the Love and Grace in it which run through them all is given him Josh. 1. 5. I will be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Now the Apostle tells us that the truth and love of this promise is ours Heb. 13. 5. Faith may doth assure it selfe that what good-will soever was in all the great mercies which Joshuah received upon that promise is all ours All the good-will and choyse Love of I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is mine and thine if we are believers He that hath this present hath all Joshuas victories present The very glory of the Saints in Heaven is ours in the love of it We enjoy that love which gave them glory and will Crowne us also in due time 2. In their comforts and refreshments Thou gavest Leviathan to be meate to the people in the Wildernesse Psal. 14. They fed their souls full of the sweetnesse of that mercy The destruction of their oppressing tyrant we chew the cud upon the blessings of former ages Who hath not with joy delight and raysed affections gone over the old preservations of the Church in former years How doe's David run them over with admiration closing every stop with His mercy endureth for ever Psal. 136. And for things to come as yet in the promise only whether generall to the whole Church as the calling of the Jews the comming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles the breaking out of light beauty and glory upon the Churches and Saints the confusion of Nations not subjecting themselves to the standard of the Gospell c. or in particular further assurance of love then presently enjoyed neerer Communion with Father and Son being with Christ freed from misery and corruption dwelling with God for ever how do's Faith act over these and the like things in the heart leaving a savour and relish of their sweetnesse continually upon the soule O how sweet also are the things of the World to come unto poor Believers Christ leads the soule by faith not only into the Chambers of presently-enjoyed loves but also into the foreprepared everlasting Mansions in his Fathers house Thus it gives poore mortall creatures a sweet relish of eternall joyes brings Heaven into a Dungeon glory into a prison a crown into a cottage Christ into a slaughter-house From the nature of Faith Though it do not make the thing believed to be the Act cannot create its own Object yet applying it it makes it the Believers It is the bond of union between the soule and the thing promised He that believes in Christ by that believing receives Christ Joh. 1. 12. he becomes his It is a grace uniting its subject and object the person believing and the thing believed There needs no ascending into Heaven or descending the word of faith makes all things nigh even within us Some glasses will present things of a great distance very neere Faith looking through the glasse of the Gospell makes the most remote mercies to be not onely in a close distance but in Union It is the subsistence of things hoped for that which they have not in themselves it gives them in the full assured minds of believers From the Intendment of all mercies they are for every believer All things are theirs world life death things present things to come 1 Cor. 2. 22. All promises being made to every believer and all mercies being the fruit of these promises they must all belong to every believer Now if all these should be kept from us at that distance wherein they fall in their accomplishment in respect of time what would they availe us God therefore hath appointed that they shall have a reall though not a naturall presence and subsistence at all times to all believers See hence what use you may make of past mercies deliverances blessings with promised incommings Carry them about you by Faith that you may use them at need Where is the God of Elijah Awake awake oh Arme of the Lord c. I saw the Tents of Cushan Take store mercies along with you in every Tryall Use them or they 'l grow rusty and not passe in heaven Learne to eat Leviathan many yeares after his death Forget not your pearles scatter not away your treasure bee rich in a heape of Mercies Faith will make you so The Love the comfort the benefit of all former and future blessings are yours if you know how to use them Oh how have we lost our mercies in every hedge and ditch Have none of us skill to lay up the last eminent deliverance against a rainy day 2. Learne how to make the poorest and most afflicted Condition comfortable and full of Joy Store thy Cottage thy sick bed by faith with all sorts of mercies They are the richest furniture in the world Gather up what is already cast out and fetch the rest from heaven Bring the first fruits of Glory into thy bosome See the Jewes called the residue of Opposers subdued the Gospel exalted Christ enthroned all thy sinnes pardoned Corruption conquered Glory enjoyed Roll thy selfe in those Golden streames every day Let Faith fetch in new and Old Ancient mercies for thy supportment Everlasting mercies for thy Consolation He that hath Faith hath all things 2. Gods dealing with his enemies in the season of his Churches deliverance is of especiall consideration I saw the Tents c. so did the Israelites beholding the Aegyptians dead on the shore Exod. 14. 30 31. The Heathen raged the Kingdomes were moved he uttered his voyce the earth melted The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge selah Come behold the workes of the Lord what desolations he hath made on the earth Psal. 46. 6 7 8. The enemies undertaking ver. 6. Gods protection to his people ver. 7. A view of the Adversaries desolation ver. 8. are all orderly held out The Lord tells Moses that he will harden the heart of Pharaoh that he might shew his power to this very end that it might be considered and told to one another Exod. 10. 2 3. How many Psalmes have wee that are taken up in setting forth Gods breaking yoking befooling terrifying his Adversaries at such a season The remembrance of the slaughter of the first borne of Egypt was an ingredient in the chiefest Ordinance the Antient Church enjoyed Exod. 14. Much of the greatnesse and intensenesse of his love to his own is seene in his Enemies ruine Isa. 43. 3 4. I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life When God gives such mighty Kingdomes for a small handfull it appeares they are precious to him Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake Isa. 54. 15. When God will maintaine a quarrell with all the world sweare that he will never have peace
Affections as meerly such is but the moving of a dunghill to draw out a stinking steame a thing the Lord neither aymeth at nor delighteth in their Joys are his provocation and hee laugheth in the day of their calamity when their feare commeth Prov. 1. 26 27. Secondly to keep them in continuall f dependance of himselfe He hath promised his own dayly bread not goods laid up for many years Many children have bin undone by their Parents giving them too large a stock to trade for themselves it has made them spend-thrifts carelesse and wanton Should the Lord entrust his people with a continued stock of mercy perhaps they would be full and deny him and say who is the Lord Prov. 30. 9. Iesurun did so Deut. 32. 14 15. Ephraim was filled according to her pasture and forgot the Lord Hos. 13. 6. Neither on the other side will he be always chiding his anger shall not burne for ever very sore It is our infirmity at the least if we say God hath forgotten to be gracious and shut up his tender mercies in displeasure Psal. 77. 9. But laying one thing against another he keepes the heart of his in an even ballance in a continuall dependance upon himselfe that they may neither be wanton through mercy nor discouraged by too much oppression Our tender Father is therefore neither always feeding nor alwayes correcting And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor darke but it shall be one day which shall bee knowne to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light saith the Prophet Zech. 14. 6 7. seeking out Gods dispensations towards his ending in Joy and Light in the Evening Labour to have your hearts right tuned for songs on Sigionoth sweetly to answer all Gods dispensations in their choice variety That instrument will make no musick that hath but some strings in tune If when God strikes with mercy upon the string of joy and gladnesse we Answer pleasantly but when he touches upon that of g sorrow and humiliation we suit it not we are broken Instruments that make no melody unto God We must know how to receive good and evil at his hand He hath made every thing beautifull in its time Eccles. 3. 11. every thing in that whole variety which his wisdome hath produceed A well tuned heart must have all its strings all its Affections ready to answer every touch of Gods finger to improve Judgements and mercies both at the same time Sweet harmony ariseth out of some discords When a soul is in a frame to rejoyce with thankfull Obedience for Mercy received and to be humbled with soul-searching amending Repentance for Judgements inflicted at the same time then it sings a song on Sigionoth then it is fit for the dayes wherein we live Indeed both Mercies and Judgements ayme at the same end and should be received with the same equall temper of mind A flint is broken between a hammer and a pillow an Offender is humbled between a prison and a pardon a hard heart may be mollified and a proud spirit humbled between those two In such a season the severall Rivolets of our Affections flow naturally in the same stream When hath a gracious soul the soundest joyes but when it hath the deepest sorrows habent gaudia vulnus When hath it the humblest meltings but when it hath the most ravishing Joyes Our Afflictions which are naturally at the widest distance may all swim in the same spirituall channel-Rivolets rising from severall heads are carried in one stream to the Ocean As a mixture of several colours make a beautifull complexion for the body so a mixture of divers Affections under Gods various dispensations gives a comely frame unto the soul Labour then to Answer every call every speaking providence of God in its right kind according to the intention thereof and the Lord reveal his mind unto us that so we may do Hauing passed the Title let us look a little on those parts of the prayer it self that follow The beginning of it in verse 2. hath two parts First the frame of the Prophets spirit in his addresse to God O Jehovah I have heard thy speech and was afraid Secondly his Request in this his condition O Lord revive thy work in the middest of the years in the middest of the years make known in wrath remember mercy In the first you have 1 particularly his frame he was Afraid or trembled which he wonderfully sets out ver. 16. when I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce rottennesse entered into my bones and I trembled in my self Secondly The cause of this fear and trembling He heard the speech of God If you will ask what speech or report this was that made the Prophet himself so exceedingly quake and tremble I answer it is particularly that which you have Chap. 1. ver. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. conteining a dreadfull denunciation of the Judgements of God against the people of Israel to be executed by the proud cruel insulting Caldeans This voice this report of God makes the Prophet tremble An appearance of God in anger and threats against a people should make his choicest secret ones amongst them to fear to quake and tremble Trembling of mans heart must answer the shaking of Gods hand At the delivery of the Law with all its attending threats so terrible was the sight that Moses himself though a Mediatour then did exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 21. God will be Acknowledged in all his goings If men will not bow before him he will break them They who fear not his Threatnings shall feel his Inflictings If his word be esteemed light his hand will be found heavy For 1. In point of deserving who can say I have purged my heart I am clean from sin none ought to be fearlesse unlesse they be senselesse Gods people are so farre from being alwayes clear of procuring Nationall Judgements that sometimes h Judgements have come upon Nations for the sins of some of Gods people amongst them as the plague in the dayes of David 2. In point of i suffering who knows but they may have a deep share The Prophets book is written within as well as without with lamentation mourning and woe Ezek. 2. ult. If the Lion roars who can but fear Amos 3. 8. Fear to the rooting out of security not the shaking of faith Fear to the pulling down of carsall presidence not Christian confidence Fear to draw out our ouls in prayer not to swallow them up in despair Fear to break the arme of flesh but not to weaken the staffe of the promise Fear that we may draw nigh to God with reverence not to run from him with diffidence in a word to overthrow faithlesse presumption and to increase gracious submission Secondly Here is the Prophets request and in this there
have all of them that conclusion in their brests which Haman's wisemen and wife made to him Hâ—st. 6. 13. If they begin to fall before the seed of the Jews utter ruine will follow When God begins to own his people as they in the Acts chap. 5. v. 24. they doubt whither this will grow Their hearts tell them secretly they are usurpers of all they have and when God ownes any they instantly fear lest for their sakes they should be called to account When a distinction begins to be made in Ordinances priviledges deliverances protections evidently given to some peculiar ones they tremble within that they are set apart for no good This picking and chusing of men by the Lord Psal. 4. 3. they cannot bear with Such mighty works attend the Israelites what thinkes Midian will be the end of this It is true their pride calls on them to act openly more of their malice then their fear but yet this lies at the bottome like a boasting Atheists nightly thoughts The chiefe Priests and Pharisees having gotten the Apostles before them what big words they use to countenance the businesse who gave you this power Acts 4. 7. But when they are by themselves they cry what shall we do and whereunto will this grow This lies at the bottome with many at this day though they boast and lift up their mouthes to Heaven their hearts do tremble as an Aspen leafe Learn not to be troubled at the great tumultuating which is amongst many against the wayes of God at this day God is measuring out his childrens portion giving them their bread in season viewing for them the lot of their inheritance Men of the world profane Cushanites superstitious apostaticall Midianites will not cannot be quiet Vexed they are envious and afraid and will act according to those principles Cushanites see Religion owned Midianites theirs disclaimed and both are alike provoked The Lord convert them or rebuk them or the one will have the armies the other their wiles Only judge not their hearts by the outward appearance always they seeme gallant to you indeed they are frighted galled vexed I have seen a galled horse under dressing leap and curvet as though it had bin out of metall and spirit when indeed it was paine and smart that made him do it They pretend to despise us when they envy us They look like contemners but are tremblers be not troubled at their outward appearance they have inward anguish they bite others but are lashed themselves 4. The season of the Churches deliverance being come Cushan and Midian must wax vaine and perish That there is such a season I told you before When 430 years are expired Aegypt must be destoyed the Amorites rooted out and all the Nations round made to tremble When 70 years of captivity expire Babylon must be ruined and the Caldean Monarchy quite wasted that the Jews may returne The Church being to be delivered Haman must be hanged This you have fully set out Revel. 6. 12 13 14 15 16 17. It is the fall of heathenish tyranny by the prevailing of the Gospell which you have there described Rome and Constantinople Pope and Turk are preserved for a day and an houre wherein they shall fall and be no more If the season of enjoying Ordinances and privileges be come to this Nation that the Tabernacle of God will be here amongst men wo be to Cushanites wo be to Midianites open opposers and secret Apostates They shall not be able to be quiet nor to prevaile God will not let them rest nor obtain their purposes the Story of Haman must be acted over againe their hearts shall be stirred up to their own ruin Revel. 20. 8. this is the frame of perishing Babylonians in the day of Sions-restauration The Reasons are 1. because at the deliverance of his people God will plead with their enemies for their oppressions It is the day of the Lords vengeance the yeare of Recompences for the controversy of Sion Isa. 34. 8. It is the vengeance of the Lord and his Temple that lights upon them in that day Jerem. 50. 28. The violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitant of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say Jerem. 51. 35. in this day great Babylon must come into Remembrance Rev. 16. 19 20. 2. The discerning Triall that shall and doth come along with the Churches Vindication will cut off all superfluous false professors so that they also shall perish Mala. 3. 2 3. Christ comes with a fan to send away the chaffe in the wings of the wind Have we not seen this end of many Zelots 3. The Amorites live in Canaan and must be removed Oppressors and Hypocrites enjoy many rights of the Church which must be taken from them Rome and her adherents shall not have so much left as the Name or title appearance or shew of a Church The outward Court they have troden down and defiled shall be quite left out in the measuring of the Temple Revel. 11. Bring this Observation home to the first from this Verse and it will give you the use of it proceed we to the next Verse Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers was thine anger against the Rivers was thy wrath against the Sea that thou diddest ride upon thy Horses and thy Chariots of salvation Was the Lord displeased {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} kindled did he burne that is in wrath Heat is a great ingredient in the commotion of Anger in us here alluded to or because the effects of Anger are so often compared to fire Against the Rivers or Flouds Again was thine Anger {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} thy Nose or Face or thine anger {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies both the x Face is the seate of angers appearance fury comes up into the Face Was thine anger thy troubling anger so the word against the Sea the red Sea through which thy people passed That thou diddest ride upon thy horses thy Chariots salvation or thy Chariots were salvation currus salutares thy safety-bringing Charets The words are an admiring expostulation about the mighty works of the Lord for his people upon the Sea Rivers and inanimate creatures 1. The Rivers Jordan and its driving back is doubtlesse especially intended The Lord shewed his power in disturbing that antient River in his course and making his streames run backward The story of it you have Josh. 3. 15 16. The people being to enter into Canaan the Lord divides the waters of that River making them beneath to sinke away and those above to stand on an heap This the Prophet magnifyes Psa. 114. 5. What aylest thou O Jordan that thou wast driven back what marvellous powerfull disturbing thing is happened to thee that contrary to thy antient naturall course thy streames should be frighted and run back to the springs from whence