slanders report vile things of thee and hereupon thou art vexed and discontented And what 's the reason of all this impatience Thou lookest only at second causes and dost not consider that the voice of the Lord over-rules and sets all the wheels on work It was said in my hearing O Wheel There is not the least motion of the least wheel without his special providence Shemei curseth because God bids him curse Be therefore patient in all changes in all conditions under all afflictions murmure not repine not object not against the dispensations of Gods wise providence but ever resolve with David to be dumbe not to open thy mouth because the Lord it is that doth it Psal 39. 9. Again secondly this may be applyed for the comfort of Jerusalem for the consolation of the Church and people of God and that many ways 1. In the times of confusion as it is with us this day The Chariot-wheels of our Kingdom move strangely and dreadfully how are they hurried up and down backward and forward hither and thither and we are all in a maze we know not what to think of things nor what to do nor whether to turn us all is like to be overthrown and broken and turned topsy-turvy Truly we can see nothing by the wheeling of things but ruin of all of Religion and Laws and utter desolation of the whole Land But here 's our comfort it 's not a young rash Phaeton that sits in the coach-box who wants both skil and power to guide his fathers fiery steeds No No it 's the Ancient of days that sits in the seat of glory he commands the living creatures to draw the wheels which way he pleaseth and that by his only word and after all the wheelings and crooked turnings of his providence he knows the way to bring about a happy peace and settlement in this Church and Kingdom which the Lord of his mercy grant O thou son of God that sittest between the Cherubins drive on drive on by thy wisdom and power to thine own glory and the comfort of thy poor dejected people 2. Again doth the voice of the Lord command all wheels This then may comfort the Church and people of God against all potent enemys Indeed the enemys of Jerusalem are commonly many and mighty such as were the Babylonians and Assyrians these were the great high and terrible wheels which God was now bringing over Jerusalem to break it in pieces they were now coming upon the City the ratling of the wheels was heard and they could not but come for it was cryed unto them from the Lord O Wheel come and execute the fury of my wrath upon Jerusalem Now the same powerful voice can give the wheels a check and call them back again this is the Churches comfort Saul pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon he and his numerous Army turned upon him as a dreadful wheel and wheeled about the mountain to have crushed him in pieces but when he was in his swiftest motion it was cryed unto him from the Lord O Wheel O Saul come back There came a messenger unto Saul saying haste thee and come for the Philistins have invaded the Land So Saul returned from pursuing after David here the wheel was drawn off Let the wheels run on never so furiously if God do but cry to them they must come back if he cry to the wind peace it ceaseth and if he say to the raging sea be stil there 's presently a great calm Marc. 4. 39. It is not hard for him to curb and call in his creatures Saul was a bloody persecutor a restless wheel running over the faithful servants of God Act. 9. but v. 4. he had a check it was cryed unto him from the son of God Saul Saul why persecutest thou me You have seen Princes Prelates Potentates moving fiercely against the Church but the Lord in our hearing and sight hath given them a check and cryed unto them O Wheel go no further and they have stood stil or gone back The wheels come not towards us by blind chance but upon Gods call they move not a hairs breadth further then God bids them and when hepleaseth he calls them back by the word of his mouth this is the Churches comfort 3. And yet here 's a further comfort to Jerusalem Doth the voice of the Lord command all wheels Then let not the Church and people of God be troubled when they are at a low ebb when their dangers are great their enemies many and mighty and all succour fails and there 's none to help them when they are without all strength let them not dispair God sits upon the throne and commands the wheels he can call in help from unexpected places In the 2. book of the Kings chap. the 6. God calls for a great wheel even Benhadad King of Syria with his mighty host to break Samaria and Samaria was brought into great straits a potent enemy without and a grievous famine within and no help appeared all seemed desperate but Chap. 7. upon the prophets intercession as I conceive the Lord called in wheels to their help on earth all help failed therefore the Lord relieves them from above for he made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise in the aire of Chariot wheels and a noise of horses even the noise of a great host and these imaginary wheels in the heaven which the voice of God called in to the rescue of Samaria discomfited the Syrians put them all to flight they ran away as fast as they could and now there is plenty peace and joy in the City Thus the mighty Jehovah that sits above upon the throne can bring order into the Church out of confusion he can make the most formidable enemies of the Church to go back yea to fall backwards he can call in help to his Church when they are at their wits end and all by the word of his mouth Here is Jerusalems comfort I have done with the general Doctrine Now in the 3. place I return to the parts of my text to handle them I purpose to search and examine every particular and I doubt not but we shal find something as we go that may be useful You may remember the parts were three 1. The word cryed 2. To whom the word was cryed 3. The witness in whose presence the word was cryed Of these strictly and in their order The Lord be with us 1. The word cryed O Wheel in the singular number mark that The prophet speaks in the plural as of many As for the wheels says he but the man upon the throne crys out in the singular as if there were but one wheel in all What 's the reason of this It is because the wheels though they be many and their motions different yea contrary yet all move to one and the same end they all joyn as one in bringing about Gods work In mans eye there are many an
unavoydable when the Lord cries to us by his Ministers and calls us to repentance as long as we hearken to his voice we have Christ to plead for us but when our advocate becomes our enemy how deplorable is our condition I fear I fear it is the man in white linnen that is now scattering coals of fire about our City and Country and the Lord is departing from us But yet before he departs from Jerusalem he calls to it O Wheel The Lords departure from Jerusalem is by degrees he doth not fly away in an instant no no the Lord leaves them as if he were loth to depart Observe a little his motions In the former Chapter Verse 3. The glory of the God of Israel went up from the Cherub to the threshold of the house that is from the Mercy-seat in the holy place to the door of the Sanctuary ready to go out and there the Lord tatries a while before he depart In this tenth Chapter verse 18. he removes a little further The glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house and stood over the Cherubims That is he went forward to the East gate of the great Court on the top of that gate aloft were placed Cherubims and there the Lord rested a while before he went quite away In the next Chapter verse 23. he removes yet further The glory of the Lord went up from the middest of the City and stood upon the mountain which is on the East-side of the City that is Mount Olivet and there he rests a while But why doth he abide upon mount Olivet Truly some are of opinion that the Lord stayed upon the mount to see the burning of the City and to triumph over it As did Nero when Rome was fired he gate him up to the top of a hill and there did sing and rejoyce at the spectacle The Lord had often called to Jerusalem and they had refused he had stretched out his hand and none would regard therefore now he sits upon the Mount and laughs at their destruction and mocks at the comming of their fear But I rather think and hope he staid a while upon the Mountain to be called back again Before he went out of the City he cryed to them O Wheel Oh Jenusalem yet yet seek me and I will be found of you call to me and I will return and dwell with you Neither here can you avoid the Application Doth not the Lord seem to be departing from England But he hath not taken his slight all at once he hath with-drawn himself by degrees In the time of the late prelaticall tyranny and persecution when the worship of God was corrupted the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell silenced all manner of popish superstitious innovations obtruded then God seemed to be gone to the threshold ready to go out of England but departed not When the Commotions and concussions began between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland threatning the breaking of both Then God seemed to be going still further from us from the threshold out of the door onward on his way from England but yet he departed not When the bloody intestine warre began between the King and his Parliament then the Lord seemed to be departing quite away then was thè noise of a whip and the noise of the ratling of the wheels and of the praunsing horses and of the jumping chariots The horse-man lifted up both the bright sword and the glittering spear and there was a multitude of slain and great number of carcasses and the Lord seemed to sit aloft upon his holy Mountain laughing at our destruction But blessed be his holy Name we find he is not quite gone there 's a little stay of his judgements I hope beloved Christians the Lord stayes yet upon Mount Olivet the Mountain of peace and he expects when we should call him back again Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing The Voice of God from the Throne hath called to us a long time Oh Wheel Now let us call to Mount Olivet O Lord our God Depart not from us let us call him back with our true and hearty repentance with our thorough reformation with our team and prayers who can tell but God may yet repent and return and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Return Oh Lord to thy thousands in our Israel and dwell amongst us again Amen 3. At the last I come to the third and last Pair of O-s to wit the O of Calling Desiring And here I am to speak in the Vocative case and to call every one to their duty to set every wheel on turning and that for prevention of the dreadfull ruine threatned and as I go along I cannot but make it the desire of my heart that the word of God may take good effect O si ô ut inam And first in generall I call to all the wheels what was spoken from the Throne of glory in my hearing that I cry in the eares of every wheel O Wheel Turn turn for this is a word of command yea turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with fasting and weeping and with mourning and rent your hearts be humbled for all your irregular and preposterous motions and turn to the Lord by unfamed repentance a thorough reformation a holy conversation and newnesse of live Let thy Spirit Oh God come upon all these Wheels And O wheels roll run Sion-ward let your eyes your spokes your rings all turn heaven-ward Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would fear the Lord and keep all his Commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Deut. 5. 29. In the next place more especially I call to the great wheels to the heads of the people to the Magistrates As for those wheels it is cryed unto them from the Throne of Glory O Wheels Turn regularly in your proper Sphaeres Judg you the people with just judgment Scatter the wicked O let the great wheels turn over them Let not swearers and drunkards and houses of drunkeness and prophaners of Gods Sabbaths Malignant Priests that begin to rake up their old Superstitions again O Wheels have you not eyes Do you not see what abundance there are of these Why do you let them lie so quietly O Wheels turn over them either mend them or remove them or break them In the 77. Psa ver 18. says Asaph the voyce of thy thunder was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in rota in the wheel so it is in the Hebrew O wheels let 's hear the voyce of thunder from you thunder against this wicked crue And oh Wheels accept not persons do justice to the smal as well as to the great Defend the poor and fatherless do justice to the afflicted and needy deliver the poor and needy rid them out of the hand of the wicked Take heed what
not one stone left upon another There 's one dayes difference saith Sencca upon occasion of the burning of a stately City betwixt the greatest City and none What should I speak of Families A few descents makes them ancient and a century or two of years wears them quite out they are like Jona's Gourd flourish for an evening and in the morning smitten withered forgotten their names and stems worn out One generation passeth another cometh none stayeth Upon this Theater of the earth how doth man act his part how neer is his exit to his entrance Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he â—leeth also as a shaddow and never continueth in one stay now he is rich presently poore now in health presently sick now he is alive and in a moment he is gone down to the grave This mutability of all Mundane things the ancient Heathens were sensible of and did signifie by the name and posture of their Goddesse Fortune She was called Vortuna à Vorto from turning and she was pictured sitting upon a wheel to shew what her chief work was viz. Ima summis summa imis commiscere to bring in vicissitudes of all things to raise a man to the top of honour riches happinesse and then to turn him down again to the bottom of infamy poverty misery The whole world what is it but a Sphere It consists ex stante moto centro scilicet circumferentia of fixed and moved viz. of center and circumference The earth is fixed and standeth fast and all other things move and turn round about it as a circle or the ring of a wheel which whirles about continually that which is first is last and that which is last is first and nothing abides at a stay all things are unstable and voluble To make some application of this to our selves And first Are all things in the world but as so many wheeles so many rolling things Let the consideration of this serve to take down the pride of the great men of the world Let not the rich man glory in his riches nor the mighty man in his strength nor the honourable man in his dignity and preferment Why because of the instability of all things Rota erigendo cadit The wheel whilest it lifts up it self it falls And he that 's highest of all now may in a little space be low euough Proud Nebuchadnezzar walks upon the battlements of the stately Palace of his Kingdom and said Is not this great Babel that I have built for the honour of my Majesty But while the word was in the Kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven which cryed O Wheel Oh King Nebuchadnezzar to thee it is spoken Thy Kingdom is departed from thee And he was presently brought low enough to dwell with the beasts of the field to eat grasse with the oxen and to be wet with the dew of heaven Fortunate Belisarius the great Lord Generall under Justinian He was honored and feared of all nations Victorious in all his expeditions such a favorite of the Emperor that in his Coin was stamped on the one side Justinian on the other side Belisarius and over Belisarius the Emperor put this inscriptione Romanorum decus The Romans glory So great a man so triumphing upon the top of the wheel through envy which ever follows vertue and eminency was quickly brought to the lowest his eys put out and he compelled to beg his bread in the temple of Sophia day by day and this was his form of prayer Panem Belisario date quem virtus extulit in vidia oppressit Give a piece of bread to Belisarius whom vertue advanced envy oppressed Thou therefore that with Capernaum art even lift up to heaven be not insolent thou knowest not how soon thou mayst be brought down to hel Exalt not thy self over proudly above thy brethren I meet with an ancient story it commonly goeth along with Ezekiels wheels I wil give it you shortly and leave it to your selves to apply Sesostris King of Aegypt a potent and victorious Prince when he rid in triumph he compelled four conquered Kings to draw his golden Chariot which they did patiently because they could not avoid it One of the four kings that drew cast his eye continually upon the Chariot wheel and being demanded the reason by Sesostris he made answer I see in this wheel the mutability of all worldly things That part of the wheel which is neerest heaven is presently upon the earth This made such an impression in Sesostris that he would never afterwards suffer his Chariot to be drawn by Kings nor yet by men but carryed himself more humbly and gently The application is easy as I said at first and therefore I leave it to you I think within these few years we have seen amazing changes in the Crown in the Mitre in the Army in the Church in the State and in the City Let me speak on a little further and make a second Use Are all things in this world but turning wheels Instable and rouling Then set not your heart on any thing here below This I say brethren It remaineth that they that have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it because the fashion of this world passeth away Where the world is compared to a ghost or apparation that appears and soon vanisheth or to a shew upon a stage there 's a great pomp every one acts their part and on the suddain the play is done ther 's and end of all Set not your heart on that which is transitory not on the turning wheel but upon him that moves the wheel namely upon God God made all things changeable saith Augustine that we might rest on him only and in him who is unchangeable immutable He is the father of lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning Therefore is it rightly said that God is mans proper place wherein he ought to rest as in his center and end All things which are made have their certain place and term God created the heaven and filled it with Angels he created the earth and filled it with beasts and plants and creeping things he created the sea and filled it with fishes he created the aire and filled it with flying fouls What proper place is now left for man Or what wil God now give unto man wherein he may rest All other places are taken up and ful already Therefore when there was nothing else left to give to man God gave himself to man God himself would be mans inheritance and resting place All other places are restless and ful of change only God is immutable and changeth not I said says