unto the Sea Peace peace be still The Sea is not capable of rebukes such as are given to reasonable creatures but there is a rebuking of omnipotency that is not verball but real {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is with words hardly to rebuke in conjugation kal cum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is to destroy Mal. 2. 3. Behold I will destroy your seed Esay 54. 9. I have sworne I will not bee angry with thee neither rebuke thee 2. It is to hinder the enemies in their ill courses Zach. 3. 2. The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Mal. 3. 11. I will rebuke the devourer for your sake Psal. 68. 30. Lord rebuke the company of the Spearemen and when it is applyed to creatures voyd of reason it is by omnipotency to hinder them to hurt us and to stay their actions Psal. 106. 9. Hee rebuked the red Sea also Luke 4. 39. Jesus rebuked the seaver it holdeth forth the acts of omnipotency in Christ such as is his act of creating of an immediate faire sweet calme out of a contrary out of a boysterous and stormy Sea God hath some peeces in which is stamped so much of a legible and evident omnipotency as the worke fathereth it selfe upon God onely without a teacher so Job 26. 7. hee stretcheth out the North over the emptie place and hangeth the earth upon nothing the earth is the weightiest of any visible creature God hath made it needeth some solid resting place but the omnipotencie of the Creator doth hang it upon nothing except onely the aire round about it now the aire being so weake so yeelding an Element it were unpossible that the heavy and ponderous earth should have beene seated on the emptie and fluid aire to rest in it these five thousand yeares except omnipotency had done it for the aire of it selfe is very nothing to hold up the globe of the earth Job 38. 5. Who hath layd the measures of the earth if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastned or who layd the corner stone thereof there bee three great questions here that few can answer but God First to take the compasse of the circumference of the globe of the earth exactly and to lay a measuring line over the Diameter and the whole body of it is a great work Secondly to know how to fasten the corner stone of the world Thirdly and how the whole weight is sustained is more then wee can tell and it is no lesse wonder Psal. 104. 2. who stretcheth out the heaven as a curtaine What a power must it bee to spread over all nations of the earth the elements and creatures in Sea and land such a large white molten webbe of Crystall glasse that hath beene spread over our head from the east end of the world to the west and north and south and there is not an hole in the webbe these five thousand yeares 2 The Sea is a fluid huge great body where can there bee a bottle to containe it 2. When it swelleth and rageth with mightie winds how is it kept from drowning the world God doth remedy these two 1. Job 38. 8. Who shut up the Sea with doores when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the wombe Vers 11. The Lord said Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther and here shall thy proud waves bee stayed God hath put an Iron doore upon the Sea and put it under an Act and Law of omnipotency that it shall not devoure and overwhelme the earth Jer. 5. 22. he hath placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree For the second when Psal. 107. 27. the Sea is all in fire and the passengers in a mightie storme reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end 29. hee maketh the storme a calme so that the waves thereof are still Esay 50. 2. Behold at my rebuke I dry up the Sea Psal. 65. 7. hee stilleth the noyse of the Seas 3. The Seas as all the rest of the creatures are by the first sinne of man broken out of the covenant of peace betweene us and them in the state of innocency and warre is denounced betweene us and them the fire should burne us the water hath Law to drowne us the aire to suffocate us the earth a Commission to swallow us up quick if Christ had not made a cessation of armes and if the Gospell were not a concluded treatie of peace and if the Lord should not rebuke the fury of the creature for some sparkes of Gods wrath yet resideth in the creature they have yet an inclination to revenge the quarrell of the treason that wee committed against their King and wee doe receive the creatures as fugitive souldiers from Gods Campe of justice and doe imploy them in warre against God as the Glutton and Drunkard imployeth meat and drinke against God the vaine persons their vaine apparell their patched faces bare breasts and shoulders as an exchange to sell the body to lust if the Lord should not rebuke our servants the creatures water fire sword and the like they would destroy us If wee looke spiritually now upon Gods dealing to these kingdomes the sword hath a charge from God to come against these lands Ezek. 21. 14. Therefore Sonne of man prophecy and smite thine hands together and let the Sword bee doubled the third time the sword of the slaine it is the sword of the great men that are slaine which entreth into their privie Chambers when God giveth the sword a commission to destroy it cannot rest Jeremiah Chap. 47. Vers 6. O thou sword of the Lord how long will it bee ere thou bee quiet put up thy selfe into thy scabbard rest and be still 7. How can it bee quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon and the Sea shore there hath bee appointed it it is then a commanded and a sent sword that now rageth in these kingdomes 2. Not onely is the Sword and the pestilence sent of God by speciall commission Jer. 24. 10. but it is his sword it is not the sword of Papists and malignants but the sword of the Lord Jer. 47. 6. The Lord saith Ezek. 14. 21. that the Sword famine noysome beasts and pestilence are his foure sore judgements wee may goe thorough these souldiers wee have the Lords passe-port Esay 43. 2. for the sword is our Fathers sword The Seas wee are in are our Fathers Seas and so cannot drowne us 3. Omnipotency taketh this as peculiar to himselfe hee onely can create peace Psal. 46. 9. Hee maketh warres to cease from the ends of the earth Esay 45. 6. I am the Lord and there is none else 7. I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill then by what title hee is God and Creator by the same hee maketh peace Psal.
walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt nor is Christ in trouble like our Summer-friends who in a great drough dry up But may not God be with his own though they be both burnt drowned then this is no consequent at all feare not that the fire shall burn thee or the waters shall drowne thee for I am with thee yea it is most strong this presence of God with his owne in trouble maketh God and them so one by Gods union of love for Gods love to us is infinitely more active to save us then either our faith and love to him that the fire that burneth Jacob must also seise upon God according to that Zach. 2. 8. Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Thirdly when Christ waketh and sleepeth not in heavy afflictions his love is so in action even while hee striketh that the rod falleth out of his hand that hee 1. giveth them not so hot a fire as silver and 2. hee acteth love and mercy on them in their saddest time of suffering and marieth them at their lowest condition both which are excellently expressed Esay 48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not as silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Fourthly wee may adde another benefit of the presence of God in afflictions that the very breath of Christ is sweet though hee should not deliver for the present yet the smoake of hell and the paine of the furnace is so perfumed and over-gilded with the breathings of the love of Christ that the paine of the furnace is allayed this is witnessed by the Martyrs singing at the stake If in these bloody sufferings wee want Gods presence how miserable are wee and therefore this is one of the proper markes of the children of God if wee can misse Gods comfortable presence in this fiery tryall that is now in the three kingdomes So Lament 1. 16. for these things I weepe mine eye mine eye runneth downe with water yea but these sufferings are but the materiall object of weeping there is a higher cause of weeping then that and set downe in the Hebrew as a cause with an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} because the comforter that should bring backe my soule is farre away Christ esteemed this the salt of his sufferings My God my God why hast thou forsaken me there is a great Emphesis in {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and therefore the word is doubled as if hee would say any forsaking of friends is nothing but Gods forsaking is sad and Heman Psal. 88. 6. Thou hast laid mee in the lowest pit in darknesse in the depths 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon mee thou afflictest mee with all thy waves but this is the heaviest of all 14. Lord why castest thou off my soule why hidest thou thy face from mee positive wrath is not so heavy as the meere negative absence of God Mary her want of the man Christ is sad but shee wants him under an higher reduplication John 20. 13. The Angels say unto Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou shee answereth with a because {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Because they have taken away my Lord Sword and pestilence yea the civill sword are heavie plagues on a land but this is heavier God hath left us O terrible the Lord is not with us Luke 8. 24. And they came to him and awoke him saying Master master we perish The third part of the text containeth the course they take in their trouble It is good that in their trouble they agree in these foure First that there is a great danger even present drowning Secondly they looke spiritually on it in this that the face of death is so much the more awefull that Christ their deliverer sleepeth Thirdly they agree in judgement that Christ onely can helpe them Fourthly they agree in practise all joyne in prayer to awake Christ and by faith to awake him and set him on worke to helpe and save them It is excellent when one heart and one mind is amongst all the passengers of Christs ship especially in a troublesome Sea storme Gen. 13. Abraham and Lots herdmen strive But it is so much the worse that it is said Vers 7. and the Canaanite and the Perizite dwelt then in the land they had common enemies and therefore striving was unseasonable holy Joseph when his brethren was in great distresse falling out was unseasonable therefore saith to them Gen. 45. 24. See that yee fall not out by the way Alas wee are in great trouble and yet wee fall out by the way it was a sad time with the Disciples neare to the time when the shepheard was smitten and they scattered sheepe when Christ said John 13. 35. By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Doe but heare how Paul is most copious in arguments for this in one Verse Philip 2. 1. If there bee therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies 2. Fulfill my joy that yee may bee like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind Psal. 133. 1. to bee of one mind in love is the fulfilling of the joy of the Saints biting and devouring is a hole a gap a great blanke to the joy of the holy Ghost love neighboureth with the sweet consolations of Christ it is the birth a fruit an Apple growing on the spirit of Jesus Gal. 5. 22. in the wombe and bowels of love lodgeth bowels of tender mercies pardoned sinners cannot so hate pardoned sinners as to jeere them out of the hearts of the Saints end them to the lake of Brimstone Ps. 133. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Many things are good as workes of divine justice and destroying the enemies of God yet they are not pleasant and many things are pleasant that are not good as the pleasures of sinne for a season must bee pleasant but because unlawfull they are not good but unitie amongst brethren is both good and pleasant now because striving and bitter divisions in this land and Church are so sad and a lovely and peaceable union so necessary give me leave to presse this a little the motion of a loving union were desirable First because our Father the Lord appeared to Elias not in the thunder but in the calme voyce Love is not onely from God but 1 John 4. 8. God is love and that in all the foure causes of love See how much of God is in any as much of love and meeknesse is in them love is the breathings of heaven love is the aire and element wee live in in the highest new Jerusalem 1 Cor. 13. 8. 13. The redeemeds breath smells of love and love hath the smell of another world it is a flower of Christs planting the
might by all means save same This is Pauls charge Gal. 6. 1 2. who will have love to put in joynt an overtaken sinner in the spirit of meeknesse and so it is love doth not onely beare it selfe but also the burdens of our brethren and so fulfilleth the Law of Christ love planted by Christ is the Law of Christ and why doe wee by ruptures and divisions labour to frustrate the end of Christs prayer which is John 17. 2. I pray saith Christ that they may all bee one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee if wee bee one in uno tertio in the heart of Christ and of Christs Father why but wee should bee one amongst our selves yea love is burnt in tender feeling and compassion with the very smoake of a brothers house that is on fire 1 Cor. 13. 15. Love is not easily provoked it is a pardoning grace and hath strong shoulders to beare the madnesse and infirmities of a fellow heire of heaven Love thinketh not evill love must abound in love and charitable thoughts towards others as every element aboundeth in its owne spheare it thinketh not that the Saints doe hunt for a dominion over Saints 6. Love rejoyceth not in iniquitie Cursed bee that love that exulteth when malignants prevaile and rejoyceth not when the cause of the Lord and his people are victorious Love rejoyceth in the truth then love is wounded and sicke when heresies and sects prevaile and sigheth to see Altars multiplied and that many false Christs and false teachers arise Wee cannot deny but God hath put his seale to the ministery of the servants of Christ that went from this to New England and in the wisdome of God they saw and doe see that libertie of conscience is no remedie but physick worse then the disease against false religions It is now off my way to dispute But I know certainly a negative argument from the practise of Christ and the Apostles because they stirred not up heathen Magistrates and Wolves not fathers to punish false teachers is not good divinitie to infer libertie of conscience for in their practise they stirred not up the sword of the Magistrate against extortions and rapines in publicans nor against the persecuting and killing of the Lord of Glory nor against sedition incests tyranny over the Apostles and Christians bribing and unjustice used against Paul by Felix and others who were subject to higher Magistrates and many other scandalous sinnes against the second table any might inferre libertie of conversation in matters of the second table no lesse then libertie of conscience in matters of the first table if this argument hold good But the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles giveth to the Magistrate the Sword against evill doers Rom. 13. 4. but teachers of false doctrine though in the matter of ceremonies are evill doers Phil. 3. 2. and they pervert soules Act. 15. and kill soules and subvert whole houses and make their followers twofold more the Children of hell then they themselves Matth. 23. 15. nor did wee ever dreame that the bloody sword was a mean of conversion of soules the Gospel is so the onely power of God to salvation but that hindereth not but the Magistrate is to restraine by a coercive power the man that teacheth that Jesus Christ is not true God consubstantiall with the Father because the Sword ought to curbe the spreading of false doctrine it followeth not that it is a meane of propagating true doctrine But of this more possibly in another place Nor doe I intend the bloody sword should bee drawne against every different opinion holden by the truely godly though in the government of the Church all see not with the same light Luke 8. 24. Master master wee perish Marke 3. 38. Master carest thou not that wee perish It is too ordinary for us because of the greatnesse of the stroake and no present deliverance to put unkindnesse upon Christ as here they complaine that Christ is carelesse of them because hee sleepeth and they perish few of the Saints have ever beene in extremitie of heavie afflictions but they have uttered hard thoughts of Christ Psal. 77. as the Prophet in name of the Church when hee was troubled and his sore ran in the night Vers 7. saith will the Lord cast off for ever will hee bee favourable no more 8. Is his mercy cleane gone is his word or oracle rotten 9. Hath hee forgotten to be gratious hath hee in anger shut up his tender mercies It is a strange word Vers 7. will hee bee favorable no more will hee never put forth in action one act of good will againe for the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it were a prodigious thing as the Prophet calleth it his infirmitie Vers 10. that all acts of reconciliation toward the elect should dry up Jeremiah when hee cryed out in his great trouble Chap. 15. Vers 10. Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne mee a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth complayneth Vers 18. Wilt thou bee altogether to me as a lier as waters that are unfaithfull that is I hoped thou shouldest have helped mee as the thirsty traveller trusteth in a dry pit seeing it afarre off and beleeving it to bee a refreshing fountaine but thou hast beguiled mee and my hope to this you may adde the cursing of the day that hee was borne in Chap. 20. David Psal. 31. when Vers 12. hee was forgotten as a dead man and laid aside by all the world as an uselesse and a broken vessell complaineth Vers 22. For I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes and wee know the sufferings of Job who beside his other agues uttereth these words Chap. 13. Vers 14. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest mee for thine enemy The Reasons are First extreame afflictions as Physicke stirre up both the good and the bad humours they make legible both the good and the ill in the man and which of them is the predominant when the fire boileth extremely if there bee a scum in the liquor it is that which is first seene yea and it is not onely the vertue and strength of the fire but also of the gold that the drosse goeth to its owne place if it were all gold there should bee no separation at all the Disciples here put a false Character upon Christ that hee hath neither love to them nor care of them they double the word Master master and that is a check being added to the other carest thou not for us it saith 1. that hee is worse then other masters better serve any master then Christ a master will care for his servants so hee can helpe them no earthly master will sleepe when hee knoweth his servants are drowning 2. They object his sluggishnesse carest thou not for us hee bath neither
in the rwo kingdomes some say it is because libertie is not given to every man to live in what Religion hee pleaseth but this is a sin that every man doe What seemeth good in his owne eyes because there is not a judge to put any to shame Judg. 18. Chap. 19. 1 2. the contrary then cannot bee the cause of the so great judgement Others say rebellion against the King is the cause but rather the not timous rising to helpe the Lord and his oppressed people against the mightie is the cause The defection of both kingdomes to altar worship imagerie idolatry Popish and Arminian Doctrine the articles of Perth Assembly followed and practised in our owne kingdome without repentance the ignorance of God people perishing for want of knowledge both under prelacy and now the not building of the house of God in this land the backsliding of many after the Covenant of God is sworne are the true causes and it is to bee feared that if Presbyteriall government bee erected in this land as wee hope it shall if this bee not taken heed to it shall continue a judgement on the Land and it is this many both preachers and professors shall conforme to the Government as they would doe to either the prelaticall or congregationall way as many time-servers doe and shall hate and persecute the power of godlinesse under the pretence of Sectaries Brownists Separatists independents and the like and retaining an Antichristian and rotten heart shall doe what in them lies under that colour to vex oppresse and banish many godly men out of the land But this is to bee considered if it were not needfull there were a Fast through both kingdomes to deale with God to find out the true causes of our fastings and these heavy judgements in which in the three kingdomes many hundreth thousands are killed I doubt if under any Prince or Emperour there bee a history can parallel the blood shed within these few yeares Job when God visited him desired to know wherefore God contended with him it is a sad thing to lye drowned under unknown and fatherlesse plagues wee being ignorant of the causes of Gods judgement so wee suffer blind crosses like the Oxe that beares the yoake and knoweth nothing of the art of husbandry or the horse killed in the battell and yet is ignorant of State-affaires and of the causes of warre and of disorders in Lawes Liberties Religion in State and Church wee are like one smitten in the dark night by a spirit or a ghost but hee seeth not who striketh Oh it were good wee would inquire as the Prophet doth Esa. 42. 24. who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to robbery and wherefore is all this come on us why doth the Lord contend with us O make us know our iniquities Often the rod maketh a lying report of God and accuseth Christ in our desertions O! Christ is unkind hee is changed hee hath forsaken me wee can sooner spy a fault in Christ under desertion then in our selves and wee often reason from that which is no cause for the cause Christ seemeth changed to us and unmercifull and sleepey and carelesse First when the judgement is extreame and wee apprehend it as a fruite of the anger and vengeance of God Apprehension gives life to afflictions and casteth in many ounce weights of wrath in our cup which was never there because our conscience giveth in against us lying libells and unjust complaints such as this thou art not in Christ nor a convert nor a pardoned and justified sinner and wee first retort the lying libell upon Christ O! Christ hath forgotten to bee mercifull wee see Christ in the false glasse in our extreame suffering our sinne and apprehension joyning together Secondly Christ may sleepe and hide himselfe in a great tryall and when hee is gone and grace hath no actuall influence on our soules then wee languish and die the passes of the Clock being laid by there is no motion at all and the wheeles gather rust Should wee suppose that the Creator of nature did suspend his influence all naturall operations should cease there should bee no motion in the Sunne it should neither rise nor goe downe the raine should not fall the wind should not blow living things could not move Beasts could not walke Fowels could not fly Fishes could not swimme Roses Flowers and Hearbs could not grow c. because hee causeth all these to bee and his immediate influence addeth oyle to all wheeles and rowleth and moveth them else they could not stirre so Christ in the spheare of grace being the first mover if his influence stand still all our wheeles as wanting oyle and motion gather rust and stand still Paul cannot call Jesus Lord the Spouse runneth not for the bridegroome will not draw Can. 1. David dieth and withereth a hundreth deaths for God hides his face Hezekiah fainteth for God glowmeth Haman is downe amongst the dead in the grave Christ his life worketh not so here in trouble Christ standeth behind the mount and the poore Disciples faint and die and dreame and are all afraid in a storme because God seemeth to sleepe as if God were dead Oxthodoxe and sound apprhensions of Christ in us are not habits but acts and are in us as lightnings are in the ayre when nature actually cooperateth or as fire is in the flint not but when it is beaten out with force Thirdly distempers and feavers on faith take away the taste and the honey out of Christ the father is not a father to the child in a fit of an ague Thirdly when extreame danger is neare and the Army foyled and the enemy entering in at the ports our courage is as farre to seeke as ever was the courage of the Apostles Oh then wee are gone this is our death the cause is now losed Christ is buried hee cannot rise againe Esay 7. 2. It was told the house of David saying Syria is confederat with Ephraim and his heart was moved as the trees of the field the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is to bee moved from place to place and is ascribed to Cain the vagabond Gen. 4. 12. wee feare the creature too much because hee can kill the body and wee feare the Lord of heaven and earth to little though hee have dominion over both soule and body remember what a forgetting of God it is to feare the creature in Gods cause Esay 51. 12. I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that shalt bee afraid of a man that shall die and of the Sonne of man that shall bee made as grasse is it so great a sinne to feare man ay the next words beare no lesse 13. and forgettest the Lord thy maker that stretched out the heaven and laid the foundation of the earth an unbeleeving people hath a feare of their owne which the people of God are not to follow Esay 8. 12. Feare yee not the
something of God the Creator but nothing of Christ it is not from a saving principle or the right end the honour of God and so it is not a voyce in the court for Christ but for nature and carnall ends Paul hath another word Rom. 7. 23. I finde another Law in my mind {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} leading mee captive to the Law of sinne the word signifieth one taken with the point of a Speare or Sword or with a bloody weapon so is the word Luke 21. 24. They shall fall by the edge of the Sword {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and shall bee led captive unto all nations Rom. 16. 17. Salute Andronicus and Junia my kinsmen {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and fellow prisoners Now in a taken captive there bee two things expressing the nature of infirmities and so of a weake faith in the Saints First ere the captive bee taken in warre he resisteth and sheddeth blood and therefore by paction they promise him quarters Secondly it is major vis a greater power that doth it so it is against his will that hee is taken and onely for want of strength and power to fight hee is taken so hee that falls of infirmitie or sinnes of weaknesse if hee had more strength of grace hee would not yeeld and therefore hee resisteth and accepteth not of quarters from the flesh without stroake of Sword and the spirit doth not consent to the ill hee doth as it is Rom. 7. 15. For that which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that I doe So the beleever is like a sicke man walking up a mount his will and desire is quicker in climbing up to bee at the top of the mount then his legges are The last practicall inditement of conscience that leadeth on in these sinnes of infirmitie is broken shaken divided it is not a kindly consent the captive giveth to obey his keepers and therefore there is complaynings under these sinnes as Paul doth Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death Hence the poore man is so gravelled with a body of sinne that his confined desires take strength from the strong walls of the prison that hee would gladly bee in heaven where hee shall sinne no more as the Bird would wish the Cage of clay broken that it might flee up and sing Esay useth another word Ch. 22. Christ shall not breake a Reed that groweth in a lake or an Oate Reed that is already bruised the word is halfe-breaking as Gen. 25. 22. The Twinns struggle or shalter one another in the wombe but they killed not one another and the smoaking flax is a dying out candle in the socket except more oyle bee added to it it is gone the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies the dimme eyes of old men Gen. 27. 4. Job 17. 7. so the weake beleever and the fainting faith may from this easily be knowne Then if Christ misse faith in a professor first labour to beleeve especially in a storme now the Sea rages the storme is tempestuous God hath not as yet awaked in the three Kingdomes for our deliverance beleeve faith cannot strike saile to hell or death Rom. 8. 37. faith can make a passage between hell and heaven for out of the belly of Hell Jonah cryed this should put our enemies to flight it did so of old Heb. 11. 34. and grace is not weake and old and gray haired now there are bones and strength in faith now to subdue malignants as of old these that seeke for crooked wayes of an unjust peace without truth doe not trust God in these stormes wee are in publick calamities so farre from faith that wee think God hath forgotten us as the people in their calamitie said Ezek. 33. 10. If our transgressions and our sinnes bee upon us and wee pine away in them how should wee then live we looke to the waters that floweth over the soule and cannot see the bottome and our hope sinketh but faith would outface all our stormes and carry ship-broken men to laud It was unbeleefe rather then Sea and winds that was like to drowne the Church for it puts weaknesse and sleepinesse upon Christ and robs him of the glory of his truth Glory is the prime flower of the Crowne and Royall Prerogative of Christ and it changeth Christ in a sleeping man there must bee then more high treason here against the Royall honour of Christ then in all sins it is from unbeleefe that that complaint is made Jer. 14. 8. Why shouldest thou bee as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night 9. Why shouldest thou bee as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save the Church had as good said why should you bee turned in no God for hee that cannot save is no God so unbeleefe usurpeth the Crowne and dethroaneth God Secondly so long as wee are not humbled for sinne and turne not from our evill wayes Christ justly misseth faith in us and saith hee can see no faith in the land and God will change his dispensation toward his Church and doe what hee hath not done before if hee deliver us ere wee turne to him But God cannot take his vessell out of the fire till hee have purged away the tinne and the drosse Will hee cast the rod in the fire till hee have done his worke in mount Zion God principally aymeth that this shall bee the end of his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem which hee saith Ezek. 7. 16. But they that escape of them shall escape or shall bee saved and they shall bee upon the mountaines as Doves in the valleyes all of them mourning every one for his iniquity could wee returne and build the house of the Lord our enemies in the three kingdomes should fall and our peace should bee as a river and our righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea Esay 48. 18. wee may have peace without turning to God but it should not bee peace like a mightie river but like a dryed up brook but so scarce that it should dry up as the dew Thirdly challenge not Christ of unkindnesse through unbeleefe in sad times faith thinketh no evill of Christ blame thy selfe and thy unbeleefe if Christ hide his face faith hath eyes to see Christ in the night as in day-light faiths eyes pierce through Christs marke and the vaile or cloud that covers his face there is mercy and love in the bottome of afflictions Fourthly weake ones are neither to under-value Christ in themselves nor should others under-value them faith maketh not heart-separation from faith the estrangement of affection from any in whom there is any thing of Christ is from the flesh contrary to faith Marke 4. 39. And hee arose and rebuked the wind and said
and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles God from despised and contemned beginnings raised the worke to a great height 2. our adversaries were agents and would not rest but did cooperate to their owne destruction They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland against all Lawes 2. They would stirre him up to raise Armies by Sea and Land against Scotland 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace and the word of a Prince to his Subjects after an accommodation and set him on bloody warres againe 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him first to come and yeeld to all that is just and right in a Parliament of Scotland but against their mind with no purpose to keepe their faith and then to raise Tragicall and bloody warres in England and in all these they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and secret providence to their owne destruction 3. They have beene searching to find out that our intentions were not to establish Religion in power and puritie and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State but to change monarchy and set up another government this they could never yet find 4. They see God against them prophanitie and wickednesse on their side and with them Papists Idolaters Irish murtherers the cruellest of men the scumme and refuse of the Churchmen yet they will not see God in this 5. They find and see their treachery popery tyranny discovered by many plots come to light by letters under the Kings hand their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation ere popery and arbitrary government bee not established and that all Treaties have beene intended not for a just peace but for this end that a peace being once patched and sowed up all things shall returne to their ancient Channels as the King speakes in his instructions to his Commissioners at Vxbridge yet they will not see God in all these passages of his deepe providence If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Christ in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds and they obey him should not Christ bee to us a worlds wonder should hee not bee to us altogether lovely were it possible to lay in the counter-scale of the ballance to Christ a world of Angels put in yet millions of worlds of Angels adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wisedome put in all the delights of the sonnes of men put in yet the flowre and Rose of ten thousand possible worlds perfections they should bee under-weight to him the ballance should never downe Oh! wee glory in good armies wee rejoyce in victories and successe in a good Parliliament in godly Commanders in a good reformation all is excellent to us that hath any lustre or glimpse of created goodnesse but why doe wee not rather wonder admire and extoll excellent Jesus Christ who setteth him on high above the skies who lifts up his throne and his glory Consider but what is said of him Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature Vers 16. For by him were all things created c. 17. And hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things hee might have the preheminence see what wonders are there in Christ as first hee is Gods equall every way as high as God being the substantiall Image of God begotten of the Father and without all beginning Secondly as man the eldest of the creation of God and as God the Creator of the new world Thirdly no lesse the Creator of all then the Father wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven the royallest of the house of heaven these principalities and powers these little Gods the eldest and supreme Courtiers the higher house of the Peeres of heaven are but peeces of dependent shadowes that fell from the fingers of our highest King when hee framed this great all and the rich Palace-Royall of this greatest body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the bosome of the great world Fourthly the Lord Jesus hath all the created world so in the hollow of his hand as a man that holdeth a bowle of glasse in his hand in the aire should hee take his arme from under it it should fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces and doe no more good if Christ in whom all things consist some say as the notes of an excellent musick in a song draw in his armes of conserving providence the world should go all out of tune and the Globe of Crystall glasse should fall to a thousand meere nothings and as a man betweene his fingers may crush an Egge so hath Christ the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand if hee but thrust his two fingers together with a little crush all the world is dissolved like a broken Egge Fiftly hee is the head of the Church and such a head as is deaths eldest sonne and heire hee lay in deaths wombe and as the doubly blessed first-borne had the key of death with him in the inner side and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe that now all the younger brethren might come out at the same passage also yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to suite in marriage a bride his Church was sicke and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church rose the third day from death and married her Sixtly he hath so the absolute preheminence in all things that the highest of the Angels are but his vassals and servants is now in such incomparable eminency of Glory above all creatures that when the beloved-disciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his flesh that hee leaned on his bosome saw him in his glory hee fell downe at his feet dead Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Christ then his eyes of flesh could behold FINIS Iob. 20. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Esay 17. 6. Esay 30. 26. Six parts of the Text The words opened Part I. Preachers are to converse much with Christ why {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} How carefully Christ husbanded time How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy A generall faile of all in the care lesse improvement of time Part II. Christ and his Ship have more then ordinary stormes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Reason why the afflictions of the people of God are so extreame Evangelick legall anger in God Vse 1. Wrath untolerable to the ungodly Vse 2. We love a soft and a chosen providence of our owne carving Eight particulars considerable in the ship in which Christ and his Church is carried The Church a moveable thing as a ship {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Great change of the spirituall condition of the Church of particular Saints The Ship sayleth in a Sea of glasse mingled with fire Hope the Anchor of the Church The wares of the ship Seven sorts of passengers in the ship Why Christ took on our nature and infirmities Christ God and man and why The influence of the Godhead in Christs sufferings was active not passive Vse 1. Vse 2. It were sacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apostles and Elders did Acts 15. Innocency can sleepe sound amidst the greatest calamities How God is said to sleepe God will have his Church cause within a haires breadth of losing except he arise and helpe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why God saveth not while the Church be betweene the sinking and the swimming The presence of God in trouble how comfortable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Part III. The unitie and harmony of Christs Disciples in their trouble Reasons for Christian unitie Doct. Wee put unkindnesse on Christ because wee are not presently delivered and the reasons thereof {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Et non addet bene velle ultra â— Iudgements of themselves are the occasion rather then the cause of praying Some signes that sinne not afflictions put us to fasting and praying How the rod of God must work us to humiliation ere we be delivered Grace doth not extirpate but regulate feare and other affections The faults of the Disciples feare It were good to inquire the causes of the judgement Vse 2. The causes of misapprehending of Christ What is a small or weake faith Faith and fainting may consist together in one Reasons why wee know our grace so hardly The grounds of a faith weak in action Faith and sense compared together Simile Faith from instinct of grace sometime rather then from light of discourse The speciall cause of all sinnes of infirmitie From {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis mucio and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} captivus or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis hastae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. How God really rebuketh the creature Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea Vse This sword in Brittaine not the sword of men but of the Lord It is proper onely to omnipotency to make peace Part V. Two Characters of God in this miracle 1 That it is done in an instant and irresistibly 2 That it is great Things necessary to the Creature to the Creator have a may not be Things contingent to the Creature may have a must bee to the Creator Vse It is enough that our sea be calme when Christs is calme Greatnesse is printed on all the works of God Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Part VI Wee see little of God in his wayes Vse 1. God most visible in that hee now doth in Brittaine but Malignants will not see him Vse 2. The Lord Jesus a wonder to all