unto God the Father Revel 1. 6. They are a chosen generation a royal priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. how despicable soever to the World This is their dignity The Lord is their crown and diadem he subdues their Lust and makes them Kings over their own Affections and more than â—onquerors over all Troubles and Persecutions whereas carnal Men are continually hurried like Slaves unto base employments still kept toyling in the ignoble service of their own Lusts. They think indeed it is their Liberty but that 's a baseness of Spirit that complies so well with so Vile and Servile a condition And whereas they judge the godly to be the refuse and dross of the Earth and the proper objects of Contempt this is because this their Crown though most glorious is invisible to the Eye of Nature The Lord is a Crown If they knew what this is they would see enough in it to countervail their outward meanness and the reproaches the World casts on them as the Apostle St. Peter hath it 1 Ep. cap. 4. 14. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you He is their Crown And observe how this Crown is opposed to that blasted glory and fading Crown of pride spoken of in the former verses Who is there that sees not in daily Experience the Vanity and Inconstancy of worldly glory and yet how few are there that wean themselves from it and learn to disdain it Still men dote upon that which is not upon a shadow a nothing But would you have a Glory that fadeth not a Garland that cannot wither make the Lord your Crown and your Glory and if he be so glory in him and in nothing else Let not the wise man glory c. but let c. Jer. 9. 23. You that are Noble aspire to this Crown as being so far above your perishing Honours and bounded Powers and you that are outwardly meaner and lower see how little cause you have to complain of your condition seeing you are not debarred from this best and greatest honour And that you may discern it aright what it is know that it consists in the renovation of God's Image within you which is in Holiness and Righteousness So the Lord becomes your Crown in the Kingdom of Grace and by this you may discover whether or no you have attained it if you can yet delight to wallow in the puddle and pleasures of Sin you are far from this royal condition but if you find your Soul possessed with the love of Holiness and that you are trampling upon prophane delights this may perswade you that God hath enabled you and crowned you with his Grace and will crown you with Glory Again try it by this if the Lord is become your Crown and your Glory you will glory in him and in nothing else Though you be Wise you will not glory in your Wisdom nor in Strength nor in Riches nor Honours though you had them all but if you glory you will glory in the Lord. And withal your highest joy will be to see the advancement of his Glory and if you can to be any way serviceable to the advancing of it And a spirit of Judgment c. Both to these that sit in Judgment and to the People for Justice is the strongest Base and Establishment of Authority and withal the influence of it is most sweet and comfortable to these that are under Authority and where it is wanting that order and relation of Superiours and Inferiours which God hath appointed in the Societies of Men for their good tends exceedingly to the damage of both And therefore where God intendeth to continue the Peace and Welfare of a People he is liberal in pouring out much of this Spirit of Judgment on these that sit in Judgment On the contrary it is for a heavy punishment when he withdraws his Spirit from Rulers and leaves them wholly to the Corruption and Vanity of their own Spirits That sit in Judgment To all that are in place of Authority and Judicature from the Supream to the lowest Magistrate for this concerns them all for they be all raised in their Subordination and several places above the people for the benefit and good of the people as the Stars that be set so high yet are placed there to be useful and beneficial to the Inferiour World Now this Spirit of Judgment comprehends in it both due Wisdom and Prudence for the trial and right judging of affairs and for the discerning betwixt sound and perverse Counsel and withal a judgment practically good that cannot be byass'd from the straight line of Equity and Justice by any sinister respect Now seeing the Spirit of Judgment is from the Lord yea he is this Spirit it ought to perswade those that sit in Judgment to entreat and pray for this and to depend upon it and beware of Self-confidence Trust in the Lord saith Solomon and lean not to thine own understanding if you do it will prove but a broken Reed And as they that sit in Judgment should intreat his Spirit by Prayer so generally all must share with them in this duty and make supplication for all that are in Authority over them especially in extraordinary times Truly we have matter of thankfulness that the Lord hath in some measure inclined the Royal Heart of our Sovereign to the desires of his People and ought still to pray That the Lord would give the King his Judgments And then as the Psalmist adds The Mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little Hills by righteousness Psal. 72. 3. And for this end let all that wish the publick yea their own good pray much for abundance of this Spirit of Judgment to be conferred on them your eyes and expectations are upon them If you would enjoy the Lamp you must pour in Oyl This Spirit indeed you cannot pour upon them but if you pour out many Prayers you may draw it from above he will give it who here promises to be a Spirit of Judgment And strength Observe the way to be powerful and successful against Foreign Enemies is To have Religion and Justice flourishing at home and truly if it please our God to answer the desires of his People at this time it may so unite the affection and strength of the two Kingdoms the Lord of Hosts being their strength as to make them a Terror to their Enemies whereas they were become a scorn and derision to them For your particular Labour to make the Lord your Glory to have Christ made unto you as the Apostle speaks both wisdom and righteousness and sanctification which are the glory and beauty of the Soul and redemption from your Spiritual Enemies draw strength from him to fight and prevail against them till after the short Combat of this life you obtain the Crown and dwell in his presence where you shall fear no more assaults neither of Sin nor
not only those hidden from Men but even from my self as is clearly his meaning by the words precedeing who knows the errors of his Life Therefore is it necessary that we desire light of God The Spirit of a Man is the Candle of the Lord says Solomon searching the innermost parts of the Belly But it is a Candle unlighted when he does not illuminate it for that search Oh! What a deal of Vanity and love of this World Envy and secret Pride lurks in many of our hearts that we do not at all perceive till God causeth us to see it leading us in as he did the Prophet in the Vision to see the Idolatry of the Jews in his very Temple by which they had provoked him to forsake it and go far from his sanctuary and having discovered one parcel leads him in further and makes him enter through the Wall and adds often Son of Man hast thou seen these I will cause thee see yet more abominations and yet more abominations Thus is it within many of us that should be his Temples but we have multitude of Images of Jealousie one lying hid behind another till he thus discover them to us Oh! What need have we to entreat him thus What I see not shew thou me Now in both these both in the knowledge of our Rule and of our selves though there may be some useful subserviency of the Ministry of Men yet the great Teacher of the true knowledge of his Law and of himself and of our selves is God Men may speak to the Ear but his Chair is in Heaven that Teaches hearts Cathedram habet in caelo Matchless Teacher that Teacheth more in one hour than Men can do in a whole Age That can cure the invincible unteachableness of the dullest heart Gives understanding to the simple and opens the eyes of the Blind So then would we be made wise wise for Eternity learned in real living Divinity Let us sit down at his feet and make this our continual request What I see not teach thou me And if I have done c. That 's any iniquity that I yet know not of any hidden Sin let me but once see it and I hope thou shalt see it no more within me not willingly lodged and entertained This speaks an entire total giving up all Sin and proclaming utter defiance and enmity against it casting out what is already found out without delay and resolving that still in further search as it shall be more discovered it shall be forthwith dislodged without a thought of sparing or partial indulgence to any thing that is Sin or like it or may any way befriend it or be an occasion and incentive of it This is that absolute renouncing of Sin and surrender of the whole Soul and our whole selves to God which whosoever do not heartily consent to and resolve on their Religion is in vain and which is here the point their Affliction is in vain whatsoever they have suffered they have gained nothing by all their sufferings if their hearts remain still Selfwill'd Stubborn Untamed and unpliable to God And this makes their miseries out of measure miserable and their sins out of measure sinful whereas were it thus qualify'd and had it any operation this way towards the subjecting of their hearts unto God Affliction were not to be called misery but would go under the Title of a blessedness Blessed is the Man whom thou correctest and teachest him out of thy Law That suiting with this here desired I have born Chastisement What I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do it no more Oh! Were it thus with us M. B. how might we rejoyce and insert into our Praises all that is come upon us if it had wrought or advanced any thing of this kind within us this blessed compliance with the will of God not entertaining any thing knowingly that displeases him finding a pleasure in the denial and destruction of our own most beloved pleasures at his appointment and for his sake whatsoever is in us and dearest to us that would offend us that would draw us to offend him were it the right hand let it be cut off or the right eye let it be pluckt out Or to make shorter work let the whole Man die at once Crucified with Jesus That we may be henceforth dead to Sin dead to the World dead to our selves and alive only to God SERMON III. PREFACE THere is no Exercise so delightful to those that are truly godly as the solemn Worship of God if they find his powerful and sensible presence in it and indeed there is nothing on earth more like to Heaven than that is But when he withdraws himself and witholds the influence and breathings of his Spirit in his service then good Souls find nothing more lifeless and uncomfortable but there is this difference even at such a time betwixt them and those that have no Spiritual life in them at all that they find and are sensible of this difference whereas the other know not what it means And for the most part the greatest number of those that meet together with a profession to Worship God yet are such as do not understand this difference Custom and formality draws many to the ordinary places of publick Worship and fills too much of the Room And somtimes Novelty and Curiosity to places not ordinary has a large share But how few are there that come on purpose to meet with God in his Worship and to find his power in it strengthning their weak Faith and weakning their strong Corruptious affording them provision of Spiritual strength and comfort against times of trial And in a word advancing them some steps forward in their Journey towards Heaven where Happiness and Perfection dwells Certainly these sweet effects are to be found in these Ordinances if we would look after them let it grieve us then that we have so often lost our labour in the Worship of God through our own neglect and intreat the Lord that at this time he would not send us away empty for how weak so ever the means be if he put his strength the work shall be done in some measure to his Glory and our Edification Now that he may be pleased to do so to leave ablessing behind him let us Pray c. Isaiah XXVIII 5 6. In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a Crown of Glory and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his People And for a spirit of judgment to him that sittest in judgment and for strength to them that turn the battel to the gate ALL the Works of Divine Providence are full of Wisdom and Justice even every one severally considered yet we observe them best to be such when we take notice of their order and mutual aspect one to another whether in the succession of times or such passages as are contemporary and fall in together at one and the same time
1. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he dwelt in a Tabernacle among us and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightness of his Fathers glory and the Character of his Person And under these expressions lies that remarkable mystery of the Sons Eternal relation to the Father which is rather humbly to be adored than boldly to be explained either by God's perfect understanding of his own Essence or by any other notion It is true he is called the Wisdom of the Father but this Wisdom is too wonderful for us He is called the Word but what this Word means I think we shall not well know till we see him Face to Face and contemplate him in the Light of Glory mean while we may see him to be the Glory of the Lord in a safer way and sufficient measure to guide us on to that clear vision reserved above for us We saw his glory says that sublime Evangelist but how could this excellent glory be seen by sinful Men and not astonish and strike dead the beholders He was made Flesh and dwelt among us says he and so we saw his glory That Majesty that we could never have lookt upon he veiled with humane flesh that we might not die yea live by seeing him There he stood behind the wall and shewed himself through the Trellis In him dwelt the fulness of the Godhead Col. 2. 9. But it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily for who could have endured the splendor of the Godheads fulness if that Cloud of his Body had not been drawn betwixt And through it did shine that Grace and Truth that Wisdom and Power in the work of our Redemption whereby he was clearly manifested to be the glory of the Lord. Surely we need not now ask the Church or a believing Soul what is her beloved more than another or if we do well may she answer He is the chiefest among Ten Thousand and altogether lovely for he is the Light of the World and the glory of the Lord. Let not the numerous Titles of Earthly Potentates be once admitted into comparison with these If we believe David in his 62 Psal. 9. verse the stateliest things and persons in the World being Ballanced with vanity it self are found lighter than it and shall we offer to weigh them with Christ. If we knew him righly we would not sell the least glance or beam of this Light of his Countenance for the highest favour of mortal Men though it were constant and unchangeable which it is not it is ignorance of Christ that maintains the credit of those vanities we admire The Christian that is truly acquainted with him enamoured with the brightness of his beauty can generously trample upon the smilings of the World with the one foot and her frownings with the other if he be rich or honourable or both yet he glories not in that but Christ who is the glory of the Lord is even then his chiefest glory And the Light of Christ obscures that Worldly splendor in his estimation and as the enjoyment of Christ overtops all his other joys so it overcomes his griefs as that great Light drowns the Light of prosperity it shines bright in the darkness of Affliction no dungeon so close that can keep out the rays of Christ's love from his beloved Prisoners The World can no more take away this Light than it can give it Unto the just ariseth Light in Darkness sayeth the Psalmist and When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a Light unto me says the Church in the 7th of Micah 8 verse And as this Light is a Comfort so it is likewise a Defence that suffers no more of distress to come near the godly than is profitable for them Therefore we find very frequently in Scripture where this Light and Glory is mentioned Protection and Safety joyntly spoken of The Lord is my Light and withal my Salvation whom shall I fear says David Psal 27. 1. The Lord is a Sun and he is a Shield too Psal. 84. 21. And truly I think him Shot-proof that hath the Sun for his Buckler And for glory Upon all the Glory shall be a Defence says our Prophet in his 4. Chapter 5. verse And the Prophet Zach. where he calls the Lord the Churches Glory in the midst of her he calls him likewise a Wall of fire round about her Zach. 2. 4. The only way then to he safe is to keep this Light and this Glory intire to part with any part of this glory is to make a breach in that Wall of fire and if that be a means of safety let all Men judge No keep it whole and then they must come through the fire that will assault you Nor is this Light only defensive of the Church that embraceth it but likewise destructive of all adverse powers see a clear Testimony for this in the 10. of Isaiah 17 18. verses And the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame speaking there of the Assyrians and it shall burn and devour his Thorns and his Briers in one day and shall consume the glory of his Forrest and of his Fruitful Field both Soul and Body and they shall be as when a Standard bearer fainteth c. Let ever then the Church of God entirely observe this Light and Glory of the Lord and she shall undoubtedly be preserved by it But to close in a word first to those that know this Light and then to those that are yet strangers to it You who know Christ glory in him perpetually well may he be your glory when he is the Glory of the Lord There are some that pretend love to Christ and yet a taunting word of some profane miscreant will almost make them ashamed of him how would they die for Christ that are so tender as not to endure a Scoff for him Where is that Spirit of Moses that accounted the very reproaches of Christ greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt O learn to glory in Christ think highly of him and speak so too Methinks it is the Discourse in the World becomes Christians best to be speaking one to another honorably of Jesus Christ and of all Men the Preachers of his Gospel should be most frequent in this Subject This should be their great Theam to extol and commend the Lord Jesus that they may enflame many hearts with his love and best can they do this who are most strongly taken with this love themselves Such will most gladly abase themselves that Christ may be magnified and whatsoever be their excellencies they still account Christ their glory and they are richly repayed for he accounts them his glory this would seem a strange word if it were not the Apostles They are the Messengers of the Churches and the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23.
they that arise early in the Morning of their youth for the day of Life is very short and the art of Christianity long and difficult is it not a grievous thing that Men never consider why they came into the World till they be upon the point of going out again Nor think how to live till they be summoned to die But most of all unhappy he that never wakens out of that pleasing dream of false happiness till he fall into Eternal misery Arise then betimes and prevent this sad awakening And being risen put on your beautiful Garments Isaiah 52. 1. Draw towards you with the hand of Faith the rich Mantle of Christ's Righteousness 'T is time to awake says the Apostle Rom. 13. 11. v. And presently after Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is a wonder how a Sinner can rest while he is out of this Garment for there is no other in Heaven nor Earth can make him shine to God and so shelter him from the stroke of Justice put him on then and so shine being thus Cloathed thou shalt shine in Justificatication and likewise in Sanctity What a priviledge is it to be like God A sanctified conscience what can be said against it And first have an enlightned understanding for that is the proper seat of Light that ignorant zeal that Rome commends exposes Religion to scorn and contempt Heat without Light is the Character of the fire of Hell I know all are not tied to a like degree of knowledge but certainly all are obliged to have a competency and diligence for increase aspire then to be intelligent Christians and to know well what you believe Let your minds be filled with knowledge as the Apostle speaks But let it not stop there it must have influence into the will Lux est vehiculum caloris true Light conveys heat All the knowledge that the natural Man hath of Christ not warming his affection to Christ is but ignis fatuus a vain Light it shall never lead him to happiness Saving Light produces love and by that acts Faith works by Love says the Apostle That breaks forth and shines in the Life in Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety Shine then in all these first in Piety towards God for this is the reflection of these rays of Light back toward their source And this will command the other two No Man that shines in Godliness will wallow in injustice and intemperance Guile and Wrong cannot indure the Light they that are unjust cannot shine and let them never offer to shine among Christians that are not sober but stained with Riot and Uncleanness These foul enormities lay waste the Conscience and put out the Light how can any seed of Grace subsist undrowned that are exposed to a daily deludge of Cups How can that pure Spirit that chose the likeness of a chast Dove dwell and give Light in that Soul that is a Nest of impure and filthy lusts No There can be no fellowship betwixt this celestial Light whereby we should shine and those infernal works of darkness Let prophane Men hold it a chief strain of wit to scoffe at purity but you that pretend Heaven ward in good earnest and mean to shine in glory shine here in holiness For without holiness no Man shall see God And do it with those qualifications 1 Constantly in every estate let not this Divine Light go out neither by day in prosperity nor by night in Adversity in every place do not shine clear and be dark in your Chamber They that do thus have their reward that 's a sad word if rightly understood beware of Hypocrisie Again shine progressively gaining still more and more victory over darkness till you attain unmixt and perfect Light The way of the just says Solomon Is like the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day Prov. 4. 18. Lastly Shine humbly to his glory whose Light you borrow not to shew forth your own excellencies but his Who hath called you from Darkness to his marvellous Light 1. Pet. 2. 9. If we be Children of Light our brightness must praise the Father of Lights Let your Light so shine before Men that they seeing your good works not your selves if you can be hid as the Sun affords its Light and will scarce suffer us to look upon it self may glorifie not you but your Heavenly Father Math. 5. 6. To conclude The pure Light of the Church is revived and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you and upon this glory there shall be a defence If God be your glory in the midst of you he will be likewise a wall of fire round about you All the danger is if we fall short in the duty of shining but as you desire that this glory should abide and dwell amongst you let all Estates of Men provoke one another to shine bright in holiness you who either by Birth or Office are in eminent station know that you were set there to be eminent and exemplary in shining as Stars of more notable magnitude you who are Ministers of this Light know that you are the Light of the World and if the very Light become darkness how great will that darkness be you that are of a lower order know that you must shine too For it is a common duty There is a certain company of small Stars in the Firmament which though they cannot be each one severally seen yet being many their united Light makes a conspicuous brightness in the Heaven which is called the milky way so though the shining of every private Christian is not so much severally remarkable yet the concourse and meeting of their Light together will make a bright path of holiness shine in the Church Now to the end we may each one shine in our measure we must learn to turn our selves often towards him from whom our Light is derived Conversing with him will make us more and more like him There is a secret unknown vertue for this purpose in secret Prayer and Meditation were we more in the Mount with God our faces would shine more with Men let us then rescue from the World all the time we can to resort frequently thither till such time as the Soul which is now often pulled down again by the Flesh shall let that Mantle fall and come down no more But shine there without spot and be for ever satisfied with her makers Image SERMON V. PREFACE ART imitates Nature and the nearer it comes to Nature in its effects it is the more Excellent Grace is the new Nature of a Christian and Hypocrisie that Art that counterfeits it and the more exquisite it is in Imitation it is the more plausible to Men but the more abominable to God it may frame a Spiritual Man in Image so to the life that not only others but even the Hypocrite himself may admire it and favouring his own Artifice may be deceived so far as to say and to think it
which accompanies them Yet notwithstanding all these causes of grief or fear our causes of praise are both more and greater and it is no reason that the sense of our own evil should prejudge that acknowledgment of God's goodness yea rather it should stir us up to extol it so much the more Cease not to bemoan the evils of your own hearts but withal forget not to magnifie the riches of his grace who hath given himself for you and to you These two will not hinder one another but the due intermixture of them will make a very good harmony And the fruit of them will be this you shall have still more cause to praise and less to complain When the Lord shall find you humble acknowledgers of his grace he will delight to bestow more grace upon you and will subdue those iniquities for you which you cannot and though he is pleased to do it but gradually by little and little yet in the end the conquest shall be full and then he who is the Author and Finisher of your Faith tho â—t is his own work yet because it is done in you he shall account the Victory yours as obtained by you and give you as Conquerors the Crown of Glory To him that overcometh saith he will I give to sit with me in my Throne c. There is nothing here but from free grace the courage and strength to fight in this Spiritual warfare the victory by fighting and the Crown by Victory flow all from that Fountain In all these things we are more than Conquerors saith the Apostle but how Through him that loved us Therefore if we desire to be such let us humble our selves before the Throne of grace intreating both for grace and glory in the Name of Christ our Mediator Cant. I. 3. Because of the Savour of thy good Ointments Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee THE natural workings and desires of things are agreeable to their being The Beasts according to their sensitive Life seek those things that tend to the good and preservation of that Life and affect nothing higher than those and they are satisfied Man except such as are in the lowest Stage and border upon the Beasts finds Nature even corrupt Nature raising him to higher desires and designs And yet of the best of them the Apostles maxim holds true They that are after the Flesh mind the things of the Flesh and yet he subjoins the excellency of some Men beyond the best naturalist They that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. They must be confined to things natural but are strongly moved towards Spiritual blessings and Christ the Sum of them And having once tasted of his sweetness can say Because of the savour of thy good Ointments c. They that are elevated to a supernatural Being can admit nothing into competition with his love and this it is that lies under these words Because of the savour of thy good Ointments c. Numbers have promiscously been his guests at this time and the greatest number think they came to good purpose but know that you are so far from partaking of Christ in the Sacrament that you have not so much as smelt his Perfumes if you be not strongly taken with his love Great are the Praises and many the Duties you owe him for so rich favours and therefore shew your good will and endeavour some payment But know that none of them are current except they be stampt with Love if you love not you do nothing all your Labours and Services without it are as so many Cyphers they amount to just nothing And with it the meanest of them will find acceptance You have briefly in the words Christ's loveliness and the Christians love the former the cause of the latter both couched under borrowed Terms according to the whole strain of this allegorical Song to which the true Experimental knowledge of this Divine love is the best Commentary In all Love Three things are necessary 1 Some goodness in the object either true and real or apparent and seeming to be so for the Soul be it never so evil can affect nothing but what it takes some way to be good 2 There must be a knowledge of that goodness for the most excellent things if altogether unknown affect not 3 There must be a suitableness or agreement of that good thing with the nature of those which should affect it otherwise indeed how good soever it is it is not good to them Now all these we have clearly in this Love 1 The goodness the excellency of Christ exprest by precious Ointments 2 The manifestation and making of it known signified by the pouring forth of his Name 3 His fitness and congruity with them here mentioned under this denomination Virgins such as have the senses of their Souls not stopt with the pollutions of the World but Pure and Active and therefore as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5. 14. exercised to discern good and evil These three requisites thus happily met must needs produce Love Therefore the Virgins love thee Because of the savour of thy good Ointments How true is the Apostles word when he calls Christ the Believers All things and that radical grace of Faith because it apprehends Christ hath a kind of universality and it is reasonable too it alone being to the Soul what all the five senses are to the Body It is the eye and the Mouth a wonderful Eye It sees him that is invisible Heb. 4. 27. The Mouth it tastes that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2. 3. Yea take these two both together in one place Psal. 34. 8. O taste and see that the Lord is good 'T is the Souls Ear for what else is meant when it is said He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear And was it not that touch which Christ took special notice of and with good reason distinguished it from the common touch of the multitude that was crowding about him That touch alone draws vertue from him Some hath touched me for there is a vertue gone out of me And lastly as it is all those other senses and Christ its object in Reference to them all so here in its Smelling it finds the savour of his fragrant graces and by that works love Because of the savour c. What strange odds is there betwixt the opinion of Christ's Spouse and the World that knows him not They wonder what she sees in him desirable she wonders that they are not all ravisht with his excellencies They prefer the basest vanities in the World before him she finds the choicest and richest things in the World too mean to resemble the smallest part of his worth See in this Song how busily and skilfully she goes to all the Creatures and Crops the rarest peices in Nature and Art to set forth her well Beloved and seems to find them all too poor for her purpose one while she
Winds blowing from all Quarters and upon the Globe of the Earth being in the middle of them is written Immobilis This fitly resembles the Church Why It seems to be the sport of all the Winds but is indeed so Established that all of them yea the very Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Now the more the Churches Enemies labour and moil themselves to undo her the more doth their weakness and the power of her Lord appear so that thus the wrath of man doth praise him When was the Church free from the Worlds wrath To say nothing of the Church of the Jews Did not those Wicked Emperours of Rome think to have made the Christian Church short lived to have drowned her newly Born in Floods of her own Blood And in latter Ages who knows not the Cruelties that have been practised by the Turk in the East And the Proud Prelate of Rome in the West By which she hath sometimes been brought to so obscure and low a point that if you can follow her in History 't is by the tract of her Blood and if you would see her 't is by the light of those fires in which her Martyrs have been burnt Yet hath she still come through and survived all that wrath and still shall till she be made perfectly Triumphant Further Mans wrath tends to Gods praise in this That God giving way to it does so manage it by his sublime Providence that it often directly crosses their own ends that conduces manifestly to his Pharaoh thought that his dealing more cruelly with the Jews in their tasks and burdens was wisdom Let us work wisely says he But whereas their ordinary servility was become familiar to them and they were tamed to it that same accession of new Tyranny did prepare and dispose the Israelites for a desire of departure and their departure made way for Pharaoh's destruction Undigestable Insolency and Rage hastening to be great makes Kingdoms cast them off which would have been far longer troubled with their wickedness had it been more moderate surely then the wrath of man commends the wisdom of God when he makes him by that contrive and afford the means of his own downfal Job 18. 7. The steps of his strength shall be straightened and his own counsel should cast him down says Bildad And that is a sad fall as that Eagle that was shot with an Arrow trimmed with her own Feathers But to close this point It is out of all question that the deserved punishment of mans unjust wrath doth always glorifie the Justice of God and the more he gives way to their wrath the more notable shall be both their Punishment and the Justice of it and though God seems neglective of his people and of his praise while mans wrath prevails yet the truth is he never comes too late to vindicate his care of both And when he defers longest the Enemy pays dear Interest for the time of forbearance In his Eternal Decree he resolved to permit the course of mans wrath for his own Glory and when the period which he hath fixed is come he stops mans wrath and gives course unto the Justice of his own Nor is there then any possibility of escaping he will right himself and be known by executing Judgment Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee And that is the Third thing propounded The Infallibility of the Event The Author of Nature governs all his Creatures each in a suitable way to the Nature he hath given them He maintains in some things a natural Necessity of working Contingency in others and in others Liberty But all of them are subject to this Necessity of effecting inevitably his Eternal purposes and this Necessity is no way repugnant to the due Liberty of mans Will Some entertain and maintain the Truth some Plot others act and execute against it some please themselves in a wise Neutrality and will appear so indifferent that it would seem they might be accepted of all sides for Judges of Controversies And all these find no less Liberty to wind and turn themselves whither they please than if no higher hand had the winding of them Shall not only the Zeal of the Godly but even the Wrath of the Enemy and the cold Discretion of the Neutral all tend to his praise whose Supream Will hath a secret but a sure and infallible sway in all their Actions whilst some Passengers sit some walk one way some another some have their faces towards their Journeys end some theirs back turned upon it this wise Pilot does most skilfully guide the Ship to arrive with them all at his own Glory Happy they that propound and intend his Glory as he himself does for in them shall the riches of his mercy be glorified they that oppose him lose this happâ—ness but he is sure not to lose his Glory for all that to wit the Glory of his Justice His right hand shall find out all his Enemies surely the wrath of man shall praise thee The consideration of this truth thus in some measure unfolded may serve to justifie the truly wise Dispensation of God against our Imaginary Wisdom were the matter referr'd to our modelling we would assign the Church constant Peace and Prosperity for her Portion and not consent that the least air of trouble should come near her we would have no Enemies to molest her nor stir against her or if they did stir we would have them to be presently represt and these in our Judgment would be the fairest and most glorious tokens of his love and power whose Spouse she is But this carnal wisdom is enmity against God and to the Glory of God which rises so often out of the wrath of his Enemies Had God caused Pharaoh to yield at the very first to the release of his people where had been the fame of those Miraculous Judgments in Egypt and Mercies on the Israelites the one setting out and illustrating the other Where had been that Name and Honour that God says he would gain to himself and that he did gain out of Pharaoh's final Destruction making that Stony-hearted King and his Troops sink like a stone in the waters as Moses Sings Observe his proud boastings immediately foregoing his Ruin I will pursue says he I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied on them I will draw my sword and my hand shall destroy them Soon after the Sea quenches all this heat Commonly big threatnings are unhappy presages of very ill success That Historian says well of God and indeed as he abhors these boastings so he delights in the abasing of the lofty heart whence they flow and it is his Prerogative to gain praise to himself out of their wrath Hast thou an arm like God says the Lord to Job then look upon the proud and bring them low Job 40. 9. When Sennacherib came up against Jerusalem his blasphemies and boastings were no less vast and monstrous than
the number of his Men and Chariots good Hezekiah turned over the matter unto God spreading the Letter of Blasphemies before him God undertook the War and assured Hezekiah that the Assyrian should not so much as shoot an Arrow against the City but return the same way he came 2 Kings 19. And the Deliverance there promised and effected is conceived to have been the occasion of penning this very Psalm Surely when an Angel did in one night slay 185000 in their Camps that wrath and those threats tended exceedingly to the praise of the God of Israel The hook that he put in Sennacheribs Nostrils as the History speaks to pull him back again was more remarkable than the fetters would have been if he had tied him at home or hindred his march with his Army Who is he then that will be impatient because of Gods patience and Judge him slack in Judgment while the rage of the Wicked prevails a while Know that he is more careful of his own Glory than we can be and the greater heighth mans wrath arises to the more Honour shall arise to him out of it Did not his Omnipotency shine brighter in the flames of that Eurnace into which the Children were cast than if the Kings wrath had been at first cooled Certainly the more both it and the Furnace had their heat augmented the more was God glorified Who is that God said he blasphemoâ—sly and proudly that can deliver you out of my hands A question indeed highly dishonouring the Almighty but stay till the real answer come and not only shall that wrath praise him but that very same Tongue though inured to Blasphemy shall be taught to bear a main part in the confession of these praises Let that Apostate Emperour go taunâ—ing the Head and Tormenting the Members of that mystical Body his closing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast overcome O Galilean meaning Christ shall help to verifie that whether its course be shorter or longer Mans wrath ends always in Gods praise In like manner the closing of the Lions mouth spake louder to his praise that stopt them than if he had stopt Daniels enemies in the beginning of their wicked design so hot was their rage that the Kings favourable inclination to Daniel of which in other cases Courtiers â—se to be so devout observers yea his contesting and pleading for him did profit him nothing but they hurried their King to be execution of their unjust Malice though themselves were convinced that nothing could be found against him but only concerning the Law of his God Dan. 6. verse 14. It is said he set his heart upon him to deliver him and laboured to do it till the going down of the Sun and then those Counsellers and Counsels of darkness overcame him but upon this black night of their prevailing wrath followed immediately a bright morning of praises to Daniel's God When the Lions that were so quiet company all night to Daniel made so quick a Breakfast of those accursed Courtiers that had maliciously accused him Even so let thine Enemies perish O Lord and let those that love thee be as the Sun when he goes forth in his might The other Proposition concerns the limiting of this wrath The remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain To take no notice for the present of divers other readings of these words the sense of them as they are here very well rendred may be briefly this that whereas the wrath of Man to which God gives way shall praise him the rest shall be curb'd and bound up as the word is no more of it shall break forth than shall contribute to his glory Here should be considered divers ways and means by which God useth to stop the heady course of Mans wrath and hinder its proceeding any further But only Let us take out of it this lesson That the most compendious way to be safe from the violence of Men is to be in terms of friendship with God Is it not an incomparable priviledge to be in the favour and under the protection of one whose power is so transcendent that no enemy can so much as stir without his leave Be perswaded then Christians in these dangers that are now so near us every one to draw near to him remove what may provoke him let no reigning sin be found either in your Cities or in your Villages for he is a holy God Is it a time to multiply provocations now or is it not rather high time to be humbled for the former What shameless Impiety is it to be now Licentious or Intemperate To be Proud to Oppress or Extort To prophane Gods Day and Blaspheme his Name All these sins and many others abound amongst us and that avowedly Without abundant of Repentance for these we shall smart and the wrath of our Enemies though unjust in them shall praise God in our Just punishment though doubtless he will own his Church and be praised likewise in the final punishment of their wrath that rise against it There is a remarkable expression in the 99 Psalm of Gods dealing with his people he was favourable to them though he took vengeance on their Inventions A good Cause and a Covenant with God will not shelter an Impenitent people from sharper Correction 'T is a sad Word God speaks by his Prophet to his own people I my self says he will fight against you A dreadful Enemy and none indeed truly dreadful but he O prevent his anger and you are safe enough If perverse Sinners will not hear yet let those that are indeed Christians mourn in secret not only for their own Sins but let them bestow some tears likewise upon the sins of others Labour to appease the wrath of God and he will either appease mans wrath or howsoever will turn it jointly to our Benefit and his own Glory Let the fear of the most high God who hath no less power over the strongest of his Enemies than over the meanest of his Servants let his fear I say possess all our hearts and it will certainly expel that ignoble and base fear of the wrath of man See how the Prophet opposes them in that 8th of Isaiah Fear not their fear says he nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord and let him be your fear and let him be your dread fear not but fear This holy fear begets the best courage the breast that is most fill'd with it abounds most in true Magnanimity Fear thus that you may be confident not in your selves though your policy and strength were great Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm but confident in that God who is too wise and vigilant to be surprized too mighty to be foiled and too rich to be out-spent in provision who can suffer his Enemy to come to the highest point of apparent advantage without any inconvenience yea with more renown in his Conquest And so a Christian who is made once sure of this as easily
People mistake this much and it is a carnal conceit to hang on the advantages of the Minister or to eye that much the sure way is to look up to God and to look into thine own heart an unchang'd unsoftned heart as an evil Soil disappoints the Fruit. What though sowen by a weak hand yea possibly a foul one yet if received in a clean and honest heart it will fructifie much There is in the World a needless and prejudicial differencing of men out of which people will not come for all we can say The first bad ground is a High-way Now we have a Commentary here whence we may not nor will not depart it is authentick and full Ver. 19. They that understand not gross brutish Spirits that perceive not what is said are as if they were not there sit like Blocks one Log of Wood upon another as he said This is our Brutish multitude what pity is it to see so many such as have not so much as a natural apprehension of Spiritual Truths The common Road of all Passengers of all kind of foolish brutish thoughts seeking nothing but how to live and yet know not to what end have no design trivial High-way hearts all tentations pass at their pleasure prophane as Esau which some Criticks draw from a word signifying the threshold the outer step that every foul foot treads on These retain nothing there is no hazard of that and yet the Enemy of Souls to make all sure lest peradventure some word might take root unawares some Grain of this Seed he is busie to pick it away to take them off from all reflexion all serious thoughts or the remembrance of any thing spoken to them And if any common word is remembred yet it doth no good for that is trodden down as the rest though the most is pickt up because it lies on the Road. So exprest by St. Mark 4. 4. The second is Stony ground Hard hearts not softned and made penetrable to receive in deeply this ingrafted word with meekness with humble yieldance and submission to it the Rocks yet in these there is often some receiving of it and a little slender moisture above them which the warm air may make spring up a little they receive with Joy have a little present delight in it are moved and taken with the Sermon possibly to the shedding of some tears but the misery is there is a want of depth of Earth it sinks not No wonder if there is some present delight in these therefore the Word of the Kingdom especially if skilfully and sensibly delivered by some more able Speaker Let it be but a fancy yet it is a fine pleasant one such love as the Son of God to die for Sinners such a rich purchase made as a Kingdom the Word of the Kingdom such Glory and Sweetness therefore the description of the new Jerusalem Apoc. 21. Suppose it be but a Dream or one of the Visions of the Night yet 't is passing fine it must needs please a mind that heeds what is said of it There is a natural delight in Spiritual things and thus the word of the Prophet as the Lord tells him was as a Minstrels voice a fine Song so long as it lasts but dies out in the air it may be the relish and air of it will remain a while in the Imagination but not long even that wears out and is forgot So here it is heard with Joy and some is springing up presently they commend it and it may be repeat some passages yea possibly desire to be like it to have such and such Graces as are recommended and upon that think they have them are presently good Christians in their own conceit and to appearance some change is wrought and it appears to be all that it is but it is not deep enough they talk possibly too much more than those whose hearts receive it more deeply there it lies hid longer and little is heard of it Others may think it is lost and possibly themselves do not perceive that it is there they are exercised and humbled at it and find no good in their own hearts yet there it is hid as David says Thy Word have I hid in my heart And as Seed in a manner dies in a silent smothering way yet it is in order to the fructifying and to the reviving of it it will spring up in time and be fruitful in its season with patience as St. Luke hath it of the good ground not so suddenly but much more surely and solidly But the most are presentany Mushrome Christians soon ripe soon rotten the Seed goes never deep it springs up indeed but any thing blasts and withers it little root in some if Trials arise either the heat of Persecution without or a Tentation within this sudden Spring seed can stand before neither Oh Rocky hearts How shallow shallow are the Impressions of Divine things upon you Religion goes never farther than the upper surface of your hearts few deep thoughts of God and of Jesus Christ and the things of the World to come all are but slight and transient glances The third is Thorny-ground This relates to the Cares and Pleasures and all the Interests of this Life See St. Mark 4. 1. and St. Luke 8. 5. All these together are the Thorns and these grow in hearts that do more deeply receive the Seed and send it forth and spring up more hopefully than either of the other two and yet choak it Oh! the pity Many are thus almost at Heaven so much desire of Renovation and some endeavours after it and yet the Thorns prevail Miserable Thorns The base things of a perishing life drawing away the strength of affections sucking the sap of the Soul Our other Seed and Harvest our Corn and Hay our Shops and Ships our Tradings and Bargains our Suits and Pretensions for Places and Employments of Gain or Credit Husband and Wife and Children and House and Train our Feastings and Entertainments and other Pleasures of Sense our Civilities and Complements and a world of those in all the World are these Thorns and they overspread all The lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life And for how long is all the advantage and and delight of these Alas that so poor things should prejudice us of the rich and blessed increase of this Divine Seed The last is good Ground A good and honest heart not much fineness here not many questions and disputes but honest simplicity sweet sincerity that is all a humble single desire to eye and to do the will of God and this from love to himself This makes the Soul abound in the fruits of Holiness receiving the Word as the ground of it different degrees are indeed some thirty some sixty and some an hundred fold yet the lowest aiming at the highest not resting satisfy'd yet growing more fruitful if thirty last year desiring to bring forth sixty this