my People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Again this Take heed least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 The heart that distrusteth in God departeth from him therefore he saith it is a People that do erre in their hearts because they have not known my ways The corruption then is in the heart for if that did love truly it would trust God wholly for where we love faithfully we trust boldly But the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 That answereth his question Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Infidelity is the root of all evils in us for we cannot fear any threatning where we do not believe any danger We cannot hope for any benefit where we do not believe any promise for infidelity doth take away all wise do me from us This makes us to withdraw our selves from the Lord and it is a note of the wicked man neither is God in all his wayes Thus saith the Lord Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert Vers 6. and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord Vers 7. and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be a tree planted by the waters Vers 8. and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leafe shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yeilding fruit I need not say more of this Argument Here is reason enough given why you should commit your way to the Lord why you should cast your care upon him why you should not leave him to trust to your selves David saith He made us and not we our selves he saw us imperfect in the wombe he fashioned us Thy hands have made me and fashioned me he took me from the Wombe He addeth Vpon thee have I depended ever since I hung upon the breasts of my mother When we are hungry he giveth bread that strengthneth mans heart When we had not wit and understanding to shift for our selves who fed and cloathed and preserved us then surely his hand is not shortned but his arme is stretched out still Suppose that without him we could get bread Man liveth not by bread only Suppose that without him we could sowe much seed It is only he that giveth increase Let us observe the examples of Gods judgments upon such as forsake God and trust their money or their friends or corrupt means to preserve them One day telleth another The Chaldaeans trust not in God their own net is their god their own yarn is their idol they kisse their own hands But fear yee the Lord all his Saints and trust in him for he never faileth them that trust in him I have blamed some for buying and selling on the Sabbah They have answered that they are poor and are forced to it to help to feed them Is not this infidelity they dare not trust God for their meat they dare trust to their own ways against the precise Commandment of God Unlawful recreations on the Sabbath are so defended poor labouring men that work all the six days must have some time to refresh themselves But I would fain know by what indulgence they may dispense with the law of the Sabbath God hath bidden thee to remember to keep the whole day holy if thy recreations be holy thou keepest the law if unholy thou breakest it When some are detected of fraud and theft their plea is their necessity Here is a root of infidelity for doth God lay a necessity upon any man to break his law He hath laid on thee a necessity of labour if that will not do he hath given the rich charge of thee The truth is that this root of infidelity doth yet remain in the hearts of most of us and is the cause of all the sins that are committed For the light of the Gospel doth shine much more clear now then ever it did in this land and the knowledge of the truth is more spred then ever before here Yet never was there greater corruption of manners nor more cunning shifts devised for the advancing of mens particulars The crying sins of the Jews Injuries done between man and man Corruption and contempt of Religion Corruption of Justice To all these our land doth plead guilty Where 's the fault Have you not heard have you not been taught the ways of the Lord have you not been admonish't of your duty have you not been chidden and threatned for these things hath not the seal of Gods judgments written within and without with lamentations mourning and wo been opened and read to you Hath not God rained examples thick of his justice and judgment against high and low for these things why then is not this amended There is a root of infidelity we do not we dare not trust God and from hence comes 1. In some Atheisme they live without God in the world 2. In others Epicurisme they live all to delight 3. In others temporizing and following and serving men 4. In others heresie embracing their own opinions 5. In others Apostacy from religion and faith 6. In others hypocrisie seeming what they are not 7. In most carnal security not caring for threatnings 8. In many wilful ignorance not caring for the knowledge of God But thou man and woman of God fly these things know the Lord the more thou knowest him the more thou lovest him the more thou servest him the more thou trustest him and the more he blesseth thee 2. Ambition that he may set his nest on high Ambition is a limbe of pride and it is well set forth in my text it is a building of a nest on high it is but a nest that the ambitious man doth set up but he would have it high to overlook all yet that doth not make it safe for there be clouds that can carry fire from below to consume it and there is lightning from above to inflame it and there is tempests and strong winds to shake it And the axe is laid to the root of the tree in which the nest is built and with the fall of that tree the nest comes to the ground The highest tree for a subject to build his nest in is the favour of the Prince yet David saith Trust not in Princes for there is no help in them their breath departeth they return to the earth and their thoughts perish It may be that he that fitteth next in the
have nothing but vanity and lyes to support their staggering and reeling estate of temporal felicity God is not in all their wayes nor the direction of God to manage them and therefore not the protection of God to defend them he leads them into temptation but he doth not deliver them from evill But God is a Rock for foundation and a Castle for defence to all such as put their trust in him 3. The patient expectation which he requireth in the Prophet for the peformance of this promise Though it tarry wait for it We must not not think long to tarry the Lords leasure Doctr. it is the Prophets rule He that beleeveth shall not make haste Isa 28.16 Ps 37.34 and it is Davids precept Wait on the Lord and keep his way And we have Jobs example All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait The promise of the Messiah was made in Paradise The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent This was the Gospel that God himself preached to the Serpent and all the sacrifices of the old law and all the Prophecies of former ages and all the Types in the Old Testament were Commentaries upon this text the Fathers in all ages of the Church before Christ rested on this the Apostle saith of them These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far off and were perswaded of them Heb. 11.13 and embraced them 1. Because this doth best fit the constant decree of God that we do rest in it Reas 1 for it were in vaine for us to serve a God whom we might not trust and upon whose word we could not build assurance It is the Apostles rest Scio cui credidi I know whom I have beleeved 2. Because this doth best declare our faith Reas 2 for faith being of things not seen in themselves the Apostle saith here we see in a glasse faith is a Christian mans Prospective through which he beholdeth all things far off as if they were near at hand 3. Because this is an exercise of our patience Reas 3 for ye have need of patience Heb. 10.36 that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise For yet a little while Vers 37. and he that shall come will come and will not tarry 4. This also doth exercise our hope Reas 4 for hope is nourished and fed with future objects as sense is with present and hope hath that wise forecast that as soon as the seed is cast into the ground hope is at work to gather in the harvest Rejoyce in hope Saint Bernard doth teach us to make use of this doctrine Vse of awaiting Gods leasure for first he layeth a good foundation Tua considero in quibus tota spes mea consistit 1. Charitatem adoptionis 2. Veritatem promissionis 3. Potestatem redditionis upon this he buildeth Dicit fides parata sunt magna inexcogitabilia bona à Deo fidelibus suis Dicit spes mihi illa servantur Dicit charitas curro ego ad illa We must be very tender how we do invade the royalties of God Christ saith that his Father hath kept the times and seasons in his own power he will have the alone managing of them They that cannot tarry the Lords leasure do commonly fall into one of these two evils 1. Either they murmure impatiently at God and quarrel his delay as Israel did when they came out of Egypt 2. Or else they seek unlawful means to accomplish their desires so the woman of Endor gets customers Against these Jam. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing This work is thus perfected 1. Let us not be too busie to search into the wayes of God to know things to come It pleased God before the coming of Christ in the flesh to reveale much of his purpose concerning the time to come by the ministry of his Prophets and the Devill finding men taken with this desire of the knowledg of future events did erect his oracles whose giddy and dubious predictions did so infatuate the world that few did undertake any matter of moment without consulting the oracle the Devill grew rich by the offerings and presents that were given him for divination when the successe sorted and he lost nothing of reputation or belief when it failed because all his oracles were of ambiguous sense for to carry if need were contrary constructions And it is a thing admirable which the wisdome of observation hath recorded to the honour of Christ that at his coming into the world all oracles grew speechlesse to shew that he that should dissolve the works of the Devill was come The head of this Serpent being now by his coming bruised the way to establish our hearts is to rest in the Lord and not to be too busie with the Key of his Closet and to content our selves with so much knowledge of things to come as either 1. The wisdome of foresight may read in the volume of reasonable discourse 2. Or the faith of Gods holy ones may read in the written word of holy Scripture 3 Or the judgment of those Sholars of nature may finde by searching the great book of the creatures for these open things are for us and here qui potest capere capiat he that can let him receive it It hath been the fault of many that they have so anxiously discrutiated themselves with the solicitous inquisition of the future that they have too much neglected the present and desiring to know what God would do for them hereafter both themselves lose the sense and God the thanks of that good that he was then doing God hath his wayes and his paths where his footsteps are not seen 2. Let us take the word of God for his promise and threatnings whatsoever appearances do put in to counterswade In the case of my text The oppressed Church must tarry they have two promises One of their own deliverance and restauration Another of their enemies confusion and ruine God hath promised both yet against this promise the Church which hears of comfort feels smart and their threatned enemies rejoyce and divide their spoyle the assurance is God cannot lye and repentance is hid from his eyes Why should man desire better assurance then the word of God to fix and establish his heart seeing al things had their being from the word and no man now in being doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God 3. To perfect our patience that we may wait the Lords leisure we must beforehand consider that the Vision may tarry the promises of God which shall be fulfilled in their fulnesse of time may be foretold long before Christ was promised in Paradise some do think the first day of the world to man i. e. in the day of mans creation the eve of the first Sabbath but he was
corruptions drowned and destroyed in the same waters And the Apostle saith I would not that ye should be ignorant of this thing which admonisheth both you and us that are your ministers 1 You not to be ignorant in those great mysteries of salvation 2 Us not to leave you untaught or unremembred thereof We that preach to a mixt auditory consisting incipientes Abcedaries in religion who are not yet out of their first elements which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of beginnings And some few proficients who also have their measures not all of equall growth but some few as much better grown then others as Saul was higher then all the rest of the people must as well give milk with the spoon as break bread and divide strong meat and me thinks there be two places that direct us well in the dispensation of the Word of God 1 That of the Prophet Isaiah The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept precept upon precept Isa 2. â—3 line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little in which words The matter of our preaching is exprest in two words 1 precept which teacheth us what to do 2 line which exemplifieth doctrine and serveth as a copy to write by And again the manner of our preaching is declared profitable if the same things be well taught till they be well learned And this is modicum ibi modicum ibi here modicum not too much at once for oppressing the spirituall stomack and here is ibi and ibi ibi amongst the proficients and ibi amongst the incipients 2 That of St. Peter Wherefore 2 Peâ— 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you in mind of those things though ye know them Yea I think it meet so long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance This sheweth the use of often repetitions of such things as we ought not to forget for it is not enough to have light in our understanding there must be also zeal in our affections Religion in the head is speculation in the heart affection in the hand action If we do our duty thus as we are directed it must be your great fault if either you be ignorant or forgetfull of these things The spirit of God is our example for he remembreth this passage of Israel often and modicum ibi a little here in the old Testament modicum ibi a little there in the new Testament for this is also profitable for us This sheweth that the often preaching and learning and remembring the doctrine of our Baptisme is a most necessary lesson in the school of Christ that we do not enter into a new peace with the Egyptians whom God hath drowned in the red sea that we do not revive and quicken in us those things which the laver of new byrth hath purged by suffering sin to reign in our mortall bodies and by obeying it in the lusts thereof That we do not so much as in heart return again into Egypt out of which God hath so gratiously delivered us Profitable is the remembrance of our Baptisme for it is the sacrament and seal of our deliverance from the curse of the 〈◊〉 from the spirituall bondage of Satan from the dominion of sin iâ—â—heweth us the old Adam dead in the death and buried in the grave of Christ It also serveth being often remembred to stirre us up to a practise of Christian conversation and to an holy imitation of Christ in godly life that we may not receive the grace of God in vain that wee be not again defiled with the world for the Apostle will tell us That if Christ hath opened us a new and living way through the vail Heb. 20.22 23. that is his flesh we must draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth Veâ—se 26. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins But a certain fearfull looking for of judgment Verse 27. and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I conclude in the Apostles words therefore brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning this passage of the Lords Israel through the red sea Vers 16. Hab. â— 6. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up unto his people he will invade them with his troops AT this verse beginneth the third Section of this Chapter and it conteineth the consternation of the Prophet dejected before the Lord with the former considerations and the sad estate of the land of Canaan 1 Concerning the words When I heard The Prophet fitting this Psalme as you have heard for the common use of the Church doth not speak in this place in his own person perticularly When I heard but in the person of that Church of God to which this prophecy was sent Verse 14. They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me is spoken of the Midianites invading Gods people not the Prophet Habak So that Theard here is collectively the whole Church and perticularly every member thereof But what is that is here heard Surely this hath a double reference 1 To the former prophecy of Gods threatned judgments against his people of which you heard before Verse 2. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid For it was a fearfull judgment which God had denounced against them 2 It hath reference to the full commemoration of Gods former mercies for howsoever faith may grow upon this root of experience of Gods favour yet when the Church of God shall consider all that former favour now turned into indignation and shall feel that power which once protected them so miraculously now armed against them this cannot but cast them into great fear This fear is described fully and rhetorically in four severall phrases 1 My belly trembled 2 My lips quivered 3 Rottennesse entred into my bones 4 I trembled in my self It is the manner of the spirit of God in such like phrases to expresse a great horrour and dismay by the belly is meant the inward parts and bowels So the Prophet upon the denunciation of the burthen upon the desert sea saith Therefore are my loyns filled with pain Isai 21.3 pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it My bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab Isa 16.11 and mine inward parts for Kirharesh So Job Job 30.27 My bowels boyled and rested not And David Mine eye is consumed with grief yea Psal 31.9 my soul and belly I am poured out like water all