offend the liuing Lord of heauen and earth that is able doubly and redoubly and trebly to requite vs and to render vengeance to those that know him not If you wil not be reformed saith the Lord to the obstinate Iewes but walke stubbornly against me then will I also walke stubbornely against you and I wil smite you yet seuen times for your sinnes Leuit. 26. 24. I remember what I read in the 2. Sam. 16. 6. concerning Dauid Shemei when Dauid went downe the winde and the people encreased with Absalom then indeed Shemei cared not for Dauid but railed on him and curst him cast stones at him Dauid preuailed against Absalom then he hasts to Dauid with his thousand people trembled and quaked before him O saith he let not my Lord impute wickednesse vnto me I knowe that I haue done amisse I know that I haue offended c. so truely if God had not an ouerruling hand if he were not able to recompence euill to his aduersaries then there were some reason that we should be secure and carelesse of his maiestie but since his might is so boundlesse that it reacheth from heauen to the earth from the earth to the lowest hel so as hee is able to destroy the mightiest euen with the breath of his nosthrils oh therefore let vs humble our selues before his Maiestie let vs cry out with the poore Publican Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Luk. 18. 9. or with the prodigall sonne Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Luk. 15. 21. let vs cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of death Act. 7. 24. let vs with the Nineuits flie to God with prayer and fasting Ion. 3. 5. let vs with Manasseh humble our selues greatly before God 2. Chr. 33. 12. with Daniel confesse our sinnes and seek the Lord Dan. 9. 3. with Peter let vs weepe bitterly Matth. 26. 75. let teares runne downe our cheeks like a riuer let vs take no rest neither let the apple of our eyes cease Lam. 2. 18. vntill wee haue recouered the fauour of God and found rest to our soules Mat. 11. 29. What man dares presume to mooue the wrath of a King The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death Prou. 16. 14. or as the roaring of a lyon Prou. 20. 2. Indeede there are many court claw-backs and Parasites to humour and flatter a king to crie out vpon euery occasion as Herods auditors did The voice of God and not of man Act. 12. 22. ready to bowe to him and adore him like a God but who dares come to him as Eliiah did to Ahab and confront him to his face 2. King 18. 1. and how then should we dare to offend the king of kings whose lordship is heauen and earth and sea and hel for hee filleth all places Ier. 23. 24. the landlord of the whole world the God of gods Lord of lords Isa 41. 2. whose face is as a flame of fire his voice as the roaring of many waters that hath charets innumerable and rides vpon the wings of the wind that measures the waters in his fist that compts heauen with his span coÌ„prehends the dust of the earth in a measure and weighs the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance Isa 40. 12. If we dare not offend a King whose breath is in his nosthrils that shall die like a man nay if he do wickedly shal perish like a beast Psal 49. 12. be cast into the burning Topheth which is prepared for the king Isa 30. how then should wee dare to sinne against the almightie God of heauen and earth which hath his way in the whirlwind that as it was said of the monster Leuiathan esteems iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood Iob 41. 18. that puts his hands to the rocks and ouerthrowes the mountains Iob 28. 9. Before whom the earth trembles and the mountaines melt Iudg. 5. 5. Oh let vs cast our selues downe before this God for hee is a great God and a great king aboue all gods This of the first vse 2. This doctrine of Gods omnipotency The 2. vse foâ— consolation to the godlâ— may serue for the comfort of the Elect for since God rules all things therfore they may be assured that none of all Gods creatures shal hurt them what saith the spirit of God concerning the righteous they shall laugh at destruction and death and shall not be afraid of the beast of the earth The stones of the field shall be in league with them and the beast of the field shall be in league with him Iob. 5. 22. First God rules in heauen this may administer In heauen infinite comfort For by this they may be assured that none of all Gods creatures in heauen shall hurt them The winde shall not blow vpon them nor a cloud shall not rise but for their good a droppe of raine falls nor stormes nor winds nor lightnings happen not but by the appointment of God and therefore hee is said to make the chambers in his clouds and to ride vpon the wings of the winde and to breake the bottles of raine Iob. 38. 38. to haue his treasures of haile and his treasares of snow Iob. â—8 22. He causes the sweete influences of the Pleyades and looses the bands of Orion he brings forth Mazaroth in their time and guides Arcturus with his sonnes Iob. 38. 32. If then as it is said in an higher sense if God be on our side who can be against vs so if God the generall of the armie be on our side which of all his creatures can be against vs no if he be with vs he shall open his treasures of snow he shall coÌ„mand his clouds to poure down their â—â—rst raine and their latter raine and the grasse shall grow vpon the mountaines Psal 147. 8. the elementarie regions the starres and the planets shal fight for vs The Sunne shall stand stil in Gibeon and the moone in the valley of Aylon Iosh 10. 12. the sunne and moone stood still at the prayer of Ioshua the sunne in Gibeon and the moone in the vally of Aylon the sunne shall forsake her wonted race and the moone shall cease from her course for the good and benefit of Gods Church people Nay the Angels Gods domesticall seruants in the check roule that weare Gods liuerie after a speciall manner these shal attend vpon the elect The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them that feare him and deliuereth them Psal 34. 7. and the writer to the Hebrewes Are they not all ministring spirits sent foorth to minister for their sakes which are heires of saluation Heb. 1. 14. nay they are not only guarded by Angels but by armies of angels an hoast of Angels met with Iacob Gen. 32. 2. an army of Angels with chariots of fire were ready to protect
inferiour officers the sunâ—â— the moone all the planets and starres whereby he can and doth astonish and amaze wicked and godlesse and rebellious people He binds the waters in the cloud and the cloud is not broken vnder 〈◊〉 The pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe hee hath garnished the heauens framed the crooked serpent Iob. 26. 11. 12. 13. Hee commands the sunne and it riseth not â—e closes vp the starres as vnder a signeâ— hee maketh the starres Arcturus Pleyades Orion and the starres of the South Iob. 9. 7. 8. 9. He commaunds the pillars of heauen the sphearâ—â— and constellations the planets and starres Arcturus Pleyades and Orion all these are readie to obey the voyce of God and if hee please to commaund them to plague the vngodly and there is not the least of the Lords army not the least Angel starre not the least meteor but is able if God but speake the word to destroy I say not an Egypt an Asia or a world but ten thousand worlds Surely it is a wonder that any wicked man should dare to sleep vpon his bedde that they should giue sleepe to their eyes or number to their eyelidds Prov. 6. 4. beeing so infinitly beset with millions of enemies how miserably was the poore seruant of Elisha affrighted when hee saw that an hoast of men had incompassed the 〈◊〉 and cried out to Elisha alasse master what shall we do 2. king 6. 15. And how feareful were the children of Israel when they departed Egypt and were pursued by their enemies they were sore afraid saith the text and cried to the Lord Exod 14. 10. A â— so I say it is a wonder of wonders that men should be so secure that they should not tremble euen as Belthazar trembled when hee saw the hand writing vpon the playster of the wall Dan. 5. 5. that their hearts should not faile them that dismaiednes and fearâ—â—ould not swallowe them vp When â—mies not of Egyptians but Angels â—ursue them nay when as all things created from the earth to circumference of heauen the lion the beare the great beare the lesser beare the crooked serpent Pleyades and Orion all â—ods heauenly hoast bidde them battell and set themselues continually in battell array against them Secondly how can they thinke to be In earth safe vpon the earth or to prosper vpon the earth since God is the ruler of the earth methinkes euerie vngodly wretch should bee of Cains minde that feared least euery man hee met with were appointed for his executioner Gen. 4. 14. May they not iustly feare that the earth will take part with her Lord and maker and swallowe them vp as it did Korah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 1 2 3. yea that the least worme and creeping thing should be made strong enough to destroy them thus proud Herod was worried with wormes Act. 12. 23. and so we reade in Ioel that the Lord plagued the nation of the Iewes with most contemptible creatures grashoppers cankerwormes catterpillars and palmer-wormes Ioel 2. 25. Pope Adrian was slaine by a gnat others with the stone of a raison some with an hair in their broth some one way some an other and methinkes then that euery vile person should feare the vilest and basest of Gods creatures euen frogs flies and lice least these should be appointed for their destruction that they should feare to walk in the aire for feare of infection or yet to remaine in their houses for feare least their houses should reuenge Gods quarrell vpon them may they not feare that euery morsell they eate should bee their bane and euery droppe of liquor they drinke should be their poyson but what saith Salomon Sentence against euill is deferred and therefore the heart is fully bent to doe wickedly Eccles 8. 11. God doth not open the sluces and floodgates of heauen vpon vs as he did vpon the old world Gen. 7. 17. the earth doth not open her mouth to deuoure as in the time of Moses Numb 16. 1. God raineth not downe vpon vs fire and brimstone as he did vpon Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19. 24. We see many an old sinner many an olde adulterer many an old swearer many an old drunkard and therefore men draw on sinne with cords of vanitie Isa 5. 18. and commit all manner of wickednesse with all greedinesse these let them know though God bee patient waiting for their conuersion yet as he is patient so he is iust and therefore though he forbeares long as he is slow to anger Exo. 34. 6. yet euen as a streame beeing stopt carries all before it or as wet wood being once kindled burns the faster so though his wrath hath beene a long time kept in with the floodgates of his mercy yet in the ende his furie shall breake out like a violent streame to the vtter destruction of the wicked Long did hee beare with the olde world long did his spirit striue with man Gen. 6. 3. but in the ende hee turned the whole world into an Ocean Gen. 7. 17. long did he striue with Ierusalem but at length she was made a prey to the teeth of her enemies Psal 124. 6. not one stone left vpon another long may the Lord beare with the wicked but as sure as God is iust so assuredly in the ende his wrath and iealousie shall smoake against them Deut. 19. 20. how then can they sooth vp themselues and flesh vp themselues in their sinnes how can they think to be safe vpon the earth since the righteous Iudge of the whole world Gen. 18. 25. is Lord ouer the earth or how can they think to thriue and prosper vpon the earth since the earth is the Lords and the plentie of the earth Psal 24. 1. Gold is mine saith God and siluer is mine saith the Lord of hostes Hag 2. 9. Except the Lord builds the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepeth the city the keeper watcheth in vaine Psal 127. 1. what a madnes is this in a besotted worldling to carke and to care and to digge and ditch and delue and beat his braines and rise early and goe to bed late Psal 127. 2. as if they would command the earth in despight of heauen I tel thee whosoeuer thou art if God but command the heauens aboue shall be as yron and the earth as hard as brasse your land shall not giue her encrease nor your trees their fruit Leu. 26 19. and therefore cease from your immoderate labour and sue for Gods blessing for without it you sow much but bring in but little and put all your earnings into a broken bagge Hag. 1. 4. Thirdly how can a reprobate thinke In the sea to bee safe vpon the sea since God likewise rules the seas I remember what I read of Ionah When Ionah fled from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish he betooke him to the sea Ion. 1. 3. but as soon as euer God gaue
blessed in the city and blessed in the field or that in the Psalmist blessed in thy going out comming in Ps 121. 8. Lo surely thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord Psal 128. 4. abroad at home by sea and by land Thus God dealt by the Israelites when they trauailed by land he guides them when they came to the sea he diuided the red sea and ledde them through it Psal 78. 13. when they did trauell in the day time he led them with a cloud and when they went in the night he led them with a pillar of fire v. 14. whē they were thirstie hee gaue them water out of the hard rocke v. 16. When they were hungrie he sent them Manna from heauen and rained downe flesh vpon them like dust vers 27. Thus the Lord dwels with his seruants Ioh. 14. and not only so but he followes them wheresoe-they goe Ios 1. 9. The Lord is their keeper the Lord is their shaddow at their right hand so as the sunne shal not smite them by day nor the moone by night Psal 121. 5. 6. 7. Lastly God rules the deepes therfore In the deeps shall hee likewise curbe the fresh waters that they shal not ouerflow thee Iob. 21. 11. Let Sisera oppose himselfe against the Church and the riuer Kishon shall sweepe away Sisera that auncient riuer the riuer Kishon Iud. 5. 21. And the waters of Marah though neuer so bitter yet at the prayer of Moses shal the waters of Marah be made sweete to the Israelites Exod. 15. 25. Nay they shall but only drinke of the waters of Marah no let Moses smite on the rock Horeb and the waters of Massah and Meriboth shall flow forth like a riuer Ps 105. 41. Is Naaman the Assyrian a leprous the riuer Iordan shall cure him 2. King 5. 15. Are the waters of Iericho neuer so deadly the Prophet Elisha shall heale them for euer 2. King 21. 12. And are the vngodly for their sinnes neuer so much visited with the common plagues of floods and ouerflowings and invndations yet notwithstanding we may stil say of the righteous as Dauid in another sense Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Psalm 32. 6. Thus heauen and earth and sea and deepes are attendants vpon the Saints But behold a greater comfort then any of these God is the God of heauen and therefore euery Christian soule may be certenly assured of his owne saluation for there can be no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. This then is the blessed estate of a righteous man the angels pitch their tents about them here and they shall liue an angels life after death Matth. 22. 30. The sunne shall not hurt them in the day time nor the moone by night after death they shall shine like the sunne in the glory of the father the stars and the planets shall fight for them in their courses and after death they shall glitter like the starrs for euer Dan. 12. 3. God hath spoken it in his word God that is able to performe his promise Rom. 4. 21. And I am verily perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any thing shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 38. 39. God hath promised it he that neuer promised more then he was able to performe nor neuer performed lesse then he promised I saith Christ giue eternall life to my sheep and they shall neuer perish and none shall pluck them out of my hands for my father that gaue them is greater then any and no man is able to pluck thē out of my fathers hand Ioh. 10. 29. Christ reasons here from the omnipotency mighty power of God so boundlesse and infinite and endlesse that those which repose their confidence in him need neuer be afraid If God giue eternall life to his sheepe who is able to take them out of his hand If God write our names in the booke of life who is able to raze them out againe if he iustifie who can condemne Rom. 8. 34. if God be on our side who shall dare to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen no I am verily perswaded that neither principallities nor powers neither Belzebub nor Belial nor all the deuills in hell shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus The deuil may goe about like a roaring Lion seeking to deuoure but God hath the Deuill in a chaine and greater is hee that is in vs then hee which is in the world Ioh. 4. 4. Trust in God and the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against vs. Matth. 16. 18. FINIS
commission to his creatures the winds broke forth and made warre vpon Ionah Ion. 1. 4. the waters encountered with the winds and made warre vpon Ionah nay the fish the whale opened his mouth and lay wayting to deuoure Ionah the marriners that were to land him safely in Tarshish conspired to cast him into the sea nay if God but set against vs then shall we euen like Iudas set against our selues Mat. 27. 5. Ionah did not in this extremitie plead for but against himselfe Take me saith he and cast me into the sea and so shall the sea be calme vnto you Ion. 1. 12. how can wicked persons hope for the least safetie vpon the sea if the Lord but command the stormes and winds they obey him and these shall worke their ouerthrow if hee but command the sea the ship the pirats vpon the sea the rocks these shall worke their destruction But suppose that neither heauen nor earth nor sea sets against them yet hath In the deeps the Lord an other army and when hee armes himselfe to vengeance euen the sweet waters and delightfull springs shal runne vpon the world as it were with drawne swords and hath not the Lord infinitely fought against vs with his watrie armie witnes our late floods and inundations breaking downe banks carriyng away mils bridges c. the Lord armed these fresh water soldiers with such strength and power that nothing was able to resist them and therefore still see the miserable estate of an vnsanctified man if hee escapes one euill he meeteth with an other if he escape a first he meeteth with a second for the Lords quiuer is full of arrowes and his thunderbolts are neuer spent if neither heauen nor earth nor sea yet shal the deepes reuenge Gods quarrell vpon them euen thus miserable are they in this life euen as Ionah in the whales belly was compassed with waters so are these with enemies aboue beneath and round about them And yet behold this is but their miserable The 2. vse ◠the 1. part f◠terror to th◠wicked estate in regard of this world see againe their miserable estate in regard of a better life Is it possible that an vnclean person should euer thinke to dwell with God so long as God rules in heauen consider this point in the name of God and let it be a doctrine to worke terrour and amazement in vs. God hath said it in his word that neither buggerers fornicators nor adulterers shal inherit the kingdome of heauen Eph. 5. 5. God that hath the keyes of heauen and hath the keyes of hell this God hath spoken it and how canst thou then that runnest to the harlots house and makest thy selfe a slaue to vncleannesse how canst thou euer thinke to dwell with God that euer abhorred vncleannesse and so for couetous persons that forsake the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof to surfet vpon filthie Mammon how can they ouer thinke to dwell with that God that euer abhorred couetous persons malicious persons drunkards swearers liars how can they euer hope to dwel with that God that abhors malice abhors excesse abhors swearers and liars how can such deuillish and damned persons euer thinke to bee saued since the heauen of heauens is the Lords Deut. 10. 14. God he is holy God he is righteous God he is pure how canst thou then thou that art vnholy thou that art vnpure thou that art vnrighteous how canst thou euer think to set thy foot within the gates of the new Ierusalem a stinking carkasse stinkes not more vilely in the nostrils of man then an abhominable sinner stinkes odiously in the nostrils of God Let all sinnefull wretches know this that God is their mortall enemie hee will wound the head of his enemies execute vengeance vpon his enemies Deut. 32. 41. we loath not a toad nor a scorpion worse then the Lord hateth them we hate not the deuill nor the deuill hateth not man worse then God hateth them and therefore questionles the Lord will neuer admit them into his holy kingdome neither couetous earth-wormes beastly drūkards hellish blasphemers extorting vsurers God will neuer receiue these into his sacred presence but shal send them packing with the wicked and the reprobate into euerlasting damnation whosoeuer worketh abomination and lyes shal haue no part in the kingdome of heauen Reu. 21. 27. the frogs of Egypt stanke not more rankely in the Egyptians noses Ex. 8. 14. then these smell rankely in Gods nosthrils and therefore I say God will stop his nose against them and giue them their portion with hypocrites All the fearefull all the vnbeleeuing and abhominable murderers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and liars shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Reu. 21. 8. And therefore now The conclusion of the vse in generall to drawe to a conclusion as Peter saith humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God 1. Pet. 5. 6. so say I humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God God he is a mighty God able to worke your ruine vpon earth and to cast both bodie and soule into hel fire humble your selues therfore before the thron of his grace for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Thou drunkard that destroiest the temple of God and the good creatures of God by thine intemperancy and runnest into all manner of enormities that thy drunken humour hurries thee into that makest streets and townes ring of thine vnrulines thou that art mighty to drinke wine and strong drinke how darest thou rise early and goe to bed late to follow drunkennes since God hath denounced a woe against drunkards Isa 5. 11. and that God that hath denounced a woe against thee is able to cast both body and soule into hell fire Thou couetous earthworme that makest a god of thy goods that diggest downe to hell for riches and eatest the poore as men eat bread that art choaked with the loue of the world thou greedie catterpiller how darest thou continue in this sinne since God hath said it That neither theeues nor railers nor couetous persons shall inherite the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. and this God is able to cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Thou blasphemer of the name of God that rentest and tearest the name of God in peices and spewest forth blacke and feareful and damnable oaths and makest swearing and cursing and deuillish speaking thy best language how darest thou take the name of the Lord in vaine since God hath said it that he wil not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Exod. 20. 7. and this God is able to cast both bodie and soule into hel fire Dares a sonne offend his father durst Pilate offend Caesar Ioh. 19. 13. dares the borrower offend the lender no man will willingly offend him that is able to worke him an inconuenience and thinke wee then that it is a safe thing to