thanksgiving Besides yet there is another thing considerable that is in the stating of the time Though men may thus depute and appoint dayes to worship God yet they cannot state any such dayes but onely as Gods providence calls them to it according to the present occasion Therefore it were certainly a sin if a state should appoint once every yeer to be a fasting day in a religious way God did so but men have no power to do so the reason is this because they doe not know but God may call them to rejoycing upon that day they have not the liberty of the time All that we can doe is this when God calleth us to fasting wee must appoint dayes of fasting when God calls us to rejoycing we must appoint dayes of rejoycing Therefore to appoint the time of Lent as a religious fast is sinfull and the Statute it selfe threatneth a mulct upon that man that shall call it a religious fast for civill ends it may be but stated fasts which are not limited by providence are certainly evil and so for these monthly fasts that are now injoyned if we should say we will have a fast once a moneth upon this day these twelve moneths or these two yeers I perswade my selfe the State should sin but to have it as long as Gods hand is upon us as long as the occasion lasteth and Gods providence calls us to it that is justifiable Our Brethren in Scotland wholly deny both stated Fasts and all other dayes Nay they will scarce agree to this monthly fasting we have because they are so loth to yeeld to any stat a jeiunia And I remember I have heard of a speech King James once made in Scotland blessing God that hee was borne at such a time and was a member of such a Church and the reason he giveth is this For saith he the Church of Scotland exceeds in this all other Churches England though it hath pure doctrine hath not pure discipline other Reformed Churches have pure doctrine and discipline but they retaine the observation of many holy dayes but the Church of Scotland hath pure doctrine and discipline and keeps no holy dayes and therefore saith he it is a purer Church then any in the world Thus I have endeavoured to shew you how far things may be set apart how far not when it commeth to be a sinne for any one to sanctifie a day By this we may see what a mercy it is to be delivered from those men who have robbed the Kingdome of so many dayes as they have and put so many superstitious respects upon them and so have involved us in much guilt blesse God for delivering us from them and for those dayes that God giveth us liberty to exercise our selves in his worship let us know our liberty in them Thus much for those Feasts that are called their Feasts that were of their owne appointment Her new moons The ordinance of God in the new moons is in Numb 28. 11. In the beginning of your new moons you shall doc thus and thus c. It was Gods ordinance that the Jews at the beginning of every month should have a holy day when they had a new moon they should keep that day holy to God That which the Latines call Calends were their new moones The holy solemnity of these dayes was in three things First the offerings that were there appointed by God particularly for that time were many chargeable two young bullocks one ram seven lambs of the first yeer without spot besides their flower oyl for their drink offerings and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering Secondly At these times they were wont to repaire to the Prophets for instruction to know the mind of God That you have 2 King 4. 23. where the husband of the Shunamire said to his wife wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day it is neither new moone nor sabbath Indeed if it were new moon or sabbath you may goe but while it is neither why will you goe That implyeth that this was a thing in use among the Jewes to repaire to the Prophets for instruction and to heare Gods word from them upon those dayes Thirdly yea it was unlawfull to buy and sell upon those dayes Amos. 8. 5. When will the new moone be gone that we may sell corn they were weary of it it seems because they might not buy and sell in it These three things we finde in Scripture upon their new moones Now Euxtorphius who relates to us the Jewish way hee tells us of three other things they were wont to doe in their new moones First Those that were most devout among them used to set apart a day for fasting and prayer to intreat God to blesse the new moon to them 2. As soone as there was an appearance of the new moone one steppeth up and cryeth O thou Creator of the moone be ever blessed and so he goes on in the benediction of God for this creature 3. They used to leap and to reach toward the moon so soone as they saw it speaking after this manner We reaching to the moon we cannot reach it so all our enemies that reach at us are as unable to reach us to our hurt as we that But why did God appoint this feast of the new moone It was appointed for these 4. ends 1. Because God would be acknowledged to have the government of all inferiour things in the world and especially of all the changes of times As the Sabbath was for putting us in minde of Gods creating the world so the new moones were appointed for them to blesse God for the government of the world for many nations have attributed much of the government of the things of the world to the moone the tydes you know ebbe and flow according to the moone the great worke of God in the seas seeme to bee governed by God in the use of that creature yea things seeme to be governed more sensibly by this creature then by others to the end therefore that they might not sticke in the creature but give God the glory therefore hee appointed the feasts of the new moone if they had any changes of times and seasons God caused it rather then this creature and as the heathens so they called the Moone the Queene of Heaven and they would not be taken off from offering cakes to the Queene of heaven they attributed all their prosperity to her as we reade in the Prophet Now from this God would take them off therefore he appointed this solemn feast of the new moone 2. God would hereby teach that the bringing of any light unto us after darknesse is meerly from himself and he must be acknowledged in it The Moone is a glorious creature and causeth much light but soone after there is darknesse and after this darknesse light springeth up againe Here is the work of God we are taught a morall lesson from this Feast that
for the bow was a great warlike instrument in these dayes therefore in Psal 46. 9. He makes wars to cease he breaks the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder c. But here by breaking the bow there is something more it is not onely mentioned because the bow is a warlike instrument but there is some particular reason why the bow is instanced here and that is this because whereas Jehu did many memorable things in his warlike affairs yet none more then that he did by his bow Mark that place 2 King 9. 24. And Iehu drew a bow with his full strength and smote Jeroboam between his arms and the arrow went out at his heart c. So that the victory that Jehu got ever the two Kings of Israel and Iudah was by the Bow especially What observe we from hence That wherein wicked men have been most prosperous and succesful even in this God will curse them and let out his wrath upon them Againe Breake the bow blast all the power of their Ammunition Carnal hearts trust much in their warlike weapons but they are nothing when God commeth to break a peoples strength God hath the power of all Ammunition the Lord is called The Lord of Hosts and he delighteth much in this title First because God hath not only the power over Ammunition and all Warlike weapons so as they cannot be used but by him But secondly because when they are used they can have no successe at all but by him and so the Lord is the Lord of Hosts in a peculiar sense Hee is the great Generall of all Armies more then all other Generalls for the successe of all dependeth upon him My brethren why then need the Church of God feare the strength of weapons the Bow the Cannon or all the Ammunition of the enemies of the Church seeing our Lord is the Lord of Hosts no weapon can be used or have successe but by this Lord of Hosts He can break the bow though of steele when pleaseth and can give his people strength to doe so too For this you have an admirable promise Esa 54. 17. Behold saith God I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and bringeth forth an instrument for his worke and I have created the water to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper What need the Church fear then God breaks the bow when he pleaseth For as God hath a providence over all the things in the world so there is a specialty of providence of God to order Battels to give the victory not to the strong or to the multitude but sometimes to the weak and few even as hee pleaseth And therefore hee is the Lord of Hosts because though his providence is generall over all creatures yet there is a specialty of providence of God in warlike affairs But what was this valley of Jezreel It is worthy our time to enquire after this valley of Jezreel wherein God will break the bow of Israel There were two places called Jezreel the one belonging to Iudah Iosh 15. the other belonging to Israel Iosh 17. 16. Chap. 19. 18. Iezreel was a fruitfull valley ten miles long and by it there was a famous City built which was in Ahabs time the principall seate the Metropolis of the Kingdom and there was a glorious tower in it from thence they might see over Galilee and over Iordan Now there were two great Cities that belonged to the tenn Tribes Samarea and Iezreel as we in England have two principall Cities London and Yorke But this Iezreel was the most fortified in which they put a great deale of confidence yet God saith here He will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Iezreel That is there by that City in that place that they accounted the great strength of their Kingdom there he would break the bow of Israel Fortified Cities cannot help when God cometh out against a people If we can fortifie our Cities against sin we may soone fortifie them against an Enemie If sinne once get in the enemie will quickly follow Nah. 3. 12. All thy strong holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they be shaken they shall fall into the mouth of the eater You shall with the least wind like the first ripe figs sall off all your strong holds shall doe so Yea ver 13. Thy people in the midst of thee are women the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thine enemies the fire shall devourthy bars You see what the valley of Iezreel is the meaning of it But why will God breake the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel There are these two reasons for it 1. Because God would deale with this people of Israel as Judges deale with Malefactors they will hang them up there where the fact was committed as wee see some hanged up in Chains neer to the City at or about the place where their villany was done So in Jezreel was shed the blood of Jezebel and the blood of the 70. sons of Ahab and the blood of Jehoram and there will God break the bow Hence it is that guilty consciences are many times afraid to goe neere to the places where they have committed wickedness because their consciences will fly in their faces for feare God should come upon them in the place where the fact was done But further He will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel that is in that fortified place in which they did so much glory this is specially observable Even in that place wherein a kingdom shall most glory seem to trust most in God many times doth come and break the kingdom in that very place and makes that the breaking of the kingdome most Nah. 3. 8. Art thou better then populous No that was scituate among the rivers that had the waters round about it whose rampant was the sea her wall was from the sea Mark a people just like England in this case what we overcome by the Enemie we that have the Seas for our Wall and such a multitude of people amongst us These have been are the two pleas that England hath for her selfe because our people are many and we have the seas for a wall But art thou better then populous No yet was she carryed away she went into captivity c. vers 10. Thus the Prophet pleadeth with them But further These trusted in Jezreel they seemed to scorn the Prophet What the kingdome of Israel cease what thinke you of Jezreel such a strong place as that just as we should say what an Enemy come to us what say you to London a brave City a strong City what say you to the Ammunition to the Militia to the strength that is there Are they not able to resist all that can come against it Have we cause to feare danger It is true the kingdom hath cause to bless
was good and the land that it was pleasant and he bowed his shoulders to bear became a servant unto tribuâ—e And when mens spirits are effeminate in regard of the civill state they quickly grow so in regard of their consciences and religion too Purity of religion in the Church cannot stand long with slavery admitted in the State We read Rev. 4. 7. of 4. Ages of the Church set out by four living-creatures the 3. living-creature the Text saith had the face of a man and that was to note the state of the Church in the time of reformation they began then to be of manly spirits to cast off that yoke of bondage that was before upon them to enquire after what liberty God had granted to them Not then like those we read of Isa 51. 23. that would bow down to such as would say to their soules Bow downe that we may goe over them This my brethren hath been the condition of many of us there hath bin that effeminateness of spirit in us that we have bowed down our necks yea our souls to those that would go over us yea as it is there in 51. Isa they made themselves the very street to them that went over them their very consciences were trampled upon by the foot of pride and all for the enjoyment of a little outward accomodation in their estates in their shops and in their trading Oh they must not venture these rather yeeld to any thing in the world And truly we were afraid not long since that God was calling us by the name of this daughter Loruhamah in regard of our effeminateness of spirit that the Lord was departing from our nation But blessed be God that now here hath begun to be a rising of spirit among us especially among our worthies in Parliament and their warmth vigour life hath put warmth vigour spirit and life into the whole Kingdome Now our Kingdom will never bow downe and submit their Consciences nor Estates nor liberties to that bondage and oppression that heretofore hath been No they had rather die honorably then live basely But why do I make such a disjunction dy honorably or live basely Had we spirits we might free our selves and posterity from living basely and we need not dye at all for the malignant party hath neither spirit to act nor power to prevail if we keep up our spirits and be strong in the Lord we are safe enough yet we shall not have our name Loruhamah but Ruhamah the Lord will have mercy upon us 1 King 14. 15. God threatens to smite Israel that they shall be as a reed shaken with the wind and then mark what followeth and then he would root them out of this good land which hee gave to their Fathers If this judgement be upon England that our spirits be shaken as a reed with the winde that wee bow and yeeld to any thing in a base way the next may justly follow that the Lord may root us out of this good Land As it was with Israel before their destruction they grew effeminate so it was with Judah too before theirs Isa 3. 3. when God intended judgment against them you may observe there that He took away the mighty man the man of war the prudent and the ancient the Captain the honourable man the Counseller men of truly noble spirits were taken away their Nobles became to be vile and sordid to yeeld to any humors and lusts then they were neer the ruine and ver 12. the Text saith women rule over them for women that have many spirits to rule is no judgment at all but for women of revengeful spirits to rule over a nation is a most fearful judgment But so much of the first that it is a daughter that is here born to Hosea What is this daughters name Call her name Loruhamah Non dilecta so some Non misericordiam consecuta so others both come to one either not beloved or one that hath not obtained mercy for Gods mercy proceedeth from his love I will no more have mercy I will add no more mercy Nothing that God had shewed abundance of mercy to Israel before but now he saith I will not adde any more I will shew no further mercy to them But I will utterly take them away Tollendo tollam so turned by some In taking them away I will take them away Levaho levando so others I will lift them up that I may cast them down so much the more dreadfully The old Latin hath it thus Obliviscendo obliviscor forgetting I will forget And this was upon a mistake of the Hebrew word because there is little difference in the Hebrew between the word that signifieth to to forget and that which signifieth to take away The 70. setting my selfe against them I will set my selfe against them Well the name of the child must bear this upon it that God will have no more mercy upon them Hence then first Sometimes the very children of families and in a kingdom do bear this impression upon them that God will have no mercy upon this family upon this kingdome One may my brethren read such an impression upon the children of many great families in this Kingdome when wee looke upon that horrible wickedness of the young ones that are coming up how different from their former religious Ancestors we may see with trembling hearts such an impression of wrath as if God had said I have done with this family I intend no further mercy to this family As sometimes when we see in a family gracious children gracious young gentlemen noble men we may see the impression of Gods mercy to that family Ruhaniah I intend mercy to it It was not long since that we might and we thought indeed wee did see such an impression upon the young ones of this kingdome the young ones in the City the yong ones in the chief families in the Country that we vvere afraid that Lornhamah to England was written upon them for oh the rudenes and wickednes of the young ones But blessed be God that we see it otherwise now now in regard of that graciousnesse that forwardnesse of so many young ones amongst us we may see written upon them Ruhamah to England mercy to England God hath taken away his Lo and writeth only Ruhamah mercy to you this great change God hath made For the great ground of the hope we have for mercy to England is the impression of God upon the young ones When God hath tender plants growing up in his Orchard certainly he will not break down the hedg or dig it up Secondly Call her name Loruhamah for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel There is a time when God will not have mercy upon a kingdome or upon a particular people Gather your seves together oh nation not worthy to be beloved before the decree come forth There is a
every thing and prize every little mercie Oh the tenth the hundreth part of that will not serve your turne now you vvould have been glad of then and blessed God if you had had it But now you know not your selves your hearts are raised up as your estates are VVell it is good for you to looke to the condition that once you were in vvhen you were low As vve reade of Agathâ—cles that King that was a Potters sonne and after advanced to a kingdom he vvould alwayes be served at his table in earthen vessels to put him in mind of that condition he was in before certainly if in any place in England it be seasonable to speake of this it is here in London where many that have been Potters children and in a low degree have been raised up high and have gotten great estates Let them remember in what condition once they were that they may be humbled and so may prevent that danger of being brought thither again Many put others in mind of it in a taunting vvay I know vvhat you were not long agoe I know vvhat your father vvas c. But doe you put your own soules in mind of this in an humbling way This is the vvay to continue mercies But now apply vve it a little to our selves for the generall and then vve shal conclude all Let us vvork this upon our hearts Look vve back to vvhat we vvere lately and let us check our hearts for any discontent in our present estate Not long since vvould not many of us have beene willing to have laid dovvn our lives to have purchased that mercy we have had this yeer or two God hath granted to us our former mercies raised us from our low condition of free cost hitherto God hath been afore hand with us and what if those mercies that are to come will be at some vvhat a dearer rate then those vvee have had already Those mercies vve have had already have been very precious and sweet but surely they that are to come are more precious and sweet and therefore vve may be content though they cost us deare Yet hovv vile are the spirits of men in forgetting the condition the sad condition they lately were in forgetting the Taxes and Monopolies and uncertainty of enjoying an thing that was your own and now if there be but a little charge comming you presently fall a murmuring and repining Oh these are heavy burthens the Parliament burthens the kingdome and the Couutrey and as good have ship-money and other taxes as these burthens Oh unworthy unworthy are you to live to see the goodnesse of the Lord in these dayes unworthy to have thine eyes open to see what God hath done and thus to murmur Thou shouldest magnifie Gods mercies and not murmur at his proceedings VVe have a notable parallel to this Numb 16. in the story of Corah Dathan and Abiram those murmurers when they were but in a little strait they come to Moses and say ver 13. Why hast thou brought us up out of a land that floweth with milks and honey What land was that that Moses brought them up out of that they said flowed with milke and honey It was the land of Egypt the land of their bondageâ— indeed they were promised a land of Canaan that should flowe with milke and honey and they put that upon the land of Egypt though they had been in bondage and slavery in Egypt and were now going to Canaan yet when they did but indure some trouble in the vvay and had but some opposition and were put to some straits then Egypt was the Land that flowed vvith milke and honey and who would come out of Egypt So though God be bringing us to Canaan to a blessed Land that floweth with milke and honey yet because there are some straits in the way some difficulties some oppositions that may cost us somewhat now how doe men cry out we vvere better before you talke of Reformation and such and such things but for our parts would vve might have but vvhat we had before and be as quiet as vve were then why will you bring us out of a Land that floweth with milke and honey Oh base murmuring and discontented spirits that forget what once they vvere and rather prize the bondage they were in before then are thankfull for Gods present mercies For us not to look back to Gods former mercies it goeth to the very heart of God God hath an expression that it frets him to the very heart You have it in Ezek. 16. 43. Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth but hast fretâ—ed me in all these things It is a thing that frets God at his heart to see a people so unworthy of mercie when God commeth in such wayes of mercie to them as he doth My brethren God hath done great things for us whatsoever others say and thinke Let them murmure and repine and say what they will let us say God hath done great things for us Let us lay to heart the condition we lately vvere in that so we may be stirred up now to seeke after God that wee may never be brought into that condition any more if they would have it again much good may it do them but for us let it be our care to seeke God and to use all lawfull meanes to prevent our bringing back to it again For even the very straits we now are in are an aggravation of our former misery and present mercie it should not therefore make our former misery or present mercie seeme lesse but greater How is that you will say Thus If now wee have so much helpe and power to hinder a malignant party that seeke our ruine yet they have so much strength and resolution what would have become of us if this had been before when we had no way nor no meanes to help us If men complaine now what vvould they have done then Therefore whereas we make use of our straits to make us thinke that our former misery was lesse and we are now in a sadder condition then before rather let us make it an aggravation of Gods mercie towards us and if wee be in such straits now when God hath raised up such meanes beyond all our thought to resist the flowing in of misery upon us Lord whether were wee a going what would have become of us if the streame which hath been so long a swelling had broke in upon us when there was no meanes to have resisted it VVe may well see now that if their intentions and resolutions be so strong for mischiefe as will not be hindered notwithstanding the present strength God hath granted us to oppose them surely they had most vile intentions and dreadfull things were determined against us which would have brought us low indeed and have made us the most miserable people upon the earth if God had not come in so mira culously for our help as he hath done at this
children If you should see a malignant party come with their spheares and pikes and your children sprawling upon the toppes of them and their blood gushing out what would your gold-rings what would all your niceties and braver doe you good I will give you for this because it is a point of such concernment foure notable expressions in Scripture about Idolaters eagerness and earnestness of spirit in following after their Idols The first is Isa 57. 5. The Text saith there that they were inflamed after their Idols they were on fire after them The second is Jer. 50. 38. They were madde upon their Idols Thirdly You have a text more sutable to that I am speaking of It is Isa 46. 6. it is said there that they did laviâ—h gold out of the bagga They did not onely give their gold rings that were of no use and part with that which they could well spare but they did lavish gold that was in the bagge they would not onely bring some of it but they did lavish it for so the word is and they lavished not their silver but their gold and that not a piece or two out of a paper but out of the bagge they brought their bagges of gold and did lavish gold out of them and this they did for their Idols Oh what a shame is it then that any should be penurious and not come off full in the publicke cause of the Church and Common-wealth The fourth Text is Jerem. 8. 2. and there we have five expressions together of the pursuance of the heart of Idolaters after their Idols the like wee have not in all the booke of God in one verse Speaking of their Idols First he saith whom they have loved Secondly whom they have served Thirdly after whom they have walked Fourthly whom they have sought And Fifthly whom they have worshipped and all this in this one verse O how are the hearts of people set upon the wayes of Idolatry I remember Cambden reports of a King of England Canutus that spent as much upon one crosse aâ— the revenues of the Crowne came unto in a whole yeer he was so profuse in charges about his superstitious vanities Master Calvin in a Sermon of his upon that Text seeke ye my face hath this expression Foolish Idolaters when they endure much in their pilgrimages spend their money waste their bodies and abused in their travail yet they goe on and thinke all sufficiently recompenced if they may see and worship some Image of a Saint or holy relicke Shall the beholding saith he some dead carrion or apish Idol have more power to strengthen them then the face of God in his ordinances shall have to strengthen us My lovers that gave me my bread and my water my wool and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke What were these Idols The Idol that gave their bread was Caeres shee was the goddesse that the Heathens did worship for corne For their water Luna the Moone was the Idol they worshipped for their drinke and all moist things For their wool and flaxe Ashtaroth was their god And for their oyle Fryapus The seventy translate that which wee say here wooll clothes and that which we say flaxe they linnen and they likewise for the fuller expression adde a word or two more and all other necessary things So they though their Idols gave them all flaxe and wool and hempe and all things Observe from hence Idolaters have a great many idols to supply their severall wants My lovers in the plural number The idols of the Heathen do not supply all good but one one thing and another another thing And that is the difference betweene the true God and Idols The excellency of the true God is that he is an universal good we have all good flaxe and oyle and bread and wine and all in one in our God in our lover And that is the reason that God chalengeth the whole heart Idols are content with a partiall obedience because they are but partiall in bestowing of good things but God justly requires the whole heart of his worshippers because he is an universall good to them My Lovers that gave me my bread c. Marke The end that Idolaters ay me at in their worship is very low They follow their lovers and are very earnest for what I pray for their wool and their flaxe and their bread and their water their oyle and their drinke These are the things they aime at they desire no more they look no higher may their flesh be satisfied give them but-liberty to sport on the Lords day to have their feasts their wakes merry meetings and they care for no more Their spirits are vile and accordingly is their worship Therefore their worship is external it is bodily because their aimes are at externall and bodily things As a mans end is so is a man either base or honourable There are many men that cry out as if they aimed at God and Religion in many things they doe they make a noise about Religion and God and Christ and his Ordinances and the publicke good but the truth is their aimes are at gaine and credit and at their wool and their flaxe and herein they shew the baseness of their spirits like the lapwings that make a loud cry as if they were come neere their nests when their neasts are somewhere else VVhatever their cry be for God and the publicke good but if you marke them their neast is in their wool in their flax in their profit in their honour and preferment in these outward things But the end of the true worshippers of God is a great deale higher they soare aloft there is a spirituall heighth of soule whereby they are raised upwards by the grace of God A godly mans feete are where a wicked mans head is that which he accounteth his chiefe good a godly man can trample under his feete He lookes at God himselfe at his service he worshippeth the high God he is a child of Abraham not Abraham but Abraham what is the signification of that Pater excelsus a high Father for he is the father of children of high spirits not only of Children that are beleevers but of those that have high raised spirits so Abraham signifieth a high father Cleopatria told Marcus Antonius that he was not to fish and angle for gudgeons and trouts but for Castles Forts and Towns so I may say of a Christian he doth not fish angle especially in matters of Religion for wool and flax and oile he hath no such low and base ends but at God and Christ and heaven and glory and imortality he lookes there he serves God not for these things hee desires these things that by them he may be fitted more to serve God One that hath beene acquainted with the free grace of God in Christ will serve God for himselfe without indenting with him he will be willing to go into Gods Vineyard and not
the Pagans were here in England they had their Flamins and their Archflamins London was one and Yorke was another and when they were converted to the Christian Religion yet still keeping some of their Heathenish customes instead of their Arch-flamins they made Arch-bishops and of their Flamins Bishops and that in their very places as London and Yorke and some say Chester they kept their Bishopricks still This is the very â—â—und of the antiquity of them therefore my brethren let not us be put off with such arguments as these men delude you they baffle you by these arguments The Tenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 11. And all her solemne Feasts c. WEE began the last day to speake something of the Feast of Trumpets you shall finde the institution of it in Leviticus 23. 24. You shall have a Sabbath a memorial of blowing of Trumpets Now there were divers ends of Gods institution of this Feast I have spoken of one the second reason of that Feast the Hebrews thinke was a remembrance of Isaacs deliverance when he should have been sacrificed and the Ram caught by the hornes to be sacrificed in his stead they drew it from this argument because that Feast is called A memoriall say they to remember the deliverance of Isaac and it must be by the Trumpets of Rams hornes to call this to remembrance the deliverance of Isaac and a Ram sacrificed in his stead this is the Iews opinion of it but it seemes to be farre from the meaning of the holy Ghost A third reason of the Feast of Trumpets some say Cajetan amongst others was instituted for a memoriall of Gods giving the lay by sound of the trumpet that is not likely neither because this Feast was not kept at the time of Gods giving the law if there were any time for the celebration of giving the law it must be at the Feast of Pentecost A fourth it was for a celebration of a memoriall of Gods goodness to them in the time of war for all the mercies of God unto them in their wars which was declared by the blowing of the trumpets But I rather take another reason to be a maine and principall reason of Gods institution of this Feast to be a preparation to the Feast of atonement and expiation and therefore saith Calvin it is called a memoriall Levit. 23 for this reason to put them in minde to humble themselves before God to afflict their hearts in the day of atonement and secondly a memoriall before God that God may remember them for mercy so the Iews observe from the seventh day of the first moneth unto the tenth day there was more then ordinary exercises in giving of almes in praying in going to their synagogues they were very devout for those ten dayes in way of preparation for the day of Atonement of Expiation From whence note It is of this use to us to prepare for the day of Fasting Ministers should blow their trumpets to the people to prepare them for that day God hath accepted of those poore kinde of fasts that we have kept abundance of mercies we have received on them there is scarce any one Fast day that is kept but we presently hear good news after it if we had kept Fast dayes as we ought if we had been prepared as we should O what might we have obtained of God by this time if God accepts such poor things as we do as God knowes they are poore and meane if we had every time a trumpet blown before us to prepare us for the day of atonement what atonements might England have made with God before this time to reade understandingly those things you reade about the Feast of Trumpets The next Feast was the feast of Expiation in the tenth day I thought not to have spoken of that because the Feast of Expiation is a Fast rather then a Feast but that is meant here as well as any of the other for this reason though it were a Fast yet the Hebrew word here that is translated solemne Feasts signifies onely a setled stated solemn time And Secondly It was a great mercy to them to have such a day of Fast though the day of atonement be a day of afflicting themselves yet it is the cause of rejoycing to a nation that God grants them such a day of atonement it is the speciall meanes to make way to the joy of a nation and therefore this is included amongst the other now the history of that you have in these two famous Scriptures Levit. 16. and Levit. 23. In this day of atonement the tenth day of the seventh month there are divers things very observeable and usefull for these times The first is The solemn charge that God gave for the afflicting mens souls upon that day you shall finde in a few verses three severall times a solemn charge to afflict their soules to humble their souls Levit. 23. 27. 29. 32. God appointed one day in the year for all the Jews to afflict their souls to make an atonement between God and them in a day of Fast and they were charged to be sure to afflict their souls then and that soul that did not God threatened to cut it off The second thing observeable is that the Priest was to goe into the Holy of Holies where he was to go but once a year Levit. 16. the beginning and the latter end compared together you shall finde it This may teach us thus much If ever we are to looke upon JESUS CHRIST in the presence of God to go into the Holy of Holies making intercession for us it is in the day of atonement in the day of publick Fast of the Kingdome then are we to exercise our Faith upon Christ as entring before God into the Holy of Holies for us after we have charged upon our souls our sins and afflicted our souls we must likewise cast up an eye of Faith beholding Jesus Christ our high Priest at that day before the Father making intercession for us The third thing observeable is at that day the Priest was to make an atonement for all the holy things in Lev. 16. 20. When he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place the Tabernacle and the altar c. the Priest was not only to seeke to make reconciliation between God and the people but to reconcile the holy places even the Holy of Holies had a kind of pollution in it and must be reconciled then and the Tabernacle and the Altar all of them had a kind of pollution upon them so infectious is the sin of man and all these were to be 〈…〉 a day of atonement 〈◊〉 teacheth us That in a day of Atonement of Fâ—sting we are then 〈…〉 speciall care to scâ—â—â— mercy from God to be â—â—conciled to us in regard of all our holy things our holy duties and offerings we are to seek then to get the best services that ever we performed in all our lives to be
his people be opened we must accept of the punishment of our iniquity and even beare this indignation of the Lord because wee have sinned against him 12. Yea the Lord hath strucke us with blindnesse at the doore we grope up and down and we cannot finde it as Gen 19. 11. Never were a people at a greater losse in a greater confusion then now we are every man runs his owne way wee know not what to doe nay the truth is we know not what we doe 13. Yea many because they have found some difficulties at the right door they have gone away from it and have sought back doors to help themselves by even base false shifting treacherous ways seeking to comply for their own private ends as if their skins must needs be saved whatsoever becomes of the publique 14. This is yet a further misery that we are groping up and downe at the doore and night is come upon us stormes tempests are rising dangers are approaching and yet God opens not to us 15. Above all our misery this is yet the greatest that even our hearts are shut up too there lyes a stone rowled at the doore of our hearts and such a stone as is beyond the power of an Angel to rowle away were it that after all our hearts were but open our condition yet had comfort in it Oh now what shall we doâ— 1. Let us resolve to waite at this doore â—â—aite upon God in those wayes of helpe that yet in mercy he affords unto us Certainly we are at the right doore let us say with Shecaniah Ezra 10. 2. We have sinned against the Lord yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Let us resolve whatsoever becomes of us not to goe from our fathers door if we perish we will perish at his gates 2. Let us worship the Lord at this our doore though we be not entred in yet let our hearts bow before the Lord in the acknowledgement of his greatnesse power dominion that he hath over us to doe with us what he pleaseth as Ezek. 46. 2. it is said The Prince shall worship at the threshold of the gate and the people of the land shall woâ—ship at the doore 3. Let us look in at the key-hole or at any crevise that wee can to see something of the riches of mercy that this door opens into Within on the other side oâ— the door we may see what liberty of conscience what enjoyment of Ordinances the blessing of Gods worship in his own way we may see the wayes of God and his Saints would be made honorable in this kingdome yea in a higher degree then any where upon the face of the earth yea we may see many sweet outward liberties the free enjoyment of our estates peace plenty prosperity in abundance all these and more then we can think of if this door were but once opened to us howsoever it is good 〈◊〉 looke in to quicken our hearts and set on our desires and endeavours the more strongly in the meane time Oh how happy were we if we had these mercies 4. Let us yet knock lowder and cry lowder at our Fathers doore But did not you tell us our Father seemed to be angry at our knocking Mark what we have in that very Scripture where the Church complains that God is angry with her prayer Psal 80. 4. How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Yet ver 7. Turne us againe O God of Hosts and cause thy face to shine And ver 14 Returne we beseech thee O God of Hâ—sts look down from heaven behold visit this vine ver 19. Turne us againe O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 5. Let every one take away his sinnes that lye at this door let every one sweep his owne door Zech. 8. 15. 16. Again have I thought in these â—â—â—yes to doe well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Iudah feare not But yet mark what followes These are the things that ye shall doe Speake ye every man the truth to his neighbour execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates Let none of you imagine evill in his heart against his neighbor Both private men and men in publick place must reforme How far are we from this Never more plottings more heart-burnings one against another those in publike place neglect the execution of judgement they would have their policies beyond Gods wisdome God puts these two together and commends one as a meanes to the other the execution of judgement and peace but they have a further reach they will not exe curâ—â—â—dgement for feare of a breach of peace It is just with God that we should never have peace till we can trust God for it in his own way 6. Let us seek to God againe and call to him for the right key Lord reveale the way of thy worship and thy government to us and we will yeeld our selves unto it 7. Stir we up our selves against all difficulties Things are not yet so bad but we may help our selves if we have hearts Our Father heares us he can command many Angels to come to help to rowle away the stone yea he hath opened divers doores to us already We are indeed come to the â—ron gate the Lord can make that at length flye open of its own accord as Acts 20. 10. The Church was praying and after the prâ—â—on dooâ—es were opened to Peter and he had passed the first and second gate he came unto the iron gate that led into the City and there he found as easie passage as any where else In the mount will the Lord be scene 8. Let us exercise Faith in the blood of Christ let us as it were besprinkle this our door with the blood of the Lambe yea looke we up to Christ as the true doore to let into all mercy let Faith act as well as Prayer 9. Let us now especially watch all opportunities of mercy and take heed we neglect no more as we have done many very foulely lest hereafter wee knock and cry Lord open to us and it proves too late 10. Let us open to God who knocks at our doores it wee would have him open to us God knocks at the doore of every one of our hearts open we to him fully set all wide open for him Openye gates stand open ye everlasting doores let the King of glory come in These who doe thus are the true generation of those that seek the Lord let England open for God yet stands at the doore and knockes and if we will yet open to him he will yet come in and suppe withus and we shall suppe with him It is true God rebukes and chastens severely so he did Laodicea at that time when he stood at her doore and knocked Apoc. 3. 19. 20. if any Church be or ever was like to that of Laodicea we have been luke-warm as that was a mixture of Gods
Apostle in that place and upon that ground it is made a sin You cannot saith he partake of the Table of the Lord aud the table of devils if you eat of their meat you communicate with them so it is sinne to you Thirdly To make use of any thing abused by Idolaters when it cometh to be a scandoll to our brethren a snare to those that are weake then it is a sin against God 1 Cor. 10. 28. eating meat offered to Idols is forbidden in the former place upon a ground of communicating but in this 28. ver it is forbidden upon the ground of scandoll that is enough Calvin in his Epistle to the Lord Protector in King Edwards dayes hath these words What other things were those ceremonies maintayned by in England but so many pleasing allurements that ensnare poore miserable soules bring them into evil certainly these that we have retayned have brought abundance of evil this way they have been the ensnaring of many souls In these three things the rules that concerne the Jews have a morality concerning us But yet these rules must be observed with some cautions or else we may goe away and not understand the ruels aright They must be understood first in things that are not Ordinances continued by God for certainly if it be an Ordinance that God hath appointed though Idolaters abuse it never so much we must goe on in it It is true the brazen serpent was an Ordinance of God but it was an Ordinance but for a time it was not a continued Ordinance and therefore being abused to Idolatry it was to be destroyed but when a thing is an Ordinance appointed by God to be continued in the Church we must go on in the use of it though it be abused As in Baptisme the ordinance is water though they abuse water we must continue the use of it in the ordinance in the Lords supper is the use of bread and wine though they abuse those elements we must continue them why because no abuse is an argument to refuse that which is a duty the subject of scandall is a thing indifferent but if it be an ordinance we must continue our obedience whether men be offended or not offended Secondly Neither can any of these rules hold in any thing that is of necessary use for the worship of God so as we cannot enjoy the worship of God without them As for places supose Idolaters have abused a place of meeting for Gods worship when we have no other place to meet in this is for the present at least of necessary use to Gods worship there is a naturall necessity of a place and if no other for the present may be had we are bound to worship in that place the abuse of men must not hinder Gods worship God hath never put his worship under the power of wicked men so as they should keep his people off from it when they please Thirdly If it be any ceremony that of its own nature not by vertue of any institution from man hath that decency in it as that the want of it would be an undecency then though it be never so much abused we are to goe on in it for it is the duty of Gods people to worship God in a decent way It is the rule of the Apostle Let all things be done decently but there is a mistake in that use that many make of that Scripture this rule is that which the light of nature teaches though we had never found it in Scripture it is not meant of such a decency as the institution of man puts upon a thing but such a decency as God in the nature of the thing puts upon it so that if it were wanting the worke would bee undecently performed But if the things be meerly mans inventions and institutions having their supposed decency not from what is indeed in the things themselves but from that which mans institution puts upon them then they come not under that rule of the Apostle but the abuse of them is argument enough for their rejection But it may be objected If we can instruct people what the abuse is and what right use they may make of such things will not that serve for the retaining them No certainly it had not been enough for the Jews to use the name Baali though their Prophets had taught them what the abuse of it was This is as if a man should keep a company of rags that have lien a great while upon plague sores and say it is enough I will wash them cleane and lay them out to ayre them will any wise man keep such rags in his house upon this precence Those things that have had poyson in them none will be so unwise to keep them by them upon pretence of washing them clean if they be broken vessels of which there is no use they are cast upon the dunghill with lesse trouble and more safety All things that are of mans invention yea those things that have beene Gods Ordinances but now are out of date are not for the present Gods Ordinances the Scripture calls them beggerly rudiments you cannot compare mens inventions to cloaths or any thing worth the ayring or keeping but the truth is all such things that have been abused to Idolatry are no other but as such dirty rags and plaisters laid upon plague-sores But further you will say If that use we receive them for be not the same use they were in if we retain them for another use that is good why may we not doe it The text answers that though the Jews should call God Baali in a right sense it was not enough they must wholly reject the very mentioning of the name But further suppose a harlot should be brought out of a most notorious stews in Rome or Paris and brought to Dover into an honest mans chamber is shee not a harlot still and is there not a provocation in her to uncleannesse though she become now to lye not in the stewes but in the chamber of an honest man So in all those things that have been abused to Idolatry though you should think you make use of them in a better way it is no other then to bring a harlot out of the stews into a place not so vile and to company with the harlot there Besides if a mans wife whom her husband had not without just cause suspected for uncleannesse with another man should get something from that man and keep it in her bosome or lay it next her heart and should tell her husband true she keeps such a thing but she intends no hurt in it it is a good thing onely she had it from him will this think you satisfie any jealous husband The Church is the wife of Christ he is jealous and he hath cause to be jealous for he knows while we are in the flesh we are prone to spirituall filthinesse and if we take any
but now the holy Ghost is come in a full measure as hee then came upon the Disciples so he comes now in the time of the Gospel in a fuller way then formerly there is a continuall Pentecost But the works of God do not of themselves sanctifie any time except we take that note with us we may run into a thousand absurdities if we argue thus because the Iews had such a time vve may have such a time or because there vvere such blessings at that time therefore vve may sanctifie that day No the vvorks of God do not sanctifie any time of themselves it must be the Word some institution or other either the VVord vvritten or some immediate dictate of the Spirit that must sanctifie any day Certainly the vvork of our redemption it self is not enough to change the Sabbath if vve had not sâ— me footing for a nevv institution VVee usually give this ground for a change of the day because of the greatnesse of the worke but though the works of God be great though never so great it is not for us to sanctifie a day it must be an institution of God or else wee sinne in sanctifying any set and stated time for any such work for Christs resurrection or sending of the Spirit except there come an institution though the work be as great as any thing God ever did for the Iewes it will be but will-worship in us and God will not be put off with this What is not this as great a worke as that the Iewes had and may not we celebrate the memory of it as they did but God will say Who required these things at your hands Thus far you may do that is blesse God for those works all the dayes of your lives but to sanctifie any particular day for them certainly that cannot be done without sin we have our warrant for the Lords day as well as the greatnesse of the work because of the practise of the Apostles who were inspired by the holy Ghost The next is the feast of Trumpets onely one particular about it at this time because providence makes it so seasonable In the seventh moneth which was the first moneth of their Annus Civilis there were three feasts Festum Tubarum Expiationis Tabernaculorum The first was the feast of Trumpets now there was a three-fold use of Trumpets among the Iewes 1. For the calling of the congregation together as we use to doe with bells 2. The calling of them to warre 3. For the solemnizing of their feasts This feast of trumpets you have Numb 17. There are four ends given by Divines of the feast of Trumpets some I confesse are very improbable but there are two very probable The one is this feast was to celebrate the New-yeer with them as upon every new moneth that was called the feast of the new Moon to celebrate the beginning of the moneth so in the beginning of the yeare they had a feast to celebrate the beginning of the year that was this feast for it was on the first day of their civill yeare so that it is very probable that feast was appointed to blesse God for the new yeere as well as they had one to celebrate the new moneth It was Gods instiâ—ution for that time to have the New-year consecrated by that feast yet this can be no ground for us now to consecrate the beginning of every new yeer unto God that was Iewish and it is ceast if we will have any consecration of a new yeer it must be by vertue of some institution or other let who can shew the institution we must not thinke because it hath a shew of wisdome and it seemes to bee reasonable to us therefore it may be this is not enough in matter of worship you must strictly tye your selves to an institution in matters of worship in consecrating of times As it is Iewish so it is Heathenish the Heathens consecrated their new yeer to the honour of their god Ianus and we read in Concilium Antisiodorense in France in the yeer 614. it was the judgement of that Councell that it is not lawfull to observe the festivities of the Gentiles to keep their worship and observation of their Calends that is the beginning of their months to adorn houses with lawrel bayes for all these practises saith the Councell savour of paganisme And likewise an ancient writer saith that the Kalends of Ianuary are rather to be taken heed of then to be accounted Kalends and so to be sanctified And further hee saith the Church hath appointed a solemn feast to be upon that very day because oâ— the notorious abuses there were wont to be upon that day And Polydore Virgil saith that these solemnities of Lawrell and Bayes and masques and mummings and such vanities they all come from the Heathens Bachanalia and Saturnalia that were wont to be at that time of the year However therefore we put them upon Christ and think we honour him and call it the Circumcision day of Christ yet by those customes we dishonour him for they are rather Heathenish then Christian To doe it I say because we think to consecrate â—ine though there may be some naturall reason of rejoycing yet no ground for consecration Let no man object and say these solemnities have beene a long time in the Church It is true these are ancient but from whence comes the antiquity It comes from hence because Christians being newly converted out of Paganisme they would keepe as much as possibly they might of the Pagan customes only they would give them a turn turn them to Christian solemnities but the rise was from their Pagan customes therefore all the argument of antiquity either for these or Ceremonies or Prelaticall government it comes from this ground because their pagan customes were so and they lived among pagans and having been lately pagans they savored and smelt of Heathenisme still So now many plead that such things were in the first Reformation no marvail they retained them for they were but newly come out of popery and they savoured and smelt of popery Indeed to plead the antiquity of these things which men must shew when they are put to it is one of the greatest arguments against them Thus was they Feast of All-Saints turned from the Feast Pantheon and so the Feast of the Virgin Mary which they call Candlemas the Heathens had the festivity of their goddesse Febru who was the Mother of Mars upon that day from whence the name of our moneth February cometh they did then celebrate that time with Candles and such things as papists doe now This antiquity have you for celebrating of Candlemas The like may be said for the argument of antiquity for the Prelates O say some such a kind of government hath been ever since Christian Religion hath been in England Grant that there hath been some kind of Bishops ever since but from whence came they We find in Histories that when