All beginning to season us with a reverend estimation of God and to infuse into us the knowledge of his glory therefore do all to the glory of God This also serveth to shew how excellent a knowledge it is to know the glory of God Doct. 3 seeing God maketh such account of it that he will have it spread all the earth over To animate us so much the more earnestly and with appetite to seek it and indeed there is no knowledge to be compared to it 1. In regard of this life for if man know no better nature then that of the creatures beneath him though that serve to shew him how great a lord he is and how much is subject to him yet in them he beholdeth a society that he hath with them in much evil in all weaknesse and in a certain mortality which can be no great comfort to him if he stay there But if he look up to heaven above him and behold Meliorem naturam a better nature that of the Angels and himself but a little lower and above them naturam naturantem the naturating nature the glorious Author of all being this puts mettall into him and teacheth him how to preserve the Image of his maker in him which advanceth him above humaine frailty Hence are those ejaculations that of Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved our conversation is in heaven Veni cito we walk by faith and not by sight 2. In the life to come this is the happinesse of the blessed souls they shall see God Reas 2 for this Christ desired that the Elect might be where he was that they might see his glory And this maketh all those that wisely apprehend this joy in the glory of God to love the very earthy house which we call the Church of God because it is The place where his honour dwelleth because every whit of it speaketh of his honour Because thither the Tribes go up to testify to Israel to give testimony of their faith and zeal Because there the voice of Gods promise is heard and the whole house is filled with his glory It was the blessing of God given in the consecration of Solomons temple The glory of the Lord filled the house of God 2 Chro. 5.14 But it was gloria in nube glory in a cloud that cloud is much removed in our Church since the veil of the temple rent for Christ hath made all things more clear and removed the veil Let us therefore love the Church well for the glory of God revealed therein Much more do such long after the house of Gods clear glory in heaven wherein one day in those courts is better then a thousand otherwhere and where they shall behold a full revelation of the glory of God Let us all labour for this knowledge of the glory of God Vse for the purchase whereof we must study both the creatures of God and the word of God For in these two books the wisdom of God is set forth to the soul that we may say if we be students in these books vidimus gloriam ejus we have seen his glory for the heavens declare the glory of God to the eye and God is glorious in the least of his creatures Magnus in minimis so that every part of his work doth declare him a wise Omnipotent Creator a wise and faithful preserver of all things And for the book of God he that saith this is life eternall to know thee and saith that he came to give life eternall saith also Dedieis verbum tuum I have given them thy word There is no labour that better rewardeth it self then the pursuit of the knowledge of the glory of God For there is Libertas gloriae the liberty of glory Rom. 8.2 which the creature doth even long after and travaileth with the burthen of corruption desiring to be quit of it There be divitiae gloriae Rom. 9.23 riches of glory made known upon the vessels of mercy for God wil declare his glory in showing mercy There is also aeternum pondus gloriae 2 Cor. 4.17 an eternal weight of glory There is splendor gloriae dei patris the brightnesse of the glory of God the Father and this is the true light that enlighteneth all that come into the world that lights us the way to this glory But to know the glory of God here on earth we must observe the course of his judgments and we shall therein see both his favour to his Church howsoever it be distressed which though it be gloria in nube glory in a cloud the faithful will see through the cloud We shall also see this certain truth and justice in his hatred of sin and in the sharp revenge that he taketh upon those that disease his Church which though it be slow for God is slow to wrath yet he that believeth will not make haste 2 Cor. 4.6 God giveth this light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 1. Mercy Crucifixus mortuus sepultus Crucified dead and buried 2. Justice venit judicare vivos He cometh to judge the live and dead Vers 15. Wo to him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunk also that thou mayst look on their nakednesse 16. Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy foreskin be uncovered the Cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spuing shall be on thy glory 17. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid because of mens blood and for the violence of the Land of the City and of all that dwell therein NOw doth God rouze up his Justice against another sinne the great and crying sin of drunkennesse 1. Concerning the words Wo to him that giveth his neighbour socium or amicum others read drink That puttest thy bottle to him Some read Conuingens calorem tuum Others adhibens venenum tuum Others iram He meaneth wo be to him that when he sees his neighbour in drink comes in with his pot or pint or quart to inflame him Thou makest him drunk that thou mayst look on their nakednes For it is said that the King of Babylon did use in his Conquests to bring forth great quantity of wine and to make the People drink drunk that he might make sport with them for in those drunken fits many shameful and bestial acts of lasciviousnesse were publikely shewed drunkennesse enflaming them with lost Mr. Calvin doth interpret all this figuratively not of drunkennesse with strong drink Vers 5. but of immoderate desire of augmenting their dominions of which kind of drunkennesse he spake before comparing the Babylonians to such as transgresse with wine So doth Ribera a learned Jesuit understand this of the insolent triumph of the Babylonian King making sport in the conquest of Kings and exercising on them cruelties to discover their
to finish their sins This serveth 1 To settle faith in God and to seeke our repose only in him in all crosse opposals because he is the sunne and shield and there is no rest but in him he only over-ruleth all and evacuateth the counsels and frustrateth the works of wicked men He only shall bring it to passe 2. This serveth to reprove the means that are in use amongst us to reforme sinne as we pretend but they are unlawful and ungodly 1. By publick blazing and detecting of offenders to put them to open shame in the world for the losse of a good name doth more often harden a sinner and cause impenitency then reclaim him for what hath he to boast that hath lost the good opinion of men love covereth a multitude of sinnes and therefore that is an evil tongue that is the trumpet of anothers shame It is charity to make the best of every thing 2. The same offence is committed in private whispers and secret detractions and the fault is aggravated by concealing our selves as unwilling to justifie our accusations 3. By cursing and bitter calling upon God for his vengeance on them that offend if the offence touch us or our friends for God knoweth without us who to manage his judgments and cursing it returneth and smarteth at home For the Apostle saith it twice Blesse Curse not 4. By publike playes and interludes to represent the vices of the time which though it were the practice of the heathen which knew not God but afarre off yet in Christian-states it is no way tolerable nor justifyable to act the parts of evil doers since the Apostle saith it is a shame to name them much more to act and personate them 5. By private conceived libels after divulged by secret passage from pocket to pocket from one bosome to another for which the devisers thereof have no warrant and to which they have no calling 6. By Satyres and Poeticall declamations for who hath sent these into the world to convince the world is it not to put the spirit of God out of office who is sent to convince the world of sinne And who but the Lords Prophets have warrant to lift up their voyces like Trumpets to tell the house of Jacob their sinnes Every Emperique man may not professe and practice Physick There is a Colledge of soule-Physicians who have a calling to this purpose and are sent to heale the soars of the People 1. By their diligent preaching of the World of God to them 2. By drawing against them and exercising upon them the sword of Ecclesiastical discipline 3. By continual prayer unto God to give end to their sinnes whereby they do trespasse God and good men 3. This serveth to discourage men from doing evil for fear of offending the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord whose righteous souls cannot but be vexed to see their good seed cast away upon barren stony or thorny ground For howsoever basely and unworthily we be deemed if the incorrigible iniquity of men do put us to it to move Almighty God by our earnest prayers against them they shall find that as Iob can do his friends good by his intercession because he is a Prophet so the Lords Ministers may awake judgement against such as go on still in their wickednesse and will not be reformed 2. Doctr. Our Prayers must be importunate The Prophet cried yea he cried out to the Lord. This importunity is exprest two ways 1. In the ardency and zeale of his Prayer it was not oratio a Prayer but vociferatio a crying 2. In the continuance of time How long Thus must we pray with fervour of spirit our tongue is the piece of Ordnance our Prayer is the shot the zeale of our heart is the powder that dischargeth it and according to the strength of the charge such is the flight of the shot Niniveh cryeth mightily to God Christ our Saviour cryed earnestly to his father Jou 3.8 yea with strong crying and tears Salomon spred his armes abroad the Publicane beat his breast Christ fell on the ground David said My sighing is not hid from thee Psal 38.9 The Israelites weeping is thus described They drew water and poured it out before the Lord. The Holy Ghost doth not furnish us so much with words and phrases in Prayer as with sighs and grones which cannot be exprost Paul prayed three times against Sathans Angel Abraham moved God six times for Sodome Nehemiah had so spent himselfe in watching and prayer for his People that the King observed his countenance changed Beloved it is not Prayers by number tale as in the Romish Church nor Prayers by rote or by the ear perfunctoriously vented in the Church and for custome said over at home It is not much babling and multiplicitie of Petitions or vain repetitions that will send up our Prayers to heaven Though you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you Isay 1. and though you make many Prayers I will not heare you The Pharisees wanted powder to their shot for they prayed in their Synagogues and in the corners of the streets but as God saith Quis requisivit ista Who required these things The soule that actuateth and animateth Prayer is fervor spiritus the holy zeal of him that prayeth 2. Duration of time is another testimony of zealous importunity when our prayer is not a passion but a deliberate and constant earnestnesse holding out as the Apostle saith Pray continually not as the Euchites to do nothing else but to entertain all occasions to conferre with God and to prostrate our suites before him Christ spent a whole night together often in prayer Dan. 10. David day and night Daniel 21 dayes together during the time that he ate no pleasant bread and was in heavinesse Jonah three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale made it his Oratory and Chappel from whence he prayed to the Lord. If our soare runne so long we can pray whilest we smart or if our necessities do presse us to importunity we can hold out long for our selves But in my Text the cause is Gods zeal and Gods glory cannot contain it self in the cause of God 3. Doctr. the Lords people do break his Law and will not be reformed the Prophet of the Lord cannot stand and look on as in the next verse he doth and see the glory of God thus suffer but he must awake in the cause of God to bring him to correction So David Rise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered let them that hate thee flie before thee And thus for Gods glory sake we may with reservation of those that do belong to the election of grace pray to God earnestly for the confusion of all Sions enemies and of all that would faine see Jerusalem the true Church of God in the dust Shall our servencie and heat be only for our selves if it be the grant of our requests doth quench
have alwayes the poor with you and this generation of oppressors will be ever teeming so long as they have such matterto work upon for the rich and mighty will shift for themselves 3. It incurreth the severe censure of Gods justice for if God say Go ye cursed to them that did not dare sua give their owne quid faciet eis qui rapuerunt aliena woe to them that take that which is none of theirs 4. This sin of rapine doth incurre the curses of them that are robbed for every man crieth woe to such as congest that which is not their own 5. This sin doth hinder the ascent of the prayers of them that commit it God will not admit them to his presence for so God saith Relieve the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widow Isa 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together 6. The time shall come when those that suffer wrong shall judge their oppressours for the Saints shall judge the world Therefore let every man make conscience of doing violence doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the world let us value men as our brethren and seek their good let us direct our intentions subventions to that only end that he that loveth God may declare it by loving his brother also let our brethren grow up with us and let us joy in their prosperity 4. Cruelty is charged upon them For they build in blood and cruelty is also one of the companions of ambition and covetousnesse If Ahab have a desire to Naboths Vineyard either Naboth must part with his Vineyard or his life They are not all innocent of this great offence that keep themselves from shedding of blood they that invade the meanes of the maintenance of life that pinch the labourer in his wages or that make the hireling work for nothing or that let their hire sleep in their custody whilst he pineth for want of things necessary are all guilty of this accusation of blood It was the provocation wherewith God was provoked against the old world for which he brought upon them the great floud that destroyed them all This was Edoms sin in Obadiah There is a manifold cruelty as you then heard 1. Cruelty of combination when we make our selves strong in a faction to oppresse all that oppose us and go not out way 2. Cruelty of the eye when we can be content to look on to see injures done to our brethren without any compassion or subvention 3. Cruelty of heart when we rejoyce against them that suffer wrong and make our selves merry with their afflictions 4. Cruelty of the tongue when we insult over them and brand them with taunts 5. Cruelty of the hands when we 1. Either persecute their persons with molestation 2. Or touch their liberty with unjust restraint 3. Or rob them of their goods by cruel direptions 4. Or hinder the course of justice that should do them right 5. Or procure their death because they do stand in our light and hinder our rising of all these I have spoken heretofore We now hasten to the declaration of Gods just vengeance against this ambition 2. The punishment 1. They consult shame to their own house 2. They sin against their own souls 3. They labour in vaine and without successe 1. They consult shame to their own house Ambition doth affect to build up an house to establish a name that may continue in the blood and posterity in succeeding generations with glory and honour David hath a crosse prayer which is in the hearts and mouths of many that hate such pride let not their wicked imagination prosper least they grow too proud These words do shew that ambitious pride shall not prosper and whereas they study honour and consult glory in their aime and intention God turneth it all to shame in the event The words of my text are the words of God he knoweth what he meaneth to do and he saith they consult their own shame because he purposeth to turne all their glory into shame Shame is the thing that an ambitious man doth desire to decline above all things all his studies bend their strength against it and pursue glory which is the contrary to it To this purpose covetous men gather riches and then with mony purchase great offices and great titles to make great houses and nominous families upon earth to survive them But where this greatnesse is begun by ambition maintained and supported by rapine and cruesty pride will have a fall he that meaneth to give it the fall saith so God whose power none hath ever resisted he will turne that glory into shame The wiseman saith He that is greedy of gaine troubleth his own house Pro. 15.27 For The house of the wicked shall be overthrown he doth not mean domus Pro 14.11 the house but familia the family the whole name and posterity the glory all shall perish and come to shame And Prov. 15.25 Solomon tels us who shall do it The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Pro 15.25 this is their shame to come down again when men have been aspiring and setled their nest on high and made themselves beleeve that their honour shall be established upon their house for then 1. God shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall have them in derision saying Behold the man is become as one of us 2. Men shall laugh at them and say Lo Psal 52.7 this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himselfe in his wickednesse for Solomon saith When the wicked perish there is shouting Pro 11.10 3. The Lord shall be glorified in the shame of the proud covetous cruel man for every man shall say strong is the Lord God who judgeth them Rev. 18.8 Vers 20. as over Babel thus is God praised Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her This point is of excellent use 1. For Doctrine Pro. 10 24. it teacheth us that which Solomon hath said The feare of the wicked shall come upon him the proud man feareth nothing so much as shame the covetous man feareth nothing so much as want the cruell man nothing so much as revenge the glutton nothing so much as hard fare the drunkard nothing so much as a cup of cold water and God hath threatned these offenders with all these judgments 2. It commendeth to us wisdome and righteousnesse and humility and all holy vertues for they be all builders and raise up houses and lay the foundation sure Ab auditione mali non timebit Psal 112.7 Pro. 28.2 The just man is hold as a Lyon as Solomon The wicked are overthrown and are not but the house of the righteous shall stand Prov. 12.7 Humility layeth the foundation of it low Faith worketh by love to furnish it Honour and much glory are the roofe of it peace
nakednesse how he hath stripped them out of all But Saint Hierom reporteth that Nebuchadnezzar did abuse Zedechiah the King at a banquet in a very foul manner And because that kind of drunkennesse was before touched to the quick I follow Arias Montanus in the literal exposition of these words which I have before delivered that the King made his associate Kings and his Conquered enemies drunk to make him sport Which sin of his is threatned Vers 16. Thou art filled with shame for glory for this turned to the shame of the Babylonians Though Mr. Calvin expound it satiatus es probro non tuo sed alieno That the Babylonian did even satisfie himself with the disgrace done to his enemy Rather I take it for a punishment inflicted on the Babylonian that shame should come to him for this sport that he made himselfe as it also followeth Drink thou also and let thy fore-skin be discovered The Cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory This I take it was not only figuratively revenged upon Nebuchadnezzar when the glory of his Conquests ended in the shame of his transformation the most wonderful example that we do read in all the book of God The same houre was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.33 and he was driven from men and did eat grasse as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws For thus did the King continue in this shameful punishment the whole terme of seven years But literally this was fulfilled in Belshazzar who made a great feast to a thousand of his lords Dan. 5.1 and drank wine before the thousand In which drunken feast wherein the consecrate vessels of the Temple were abused in quaffing and carowsing the fingers of an hand were seen on the wall over against the King writing the doome of his shameful downfal For observe the end In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldaeans slain Vers 30. and Darius the Median took the Kingdome So he did drink also and his nakednesse was laid open and the Medians came in and took away all their glory Vers 17. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee and the spoile of beasts which made them afraid This overthrow of the Chaldean Monarchy he calleth the violence of Lebanon covering them Junius doth understand this place thus that the enemy should come upon the Babylonian with the same violence that hunters use who pursuing the wild beasts in the forrest of Lebanon having pitched their nets and tents for them do suddenly set upon them and drive them into their nets so sudden a surprize shall the Babylonian suffer Master Calvin doth give this as a cause of their punishment and understandeth the words thus that God will cover the Babylonian with shame for the violence that he offered to Lebanon and to the beasts therof forraging Judaea and destroying not only men and women in towns but the very wild beasts of the forrest of Lebanon which was near to Jerusalem So that this expresseth the cause of Gods provocation against the Babylonian and withal the comfort of the Church that God would revenge the wrong done to their land not only to the People thereof but to the very wild Beasts of the forrest De verbis hactenus The parts of this text are two 1. Peccatum sinne 2. Poena punishment 1. Peccatum in which 1 Quid potant amicum velsocium 2. Ad quid ut videant nuditatem 1. Potant vicinium 2. Faults 1. Drink drunk 2. Make drunk 1. They be drunk Drunkennesse it self is an horrible sin it is one of the fruits of the flesh Of which I tell you as I have also told you in times past that they which do such things Gal. 5.11 shall not inherit the Kingdome of heaven Drunkennesse is confest of all men to be a sinne and they that love it best and use it most will be very angry with you if you call them drunkards For it is not agreed upon as yet what drunkennesse is our statute law doth impose a penalty of five shillings upon every one that is convicted of drunkennesse Our Articles given to sworn men do charge them to enquire if there be any Drunkards in our Parishes and to present them But neither the Ecclesiastical Canon nor the Act of Parliament doth direct the inquisition by describing what Persons must be esteemed drunk I will tell you whom the Scripture denoteth Lot was drunk when he committed incest with his daughters Gen. 19. and so overgone with wine that he neither knew of their coming to his bed nor of their going from him Noah was drunk when he lay uncovered in his tent Gen. 9. these were farre spent in the highest degree Vriah the husband of Bathsheba was drunk too the text saith David made him drunk yet he was so much Master of his own thoughts and of his charge committed to him 2 Sam. 11. that he would not go home to his own house as the King would have had him Amnon the sonne of David was drunk 2 Sam. 13.28 yet it is said of him his heart was merry with wine Elah King of Israel made himself drunk 1 Reg 16.9 and Zimri his servant killed him Nabal made a great feast 1 Sam. 25.36 and was so drunken that Abigail thought not fit to tell him of the danger that his churlishnesse had like to have brought upon him till he had slept it out A King that drinketh wine is described then to be drunk when they drink and forget the law Prov. 31.5 and pervert the judgment of the afflicted So that to drink so deep as to forget the law of our lawful calling and to do things contrary to the same is to drink drunk Christ calleth the overcharge of the heart with drink drunkennesse Luc. 21 34 His word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the laying on of a burthen upon the heart For so much as we drink for necessity or for moderate refection doth cheat and refresh and lighten the heart but excessive drinking doth lay an heavy burden upon it Therefore Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse Eph. 5.18 Now what is excesse not so much as layeth us under the Table only not so much as makes us stagger and reele as we go and taketh away the use of our memory speech and good manners But they are drunkards that sit at the wine till it inflame them Isa 5.11 Wine is allowed to warm the stomach not to set it on fire Some man excuseth himself that he drank not above his strength but was able to carry it Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Vers 22. This shews that all excesse in drinking which is beyond the measure which maintaineth health is
case for thou also shalt drink and thy nakednesse discovered 3. The avenger shall do thee right is the Lord The Cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee 4. Shameful spewing shall be thy glory 5. The violence of Lebanon shall cover thee and the spoil of beasts I may resolve all these particulars to this total that God will take the punishment of this sin into his own hand and shall turn his Cup unto them and they shall do him right therein But for our better direction in this passage let me observe 1. Who will punish this sinne God himself 2. How he will punish 3. Why he will punish 1. Who will punish this drunkennesse It is the Lord Is it not he whose glory the Babylonians have given to their idols yea in the pride of their heart assumed it to themselves is it not he whose People they persecute and destroy cruelly whose goods they gather greedily whose fruits of the earth they abuse to surfet and drunkennesse it is for such as these that God saith I form the light and create darknesse Isa 45.7 I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things God hath ever declared himself an enemy to this sin you may see it clearly in the first example of it in Noah upon whom God â—aid two great punishments which show how much that sin offended him 1. That his own son should expose him to shame 2. That this fault should be kept in eternal Record in the living book of the Holy Word You may see it in Lots example wherein God would have it appear 1. How strong liquor may prevail against a strong brain 2. How easily a good man and one that feareth God may be overtaken with it by temptation 3. How horribly he may oftend in it 4. How temptation may relapse him into it and in the sins which follow it 5. God would have us see his just indignation against this sin in the punishment of it In both these the first we read of transgressing in wine God doth declare his judgments upon this sin of drunkennesse 1. Because this sin doth much defare the image of our Maker in us which is chiefly stamped in our spiritual and intellectual part For let reason once fail and man ceaseth to be himself the time and becometh like to a brute beast 2. Because Gods love is violated by drunkennesse do you remember how sharply God punished old Eli the Priest of the Lord for not reproving his ungodly sons to whom he said Thou honourest thy sons more then me 1 Sam. 2.29 The drunkard loveth his strong drink above the Lord therefore he threatneth them Awake ye drunkards and weep and howle all ye drinkers of wine because of the new wine Joel 1.5 for it is cut off from your mouth Observe it that he biddeth drunkards awake both because drunkennesse doth beget drowsinesse quia vigilando dormiunt for they say and do they know not what and he showeth them that as soundly as they sleep they shal not sleep out his judgment but shall feel the storme thereof it is a contrary course that God holdeth with them that love and serve him for he biddeth them Come my People enter into thy chambers Isa 26.20 and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast There is a question in the cases of conscience in the Canon Law Vtrum ebrietas excuset à peccato Quest Whether drunkennesse may excuse from sin we have many examples of men in their drink some speaking profanely and lewdly to the dishonour of God swearing and blaspheming others depraving and slandering their neighbours others furiously smiting and hurting some killing their excuse is alas they were not themselves and their drunkennesse is the excuse of their fault I find it favourably judged in the Canonists Excusat ebrietas non à toto sed à tanto it excuseth not altogether but in part Some go further and search whether the drunkennesse be a common disease of the Party and that he useth in his drink to behave himself so and in that case being found culpable he is adjudged to be irregular but if a man be by the temptation of such whom he taketh to be his friends overtaken with drink who is known to be one that useth not to commit that fault the law doth favour such a one Others resolve it thus Ebrius est irregularis ut ei imputantur ad poenam omnia quae sequuntur I find in this example that God doth threaten to visit these Chaldeans for the sins committed in their drunkennesse because it was wilful Vide lege Exod. 21.28 29. The school distinguisheth well between voluntary and involuntary drunkennesse They call that voluntary drunkennesse when men do sit at the wine till it inflame them knowing the strength of wine and their own weaknesse and seek it with delight in it Oxe used to gore Involuntary they call that which overtaketh a man not using not loving it who also is sorry for it and wary to decline it hereafter and that they hold excuseth à tanto in part Me thinks this should be a great argument to disswade drunkennesse Vse and to make men afraid of it for God is the punisher of it the God that formed thee and gave thee being the God that took thee from thy mothers wombe the God that hath preserved thee from thy youth up until now That great God who breweth and filleth a Cup and maketh all the wicked thereof drink it off dregs and all Ps 75.8 This Isay calleth The Cup of the Lords fury and he giveth his own children a taste of it not ad ruinam but ad dignam emendationem Isa 51.17 not to their ruine but amendment it is called also The Cup of trembling God himself calleth it The wine cup of his fury Jer. 25.15 It is called in Ezechiel Deep and large Ez. 22.32 And as the Apostle saith speaking of the judgment to come Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor 5.11 If men will not be perswaded let him that is filthy be filthy still let him that is a drunkard be a drunkard still But as the Apostle St. Peter saith if we look well about us The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3 when we walked in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine revellings banquettings c. Yet better late then never for if God have taken the matter into his hand David will tell you that that hand of God is strong strong is thy hand saith he this is dextra subveniens suis suscipit me dextera tua Psal 63.8 and it is dextra inveniens Thy hand shall find out all thine enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee Psal 21.8 It is a fearful thing to fall into that hand
God and the firmaments and the out goings of the morning praise him Therefore do we lift up our eyes to heaven when we pray we say that every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of lights Yet is not God so far off but that as heaven is his throne earth is his foot-stoole The Lord looketh from heaven Psal 33.13 he beholdeth the sonnes of men He is not so far off but if we pray to him Prope est invocantibus ipsum he is neer to them that call upon him And in this respect all the earth is a common oratory so is the sea for our prayers But as the perpetuall duty of a Religious service of God which doth require holinesse and righteousnesse all the days of our lives doth not take away the particular duty of the Sabbath neither doth the great hahitation of God in heaven abate any thing of his special presence both in the temples dedicated to his service and in every particular person which doth belong to the election of grace For so God saith I dwell with him that is humble and contrite in heart and he saith so presently after he had said I will dwell in the high and holy place in so much as St. Augustine upon those words of David exaudivit de templo sancto suo vocem meam saith Exaudivit de cordo meo in quo habitat Dominus vocem meam For know you not that you are the temples of the holy Ghost and that God dwelleth in you c. God is in heaven Per specialem gloriam He is in our Churches per specialem cultum He is in our hearts per specialem indulgentiam He is in his Word per specialem illuminationam In a word wheresoever is cultus dei there is vultus dei The use of this point is taught in the Text it is the second part of my Text. 2. The duty Let all the earth keep silence before him This as you heard is a postulation of reverence he doth not put us to silence that we shall say nothing for he hath commanded us to call upon him and invocation is a note of his children He saith hee shall call upon me and I will hear him The wise man doth help us to expound this Text Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any word before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth Eccles 5. Reg. lib. ver 2. Gen. 5.1 therefore let they words bee few So that temerity and rashnesse is here forbidden and reverence and holinesse required 1. Let us consider God in our Churches the temples of his holinesse there we are taught 1. Take heed that thou have not an unreverent opinion of the house of God St. Paul saith despise ye the Church that is Vse 1 the place set apart for the worship of God and that he meaneth so the place and not the company So Theophil loco ipsi infertis injuriam you do wrong to the place Lyranus est contemptus ecclesiae quae consecrata est divinis usibus the very words of that Text do shew it For our own houses and Gods house our houses for our common meals and Gods house for the Supper of the Lord are compared together 2. There must be in us a love of those houses of God God said of his holy City where his Temple was built here will I dwell Vse 2 for I have a delight therein It is Davids protestation for Ierusalem For the house of Gods sake I will seck to do thee good The heart never more desired the water-brooks then he did to go to the Tabernacle where God was my soul longeth and fainteth for them I was glad when they said to me come we will go up to the house of the Lord. 3. Let us prepare our selves before we come to Gods house for he is present there come not hand over head as thou wouldest go into thine own house consider if thou wert to go before thy Soveraign King how thou wouldest compose thy self that nothing in thy apparel in thy gesture in thy countenance in thy words might give him offence Wilt thou do lesse when thou art to appear before the Lord of Hosts who is the King of glory Micah saith Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord Mich. 6.6 and bow my self before the most high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings The old law was None shall appear before me empty When Iesse heard that David his sonne was sent for to King Saul 1 Sam. 16.20 I-sse took an asse laden with bread and a bottle on wine and a kid and sent them by David to Saul So Jacob sent a present to Pharaoh when his sons went the second time for corne Solomon saith and it is no news in our times A reward in the bosome pacifieth strong wrath we know what cause we have given our God to be angry with us let us think of it when we are to come and stand in his sight at Church Manus in sinu tuo manus in sinu dei He is not ashamed to ask it fili praebe cor 4. Take heed to thy foot when thou entrest into the house of God for the place where thou art entring is holy ground put off thy shooes that is all earthly and carnal affections and say with Iacob Gen. 28. quam terribilis est hiclocus this is no other but the house of God porta coeli 5. When thou art entred into Gods house remember thou art come before the face of God and his holy Angels into the place where God's honour specially dwelleth 1. It is enough thy heart be reverent let thy outward man expresse it also do not think that because the Papists do superstitiously adore the Crucifix and the Altar and idols therein therefore it is superstition to do worship to God every man that comes into anothers house doth in good manners salute the Master of the house where he enters the same may not a visible worship be due to the invisible God! O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker It is a godly custome if done in zeal of Gods glory with devotion and not in a customary formality to sanctifie our entrance into Gods house with Prayers to fall low upon our knees before God to invocate him for his blessing upon our selves upon our Minister upon the whole Congregation 2. Learn of the Apostle let all things be done decently and in good order compose thy outward man to all due reverence and conformity with the holy Congregation and thine inward man to all zealous devotion remember the meetings of the Saints in the primitive times of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not give God thy knee and thy tongue thine eye thine eare and thy hand thy whole outward addresse and keep thy heart from him and let thy thoughts go and wander from the service thou
us at the doore vvhen vve are going forth to act it he may overtake us vvhen we are upon the vvay he may cut us off in the act of sin and bring us from the fact to judgement And how soever his mercy hath the name above his other works and his patience and long suffering be the fruits of his mercy yet he never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth He hath diverted his plague often he hath sometimes called it in and long he keepeth it in for that he expecteth repentance but he hath never turned it out of his service but hath it always before him he hath also turned his fire another way that it might not come neer the Tabernacles of the righteous but he hath never quenched it it is always at his feet if he moveth that moveth with him the Rain-bow about his head is the joy of his Church the coals of terrour at his fire are the terrour of the wicked 2. We have also our lesson herein Vse 2 2 Cor. 5.11 for the Apostle saith Knowing therfore the terror of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust are made manifest also in your consciences We find this danger in sin and this severity in judgement thereupon we perswade men to a conscionable course of life such as may keep them unspotted of the world If we do not acquaint you with the terrour of the Lord and shew you the pestilence that walketh before him and the burning coals at his feet God will right himself upon us for as he told his Prophet Ezekiel so he will deal with us Son of man I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore hear the word from my mouth Ezc. 3.17 and give them warning from me When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his evill way to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his bloud will I require at thy hand This excuseth us to you when we preach the rod of God even pestilence and coales of fire that this is not our furie and railing as some call it but it is the wrath of the Lord against sin and if we temper a bitter potion for you to drink it is not poison but medicine and it is ministred to you as God himself saith to save your lives that you may not dye in your sins it is the therapentique physick to heal your souls it is prophilactique to us to prevent disease that we perish not for your unreproved sins The arrows of vengeance are aimed at your sins that you may kill sin and save the sinner alive Cry therefore Spare us good Lord. 4. Doct. God is glorious in heaven and in earth for this Heaven is covered with his glory and the Earth is full of his praise This is the confession of David O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth Psa 8.1 who hast set thy glory above the heavens What need we any more reason to think this his due Reas 1 then these two 1 His name onely is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven Here we are sure we cannot over-doe in matter of praise and glory the Angels and Saints do him that service and cover the heaven with the praises of God Psa 148.13 for his love shineth to his Church and we pray Sicut in Coelo as in heaven He also exalteth the horne of his people Psa 14.3 the praise of all his Saints Let not us sit out vvhen all joyn to glorifie God Vse let not any of us like the fleece of Gideon be dry vvhen all the floore is watered vvith the joys and jubilations of the Church David is not content vvith a bare praising of the name of God as they that say alway The Lord be praised but he requireth both a song Ps 149.1 Canticum novum a nevv song and that in the congregation of the Saints He also requireth a dance Verse 3. he requireth also instruments of musique he gives reason He vvould have us delight in the service that we do to God therefore he addeth The Lord taketh pleasure in his people Verse 4. he will beautifie the meek with Salvation Let the Saints be joyfull in glory Verse 5. let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high praises of God be in their mouth Verse 6. This is that vvhich this example requireth not to be shallovv and sleight in the promises of God but to strein our selves to the uttermost the inward man of the heart the voice the hand playing the feet dancing till vve cover the heaven and fill the earth vvith his glory Verse 6. He stood and measured the earth he beheld and drove in sunder the Nations and the everlasting Mountains were scattered the perpetuall hils did bow his ways are everlasting 2 HEre is a commemoration of the power and glory of God in giving to his Israel the Land of Canaan for their possession Diverse judgments have made diverse constructions of these words Mr. Calvine is of opinion that they declare God in his glorious Lordship over all the world for as David when he should come to be absolute Monarch of Judah and Israel said I will rejoyce therefore and divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth c. So God is here declared absolute Monarch in this phrase of measuring of the earth as David would cast his shooe over the Philistines would rejoyce So God is here declared Conquerour of all by dividing in sunder the nations c. St. Augustine turnes all into Allegory and applieth it to Christ You remember how before I found that the Church doth comfort their present miseries with remembrance of Gods former mercies therefore I choose to keep pace with the story of Gods former mercies to his Israel And as before he spake of the comming of God from Teman and Paran when he appeared glorious to them in giving the law so now he comes to another powerfull mercy that is when he gave them the promised Land for then he that went before them all the vvay of their journey in their removes now stood still as declaring that novv they vvere come to the land of their rest as he had promised it And there He measured the Earth it is ascribed here to God that he divided the land amongst the Tribes because it vvas done by lot vvherein not chance but God answered This hath reference to that story vvhich vve read Joshua 5. for when the people vvere entred into the land of Canaan and vvere come so far in to it as Gilgall that the Ark of God was setled in Gilgall Then God commanded the Sacrament of Circumcision to be revived vvhich in the vvhole journey between their comming out of Aegypt to this place had been omitted
ruine of the Chaldeans for being puffed up and proud of their victories they shall not acknowledge the great God of heaven the God of their warre or esteem themselves his agents to chasten the Jews but shall give the glory of their conquest to their own Idol god Now in these words thus interpreted observe 1. The Totall 2. The Particulars 1. The Totall is the answer of God to the greivous complaint and expostulation of the Prophet 2. The Particulars are two 1. The Judgment threatned 2. The executioners of this Judgment very fully and Rhethorically described 1. The Totall God answereth the Prophets complaint Yeildeth this Doctrine that God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complain of violence Doctr. to execute his judgments upon them that offend The story of holy Scripture is full of examples of this truth Cain for Abel vox sanguinis the voyce of bloud The whole old world was punished with a general inundation for the cruelty that was upon the earth their violence made the Lord repent that he made them You have heard out of Obadiah how the cruelty of Edom was intolerable and God heard the cry of the Church and delivered them and punished Edom with desolation And when Israel was in the land of Egypt in the house of bondage God sayeth I have seen Acts 7 34. I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them Even Israel his own people is not spared Sion his holy mountain Jerusalem his holy City is punished for oppression He doth this First Reas 1 In regard of his servants that do complain to him to let them see the power of their prayers that he may stirre them up in all greivances to commit their cause to him and not to seek private revenge Injuriam as Tertull. Si apud deum deposueris injuriam ipse ultor est si damnum restitutor est Therefore let not the oppressed wrong their own cause with vexing Vse and disquieting their own hearts at them that lie heavy upon them for St. James tels us that The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1.20 Let them not vent their spleen in bitter cursings and execrations which be the voyce and language of impatience and impiety and turne upon us and all to tear us But let them seriously complain to God and he will hear them and do them right Let them tarry the Lords good leasure and they shall see that he will take the matter into his own hand 1. Either he will take the oppressed out of the world and give them rest from their labours and lay them in the beds of ease and lock them in the chambers of peace till all stormes be over and then he will say Returne ye sons of Adam 2. Or he will change the heart of the oppressours and for stony hearts give them hearts of flesh and fill them with compassion and tendernesse 3. Or he will restrain the power of the wicked against his chosen and suffer no man to do them wrong but will reprove even Kings for their sakes the rage of man will he restrain 4. Or he will give the oppressed such a measure of patience and charity as he shall bear injuries without murmuring and blesse them that hate and persecute him 5. Or he will pour forth his wrath upon the oppressor and let him feel the weight of his hand either upon his body by inflicting diseases upon it or upon his minde by the troubles of an unquiet conscience Or upon his familie by cursing the fruit of his loyns that they shall be his sorrowes by taking ill wayes Or upon his estate by cursing all his gatherings that though all the streams of profite runne every way into his bagges nothing shall make him rich like the Caspian sea into which many rivers do pour in water continually yet is it never the fuller rather like the lean kine never the fatter Or upon his life by taking him out of the world and thereby giving occasion to the afflicted to rejoyce Therefore art thou afflicted pray and complain and expostulate with God for he will hear thee 2. God heareth the complaint of the just against the oppressours for his names sake Reas 2 for so David urgeth him Hear me O God for thy names sake For it toucheth God in honour when his faithfull servants do appeal from the school of unrighteousnesse where they are oppressed to the tribunal of his judgment where they should be releived and cannot be heard You remember when Christ was on the crosse and his enemies had their cruel hearts desire against him they contented not themselves to be cruell and scornfull to him but they blasphemed also the name of God saying He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Mat. 27 43 The very theives that were fastened then to the crosse on either hand of him cast that in his teeth When the wicked prevail against the just the next word is Where is now their God Let us then know the name of God is himself Vse he cannot deny himself he hath a name above all things and a speciall glory due to that name he cannot suffer that name to be blasphemed He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Therefore in all greivances let us say with David Our help is in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth It is our comfort in trouble that we do suffer together with the name of God and if we do lay fast hold on that we shall be delivered together with it we may well cast our trust upon that name for in hoc vinces in this thou shalt overcome is the Motto and word thereof it is a strong tower to all that trust in it 3. God will hear the complaints of the just Reas 3 for his truths sake for he hath promised the just I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And he hath said He shall call upon me and I will hear him I am with him in trouble I will deliver him and he shall glorifie me And David saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We have more then his promise we have his oath against the ungodly I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest Ps 95.11 Vse Let us build then upon this promise for God is faithful that hath promised The violent and the oppressour hath part in the wrath of God as he saith And I will come near to you in judgement Mal. 3.5 and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against them that oppresse the hireling in his wages and the fatherlesse and the widow and that turn aside the stranger from his right and that feare not me saith the Lord of hosts Here is Gods
working in that means Thus in the Church of Rome Angels by God employed for the service of man by the over-doing thankfulnesse of man were honoured with the honour due to him that sent them Those that leave the service of God and study men and apply themselves wholly to their humours to better their estates do set up new and strange gods against the true God and give his glory to creatures and make their means their idols do commit idolatry and break the first great Commandement of the Law The Romanists cannot clear themselves of this trespasse though Bellarmine their Champion do his best to excuse it He distinguisheth between images which he calleth veras rerum similitudines the true similitudes of things but he calleth idols false Representations of things that are not But not to trouble our selves to examine his frivolous distinction the image it selfe of a true thing subsisting is a creature and to give that the honour due only to God is grosse idolatry for example that in their Romane Breviary which is directed to the Crosse be it not to the image and representation of the Crosse before their eyes but in it to the Crosse it selfe is it not idolatry O Crux ave spes unica hoc passionis tempore auge piis justitiam reisque dona veniam 2. This text chargeth them that they offend whereby it appeareth that idolatry is an offence you see how high it reacheth even to the ungodding of the Almighty and we shall shortly see how sore it smarteth upon the offenders 1. The devil is the Authour of idolatry Reas 1 for when God had buried Moses secretly to prevent idolatry the devil would have discovered the place to move the People to idolatry that was the strife which Saint Jude mentioneth between Michael the Arch-angel and the devil about the body of Moses wherein the Arch-angel prevailed against him 2. The devil is a great tempter to idolatry Reas 2 Matth. 4. for he assaulted Christ so si procidens adoraveris me if thou wilt fall down and worship me 3. The devil is the chief Agent in the Ministery of the idolatrous Priests Reas 3 as the evil spirit offered his service to be a lying spirit in the mouths of Baals Prophets foure hundred of them at once 1 Reg. 22.22 The promise of Satan is that which he profest to Christ to draw men from the worship of God to worship him and there is no mean all worshippers that do not worship the true God worship Satan so the Chaldaean imputeth their force to Satan for he that is not with him is against him The use of this point is taught by the Apostle Saint John Vse 1 John 5.21 Babes keep your selves from idols give not the glory of God to creatures It is an admirable thing in the whole course of the story of Israel and after of the Iews Moses could tell them for what Nation is there so great Who hath God so nigh unto them Deut. 4.7 as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Yet was idolatry their national sinne although upon all occasions they might advise with God though they had the pillar of fire the pillar of cloud the Arke the Law the Priesthood the Temple and all the oracles of God committed to them Therefore no wonder if the Chaldaean who had none of this did commit idolatry These are examples for us and because we have no feare but of the idolatry of the Church of Rome we must take warning to keep our selves from their idols and their idolatry This we understand is now the study and care of the religious Patriots in the honourable and high Court of Parliament let us joyn with them in our Prayers to God for the rooting out of the Romish Religion let us give God our hearty thanks that he worketh by his spirit such zeal of the glory of his truth in the godly faithful hearts of the Commons of this land to stirre and rowze up themselves in a matter so much concerning the honour of our God as this doth For who delivered us from the Spanish violence in 88 And who delivered us from the bloody powder treason in An. 1605 If the gods that our enemies serve could have prevailed against our God had we not been as Sodom and as Gomorrah Therefore let us pray God to preserve us from idols and from them that love and serve them of whom I may say truly with David The words of their mouths are smoother then butter but warre is in their heart Ps 55.21 Their words are softer then oyle yet are they drawn swords There can be no hope that those men which will rob God of his glory and give it away to creatures will ever be true to us Let every one in the zeal of Gods glory shew and professe his hatred to idolatry and his love of the true Worship of God and as they need the sword of the Lord and of Gideon so let us cry The sword of the Lord his word in the mouths of his faithful Ministers and the sword of Gideon the sword of the religious Court of Parliament against them Vers 12. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God my holy one we shall not dye O Lord my God thou hast ordained them for judgement and O mighty God thou hast establisted them for correction 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill and canst not look on iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he 14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea and as the creeping things that have no ruler over them 15. They take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragge therefore they rejoyce and are glad 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net and burn incense unto their dragge because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations AFter God hath denounced his judgment upon the Jews contained in the former Section now the Prophet beginneth a new wrastling with God in the behalf of the afflicted members of his Church The Prophets speech is addressed to God himself wherein he first ascribeth to God Eternity Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God He ascribeth to him Holinesse My holy One And this Pronoune possessive My doth lay hold upon a special interest that Habakkuk by faith claimeth in God From which consideration he draweth this cheerful Conclusion We shall not die O Lord speaking of himselfe and of the afflicted in the Church of the Jews that though God had threatned such an invasion by the hand and power of the Chaldaeans yet shall it not proceed to their ruine God will keep his Church there is a remnant that God will save from the
expostulation with God for bearing so much with them and therefore did stirre up God to judgement to chasten them in the first section of this chapter Now that God hath answered him in the second with declaration of his purpose to punish the iniquities of the Jews by the Chaldaeans whom God would stirre up to fight against them and to prevail Now in this third section the Prophet is as much troubled and grieved at their punishment as he was before at their sin Now he chides as fast and disputes as hotly against the remissenesse and patience of God toward the Chaldaean as he did before toward the Jew Before he pleaded the cause of the glory of Gods Iustice in punishing the iniquity of the Iews now he pleads the glory of Gods mercy in sparing them The first part was imprecation this deprecation And herein the Prophet doth declare his mixt affection to the Jews for out of his hatred to their sins he desired their correction but now out of his love to their Persons he prayeth against their punishment so farre that it may be moderate as in Ieremies Prayer Correct us O Lord yet in thy judgement not in thy fury lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Which teacheth us that Religion hath the bowels of compassion Doctr. Truly they have no true religion that have no mercy This is given us in precept with a sicut Reason 1 Luk. 6.36 Be yee merciful as your heavenly father is mercifull there is nothing wherein the image of our God doth more shine in man then his mercy because that is the heavenly nature the wisedome of God is too high for us the power of God too great for us the justice of God too strict for us all these vertues of the Godhead be out of the reach of our imitation The furthest that our Saviour goeth in the patterne and president of wisedome is est ote prudentes ut serpentes Wisedom Be yee wise as serpents In innocency Innocentes ut columba be ye innocent as doves it is not estote prudentes ut pater vester Be yee wise as your heavenly father Concerning fortitude The mother of Samuel saith Fortitude Non est fortis sicut deus Sicut leo Salomon hath it siout quorcus Amos hath it Concerning Iustice let us take the righteous men at their best Justice then Iustus fulgebunt ut sol the righteous shal shine as the Sun but to misericordes ut pater vester We must strive to imitate him in mercy that is the divine nature because it is super omniâ— operadei above all the works of God and that is the humane nature also because it is called Humanity and therefore wel-becometh the man of God 2. There is nothing that every one of us doth more stand in need of then mercy Reason 2 without which all the frame of nature would shake and dissolve it is anima mundi the soul of the world it is the juncture of every limb thereof it is the garment that hideth our nakednesse it is the grave the sea that burieth that swalloweth all our reputed sinnes it is the taylour to our backs the cater to our bellies the soule that quickneth us the strength that supporteth us the grace that saveth us the power that raiseth us the glory that crowneth us And they that shew no mercy shall have none 3. The consideration of our own infirmities doth plead for our mercy to our delinquent brother Reas 3 not to make the most of their faults and scrue their punishment to the uttermost rather to save our brethren Ga. 6.1 and to pull them out of the fire least we also be tempted for we have many suits to God for pardon of our own sinnes and therefore by the law of Justice let us do as we would be done to that is sollicite the favour of God for our brethren and although the zeale of Gods glory do put us to it to pray for their correction that they may be amended yet considering how bitter the medicine is that healeth sinne let us entreat the Physitian to look but on the corrupt humours in the body of the Church to purge them to take no more blood from the body thereof then may stand with the health of the body 4. It is a more easie suit to obtain the mercy of God Reas 4 then to stirre up his anger for as he is slow to wrath and long-suffering and when he doth begin to chide he will not keep his anger continually so he is rich in mercy abundant in goodnesse oleum supernatat vino the oyle swims above the wine Christ his sonne the character of his fathers glory of his mercy the true coppie of that sicut Pater vester qui est incaelis as Our father which is in heaven Of whom Saint Augustine sweetly commenting upon his pater ignosce eis father forgive them saith De utilet paen l. 1. he left them not quojusque ejus jam sanguinem possent bibere credentes quem fuderant saevientes they know how to drink believing the blood which they shed raging which is called in the Psalmist Multitudo dulcedinis Saint Hilary upon the Parable of the parable in the vineyard saith Ad spem omne tempus est liberum In Ps 129 mercedem non operis sed misericor diae undecimae horae operarii consequuntur God loves to be sollicited for mercy 4. Because in the contrary Ionah had a chiding from God himselfe Reas 4 that he stood more upon the credit of his office then he did upon the honour of his God that sent him being so angry at Gods sparing of Niniveh Wherein God himself pleaded the cause of his own mercy and justified his suspense of the threatned judgement against Iohan c. David had good cause to choose to fall into the hands of God rather then into the hands of men for with God there is mercy And had Niniveh been in the hand of Jonah their fasting with sackcloth and repenting should not have cleared nor calmed the storme threatned God said in Niniveh there were more then six score thousand Persons that knew not the right hand from the left there were a great many more in the nation of the Jews many also that served God with a true heart many that was not yet com to the height of sinning of whom there was hope many that had drunk deep already to the Cup of affliction by the sins of others who had thereby provoked God Therefore Habakkuk could do no lesse then stand in the gap now and keep out some of this wrath To make use of this doctrine Vse and of the holy example of this Prophet let me use the words of the Apostle to you Put on therfore as the Elect of God holy and beloved Col. 3.12 bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have aquarrell against
Jewes who gave them strength to fight and who gave them victory therefore they burne incense to their own nets and kisse their own hands and thank themselves for all Here is the growth of iniquity for first they exercise all cruel inhumanity against the Jewes then they rejoyce over them and then doth their sin grow out of measure sinful for they forbear not to provoke God himself by their pride of heart robbing him of the glory of his own work and ascribing it to themselves This even the light of nature hath detected to be most injurious to God and most dangerous to men for they that have any natural notion of the Deity know that the whole glory of all atchievements belongs to that supreme power which ruleth all In the great consultation wherein Xerxes made a Proposition of warre against Greece having a special grudge at the Athenians Herod 1.7 Polyrrima Mardonius was an earnest perswader to the attempt but Artabanus the son of Histaspes the Uncle of Xerxes the King a grave aged man disswaded it His great argument was drawn from a consideration of the danger of greatnesse to which the King his Nephew aspired to be Lord of all and urgeth that old observation which Horace the Poet since used Feriuntque summos fulmina montes the ligtning strikes the highest tops his rule is Gaudet Deus eminentissima quaeque de primere quia Deus neminem alium quam seipsum sinit magnifice de se sentire The point here noteable is The prosperity of this world doth fill the hearts of men with pride and vaine estimation of themselves Doct. At the first when things succeeded well with the Chaldean he gave the honour thereof to his Idol god as you have heard but now he taketh it all upon himself his own net that is his wit and strength hath done all and he is now his own god The Wiseman saith The prosperity of fools shall destroy them Prov. 1.42 They that worship strange gods and do ascribe all their faire betydings to them do commit Idolatry and sin grievously yet these do confesse a Deity and acknowledge the power though not the person of God in supreme agencie but they that assume all to themselves deny a Deity or disable it so as that they may work without any borrowed help from thence So that the greatest Idolatry that is or can be committed is that pride of heart which assumeth to it selfe the glory of prosperous successe And let men take heed of this temptation Prov 30.8 9. for it is flattering and fair-spoken and our corrupt nature is very prone to give it entertainment this is one of the two things that Agur the son of Jakeh did pray against Remove far from me vanity and lies this opinion of our selves is well termed vanity for nothing can be more empty and voyd then it is and it is as well called lyes for nothing can be more untrue then that we should be able as of our selves to do any thing for our selves The danger Least if I be full I deny thee and say who is the Lord Here be two things in the Chaldaeans which Iob doth protest against and imprecate himself if he be guilty of either of them The former evil Job 31.29 If I rejoyced at the destruction of them that hated me And this Vers 27. If my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge Vers 28. for I should have denied that God that is above It is Saint Gregories note upon that text Per manum operatio per os locutio designatur manum ergo osculatur ore suo qui laudat quod facit testimonio propriae locutionis soli virtutem tribuit operis Let us remember our Sicut in coelo as in heaven For in heaven the twenty foure Ellers cast their Crowns before the Throne Rev. 4.10 which as Saint Gregory saith is Certaminum suorum victorias non sibi tribuere sed authori ut ad illum referant gloriam laudis à quo se sciunt accepisse vires certaminis To arrogate to our selves Gods glory this is Jobs judgment is iniquitas maxima the greatest iniquity for peccatum ex infirmitate spem non perdit sin of infirmity loseth not hope but presumption destroyeth hope utterly and so faith also for faith is the ground of things hoped for Against this let us heare the Apostle Let us not be desirous of vain-glory Gal. 5.26 This is that dangerous sinne of pride which doth put our selves into the place and roome of God and usurpeth his rights Our Saviour hath sufficiently discouraged this sin in a few words to such as do rightly understand him for when the disciples returned to him Luk. 10 17 and said Lord the devils are subject to us through thy name Christ answered I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven Greg. Vt in discipulis suis elationem premeret Vers 18. judicium ruinae retulit quod ipse magister elationis accepit The very way to begin the true worship and service of God in us is to put off our selves by an humble and true Confession that of our selves we areable for no good work I do not say to demerit God but not to do our selves any good the wisedome that guideth us is from above the strength that enableth us is dextra excelsi the right hand of the most High this shews which way the glory and praise of all must go Considering then the fault of these Chaldaeans in this vanity of boasting themselves 1. Let us come to decline it as a disease 2. Let us embrace the remedies thereof 1. Decline it Vse 1. Because it trespasseth that same primum magnum mandatum the first and great Commandment for it robbeth God of his glory and assumeth it to our selves and God hath sworn that he will not admit any Partner or sharer with him in glory 2. It connumerateth us with the children of Satan for he is the father of all the sons of Pride 3. It exterminates charity for it maketh a mans own wil the rule of his actions and not the wil of God which maketh us the Praevaricators of the second like Commandment to the first diliges proximum sicut teipsum Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 4. It maketh us liable to the severest vengeance of God for God resisteth the proud and if they perish whom God doth not assist what hope can they have whom God doth resist 5. It strippeth us out of all those graces and common favours of the Holy Ghost which we have for when God seeth that we employ his talent to our own advantage he will surely take it from us seeing he took from him that employed not his talent to his advantage for it is a greater sin to be a false then to be an idle servant 6. There is no vice that becomes a man
svavity of matter and order as is often involved in tropes and figurative and parabolicall Phrases so that all readers of holy Scripture finde the poeticall parts of the Bible exceeding difficult more then the historicall and morall Now where most cost is bestowed of search to finde out the meaning of the holy ghost and most delight is reaped it being found that doth tarry by us better and we hold it with strongest retention This pleaseth God well that we hide his word in our hearts that we do not runne it out in a leake This doctrine of the holy use of Poetry in the worship and service of God serveth Vse 1 To stir us up to affect the best gifts of all in Gods worship if there be any way more excellent then others to use that in our prayers and thanksgivings and prayses of our God I remember what David said to Araunah the Jebusite when he offered to give him his threshing floore to erect an altar upon it for God I will not offer a burnt Offering to the Lord my God 2 Sam. 24.24 of that which cost me nothing Let it cost us the highest straine of our invention the lowdest extension of the voice the earnestest intention of the heart we have nothing good enough for him all we have is of him let it be all for him and for the advancement of his glory 2 Seeing this kind of exercise of Hymns and Psalmes hath been by Gods holy Servants consecrated to the worship of God let us bestow our wit and inventions that way not in devising Satyres to gird and lash our Brethren not in amorous and wanton evaporations of our lustfull affections not in base flattery of the corrupt times and soothing of ungodly persons not in broaching and venting uselesse fictions the scumme and froth of idle and unsanctified brains but let our wits and pens be exercised in glorifying of our God and our readings rather bestowed in the Psalmes and Hymns of holy Scripture then in the vain and artlesse dull and brainlesse Ballads and Poems which fly abroad amongst us and devoure precious time which should be better spent and transport affections which should bend their strength to Gods service 2 I consider that this song of Habakkuk was directed to the Musician to be fitted to the stringed instruments so to be not onely sung but played in the meetings of the Church from whence I collect That Church-musique hath the honour of antiquity and of holy use also I need not prove this out of the old Testament for the examples grow so thick there that he hath read little in the Old Testament that hath not informed himselfe of the Churches use and practise therein We have Myriams consort Exod. 15.20 There were Timbrels and Dances all the women came out after them We have Jephthaes Daughters consort Judg. 11.34 meeting her victorious Father with Timbrels and Dances We have Davids full example in the Tabernable Solomons constitution for the full Musique of the Temple If any object that these be those old things which are done away but now all things are made new those were but shadows and ceremonies serving onely for those times but now antiquate and abolisht Let me tell them that in the time of the Gospell where the Church hath more cause of joy then ever it had before we can give no cause to abate any thing of Gods worship Who can deny but that the first tydings of the birth of Christ was proclaimed by an Angell and the Proclamation was seconded by a Quire of heavenly Souldiers even a multitude of them the whole consort of heaven praising God The Anthume which they sung is upon record in the living Book of the Gospell Gloria in excelsis Luke 2.14 Ob. But yet the singing and Musick of instruments in the time of the Law were shawdows of things to come at the coming whereof they must cease whereof then were they shadows It is answered of the inward and spirituall joy of the faithfull for the coming of the Messiah Sol. Had not then the faithfull before Christ this inward and spirituall joy and why should we which have it more in the inward man expresse it lesse in the outward worship Ps 48.10 David saith According to thy name so is thy praise to the ends of the earth Christ saith I have manifested thy name to them that thou gavest me doth it not follow well where there is manifestum nomen there should be manifesta laus The Church use to prayse God with instruments of Musick the Church hath more cause to prayse God since the coming of Christ then before why should any thing not repealed and forbidden to be used be neglected to manifest Gods prayse Ob. But all things in the Church must be done to edification Musick doth not edifie Sol. Then was it never of lawfull use in the Church and David and Solomon did ill to bring it into the Tabernacle and the Temple and the Church did as ill to contiune it if it be without edification But if ever it seemed for edification why not now as well as ever it is the same God that is now served whom they worshipped and as Augustine Tempora variata sunt fides vna times vary but faith is one how where and when did Musick loose that honour that use in the Church of God Ob. But it spendeth time which were much better bestowed in hearing the Word of God preached Sol. I answer it was used when much more was to be done in the Church then we have now to do and they thought it not tedious They had many Sacrifices to offer and the time spent in prayer and hearing of the word yet they use it Ob. But popish superstition hath so defiled it that it is not now fit to receive it in our Christian Churches Sol. I finde that our fathers before the coming of Christ were not so squeamish to like their own holy worship the worse because Idolaters did use some of their formes of worship for Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and that was worshipped with all kinde of stil and loud Musick yet that did not defile the holy worship of the Church It is a dangerous rule of religion to menage it by opposition they are not all opera Diaboli workes of the Devill which the devill doth for you know that he confest Christ which many Scribes and Pharisees did not They that condemne all that popish superstition hath also abused may want a candle to light them to bed I professe sincerly I cannot see but that the same motives that bgan to bring in Musick into the Church may hold it there still for any thing that I can see 1 In respect of God to glorifie him in the best manner that we can by any gifts of art or nature And Musick being one of them we see how much it hath decayed and how much Students in that excellent art have been discouraged from that
mercies Psal 5.7 The Church knoweth that God is more glorious in his mercy 3 Reas then in all his other attributes for his mercy is above all his works the justice of God is against us because we are unrighteous the wisedom of God is against us because we have walked as fools and not as wise men The holiness of God is against us because we are unclean conceived in sin and born in iniquity The truth of God is against us for omnis homo mendax every man is a lyer The power of God is against us because we have forsaken him the fountain of living water c. The Patience of God is against us because he is a God that loveth not iniquity neither shall evill dwell vvith him he hateth all those that work wickedness Onely Mercy is our friend that maketh Christ our justice our wisedom our sanctification and redemption that maketh truth perform gratious promises and his power becometh our protection his patience our peace Divitiae misericordiae riches of mercy This seemeth to excellent use 1 To assure to us the favour of God 1 Vse because it is built upon the foundation of Gods mercies of which Dauid saith The mercy of God endureth for ever his mercy is euerlasting The knowledge of salvation given by the remission of our sins is Through the tender mercy of our God Luk. 1.77 78. whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us So that if God be angry with us for our sin yet his vvrath doth not burn like fire but as he sayd of Solomon I will chasten him with the rods of men but my mercy will I not take utterly from him 2 It seemeth to rebuke those that put their trust in humane merits or works of the Law they that come to God for wages forsake their own mercy nothing so contrary to Divine mercy as humane condignity 3 Because here is anger and mercy together 2 Cor. 1.3 Naâ—u 1 2. this killeth all presumption for he that is called The God of mercies is called a jealous God and a furious Avenger And the rods of men well laid on will smart and draw bloud 4 This inviteth to new life because The goodness and mercy of God leadeth to repentance and the Crown of it Rom. 2.6 5 Seing we have so much need of mercy our selvs let us shew mercy unto others Estote misericordes ut pater vester coelestis be ye mercifull as your heavenly father for there shall be judgement vvithout mercy to him that sheweth no mercy Christ abideth yet naked and sick and imprisoned and hungry and thirsty in our poor brethren as his mercy embraceth us so let our mercy embrace him that he may say esurivi pavistis I was hungry and ye fed me Ver. 3. God came from Teman and the holy one from mount Paran Selah His glorie covered the Heavens and the Earth was full of his praise 4 And his brightness was as the light he had horus coming out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power 5 Before him went the pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet THe second part of this Psalm doth contein a celebration of the prayses of God Vid. divis p. 23. which also doth declare upon what grounds the Church in affliction and captivity doth put trust in God The whole Section is a commemoration of the great power and glory and power and mercy of God shewed in behalf of his own people v. 3 4 5. ad finem v. 15. 1 In his coming to them from Paran and Teman 2 Of the same power and glory declared in giving of the possession of the land of Canaan to Israel 3 In the dismay of the Nations v. 7. 4 In the marvellous Water-works 8 9 10. 5 In their great victories within the Land I begin at the first God came from Teman and the holy one from Mount Paran The best exposition that I do finde amongst many of these words is that here is remembred the coming of God to Israel when he gave them the Law written in two Tables of stone with his own hand For God came then from Teman and Paran Paran was a great mountain neer to mount Sinai but Teman signified the South so God came from the South thence came God to give Israel his Law wherein he did express himself the King of this people by coming so neer to them by shewing himself so openly and by revealing his wil to them so plainly This was so great a favour done to them that he addeth Selah which word is onely used in Davids Psalmes and in this Psalme and the word in the judgments of the learned is sometime vox optantis the voice of one that wisheth aequivalent to Amen or vox admirantis the voice of one admiring shewing some speciall matter or vox affirmantis of one affirming avouching what is said or vox meditantis of one meditating requiring consideration of what is said But withall it is a rest in Musique Jerome saith it is commutatio metri or vicissitudo canendi his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise And His Brightnesse was as the Light he meaneth the brightnesse of that glory wherein he appeared when he gave the Law set forth Exod. 19.16 For there were Thunders and Lightnings He had Horns comming out of his hands by Horns in Scripture strength is signified the horne of salvation is the strength of salvation the exalting of the horne is the advancing of power and these are said to be in his hands because the hands and arms are called the strong men in the body they are the instruments of power And there was the hiding of his power there in that apparition God did hide his power from the rest of the world and declared it perticularly to his Church as David saith He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments Psal 147.20 they have not known them Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet His meaning is that God then declared himself mighty in the punishment of his enemies and the enemies of his Church for under these tvvo kinds of punishments by pestilence and fire he shevveth that God hath the command of all the instruments of vvrath of vvhich these tvvo by plague and fire are the most licking and devouring putting no difference where they go And this hath reference to the many plagues wherevvith he punished the Aegyptians vvhen he brought his people from the land of Aegypt from the house of bondage The summe of all is this that God hath declared himself glorious 1 In his speciall favour to his people 2 In his just vengeance From vvhence these points of doctrine issue 1 That the consideration of Gods former mercies doth strengthen faith in present tribulations 2 That the Church of God hath a speciall interest in the povver and protection of God 3 That
Abraham and his oath unto Isaac And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant And after having briefly surveyed the story of Israels deliverance and passage having recapitulated the comming of Israel into Egypt the plagues of Egypt there comming out thence vvith the vvealth of Egypt the pillar of cloud the pillar of fire the Quails the Manna the vvater out of the rock he gives this reason of ad for he remembred his holy promise Vâ—rse 42. and Abraham his servant Of this oath of God the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 6.13 for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swear by himself saying Surely blessing I will blesse thee and multiplying I will multiply thee The reason vvhy God bound himself by oath followeth Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise Verse 17. the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath This was a great obligation to bind God to this performance neither doth it any vvhit abridge his own liberty but that he remained Liberimum agens still for that he declared therein the constancy of his decree which vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because as I have shewed that and all other Gods promises have reference to the obedience of the people so that God might have cancelled this obligation upon their forfeiture thereof by disobedience if he had pleased which maketh good the former motive of his own good wil and favour vvho notwithstanding their many provocations and rebellions yet performed this promise 2 The motive is negatively set down For here it is exprest vvhat vvas not the cause of these vvonderfull vvater-vvorks vvas it vvhich is as much as it was not because the Lord was displeased at rivers it was not because his wrath was against the sea To part the Sea in two to divide Jordan to make rivers run a vvhile in full stream to serve his people was no displeasure taken at these elements God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man To the creature it is all one to keep the naturall order of creation or to suffer supernaturall alteration for omnia illi serviunt all things do serve him vvas God angry vvith the earth vvhen he cursed it after Adams fall vvhen he drown'd it after it grevv full of cruelty The insensible creatures do the will of him that made them It is recorded as a blemish to that mighty King Xerxes Herod Polihim lib. 7. Num. 173. that he foolishly overweened his power in such a case For being to passe his army over the Hellespont where the sea vvas about seven furlongs over he caused a bridge to be made of floaty vessels to that purpose But a great tempest arising and breaking his bridge vvhen he heard thereof he vvas in such passion at the sea that he commanded it to be punished vvith three hundred stripes and he cast in fetters into it to take it prisoner and caused these vvise vvords to be spoken to it O aqua amara Dominus hanc tibi irrogat poenam quod eum laesisti qui de te nihil mali meritus es te tamen Rex Xerxes velis nolisve transmittet As wisely either he himself or as Herodotus reporteth Clio 34. Cyrus Cyrus his Grandfather fell out with the river Gyndes for drowning him a white horse but his revenge was more in sight so was his deliberate furious folly For he set his army a work to cut out new channels and divided the river into 360 brooks ut à mulieribus ne genua tingentibus transiri possit But our God had no quarrell the text saith to these inanimate creatures of his which were so at his command The Church here doth God right to confesse the true motive of this extraordinary operation of God so here is a double confession 1 That Tu Domine fecisti thou Lord hast done it 2 That he did for such a cause This is not barely avouched but it is proved Thy bow was made quite naked that is thou didst let all the world take notice of thy power and strength and favour in the cause of thy Church At the comming of God in great Majesty and Glory on Mount Sinai to give the law before-mentioned there was absconsio roboris the hiding of his strength God revealed himself then to Israel onely but these three great wonders here confest did uncase the bow of God made it quite naked so that all nations might take knowledge of the arm of the Lord and might give testimony to the same The Argument drawn from hence is still the same for from the former evidences of Gods great power and mercy shewed and openly declared unto the Church they gather comfort to assure themselves of the favour of God toward them in this captivity in Babylon They know and believe that the hand of God is not shortned nor his arme weakned but that he who was able to cut a way for them through the sea and the river of Jordan and to make rivers run in dry places to relieve their fathers in the wildernesse is still as able to succour them in that captivity against the King of Babel and all the Chaldeans so hee sheweth by what faith the just shall live in their banishment Namely by faith grounded on the power and wisedome and love of God and of his truth The doctrines which this passage affordeth are these 1 God must have the glory of his own great Works Doctr. David is a full example of this duty for 1 in his own case he saith Ps 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul 2 He stirreth up others to do the like even in this case mentioned in my text Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 6. he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men He turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him The reason hereof is in sight Reas 1 for David saith this honour is due to his name We have two debts which we shall ever be paying and yet never clear with our Creditors that is of prayse to God of love to our neighbours he that came of purpose into the world to pay our debts hath not wip't off this score rather he hath set us further in debt 1 To our brother if God so loyed us as to send his Sonne amongst us we ought also to love one another so much the more 2 To himself David saith The loving kindnesse of the Lord is ever more and more toward us therefore laus ejus erit semper in ore meo his prayse shall be ever in my mouth The comming of Christ amongst us hath made it more and more seen for therein the bow of God was made quite naked 2
God We have no such warrant but look wee what we may pray for and we shall finde that God doth answer us with success 1 That the name of God may be hollowed doth not every faithfull servant of God place his trust in this name doth he not praise it for all things 2 That the Kingdome of God may come Is not this Kingdome of grace in the Church doth not the believer feel Christ reigning in his heart and ruling him by his spirit and doth he not expect his second comming in glory and believe everlasting life 3 That the will of God may be done here as it is in heaven is it not so Our conversation is in heaven doth not the whole life of a faithfull soul spend it self in imitation of Christ and of the Angels of God and of the holy Saints that are gone before us to praise God in heaven 4 Have we not daily bread doth not God feed us with food convenient for us 5 Doth not God assure our consciences of the free remission of our sins Doth not he in temptations save us from the evill one that seeketh our destruction and maketh them the exercises of our vertue and are directed to the dilapidation of our faith We may aske nothing else of God but what hath reference to one of these petitions and in all these God heareth us and granteth our requests Our own want of faith and zeal in prayer our own neglect of the dutie our own unthankfulness to God for benefits already received our corrupt desires to spend the favours of God upon our lusts may make many of our prayers miscarry Much more if we do ask any thing at the hands of God which is not lawfull But let us aske as he commandeth and the argument will follow comfortably If the servants of God have heretofore prevailed with God so far as to work miracles for their good much more will God hear our ordinary suits and grant them so far as may stand with the glory of his name and our good But at adventure he hath commanded us to pray and let us do our duty in obedience to him and leave the successe to his fatherly providence prayer is the casting our care upon God and is not that a great comfort to us when our care is put off and so repose that we may serve our God without fear or care for things of this life 2 The victory that followed the station of the Sun and Moon contein two things 1 What God did in indignation to his enemies 2 What he did in favour to his people 1 What he did in indignation Conteining 1 His martiall march through the Land 2 His conquest of it 1 His March Thou didst march through the land in indignation which teaâ—heth us That in all wars God is Lord of Hosts Doct. and generall of all the Armies teat fight in his quarrel This was assured to Joshua by a Vision for It came to passe when Joshua was by Jericho Josh 5.13 that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went unto him and said unto him art thou for user for our adversaries And he said nay but as a Captaine of the hoast of the Lord am I now come and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship This must be God that appeared to him by this Angel and it is the same Angel which God before promised Behold I send an Angell before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not Ex â—2 22 for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him This Angel must needs be the same who is after called the Messiah or anointed in the next verse and both the power that was given him of God to protect and to pardon and the charge that was given to the people not to offend him and the worship which Joshua did give him and the name which God said was in him prove him to be Jesus Christ All serves to prove that God was the leader of these wars as here is said Thou didst march through the Land And God doth take it upon himself I the Lord do all these things Esa 45.7 The reason is because war is one of the rods of God wherewith he doth scourge the sinnes of men For thus saith the Lord God How much more when I send my four great judgments upon Jerusalem the first of them is the sword Ezek. 14.21 Who can manage the judgments of God but himself and therefore when wicked persons are imployed by him to punish sinners by the sword he confesseth the service done to him as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel against Tyrus I have given him the Land of Egypt Ezech. 29. Vâ—rse 2â— for the labour wherewith he served against Tyrus because they wrought for me saith the Lord. God ordereth all wars for wars as I have said is one of Gods own rods and none can manage them without him so all wars as they are from him are just wars But they may be unjust in respect of them that commence and prosecute them The point then here taught is that in all wars which are just in respect of God who smiteth them God is the leader and the protector of his armies who giveth them both strength to fight and victory in battail These were Gods wars by which Israel was setled in the land of Canaan and they were the wars of God by which Israel was led away captive into Babel you heard God himself say so Hab. 1.6 For lo I raise up the Chaldaeans that bitter and hasty nation which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs God was he that marched through the land then in indignation This teacheth us wheresoever we see the sword of God abroad in the world to smite Vse to confesse it to be Gods soare judgment without whom no man could draw a sword or lift up his arme in the world God brought in his Israel by the sword and by the sword he carrieth them out of Canaan note the hand of the Lord is in both Therefore whatsoever preparations of war Gods servants do make to hold or to recover their own right to relieve the distresses of others or to suppresse the injuries of oppressours they must commit their cause to the Lord and seek their strength from him and depend on him for their successe But as God is the author and manager of all wars so is he the speciall protectonr of those that he hath separated from the world to be his Church and peculiar people as in the story of Israels passage you have heard In this war God did march before his Israel against the inhabitants of Canaan and cast the
unto their horses and their chariots how hee made the water of the Rea Sea to over-flow them Rahab could tell the Spies Josh â— 11.12 We have heard how the Lord dryed up the water of the Red Sea for you Assoon as we heard our hearts did melt neither did there remain any courage in any man because of you Thy way is in the Sea and thy path in the great waters Ps 77.19 and thy footsteps are not seen Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron Verse 20. Therefore it is a fabulous relation of Paulus Orosius who reporteth it as an addition to this wonder that the trace of the Chariot wheels was in his days to be seen on the sands of the Red Sea at every ebbe and that if they were defaced yet they renewed again But David saith that the footsteps of this passage were not seen and we need not add any thing to the miracles of God to make them more miraculous David again remembreth it saying He divided the Sea and caused them to passe thorough Psal 78.13 53. and hee made the waters to stand on an heap The Sea over-whelmed their enemies He rebuked the Red Sea also and it was dryed up Ps 106.9 so he led them thorough the depths as through a Wilderness The waters covered their enemies so that there was not one of them left When Israel came out of Aegypt Ps 114.1.3.5 c. The Sea saw that and fled What ailed thee ô Sea that thou fleddest He divided the Red Sea into parts Ps 136.13 Verse 15. â— He overthrew Pharach and his hoast in the Red Sea Art not thou it that hath dryed up the Sea Isai 51.10 the waters of the great deep that hath made the depths of the Sea a way for the ransomed to pass over Many more are the mentions of this miracle in the book of God and here we finde it in this Psalme doubly repeated Which teacheth us that Gods extraordinary mercies must be often remembred Doct. For we must consider our God two wayes 1 Quà Deus as God and so he is to be worshipped cultu latriae propter Deum for his own sake though we could live without him Though he do hide his face from us and heap up his judgments on us as Job saith Job 7.20 though he maketh us as his mark to shâ—ot at though all his arrows do stick fast in us 2 Quà benefactor as a benefactor and that also two ways 1 Propter opus providentiae for his work of providence whereby he is to us a gratious God and merciful father taking his Church to himself and gathering it under his wings shielding it against the Sun by day and against the Moon by night 2 Propter opera privilegiata for his priviledged works especially favours of mercie quando non facit taliter For the first all our life especially the Sabbath is designed to the worship and service of God for the same the second of his extraordinary works doth exact of us singular commemoration by themselves and therefore Abulensis saith Omnia festa quae Deus instituit observanda à Judaeis fiebant ad recordationem beneficiorum ejus Now the school saith well that latria is not totaliter determinata to these or these times or ceremonies or occasions but that we may worship God alwayes quà Deus as God upon speciall occasions quà Benefactor as Benefactor And so the Jews kept the memoriall of their deliverance from Egypt in their anniversary celebration of the Passeover and of their dwelling in tents in the feast of Tabernacles And of their deliverance from Haman in their feast of Purim And the Germane Protestants do keep a Christian Jubilee every 50 year for their deliverance from the darknesse of Popery and their ejection of the Pope Wherein our Church as much beholding to God for the same benefit as they doth come short of them in matter of thankfulnesse to God for the expulsion of that man of sin from us We have three Commemorations enjoyned us by high authority the one is ortus auspicia so of all it was called the initium regni the beginning of the reigne of our Sovereign whom God sent to settle the religion and peace with his glorious predecessour Queen Elizabeth had so happily and so valiantly brought in and mainteined during her whole reign and by the providence of God we enjoy it to this day Another is the remembrance of his Majesties deliverance from the treason of the Gowries in Scotland before his reign here as it were his reserving of him for us The third is the commemoration of the admirable goodnesse of God to our land in the bloudy treason of the Papists the mortall enemies of our religion and peace in their powder-plot But this often remembrance of the mercy of God to Israel in the red sea upbraids our forgetfulnesse of that 88 sea mercy which God shewed to our land in our deliverance from the Spanish intended invasion in the times of hostility between Spain and England and though the established peace between these two Kingdomes have laid aside open wars yet let God be no loser in the glory due to his name for that deliverance I will adde another reason Reas 2 why this passage of Israel through the red sea is so oft remembred in Scripture twice in this Psalme of Habakkuk which I gather from the Apostle St. Paul Moreover Brethren I would not have you ignorant 1 Cor. 1â— â— how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea And were all baptized unto Moses in the sea Ver. 2. and in the cloud For this was memorable not onely in the history of the thing done but in the mystery also of the signification thereof You see by this Apostle that this is a memorable thing and he would not have us ignorant of it if we know it he would not have us forget it there is continual use of it in the Church even so long as baptisme continueth therein For that is the scope of the Apostle in the beginning of that Chapter to shew that the Church of the Jews as they had Sacraments of their own Circumcision and the Lords Passeover so had they types and figures of our two Sacraments also The type and representation of our Baptisme was their passage through the red sea The type of our Lords Supper was the water out of the rock and Manna But they and we do all receive the same spirituall meat and drink that is Christ So that this passage over the red sea doth figure our Baptisme here is Moses the Minister of the Sacrament here are Israelites the receivers of it and here is water the element and the cloud the sign of Gods presence here is Israel that is the persons baptized preserved in these waters and here is King Pharoah and his hoasts that is Satan and our hereditary