THE SEA-MANS DIRECTION IN TIME OF STORME Delivered in a Sermon upon occasion of a strong stormie Wind lately happening By IER. BURROUGHS MATTH. 8. 27. The Winds and the Sea obey him LONDON Printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons 1640. To the Reader IT hath been the way of God in speaking to men and drawing their hearts to him to apply himselfe to them in those things they have skill of and are acquainted with When Christ was revealed to the Wise men that came from the East it was by a Star they were Astronomers and conversed much in the contemplation of the Starres and God speakes to them accordingly When our Saviour called Fishermen to follow him he tels them Hee will make them Fishers of men hee expresseth himselfe unto them in their owne way Wherefore it being my lot to live where multitudes of Mariners especially of mine owne Countrey-men daily come and my Auditors being in great part of such I was willing to take the opportunity of that great worke of God that sore and grievous tempest that was lately so terrible as made the hearts of many to shake to adde the word sutable to Gods worke to labour to conveigh some spirituall truth by the advantage of that impression that was then upon their hearts little thinking then that such present thoughts hinted by such an occasion should ever be more publike then in mine owne Congregation but knowing what need Mariners have of Sermons and considering how few they heare because I could not preach to them where their chiefe businesse lies upon the Seas I was willing to send this Sermon to them that they might have it by them many Sabbaths they spend hearing none seldome hearing any It may be the sutablenesse of this subject may invite them to reade especially it being the desires of many of them who heard it and found some worke of God upon their hearts by it to have it by them at first I was unwilling to let such sudden things appeare so publike but after considering that some poore Saylors boy at least might get some good by them I yeelded I publish not this Sermon because I conceit any speciall excellency in it that cannot be expected it is the same for the frame and substance of it that was preached the next day after the occasion Some things are added and enlarged especially concerning the nature of the Winds But because I know nothing of this subiect published and some way it may be usefull and a little good is worth much of my time and labour who knowes what a truth what a hint fitted to the apprehensions of people in their owne way may doe therefore here you have it and the Lord prosper it to you Yours in Christ I. B. Imprimatur Jo. Hansley Octob. 14. 1640. THE SEA-MANS DIRECTION IN TIME OF STORME Psal. 148. 8. Stormy Wind fulfilling his word A Word spoken in season how good is it it is like Apples of Gold with pictures of Silver Silver pictures doe set out the golden Apples and the golden Apples doe grace the Silver pictures so words that are gracious fitted to their circumstances they are graced each by other A good word spoken at any time is a golden Apple it hath worth in it but fitted to circumstances it hath beauty added to it and not onely beauty but efficacie too for so it is in the Originall words upon their wheeles when they are rightly fitted to their circumstances being spoken in due season then they goe upon their wheeles and passe along like a triumphant Chariot whereas if these bee omitted they are drawne out as a Cart is drawne on without wheeles like Pharoahs Chariots when God tooke off their wheeles they drave heavily As Saint Augustine said of the outward element in the Sacrament let the word come to the element and it is made a Sacrament so I may say of Gods workes let the word be added to Gods workes and they are instructions great helpes to Godlinesse There is a great threat against those who regard not the workes of God Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands hee shall destroy them and not build them up Psal. 28. 5. That such a curse may not befall us for our regardlesnesse of this worke of the Lord in this dreadfull stormy wind I have chose this Scripture that as Job heard the Lord speaking out of the whirle-wind so you this day by this Scripture may heare the Lord speaking to you out of that stormy tempestuous wind that but yesterday was so terrible to you Sensitive things move much yet the impression of them holds not long it is good therefore to take the advantage of your hearts and that presently The title of this Psalme is Hallelujah praise ye the Lord it is a Psalme of praise by way of excellency above others it begins and ends with Praise ye the Lord all sorts of creatures in heaven and earth ayre and seas are called to joyne in this worke but especially man of all creatures in the world God expects his praise from man in a speciall manner the wayes of God towards man being the most glorious above that they are towards any of his other workes towards him his name indeede is excellent above the earth or heavens God will have active and passive praises from man and amongst men above all from his owne people his Church whom hee hath chosen to be a people neere unto him the high praises of God are to be in their mouthes Psal. 49. 6. They are not onely to rejoyce in their God and in his glorious workes but to bee joyfull in a glorious manner to rejoyce in glory not onely to sing the praises of the Lord but to sing aloud upon their beds vers. 5. God himselfe is the praise of his Saints as we have it in the 16. verse of this 148. Psalme not onely the workes of God but God himselfe hee is their praise both actively and passively he is their praise their glory their excellencie and he even he himselfe is the subject of their praise Gods people are his glory and God is the glory of his people They are his glory Psal. 78. 61. hee delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into their enemies hand God is their glory Psal. 3. 3. Thou art my glory and the lifter up of my head and thus God and his people glory one in another every where the Name of God is great but God is knowne in Judah and his Name is great in Israel Psal. 76. In his Temple every man speakes of his glory Psal. 29. 9. wherefore to him be glory in the Church Eph. 3. 21. The glory that God hath from his people from his Church is another manner of glory then hee hath from all the world besides wherefore let not us faile of giving God the glory of his great workes of this his mighty worke Our subject then at this time is
the praise of God in one of his great workes of Nature the worke of God in the wind the stormy wind fulfilling his word Wherein we have these two things 1. What it is wherein God is to bee praised the subject of his praise the stormy wind 2 The reason why from the effect Fulfilling his Word For the first Stormy wind the Wind of storme or tempest so the words are the tempestuous Wind the word is sometimes used for a whirl-wind Dan. 11. 40. The Wind especially when it is in its strength tempestuous and stormy hath much in it to set out the glory of God God is to be praised in this great work of his God glories much in this creature The Scripture makes much use of it to set out the greatnesse and Majesty of God by it as 1. God challenges his propriety in this he calls it his Wind Psal. 147 18. Hee causeth his wind to blow it is Gods Wind and therefore the glory of it is peculiar to him hee it is that is to bee acknovvledged in it vvee are to rise higher then the naturall causes of it It is said of the earth that God hath given it to the children of men Psal. 15. 16. but he keepes the propriety of the Windes in his ovvne hand they move in the Heavens and depend upon the Heavens so that the Heavens vvith all that in them is are the Lords in a speciall manner but the earth hath hee given to man to subdue unto himselfe for his use this vvay or that way as he pleaseth he hath not given any such power over any thing in the Heavens nor over the wind them he reserves in his owne hands 2 The Wind is one of the wonders of the Lord in which his Name is wonderfull Psal. 107. 24. 25. they that goe downe to the Sea see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe what wonders he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind Although something may be knowne of this creature in the naturall causes of it yet it is a wonder above all that we can know of it 3 Hee is said to walke upon the wings of the Wind Psal. 104. 3. and this is made one expression wherein God appeares very great clothed with honour and Majesty 4. God is said to ride upon the wings of the Wind 2 Sam. 22. 11. and to flye upon the wings of the Wind Psal. 18. 10. this is spoken after the manner of men to shew his glorying in this creature although God moves not from one place to another much lesse hath need of any thing to move upon or to further any motion In that it is said hee rode upon the Cherub some thinkes it implies Gods governing of the force of the Winds by the Angels for the Angels are represented by the figure of Cherubins as Gen. 3. 24. God placed Cherubins to keep the way of the tree of life Besides he is said to ride upon the Cherub alluding unto the Arke of the Covenant where Gods speciall presence with his people in covenant with him was where there were two Cherubins covering the Mercy seat which was the place where God promised to meet with his people and to commune with them Exod. 25. 20 21 22. So that this expression here in the Psalme is to declare that that God which appeares so glorious in the Wind is the same God that sits upon the Cherubins upon the Mercy-seate that God that is in covenant with his people to be their God and to doe them good for ever it is a very usefull note to consider of when the people of God see his glory in his great workes and particularly in this of the Wind they should looke higher then other people and see more of God in it then others can doe others can see and acknowledge God to bee the supreme cause of it but those who are godly should looke upon God as their God betweene the Cherubins upon the Mercy-seate this power this glory is the power and the glory of that God that is in covenant with me my reconciled Father in Jesus Christ here would be a comfortable beholding God in the winds indeed And further here in a Song of praise in the day when David was delivered from the hands of all his enemies God is said to ride upon the Cherub and to flye upon the wings of the Wind to shew the readinesse and the swiftnesse of Gods working for the helpe of his people he rides upon his chariot yea he flyes swiftly to their deliverance our motion is dull and heavie in our duty towards God but God is lively and swift in his wayes of mercy to us Hence we have that notable expression Isa. 31. 5. As Birds flying so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem defending also hee will deliver it As a Bird that sees her young one in danger flyes hastily to deliver it So the Lord hasteth to defend Jerusalem Againe he rides upon the Cherub this notes the worke of God governing them this way or that way as one riding in a Chariot thus the Heathens feigned their God Aeolus to bridle the windes and bring them up and downe whither he would 5. He holds the Winds in his fists Prov. 30. 4. The glory of God Isay 40. 12. is set out by measuring the waters in the hollow of his hand and meting out the Heavens with his span it is as great in this that hee holds the Winds in his fist for what is more uncapable of holding then the Wind yet so powerfull and mighty is the hand of God that hee holds the Winds themselves as it were in his fist The Seventie translate the words in his bosome and this is sutable to a sixth impression the Scripture hath to set out the glory of God in the Wind. 6. He brings the Winds out of his treasuries Psal. 135. 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth hee maketh Lightning for the Raine hee bringeth the Wind out of his Treasuries That which wee treasure up is of some worth and wee therefore treasure it because wee would keepe it sure and secret Thus the Wind is a creature in which there is much excellencie much of God in it of great use as wee shall further heare and God keeps it sure although nothing seemes to be more uncertaine then the Wind yet God hath every blast locked up in his treasury and it cannot stirre without him and the nature and the motions of the Wind are very secret and hidden things All the workes of Nature are in Gods treasury God hath a treasury of Nature as well as a treasury of grace The snow and the haile are said to come out of Gods treasuries Job 38. 22. Hast thou seene the treasures of the snow or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile which I have reserved against the time of trouble The Lord promises in the 28. of Deut. 22. to them that obey him
to open unto them his good treasure the treasure of Nature is a good treasure there are many good blessings in it yet such as hee gives sometimes to the wicked Psal. 17. 14. Hee fills their bellies with his hid treasure but Gods people as they are a peculiar treasure to God Exod. 19. 5. so God hath a peculiar treasure for them a treasure in Heaven Luke 19. 22. 7. God weighes the Winds Job 28. 5. He makes a weight for the Winds this is made a speciall evidence of Gods propriety in understanding the way of wisdome as appeares verse 20. Whence commeth Wisdome and where is the place of understanding seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the Fowles of the ayre by which Hierome understands proud lofty aeriall high spirits who love to soare aloft and to be above in the clouds Wisdome is hid from them but rather thus it is to be found in no place in the World the Fowles of the aire never saw that place where it is Destruction and Death say we have heard the fame of it that is such as are now swallowed up of destruction and death the abstract being put for the concrete as we have often in Scripture as Revel. 20. 14. Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire These who are destroyed and dead they now know something what true Wisdome is they finde by wofull experience what it is to neglect God and to cast off his feare and to follow the vanity of their owne hearts now they see what would have done them good and what hath undone them for ever but though men neither living nor dead know what true Wisdome is yet God understandeth the way thereof vers. 23. How doth that appeare that only true Wisdome dwels with God amongst other things this is one speciall hee maketh a weight for the winds that is either by ordering them in a just proportion that there shall not bee the least particle of them spent further then may serve his purpose or thus he maketh a weight for the Winds he giveth to the Windes their poyse that they should move this way or that way according as hee pleaseth 8. The Lord makes the Wind his messengers Psal. 104. 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits so it is in your bookes but the word translated spirits signifies Winds and is to be understood of them for the scope of the Psalmist is to shew the glory of God in his great workes of Nature The word translated Angels signifies messengers in the Hebrew as the Greeke But the Apostle in the first of the Hebrewes quotes this Scripture and applies it to the Angels vers. 7. And of the Angels he saith he maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flaming fire to this Calvin upon the 104. Psalme justifying the former interpretation ansvvers It is not the intent of the Apostle to expound the meaning of the Prophet but sets out an Analogie or likenesse betvveene that obedience the Winds yeeld unto God and that vvhich is performed by the Angels and so the meaning is that as God useth the Winds his messengers to goe hither and thither as he pleaseth for the fulfilling his Word so hee useth the Angels for his service and they obey accordingly so that this visible sensible World is as it vvere a glasse of that glory the Lord hath in the higher World above in the Heavens and vve may be the rather induced to conceive that the Apostle maketh use onely of an Allegoricall sense of that Scripture because vvee finde many times in the New Testament places quoted out of the Old and applyed not according to their proper sense but some according to their typicall and others their allegoricall sense as many might be named I will onely shew you one place quoted out of the Psalmes as this is and that by the same Apostle the place of the Psalme that is quoted is Psal. 19. vers. 4. Their line is gone out through the earth and their words to the end of the World it is apparent this is spoken concerning the heavens their line that is their rule or delineation which is a meanes to teach the simple as Isay 28. 10. or by line is meant a building frame which is made by line and rule Job 38. 5. speaking of Gods creating the earth hee hath this expression Who hath stretched out the line therof The Greeke Translators translate the word sound which word the Apostle also useth quoting this place Rom. 18. 18. And further whereas it is said their words to the end of the World is meant those testifications that the frame of the Heavens have together with their course and order to witnesse to the world the glory of God in them whereby they doe as it were cry aloud to men to behold the glory of the great God Now the Apostle in the 10. to the Rom applies this place to the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles that were sent out he brings it to shew that unbeleevers could have no excuse for their unbeleefe But I say have they not heard yes verily for their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the World wherefore although that place in the 104. Psalme by way of Allegory may bee applyed unto the Angels yet firstly and properly it is to be understood of the Winds every Wind is as a messenger of God sent to us about some errand or other and happy are wee if wee have that care and skill that may finde out what their message is what the meaning of God in them is that they may never returne without doing the worke for which they were sent and certainely one way or other they will performe their worke as we have it in the Text they will fulfill his Word In the 55. of Isay vers. 10 11. The Word is compared to the Raine that comes downe from Heaven in that it returnes not in vaine so neither will the winds that come from Heaven yea as messengers from the God of Heaven they will not they cannot returne in vaine 9. This is a creature that God delights to make use of when hee would so speake to men as to humble their hearts before him thus he did when hee intended so to speake to Job as to humble him so thorowly as hee might be prepared for deliverance he speakes againe and againe to him out of the Wind chap. 38. and 40. 10. Christ makes use of this creature in setting out the freenesse of Gods grace in the great worke of Regeneration Joh. 3. 8. The Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth nor whither it goeth so is every one that is borne of the Spirit and God made use of this miraculous worke of his in sending the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles Acts. 2. 2. There was the rushing of a mighty Wind and filled all the house where they were
1. By raising our thoughts to the contemplation of his greatnesse and Majesty in it so as to feare and to tremble before him O Lord how art thou cloathed with glory and Majesty who would not feare and tremble before such a God as thou art The voyce of the Lord shaketh the Wildernesse Psal. 29. 9. that is the wilde beasts of the Wildernesse and shall it not shake our hearts shall our hearts be more hard and stupid then the hearts of those wild and savage beasts in the Wildernesse It shaketh the most lofty Cedars what are our spirits how loftie how hardned with pride and folly if they doe not shake if they tremble not before such a God as this It is a notable speech of Elihu Job 37. 1. At this also my heart trembleth and is moved out of his place at this at what is it that his heart so trembleth his voyce roareth hee thundreth with the voyce of his excellencie vers. 4. God thundreth marvellously with his voyce great things doth he which wee cannot comprehend vers. 5. Out of the South commeth the whirle-wind vers. 9. The Wind passeth and cleanseth vers. 21. Wherefore upon this great worke of God together with others he concludes vers. 22. With God is terrible Majesty touching the Almighty we cannot finde him out Hee is excellent in power vers. 23. Men doe therefore feare him vers. 24. It is a time now indeed to feare the Lord to lye down with low humbled trembling hearts before him it s no time to vexe and fret and rage as it is the practise of some when grievous tempests and stormes arise and put them to trouble and danger they vex and rage against the Winds when the Winds cause Seas to rage their hearts are in as great a rage as the Seas swearing and cursing most dreadfully in this their rage their cursed hearts some out their filth according to that description of the wicked which we have Isa. 57. 20 21. the wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast out mire and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Oh the abominable mire and dirt that is cast out by such hearts at such times when God calls for the most feare of him trembling before him subjection unto him what is this but even to dart up our arrowes against the Heavens and to flye even in the very face of God himselfe I have read of a people in Africa who being troubled with strong Winds driving heaps of sands upon their fields and dwelling places they gathered an Army to fight against them but with so evill successe that themselves were buried under hils of sands driven upon them by the Winds It is no lesse madnesse in these who curse and rage in times of tempests these are fighters against God it is the infinite patience of God that that cursed breath that comes from them at those times is not stopped 2. Let us praise God in this stormy Wind by considering what poore creatures we are how infinitely wee depend upon this God that appeares so much above us in it wee see how he can make a vapor terrible unto us so that we cannot stand before it we see at what advantage hee hath us by the Winds to overturne our houses to dash our shippes in pieces by it Marke how Job was affected when God spake to him out of the Whirle-wind c. 38. 1. compared with c. 40. 3 4. Then Iob answered the Lord that is when the Lord had spoken to him out of the winds Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further And againe compare chap. 40. 6. with chap. 42. 5 6. the Lord speakes to him againe out of the Whirle-wind that God delights to make use of this creature to speake to men by to humble them you heard before but here you see the effect of this what power there is in it to doe that which God intends by it I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare saith Job but now mine eyes have seene thee wherefore I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes This makes a Job a holy godly man to abhorre himself in dust and ashes before this great God 3. Let us upon this labour to purge our hearts and keep them cleansed from guilt that the terrours of God in this and other of his workes may not overwhelme them and sinke them It is a blessed thing to be able to looke upon God in these his glorious workes with comfort and peace if there were no guilt within in our hearts although they would be moved with reverence of God in his great workes yet all the tempests in the World could not shake them with any such terrour as to hinder their comfort peace their sweet rest and repose in God yea they would rather rejoyce the heart they would raise it to blesse it selfe in this God as the God of its comfort and of all its good were it not for vapors for Wind got into the earth all stormes and tempestuous Winds without would never make an earthquake were our spirits cleare within whatsoever comes without would never cause any slavish despairing sinking heartquake in us Pliny saith that the Eagle is not afraid of Thunder the greatest tempests of Thunder doe not affright her whereas other fowles shake and tremble at it and the beasts of the field get into their shelters thus spirituall hearts who converse much with God and keep themselves up on high they are not terrified with such things as fill the hearts of others with amazing terrors hearts that are heavenly are like the ayre above the middle Region free from tempests and stormes It is very observable that which wee read of David Psal. 18. hee there sets out the glory of God in the Earthquake and dreadfull Tempests The earth shooke and trembled the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken because hee was wroth there went up a smoake out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured hee did flye upon the wings of the wind his thick clouds passed haile-stones and coales of fire The Lord thundered in the Heavens and the highest gave his voyce c. Yet observe vers. 16. David drawes comfort out of all this He sent from above he tooke me he drew me out of many waters These grievous Tempests these dreadfull stormes were not to over-whelme me to sinke me in the waters but the Lord tooke me that God who appeared thus dreadful in these stormes and tempests yet this God tooke me and drew mee out of many waters and vers. 19. Hee delivered mee because hee delighted in mee 4. Give glory to God in blessing his Name for deliverance from those fearefull judgements that hee makes tempestuous Winds and stormes the executioners of upon many others some of you it is like may say and
East Wind carrieth him away and a storme hurleth him out of his place You know the speech of Eliah to Ahab when he see the clouds arise make haste lest the raine prevent you 1 King 18. 44. so I to you make haste lest the storme prevent you when an enemy takes in a Towne by storme it is very terrible Oh how dreadfull then will it bee to that people whom the Lord shall come against as an enemy and after many offers of conditions of peace rejected he shall take them in by storm It is the pride of mens hearts that is the cause they feare not this wherefore my prayer shall be according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 83. 15. Lord make them afraid of thy storme I doe not I will not pray as in the former part of the verse Lord persecute them with thy tempest Oh no if it may bee the Lord keep it from them neither doe I pray Lord make them afraid with thy storme but Lord make them afraid of thy storme For the second how terrible are stormes raised and raging in mens consciences When the wrath of God in a mans soule shall persecute him as the Wind as Job complaines chap. 30. 15. Terrors are turned upon mee they pursue my soule as the Wind and chap. 9. 17. Hee breaketh me with a tempest When God shall say to Conscience goe persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storme after great calmes there useth to arise grievous stormes many of you have had a long calme of peace and prosperity you may expect a storme a comming God who is said Psal. 107. 29. to make the storme a calme can as soone make thy calme a storme the vapors that cause the tempest arise insensibly but when they grow to a tempest they have mighty power so sinnes are committed and multiplyed insensibly they lie by heaps in the conscience you feele nothing of them now but at last if you looke not to it they will cause a dreadfull tempest and especially when the hearts of men are most swelling with pride Mariners observe that usually before great tempests there are great swellings at Sea it is so usually before great Conscience-tempests the more swelling any wicked mans heart is the neerer the more dreadfull is the tempest like to be Many of you have in your time beene in most fearefull tempests that have made your hearts to ake within you but you must looke for another manner a more dreadfull tempest when not vapors in the ayre but the wrath of an infinite God in the Conscience shall shake and rend your hearts the terrors of the Lord following you will cause another manner of rage in the heart then ever stormy wind caused in the mighty waters Psal. 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this is the portion of their cup It is called the portion of their cup saith Saint Augustine upon the place because of the just measure and proportion Gods Justice observes in the dealing out punishment to sinners as we heard before God is said to have a weight for the winds so for this storme and tempest that comes upon the wicked the Lord weighes it it comes upon them proportionable to their sinne were you ever strucke with feare when you have seen the huge flouds of waters rowling and ranging in the Seas being driven by mighty winds what fear then will possesse your hearts when you shall see the flouds of ungodnesse comes in upon you how will the terrors even of Hell then compasse you about it is an expression of David Psal. 18. 4 5. The sorrowes of death compassed mee and the flouds of ungodlinesse made me afraid So Arias Montanus turnes it howsoever hee may meane of ungodly men yet the word bearing the other reading we may also apply it to the ungodlinesse of men then the sorrowes of Hell compassed me The Lord give you a heart to foresee this storme and to prevent it Wee read Exod. 9. 20. when God threatned to send upon Egypt a fearefull storme of haile those who feared the Word of the Lord made their servants and Cattle to flee into their houses so this day you heare from the Lord a storme threatned let every soule that feareth the Word of the Lord seeke to flee into a shelter there is no other shelter that can keepe it off but onely the Lord Jesus Christ that which is said Isa. 32. 2. is true of him a man shall be a hiding place from the Wind and a covert from the tempest 7. Let us yet rise higher in praising God in the stormy Wind by considering in our hearts if God be so dreadfull now in this one creature how dreadfull then will he be when he shall appeare in all his power in all his wrath his Iustice and holinesse what shall the glory of the great God be hereafter of which the Scripture speaks so much when he shall cloath himselfe in glory and majesty in the full brightnesse of them when the Heavens shall depart like a scrowle and the elements melt with fervent heat when all the World shall be on fire about him the voyce of the Lord hath shaken the earth but he saith yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven that will be a dreadfull day indeed when the starres of Heaven shall fall unto the earth as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figges when shee is shaken of by a mighty Wind when every Mountaine and Iland shall be moved out of their places when the Kings of the earth and the great and mighty men shall hide themselves in the Dennes and in the Rockes and Mountaines Revel. 6 13 14 15. A stormy Wind that shakes off the fruit of trees here wee account great but such as shall shake the Heavens and cause the starres to fall as the fruit the untimely fruit of a Fig-tree how dreadfull must that needes be beyond all apprehension and yet in such a stormy Wind will God one day appeare in his glory when not onely children and women and a few fearefull people shal be afraid but the Kings the Captaines and the great ones of the earth shall tremble and hide themselves and wish the Mountaines to fall upon them and the hills to cover them from the Wrath of the Lord Thus I have endeavoured to shew you how you should glorifie God in his worke to be moved with it in a sensitive way that is no more then the bruit beasts are the swine will runne up and down and cry in a stormy wind yea when it is comming being sensible of it before you are but Job 35. 11. God teacheth us more then the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser then the foules of heaven therefore God lookes for another manner of glory from us men then from them and more from us Christians then from men God hath given to the reasonable creature to
search out the causes of things wee must take heed we doe not stay â—ill wee arise to the supreme the highest cause Philosophers dispute of the inferiour causes It is devillish knowledge that in the contemplation of nature holds us in nature and keepes us from God saith Calvin upon the 29. Psalme and further he hath this expression If one desires to know a man hee neglects the looking upon his face and fastens his eyes upon his nayles his folly is to bee derided so saith he while men wholly mind the inferiour causes of things as workes of nature onely neglecting God the highest cause of all And in this our giving glory to God we must labour to be as spirituall as wee can then the worke will abide upon our hearts but if we be onely moved in a sensitive way the impression of all will soone vanish and come to nothing The second point followes Fulfilling his word Doct. Whensoever God sends a stormy Wind he sends it to fulfill his word The Winds you heard before were Gods messengers this is evermore their errand to fulfill his word There is a foure-fold word of God that they are sent to fulfill 1. The word of his decree what he hath purposed determined to bring to passe this is one creature the Lord calls forth out of his treasure to fulfill this and therefore it shall come at that time in that place and worke in that power and abide that time that shal be fittest for the accomplishment of this word of his Decree 2. The word of his command if God calls for it it must come if God speakes to it it shall goe and prosper to that he sends it for it is one of Gods Hosts at the beck of this great Lord of Hosts and for the fulfilling this and the other word the Winds are called for out of his treasure of Wisdome and power 3. The word of his threat what soever ill God hath threatned against sinners that comes under the power of this creature to be an executioner of it fulfils Hence Jer. 51. 1. it is called a destroying Wind and Ezek. 13. 13. a stormy Wind in my fury If there bee any threat against any man in a shippe or any that have interest in it the Lord many times sends his Winds to fulfill that word of his When Jonah sinned against God in flying from his presence the Lord raised a tempestuous Wind to follow after him as a Pursevant that would never downe untill it had arrested him and made him to know what it was to sinne against the Word of the Lord that Wind and tempest that is now up may be a fruit of Gods displeasure for such or such a sinne of thine it may be committed long since and so it comes out of the treasury of Gods wrath 4. His word of promise to convey a blessing and thus they come out of the treasury of Gods mercy to fulfill that word of promise All things shall worke together for good to them that love God Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and that which is to come When God enters into covenant with his people all second causes are linked together to work good unto to them as Hos. 2. 21 22. I will heare the Heavens and they shall hear the earth and so it is true of all others that which is said of the clouds driven about by the Winds is also true of the Winds themselves Job 37. 13. He causeth it to come whether for correction or for mercy sometimes for correction and sometimes for mercie For use and that first more generally 1. Here wee may learne to have high and honourable thoughts of the word of the Lord seeing God hath such glorious wayes for the fulfilling of it where the Word of the Lord is there is power Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jot or tittle of his Word God prizeth every tittle of his Word above Heaven and Earth hee had rather lose Heaven and Earth then any part of his Word howsoever thou prizest it at a low rate and art not willing to lose a base lust the least outward advantage for the Word God will shake the Heavens and Earth for the fulfilling his Word yea rather dissolve them and bring them into nothing rather then he will not fulfill every particle of it If God hath made these his glorious worke to bee subservient for the preservation and accomplishing his Word then surely his Word is above them wherefore although much of Gods Name bee in these yet there is more of his name in his Word Hence is that excellent place Psal. 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Gods worke is honourable and glorious Psal. 111. 3. But his Word is in a speciall manner the very glasse of his holinesse and glory in which we behold his glory with open face and so as we are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. and if Gods name be more in his word then in his works a gracious heart will see God more there and feare God as appearing there more then in any thing else as we read of Eliah 1 King 19 11 12 although the mighty wind and fire passed by yet his heart was not taken with feare so much as when the still voyce came because the Text faith God was there although the voyce was a still voyce yet because God was there more then in the other therefore Eliah feared more this place of Scripture is abused by many who bring it against Ministers preaching the Law in a zealous manner making God to appeare terrible to sinners they say God was not in the fire nor in the whirlewind but in the still voyce but it is cleare there can bee no such inference gathered from thence as many seeke to gather for even in this still voyce God came with a message of most fearefull wrath against the people Goe saith hee and anoint Hazael Jehu and Elisha that hee that escapeth the sword of Hazael Jehu may slay and him that escapeth the sword of Jehu Elisha shall slay See what a terrible threat was this that came from God appearing in that still voyce and Elias himselfe after Gods appearing thus in the still voyce was no lesse terrible in his Ministry then before for in the 2 of Kings 1. see how severe and fiery he was hee prayeth for fire to come downe from Heaven to destroy the Captaine and his fifty and againe the second time for fire from Heaven to destroy the second Captaine and his fifty he ceased not untill the third came in a way of submission and indeed that manner of Gods appearing to Elias first in the mighty wind then in the earthquake then in the fire and at last in the still voyce was to shew Elias how he would have him to appeare in his Ministry namely first in terrour and then more mildly and in that it is said that
God was not in the wind nor in the earthquake nor in the fire but in the still voyce it was to shew you that Elias and so other Ministers of God should be to the people as that mighty wind as the earthquake and fire till God appeares in them and when they see God in them then to be as a still voyce unto them but this by the way for the clearing this Scripture from the abuse of it Vse 2. If the Winds be for the fulfilling Gods Word and that in those severall wayes Hence let us learne that when any great Winds and Tempests arise it is not for nothing that they arise there is some speciall reason that God hath for the raising and continuing of them God hath alwayes some speciall aime in them for the fulfilling of some word or other of his many people when they heare of and feele grievous tempests boisterous violent Winds they thinke and say there is conjuring abroad and that is all the use they make of them God is neglected hee is not so much as once mentioned by them I finde a Canon in a Councell above 1000. yeeres agoe made against such as shall attribute tempests thundrings and lightnings to the Devill as if he caused them whosoever beleeves this saith the Councell as Priscillianus did let him be Anathema It is true if God will permit the Devill he hath much power over corporall things to make great changes in them to doe great things by them as we know what he did by Gods permission against Job and when his children were feasting there came saith the Text Job 1. 19. a great Wind and smote the foure corners of the House It is observed by some there was a speciall worke of the Devill in drawing the Wind round about the house how could one Wind else take the foure corners of the house Origen thinkes those Winds were onely the Devils themselves cluttering about the house and striving who should doe mischiefe soonest the same word in the Hebrew that signifies the Wind signifies also a spirit Certaine it is if God should let him loose hee were able to overturne our houses every day and suddenly to destroy us all but howsoever God may permit him sometimes as his executioner yet the supreme cause of raising and ordering is God for speciall ends which the Devill is forced against his will to further and there is not the least vapour or any of the most contemptible creature that he hath any power over but by permission and therefore neither Angel nor Devill nor any power in Heaven and Earth can raise or continue any Wind but as an instrument of God When God hath some worke to doe for the fulfilling his Word it were a great shame for any who professe godlinesse to bee afraid of the Devill in this kinde The Devill saith Tertullian hath no power over Swine much lesse over Gods Sheepe what God hath to doe in that proportion he raiseth the Wind according to that expression you had before that God had weights for the Wind adde to this that place Psal. 78. 50. Hee weighed out a path for his anger for so are the words in your Bookes it is onely hee made a way to his anger but consider then these two places together thus God first weighes a path for his anger how much hee intends to execute and then he weighs the means that is the Winds according to the former expression in Job just enough for the execution of so much anger and no more and so proportion them and this beyond all second causes makes the Winds greater or lesse continuing longer or shorter time which few thinke of But thus much for the application more generally but more particularly from these foure considerations of that word they come to fulfil from the first the word of his Decree 1. Hence wee learne the certainty of the fulfilling of all Gods Decrees all creatures worke for this end wee may purpose and decree things but every little thing is enough to hinder but the word of Gods Decree shall stand for ever Heaven and Earth and Ayre and Seas and all creatures must worke and give forth all their power and efficacie for this therefore certainely none can faile 2. Whatsoever falls out by the Wind take notice of it as the fulfilling of the word of Gods Decree and make use of it accordingly doe not thinke it came by ill hap or chance or onely through unskilfulnesse or neglect of such or such so as to thinke if these things be taken heed of another time there need be no feare that such things will fall out againe yes if this came to fulfill the word of Gods Decree howsoever such and such meanes furthered it although they had not beene God could have have had many other wayes to have made these winds to have fulfilled this word of his and so may do some other time when such meanes shall not fall out From the second the Word of his command 1. Here learne the Soveraignty and greatnesse of God that hath these creatures at his command Who is this said the Mariners concerning Christ whom the wind and Seas obey so let us say who is this Lord how great is his command who are you then that dare resist the command of this God Shall Heaven and Earth Seas and Winds fulfill Gods word and art thou he that darest stand out against it to resist it to rebell against it Job 38. 1 2 it is said that God spake to Job out of the whirle-wind and said Who is this that darkneth counsell Now the Lord speake to your hearts out of every stormy Wind who is this that dares stand out against my command great things have yeelded and doe daily yeeld to Gods word as Psal. 29. 5 6 7. It breaketh the Cedars it divideth the flames of fire What a heart then hast thou that darest that canst stand out against it 2. Seeing the boisterous Winds obey the word of command when thou feelest boisterous raging lusts in thy heart looke up to this God cry to him to give out a powerfull word of command to still them Likewise O Lord thou who rulest the raging Sea and tempestuous Winds and they are still O that thou wouldest rebuke these raging distempers of my heart which raise a grievous tempest in my soule that they may be still Chrysostome upon the 8. of Matthew speaking of those winds that raised tempest upon the Seas which endangered the Shippe wherein Christ and his Disciples were makes use of an Allegoricall sense comparing the Ship to the Church and those winds to the Devils that raise tempests to endanger the Church certainly the lusts of a mans heart are more dangerous winds they raise a tempest more dangerous then all the Devils in Hell are able to raise but the Lord that is able to still the one is able to still also the other Psal. 65. 7. These two are put together The stilling the