light from the Sunne yet the circumstances thereof are like the bright Starres and some of them of the first magnitude twinckling and sending out their light round about for our contemplation and comfort The one is the faire and beautifull ground of the worke the other the embroidery and variety of colours wrought upon it by the hand of God and laid before our eyes that we may behold the manifold goodnesse power and wisedome of God I shall now therefore enter upon the particulars formerly proposed from the text of which the first was the greatnesse of Peters Deliverance at this time which may appeare if we consider these three things 1. The glory of Jesus Christ if Peter had perished at this time it had not been speaking after the manner of men without dishonour to the Sonne of God for being called by him to come upon the water it would have been attributed to want of power in Christ if hee had perished and it was his glory to save him and so in this respect the Deliverance was great 2. The danger he was in the raging Sea ready to devoure him he being unable to save himself and there being no other to helpe him and therefore in this respect the Deliverance great 3. The danger the other Disciples were in for if they had seen him sinke down and swallowed up what could they who were still tossed in the ship have expected but to have perished also and therefore in respect of the Disciples it was a great Deliverance The Lord looketh to his own glory to the distresse of his servants that are like to perish and to the scandall of others and draweth them forth of many Waters Psal. 18. 16. 2. The seasonablenesse and opportunity of this Deliverance is manifest by two things one was when the Sea through the boysterous winde was in the greatest rage the other was when he was brought very low in his owne sense It is familiar in Scripture to compare the Enemies of the Church to the raging waves of the Sea when the enemie is most arrogant and proud and when the Church and people of God are beginning to sinke then is the opportunity of the destruction of the one and deliverance of the other for in that nick of time is the hand power of God most discernable to his ovvn glory then is the confusion of the enemy most terrible then is the deliverance of the Godly most vvonderfull and comfortable Hence is it that the Lord vvho hath appointed time for every thing and hath made every thing beautifull in his time keepeth this rule in all his great deliverances hee suffereth the vvicked to exalt themselves and to gather strength hee giveth them sometimes Victories in a vicissitude with the people and thereby hardneth their own hearts and the hearts of others that trust in them as when the Magitians brought things to passe like unto the Miracles of Moses for how else should they grow up and be made ripe for destruction How should their cup be filled Hee suffereth also his owne people and his owne Cause sometimes to be borne downe for how else should they be in due time exalted But all this is nothing else but a preparation for a glorious worke of Justice and Mercy in the end If men would lay this one parcell of Providence to heart they would be forced against all their Atheisme to cry out Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily hee is God that judgeth the earth Psalm 58. 11. 3. The third thing it the sensiblenesse of the hand of Christ in delivering Peter Hee stretched forth his hand and caught him He could have saved him by his word only as Matth. 8. 8. The Centurion said Speak the word onely and my servant shall be healed Yea without speaking of the word by his Divine power for even when he did speak the word it was not his Word but his Power that wrought the miracle as when before he said to Peter Come it was not his word but his power that made Peter to walk upon the water Yet he stretched forth his hand for divers causes but principally that it might be knowne that he it was that by his power did deliver him Thus did he in working other Miracles as in curing the Lepers and the sicke that it might be knowne that he himself and no other did worke them and all to this effect that when it is seen that his hand worketh deliverance he may have the glory of it Wherefore are the Works of God ascribed to the Arme of God the hand of God the right hand of God the finger of God but that his power and efficiency may be acknovvledged of us and that he may have the praise of his ovvn vvork The Lord is a jealous God and vvill not give his glory to another Hee giveth many good things to the Children of men and vvorketh many notable Deliverances for them but the glory of them all he reserves for himself Potiphar committed all that he had to the hand of Ioseph and kept nothing back from him but his Wife vvhich made Ioseph to say and vve in this case may say it upon greater reason how can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Gen. 39. 9. He is an Usurper an Adulterer an Idolater and Atheist that robbeth God of his glory Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his Wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnes judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the LORD 4. A fourth thing to be taken notice of in this deliverance is the Relation it had to the prayer of Peter Hee prayed in his danger and distresse and the Lord immediatly stretched forth his hand and delivered him The Blessings and Deliverances which God graunteth unto his people are much endeared unto us by this that they are the answer of our prayers For beside the benefit and deliverance it selfe our faith in the generall is confirmed that wee worship not an Idoll but the true and living God who heareth prayer Our speciall faith is much strengthened for hereby wee know that God heareth our prayer that through Jesus Christ our prayers and persons are accepted and that he is our God Hence it is observeable that the Godly such as Hannah David and others speake to God in more familiar termes after they had received the answers of their prayers then before Our confidence also is increased For upon the gracious answer of our prayers we can with greater boldnes present our petitions before the throne of Grace No man maketh conscience of prayer or endeavoureth to pray aright but hee maketh also conscience and endeavoureth to observe the answer of his prayers Sometimes the present answer
quickly Joshua must succeed to Moses and Eliazar to Aaron before the people of God be brought into Canaan and others must come after them before the Temple be builded each one whom the Lord calleth hath his own part As the course of generall Providence in the World and of speciall Providence in the Kirk goeth on constantly according to the Eternall Decrees of God which men may oppose and clamour against but can no more hinder then the rising of the Sun and his ascending to his strength So doth the course of particular Providence in the lives of men which he cutteth off or continueth at his pleasure Nor should any man who hath seen the beginnings of this worke offend or be displeased that his days are ended before it end more then others who shall be honoured to be the witnesses of the glorious conclusion thereof have cause to be grieved that they have not seen or had a hand in the beginnings of it even as we have no more reason to be grieved that our life lasteth not longer then that it did not begin sooner No man could know but his life might have been as short in Peace as it hath been in warre nor was it in any mans power in the time of Peace to choose the manner of his death It should be sufficient for us that wee follow the calling of God that our life is not deare to us when he who spared not his life for us calleth for it that wee are ready to lay it down in his Cause and that it shall adde to our blessednesse if wee die not only in the Lord but for the Lord Let us therefore observe the Lords Providence admire his wisdome goodnesse adore his Soveraignty and greatnesse and cheerfully offer and give up our selves to be disposed upon at his will seeking his glory and not our owne and to approve our selves to our own consciences and not to the world This will make us syncere and straight in our course when others are seeking themselves quiet and secure in the midst of dangers when others like Magor-Missabib have feare round about and contented in confidence of a recompence of reward from God against the ingratitude of men when Mercenaries have not the patience to beare it because they served no other master and had no other thing in their eye but their wages a poor compensation of their paines and no proportion to the adventuring of their lives It is a freqâ—â—â—â— observation in history upon a world of examples that such as have deserved best of the publik have met not only with privâ—â—iâ—â— ingratitude but have often been recompenced evill for good which hath given occasion to Politicians to enter upon the debate of two questions One is what can be the cause of this so universally known and confessed ingratitude not onely from particular persons but from the publick The other is how it commeth to passe that notwithstanding this knowne ingratitude there be same found in every age and State that are more stirred up to deserve well of the publick nor discouraged or deterred by what hath befallen others before them Concerning the first amongst other answerâ— taken from that corruption malice and envie which poysoneth the nature of man they alleage that it proceedeth from covetousnesse which maketh the publick to quarrell with them that such may seem unworthy of reward whose great merits they are either willing or unable to reward The other they attribute to an heroick desire of immortall praise and a divine disposition to doe good to all But our Profession can answere both in a word that by a speciall providence such as have deserved well come short of their rewards from men that they may learne in serving of men to serve God and by Faith and Hope to expect their reward from himself and in end himself for their reward and that notwithstanding all the ingratitude of the world the Lord giveth generous spirits to his servants and stirreth them up by his Spirit the motions whereof they neither can nor will resist to doe valiantly in his Cause God hath made you a fruitfull Mother of many Sonnes as England France and Ireland may this day beare witnesse Never had your Sonnes more cause to rejoyce in their Mother for God hath made you honourable Noâ— you the Mother more cause to rejoyce in your Sons for God hath put it in their hearts to offer themselves willingly in for the cause of Christ If some have proved sonnes of Beliall void of grace and naturall affection and have provoked you to pronounce a malidiction upon them the Grace of God which hath made the difference is the more to be magnified and they that stand as they are the more to be honored so are they warned to take heed lest they fall Two things there be chiefly which will give you peace for the present and through the blessing of God will bring your troubles to a comfortable end one is that when yee heare of Separatists Semi-separatists Anabaptists Antinomians Libertines Socinians and of the many sects which Satan the father of Haeresies and Schismes in opposition to the intended Uniformity in religion hath raised in this Kingdome and which no wisedome under heaven is able to cure but by setling the true government of the Kirk by Presbyteries and Synods Yee may call to minde and apply to your selves the wholsome Counsell of the Prophet Micah All people will walk every one in the Name of his God and wee will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever n Hee will not have us to promise to our selves an universall consent in Religion through the whole earth nor to suffer our selves to be driven away by the example or sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive o But will have us to walk in the Name of our God which is nothing else but to understand beleeve and obey his word by which he is knowne as by his Name and this he will have us to doe not for some time but for ever and ever and with the counsell of the Prophet joyne the example of the Kirk of God All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have wee dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death p This testimony of your uprightnesse and constancy that no trouble could move you so much as in heart to turne away from the way of God will bee a well spring of comfort to you in all your troubles and this comfort I speak it to the praise of the free grace of God belongeth unto you for would ye have dealt falsly in the Covenant and forsaken the truth yee might not onely have escaped all the troubles which ye have sustained at home and abroad
heads there is one kind of it like unto that in Ioshua Numb. 11. 27 28. and in the Disciples of Christ Mark 9. 38 and in the Disciples of Iohn Ioh. 3. 26. We are not free of this kind of envy There is another kind of it like that of the Philistims Gen. 26. 14 15. which is most diabolicall But besides these there be other two sorts of it set on worke by Satan at this time and which all good men would beware of One is of those that cannot admit an equall that would engrosse all alone Mat. 20. 11. Acts 13. 44. Another of those that cannot permit any to be preferred unto them as in Cain Gen. 4. 3. 4. In the brethren of Ioseph Acts 7. 9. In Miriam Num. 12. 2. In Saul 1 Sam. 18. It was foolishnesse in the women and people yet it was truth in the Nobles of the Medes and Persians Daniel 6. 4. 5. The Scribes Pharises Sadduces and people of the Jews Matth. 23. 13. Acts 5. 17. Acts 13. 44. 45. We have an example of both sorts in the Courtiers of Saul against David and in Pompey the great and Iulius Caesar f As it is one of the most common so it is one of the greatest evils in the world it being not only most opposite unto Charitie but the cause of Contention Mutinies Lies Slanders Sedition and bringeth a world of miseries from the justice of God No sort of persons have more need to be upon their guard against this Enemy then brethren amongst whom if once Emulations Hatred and Envy find place to worke division they become irreconciliable Like unto fragments of Crystall glasse which after breaking cannot be demented againe Because the smallest injurie where kindnes is deserved and expected and much more envie is judged to be ingratitude which is acknowledged by all who know the nature of it to be a manifest injurie and as intollerable as any other And of all sores of Brethren none have reason to take greater heed unto this evill then such as naturally are strangers one to another and of divers nations but are sworne Brethren if the fire of envie and hatred once begin to burne in their breasts they want the affection of naturall brethren to extinguish it The best remedy for such is the right embracing of one true Religion and religiously to remember their Covenant by which they are joyned to Jesus Christ and amongst themselves which will make them forget that they be of divers Countreys and Kingdoms and timely to resist all divisive motions the mother whereof is Emulation and envie which I heartily wish may be as farre from us all as it was from the Disciples of Christ at this time Setting aside therefore with the Disciples all Emulation and Envie all Admiration and Adoration of men Let us follow the example of the Apostles in that twofold dutie performed by them the one is the Adoration of Christ the other the Confession of Christ They have not spoken amisse who conceave that there be foure parts of the Morall worship of God according to the parts of the first and great Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and with all thy minde and with all thy strength Mark 12. Luk. 10. The first of them is the attentive consideration of the works of God by the outward and inward senses The second is the right judging of the works of God by the minde and understanding The third is the congruous and sutable affection of the soule by the heart which is the seat of the affections The fourth is the testification of this affection in our whole life by the actions of the will Amongst which for they be many these two in the Text are to be numbred Adoration and Confession which were the thanksgiving of the Disciples at this time and now upon our Deliverance are required of us And who is it that beholding the power of Christ in the greatnes of the Deliverance the wisedome of Christ in the seasonablenesse of the Deliverance the jealousie of Christ who will not give his glory to another in the sensiblenesse of his hand in working it the truth of Christ in hearing prayer according to his promise and the mercy of Christ in passing by so many sins and so much doubting would not adore this mightie wise jealous true and mercifull Lord When the children of Israel had heard that the Lord had visited them and that hee had looked upon their affliction Then they bowed their heads and worshipped Exod. 4. 31. After that the Lord had spoken to Moses of the Religion of the Passeover and the smiting of the first borne of Egypt The people bowed the head and worshipped Exod. 12. 27. When Iehoshaphat upon his Fast and Prayer heard from the Spirit of the Lord which came upon Ichaziel that the Lord was to fight for Iudah and that they were onely to stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord he bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Iudah and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem fell before the Lord worshipping the Lord 2. Chron. 20. 18. At the restoring of Religion and cleansing of the house of God the King and all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped 2. Chron. 29. 29. And shall not wee when the Lord hath visited us and looked upon our affliction when he hath foughten for us and slaine the strength and first-born of our enemies when he is about the restoring of Religion and the cleansing and building of his Temple shall not we in all feare and reverence fall downe and adore before him acknowledging his Soveraignitie and our owne basenes and unworthines Let the whole Church Militant and Triumphant the twenty foure Elders and the foure living creatures men and angels fall downe and worship him that liveth for ever and ever saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever The other part of their thanksgiving is their Confession of Christ They give him this testimony of a truth thou art the Sonne of God This they all confesse and were ready to confesse before all the world which they also did afterward Of this testimony Iohn saith Whosoever shall confesse that Iesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 1 Joh. 4. 15. which is not so to be understood as if no other truth were to be confest of him but because that maine and fundamentall truth was then controverted and denyed by Seducers and Antichrists The Lord requireth of each one of us according to our place and calling that wee confesse and give our testimonie unto such truths as are most called in question At this time it is required of the Honourable Houses of Parliament that they give unto Jesus this testimonie which is a necessary consequent of the testimonie of the Apostles That Iesus Christ is the King of
weaknesse both at this time and afterward that he doubted and was afraid which made him begin to sinke and there can be no full and through Obedience without faith and confidence Two things are necessary for this 1. Self-deniall and renouncing all confidence in your selves or your owne wisdome courage strength or multitudes all which are but the arme of flesh Psalm 44. 3 4 5 9 7 8. Wisdome will have us to use all good means but faith will not have us to trust in them 2. A firm perswasion and full relying upon Christ holding the eye of our soul upon him continually Iohn the Baptist Iohn 3. 33. useth two words to expresse the nature of faith and confidence One is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Cabala the word of receiving which in the Syriack is not every receiving but a receiving of a Doctrine sent from God as Divine and sent from him The other word is more {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. Obsignavit conclusit hath set to his Seal when the word is used of God toward us wee know the meaning but when it is ascribed unto us in relation to God and his truth it expresseth the testing of our conscience on the truth of God that as the Lord sealeth his testimony unto us by the Sacraments and by his owne Spirit so upon our part our faith and affiance sealeth the truth of God that we acquiesce in it and close with God and the matter is concluded betwixt the Lord and our souls The writing thus sealed cannot be reversed for while the seal is at it it abides firm and the seal is keeped by the Lords faithfulnesse for our benefit This confidence will make us submit to the will of God and to say I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgement for me Hee will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Then she that is mine enemie shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God Mic. 7. 9 10. Woe is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must beare it Iere. 10. 19. This will carry us through all discouragements because it maketh us to see greater things then the World It opposeth the wrath of God against the terrors of the world and the love of God against the love of the world This assureth us of the presence of Christ in all our troubles It is I be not afraid The most terrible word to the enemy and the most comfortable to the godly It perswadeth us that God cannot denie himself nor forsake his own cause and for our selves that although this life and all things in it should fail us yet our happinesse waits for us Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope Psal. 16. 9 Much might be spoken here and to good purpose of the notes whereby to try our faith and confidence whether it be weak or strong and of the means to encrease it that it may come to a full assurance but I have troubled you too much already and therefore I shall only desire that the recent proof of the mercy of God in our deliverance may be added to your Calendar of former deliverances to make your experience the stronger that your hope and confidence may be the stronger for all time to come FINIS An Excellent Allegory taken forth of this History by Augustine In his 14. Sermon Upon the Words of our LORD AS Christ going to the Mountain to pray gave commandement to his Apostles to get into a ship and to goe to the other side so after his ascending into heaven at his commandement the Gospel was to be carried through the Sea of this world As the Ship wherein the Apostles of Christ were Passengers meeteth with a great tempest so the Church of Christ sustaineth waves of persecution and is opposed by the various blasts of haereticall winds As the Disciples doe not straightway forsake the Ship but did toyle in rowing so the confession of our faith is not to be forsaken but the teachers of the Church both by word and writing in the midst of the contrary windes of the world and of the blasts of tumultuous Haereticks are to discharge their office faithfully Let the crosse yard be set up and Christ crucified be looked upon and let us not make defection from him but follow his steps let us through suffering and death it self presse toward eternall glory Let also white sailes that is a pure and honest conversation be laid hold of Moreover although the sea do rage the wind withstand strongly and the surges rise and make a noise so that the ship be sore tossed and covered with the waves yet is shee not drowned but runneth to the Haven so may indeed the Church be pressed but can never be oppressed for Christ is praying on high and beholdeth his own mightily wrestling with the contrary winds He therefore intercedeth for them that their faith fail not but that they may carry unto the Nations these Noble but to humane reason forein wares of remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of heaven through faith in Christ freely offered to all that earnestly repent and amend their lives Furthermore this small Ship shal be tossed and float on the water till the Lord come who alone is able to make a weighty body to walk upon the face of the liquid element which shall come to passe about the fourth watch of the night that is in the end of time when the night of this world is almost spent In the meane while although the roaring Sea doe murmur and repine under the feet of the Lord yet nilling willing it is constrained to beare him so although the swelling pride and powers of the world arise together never so high yet our Head shall trample on their head But when Christ cometh neer unto the ship before he be clearely seene and known of his owne he striketh their hearts with a new terrour that they seeme to themselves to see a Ghost for in the darknes of this night wee are not able rightly to understand the worke of the Lord But when the darknes is scattered and all the storme calmed we shall know him aright and shall worship him as the true Son of God our Redeemer and Saviour It is our part who do live about the fourth watch upon whom the ends of the world are come 1. Cor. 10. 11. to provide lest that by the sudden and unlooked for coming of the Lord we be surprised and confounded for as Christ in one moment and with one thrust brought the ship into the harbour so before we can look about us or turne our selves Eternitie shall come upon us for the Elects sake these dayes shall be shortned Matth. 24. 22. FINIS a Ephes. 3. 14 15 16. b Thes. 3. 9. 10. c Psal. 126. 6. d 1. Thes. 3. 8. e Eccles. 7. 10. f Rom. 11. 22 g Rom. 11. 33 34. h Ier. 10. 23. i Pro. 19. 21. k Iohn 21. 18. l Iob 29. 18. m Mat. 26. 39. Ier. 20. 3. n Micah 4. 5. o Ephes. 4. 14. p Psal. 44. 17 18 19. q Deuâ—. 29. 20. r 2. Tim. â— 5. s 1. Tim. 3. â— t 1. Tim. 1. 19. u â— Thes. 2. 10 11 12. a Numb. 28. 29. b John 6. VVhy this Text chosen c The admonition of Iohn Knox to the professors of the truth in England Paraphrased Divided Doct. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Similes The greatness of Peters deliverance The seasonablenesse thereof The sensibleness of the hand of Christ in it The Relation it had to the prayer of Peter It was from free goodnes a Quid aliud â—â—t Christum sequi in atrium pontisicis quam super eisdem fluctibus ambulare cum Christo et quid aliud erat tentatio Ancillae quam ventus adversarius et quid aliud tentatio ex timore quam hic submertio ex timore Musculus in Matth. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Etym. The five circumstances of Peters deliverance applyed to ours The use of this worke of Diuine Providence Use 1. Thankfulnesse in Adoration and Confession c Quid ergo est qd Iudaei dicu â—t cum virum quidem Dei Prophetam fuisse filium vero Dei non fuisse Si filius Dei non fuit certe neque vir Dei neque Propheta fuit cum non fit viri Dei ad exhibitum honorem divinitatis conticescere Quiâ— dicat cum Caesarianum esse prâ—bum ac geâ—uiâ—um Caesari fidelem qui honorem Casari â—oâ—â— compâ—â—entem ob aâ—um non repudiâ—verâ—t sed agâ—ovoris Muscul. in Matth. 14. Take heed to Emulation and beware of envie Difference betwixt Emulation and Envy d Plut. in Apo. e Ambae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sorores aâ—rae noctis siliae Hesiod Illa amulatio est laudabilis quae non est rivalitui similis Cic. f Caesarâ—e priorem Pompeiusve pâ—râ—m The Adoration of Christ The Confessing of Christ Charitum numâ—râ—s significâ—t â—râ—â— actus distinctos in beneficiis dare aeccipere referee carum nomen affectus quibus in benefice aâ—â— c. Heming de lege naâ— Use 2. Obedience to the voice of Christ Own ratione in sanite Use 3. Confidence in Christ