taken up armes against God let him lay down his weapons and humble himselfe for God will be aboue him God is greater and will break him The second part of the doctrine followeth viz. Thâ—t these enenmies when God ariseth are scattered Gods rising is the cause of their scattering First When God ariseth then all his host ariseth when a man riseth then all his cloathes arise when the subject ariseth all the accidents rise when the Prince in the Field ariseth all his Souldiers arise when God ariseth then all his followers arise and when they arise the enemies fly and so are scattered Secondly Consider but the nature of his enemies as they are described in Scripture they are compared to waxe before the fire though Ps 68. 2. waxe may lye a while there and not melt whilest the fire is not blown up yet when the fire flameth the waze melteth they are compared to the Jude 13. waues of the Sea that roare whilest they are in the Sea yet when they come to the shore they break they are compared to smoak which though Psa 68. 2. it rise like a dark cloud yet is soon scattered and consumed by the puffe of the wind they are compared to vapors Hos 13 3. mists and clouds which though they may seem to threaten the earth with some great stoâ—m yet when the sun ariseth in its full heat then are they scattered such waxe such waues such smoake such vapours and mists are the Lords enemies soon therefore scattered when he ariseth Obiect Obiect But though it may be easy in regard of Gods power to scatter the enemies of the Churches yet when we look upon the condition of the Churches as they are in themselues their deliverance is very difficult it is an unlikly thing that the distressed Churches should be delivered as the matter now standeth with them when were the enemies of the Church more prevailing then now they are Answ Answ So it must be what is more unlikely then that a dead man who lieth upon the graues mouth should be raised up to life and to such life as to ascend and go up to heaven yet such is the deliverance of the Church when it cometh Reu. 11. 12. It was Rev. 11 12. a very unlikely thing that Iudah should ever come out of Babilon the Iewes did despaire of it and therefore as a man that thinketh he shall never returne the way that he goeth taketh no heed to his way observeth not by what turnings windings and marks he commeth so were they in their journey and way to Babilon wherfore saith Jeremy Set thee up way markes make Jeremy 31. 21 and 22. thee high heapes set thine heart towards the high way even the way which thou wentest turne thee again oh virgin Israel turn again to these cities c. For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A woman shall compasse a strong man as if he should say thus you think your seleus in a very weak and low condition the enemy strong and you in their hands well but the time shall come that a woman shall lay siedge to a strong man Faemina virum fortem Angustiabit Ps 1 18. for that word read to compasse in the Hebrew signifieth also to compasse by way of Siedge and that word read man in your translations signifieth a strong man and the sence of all is that those which are as weak as women shall beset incompasse and beleaguer those that are strong and valiant men but we see no likelyhood might they say of this No it may be so but saith God I will do a new thing but there is no meanes Answ It mattereth not J will create a new thing I that drew once the world out of nothing will draw the deliverance of the Churches also out of nothing I will be a creating God to the Churches though they be never so low was it not an unlikly thing for Peter to be delivered that very night Acts 12. 5. 6. when he was to die the next day First he was in close prison Secondly he was fast in chaines Thirdly he was there kept with Souldiers Fourthly he had rough keepers to keep the prison doores Fiftly he had to go through the first and second watch Lastly he was to passe the iâ—on gate that leadeth into the citie yet prayer conveyed him through all these parties of opposition the Church prayeth and Peter commeth but what is this to us we may not expect miracles now Ans yes we even we are commanded to commit our soules into the hands of 1. Pet. 4. 19. God in well doing as unto a faithfull creator not as unto a redeemer only but of a creator who hath promised his creating strength to supply us in our distresses and therefore saith into the hands of a faithfull creator well then though the afflictions of the Churches be never so great let us not mourne as those that are without hope for God can do it with ease and much facility he is our creator he will do it in truth and in much faithfulnesse for he is our faithfull creator into whose hands we are to commit our selues and the condition of all the Churches Thirdly When God ariseth then God appeareth now the enemies of God cannot endure the sight of God When Iohn the beloved disciple of Christ who had the honour to be trusted with the book of the Revelation saw but one Angell Rev. 22. 8. he fell downe and trembled Rev. 2 2 8. Iohn was a good man he had not a guilty Conscience yet when an Angell did but appeare John falleth down how shal men tremble when the great God shall appear and they shall appeare before him in
their vexation their scourge and this their judgment lay beyond the reach of the second cause therefore was God seen herein apparently where there is any thing of Gods creating power there is God plainly to be seen now where the effect lieth beyond the bounds of the second cause Gods creating power is seen for to raise that and therefore if in any evils which befall the children of men the strength of the second cause cannot reach them there you may say Oh my soule here is Gods judgment Gods plague Gods hand hâ—re is God seen and seen specially here God is risen Answ Answ 3. When Gods judgments for mens sin do so find them out as they are their owne blabs their owne accusers their own condemners and somtime their own executioners then God is to be seen and seen especially so with Judas and many others it is written of Iulian the apostata who raised an army against the Persians in the fight he was stâ—ucken whether with an arrow or otherwise J say not but being sorely wounded he took a handfull of his own blood and flung it into the aire saying Vicisti Galilee thou hast overcome mee O Galilean you haue many stories to this purpose in the book of Martirs recorded by Maister Foxe J will name but that one of that vile wretch who dealt so injuriously with the Martir James Abbes who after all his base usage of that good man was taken with a strang kind of Phrenzy and cryed out Iames Abbes is saved and I am damned Iames Abbes is saved and I am damned and so died others were not privy to all his injuries but his owne guilt made him his own blab so now when a mans sin commeth and aresteth him and his heart and conscience is upon the rack contially he bursting out into hideous outcries being his own accuser his own condemner or his owne executioner there God is seen and seen apparently Answ 4 Answ 4. Further when the worke of the Lord is carried with such a strong hand as cannot be resisted there God is seen I will worke and who Jsa 43 13 shall let saith God Answ 5 Answ 5. Then a judgment commeth in way of a judgment when it maketh way to a further judgment as when God giveth in mercy he giveth that he may giue so when he smiteth injudgment he smiteth that he may smite he maketh way to his anger when he is angry indeed and when you see this then say here is God seene and seene especially now God is risen Blessed are all they that trust in him Quest. But how shall we raise God that he may be seen in the world for the good of the Churches Answ Answ The next point telleth us viz. Obser 4 Our prayers doe excite raise and stir up God to the scattering and destruction of our enemies I will not spend much time in the proof of this you all know the parable of the unjust judge and you all know the promise of the just God to heare prayer Brethren is God able to scatter his enemies Is God mighty Is God all sufficient Hath God power enough to do it God is pleased to make over his power his wisdome his mercy to our prayers who doth not know what credit prayer hath in heaven and what strength in eâ—rth the truth is prayer may do any thing that is reasonable with God And if you aske prayer by what authority it doth all it will shew you its commission in that place 2. Chron. 7. 1. 2 compared with 2. Chron. 6. Where God wrought a miracle to shew that he would answer prayer Quest. Quest. But you will say can any prayer do this excite stirre up and awaken God Ans 1 Answ 1. No But it must be a crying prayer if violence be offered to a man in his house and he doth not cry for helpe helpe commeth not in presently but if there be the eues in the house and he putteth his head out at window and cry murder murder men will breake up the dores and come in presently Ans 2 Answ 2. Besides they must be selfwakening prayers that prayer will neuer waken God that doth not waken your selues and that prayer will neuer stirre and raise God that do not stirre and raise your owne soules Thirdly It must be a selfe denying prayer you know the case betwene Moses and Israel Israel had prouoked God God sayes to Moses that hee Exo 32 10 14. would consume Israel and raise up him to bee a greate people Moses layes by all that and he goes to God in prayer and what arguments doth hee use his prayer was but short aâ—d all the arguments were fetched from God and the covenant remember thy covenant with Abraham and thou art a mercifull God slow to anger c. not a word of himselfe it was a self-denying prayer and was heard presently in prayer those arguments take most with God that are from God Fourthly Besides it must be a continued prayer as Col 4 2 prayers are the Saints factors and negotiate for them in heauen therefore they must ly by it Fifthly it must be where the man abideth in Christ and Christ in him 15. Iohn If yâ— John 15 abide in mee and my words abide in you yee shall aske what you will and it shall bee done unto you he doth not say if you abide in an tauerne or in an alehouse or in such a vile course but If ye abide in mee and my wordes abide in you then ye shall aske Sixthly Reforming prayers are most preuailing Virtutes sunt orationis fundamenta there is no energy in those prayers that are not strengthned with reformation either your prayers will eat up your sins or else your sins will make a hand of your prayers Isai 58. 6. Loose the bands of wickednes Isa 58 6. c. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here am I if thou c. Though the lesson be never so good yet if the instrument be out of tune there is no harmony and harmonious prayer is very speeding therefore Lastly Jt must be joynt prayers when the Church prayed Peter was delivered it is trve that their prayer was very urgent in it selfe for according to the Originall iâ— is they continued in out-stretched prayer it was holding prayer for they continued it was seasonable for it was the night before his appointed death yet withall the Church prayeth and Peter commeth one string doth not make the harmony and the word is If two or three of you shall Mat. 18. 16. make a Symphony Mat. 18. 19 It shall be done for you God that is overcome by none suffereth Deus qui nullis contrase superari potest precibus superatur Hieron himself to be overcome by prayer but your prayer must be full of himselfe pressing and a close leaguer wherfore all you lie perdue keep Centinell or to speak in Scripture phrase Isay 62. 6.